"Ye Qingzhou?" Shen Jintang frowned slightly, subconsciously looking around to make sure no palace servants were paying attention before lowering her voice and saying, "Why are you climbing over the wall again? This is the Forbidden City."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Ye Qingzhou patted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth: "I was just in a hurry to see Miss Chen, going through the main gate was too much trouble."

Shen Jintang shook her head helplessly, already somewhat understanding Ye Qingzhou's intentions. She asked, "Speak, what is it about this time? Did Gu Zhixing send you?"

"That's right!" Ye Qingzhou took out an indigo brocade pouch from his bosom and handed it over like a treasure. "The boss specially instructed me to send this over, saying that he was afraid you wouldn't be used to living in the palace."

The brocade pouch is embroidered with delicate cloud patterns in silver thread, with fine and neat stitches.

When Shen Jintang took it, she smelled a faint medicinal fragrance mixed with a hint of ink.

It looks like a medicine bag.

"What were his exact words?"

Shen Jintang asked softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the patterns on the brocade pouch.

Ye Qingzhou cleared her throat, put on a stern face, and imitated Gu Zhixing's tone: "'Shen Jintang is unfamiliar with the palace, so she probably won't eat properly again.' Oh, right, the eldest also said, 'She's easily startled at night, so she should take these calming herbs before bed.'"

After saying that, he resumed his playful grin, "Tsk tsk, when has the boss ever been so long-winded?"

Shen Jintang's expression didn't change much; he simply lowered his head and opened the brocade pouch.

Inside were several packets of medicinal herbs wrapped in mulberry paper, each with its purpose written on it in neat small characters.

The handwriting was strong and upright, yet it also revealed a touch of gentleness, which was very different from Gu Zhixing's personality.

"Thank him for me..."

Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible as she carefully tucked the brocade pouch into her sleeve.

Seeing that she accepted it, Ye Qingzhou turned to leave, saying, "Then I'll go first—"

"etc."

Shen Jintang suddenly called out to him, her voice tinged with hesitation.

Ye Qingzhou turned around, raising an eyebrow: "Does Miss Chen have any further instructions? Should I pass on a message to the boss?"

He blinked and said with a mischievous smile, "Last time I just passed on a message saying 'I know,' and the boss was so happy that he stayed up half the night in his study, grinning like an idiot."

Shen Jintang did not respond to his words.

She gazed at a crabapple tree in full bloom in the distance, and after a moment of silence, she spoke: "Ye Qingzhou, I have a question for you."

She paused, then asked, "Does Gu Zhixing... have he always had someone on his mind?"

Ye Qingzhou's smile froze on his face instantly.

His eyes darted around, his fingers unconsciously twisting his sash: "This... why did Miss Shen suddenly ask this..."

Shen Jintang turned her head, her clear eyes looking directly at him: "You know, don't you?"

"I...I'm not really sure either..." Ye Qingzhou scratched the back of his head and stammered, "I just heard the elders in the manor mention that when the eldest son was young, he did...um...have that kind of thing..."

A spring breeze swept by, blowing down a few petals that gently landed on Shen Jintang's shoulder.

She stood quietly, like a delicate white jade statue, only her slightly trembling eyelashes betraying the turmoil in her heart.

"Tell me in more detail." Her voice was unusually calm.

Ye Qingzhou swallowed hard and forced a smile, saying, "I heard that the eldest brother met her when he was seven or eight years old. She was from an official's family. That girl had a very fiery temper; she pushed the eldest brother into the lake the first time they met..."

At this point, he couldn't help but chuckle, but quickly composed himself under Shen Jintang's gaze. "Later, for some reason, the eldest brother took a liking to her. Hearing that her family had moved away from the capital, he went to find them, only to be beaten up by the girl. He wanted to stay there, but was caught and brought back by the people sent by Her Highness the Princess."

"After he came back, he made a scene for a long time, refusing to eat or drink, and refusing to give anyone a kind look. Later, it was Princess Eldest who was afraid that something might happen to him, so she sent someone to paint a portrait of that girl. Only then did the eldest son slowly calm down. After that, he had someone secretly paint a portrait of her and bring it back every year. I don't know how many portraits there are now."

A petal drifted into Shen Jintang's palm, which she gently clenched: "Does he... still keep those portraits?"

“That’s right!” Ye Qingzhou didn’t notice the change in her expression and said to himself, “He’s hidden in the South Study and no one is allowed in. If you ask me, the eldest brother’s painting skills are so good, it’s all because of all those years of copying those portraits.”

Shen Jintang suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, as if someone had stuffed a wad of cotton inside.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady: "Where...is that girl now?"

"I don't know about that," Ye Qingzhou scratched his head. "Anyway, we moved away from Kyoto when I was young. But—"

He suddenly realized something and quickly added, "That's all in the past! Right now, the boss's heart is definitely with you, Miss Shen! Look at all the things he's done for you, even I, who's been with him for over ten years, haven't received this kind of treatment..."

Shen Jintang forced a smile: "Where exactly is the Southern Study located?"

Having lived in the Princess's residence for so long, she hadn't really explored it properly and wasn't very familiar with its layout.

"It seems to be behind the Treasure Pavilion in the south..." Ye Qingzhou suddenly became alert halfway through her sentence, "Miss Chen wouldn't be thinking of..."

"It was just a casual question," Shen Jintang interrupted him, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Ye Qingzhou stamped her feet anxiously. "Miss Chen, please don't tell the boss that I told you! If he finds out I've been a blabbermouth, he'll skin me alive!"

Shen Jintang glanced back at him and said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't tell."

She turned and left, her steps much faster than when she arrived.

The spring breeze lifted the hem of her skirt, making her look like a blooming white magnolia.

Ye Qingzhou stood there, slapping his forehead in frustration: "Oh no, oh no, I've really messed up... The boss is definitely going to kill me..."

Shen Jintang walked around the corner and finally stopped.

She leaned against the vermilion palace wall and took out the indigo brocade pouch from her sleeve.

The aroma of the medicine was still there, but suddenly it felt somewhat pungent.

She remembered the focused look in Gu Zhixing's eyes every time he looked at her, all the things he had done for her, and the tenderness he always revealed unintentionally...

She couldn't tell whether it was because of her own personality or because she and her sweetheart looked somewhat alike.

A drop of water fell onto the brocade pouch, and Shen Jintang realized that her eyes had become moist without her noticing.

She quickly wiped away her tears and carefully put the brocade pouch away again.

No matter what, she had to see those portraits with her own eyes, to see what the person Gu Zhixing couldn't forget really looked like.

Thinking this, Shen Jintang walked towards the outside of the palace.