Chapter Ninety-One: Feelings Arise
After the farce in the Imperial Study, Ayina and Huo Yunxing became sworn enemies.
Ayina was so angry that she smashed things in the palace while cursing.
"What carefree prince? He's clearly a scoundrel! This princess will never marry him!"
The maids cautiously gathered up the broken pieces, none of them daring to utter a word.
On the other side, Huo Yunxing was also busy, complaining to everyone he met.
"I have been traveling around for many years and I have never seen such a willful girl. To make her a princess? I would rather be a monk in a temple."
The two would start fighting after exchanging only a few words, causing a huge uproar throughout the palace.
That day, in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, Ayina was angrily tearing at the petals in her hand.
"Damn Huo Yunxing, damn Huo Lin, damn Daliang."
With each curse she uttered, she tore off a petal, and soon her feet were piled high with fallen petals.
Huo Yunxing saw the fiery red figure in the distance and unconsciously stopped in his tracks.
The setting sun gilded her with a golden edge, and even the tips of her hair danced with tiny sparkles of light.
He suddenly realized that when the princess was quiet, she really did resemble a goddess from the legends of the northern deserts.
"Is the princess taking her anger out on the flowers?" He deliberately made his footsteps heavy.
Ayina turned around abruptly, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on Huo Yunxing's handsome face.
Today, he was not dressed in fancy clothes; instead, his plain-colored long robe accentuated his refined and elegant demeanor, making him seem completely different from the纨绔王爷 (playboy prince) of the past.
"What's it to you?" Ayina threw the remaining flower stems on the ground. "I, the princess, can tear them if I want."
Huo Yunxing strolled over slowly, and as if possessed, picked up a perfectly intact flower and tucked it into her hair.
"Such beautiful flowers, it's such a waste to tear them."
He was stunned as soon as he said it; he had originally intended to act frivolous and flirtatious to disgust her.
But this is hardly the attitude of someone coming to argue.
Ayina was also stunned, and then slapped his hand away.
"Don't try that on me. Don't think that this will make me agree to marry you."
Huo Yunxing looked at her wary, animal-like eyes and suddenly found it amusing.
He took a step back and crossed his arms.
"I never said I wanted to marry you."
"You!" Ayina's chest heaved with anger. "Then what are you doing here?"
"I was just passing by when I saw a little stray cat ruining the flowers, so I came over to see what was going on."
Ayina narrowed her eyes and immediately drew the soft whip from her waist.
"You're asking for it."
Huo Yunxing was prepared; he dodged the whip by sidestepping and grabbed her wrist in the process.
"Princess, your enthusiasm might lead me to misunderstand."
Ayina struggled fiercely, but Huo Yunxing held her firmly, the two so close that they could smell each other's scent.
"Let go." Ayina's cheeks flushed slightly, but her voice unconsciously lowered a few decibels.
Huo Yunxing stared at Ayina's flushed cheeks and suddenly found the princess's angry expression rather endearing.
He released his grip and took a step back.
“If the princess is truly unwilling to marry, I can go and explain to the Emperor.”
Ayina was speechless for a moment, not expecting him to say that.
"You'd be that kind?"
Huo Yunxing shrugged, but a sincere smile played on his lips: "I understand the principle that forced relationships are never sweet."
He turned to leave after he finished speaking, but Ayina suddenly called out to him.
"etc."
Huo Yunxing turned around and raised an eyebrow at her.
Ayina bit her lip: "Who did you just call a stray cat?"
Huo Yunxing was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"I apologize, Princess, you are not a wildcat."
"Hmph, if you talk nonsense again next time, this princess won't let you off so easily."
Huo Yunxing looked at her proud little face, and his smile deepened.
"Yes, yes, I have remembered."
The atmosphere between the two subtly eased.
In the following days, Huo Yunxing stopped being so confrontational and instead gave in to her in every way.
When Ayina said she wanted to ride a horse, he personally went to the stables and picked out the gentlest steed.
Ayina complained that the food in Daliang was too bland, so he had someone buy roasted mutton with a northern flavor from outside the palace.
One evening, Ayina was taking a walk alone by the Imperial Lake when she suddenly heard a melodious flute sound.
Following the sound, one could see Huo Yunxing sitting in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, dressed in white, his flute playing a melodious tune.
She found herself drawn closer, hiding behind the artificial hill to eavesdrop, which reminded her of the grasslands of northern China and her family back home.
The song ended.
“Eavesdropping is not something a princess should do,” Huo Yunxing said with a smile.
Ayina was caught red-handed, so she simply walked out.
"Who's eavesdropping? I just happened to be passing by."
Huo Yunxing didn't expose him, but simply patted the stone bench next to him.
"Since you're here, why don't you have a seat?"
Ayina hesitated for a moment, but still sat down, deliberately keeping a distance from him.
"Can you play tunes from the northern deserts?" she couldn't help but ask.
Huo Yunxing played with the jade flute in his hand: "I spent some time on the northern border last year and learned it from the locals."
Ayina looked at him curiously: "What are you going to the northern desert for?"
"Traveling around, enjoying the scenery," Huo Yunxing laughed. "My greatest hobby is traveling everywhere, tasting all the delicacies in the world, and appreciating all the beautiful scenery."
Ayina pouted: "Idle and lazy."
Huo Yunxing didn't take it to heart: "Life is short, so we should enjoy it while we can."
He paused, then asked, "Has the princess been to Jiangnan?"
Ayina shook her head.
"Then I'll take you to see it sometime." Huo Yunxing's eyes gleamed. "Spring in Jiangnan is full of apricot blossoms, misty rain, and flowing streams. It's a completely different scene from the northern desert."
Ayina was so captivated by the scene he described that she forgot to refute it for a moment.
Ayina was surprised to find that this prince, whom she had once thought was carefree and irresponsible, was actually so knowledgeable when talking about the local customs and traditions.
The two chatted casually until dusk before Ayina left.
Huo Yunxing didn't move. He remained seated in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the patterns on the jade flute.
The rising stars were reflected on the lake, and when the evening breeze swept by, they shattered into a shimmering silver light.
He suddenly recalled the way Ayina's emerald eyes sparkled when she left, just like the stars in the lake at this moment.
This realization made his chest tighten, and something broke out from the depths of his heart, carrying an undeniable throbbing.
"Tsk."
Huo Yunxing gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of his mouth, but couldn't suppress the upward curve.
He has always lived a carefree life, and has never been attached to any girl.
But this princess from the northern desert barged in like a gust of wind, smashing and looting, disturbing his peace of mind.
The sound of a watchman's drum came from afar, and Huo Yunxing suddenly came back to his senses.
He straightened his sleeves and strode towards the Imperial Study.
The jade pendant at his waist jingled with each step, just like his joyful mood at that moment.
The imperial study was brightly lit by candlelight. Huo Lin was reviewing memorials when he heard a commotion outside. He looked up and saw Huo Yunxing bursting in.
"What brings you here at this hour, Imperial Uncle?"
Huo Yunxing did not perform the proper etiquette, but walked straight to the imperial desk and placed his hands on it.
"You win, brat."
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