readytorunbook Chapter 155 Anxious Feelings
Chapter 155 Anxious Feelings
Gu Qin quickly bowed to show he understood, and replied, "Please rest assured, Miss, I will handle things here as soon as possible and then come to find you and Miss Lan'er. Please go in first, Miss." He Mingning nodded slightly, then turned and led Lan'er gracefully toward the open doors of Yanyu Tower.
As they stepped into the antique-style restaurant with its carved beams and painted rafters, a waiter dressed in blue, his face beaming with smiles, immediately rushed forward like a whirlwind. Lan'er parted her lips slightly and said in a clear, crisp voice, "Room Number One, the highest tier." Upon hearing this, the waiter's smile blossomed even brighter than the warmest spring sunshine. He quickly replied loudly, "Alright! Ladies, please follow me this way." Before the words were even finished, he had already turned and led the way, his steps as light and swift as if he were walking on water.
The customs of the Great Qi Kingdom were indeed very open. Unlike other places, women on the streets didn't need to wear heavy hats; they could openly display their beautiful faces. Their figures were graceful, their steps light, like free-flying birds, fully enjoying this unrestrained joy. He Mingning and Lan'er followed closely behind the waiter, step by step, towards the second floor. Along the way, Lan'er still asked the waiter with concern, "Brother waiter, has the guest in room number one arrived yet?" The waiter didn't stop walking, but hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, they've been waiting for you in the room for quite some time." After saying this, he quickened his pace, leading the two of them upstairs.
Just then, He Mingning suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling well up inside her. She abruptly stopped, her brows furrowed, and asked the waiter in confusion, "Excuse me, sir, shouldn't the number one room I booked be on the second floor? Why are we still going up?" The waiter quickly turned around, nodded slightly to He Mingning, and respectfully replied, "Yes, Miss, the number one room is indeed on the second floor." At that moment, Lan'er, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly interjected, "Oh dear, sir, isn't our booked room on the second floor? Why are you leading us to another place?" She blinked her bright eyes, her face full of confusion.
Lan'er's question startled the waiter, who had been leading the way, causing him to abruptly stop as if struck by lightning. He turned around with a suspicious look, staring at He Mingning and Lan'er, and stammered, "Um... I... didn't I tell you two ladies that the room has been moved to the third floor?"
Upon hearing the waiter's words, He Mingning and Lan'er exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison, indicating they had never heard of such a thing. Seeing their reaction, the waiter's face changed drastically. He slapped his forehead hard, saying with obvious regret, "Oh dear, look at my memory! After Lord Fan arrived, he specifically instructed us to move the two young ladies to his private room. He also told me that once the ladies arrived, I must explain this to you and then take you directly to the new room. But I completely forgot! I'm so sorry, ladies!" The waiter repeatedly apologized to He Mingning.
Faced with the waiter's sincere apology, He Mingning smiled slightly and said softly, "It's alright. Now that the room has been changed, let's go over there quickly." Hearing He Mingning say this, the waiter nodded in agreement and replied, "Okay!" Then he turned around and continued to lead the way.
However, though outwardly calm, He Mingning's heart was in turmoil. Only she knew best that in that terrifying dream that tore at her heart every time she recalled it, all the tragic events had occurred in Fan Junyu's private room. Now, the room had indeed changed locations, just like in the dream, making He Mingning increasingly uneasy. She couldn't help but wonder: was that nightmare about to become reality? Thinking this, He Mingning's heart pounded faster, and a fine layer of sweat gradually appeared on her forehead. But at this moment, she seemed to have no choice but to grit her teeth and follow the waiter.
In a short while, He Mingning and Lan'er arrived at the door of Fan Junyu's room. The waiter bowed slightly and said softly, "Miss, this is the place." He Mingning nodded slightly in response, and then said gently, "Thank you for your trouble, sir." As soon as she finished speaking, the waiter turned around and left with light steps.
Lan'er stepped forward, gently raised her hand, and knocked on the door with her fingertips. A short while later, soft footsteps were heard from inside, and then the door was slowly pulled open from the inside. Standing before them was Fan Junyu's personal bodyguard—Fan Jiang.
He Mingning subconsciously looked up, her gaze instantly meeting that unfamiliar face. For a moment, she froze, clearly not expecting that the person who opened the door wasn't Fan Junyu himself. In that brief exchange of glances, Fan Jiang was also startled, as if struck by lightning. His eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment as he stared at the beautiful woman before him.
However, Fan Jiang snapped out of his daze in an instant. As if suddenly realizing something, he quickly bowed and respectfully greeted He Mingning, saying loudly, "Greetings, Princess! My master is waiting inside."
Almost at the same moment, Fan Junyu, who had been inside the house, heard the commotion outside and quickly walked towards the door. Seeing this, Fan Jiang hurriedly stepped aside to make way for his master. Thus, the unsuspecting He Mingning was left facing directly at the doorway.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Their gazes met in mid-air, both frozen in place, as if under a spell. He Mingning, in particular, never expected Fan Junyu to personally come out to greet her, and was momentarily at a loss for words.
The moment Fan Junyu's gaze fell upon He Mingning's figure, time seemed to freeze. He felt as if a dazzling bolt of lightning had struck him directly, completely stunned by the woman's breathtaking beauty. He Mingning's face, as beautiful as a lotus emerging from water, now displayed an expression of fright, like that of a startled deer. This mixture of innocence and timidity made Fan Junyu's heartstrings tremble involuntarily.
Seeing He Mingning's adorable reaction, Fan Junyu's lips curled up slightly, and he couldn't help but chuckle softly. He deliberately said in a teasing tone, "What, do I look so repulsive that I frightened our noble princess like this?" Hearing this, He Mingning seemed to suddenly wake up from a beautiful dream, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. She blinked somewhat flusteredly and stammered, "No...no! I just really didn't expect you to come to the door to greet me in person."
Fan Junyu maintained his gentle smile throughout. He naturally stepped aside and gestured for He Mingning to enter the room. Then, he slowly walked towards the table inside, continuing to speak: "You are a princess of noble birth and incomparably high status. Logically, I should have gone downstairs to await your arrival long ago, but I was worried that it would make you feel constrained and unable to relax. So, after much consideration, I finally decided to wait for your arrival quietly in this room."
After hearing this, He Mingning nodded slightly in agreement. Her voice was as soft as a gentle breeze as she softly replied, "Yes, you're right. If you really came downstairs to wait for me, I might feel uncomfortable." After saying this, He Mingning felt her face flush, as if a thousand eyes were focused on her. Instinctively, like a startled ostrich, she quickly lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with anyone. At this moment, her already anxious heart pounded like a deer, and her thoughts began to surge like a turbulent tide.
He Mingning thought to herself, "Oh well, since things have come to this and can't be changed, let nature take its course. As long as I try to avoid mentioning the engagement, there shouldn't be any major trouble." With that thought, she took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, trying to calm her tense emotions a little.
However, despite He Mingning's belief that she had been discreet enough, her subtle movements did not escape Fan Junyu's sharp eyes. Fan Junyu saw everything, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile.
A moment later, the two arrived at the table. Fan Junyu spoke first, gently saying to He Mingning, "I've already ordered a few dishes, but I don't know if they'll suit your taste. Why don't you take a look at the menu and see if there's anything else you'd like to eat?" Upon hearing this, He Mingning gently shook her head and replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "No need, what you ordered is fine."
Hearing He Mingning say this, Fan Junyu smiled and nodded, then turned to Fan Jiang standing to the side and instructed, "You can have the kitchen bring the dishes up." Fan Jiang respectfully replied, "Yes, young master." He then turned around and hurriedly walked towards the kitchen to arrange for the dishes to be served.
At this moment, Fan Junyu raised his right hand, his movements elegant and gentle, as if he were holding a rare and precious pearl. He carefully picked up the teapot, slowly poured out a cup of steaming, fragrant tea, and then handed it to He Mingning, saying softly, "Here, try this tea and see how it tastes." He Mingning quickly reached out and carefully took the teacup. At that moment, she felt as if she were holding not an ordinary cup of tea, but a priceless treasure. She looked up at Fan Junyu, her eyes filled with gratitude, and whispered, "Thank you." After saying this, she gently picked up the teacup and carefully took a small sip of the tea. In an instant, his eyes lit up as if he had discovered a rare treasure, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! It's so delicious!" At that moment, Fan Junyu's gaze fell on He Mingning's radiant smile, as bright as a spring flower in bloom. Her smile was so captivating, like the warm rays of the spring sun, bringing joy to the heart. Unconsciously, Fan Junyu's own lips also curved into a slight smile.
Just then, a series of fragrant dishes were served one after another, like a flowing stream. Seeing this, Fan Jiang quickly got up and helped the waiter arrange the delicious food neatly on the table. Meanwhile, Fan Junyu elegantly picked up his chopsticks, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a feather. He then precisely picked up a piece of tempting, glistening honey-glazed chicken wing and gently placed it in He Mingning's bowl, saying softly, "This is a new dish the restaurant just launched. Come on, try it and see how it tastes. I wonder if it suits your taste?" He Mingning looked down at the chicken wing in her bowl, its aroma irresistibly sweet, and a warm feeling welled up inside her. She quickly looked up, gave Fan Junyu a grateful smile, and said softly, "Thank you for your concern and care, Lord Fan." However, upon hearing this, Fan Junyu's hand, which was still picking up food, suddenly paused slightly, and a look of confusion instantly appeared on his face. He asked in bewilderment, "Hmm? What did you just call me?" He Mingning obviously did not realize that there was anything amiss, and still answered with a blank expression, "Lord Fan."
A hint of dissatisfaction flickered across Fan Junyu's face as he said, "Didn't I tell you not to call me Lord Fan?" Upon hearing this, He Mingning replied without thinking, "If I don't call you Lord Fan, then how should I address you? I can't just not have a proper way to address you."
At this moment, Fan Junyu narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, staring intently at He Mingning. In that instant, a scene flashed through He Mingning's mind: Fan Junyu had previously asked him to call her by her given name. But how could such an intimate term be uttered so easily and casually? Moreover, there weren't just the two of them in the room; Fan Jiang and Lan'er were also present. Under these circumstances, getting He Mingning to utter that affectionate term was harder than climbing to heaven.