Snow Plum Garden (2)

As soon as he finished speaking, Changfeng appeared beside Xiao Chengyan like a wisp of smoke, said "Yes," and Gongsun Jingyao was so frightened that she moved closer to Xiao Chengyan.

Xiao Chengyan almost instinctively turned his body to the side in another direction.

The small gate of Xuemei Garden suddenly opened, and two figures, one in pink and one in white, appeared in front of the three.

The first to step in was Xie Yan, dressed in a striking yet elegant pink brocade robe with cloud patterns.

He held a jade flute in his hand, his black hair tied high with a golden crown, clearly meticulously styled. A flawless, gentle smile graced his face as his gaze swept over the three people in the garden. Especially when his eyes fell upon Xiao Chengyan's icy, handsome face, a hint of surprise was subtly added to his smile.

Standing beside him, Gu Jinghong seemed to be intentionally hiding behind his flamboyant figure. She wore a simple, moon-white dress with a plain white fox fur coat over it. Her hair was adorned with only a single, inconspicuous thorn hairpin. Her dark hair was loosely tied up, with a few strands falling beside her cheeks. When the wind blew, her black hair fluttered and drew a few lively arcs in front of her serene profile.

At that moment, her simple attire did not conceal her brilliance; on the contrary, the red mole at the end of her eyebrow made her appear like a fleeting glimpse of a beautiful woman, inadvertently revealing a dazzling and elegant beauty.

Gongsun Jinyao had never seen such a beautiful woman before, especially during her rare meeting with Prince Jin at the Snow Plum Garden. She was immediately displeased and subconsciously looked at Xiao Chengyan, only to find that his gaze was fixed on Gu Jinghong...

Xie Yan stepped forward, glanced at Gu Jinghong briefly, then bowed gracefully, his face showing just the right amount of surprise.

"It turns out to be His Highness Prince Jin and Miss Gongsun. What a coincidence! I am here with my sister Jinghong, also here to admire the green calyxes in this garden... but I did not expect the royal garden to be so heavily guarded. Fortunately, His Highness has given us permission."

Gu Jinghong stepped forward as instructed and curtsied, saying, "This humble woman, Gu Jinghong, greets Your Highness Prince Jin and Miss Gongsun."

She kept her eyelashes lowered and her posture submissive, as if she were just an ordinary commoner.

Gongsun Jinyao's eyes flashed with displeasure and disdain, but she still maintained the demeanor befitting a lady from a prominent family.

She's just a lowly commoner with some looks; why should she, the legitimate daughter of a duke's mansion, be bothered by her?

Just then, Gongsun Jinyao felt another burning gaze fall upon her.

Upon closer inspection, it was Xie Yan.

A gentle smile played on his lips, his voice clear and bright, filled with undisguised admiration.

"I had long heard that Miss Gongsun was a pearl of the capital, and seeing her in the Snow Plum Garden today, I know the rumors are true. Your scarlet cloak against the backdrop of the snow and plum blossoms in the garden is truly... a beautiful sight. I thought from afar that some fairy was coming through the snow, but it turns out to be Miss Gongsun."

Gongsun Jinyao was immediately delighted.

She glanced at Xiao Chengyan subconsciously, then gave Xie Yan a reserved yet captivating smile, her voice even more gentle than before: "Young Master Xie also appreciates plum blossoms? This green-calyxed plum is truly rare; its petals are as clear as jade, and its fragrance is intoxicating..."

“Yes, plum blossoms may be less white than snow, but snow lacks the fragrance of plum blossoms. This green calyx plum blossom, with its subtle fragrance, adds a touch of aloof elegance, which is truly delightful.” Xie Yan replied very naturally.

Even with her eyes closed, Gu Jinghong could vividly depict Xie Yan's expression at that moment.

To be fair, Xie Yan was born with exceptionally handsome features, standing out among men. His skin was a pale white, as if it had never seen sunlight, his figure was tall and slender, and his features were strikingly defined.

Whenever he locks onto his "prey," he sheds his carefree and irreverent demeanor, adopting the refined and gentle demeanor of a noble young master, behaving with poise and grace, always smiling and cheerful. If one hadn't spent a long time with him and seen through the facade, nine and a half out of ten ordinary girls would probably have been bewitched by his alluring appearance.

He declared that he would win over the young lady of the Duke's mansion. Although the difference in their social status was like heaven and earth, Gu Jinghong had no doubt about Xie Yan's ability to deceive a naive young girl.

While chatting with Xie Yan, Gongsun Jingyao turned slightly towards him, as if she were seriously discussing matters of flowers, but out of the corner of her eye she was closely watching Xiao Chengyan's reaction.

However, Xiao Chengyan's gaze remained as still as a frozen lake, unmoved by Gongsun Jinyao's deliberate "closeness" to Xie Yan.

Xie Yan, as always, was witty and charming, leading Gongsun Jinyao toward a green calyx in full bloom. Before they knew it, the two of them were ahead of each other.

Xiao Chengyan's gaze darkened slightly. He didn't say a word, but slowed his pace. He and Gu Jinghong, who had been following Xie Yan with their heads down, walked side by side, only a shoulder's distance apart.

Gu Jinghong could clearly feel the omnipresent pressure and scrutiny emanating from Xiao Chengyan—given his intelligence, he must be questioning Gu Jinghong and Xie Yan's motives for appearing today.

When they arrived at a warm pavilion, Xiao Chengyan's voice suddenly rang out: "We've walked for a long time, let's rest in the pavilion for a while."

Charcoal braziers had already been prepared inside the pavilion.

The four entered, and the warmth dispelled the chill from their bodies. A maidservant stepped forward and served them steaming hot tea.

The pavilion was small, and the four of them took their seats according to etiquette. Xiao Chengyan sat in the main seat, with Gongsun Jinyao to his left and Xie Yan to his right, while Gu Jinghong sat quietly at the very end of the pavilion, closest to the entrance, facing King Jin.

From the moment she appeared, Xiao Chengyan's gaze seemed to be fixed on her. Occasionally, when she looked up, she would meet his eyes. Xiao Chengyan did not look away, but instead gave her a scrutinizing look, which made Gu Jinghong feel vaguely uneasy.

After a moment, Xie Yan coughed lightly, a perfectly measured hint of embarrassment on his face, and lowered his voice to say to Xiao Chengyan and Gongsun Jinyao, "Your Highness, Miss, please forgive my rudeness. I drank the tea a little too quickly just now, and I think my sleeves got wet. I need to fix them. Ah Hong, come with me and help me get my outer cloak."

Gu Jinghong glanced at Xie Yan, then gave a graceful curtsy to the two people in the pavilion before turning around and silently following him out of the warm pavilion.

After walking behind a clump of plum trees, Xie Yan suddenly turned around, his jade flute poised to strike Gu Jinghong's forehead, but she nimbly turned her head to dodge it.

Xie Yan's face darkened, and he lowered his voice: "Gu Jinghong, what exactly are you trying to do? You kept saying you were going to make connections for me and provide me with convenience, and I believed you. But what happened? It became a pretext for you to secretly meet with other people!"

Gu Jinghong's expression was as cold as frost: "It's inevitable that there will be occasional oversights in the transmission of information. So what if Prince Jin is here? With Minister Xie's demeanor, do you think he's afraid of being outshone by him?"

While the words sounded agreeable, the timing was completely wrong.

Xiao Chengyan suppressed his temper and managed a smile as he glanced at the person in the pavilion, but gritted his teeth and said, "I know my own unparalleled beauty; I don't need you to remind me. The real question is, what exactly do you want from luring me here?"

Gu Jinghong smiled at Xie Yan: "So you've gone this far? Didn't you discover the Prince was here early on, Senior Brother? You said you wanted to 'lure the snake out of its hole,' so you don't have your own plans?"

One sentence left Xie Yan speechless, unsure how to respond.

Then, he braced one arm on his waist and instantly drew out a jade flute, pointing it directly at Gu Jinghong's nose: "Come on! Explain yourself clearly, why did you go to such lengths to get close to King Jin? If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I will tell King Jin the true origin of our relationship."

“I admire King Jin.” Gu Jinghong’s voice was crisp and decisive, without hesitation.

Xie Yan's expression suddenly froze, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Admiration for King Jin? You can use that excuse to fob him off, but we've known each other for years, I know your true nature perfectly well. You are..."

“Your Highness Prince Jin is exceptionally handsome and wise. I admire him wholeheartedly. What’s wrong with that?” Gu Jinghong interrupted Xie Yan, but her tone was calm and even, as if she knew Xie Yan didn’t believe her, but also knew he couldn’t do anything about her.

Not far away in the warm pavilion, Xiao Chengyan's gaze passed through the sparse, slanting plum branches and landed on the two people vaguely facing each other behind the bushes. His sword-like eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly—sworn siblings? Ha.

A faint hint of sarcasm flickered across his lips. Without uttering a word, he picked up the celadon teacup on the table and slowly sipped it.

Before long, Gu Jinghong returned to the warm pavilion alone, bowed to the two men, and said, "Brother, go and wash your hands. I will be back in a moment."

Xiao Chengyan's eyes darkened slightly, clearly disbelieving this explanation. Just as he was about to ask, a maidservant standing outside the pavilion approached in quick steps and curtsied deeply to him: "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager is suddenly feeling unwell. Please come immediately..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengyan stood up, his cold gaze sweeping over Gu Jinghong and Gongsun Jinyao, who were the only two people remaining in the pavilion. Finally, his gaze lingered on Gu Jinghong's face for a moment before he said in a deep voice, "I will be right back."

After speaking, he turned and left with the maid.

Inside the warm pavilion, only Gu Jinghong and Gongsun Jinyao remained facing each other. The fragrance of plum blossoms wafted around them, yet a subtle silence settled over the pavilion.

The charcoal fire crackled and popped, filling the air with the aroma of tea.

Gongsun Jinyao, who had been all smiles just moments before, lost her smile like the tide the moment Xiao Chengyan and Xie Yan left.

She glanced quickly at Gu Jinghong, who was sitting quietly with her head down, out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that Gu Jinghong was still meek and submissive, like a lifeless jade sculpture, her last bit of concern vanished.

She's just a commoner girl who can't be brought up in public; I doubt she'd dare cause any trouble!

Yesterday, she overheard her father talking to his confidant in his study. The gist of it was that Xiao Chengyan was the most outstanding of all His Majesty's children, and also a huge problem standing in the way of the Fifth Prince, Xiao Chengming. It would be best if Xiao Chengyan could have some connection with the Duke's mansion; otherwise, such a person should be eliminated to prevent future trouble.

She has always admired Master Xiao. If she could bring him into her camp, it would mean that she might become the most noble woman in the world in the future... Moreover, he is so handsome that it makes people's hearts race.

With this in mind, Gongsun Jingyao decided to take action.

She picked up the teacup in front of her, which she had only taken a small sip from, and gracefully rose to her feet. Pretending to admire the plum blossoms outside the pavilion, she moved with light, lotus-like steps toward the spot where Xiao Chengyan had just been sitting.

The wide, crimson brocade sleeves brushed naturally over the steaming teacup in front of Xiao Chengyan—a faint, almost invisible powder fell silently into the tea and dissolved instantly.

Gu Jinghong's gaze instantly locked onto Gongsun Jinyao's slightly trembling sleeve, and then keenly caught the fleeting determination and panic in her eyes.

Just as Gongsun Jingyao thought she had succeeded, she suddenly felt a chill on her hand, and an irresistible force clamped down on her wrist! Gongsun Jingyao looked down in shock and saw that Gu Jinghong's cold, jade-like hand had firmly gripped her wrist like an iron hoop. The force was so great that Gongsun Jingyao's wrist bones ached, and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground on the thick carpet with a "clatter," splashing tea everywhere!

"ah!"

Gongsun Jinyao looked up in utter shock, only to meet Gu Jinghong's icy, piercing eyes.

“Miss Gongsun,” Gu Jinghong’s voice was extremely low, like a fine needle chilled to ice, clearly piercing Gongsun Jingyao’s ears, “who is the ‘Warmth Powder’ you’re hiding in your sleeve for?”