Chapter 225 Offense
The maids were all preoccupied, having tossed and turned all night, and now they all had dark circles under their eyes. Bihui's tone was tinged with resentment:
"Princess, don't you remember what happened yesterday?"
"Yesterday..."
Memories, like a tidal wave, slowly awaken as the owner washes up.
She remembered that yesterday was her birthday and her coming-of-age ceremony. Many guests came, and the Crown Prince was also sent by the Emperor and Empress to add to the ceremony... Wait, the Crown Prince?
Thinking of the Crown Prince brings back all sorts of memories.
She threw the jade hairpin in her hand onto the dressing table as if it were burning her, and covered her face in despair.
How could she be so rude and offend the Crown Prince?!
And what she said...
Yesterday, she whispered to the Crown Prince, telling him everything about her rebirth without missing a single word.
This includes resentment towards Xie Tingzhou for being unromantic after marriage and not preparing a birthday gift for her, as well as her difficult mother-in-law and sister-in-law who squander money...
What did she say in the end?
She said...
"Don't worry, Cousin Crown Prince, with me here, no one can hurt you!"
Every word spoken yesterday was still vivid in her mind, and Qi Yuxuan wished she could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it!
"The princess hasn't gotten up yet?"
Before she could feel ashamed, remorseful, and utterly humiliated, the voice of the eldest princess suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard.
"The sun is already high in the sky. Today is the Little New Year, and there's a palace banquet tonight. Don't be late..."
As she spoke, the princess entered her daughter's bedroom.
Upon entering, I saw a delicate, rosy face in front of the dressing table, which aroused my curiosity.
She took two steps closer and touched Qi Yuxuan's forehead.
"What's wrong? Why is your face so red? Did you catch a cold yesterday and get a fever? Meng Xian, quickly go and get my token to go to the palace and ask the imperial physician to take a look..."
Qi Yuxuan hurriedly explained, "No need, Mother! I don't have a fever, I'm perfectly fine!"
"So what happened to your face?"
The princess held the increasingly adorable little face in her hands, examining it from left to right. Could it be that the rouge was too heavy? She gently rubbed her daughter's soft cheeks with her fingers, but they were dry and clean, so it wasn't due to rouge.
"I just woke up. I was sleeping too hot and haven't recovered yet. I'll be fine in a bit."
Her cheeks were being kneaded, and her voice changed slightly.
Several maids watched this scene with trepidation, their hearts pounding in their throats. They were all worried that if the princess asked, they might have let something slip.
"Alright, hurry up and get dressed so we can have some snacks. Look at the time! You haven't had breakfast or lunch, you must be starving!"
Hearing the princess say this, Qi Yuxuan suddenly realized that her stomach was empty, so she could only obediently nod and say, "Mm."
Today is the Little New Year, and His Majesty and Empress are hosting a banquet for their relatives and the families of officials of the fifth rank and above.
Thinking that men and women were seated separately, Qi Yuxuan believed that the Crown Prince might not notice her and might take yesterday's conversation as her drunken ramblings, not taking it seriously. With this wishful thinking in mind, Qi Yuxuan mustered up her courage.
However, when the Crown Prince stopped her in the street, she couldn't help but panic.
Today, the other party was dressed in a black prince's robe with gold dragon patterns, and a black fox fur cloak. The dense fur fluttered wildly with his steps, but his handsome face had an unusual coldness about it.
“Cousin Crown Prince, Yu Xuan offended you yesterday with her inappropriate words and actions, and said so many strange things. Please forgive her for her petty offense…”
She preemptively apologized, her gaze open and honest. If Qi Jun hadn't investigated Xie Tingzhou, whom she mentioned, overnight, he probably would have believed her.
He looked at the little girl's hair adorned with ornate jewels and asked another question softly:
Why aren't you wearing the jade hairpin I gave you?
The Crown Prince's topic shifted so abruptly that Qi Yuxuan subconsciously touched the top of her head.
She told a little lie, feeling a bit guilty:
“My cousin’s gift is too precious. I’m afraid that with so many people at the palace banquet today, it would be bad if I lost it if I wore it out. So I asked someone to keep it safe.”
Qi Jun remained noncommittal: "Is that so?"
"Do you prefer the wooden hairpin Xie Tingzhou gave you, or the jade hairpin I gave you?"
With a "boom," Qi Yuxuan's last bit of hope suddenly collapsed. She felt a darkness before her eyes, the world spinning around her, and she almost lost her footing.
She heard her own trembling voice:
"Your Highness... I was just making things up yesterday, it didn't happen at all..."
Qi Jun: "Cousin, don't try to change the subject."
Qi Yuxuan looked up in disbelief. She had revealed all her secrets and apologized for her drunken offense. Why was the Crown Prince still being so aggressive?
Besides, what cousin? They weren't close cousins at all. She already addressed him respectfully as His Highness the Crown Prince, so why would he call her "cousin" for the first time? It might cause misunderstandings if someone overheard.
"I am afraid I do not wish to answer Your Highness's question, nor do I know how to answer it."
The little girl stuck her neck out, looking like she'd given up on everything, which made Qi Jun's lips twitch.
"Fine, if you don't want to answer, I won't force you. It's just that the jar of fine wine that I buried myself was stolen and ruined by someone who doesn't even like wine. I wonder if the culprit feels any remorse and wants to make amends for the mistake he made."
A blush crept onto Qi Yuxuan's face.
How could she forget that? Minying said the Crown Prince had buried some exquisite wine in the Eastern Palace, and she coaxed her into secretly digging it up together. They even said that after they drank it quietly, they would put another jar of wine in it so that no one would find out...
Her flushed face puffed out as she managed to nimbly grab a corner of the other person's cloak:
"Cousin, I was wrong. I shouldn't have secretly taken your wine, nor should I have drunk so much knowing I can't hold my liquor, and I shouldn't have acted crazy after drinking."
Qi Jun remained expressionless and pulled back his cloak.
His voice was calm, yet Qi Yuxuan somehow detected a hint of pleasure in it: "Well, as compensation, wear the hairpin I gave you at the New Year's Eve palace banquet the day after tomorrow."
Why must she wear that jade hairpin? Qi Yuxuan was puzzled, but as the two of them were talking by the railing, many noble ladies were already eager to come over and chat with them. She didn't want to stay any longer, so she could only nod haphazardly and say that she would definitely wear it the day after tomorrow.
Princess Chang Le finally left, and several noble ladies came forward in groups, holding wine cups, to toast the Crown Prince. Their beautiful faces were all smiles, a sight to behold.
However, the Crown Prince stood with his hands behind his back, refusing to accept any wine from anyone, and even taking a big step back when he sensed that they wanted to move forward.
"I am not a good drinker, so please make yourselves at home."
After saying that, he didn't even glance at them, and turned to walk into the hall.
"Oh dear, why isn't the Crown Prince drinking our wine? I clearly saw him chatting happily with Princess Chang Le just now, and I thought he was in a very good mood..."
"Yes, it's impossible that with so many of us girls, His Highness the Crown Prince wouldn't even look at one of us, right?"
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