"Oh, right," he suddenly seemed to remember something, and took out a piece of fine white jade from his pocket, "This is a good thing I just got from the palace. I'll give it to you as a Lantern Festival gift. See if you like it?"
"I like it." Song Ting glanced at the jade pendant but did not take it.
Chu Huaixu smiled wryly and said, "You're just a liar."
Hearing Chu Huaixu say this, Song Ting forced a smile.
“You seem preoccupied; your smile doesn’t look genuine at all.” Chu Huaixu poked his dimples.
Song Ting had a very small, shallow dimple on one side of his face, which he had never noticed before. It was only once, when Huai Xu, quite surprised, gently poked his cheek with his finger and said:
"Little Qingxiang, you have a dimple here, so cute."
Song Ting blushed at his laughter and tried to stop him from poking her, but Chu Huaixu poked her even more enthusiastically, not only poking her dimples but also the other one, saying he would help her pok out the other one as well.
Ever since then, whenever Song Ting smiled, he would always poke her a few times.
"What's wrong, Xiao Qingxiang? Are you unhappy? Did someone bully you? Look, even your dimples are getting fainter, they're almost invisible..."
"I'm not unhappy," Song Ting denied.
But it wasn't just Chu Huaixu; Song Ting himself also knew how fake his smile was.
He was never meant to laugh.
How could someone who crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood laugh?
Besides, he's preoccupied with his own worries and can't possibly laugh.
As for his usual behavior, he didn't know how he could laugh. Perhaps he was happy whenever he saw Huaixu.
"You really are..." Chu Huaixu could see that he was really not interested, so he didn't force him. "Never mind, it seems that it's because you don't like my gift."
"It's okay if you don't like it. I'll find some nice things for you another day. There's bound to be something you like. Don't be angry this time, okay?"
Not wanting to spoil his mood, Song Ting nodded and emphasized, "But I'm really not angry. I will never be angry with you."
"I know." Chu Huaixu still stuffed the jade pendant into Song Ting's arms. "Keep this one too, I picked it out specially."
"Thank you, young master." Song Ting then put away the jade pendant and carefully hid it away.
Then he took out what he had prepared from his pocket and handed it to Chu Huaixu.
"You've prepared another gift for me! What is it this time?"
Song Ting would prepare gifts for Chu Huaixu on every important holiday. Sometimes it was a wooden bird she had carved herself, sometimes a bunch of dried wildflowers, and sometimes a performance by the Chunxi Opera Troupe...
They weren't particularly valuable, but Huai Xu liked them very much; he knew it was Song Ting's thoughtfulness.
As before, he took the jade hairpin and exclaimed with delight, "What a beautiful hairpin!"
As she spoke, she eagerly tucked the jade hairpin into her hair, raising her eyebrows and asking Song Ting, "Does it look good?"
Song Ting blinked slowly and said, "Beautiful."
He knew, of course, that his gift was nothing compared to those rare treasures, but he was happy as long as Chu Huaixu seemed to like it.
The smile on the boy's face easily dispelled the gloom that had been hanging over Song Ting's heart, allowing him to briefly forget those orders and those cruel realities, and he smiled along with them.
Chu Huaixu clearly really liked the hairpin. After asking Song Ting, he ran to the bronze mirror and kept looking at himself, turning his head left and right, trying to find different angles.
"By the way, have you eaten glutinous rice balls yet?" he suddenly asked after a while.
Song heard this and said, "I've already eaten. I ate with the housekeeper and the others."
"Ah..." Chu Huaixu's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. He walked over and pulled Song Ting to sit down. "It's all my fault for coming back too late. We agreed to eat glutinous rice balls together."
He looked at Song Ting, as if he suddenly understood something: "You're unhappy tonight, is it because I didn't come back for the Lantern Festival?"
After all, it was an agreement between the two of them, but he broke his promise, which was really wrong of him.
Song Ting wanted to say no again, but Chu Huaixu didn't give him the chance: "Don't say no. I'm not stupid. I can tell." With that, he grabbed Song Ting's wrist. "Come with me."
Where to?
"You'll find out when you come with me."
Before long, they arrived at the kitchen. Song Ting was somewhat puzzled, not expecting Chu Huaixu to bring him here.
Chu Huaixu noticed his gaze and winked at him: "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."
Because of the holiday, the cooks were able to take an early break, but Chef Wang was still busy preparing for tomorrow's breakfast.
"Young Master." Upon recognizing the visitor, Chef Wang hastily wiped himself down a few times and hurriedly came out to greet him with a deep bow.
Chu Huaixu had never stepped into the kitchen before, and his sudden arrival startled Chef Wang: "Young Master, is there anything you'd like to eat? You could have just asked someone to order it. Why did you come all the way here yourself..."
Chu Huaixu's eyes darted left and right, scanning the surroundings before asking, "Uncle Wang, are there any more Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls)?"
"Oh, young master, you're late. There was some left earlier, but just now, Miss Xing'er from the Princess's side arrived and took the rest to give to the beggars on the roadside."
The princess was kind-hearted and often helped beggars. Any surplus food or old clothes from the palace were always given to those in need. Today was the Lantern Festival, and also Huaixu's birthday, so naturally, even more food was given.
"Do you still have red bean paste?"
"Yes, your servant just prepared it, and is going to make pastries tomorrow..." said Chef Wang.
Where?
There were two stoves in the kitchen. Chef Wang pointed to the other one and said, "Over there, that one covered by a bamboo tray is it. What kind of snacks would you like, young master? I'll make them for you."
Chu Huaixu said while rolling up his sleeves, "No need, we'll do it ourselves. Uncle Wang, why don't you go and rest?"
Do it yourself?
What's coming?
Is this little darling planning to make the desserts herself?
Wouldn't that just blow up his place?
Chef Wang was terrified by his own guess.
"Young master, you are of noble birth, how could you do such a thing... If you wish to eat, this servant will make it for you..."
"No need, no need," Chu Huaixu dismissed the man, "Leave this to us, you can go and rest!"
He looked very energetic. After rolling up his sleeves a few more times, he started rolling up Song Ting's sleeves again.
The latter was also a little confused and asked him, "Young master, what's going on...?"
“We didn’t get to eat glutinous rice balls, so let’s make some together,” Chu Huaixu said matter-of-factly.
Song Ting: "..."
"What?" Chu Huaixu poked his furrowed brow. "You're not happy?"
"Of course not!" Song Ting quickly said, "It's just..."
"But what? Are you afraid I can't do it?"
Song Ting pursed her lips, seemingly agreeing.
Chu Huaixu glared at him angrily: "It's just making Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls), what's so difficult about that? Don't look down on me, your young master can do anything!"
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