The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 8

08: “They’ve Already Pledged Their Love in Secret!”

Fu Yu’an should have been a prince living in luxury, and perhaps even a strong contender for the position of Crown Prince.

If only his mother hadn’t died during childbirth.

Fu Yu’an’s mother had met the Emperor during his southern tour. After being brought into the palace, she enjoyed unparalleled favor and glory, her status soaring to its peak.

But the good times didn’t last. A year after entering the palace, she became pregnant with Fu Yu’an but didn’t survive the delivery.

After her death, the Emperor was heartbroken, aging ten years overnight. The next day, he sent the newborn Fu Yu’an to the cold palace.

Fu Yu’an grew up in hardship, living cautiously in the palace, never daring to stand out. His intelligence and talents were all used to blend into the crowd.

In the palace, everyone was opportunistic, and money was needed everywhere. After his wet nurse passed away, Fu Yu’an and Xiao Zhu had to find ways to earn money.

After much trial and error, they finally settled on the disreputable craft of painting erotic illustrations.

As they left the alley, a gust of wind blew, and Fu Yu’an held onto his hat, looking up at the sky.

“Your Highness, shall we return to the residence now?” Xiao Zhu asked, clutching the money in her arms, feeling uneasy walking on the street.

He shook his head. “It’s almost noon. Let’s eat outside and bring something back for him. Doesn’t he like peach blossom cakes?”

Xiao Zhu pouted, muttering discontentedly, “Why are you so concerned about him? We’ll leave sooner or later. Why bother? He’s a fool now and won’t remember our kindness!”

Fu Yu’an ignored her and walked ahead, his voice carried by the wind. “He’s not a bad person at heart. I don’t want him to end up in the same situation I was in.”

Xiao Zhu was momentarily stunned, then felt a pang of shame.

Her words were no different from those opportunistic people in the palace.

Despite his own hardships, Fu Yu’an still sought to repay even the slightest kindness from others.

She sighed helplessly, smiled, and followed him.

On a nearby wall, a black figure hid in the shadows of the trees, his gaze complex as he watched Fu Yu’an.

With sharp features and a tall frame, it was none other than the “fool” the master and servant had just been discussing.

Another man jumped up beside him, bowing to Qi Ren. “We’ve investigated. It’s a… bookstore.”

“What kind of books?”

“Uh…”

“Li Ke! I don’t like beating around the bush.”

“Erotic illustrations and… obscene books…”

“…”

This was something Qi Ren hadn’t expected.

Someone who appeared so cold and aloof, yet behind the scenes, he was…

“Alright, you can go now. Keep following him and report any developments.” Qi Ren waved him away, then stood on the tree for a while longer, watching Fu Yu’an before sighing and leaping down from the wall.

It was March, the season of blooming peach blossoms, and peach blossom cakes were everywhere.

Fu Yu’an, with money in hand, decided to splurge and buy the best peach blossom cakes from the city’s finest restaurant for the fool at home.

The restaurant was located in a bustling area, filled with people coming and going. The master and servant decided to order a few dishes and eat before heading back.

“Hey, did you hear about the wedding yesterday?”

“Which one? Don’t tell me it’s…”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s General Qi Ren and… that one from the palace.”

Amid the noisy crowd, a group of diners at the next table started chatting while waiting for their food.

Xiao Zhu glanced at them and was about to get up to silence them, but Fu Yu’an grabbed her sleeve and shook his head.

Gossip was everywhere, and this was the most sensational news of the year, even more intriguing than Qi Ren’s madness. It was no wonder people were talking.

But what surprised them was that the conversation wasn’t about the famous general but instead focused on Fu Yu’an, the mute prince.

A pale, plump man lowered his voice and said, “The Seventh Prince is extremely unpopular. If it weren’t for Concubine Jue intervening back then, the Emperor would have strangled him to death on the spot. How could he suddenly be betrothed to General Qi?”

This was something Fu Yu’an had been puzzled about for days.

He was unpopular, and the Emperor had always acted as if he didn’t exist. Yet suddenly, he was betrothed to Qi Ren. How could such a coincidence happen?

Although Qi Ren was now a fool, there was no telling if he would recover. Concubine Jue had always favored her only brother. How could she agree to such an absurd marriage?

His companion blinked, speaking mysteriously in a low voice, “Brother, you’ve just arrived in the capital, so you don’t know. A few days ago, rumors were flying everywhere. They say the Seventh Prince and General Qi defied all norms, having admired each other for a long time and already pledged their love in secret!”

Fu Yu’an: “…”

Nonsense!

He clenched his teacup, lowering his head in silence.

Xiao Zhu immediately understood and leaned closer to the gossiping table, asking, “That’s quite a story! Where did you gentlemen hear this?”

The man answered truthfully, “Just a few days ago, five or six days back. Hey, how come you haven’t heard about it?”

Xiao Zhu shook her head and didn’t ask further.

Five or six days ago—wasn’t that when Fu Yu’an was ill and unconscious?

What a coincidence…

Xiao Zhu whispered, “Your Highness, now that I think about it, when the Crown Prince was giving you a hard time, do you remember him saying something like, ‘I’ll kick you out sooner or later’?”

Fu Yu’an’s eyes darkened slightly, nodding to indicate he remembered.

In fact, the Crown Prince’s words had been harsh. While ordering his men to dunk Fu Yu’an in a water vat, he had arrogantly said, “You bastard, don’t get too cocky. Even if you’re living in peace now, sooner or later, I’ll kick you out. Whether you live or die then—hmph!—will be up to fate!”

But the Crown Prince had always enjoyed tormenting Fu Yu’an, and he had said all sorts of things before. After hearing so much, Fu Yu’an had stopped taking it to heart.

Now that Xiao Zhu brought it up, it did seem suspicious.

“In a few days, according to etiquette, we’ll have to enter the palace. We’ll take Qi Ren with us and visit Concubine Jue then,” Fu Yu’an said, his tone as calm as ever. “Go ask the waiter to pack the food. We’ll take it back to eat.”

Xiao Zhu went to do as instructed, while Fu Yu’an sat on the stool, looking around the bustling restaurant hall, feeling an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

He habitually reached for the bracelet on his wrist but found it empty. His heart sank, and the feeling of loneliness deepened.

It seemed he would have to hurry to the southern part of the city in the afternoon to get the bracelet repaired as soon as possible.

When they returned with the packed food, Qi Ren was in Guhe Garden, watering the seeds they had planted the day before. His expression was focused, and under the bright sunlight, his handsome features and noble demeanor were even more striking.

Fu Yu’an was momentarily stunned, finding himself captivated.

It was no wonder. Qi Ren was naturally good-looking, and now, with his expressionless face, his sharp features and imposing aura made it easy to forget that he was currently a fool.

Although Fu Yu’an painted erotic illustrations of male couples, he had always believed he wasn’t truly attracted to men. But now, caught off guard by Qi Ren’s striking presence, he began to doubt himself.