I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 564 Xie Jue's Storyline: Apology

The footsteps approached from afar, and Gao Wanzhi's eyes lit up as she turned around abruptly.

It wasn't Xie Jue, it was Chang Qing.

"Princess, the young master sent me to say that he cannot come tonight."

Seeing that Gao Wanzhi remained silent, Changqing quickly explained, "There's been some trouble at Fuyulou. Someone has started counterfeiting our milk tea, and the young master is discussing countermeasures with the manager. If this isn't handled properly, Fuyulou's reputation will be ruined, resulting in significant losses..."

He spoke cautiously, and seeing that Gao Wanzhi remained silent, he felt increasingly uneasy.

Gao Wanzhi looked down at her toes.

Her voice was very soft, almost inaudible, "I understand."

Because I was so busy, I only remembered our appointment two hours late...

Changqing stood there, watching her receding figure, and scratched his head.

Night had fallen, and there were few pedestrians on the streets.

Gao Wanzhi's carriage did not return to the Princess's residence, but stopped in front of Fuyu Tower.

A corner of the gauze curtain was lifted, revealing Xie Jue and Lu Xinghe standing side by side in the long corridor outside the main hall, seemingly talking about something.

The flickering lamplight cast the shadows of the two people leaning against each other.

They were too far away for her to hear a word, but she saw Xie Jue gently raise his hand and pat Lu Xinghe's shoulder.

Lu Xinghe said something, and Xie Jue actually laughed.

In that instant, Gao Wanzhi felt as if something was dullly pressing down on her chest.

I can't tell if I feel wronged or sad.

The carriage turned around, its wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement with a low, rumbling sound.

The lights of Fuyu Tower still shine brightly.

Xie Jue confirmed all the things Lu Xinghe had told him and then told her to go and rest.

After giving his instructions, he turned around and went to the accounting room, where he went through the day's ledgers from beginning to end, carefully marking every transaction.

"Young Master, I'm back." Changqing pushed open the door and entered.

Xie Jue looked up and asked, "Did she say anything?"

Changqing hesitated for a moment, "The princess didn't say much, just said she understood, and then got into the carriage and left."

Xie Jue frowned; this wasn't Gao Wanzhi's usual personality.

"I dare to guess, but the princess is probably angry. After all, it's windy tonight, and she's been waiting for you for two whole hours."

"It's alright, I'll go and apologize to her in person tomorrow."

Having said that, he closed the ledger and handed it back to the accountant standing to the side.

“Regarding Fuyulou, starting tomorrow, proceed as I instructed during the day.” He turned to Changqing and said, “Especially those shops that want to imitate us, put some pressure on them and let them know that not just anyone can get involved in the business of the capital.”

"Yes," Changqing replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

The next morning, the Prince's Palace dining hall was filled with delicious aromas as the family sat around eating breakfast.

Xie Jingchun looked up at Xie Jue opposite her: "Have you lost some weight? Your chin is so sharp."

Xie Jue was peeling an egg with her head down. "No way."

"Of course you have." Xie Jingchun clicked his tongue. "You used to have a fleshy face, but now it's almost like it's been sliced ​​off with a knife."

Xie Jing, holding a bowl of porridge, spoke slowly, "The business at Fuyulou has been booming these days, and he's been very busy, so naturally he's lost some weight."

He paused, then turned to look at Qin Jiuwei and Xie Yanli, his tone tinged with a smile.

"The two wonders of Fuyu are extremely popular in the capital. A few days ago, I heard from a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue that his grandson had been clamoring to drink milk tea every day since he drank it, and he even refused to go to class."

Xie Jue kept his head down and barely said a word, but his chopsticks moved rapidly.

Before long, the bowl was empty.

He put down his chopsticks. "I'm leaving now. I have things to do at Fuyu Tower."

Xie Jingchun was the first to react, "Why is he eating so fast today?"

At the gate of the Princess's Mansion.

Xie Jue stood on the steps, looking at the servant before him, his brows furrowed slightly. "What did you say?"

The attendant was respectful, but his attitude was resolute.

"Thank you, young master, but the princess is busy and cannot receive guests."

Xie Jue smiled, "I'm not an outsider. I'm Xie Jue. I grew up with the princess since I was a child. You've met me before."

"Go and let her know that I've arrived, and she will definitely see me."

But the servant still shook his head, "The princess instructed that she would not see anyone today, and I dare not disobey her."

Xie Jue's smile gradually faded, and he stood there in silence for a long time.

In the past, no matter how angry she was, she would never refuse to see him.

In the inner courtyard of the Princess's residence, the wind rustled through the pear branches outside the window, causing a light yellow rustling to fall.

Gao Wanzhi nestled on the bed, her whole body wrapped in a thick quilt, with only her slightly red nose tip showing.

She sneezed, her voice muffled and hoarse.

Before the bed, a maid carefully handed over a bowl of medicine. "Princess, drink the medicine while it's hot. The nanny said it's to dispel the cold."

Gao Wanzhi took the medicine bowl, took a few sips, and found the medicine to be bitter and astringent.

"Is anyone gone?"

The maid knew who she was asking about and replied softly, "They're gone. They just left."

Gao Wanzhi didn't say anything more, but drank the rest of the medicine in one gulp.

She wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, leaned against the bedpost, and her eyes gradually dimmed.

The wind stirred the curtains, bringing a chill into the room.

Gao Wanzhi lay down again, closed her eyes, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Floating Jade Pavilion.

A thick stack of ledgers was piled on the table. Xie Jue flipped through the pages one by one, but he seemed somewhat absent-minded.

He would occasionally stop writing and turn his head to look out the window.

"Young Master?" Changqing stood to the side and whispered a reminder, "The monthly accounts here still need one last check."

Xie Jue snapped out of his reverie, put down his pen, and said, "Take this to the accounting office and check it first."

Changqing could tell that he was in a bad mood, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions and just nodded and left.

Once everyone had left, Xie Jue stood up, picked up his cloak, and said, "I'm going out for a bit."

As night fell, the carriage traveled through the streets and alleys and stopped in front of the Princess's residence.

The guard at the gate recognized the person and quickly went in to inform them.

After a long while, the door finally opened.

Xie Jue stepped inside, navigating the corridors with practiced ease, and arrived at the backyard.

The room was lit with warm lamps, and the figure behind the screen leaned quietly against the couch.

He took a few steps closer and called softly, "Wanzhi."

The person stirred, and the blankets were gently lifted.

Gao Wanzhi looked at him and asked, "Why are you here?"

A hint of regret flashed in Xie Jue's eyes. "I came to apologize to you."

“That day at the pear orchard, you waited for me alone for two hours. It was my fault that you suffered.”