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Xiao Zai let out a shuddering sigh, and then, very quietly said, "Let\'s go home."

Chu Yun nodded, and waited for the rustle of Xiao Zai\'s robes to follow after him towards the carriage.

Hua Nanyi was already waiting there for them. Her expression darkened when she saw Chu Yun again, but she had the good sense of not commenting on it.

The ride back to the Second Prince\'s estate was tense, and it seemed to Chu Yun to take an unusually long time.

It wasn\'t late when they arrived, and despite a dark blanket of night covering all the estate\'s grounds, many servants were still milling about, attending to the last of their tasks before they could turn in for the day.

Fan Jiang ran towards the carriage as soon as they crossed the gates. He waited for Chu Yun to step out of it before extending him a letter with both hands.

"This arrived by carrier pigeon for his Grace shortly after his Highness and his Grace left," he said, stepping away after Chu Yun took the letter, his head still lowered.

Why had it taken such a long time for Chu Yun\'s parents to reply? He eyed Fan Jiang suspiciously and opened the letter right there in the middle of the courtyard.

"Dearest Chu Yun,

I apologise for the late reply, I and your father were away for the past fortnight, visiting my family in the province of Lingsu. I\'m afraid your maternal grandfather isn\'t faring well, and won\'t be with us for much longer.

We would have been very concerned for Chu Hean, if it wasn\'t for your letter informing us that he had gone to Haolin to visit you. He didn\'t inform us, or anyone else, of his intention of doing so.

Regarding his engagement, I must say that your latter was the first time we heard of it. Your father was so agitated that he immediately took a horse to the royal palace to ask your uncle for satisfaction. But your royal uncle too, hadn\'t arranged any matches for Chu Hean, and hadn\'t considered doing so. 

I don\'t know why Chu Hean told you otherwise, and I can\'t begin to guess, however, please inform him that both I and his father expect his prompt return.

I\'m glad to see that otherwise, you are well.

Warm regards to you and his Highness.

Your mother, who loves and misses you."

Chu Yun\'s grip on the letter started faltering the longer he read on. By the end of it he could only shove it at Xiao Zai so that he could read it as well and draw his own conclusions.

How could Chu Hean do something like this? How could Chu Yun be so mistaken about the character of the younger brother he had personally doted on for so many years?

Xiao Zai crumpled the letter in his fist as soon as he finished reading. "And this arrived today?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at Fan Jiang.

Fan Jiang nodded, his head still lowered. "Yes, your Highness, the messenger from the post office delivered it today. He mentioned that there was a blizzard near the border a few days ago, and that it might have delayed the pigeons."

Chu Yun understood Xiao Zai\'s reticence. This would have been the kind of information they could have benefited from days ago. If Chu Yun had known the whole story about the engagement was false, he would have sent Chu Hean on his way back to Xin right away.

Fan Jiang still didn\'t inspire any confidence in him, however if he had acted on the King\'s orders to keep Chu Yun\'s parents\' correspondence until it was no longer useful to him, it meant that Chu Hean and the King of Zui were colluding -- probably for a long time.

Chu Yun couldn\'t accept that his brother had orchestrated all this.

He loved Chu Hean so much, always had, how could he do something like this to him? What did he expect to gain from it?

A sudden bout of nausea hit him, and he swayed in place. Xiao Zai\'s hands came around his waist to steady him. "We should call a physician, you aren\'t well."

Chu Yun shook his head and pulled away from Xiao Zai, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "No, I just need some rest."

"I\'ll help you," Xiao Zai offered, walking towards him.

Chu Yun stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"I think it would be better if you slept in your quarters tonight."

He could tell from the look in his eyes that Xiao Zai wanted to argue, but finally he pressed his lips into a tense line and nodded. He watched him go without another word.

---

The next day Chu Yun woke up feeling no better, and no more rested. The nausea hit him again as soon as he got up. Eating breakfast was out of the question, but so was staying in his room all day, stewing in his own misery.

He called Hua Nanyi into his quarters and told her, "Get the carriage ready, I\'m leaving."

A few minutes later the carriage came to a stop in front of Tan Ruo\'s and Minister Song\'s estate.

The servants took him and Hua Nanyi inside into the reception hall, where a few moments later they were joined by a bleary eyed Tan Ruo, who looked as if she had just thrown any random outer robe over her shoulders and stepped in to greet Chu Yun.

He bowed to her politely, but said seriously. "I apologise for disturbing Ruomi at such an early hour, but I need to speak with my brother."

Her pretty features immediately tightened into a grimace. "I heard some rumours about what might have happened at the wedding ceremony yesterday," she leaned in close to Chu Yun, and lowering her voice asked, "Is it true?"

As much as Chu Yun liked her, he didn\'t want this matter to spread further -- if it hadn\'t already. He very much doubted the King was trying to make a secret of it.

"I\'m sorry, I just need to talk with my brother, I\'m afraid it\'s urgent."

She tightened her robe around herself, sparing Chu Yun a sympathetic look. "I understand, I\'ll call for you once he\'s ready."

---

Chu Hean also looked like he had just woken up when he welcomed Chu Yun in his guest quarters. Chu Yun instructed Hua Nanyi to stay in the reception hall and wait for him, and make sure he wasn\'t bothered.

He needed to talk with Chu Hean on his own.

His brother looked the same as always, beautiful and cleanly put-together. He didn\'t need any fine robes or expensive ornaments to glimmer more than gold.

Chu Yun looked down at him and extended him Madam Jing\'s crumpled letter.

He held it between thumb and forefinger, skimming over the neat characters before returning it to Chu Yun with a dispassionate look. "So you know."

"I just want to know why."

Chu Hean was still sitting on his bed, his palms resting on the edge of the mattress, he looked up into Chu Yun\'s sickly pale face, and smiled, his peach blossom eyes curving sweetly.

"If I remember correctly, gege told me that getting married wasn\'t so bad, that not all alphas were cruel," his tone was mellow, but there was something dark hiding in the curve of his smile.

"Is this punishment, for what I said?" Chu Yun asked, keeping his voice steady. He could feel another wave of nausea approaching, but he was determined not to show any discomfort.

"Punishment?" he repeated, his eyes wide and guileless. "I thought gege wanted me to get married, follow the plans laid out for me by others. Could it be that gege no longer feels the same way?"

Chu Yun rubbed at his temples, trying to stave off the incoming headache. "Why are you doing this? What have I--"

With a creak of the wooden frame Chu Hean stood up from the bed and walked towards Chu Yun. "\'I\', \'me\', everything is about you, isn\'t it? When I first told you about my engagement to that random Xin noble, you wouldn\'t shut up about how YOU had done what was asked of you, about how YOU also didn\'t have any choice in who you got married too."

He came to a stop next to Chu Yun, who noticed for the first time that he had grown. Chu Yun was still taller than his brother, but now the top of Chu Hean\'s head almost reached his nose. 

Chu Hean smiled up at him, his beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with tenderness despite the cruelty of his words. "Look, gege, now I have no choice either." He sighed, hooking his pinky with Chu Yun\'s.. "You should be happy, though, it seems I\'m going to marry a good alpha after all."