Du Yulan understood after a moment's thought. It must have been Prince Qi persistently bothering Xiao Qin, who did not wish to engage with him, leading to the scene she had witnessed.
"Your Highness Prince Qi has caused Mr. trouble. I apologize on his behalf and hope you will overlook it."
"It's nothing. Just ask him not to bother me again." Xiao Man looked at the polite Du Yulan and couldn't help but sigh. Nangong Yi had such good fortune with women. Miss Du was indeed a lovely person.
"How am I bothering you? I'm just concerned about you, sir. Have you had breakfast? I brought pastries from Bazhen Pavilion." Nangong Yi quickly lifted the food box he had set aside and opened it. "Almond crisps, peach blossom crisps, lotus leaf cakes, and the newly released jasmine cakes. I bought one of each."
Du Yulan frowned slightly, watching Nangong Yi fawning over Xiao Man. It was common knowledge that Nangong Yi was fond of beauty, but he was also a person of integrity and had never been seen begging anyone. Yet today, he was desperately trying to please a man. Du Yulan felt somewhat disgusted.
"Thank you, but no."
"Try them. Bazhen Pavilion's almond crisps are exquisite. I went before dawn to queue for them. Please, try them." Nangong Yi offered them to Xiao Man like a treasure, "These are your favorite."
"Your Highness Prince Qi is mistaken. I detest almond crisps the most."
Upon hearing this, Nangong Yi quickly put down the almond crisps and offered a jasmine cake to Xiao Man, "This is the new jasmine cake from Bazhen Pavilion. It's soft, fragrant, and sweet. They say it's made with fresh jasmine flowers. Sir, why don't you try it?"
"I don't like sweet food," Xiao Man said coldly. Few people knew that she was allergic to jasmine. Nangong Yi was one of them. As a child, she had accidentally eaten jasmine cake once and almost died. Ever since then, jasmine flowers were not allowed in the general's mansion. When she went out with Nangong Yi, he would carefully check the food to ensure it didn't contain jasmine.
Nangong Yi heard this and immediately put the cake into his own mouth. "Jasmine cake is quite delicious. I've loved it since I was a child, but she can't eat it, so I haven't had it for many years."
Du Yulan had a feeling something was amiss, but seeing Xiao Man's calm demeanor and Nangong Yi's expressionless face, she couldn't be sure.
"If that's the case, would Your Highness Prince Qi allow me to try?" Su Dan Novel Network
Nangong Yi handed the food box to Du Yulan, letting her take what she wished. His gaze, however, remained fixed on Xiao Man, a subtle smile playing on his lips. "I didn't realize you dislike sweets, sir. What a pity. You might as well try this jasmine cake; it's truly a delicacy."
Xiao Man turned to go inside, about to close the door. Nangong Yi stuck a foot in the doorway, preventing her from closing it. "Sir, why must you keep me at arm's length? I merely wish to be friends with you."
"What exactly do you want?"
"If you eat one jasmine cake, I will no longer bother you." Nangong Yi offered a jasmine cake to Xiao Man, "Just eat one, and I promise I won't disturb you again."
Xiao Man hesitated for a moment. Then, she reached out and took the jasmine cake from Nangong Yi's hand, bringing it to her lips. Nangong Yi watched Xiao Man's action with great anxiety. Just as Xiao Man was about to put the cake in her mouth, he grabbed her hand and lowered his head, eating all the jasmine cake from her hand.
"If you don't like it, there's no need to force yourself. I won't bother you then," Nangong Yi said with a bright smile. He then thrust the food box into Du Yulan's hands and left without looking back.
Du Yulan watched Nangong Yi's receding back, then looked at the composed Xiao Man. She bowed and followed Nangong Yi.
Zhou Kang watched Nangong Yi, who had entered Prince Chu's mansion with excitement but left with a dark expression, and then looked at Du Yulan following behind. He immediately understood. It seemed His Highness had clashed with Miss Du and lost again, hence his glum mood.
"Your Highness..."
"Return to the mansion," Nangong Yi said, then got into the mansion's carriage. As the carriage curtain fell, Nangong Yi punched the carriage wall, his face full of disappointment and hurt.
When Du Yulan entered, she saw Nangong Yi's unrestrained emotions and her confusion deepened. "Your Highness..."
"Don't speak, I'm in a bad mood." Nangong Yi looked at Du Yulan with teary eyes. "I'm not in the mood to bicker with you."
Du Yulan sat down beside him, silent. The carriage started moving towards Prince Qi's mansion. Inside the carriage, the two of them had different thoughts, yet both were entangled with the same person.
Upon returning to his mansion, Nangong Yi shut himself in his room.
Du Yulan stood outside the door for a long time, hesitating whether to knock. She had seen Nangong Yi's frivolous side and his responsible side, but she had never seen him so abnormal. She couldn't understand why Nangong Yi was troubling a mere guest of Prince Chu's mansion.
Du Yulan raised her hand, about to knock, when suddenly she heard the sound of something breaking from inside. She couldn't help but worry, "Your Highness, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Zhou Kang, have someone escort Miss Du back to her mansion." Nangong Yi's voice had a slight nasal quality. Du Yulan was truly puzzled but didn't know whether to ask.
"Miss Du, please."
Du Yulan walked out with Zhou Kang. "Guard Zhou, does His Highness often pester others to play with him?"
"Miss Du jokes. His Highness never pesters others; others pester him." Zhou Kang said with a smile, then seemed to recall something. "There is one exception."
"Who is that person?"
Zhou Kang's expression changed slightly. Since Xiao Man was seriously injured and fell into a coma, His Highness's mood had never improved. These past two days, his mood had finally brightened, but after this outing, it had become cloudy again.
"It's no one. Miss Du, please don't mention this matter in front of His Highness; it will upset him."
"Did that person have an accident?"
Zhou Kang nodded slowly. "His Highness blames himself quite a bit for it. Please, do not mention it in front of him..."
"Is it Princess Yongning?"
Zhou Kang remained silent. Although Nangong Yi often gambled and caroused with many people, he only ever pestered Xiao Man. No matter how much Xiao Man tried to push him away or anger him, once his temper subsided, he would eagerly go back to find Xiao Man.
Du Yulan suddenly understood. Nangong Yi and Xiao Man had grown up together; they were inseparable. Xiao Man was seriously injured and had been in a coma, and he had gone to Gan Ye Temple every few days, even though he couldn't enter the forbidden area.
"Guard Zhou, rest assured, I will not mention this matter to His Highness."
"Thank you, Miss Du." Zhou Kang escorted Du Yulan to her carriage and ordered someone to take her back to the Grand Tutor's mansion before returning.
It wasn't just Du Yulan who found Nangong Yi's behavior odd; even Zhou Kang felt something was not quite right with Nangong Yi these past few days. After all, he had never seen Nangong Yi pester a man to play with him.