The Crown Prince and Xu Lingyu could not stay for long; after lunch, they returned to the Forbidden City.

The atmosphere inside Shousong Hall was quiet. Beneath the calm expression of Old Madam Xu, her weathered eyes were brimming with tears. As she saw Li Shiyue enter, she hurriedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

He smiled and asked, "You're gone?"

Li Shiyue nodded, deliberately ignoring the reddened corners of Madam Xu's eyes: "They've left. My cousin personally saw His Highness and my cousin onto their carriages."

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Xu's expression became noticeably more forlorn, and she said in a low voice, "It's getting late, we should go."

Li Shiyue knew that she was reluctant to part with him, after all, they hadn't seen each other for a long time, and their brief time together was naturally very painful. She held Old Madam Xu's hands: "My cousin said that His Highness will accompany her back in the future, and told Grandmother to take good care of herself and wait for her."

"As you know, your cousin is most worried about you. She's extremely concerned about your legs and headaches. This time, she's had a lot of precious medicinal herbs brought over, and His Highness even said that if you need anything else, just let your cousin ask for them."

"His Highness loves my cousin dearly and treats us all very well."

Madam Xu's brows relaxed, and she finally showed a slight smile: "Why don't you go to the polo match that Yuan Niang is hosting? Yuan Niang said that she still has those riding clothes from before she got married. Go to your aunt's place and choose a set."

Even though Xu Lingyu was not married, she was still the eldest daughter of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, so her food, clothing and daily necessities were naturally the best. Although the styles were from a few years ago, they were still brand new when Yang had them brought out.

There was a set in lilac and another in silver-white, placed quietly in one place.

Yang pointed to the clothes and said, "I've had these two sets kept for you. Take a look and see which one you like. If you like them, take them both. If they don't fit, just get them altered. After the alterations, I'll tell the old woman to find an embroiderer to make you a new set tomorrow."

Li Shiyue smiled and said, "These are all good materials. My aunt has kept them as good as new. They're fine as they are. I'll take them back and alter them if they don't fit. I'll wear them out at the polo match. These are my cousin's clothes. I just hope that others won't notice that I don't look as good as my cousin."

Yang raised an eyebrow. Although it wasn't the first time she had spoken to Li Shiyue, this girl always managed to hit the nail on the head. Her words were sweet and pleasant to hear.

"By the way, Manager Wang has already been sent to your shop. Once the monthly accounts are delivered, feel free to ask me if you have any questions."

Li Shiyue sweetly agreed, and told Chunling behind her to take the clothes and go back. The main courtyard was to the north of Chengyu Pavilion. She had been staying at Bisha Pavilion in Shousong Hall for some time and hadn't been back to Chengyu Pavilion for several days.

Just then, Li Shiyue ran into Xu Yunci, who was coming out of Shousong Hall. Her eyes lit up, and she greeted him with a smile, "Cousin."

Xu Yunci naturally noticed her as well, his gaze falling on the two sets of clothes behind her, which looked somewhat familiar: "What are you doing here?"

“My cousin is holding a polo match in a few days, and I don’t have riding clothes. My aunt gave me my cousin’s old clothes from before she got married. If they don’t fit, I can still change them in the next few days.” Li Shiyue smiled faintly, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on Xu Yunci.

Xu Yunci was surprised: "You can ride a horse?"

Li Shiyue felt embarrassed by his gaze: "It's not that great. I haven't touched it for years. My grandmother taught me a thing or two."

"My cousin also said that she wants me to help her beat those people to a pulp. I just hope I won't hold her back."

Xu Yunci suppressed a smile, but Li Shiyue still caught it. Her head lowered even further, and her ears turned even redder. He coughed twice, his fists clenched in front of him: "It's alright. If you can't beat them, come find me."

Li Shiyue's eyes lit up: "Really? My cousin can play too?"

Xu Yunci nodded: "Really, and I win all the time."

He stood there confidently, hands behind his back, a slight smile playing on his lips. Li Shiyue was momentarily stunned, then quickly looked away, brushing aside a stray hair from the corner of her mouth, her eyes softening with a touch of shy tenderness.

Looking at his little cousin, Xu Yunci's eyes couldn't help but be filled with a smile, but he thought of what had just happened in the front yard.

remember--

The Crown Prince and Xu Yunci had been close friends since childhood. After bidding farewell to the Duke of Rong and his companions, the two went to a quiet place. The Crown Prince finally couldn't help but ask, "Lize, what are you really planning to do?"

Xu Yunci did not answer immediately. The Crown Prince, with his hands behind his back, sneered: "Chunhui is now infatuated with you, and Father no longer wants to turn a blind eye. Tell me what you really think, and I can help you with Father's sake."

“Chunhui is my only sister. Consort Fu has no sons, so it is only right that the Fu family is focusing their attention on you. After all, Consort Fu has only had one princess, Chunhui, for many years. The Fu family probably does not want any of their daughters to become my concubines and be unable to bear a husband.”

"I have no feelings for the princess, neither now nor in the future," Xu Yunci said calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial.

The Crown Prince frowned, clearly not satisfied with the answer: "You have no intention, but Chunhui's heart is only for you."

"That's the princess's business; I have no interest in it." Xu Yunci's expression was calm; there was no trace of interest on his face, nor could one find any flaw in his statement.

The Crown Prince sighed, "Chunhui's mind is only on you, which is troublesome."

Xu Yunci stopped in his tracks: "It is indeed troublesome."

The Crown Prince was taken aback, but then Xu Yunci recounted the events of entering the palace during the Lantern Festival: "I hope Your Highness will inform your sister that Yan Yan was fortunate enough to receive the Emperor's favor. Neither Yan Yan herself nor the Xu family has ever falsely claimed the Emperor's grace. As a princess and the Emperor's adopted daughter, she is indeed precious, but once Yan Yan enters the Xu family, she is a member of the Xu family."

"Your Highness, please keep your sister in check and stop interfering in the Xu family's affairs. Li Ze has no interest in the princess, not now, and not in the future. As her brother, Your Highness would not want to see your sister suffer like this."

After saying this, Xu Yunci solemnly bowed.

The Crown Prince was both amused and exasperated. It sounded as if he cared a lot about his half-sister, but in reality, the Emperor was pressing him for answers, and he was also curious about what Xu Yunci was thinking under the influence of alcohol.

End of recollection —

Xu Yunci's smile deepened, and her gaze softened: "When you stick close to Sixth Sister that day, there will be a lot of people. If anything happens, have your maid go find Qing Suo or Chang Xun Shun."

Li Shiyue raised her head, causing the hair ornaments on either side of her hair bun to tremble and the gold-threaded phoenix crown to sway slightly. Her almond-shaped eyes crinkled with laughter as she looked up at Xu Yunci, her lips curving sweetly: "That's feasible. If I lose, cousin, you must come to my rescue in time, or sixth cousin will laugh at me."