The next morning, everyone was packed and ready to depart.
The village had been cleaned spotlessly, and the heavy rain had washed everything away, leaving not a single trace behind.
You couldn’t tell at all that a bloody battle had taken place here the day before.
Hua Manman walked toward the carriage as usual.
But halfway there, she was stopped by the Regent King.
Li Ji patted the fine steed beside him and said coldly.
"What kind of man rides in a carriage? Get over here and ride a horse!"
Hua Manman really wanted to retort.
’I’m not a man, I’m a young lady!’
But her common sense made her swallow those words.
She put on a look of being both surprised and flattered, replying timidly.
"Thank you for your kind intentions, Regent Prince, but I was injured from riding not long ago, and I’m rather traumatized by it.
I don’t want to ride a horse again for a while. I hope Your Highness will understand."
She thought her answer was flawless and was inwardly a little smug about her own cleverness.
But what she didn’t know was that the man before her was a total cheat.
He had heard every single word she only dared to think, clear as day.
Li Ji was quite surprised.
’Who would have thought the Princely Heir of the Yu Royal Mansion was actually a woman.’
’How truly unexpected!’
But Li Ji soon figured out the reason behind it.
’The legitimate eldest son of the Yu Royal Mansion had already passed away, leaving behind only two daughters.
If Prince Yu wanted to hold on to his title and fiefdom, he had no choice but to disguise his eldest granddaughter as a boy.’
Seeing that he didn’t say anything else, Hua Manman immediately and nimbly slipped into the carriage.
’Ride a horse? Why would I do that?’
’Isn’t a carriage more comfortable? Isn’t sleeping in more enjoyable?’
With practiced ease, she lay down on the floor.
Jiao Gui, who had followed her in, saw this and quickly pulled a blanket over the Young Master.
"You were caught in the rain just yesterday. You must be careful today and not catch another chill."
Hua Manman closed her eyes and mumbled in agreement, "Mhm."
The next moment, however, she felt the carriage jolt slightly, as if someone had climbed in.
She immediately opened her eyes and met the Regent King’s pitch-black gaze.
Jiao Gui hadn’t expected the Regent King to come in. She scrambled to greet him.
Li Ji didn’t even glance at Jiao Gui, his eyes fixed only on Lu Man.
Hua Manman felt very uncomfortable under his stare.
She sat up reluctantly.
"What brings Your Highness here?"
Li Ji sat down in the empty space across from her and announced coolly.
"This prince wishes to ride in the carriage today as well."
Hua Manman reminded him, "Aren’t there other carriages behind us?"
Li Ji frowned.
"Those are carriages for carrying goods. Are you telling this prince to ride in one of those?"
Hua Manman grumbled inwardly.
’What’s wrong with those carriages? You should be grateful you even have a place to sit!’
On the surface, she feigned an abashed expression.
"It was I who was thoughtless. I hope the Regent Prince will forgive me."
Li Ji heard her inner thoughts.
’To be fair,’
’her two-faced, insincere act is exactly the same as Manman’s.’
’People can lie with their words, but they rarely lie in their own hearts.’
’But if this isn’t an act, can there really be two people in the world with the exact same personality?’
’It’s not just their personalities. Their handwriting is identical, too.’
’It’s just too much of a coincidence.’
’So much of a coincidence that he dared not believe it was real.’
Hua Manman had no idea how conflicted the man was feeling. She only knew that he kept staring at her.
His gaze was extremely penetrating.
It felt as if he could see right through her soul.
It gave her the creeps.
Hua Manman asked cautiously.
"How about I give you this carriage, and I’ll go sit in the cargo carriage behind us?"
In truth, those cargo carriages weren’t unsuitable for passengers. The servants from the Prince Mansion, for example, usually rode in them when traveling.
Hua Manman felt she could go squeeze in with the servants.
Li Ji asked icily.
"If this prince takes your carriage and makes you ride in those cargo carriages in the back, what will others think of me when they see it?"
Hua Manman said, "I can explain to them that I wanted to go myself, and that it has nothing to do with you."
Li Ji replied, "Some things only look worse the more you try to explain them. Just stay put and stop trying to run off."
He stubbornly refused to yield, so Hua Manman had no choice but to give up the idea of switching carriages.
With an outsider present, she couldn’t very well sleep on the floor.
She could only wrap herself in the blanket and huddle in a corner, her head drooping. She looked utterly listless and pitiful.
Li Ji turned a blind eye to this, his butt firmly planted where it was, showing no intention of leaving.
The procession wound its way along the mountain road.
The carriage had been modified for shock absorption, but on such a rugged mountain road, it still shook unavoidably.
The rocking was making Hua Manman’s head spin.
She couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.
"How much longer until we get there?"
Jiao Gui had never traveled far from home, so naturally she didn’t know how long the journey to Shangjing was.
Just as she was about to push open the carriage window to ask someone outside, she heard the Regent King speak in a cold voice.
"It’s still more than half a day to the next post station."
Hua Manman: "And to Shangjing?"
Li Ji: "Five more days."
The mere thought of having to spend the next five days in this dizzy, groggy state made Hua Manman’s vision swim.
She turned around and started banging her head against the carriage wall.
Li Ji frowned. "What are you doing?"
Hua Manman: "Nothing. I just feel like dying a little."
Li Ji: "..."
Jiao Gui took out a small medicine bottle from a hidden compartment in the carriage.
"Young Master, smell this. It should make you feel a little better."
Hua Manman took the bottle and sniffed it. A strong minty smell shot straight to her head.
’Isn’t this just cooling oil?’
’I can’t believe they had this stuff in ancient times!’
As if she’d found a priceless treasure, she immediately dabbed some cooling oil on her finger and rubbed it onto her temples.
With that, her dizziness subsided a great deal.
Seeing that the Young Master wasn’t suffering as much, Jiao Gui relaxed.
Li Ji looked at the cooling oil in Lu Man’s hand and couldn’t help but recall some memories.
’Manman had once used cooling oil to irritate her eyes, faking tears to win his sympathy.’
’That woman’s acting was top-notch; she often used all sorts of tricks to deceive him.’
’If not for his Mind Reading Technique, he probably would have been twisted around her little finger, utterly clueless.’
Many people had once advised him not to dwell on the past, that time was the best medicine for healing wounds, and that his memories and feelings would gradually fade with time.
But that was not the case.
His memories of Manman had not faded with time; on the contrary, they remained as fresh as ever, branded deeper and deeper into the depths of his heart.
Hua Manman saw the Regent King staring at the cooling oil in her hand.
She ventured a question.
"Would you like to use some cooling oil? This stuff is refreshing and clears the mind. It works quite well."
Li Ji refused flatly, "No need."
Hua Manman put on a polite front.
"You don’t have to be embarrassed. If you’d like to use some, just say so."
She was secretly gloating.
’There are still five days of travel ahead. I wonder if this one bottle of cooling oil will even be enough.’
’It’s perfect that I don’t have to share it with him.’
’This way, the whole bottle of cooling oil will be all mine!’
Hearing her thoughts, Li Ji almost laughed with exasperation.
’So, she was just making a polite offer. Deep down, she’s incredibly stingy.’
He suddenly extended his hand, palm up, his tone brooking no argument.
"Since you’ve offered, this prince will have some."
Hua Manman was stunned.