Chapter 302 Jealousy

While Zhan Xingzhuo was filled with surprise and doubt, Prince Xin glanced at him and smiled calmly: "Brother Xingzhuo, are you determined to get that painting back?"

Zhan Xingzhuo bowed again and said, "I am willing to replace it with another painting."

Prince Xin said, “Xing Zhuo’s painting skills are unparalleled. Even the famous painter Mr. Su can only be on par with you. I still remember when you painted Zhou Zhining’s painting at my brother’s snow appreciation banquet, so many people offered high prices for it. In the end, you said you would not sell it and would keep it for your private collection, and that was the end of it.”

"With Xingzhuo's painting skills, he can go back and paint another one to give to Yao Qingling, and that will be satisfactory."

Zhan Xingzhuo's body trembled slightly. He glanced at Prince Xin with mixed feelings, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just pursed his lips and held back.

"Xingzhuo, today we have fine wine and delicious food, so let's skip the boring stuff and sit down for a drink."

Zhan Xingzhuo sat down, but his fingers clenched tightly in his sleeve for a long time.

He simply couldn't believe that Prince Xin would have feelings for Yao Qingling.

Prince Xin knew very well that Zhan Xingzhuo must have figured out something about why he refused to return the portrait.

He didn't care if Zhan Xingzhuo saw through him.

Both are of royal blood, but he is a direct descendant of the royal family, while he is merely the son of the Grand Princess. In terms of prestige, he, the prince, is superior.

In his opinion, it's good that Zhan Xingzhuo knows, so he won't keep thinking about rekindling his old dream with Yao Qingling.

But how can Prince Xin win over Yao Qingling?

...

Zhan Xingzhuo returned to the new mansion in a daze.

He locked himself in his study for a long time.

When Zhou Zhining returned from Jin Mantang, she heard from the servants that the Second Master had locked himself in his study, so she brought him some ginseng tea and went to see him.

She knocked gently on the door, but there was no response. Zhou Zhining then pushed the door open and went inside.

But Zhan Xingzhuo was staring blankly out the window. On the table was a sheet of snow-white Huizhou Xuan paper, without a trace of ink. Beside him, the inkstone he had ground had already solidified.

Zhou Zhining glanced at the man, then gently placed the ginseng tea on the table with a soft thud.

Zhan Xingzhuo snapped out of his daze and looked at Zhou Zhining, a moment of confusion in his eyes. After a while, the light returned to his eyes: "It's you."

Zhou Zhining sat down on the armrest of the chair, gently placing her hands on his shoulders: "If it's not me, who would you like it to be?"

Zhan Xingzhuo pursed his lips.

Zhou Zhining looked at his profile; it was rare to see a smile on his face these days.

This reminded her of that night they spent together. If he hadn't been drunk, and if she hadn't used Yao Qingling's sachet, he wouldn't have touched her at all.

Even though they were entangled, the person he was thinking of was Yao Qingling.

As he sits here quietly, is he still thinking about Yao Qingling?

Zhou Zhining followed his gaze and looked out the window.

There's not much to see in the yard, just a few trees.

Could it be that these few flowering trees reminded him of the days he had with Yao Qingling?

Jealousy burned in Zhou Zhining's heart, and resentment flashed in her eyes as she thought of uprooting those trees.

What can she do to make Zhan Xingzhu hate Yao Qingling and stop thinking about her?

Suppressing her jealousy with all her might, Zhou Zhining smiled gently and picked up the ginseng tea: "You've lost a lot of weight recently. I specially brewed this ginseng tea for you. Please drink it."

Without waiting for the man to raise his hand to take it, she personally fed it to his lips.

Zhan Xingzhuo frowned as he smelled the strong ginseng aroma, tilted his head to one side, and raised his hand, saying, "I'll do it myself."

Zhou Zhining persisted, pouting, "Drink it! I'm already like this, and you're still not happy."

Zhan Xingzhuo didn't want to argue with her, so he had no choice but to drink it.

After finishing her tea, Zhou Zhining put the teacup aside. Looking at the snow-white Xuan paper in front of her, she asked him, "Do you want to paint?"

She smiled and said, "Speaking of which, the last time you painted was at Prince Chen's residence. You've rarely painted in recent years."

She added a few drops of water to the inkstone, picked up the ink block to grind it, and said sweetly, "This servant is here to add fragrance to your life, my lord, and only asks that you enjoy your calligraphy and painting. Even if the trees here are bare, spring is just around the corner."

Zhan Xingzhuo turned his head to look at Zhou Zhining's charming smile, while the image of Yao Qingling's heroic yet cunning eyes floated into his mind.

She would never say such delicate and flowery words.

I never advised him on what to draw or write.

She would only ask him directly, "What do you want to draw?"

And all they ever say is, "That's really well drawn."

There were no detailed comments from other literati and artists, explaining what made the painting beautiful or what its artistic conception was; they simply looked at the painting and said they liked it.

Back then, he thought she lacked refinement and was vulgar. Now, if she said a few more words like that, what would he think?

Is it because you like her crude and direct style?

Seeing him holding the brush and staring at her blankly, Zhou Zhining smiled. She gently tapped the ink stick on the inkstone a few times, set it aside, and then grasped the man's large hand: "Brother Xingzhuo, do you remember when we were in the academy, we also shared a brush and painted a picture of snow?"

That was a long time ago.

At that time, they were all young. At the residence of Grand Tutor Zhou, Zhou Zhining was learning to paint. It was freezing cold, and she was afraid of the cold. Her hands were trembling from the cold, and she was crying as she painted. After Zhan Xingzhuo came, he wrapped his warm hands around her and asked her to draw the snow scene in front of her stroke by stroke.

Zhou Zhining deliberately stirred up his past memories, but when Zhan Xingzhuo recalled them, his heart was no longer stirred.

But he didn't show it, and said calmly, "I remember."

After that, he didn't say anything more, seemingly engrossed in drawing the few withered trees outside the window that hadn't yet sprouted any buds.

After the painting was finished, the two admired the artwork together.

They were all skilled painters, and upon looking at the painting, they could tell that it had neither artistic conception nor emotion; it was just a picture drawn with ink on paper.

Barren and desolate.

But no one pointed it out.

Zhou Zhining smiled and insisted on praising the painting. She picked up her brush and added a few more dots to the tree branch, saying, "Looking at it this way, doesn't it seem like spring is coming?"

"Hmm." Zhan Xingzhu nodded, offering a perfunctory reply, "It looks better this way."

The two exchanged a glance, seemingly showing affection, both intentionally conveyed through their eyes.

"Oh dear, my hands are dirty. Brother Xingzhuo, can you help me wash them?"

Zhou Zhining kept calling him "Brother Xingzhuo," each time trying to salvage and rebuild their relationship.

Zhan Xingzhuo ordered water, and soon a servant brought in hot water.

Four hands were immersed in the water at the same time, intertwined. Zhou Zhining looked at him affectionately, but the man just carefully rubbed the ink off her fingers.

“Brother Xingzhuo…”

Zhou Zhining had just opened her mouth when Zhan Xingzhuo spoke almost simultaneously: "Is dinner ready?"

The question was directed at the servants.

Zhou Zhining's smile froze on her face as she looked at the maidservant standing guard to the side.

The maid was quick-witted and immediately sensed that something was wrong between the two. She quickly said, "It's all ready."

She glanced at Zhou Zhining: "Miss personally stewed a dish for Second Master, which has been simmering for several hours."

Zhou Zhining smiled and looked at Zhan Xingzhuo, saying, "I learned another dish from the chef at Xiangyuan. You must try it later."

After dinner, Zhan Xingzhuo returned to his study. Zhou Zhining waited for him in the bedroom for a long time, but he did not come back.

They now sleep together, but he no longer feels any passion for her.

Zhou Zhining tossed and turned, and had no choice but to get up and go to the study to find him.

Zhan Xingzhuo was holding a miscellaneous travelogue, and had already read half of it.

"Brother Xingzhuo, it's late, you should go to sleep. You have to attend the morning court session tomorrow."

Zhou Zhining glanced at the book and memorized the title.

In her memory, Zhan Xingzhuo did not like reading this kind of book.

Filled with doubt, she took Zhan Xingzhuo's hand and returned to the bedroom.

Help him undress.

The two lay down together, and she turned to her side, wanting to say a few words to him, but saw that the man had already closed his eyes.