Gong Che tried to adjust his breathing to calm down, but he couldn't take his eyes off that little figure. His heart brimmed with anger, but his mouth continued to speak in a relatively gentle and composed manner.
"I'm asking Prince Shen Shi Ye to return Sister Gong to me."
Shen Shi Ye tightened his grip. "If I remember this correctly, she no longer has any relationship with Your Highness... Now, she is simply a friend of this Young Master!"
Shen Shi Ye had always been overbearing by nature. Not to mention the Crown Prince, this unruly young man had even confronted the emperor in the past!
Gong Che smiled meaningfully. At this time, his breath was steady and his smiling face was as gentle as always, but tonight's moonlight added a hint of chilliness to his expression.
"Regardless of Father Emperor's decree, Gong Yi Mo still shares imperial blood. Since she is my younger sister by blood, it's only natural that I take care of her. Why should I leave her to stay in an unfamiliar man's home? Although she is still young, wouldn't this cause a stain to her reputation?"
Gong Che's words were quite sensible. In the end, it was still more agreeable for Gong Yi Mo to stay in the Crown Prince's place for the sake of her name and reputation.
Still, this thought left Shen Shi Ye's jadelike face to frown in distaste.
Gong Che approached the pair until he could clearly see the little girl in his arms.
At this time, her eyes were closed, revealing an innocent young girl who slept heavily. A noticeably strong fragrance of wine permeated in the air.
Gong Che's eyes softened as he gazed down at her sleeping figure, but when he looked up at Shen Shi Ye, his expression showed undisguised ferocity.
"You took her to drink wine? Don't you know that she's just a young girl?"
Afraid that Gong Che would recognize his guilty conscience, Shen Shi Ye immediately straightened his back and replied defiantly, "And what of it? We're simply sharing a drink among friends, why would there be any incidents?
Without letting him explain any further, Gong Che pulled Gong Yi Mo away into his embrace. "I'll forgive you this time, but this Prince hopes that you won't go looking for her again!"
His words provoked Shen Shi Ye's temper, causing him to frown deeply.
"Whom she wants to engage with is her business. You don't have the right to decide for her."
Two fiery stares collided under the darkness of the night before scattering like dying embers.
"Is that so?"
Gong Che sneered. He didn't want to waste more energy dealing with this matter.
The Crown Prince quietly looked at the sleeping princess in his arms, then looked up at Shen Shi Ye with an indifferent stare. "Well, thank you for taking care of my sister for these past two days. I will come to visit your residence another day to express my gratitude."
Feeling the emptiness on his chest where Gong Yi Mo had lay, Shen Shi Ye looked at Gong Che in disdain and replied, "If it is you visiting, then you don't have to come at all!"
Gong Che turned around and left, not caring at all for his attitude. As the siblings departed, Shen Shi felt a discomfort in his heart that he never experienced before, as if he had just lost something important!
Only the Heavens knew how the turmoil in Gong Che's heart had finally settled down now that he held Gong Yi Mo in his arms.
And only god knew how afraid he was when he couldn't find news of her after she was cast out of the palace; he dreaded that he might never seeing her again.
Fortunately, she was still in the capital. She was still by his side.
He received the news today that she had been invited to a private dinner at a suburban manor. As soon as he finished his business in the palace, he quickly left to search for her. He was afraid that harm would befall her with no one to look after her.
When Gong Che arrived at the mansion in a hurry, Su Miaolan, the capital's famous number one beauty, informed him that Gong Yi Mo was drunk and left with a man. She said she had no idea where the former princess had wandered off. Gong Che almost lost his mind from anxiety!
Later on, another young man told him that Gong Yi Mo left with Shen Shi Ye and lived at another courtyard in his residence. Only then did Gong Che finally let out a sigh with relief.