Chapter 87 Let it Air Out Chu Yixin dismissed the visitor, then thought for a moment and decided...

Chu Yixin dismissed the visitor, and after thinking for a moment, she still picked up her whisk and entered the hall.

A delicate, lingering scent of sandalwood wafted through the air. The room was dimly lit, and the man was hunched over his desk, with several stacks of memorials beside him. He didn't even lift his head when he heard footsteps in the room.

When did I call you?

Chu Yixin choked slightly, but still bowed and said, "It's news from Kunning Palace. This servant took the liberty of coming in to report."

He waited quietly for a few moments, but still didn't hear any instructions. So, trying to figure out his master's intentions, he slowly spoke up.

"The messenger said that the Crown Princess barely ate any food for dinner, perhaps she is not feeling well."

He deliberately emphasized the important points, eager for the person to immediately get up and go to Kunning Palace to take a look.

He had seen his master's tireless efforts and meticulous planning day and night for this one.

Now that he's finally married her, he's neglecting her...

Why bother?

Chu Yixin could guess the reasons behind this to some extent, but things couldn't continue like this indefinitely.

She's already married, and she's the apple of her eye, so naturally she deserves to live a good life with him.

What does this matter now?

But even after he said those words, the master remained seated firmly in place, unmoved as a mountain.

He waited quietly for a while, sighed softly in his heart, and finally withdrew with a hunched back.

...

After bathing and washing up, Jiang Zhuoying nestled on the couch. Today, she not only used petal almond powder to bathe, but also applied rose balm afterward, making her whole body fragrant and soft.

Sinking into the soft bedding, her thoughts wandered between two opposing views.

She kicked at the bedding and complained a few times, then glanced at the direction of the beaded curtain, afraid that the person would suddenly appear again like last night.

That's really quite frightening.

Although she felt uncomfortable, she had to admit that compared to her past deceptions, what the man had done to her was nothing.

"Sigh... if the honey trap doesn't work, what else can we do?"

"Never mind, let's talk about it tomorrow morning..."

She murmured to herself and gradually drifted off to sleep.

That night, Jiang Zhuoying slept well, and the next day she was in a good mood. She also had the energy and interest to actively pull Xiangyue and Xiangxing to explore.

"Miss, why do you need to go to such lengths to please him?"

Xiangyue was the first to speak up. In her heart, there was no reason for the Crown Prince not to like her daughter.

As the Crown Prince's principal wife, and a marriage bestowed by the Emperor, and being so beautiful, why would she, a young lady who had suffered so much and was cherished by the Emperor, take the initiative to please her husband?

She felt terrible.

Xiangxing thought about it seriously for a moment and said in a low voice, "Perhaps if the young lady were a little more gentle and considerate, she would be more likely to win His Highness's favor?"

"Gentle and considerate? How can I appear gentle and considerate?"

"Miss, could you please bring His Highness some tea and snacks, and show some concern for his health?"

Xiangyue answered these words, and both Jiang Zhuoying and Xiangxing looked at her.

Xiangyue felt a little embarrassed. She was indeed dissatisfied, but she knew exactly how to ensure her young mistress would enjoy the benefits in the long run.

Jiang Zhuoying nodded gently: "Okay, let's do it this way for now."

After finishing her breakfast, she deliberately wore a light-colored dress, her hair was simply styled with only a few pearl flowers, yet she still looked fresh and beautiful.

She remembered yesterday that she wasn't suited to that kingfisher phoenix crown, perhaps because she didn't like it being too elaborate.

He led Xiangyue and Xiangxing to the kitchen, where they spent half a day, and with the help of the maids and cooks, managed to make a mutton soup.

With the freshly made mutton soup in hand, she went to the study at just the right time, thinking that with this soup, wouldn't it be natural to have lunch together?

But she was stopped at the door, told that His Highness had left the residence.

Jiang Zhuoying stood at the door, unable to describe the feelings she had at that moment.

She couldn't tell whether the person had truly left the manor or was just using this as an excuse to avoid seeing her.

With a soft sigh, she left the mutton soup behind and returned to her courtyard with Xiangyue and Xiangxing.

Upon waking from her afternoon nap, the first thing Jiang Zhuoying did was ask Qi Fan if he had sent anyone to visit.

Xiangyue and Xiangxing had no choice but to report the truth.

Seeing her young mistress's dazed expression, Xiangyue felt extremely distressed.

"Miss, please don't worry. Perhaps His Highness hasn't returned to the manor yet."

Jiang Zhuoying wasn't in a hurry; she was just thinking to herself, "The soup has been served, what should I do next?"

Her gaze swept over Xiangyue and Xiangxing's waists, and an idea suddenly came to her.

Although her embroidery skills were not considered exquisite, they were still presentable. When she was young, her mother specially invited a famous embroiderer from Luoyang to teach her.

Scented sachets are wonderful; they can be worn every day and are always visible when the eyes are lowered. With a little effort, they can be embroidered today.

Having made up her mind, she asked Xiangxing to prepare some needles, thread, and fabric for embroidering the sachets.

Because it was for an apology, Jiang Zhuoying put in a lot of effort, spending a long time selecting the type and color of the fabric, and finally deciding to embroider extremely intricate python patterns on it.

For half a day, she sat reclining on the soft couch, studying the small amount of fabric in her hands.

After dinner, they continued their meal by lamplight...

As the sun sets and the lamps are lit, the study in the Crown Prince's residence finally welcomes its master.

As Qi Fan strode in, he casually ordered, "Set the table here."

"Alright, this servant will arrange it right away."

Chu Yixin turned and left, and soon returned with several servants to set out the meal.

The bowl of mutton soup that Jiang Zhuoying had sent earlier was prominently displayed, placed in the most conspicuous spot in the center by someone with a purpose.

Seeing that the man had sat down and was reaching for the mutton soup, Chu Yixin immediately stopped him.

"Master... this soup is still cold."

Qi Fan paused slightly, turned his head to look over, his brows furrowed and his eyes turned cold.

Every single dish displayed here has been carefully prepared and kept warm.

There must be something strange about this, but Chu Yixin did not report it in advance. He did not like this kind of self-righteousness.

Having been by Qi Fan's side for so many years, how could Chu Yixin not understand his temperament?

He immediately bowed and knelt down: "My lord, this mutton soup was sent by the Empress at noon. Originally, the servants did not want to serve it, but I thought it was also a token of the Empress's goodwill, so I took the liberty of doing so."

"But there's too little time, and we haven't had a chance to heat it up yet. If you wish to use it, Your Highness, this servant will take it to the kitchen right away."

Your Majesty?

In the Crown Prince's residence today, there is only one person whom Chu Yixin calls "Your Highness".

That charming and alluring face uncontrollably surfaced in my mind...

"She delivered it?" The man looked tense, somewhat surprised.

"Ah, according to the servants below, it was not only delivered by Her Majesty herself, but also made by Her Majesty herself!"

Chu Yixin quickly replied that he hadn't made this up.

Made by hand?

Qi Fan recalled those fair and delicate slender hands and slowly frowned.

"Nonsense."

His voice deepened as if he were angry, his gaze fixed on the bowl of mutton soup that had long since gone cold, and his face darkened as well.

Chu Yixin immediately looked up, carefully observing the changes in his expression.

Master, this isn't anger at all.

It's clear they feel sorry for the Empress.

He hurriedly got up, intending to take the soup to the kitchen to heat it up, but before he could even touch it, he was interrupted by Qi Fan's clearly displeased tone.

"Did I tell you to get up?"

"..."

Chu Yixin's fingertips trembled slightly. This...

His ability to read people has never failed him, so why is his master so unpredictable?

"Bring me a bowl."

The tone of his voice was clear and cool, and his intonation had returned to normal.

Chu Yixin twitched her lips and quickly nodded in agreement.

...

After an incense stick had burned, Chu Yixin craned her neck to glance at the empty porcelain cup, feeling relieved, thinking that her master should be resting in Kunning Palace tonight.

But his plan still failed.

Seeing that the man was once again engrossed in his work, seemingly determined to stay up all night, he couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"My lord? The Empress might still be hoping for you."

Qi Fan stiffened slightly, then looked up at him with a displeased expression.

Chu Yixin dared not offer any further advice, and could only sigh inwardly as she withdrew, clutching her whisk.

After the man left, he glanced coldly at the mountain of memorials piled up beside him.

He was not a saint; he was overwhelmed with these memorials, all of which were urgent. If she went to Kunning Palace, she might not be able to leave for a while.

Furthermore, given her temperament, letting it air out a bit more is perfectly acceptable.

...

Jiang Zhuoying wanted to finish making the sachet tonight and send it out first thing tomorrow morning while it was still hot.

So I stayed up almost all night, and when I was exhausted, I accidentally poked my fingertip several times.

She finished making the sachet as dawn broke.

The navy blue fabric, with its python pattern outlined in gold and silver threads, showed considerable effort, and it certainly pleased her.

Looking at the sky outside, and recalling Qi Fan's habit of getting up at dawn to practice martial arts when they were in the villa, Jiang Zhuoying immediately called someone in.

She was about to take this sachet with her to find the person.

But while Xiangyue and the others were doing her hair and makeup, she felt a growing pain in her lower abdomen...

*

A lucky star arrives to deliver a sachet, and Chu Yixin happens to be guarding outside the palace.

Upon seeing Xiangxing, his eyes lit up.

When Xiangxing handed him the sachet, he held it in both hands, praising it repeatedly, but couldn't help asking with a hint of unease, "Has Her Majesty risen yet?"

Xiangxing understood his implied meaning and answered respectfully with his head bowed.

"Your Highness stayed up all night yesterday for this sachet. She originally wanted to come in person this morning, but she was too exhausted. She also wanted His Highness to see the sachet as soon as possible, so she sent me to deliver it."

Chu Yixin's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly asked, "Is Your Highness alright?"

Xiangxing gently shook his head: "Our lady has never stayed up all night like this before. She should be fine after resting for half a day."

"That's good, that's good! By the way, His Highness had that mutton soup for dinner last night, and the porcelain bowl was completely empty. His Highness was very satisfied!"

With a smile, Chu Yixin told Xiangxing about the mutton soup.

He sincerely hoped that the two of them would get along well, and that the current Crown Princess would also know that her master had feelings for her, so as not to hurt the young lady's heart.

Xiangxing nodded, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

She glanced at the direction behind Chu Yixin, who immediately understood and lowered her voice: "It's not that I don't want to take you in, it's just that Lord Gu happened to be here and is talking to His Highness inside."

"Then I'll trouble Eunuch Chu to pass this sachet on to His Highness."

"Hehe, no trouble at all!"

This is very important. Chu Yixin knew how much her master cared about the Crown Princess, and dared not slack off in the slightest.

...

Xiangxing returned to Kunning Palace and relayed Chu Yixin's words to Jiang Zhuoying verbatim.

Jiang Zhuoying had changed into a soft and comfortable nightgown and nestled on the couch, with a hot water bottle that Xiangyue had prepared for her on her lower abdomen.

Even so, she was still trembling all over from the pain.

Hearing Xiangxing's words, she pouted: "Lord Gu? It's only Chen Shi (7-9 AM) now, and Lord Gu has already arrived so early? You're getting less and less serious about finding an excuse."

Xiangxing and Xiangyue exchanged a glance, intending to gently coax her, but Jiang Zhuoying suddenly turned over.

"That's enough, I want to rest for a while."

-----------------------

Author's note: If I keep leaving my wife hanging, I'll lose her. [eating melon emoji]