The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 983 - 638 Engagement? Clearing Up Misunderstandings_3

Chapter 983: Chapter 638 Engagement? Clearing Up Misunderstandings_3

After admiring the plum blossoms, a group of people left Qin Garden.

Qiao Tai pulled Master Chen to go drink, and Master Chen found it hard to refuse the kind invitation yet seemed somewhat troubled.

Tao Minmin knew that friends and relatives gathering to drink was more than normal.

"Go ahead, Chen, I will return first."

"Miss Tao, I..." Master Chen hesitated to speak.

Tao Minmin explained, "It’s getting late; if I don’t go back now, my parents will worry."

Master Chen pondered for a moment, then reminded her, "Then be careful on your way, Miss Tao."

"Hmm," Tao Minmin responded as she got into her sedan chair.

After Tao Minmin had gone far, Qiao Tai withdrew his gaze and looked towards Master Chen with a curious face, asking, "Master Chen, is that Miss Tao really from the palace?"

Master Chen nodded, "Yes, she stayed in the East Palace for a few years and only left not long ago."

Master Luo also asked out of curiosity, "Then did she consummate the marriage with the Crown Prince?"

Master Chen thought for a bit and replied, "It’s said they haven’t."

Qiao Tai said, "But speaking of that, is the Crown Prince truly as faithful as the rumors suggest? Only doting on the Crown Princess and disinterested in other women? Miss Tao might not be a stunning beauty, but she looks quite all right. Has the Crown Prince really never touched her?"

Master Luo laughed and said, "That’s what you don’t understand. The one thing the Imperial Palace doesn’t lack is beauties. Miss Tao, having entered a nest of beauties, naturally fell short in comparison. Besides, whether she served in his bed is something only Miss Tao herself would know."

Qiao Tai looked at Master Chen with a curious face again, "Master Chen, are you really planning to marry Miss Tao?"

Master Chen raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, why would I bother if I had no intention of marrying her?"

Qiao Tai expressed, "Aren’t you afraid that Miss Tao might..."

"I heard the Tao Family is very wealthy; what they don’t lack is money. There are no few who wish to be a son-in-law to the Tao Family. What’s more important, a woman or silver?" Master Luo said with a smile.

Master Chen smiled and said, "Let’s go drink first, and chat while we drink."

Qiao Tai shouted, "Come on, let’s go have a drink together."

When Tao Minmin got home, as expected, she was surrounded by her father and Madam Wang.

Her father asked, "Minmin, how do you feel about it?"

Recalling the interaction of the past few days, she found Master Chen to be courteous and graceful, and her impression of him was not bad.

"It feels alright."

Her father felt sure there was a chance this time and joyfully continued, "Today the matchmaker came to ask. You’re both not getting any younger, and Master Chen is very satisfied with you. If you think it’s possible, agree to this marriage. We can get engaged now and marry next spring. What do you think?"

Tao Minmin was stunned for a moment, having not expected to get engaged and married so quickly, but it had always been like this. It was only because she read too many romance novels that she felt this way.

Madam Wang said, "Minmin, you think Master Chen is not bad, don’t you? Or do you still feel unsatisfied?"

Tao Minmin pursed her lips, thinking of the Top Scholar. She and the Top Scholar were not meant to be from the same world.

The feeling Master Chen gave her was genuinely not bad. Perhaps they could not be a couple deeply in love, but mutual respect might be achievable.

After hesitating for a long while, she looked up at her parents and finally agreed to the marriage.

"I agree then."

"I’ll go and reply to the matchmaker right now. We can discuss the engagement in the next few days," her father happily went to find the matchmaker.

Madam Wang held her daughter’s hand, feeling both heartache and reluctance—heartache that her daughter couldn’t marry the man of her heart’s desire, and reluctance to see her daughter marry into another family and become someone else’s.

The date for the engagement was quickly set for three days later.

The Top Scholar rested for three days; his cold was almost better, but he was still somewhat lacking in spirit.

He went to the palace early today.

In the past few days, Feng Wuyou had asked about the Top Scholar and found out that he had been sick for a few days.

Today, when the Top Scholar entered the palace, Qin Xiao came to report.

"Crown Princess, the Top Scholar has arrived."

Privately, Chun Xi had mentioned to Qin Xiao the matter of the Crown Princess looking for the Top Scholar, and he remembered it. Today, seeing the Top Scholar come to teach Taotao, he reminded her immediately.

Upon hearing the news, Feng Wuyou went next door.

Just as she reached the Study Room, she heard the Top Scholar’s slightly hoarse voice. She looked up and saw the Top Scholar’s lean figure standing in front of Taotao, as if checking homework.

After the homework was checked, Feng Wuyou called the Top Scholar out.

Upon coming out, the Top Scholar first bowed, "Crown Princess, did you seek this official for a matter?"

Feng Wuyou didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point, "Why didn’t you go for tea when Tao Minmin invited you that day?"

The Top Scholar was initially startled but then realized, as Tao Minmin was close to the Crown Princess, it was normal for her to know.

"To reply to the Crown Princess, that day His Highness had a matter for this official which caused a delay. By the time this official left the palace for Wu Zi Xuan, Miss Tao had already left. I made her wait for too long."

Feng Wuyou had been waiting together that day; she knew exactly how long it had been.

"Having waited so long and not seeing the Top Scholar come as promised, Tao Minmin thought you were unwilling to come."