Missing Cutie Pie, Can You Come Over

"No need." Evan Xiao said. "I don't know when I'll be back. You should go home first. If I have time, I'll come find you."

"Alright..." Grace felt a little down.

"I'm leaving now." Evan Xiao turned into a streak of light and disappeared.

Grace stood there, dazed for a long while.

Suddenly, she felt that Evan Xiao was being really cold to her.

There wasn't even a trace of the sweetness and tenderness from before...

It must be her imagination, right?

How could he suddenly be so cold to her?

But after he left, he never came to see her again.

That night, she sat alone in her room, thoughts swirling endlessly. Unable to hold back anymore, she picked up her pen and wrote a line: "I miss my little cutie. Can you come over?"

After writing the note, she tied it to Chirpy's leg and sent it off to find Evan Xiao.

At that moment, Evan Xiao was calmly looking over some official documents.

Chirpy flew in through the window and landed on his desk.

Evan Xiao glanced at it but pretended not to see.

Chirpy, clever as ever, took a few steps forward and even pecked at the note on its leg, signaling him to take it off.

Evan Xiao picked it up in his hand.

However, instead of removing the note, he tossed Chirpy out the window and shut the windows and doors.

Chirpy had no choice but to fly back.

When Grace saw the note still tied to Chirpy's leg, she thought Evan Xiao had replied.

But when she took it off and looked, it was still the same note she wrote herself. She couldn't help but frown.

"Chirpy, is he not there again?"

Chirpy shook its head.

"He is?"

Chirpy nodded.

"But he didn't read the note and just sent you back?"

Chirpy nodded again.

Grace's heart sank.

Looks like it wasn't just her imagination after all.

Something must have changed with Evan Xiao...

Maybe... his father, the emperor, won't allow the marriage anymore?

Is he avoiding her because he can't face her?

Unable to stand bottling it up any longer, she decided to go find Evan Xiao and get a straight answer.

The guards at the General's Manor greeted her with a bow. Without announcing her, they let her in directly.

She headed straight to the place where Evan Xiao lived.

Unexpectedly, along the lush garden path, she overheard Louis Lin and Steward Qin talking.

"Did she really say that? The Celestial Emperor granted the marriage, and His Highness has to marry Princess Luminia?" Louis Lin asked.

"That's right!" Steward Qin replied, his tone full of worry.

"Wasn't the Celestial Empress always in favor of Shang Zhi? Li Ran'er was also a popular candidate. How did it suddenly become Princess Luminia?"

"Now, three of the Nine Divine Waters of Dragon Abyss have already dried up. It's a critical situation. The Qilin Divine Clan is eyeing us hungrily. His Highness must marry into the Phoenix Clan to maintain the Dragon Clan's rule!" Steward Qin said.

"No wonder His Highness has been locking himself in his room all day. It must be because of this." Louis Lin sighed. "I wonder if His Highness will obey the decree?"

"His Highness may be deeply in love with Miss Grace, but first and foremost, he is the Crown Prince of the Dragon Clan. He must put the clan first," Steward Qin said. "This morning, I overheard His Highness telling Li Zan..."

"What did he say?"

"Tomorrow, we'll set out for Cangwu."

Louis Lin: "What are you going to Cangwu for?"

Steward Qin: "To propose, of course! What else?"

When Grace heard this, her heart kept sinking lower and lower.

So that's how it is!

So... he's really going to marry Princess Luminia...

No wonder he's been avoiding her.

No wonder he wouldn't even read her letters!

And yet she foolishly kept waiting for Evan Xiao to come find her...

She turned and ran away.

If she had heard these words from someone else, Grace might have doubted them.