Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 779 - 593: I’m Here to Take You Home

Just as the two faced each other in silence, yet seemed to hear some fragmented sounds reverberating in their ears, almost deafening at times, a very soft footstep slowly approached them.

It shattered the silent stillness.

Yu Wenye’s bewildered expression suddenly stiffened, immediately restoring his usual calmness and sternness. He turned around, bowing respectfully to the tall and handsome figure: "Elder brother."

"Second brother,"

As he walked over, his clear eyes glanced at him and then discreetly swept over Shang Ruyi’s equally pale face. Finally, smiling faintly, Yu Wenqian said warmly: "Your address is wrong."

"...!"

"...!"

This sentence shook both of their hearts again.

But immediately, Yu Wenye chuckled, with a hint of mockery in his smile, and said, "Yes, it was wrong."

After speaking, he bowed respectfully again to Yu Wenqian: "Imperial Brother."

The smile at the corner of Yu Wenqian’s mouth deepened. He eyed Yu Wenye, as if seeing his brother clearly for the first time. In his obvious admiration, there was also an indescribable emotion, and he sighed lightly: "I’ve been away from home for years. This time, giving up cultivation to return, I knew with second brother’s intelligence, he wouldn’t be the same as when I left. But I truly didn’t expect second brother to grow into what he is today."

"..."

"Brave and resourceful, able to yield and flex, indeed the actions of a true man."

"..."

"As for your foolish elder brother—"

At this, he smiled slightly and said, "Very pleasantly surprised."

Yu Wenye also looked at him, maintaining a smile on his face, and said, "A scholar who has been away for three days should be viewed anew. Moreover, with Imperial Brother’s years of cultivation, receiving the true dragon’s enlightenment, your foolish younger brother can’t just idly waste his years away."

"Well said."

"..."

"Today, Father ascends the throne, succeeding the venture, but the world is fragmented, and war flames still rage. We have many challenges to face. Let’s see if second brother can use today’s momentum to quell the chaos in the world."

"Of course."

Yu Wenye slightly raised his head, looking at those seemingly gentle eyes that, in their gentleness, faintly showed a special brilliance. He said word by word: "I too look forward to seeing how Imperial Brother’s true dragon’s enlightenment will stabilize the world."

Yu Wenqian looked at him and smiled as well.

The two of them stared at each other like this. Although neither spoke, their sharp and gentle gazes both flickered slightly, as if hiding sharp edges.

After a while, with more people moving around them and many complex and cautious glances falling upon the three of them, Yu Wenqian finally said: "Let’s go. I still have some matters to attend to. You too should return to the Duke Mansion. Father’s intention is for us to move into the palace by tomorrow at the latest. After all, the enthronement ceremony is set for the sixth, and time is tight."

"Yes."

After speaking, Yu Wenqian turned again, offering a faint smile to Shang Ruyi, who had remained silent all along but whose mind was now racing. Her eyes had become even more complex and profound at this moment, then he turned and left.

Yu Wenye also followed to leave.

Just as he was about to leave, Shang Ruyi called out to him again, but this time her voice carried a hint of hesitation: "...Feng Chen."

Yu Wenye’s footsteps stalled again.

But this time, he didn’t stay long. He turned his head calmly, his face no longer showing any emotion of joy or anger, and in a daze, Shang Ruyi seemed to see the sharp young man she had first met, unaffected by any external disruption, cold and rational as if he were a completely unsheathed Mo Blade.

Even his voice carried the chill of a weapon: "Don’t force yourself."

"..."

"However, between us, we don’t have to become estranged just because Father’s grand endeavor is completed."

"..."

"You can still call me ’second brother.’"

He slowly turned his head, with a faint smile, said: "I should still have some value..."

After speaking, he left without looking back.

Shang Ruyi was momentarily stunned, watching his back, unable to come back to her senses for a while.

Value...?

What did he mean by value?

At this moment, not only was Shang Ruyi’s mind in chaos, but even her previously numb memory, due to excessive shock, became restless again. She vaguely recalled Yu Wenye speaking with Empress Dowager Jiang at the door of the side hall earlier, when Empress Dowager Jiang entrusted Chu Ruoyan to Yu Wenye, he seemed to have said—

She has always been sincere to me.

It’s completely useless. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Just now, Shang Ruyi waited quietly inside, intentionally providing them a moment to be alone and say goodbye properly. Only now did she slowly come back to her senses.

Yu Wenye’s words not only carried a sense of disheartenment but also sounded somewhat harsh.

Connecting these words before and after, Shang Ruyi felt an indescribable discomfort, as if an invisible black hand tightly grasped her heart, slowing her heartbeat, hindering her breath, and even making her feel like her path forward was obscured by that hand.

Why is it like this?

Why did Yu Wenye, for no reason, utter the word "use" to Empress Jiang and the word "value" to herself?

What is he thinking?

The thoughts in her heart twisted and turned, but now wasn’t the time for Shang Ruyi to ponder quietly. As she watched Yu Wenye nearly reach the steps of the grand hall, she hastened to follow him. In no time, they passed through the familiar—and soon to become more familiar—silent corridor, exiting Hanguang Gate and boarding the carriage waiting at the palace entrance.

The carriage rocked gently on the way, yet Yu Wenye kept his eyes shut and lips sealed without saying a word, until the carriage stopped at Duke Mansion’s entrance.

Yu Wenye opened his eyes and got off the carriage immediately.

Once he stood still, he could feel the surrounding silence—a few days ago, because of the impending major event, people flowing to and from Duke Mansion were endless; even at midnight, visitors arrived. But today, the place was almost deserted, not because the people were unwilling to visit, but because the event was over, the landscape settled, and visiting now would seem like pandering.

Moreover, Duke Sheng can be cozied up to, but who has heard of cozying up to the Emperor?

So, at this hour, Duke Mansion’s entrance lay empty, even the gate tightly shut.

Yet, a familiar figure stood tall by the giant stone lions outside the gate, dressed in a bluish-gray long robe exuding a hint of solemnity, and those slowly raising eyes coldly fixating on Yu Wenye added to the chilling aura.

It was Shen Wuzheng!

Although it was unclear why he appeared at such a time and stood alone at Duke Mansion’s entrance, the pair of eyes brimming with restrained wisdom unintentionally caused Yu Wenye’s breath to sink, and as their gazes met, it was as if an unseen spark ignited.

Until two surprised voices sounded from behind them—

"Brother? Why are you here?!"

"Feng Chen, you finally returned!"

Their eyes immediately looked behind, one side being Shang Ruyi jumping down from the carriage, although still carrying a trace of perplexity on her face, she beamed with joy upon seeing Shen Wuzheng; the other side being Pei Xingyuan popping a head out from behind the stone lion, cheerfully jumping out, enthusiastically greeting, "Prince Qin, Princess Qin!"

The title caused Shen Wuzheng’s brows to slightly furrow.

Yu Wenye’s breath seemed to sink as well.

Yet, he immediately led Shang Ruyi forward, first solemnly glancing at Shen Wuzheng, then towards Pei Xingyuan: "You all... came..."

"Of course we came!"

Pei Xingyuan wore a look of it being only natural: "Well, others may choose to signify their aloofness, not celebrating, but who am I—true gentlemen are naturally flamboyant, I won’t be bothered by idle gossip. Moreover, brother, now that you’ve succeeded, how can we not follow and ascend, or wouldn’t that justify the wounds on me?"

"..."

"Look, see my hand—just scabbed over a few days ago, it still hurts badly!"

Yu Wenye’s face had remained somber, seemingly wearing—no, more accurately transformed into a hard, cold mask, until now, listening to Pei Xingyuan’s complaints, seeing his contrived closeness, as if only then did it absorb a touch of the human realm.

Even the cold gaze softened considerably.

Looking at Pei Xingyuan for quite a while, he murmured, almost as if speaking to himself: "You... haven’t changed, that’s good."

"Look, and my wrist still—"

Pei Xingyuan continued complaining energetically, hearing this, raised his head with a slight bewildered blink towards him: "What did you say?"

Yu Wenye shook his head: "Nothing."

After saying this, he looked towards Shen Wuzheng again.

Different from previous meetings, although Shen Wuzheng had assisted him from the Wanggang Village encounter, suggesting strategies—or rather, offering advice, and Yu Wenye fully trusted him, confiding the difficulties he faced, often blindly following Shen Wuzheng’s counsel, yet even so, both understood a point, they harbored a subtle, indescribable animosity towards each other.

At this moment, such animosity had spread from their hearts to their eyes.

Just a moment ago, Yu Wenye even saw an unprecedented sharpness from Shen Wuzheng’s eyes, although once Shang Ruyi appeared, his gaze soon turned to familiar tenderness, the feeling of being pierced in that instant was definitely not his illusion.

Thus, upon meeting eyes again now, a trace of steely resolve unintentionally surfaced in both their views.

Until Shang Ruyi said: "Brother, why did you come?"

Shen Wuzheng wasn’t one to feign aloofness, nor was he someone who visits without cause. Previously, he offered strategies to Yu Wenye for Shen Shiyan and himself, for his own ambitions. But now, Yu Wenquan’s major affairs are settled, the kind of person Shen Wuzheng is doesn’t seem like one to immediately visit Duke Mansion.

Yet, upon hearing her voice, Shen Wuzheng’s gaze softened again.

He said: "I came to take you home."