Chapter 379: Truly Ironic
Seeing both of them appear together at this place, with one of them even addressing the Fourth and Fifth Princes as “brothers,” Yu Luo nearly had her jaw drop to the floor.
Meanwhile, Xuan Qi, who was standing behind Chi Jinchen, was also dumbfounded. He never expected such a coincidence—to run into Yu Luo here, of all places.
He quickly leaned toward Chi Jinchen and whispered something to him. As expected, when Chi Jinchen turned back to look at Yu Luo, his gaze carried a hint of surprise that was difficult to conceal.
“Third Brother, and Master Chi, what a coincidence!” The Fourth Prince grinned, closing his fan and turning to the Third Prince beside Chi Jinchen, greeting him with a slight bow.
And that one phrase—”Third Prince”—nearly made Yu Luo stumble on the spot!
She never in her wildest dreams imagined that the man she and Tao Ming had rescued in the pouring rain was actually the Third Prince of the Lan Yue Dynasty!
If she had known his true identity, she would have treated him differently. At the very least, she could have leveraged her life-saving favor to make the Third Prince plead her case before the Emperor and erase her family’s criminal record!
Thinking about how she had missed such a golden opportunity, Yu Luo couldn’t help but regret it immensely!
As soon as the Fourth Prince finished speaking, the Third Prince and Chi Jinchen both shifted their gazes toward Yu Luo, locking onto her face.
Chi Jinchen’s eyes remained gentle yet filled with intrigue, as if he had just discovered something truly fascinating.
The Third Prince, however, had an entirely different expression. His deep, alluring peach blossom eyes were fixed on Yu Luo’s face, as if he were trying to see through her disguise and uncover her real identity.
“Fourth Brother, to tell you the truth,” the Fifth Prince suddenly stepped forward and cupped his hands in a respectful salute, “this young lady is actually an old friend of mine. She was just playing a joke on me, pretending not to recognize me.”
Yu Luo’s eyes widened in shock.
The Fifth Prince—A’Bai—was covering for her?!
She was about to process what this meant when she sensed another shift in Chi Jinchen’s expression.
Chi Jinchen’s intrigued gaze now carried even more amusement.
After all, the Fifth Prince had only recently returned to the royal family, and now he was revealing that he had a friendship with this mysteriously disguised young woman?
It was an unexpected twist.
Apparently, Yu Luo had quite the impressive circle of acquaintances—even the currently most favored prince in the dynasty was one of her old friends.
The Fourth Prince barely had time to react before Qin Xueyue gasped aloud, her previously composed expression faltering. She stared at Yu Luo in disbelief, nearly forgetting to maintain her graceful demeanor in front of the royal princes.
“Fifth Brother, you should have said something sooner!” The Fourth Prince chuckled. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have scared this young lady just now. Since we’re all acquaintances, I sincerely apologize for my rudeness earlier.”
Saying this, the Fourth Prince bowed politely toward Yu Luo.
Yu Luo hurriedly helped straighten his posture, returning the salute in panic.
“Your Highness, this is far too great an honor! I could never accept such a courtesy.”
She forced a polite smile, then quickly seized the opportunity to leave.
“Since you are all engaged in a pleasant conversation, I shall take my leave. Farewell!”
With that, she turned and bolted.
Seeing her flee, the Fourth Prince instinctively reached out to stop her—but before he could, the Fifth Prince moved faster.
He flashed forward, blocking his older brother’s path.
“Fourth Brother, let her go,” he said, his voice firmer than before. “She is easily frightened. Brother Jinchen, Third Brother, I’ll excuse myself first.”
With a polite salute, the Fifth Prince hurriedly chased after Yu Luo.
Meanwhile, Yu Luo was running for an entirely different reason.
She wasn’t afraid that A’Bai had recognized her—she was afraid that the Third Prince would!
The moment she stepped out of Golden Moon Pavilion, she hesitated, uncertain of which direction to take.
Just then, a tall figure in moon-white robes suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path.
She looked up—it was A’Bai.
No—the Fifth Prince.
Yu Luo frowned slightly.
“Your Highness—”
“Follow me.”
Before she could finish her sentence, A’Bai’s expression turned serious, his voice lowered in warning.
Yu Luo hesitated for a brief moment before quickly following him.
They entered a narrow alleyway, where a horse-drawn carriage was already waiting.
A’Bai climbed inside without hesitation.
Standing outside, Yu Luo hesitated again.
Should she get in?
She was still a convicted criminal… getting into a royal carriage was a risk.
But after a moment of deliberation, she stepped inside.
The carriage was spacious, with soft seating on both sides. A’Bai sat straight-backed in the center, while Yu Luo chose to sit by the window, keeping a cautious distance.
“Drive to the countryside manor.”
At his command, the carriage set off.
Inside, the only sounds were the wheels rolling against the road and the distant murmur of the bustling city outside.
After two full quarters of an hour, the carriage finally stopped.
Stepping down, Yu Luo took one look at the small courtyard before her—and her mind reeled.
She had been here before.
This was a place the original Yu Luo had visited.
She never imagined A’Bai would bring her here so directly, without even asking her any questions.
Pushing open the courtyard door, the Fifth Prince entered first, Yu Luo following behind him.
Once inside, he locked the gate from within and led her to the main hall.
As soon as they stepped inside, the composed expression on A’Bai’s face shattered.
Instead, his eyes filled with barely contained excitement and nervousness.
“Xiao Luo?! How are you back in the capital?!”
His voice trembled slightly.
Even though he had grown taller and matured, in that moment, Yu Luo could still see traces of the A’Bai she had known.
She smiled wryly.
“You recognized me… even with my disguise?”
A’Bai’s lips curled into a gentle, almost relieved smile.
“I wasn’t sure at first,” he admitted. “But the moment I heard your voice, I could see your face so clearly in my mind—just like before, when you would smile at me.”
His gaze drifted to her left ear, and he grinned softly.
“To confirm it wasn’t just my imagination, I looked closely at your left earlobe. And sure enough… the tiny red birthmark is still there.”
Yu Luo subconsciously touched her earlobe, her eyes widening in surprise.
She never expected A’Bai to remember her so well—not just her voice, but even a tiny red mole on her ear.
She had thought her disguise was flawless.
Yet, of all people, the one person who recognized her wasn’t her own relatives—but A’Bai.
It was truly ironic.
