Chapter 324: Voluntary Apology

Chapter 324: Taking the Initiative to Admit Fault

Upstairs in the teahouse, Luo Junhe noticed that Ji Yuntang had suddenly disappeared. He looked around the area, searching for a long time, looking over and over again without finding where she had gone.

Just as he was wondering, Chen Hu suddenly widened his eyes. Staring at the white-clad figure walking up the stairs, his face showed disbelief. "P-P-P-Prince, s-s-s-something terrible has happened! The Princess Consort, s-s-s-she seems to be coming up here!"

"W-W-W-What do we do now? D-D-Do we need to run?"

Chen Hu's legs were trembling with fear. He couldn't figure out how Ji Yuntang had discovered them when they were hiding in such a well-hidden spot.

Luo Junhe's eyes were as deep as a pool. He pursed his lips slightly, his low voice calm and composed.

"Run? Where to? Jump out the window?"

The only ways out of here were the window and the door. Going through the door would definitely mean running into Ji Yuntang. And how could someone like him who can't walk jump out of the window?

It was almost an unspoken agreement. From the moment Luo Junhe had knocked out Ji Qingqing, he never thought he could keep it hidden from Ji Yuntang.

However, the fact that she had found him so quickly really startled Luo Junhe.

Footsteps stopped at the door, followed by a steady, slow knock.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Though the sound was perfectly normal, Chen Hu felt as if each knock was pounding on his skull.

He held his breath, getting even more nervous. "P-P-P-Prince, w-w-w-what do we do now?"

Luo Junhe raised an eyebrow slightly, sitting upright in his wheelchair with an utterly unruffled expression. He said calmly, "Chen Hu, the Princess Consort is here. Why don't you open the door and let her in?"

Chen Hu was taken aback. The nearly six-foot-six man looked like he was about to cry. He couldn't understand why Luo Junhe was so calm.

But since he was the one who had brought him out, he said in a pitiful voice, "Prince, if the Princess Consort punishes me later, you have to say something nice for me."

"This is you sneaking out on your own, Prince, not me bringing you out... No, no, I said it wrong. It was me who brought you out, but it wasn't me who asked you to come out—it was you who asked me to take you out..."

Chen Hu grew more flustered the more he talked. Luo Junhe, afraid Chen Hu would confuse himself, gave him a reassuring look.

He opened his mouth and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do. I won't let you take the fall. Just open the door without worry."

Luo Junhe hadn't expected that Chen Hu, a man who seemed unafraid of anything and was never this timid around him, would be so terrified of Ji Yuntang when she was not around.

It showed just how high Ji Yuntang's authority was in the Prince Ye residence.

The knocking continued. Chen Hu took a deep breath and opened the door.

When he saw Ji Yuntang, he forced a smile uglier than crying.

"Princess Consort, aren't you supposed to be competing downstairs? What are you doing at the teahouse?"

Ji Yuntang raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on her lips as she looked at him. Seeing how scared he was, she decided to mess with him a little.

"You're not taking care of the Prince at the residence but sneaking off to drink tea at the teahouse. Could it be you've arranged a date with some girl here?"

Chen Hu was utterly impressed by Ji Yuntang's imagination. The corner of his mouth twitched as he quickly said, "Princess Consort is joking! I wouldn't dare!"

"Not to mention anything else, with this bulky frame of mine, what young lady would like me?"

Ji Yuntang said with a grin, "You never know—maybe some girl happens to like your type."

"How about this: after today's competition ends, I'll help you find a wife. What kind of girl do you like? Tell me, and I'll set up a blind date for you!"

Chen Hu stiffened, shaking his head furiously.

"No, no, no. I don't want to get married yet. The Princess Consort is busy with a lot of things—I can't let you waste your time on me. There's no rush for me to find a wife, so I won't trouble you."

Ji Yuntang gave a cold snort, stopping her teasing, and asked directly, "Where's the Prince?"

Chen Hu glanced inside, said nothing, but gestured with his eyes toward where Luo Junhe was.

Ji Yuntang walked around the screen and immediately saw the man in black sitting calmly by the window making tea.

His slender fingertips rested on the celadon teapot as he lifted the lid, took the right amount of tea leaves from the canister, and poured in hot water. Every movement was effortless and graceful, exuding an air of elegance.

The rich aroma of tea filled the room.

Ji Yuntang raised her eyes, calmly watched the scene of the handsome man brewing tea for a moment, then pulled out a chair and sat down across from Luo Junhe.

A smile appeared at the corners of her lips, her tone unreadable.

"Husband, you certainly have good taste, coming here to drink tea."

"What, is the tea at Prince Ye's residence not sufficient, or is the tea I bought you not good, that you need to spend money drinking tea here?"

Luo Junhe: "..."

He had always understood Ji Yuntang, knowing that the gentler her smile, the angrier she was inside.

And at times like this, he had to use his wit to soothe her anger!

Luo Junhe looked at her, emotions welling up in his eyes. He said softly, "The tea leaves A Tang bought are naturally the best—the best tea I've ever had, with a unique fragrance."

"However, today's tea wasn't something I wanted to drink myself. I brewed it especially for you."

"The competition today is outdoors, and it's freezing cold. I was afraid you'd catch a chill, which would worry me, so I wanted you to have some hot tea to warm yourself."

As he spoke, he lifted the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and placed it before Ji Yuntang.

The rich fragrance of the tea was unmistakably top-grade Da Hong Pao. Ji Yuntang ran her fingertip around the rim of the teacup, her bright, clear eyes narrowing slightly as she asked with a smile:

"So, husband, you came here hoping I'd praise you for being thoughtful?"

A hint of tenderness flashed in Luo Junhe's eyes, and he shook his head.

"No. I was wrong. If you're angry, A Tang, you can hit or scold me however you like. I have no complaints."

As he spoke, he leaned his strikingly handsome face closer, as if genuinely offering himself for her to hit or scold, letting her vent her anger.

Chen Hu: "..."

He stared at Luo Junhe in shock.

He wanted to ask: Prince, where is your dignity? Where is your integrity?

They shatter the moment you face the Princess Consort!

Ji Yuntang looked at the handsome face so close to hers. The man's features were like a painting, his skin without a single visible pore, smooth as the finest jade.

His deep, dark eyes shimmered with enchanting light. His lips were red, full, and supple, each movement stirring endless daydreams.

Ji Yuntang's eyes flickered. Was Luo Junhe trying to use his charm on her?

Today, she was determined to hold out!

But that tender, affectionate gaze was still hard for her to withstand.

Fearing she might soften, Ji Yuntang reached out with her hand, pressed it against Luo Junhe's face, and pushed his head slightly away.

She deliberately forced a cold expression and said, "If you want to talk, then talk. Don't get so close to me."

Her palm pressed against his face, the friction of their skin radiating a burning heat. Luo Junhe couldn't help but stick out his tongue and give it a lick.

The feel of his breath on her palm sent a shiver through Ji Yuntang's body, and she reflexively pulled her hand back.

In an instant, her face turned bright red.

Her face burning with shame, Ji Yuntang was about to speak when Luo Junhe took her hand in his.

His eyes were gentle, his voice tinged with a hint of grievance.

"A Tang, I know I was wrong. Don't be mad."

Ji Yuntang was silent—

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and asked him.

"What did you do wrong?"

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