MY PRINCE HUSBAND HAS SEVEN WIVES AND I AM HIS FAVOURITE!
Chapter 148: Will you be coming here again?

Chapter 148: Will you be coming here again?

Hua Jing’s chest tightened.

I stayed too long.

The realization struck her suddenly, and her heart pounded in panic. She had lost track of time—lost herself in memories, in grief, and, most unsettlingly, in the presence of this man.

And now, she had to go.

Chen Li would return from the capital soon. If she found out that Hua Jing had left the estate, it wouldn’t just be another punishment—it would be a flogging.

A heavy one.

The last time she had disobeyed, she had been locked in a room with no food or water for two days. She had barely survived it. But this time, it would be worse.

She needed to leave now.

Her gaze darted to the stranger before her, this absurdly beautiful man who had appeared in her life like a ghost.

Who is he?

She didn’t know.

But there was no time to wonder.

She turned sharply on her heel, her tattered skirts whipping around her as she bolted.

She ran.

Or at least—she tried to.

Because just as she made her first step, a firm hand caught her wrist.

A jolt of something hot and electric shot up her arm, and her breath hitched.

She stopped.

Not because she wanted to, but because she couldn’t move.

His grip wasn’t forceful—it wasn’t cruel—but it was unbreakable.

Slowly, reluctantly, she turned her head back.

And her gaze collided with his.

For the first time, there was nothing between them. No hesitation, no avoidance. Just his piercing golden eyes staring into hers.

Something flickered there—something she didn’t understand.

He wasn’t just looking at her.

He was searching for something.

His fingers curled slightly around her wrist, his touch warmer than she expected, searing through her skin like fire against ice.

"Will you be coming here again?" he asked softly.

Hua Jing’s breath faltered.

Her mind blanked.

The words should have been simple, but they felt... dangerous.

As if he had spoken something deeper than what they meant.

As if he wasn’t just asking about the pond.

I wish to see you again.

The unspoken words settled between them, heavy and undeniable.

Hua Jing panicked.

She had to leave.

There was no future in this fleeting moment, no second chance to meet again.

She knew her fate.

And it wasn’t with a man like him.

So she did the only thing she could.

She forced a sad, fleeting smile and gently twisted her wrist free from his hold.

He let go.

For a brief second, the warmth of his touch lingered.

And then—

She ran.

She didn’t look back.

She didn’t see the way his eyes followed her, the hesitation in his step as if he might chase after her.

She didn’t see how his fingers twitched at his side, how his expression darkened as if he had just let something precious slip through his grasp.

She didn’t see the way he almost moved—almost went after her—

But then—

Something stopped him.

His gaze flickered beyond the trees, and his expression shifted.

And just like that—he stayed.

---

The Hua Mansion – A Fate Sealed

Hua Jing slipped back into the estate just as the sun began to set.

She hurried to her small room, heart hammering, wiping away the cold sweat that clung to her neck.

She had barely made it.

And now—all she could do was wait.

Night fell swiftly.

And just as expected—

A servant came to fetch her.

Her stomach twisted as she followed them to the main hall, where the family gathered for important matters.

She already knew.

Something was coming.

When she arrived, she kept her head lowered, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

Chen Li sat in her usual seat, her expression as poised and graceful as ever. But Hua Jing knew better.

That smile—

That fake, painted-on smile—

Was a warning.

"You’re here," Chen Li said, her voice smooth like silk over hidden daggers.

Hua Jing didn’t answer. She knew better than to speak first.

Hua Ming Rong sat beside his wife, looking as if he had something distasteful stuck in his throat.

Across from them, Hua Ling, her perfect sister, sat primly, eyes flickering with barely concealed glee.

Hua Jing could already guess what was coming.

And then—

Chen Li spoke.

"There is good news," she said with a false warmth. "Your elder sister, Hua Ling, is to be engaged."

A heavy silence followed.

Hua Jing clenched her fingers.

Of course.

It was Scholar Jiang.

The same man who had once whispered sweet words to Hua Jing, only to turn around and throw her aside the moment he saw a better opportunity.

Hua Jing forced her face into careful neutrality.

She had no feelings for that man anymore.

But then—

"There is another matter as well," Chen Li added.

Hua Jing stiffened.

Another matter?

Chen Li’s fake smile widened.

"You must also prepare," she said smoothly. "For your own marriage."

A strange chill ran down Hua Jing’s spine.

Marriage?

Her?

She swallowed, forcing herself to keep her voice even. "To whom?"

Chen Li’s eyes gleamed.

"The prince."

Silence.

A heavy, deafening silence.

Hua Jing’s heart stopped.

Her body went rigid.

For a moment, she thought she had misheard.

The prince?

Which prince?

No—there was only one prince.

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

The Seventh Prince.

The man rumored to be cold and unapproachable. The man who always wore a golden mask, hiding his face from the world.

The man whose appearance was so unknown that rumors claimed he was hideous beyond words.

The man who, according to the whispers in the palace, was as dangerous as he was powerful.

A man she had never met.

Or so she thought.

Hua Jing felt the ground shift beneath her feet.

This couldn’t be happening.

Chen Li was watching her, enjoying every second of her turmoil.

"Tomorrow," she continued, "you will greet your future husband properly."

Hua Jing stood in the grand hall of the Hua Mansion, her hands clenched at her sides.

She had barely slept.

And now, she was here.

Waiting.

And then—

He arrived.

The doors opened, and three figures stepped inside.

Two guards flanked the man in the center.

And the moment Hua Jing laid eyes on him, her breath caught.

A golden mask.

Fine robes.

A presence that commanded the room without a single word.

He stepped forward, elegant and composed, exuding an effortless authority.

And then—

Chen Li smiled.

The fakest smile Hua Jing had ever seen.

"Come," she said, voice dripping with honeyed deceit.

"Greet him. He will be your husband."

Hua Jing’s stomach twisted.

Her throat ran dry.

And then—

She met his eyes.

And something deeply familiar crashed into her.

A slow, creeping realization.

A memory.

A face.

And Hua Jing froze.

Because behind the golden mask—

She knew...

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.