Chapter 45 Snacks Brought Back from Jiangnan

Inside the study, Xiao Jingheng had just changed into his casual clothes and was about to sit down at his desk to review official documents. Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a bang.

He looked up when he heard the noise and saw Su Xiaoyu standing at the door, panting, carrying a sewing basket. Her hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed, like a flustered little rabbit.

Her almond-shaped eyes were surprisingly bright, staring straight at him.

"Young Master, you're back?" The little girl's breathing was still a bit unsteady.

Xiao Jingheng paused slightly in his grip on the pen.

Judging from her appearance, running so hurriedly, could it be that she misses him after not seeing him for a few days?

Xiao Jingheng felt a sudden jolt in his heart, as if a slight electric current had passed through him.

Her face remained calm, but a warmth she herself was unaware of welling up in her eyes.

"What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and in such a hurry?"

Su Xiaoyu ignored his words, stepped forward, stared into his eyes and asked, "Your Highness, was your trip to Jiangnan smooth? Did you... uh, meet any special people, or hear any special things?"

She wanted to inquire about the Shen family, but she really didn't know how to bring it up.

It might seem abrupt, but if you're not careful, it could easily arouse suspicion.

After all, this man is the head of the Dali Temple, and he is very astute.

Little did she know, in Xiao Jingheng's eyes, her appearance was interpreted as:

The young girl was too shy to say she missed him directly, so she inquired about his journey indirectly, asking if he was alright along the way.

Xiao Jingheng put down Wen Shu, his gaze growing increasingly profound, finding the blush on her cheeks particularly pleasing to the eye.

"What? You're so concerned about the affairs of Jiangnan?"

Su Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, thinking to herself, "Finally, you've asked the right question."

She leaned closer, her eyes sparkling: "Yes, Your Highness, I've heard that there are many scholars and literati in Jiangnan. I wonder if you met one or two special ones this time?"

She dared not ask the Shen family directly; that would make her intentions too obvious. Xiao Jingheng would definitely become suspicious.

But in Xiao Jingheng's eyes, her indirect manner confirmed that she was just too shy to say she missed him directly, and was racking her brains to find topics to talk about, just wanting to spend more time with him.

Xiao Jingheng's joy was almost overflowing.

He deliberately paused for a moment before slowly and deliberately speaking: "Special? There are a few, though, who are elegant in their writing and have remarkable conversation skills."

"They are all just pedantic scholars; in terms of insight and perspective, they are far inferior to the young men of the capital."

Sure enough, Su Xiaoyu's face fell instantly upon hearing this.

She emphasized the words "particularly different," hoping that Xiao Jingheng would mention the Shen family, even if it was just a simple statement like "the Shen family of Jiangnan has produced several scholars."

Seeing this, Xiao Jingheng felt that the little girl must be too curious about Jiangnan to do this.

"If you are interested in the scenery and culture of Jiangnan, I will take you there to see it for yourself next time if you have the chance."

"Huh?" Su Xiaoyu didn't react for a moment and looked up blankly.

Seeing her innocent and adorable appearance, Xiao Jingheng stopped teasing her and took out a camphor wood box from under his desk.

"I passed by some small shops and bought some odds and ends."

He casually pushed the box in front of Su Xiaoyu.

Su Xiaoyu's attention was instantly drawn to it, and her eyes brightened more than tenfold compared to before.

The box was filled with a dazzling array of items, including sweet and soft osmanthus cake, pine nut candy, and lotus root starch cakes carved into the shapes of little rabbits and lotus flowers.

There's also a whole set of adorable Huishan clay figurines, and several Suzhou embroidered fans depicting the misty rain of Jiangnan...

The dual allure of delicious food and exquisite gadgets instantly struck Su Xiaoyu's "Achilles' heel".

"These... are all for me?" Su Xiaoyu pointed to herself, hardly believing it.

"If you don't like it, I..."

"Oh, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness! I love it so much, so very much!" Su Xiaoyu picked up the box and hugged it to her chest like a treasure.

[Oh my god! The Crown Prince is such a kind person, he actually remembered to bring me something!]

I thought that a workaholic like him wouldn't remember to bring anything except official documents when he goes out. It seems that going on a business trip once in a while is actually quite good!

"If you like it, that's good." Xiao Jingheng told her.

"Go downstairs, put your things away, and don't be greedy and eat too much at once."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Su Xiaoyu responded quickly, hugged her "baby," and left the study contentedly.

As she passed through the garden, she saw Xiao Lingxi and Zisu chatting and laughing as they passed by the gate.

"Smack!"

Su Xiaoyu slapped her forehead, her smile instantly freezing.

"Oh no! I was so happy that I forgot about the important matter! The Second Miss and that Shen Moyan!"

It seems we need to find a way to get leverage over that hypocrite.

In the following days, Su Xiaoyu continued to work at Moyunxuan, serving with brushes and ink.

But whenever he has free time, he will sneak out of the mansion.

Yan Shu had previously given her a waist token, which allowed her to come and go freely.

She first secretly observed Xiao Lingxi's movements, and followed her several times to confirm that she went to Qingsong Academy almost every day and stayed for half a day.

Then he would occasionally go to the study to buy writing brushes and ink, which seemed to indicate that he was studying diligently.

However, the two kept their private interactions very secret, and Xiao Lingxi always wore a veil and a hat, so that only unfamiliar people would recognize her.

Afterwards, she pretended to pass by and inquired about Shen Moyan's reputation from some seemingly easy-going scholars or pageboys.

"This young master Shen is very learned, but... well, he's a bit aloof and doesn't associate with us much."

"Shen Moyan? I heard his family's circumstances are just average. Well, let's not talk about it. Anyway, it's not easy for him."

"He's been having good luck lately, often getting help from benefactors."

These bits and pieces of information seemed fine at first glance, but Su Xiaoyu, combining them with the 'plot' she knew, instantly filled in the blanks in her mind, conjuring up an image of Shen Moyan as hypocritical and pretentious.

Su Xiaoyu thought she was keeping her whereabouts a secret, but little did she know that she had already been seen by others.

On the street, Qingdai lowered the carriage curtain and asked Lin Wan'er, "Miss, it seems that this maid has also discovered what happened to Miss Xiao. Should we remind Miss Xiao?"

Lin Wan'er sat upright in the carriage, a cold smile on her lips.

Why should we go through all that trouble?

"Wouldn't that seem too deliberate? People who don't know the situation might think we're trying to sow discord."

After thinking for a moment, a calculating glint flashed in Lin Wan'er's eyes.

She placed her hand near Qingdai's ear, lowered her voice, and whispered a few words.

As Qingdai listened, her eyes widened slightly, and then she showed a knowing look.

"This servant understands."

...

Meanwhile, at Moyunxuan.

Seeing that Su Xiaoyu had finished her shift and gone home, Changfeng looked at Su Xiaoyu's back, then at his own young master, and hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Although Xiao Jingheng did not look up, it was as if he had eyes on the top of his head, and his cold voice rang out in the study.

"Speak your mind."

Upon hearing this, Changfeng no longer hesitated and immediately cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Your Highness, it concerns Miss Xiaoyu."

"After observing her for several days, I discovered that she... has been frequently leaving the manor alone after her shifts, mostly going to Qingsong Academy, and it seems that she is also... secretly inquiring about a scholar from Jiangnan."

Upon hearing the words "scholar from Jiangnan," Xiao Jingheng paused slightly in the brush in his hand.