Chapter 135

"No need. Let them tell me themselves; there is no need for you to rush to ask." Upon hearing Rishi’s words, Her Majesty the Queen’s face turned cold instantly, and she spoke with deep gravity. Rishi, standing to the side, felt a slight shiver, yet maintained a calm expression and replied in a cool, detached voice, "As you command, Your Majesty."

Huai Te Villa

Several days later, as Arthur felt increasingly restless and Feng Qingquan grew ever more bored with life at Fengqing Spring, the butler, Hill, approached at a leisurely pace. Arthur glanced at him, but feeling no particular interest, did not beckon him closer.

As it turned out, Hill walked right up and stood beside Arthur, bowing his head as he said, "Your Highness, there is news."

Arthur’s eyebrows shot up instantly. A flash of joy crossed his sky-blue eyes, though he immediately reverted to his nonchalant expression and asked indifferently, "What is the situation?"

"The Whiting family has two purposes for hosting this banquet. The first, I have been unable to uncover," Hill said, glancing up cautiously to gauge Arthur’s reaction. Seeing the clear displeasure on Arthur’s face, he paused.

Before Arthur could speak, Feng Qingquan chimed in from the sofa where he was lounging, teasing, "I say, Hill, you really are something. You haven't found out a single thing, yet you dare to say you have news?"

Hill’s face twitched imperceptibly at these words. He grumbled to himself, *Do you think I want to be here? It’s all those two, Charles and Newt. They couldn't get the full story, but they forced me to be the cannon fodder!*

Arthur’s brow creased, his irritation growing. Seeing this, Hill hurried to add, "Your Highness, the Whiting family seems intent on keeping this matter hidden. According to Charles and the others, none of the major families seem to know anything about it; they only received the invitations with a stern request for their mandatory attendance."

Arthur’s frown deepened further, and he said in a low, heavy tone, "So, you mean to say that the other families have no idea what is going on?"

"That is correct, Your Highness."

Arthur bowed his head in thought for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "And the second matter?"

"Um..." Hill seemed not to have expected Arthur to ask about that immediately. He hesitated, unsure if this matter was even more serious than the last, and remained silent for a moment.

Receiving no reply, Arthur looked up at Hill, his voice exceptionally deep, "And the other matter?"

As Arthur asked, his heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition arose. It seemed that whatever Hill was about to say would be something that would displease him greatly.

"Returning to your question, Your Highness, the other matter is..." Hill felt quite uneasy. He paused, then continued, "The other matter is—they are to hold the engagement ceremony for Yuwen Xi and Eva!" Hill took a deep breath and delivered the news all at once.

The moment Hill finished speaking, the entire living room fell silent. One could only hear the sound of each other's breathing.

After Hill finished, Arthur froze, remaining completely motionless as if stunned by the news.

Feng Qingquan was also struck dumb, clearly not having expected such a result. When he finally recovered, he felt a bit dejected, sneaking glances at Arthur.

After his moment of shock, Arthur suddenly curled his lips into a wicked, charming smile that instantly lit up the room. His thin lips parted, and a low, sexy voice emerged, "Heh, interesting. It seems this banquet is far more intriguing than I imagined. It looks like I must attend after all."

Feng Qingquan’s eyebrows twitched repeatedly, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Arthur, what did you say?" He then vigorously cleaned out his ears.

Arthur put away his wicked smile and shot him a disdainful look, saying lightly, "You heard me right. I will definitely be attending this banquet." He paused, then added meaningfully, "Besides, as you know, I am the future son-in-law of the Whiting family!"

"Son-in-law?" Feng Qingquan’s mouth twitched, his face darkening. "Are you not going to stop it? Are you just going to watch as your woman marries someone else?"

"If my woman can watch as her man gets engaged to someone else, what reason do I have to stop her from getting engaged to another man? It’s only fair, isn't it?" As Arthur spoke, he seemed quite pleased; a faint arc formed at the corners of his mouth, tinged with a hint of indulgence and tolerance.

"Fair? Fair! Is that what you call fair? Is this the time to be talking about fairness?" Feng Qingquan exclaimed in a near-breakdown.

Arthur ignored Feng Qingquan’s clamor and turned to Hill, saying nonchalantly, "Increase the number of men watching the Whiting family. I suspect they will make a major move in the next few days. Especially the surveillance of Miss Eva Whiting—it must not be relaxed in the slightest!"

"Yes, Your Highness, I shall make the arrangements immediately."

"Good, go." After Arthur finished speaking, Hill bowed and exited.

Feng Qingquan had recovered by now. He figured he had been worrying needlessly; if the main person involved wasn't worried, why should he, a mere side character, fret? Still, though he was no longer worried, his curiosity remained.

Leaning toward Arthur, he said with a flattering smile, "Arthur, what is your plan? Won't you tell me?"

Arthur glanced at him with disdain, replying in a flat, annoying tone, "What business is it of yours?" The implication was clear: *Just live your life quietly and don't poke your nose into other people's affairs!*

Seeing this, several "cross-shaped" veins bulged on Feng Qingquan’s forehead. He grumbled indignantly to himself, *Hmph, I may lack many things, but I have the greatest patience. I'll wait!*

Just as Feng Qingquan was glaring at Arthur and Arthur was leisurely sipping his coffee, an expected guest arrived.

"Arthur—" A long-lost voice called out.

Arthur froze, then turned around rapidly. He saw the man he was most familiar with—Xiahou Yu—walking toward him with vigorous strides. Yet, as Arthur looked at Xiahou Yu’s appearance, his heart wrenched, and his eyes grew sore.

The once vibrant and spirited Xiahou Yu was now lean, his face haggard. The man looked as if he had survived a great catastrophe by sheer luck, a sight that pained the heart to behold.

Arthur stepped forward and pulled Xiahou Yu into an embrace. His eyes grew moist, and his voice trembled slightly, "Yu, you've suffered." It seemed there were thousands of words to say, but in this moment of embrace, they all dissolved into these three simple words.

Xiahou Yu’s eyes also welled up the moment he held Arthur. He unconsciously tightened his arms, as if that were the only way to prove he was no longer alone—that in his sorrow and despair, there was still someone who would stand by him, allowing him to grasp the last ray of light even in the depths of his predicament.

"Arthur, thank you."

*Thank you for not abandoning me. Thank you for still regarding me as a friend after everything that has happened.*

"Hey, have you two big men finished being all lovey-dovey yet? Clinging to each other and weeping—what kind of behavior is that!" Finally, Feng Qingquan, who had been watching the touching scene for a long time, could not help but interrupt. He looked at Arthur and Xiahou Yu with an expression of utter disgust.

Hearing this, Arthur and Xiahou Yu quickly pulled apart. Xiahou Yu looked embarrassed, while Arthur remained unfazed. He walked over to the sofa and sat down, saying to Xiahou Yu, "Yu, I expect you know who this is without me needing to introduce him."

Xiahou Yu walked over to Feng Qingquan, smiled, and extended his hand. "Hello, I am Xiahou Yu. I've heard much about you."

Feng Qingquan stood up lazily and grasped Xiahou Yu’s thin hand, teasing, "Hello, I am Feng Qingquan. I often hear Arthur mention you. But, how did you end up looking like this?"

He had heard of Arthur’s past and seen Xiahou Yu on television programs, where he always appeared so full of vigor and heroic spirit. How could there be such a vast difference when seeing him in person? Feng Qingquan couldn't help but think with a bit of dark humor—*Those financial shows surely don't use Photoshop, do they?*

Hearing this, Xiahou Yu felt embarrassed again. He lowered his head, unable to stop himself from thinking of the person who had caused him to become this way. After a moment, Xiahou Yu looked up at Arthur and asked with suppressed excitement, "Arthur, when can I see her?"

Arthur’s gaze deepened. He did not answer Xiahou Yu’s question immediately but signaled for him to sit down.

Xiahou Yu sat down next to Feng Qingquan, his eyes fixed nervously on Arthur.

Looking at Xiahou Yu, Arthur said in a deep voice, "I called you here specifically so you could see her and set your mind at ease." He paused, then added, "However, it will have to wait a few days. It's not possible right now."

"Why not now? Where is she?" Xiahou Yu grew anxious upon hearing he couldn't see Yingyue immediately and asked hurriedly.

"She is safe and living quite well. You don't need to worry, but she is not with me at the moment," Arthur said in a slow, deliberate tone.

"Not with you? How can she not be with you? If she isn't with you, how can you be certain she is living well?" It was clear Xiahou Yu did not believe Arthur, and his tone rose involuntarily.

"Calm down, calm down. Let’s keep the peace," Feng Qingquan said, stepping in to smooth things over as he saw Xiahou Yu becoming agitated.

"Because she has lost her memory," Arthur said calmly.

Xiahou Yu was completely stunned by these words.

"Lost her memory? How could—" *Lost her memory again? Does that girl have some strange habit of doing that?*

"Yes, it was that new type of injection she was given, which led to amnesia. That is why I haven't been able to bring her back yet."

"Then, where is she now?"

"The Whiting family."

"The Whiting family? How could she be there?"

"Because in a few days, she is holding an engagement ceremony." Arthur dropped this heavy-duty bomb on Xiahou Yu with extreme calmness.

Xiahou Yu was blasted into stillness on the spot, unable to move. After an unknown amount of time, he looked at Arthur with a blank expression and asked with eerie calm, "With whom?"

"Yuwen Xi."