Chapter 253 Grievance
The boy's voice was hoarse and low, as if he had expected to be rejected. Towards the end, his voice became weak and almost disappeared.
Qi Yuxuan looked at the brocade box in his palm but didn't touch it.
"No need. The Xiao family has already sent a gift. If Young Master Xiao insists on giving it, please give it to the gatekeeper of my residence so that it can be registered."
Xiao Jin's fingers tightened, his thin fingers gathering on the brocade box. He asked with difficulty, "Yu Xuan, must we, brother and sister, be so distant?"
“I admit that I misunderstood you before because of Xiao Yuyao. It was Third Brother’s fault… But now that people are dead, right and wrong are gone. Yuxuan, we are family.”
"Blood is thicker than water, how can you bear to do this?"
Qi Yuxuan looked up at his restrained yet guilty expression. A clear, watery light shimmered in the boy's eyes. She continued, "..."
"I have accepted your apology now, but I will still receive another apology next time."
"So that's it. From now on, when you have to choose between two options, you don't need to choose me."
After the carriage left, Xiao Jin looked at the brocade box she was clutching tightly in her hand, which she hadn't yet given away. Not paying attention to the ground, she tripped and fell hard.
His elbow scraped against the bluestone steps, but the brocade box was held high, and its contents remained completely undamaged.
Inside was the little ocarina that his younger sister had taken a liking to when they first went shopping together.
The ocarina was exquisite and quite charming, but for a noblewoman to play such a small instrument was too unrefined. He disapproved, saying:
"A young lady shouldn't play these things that are beneath her dignity. It's one thing for you to have lived in the marketplace before, but from now on you're a daughter of the Xiao family, and if you're going to learn anything, you should learn stringed instruments. Look at your fourth sister, her zither playing is unparalleled in the capital. You haven't been learning since you were little, so you've already fallen behind. You need to settle down even more in the future..."
He clearly saw the girl's disappointed eyes, clearly knew she was heartbroken, clearly knew how hurtful his words were, but why was he unmoved? Why did he turn around and show Xiao Yuyao the perfumes and lipsticks she liked? Why didn't he say a single word to make amends?
It wasn't until six months later that he realized his sister's likes and dislikes were far more important than worldly prejudices.
But when he saw his sister again, he could only bow respectfully and address her as Princess Chang Le.
This ocarina was made by him after visiting several artisans, and he ruined more than a dozen of them before finally obtaining this one unique one, which is just right to be given to his sister.
I thought I could gradually untangle my knot in my heart, but instead, all I got in return was, "When you have to choose between the two, you don't have to choose me."
Xiao Jin slowly got up from the ground, not even glancing at the bloodstains on her elbow.
He was just about to feel relieved that he hadn't dropped the brocade box when he opened it and found that the white ocarina, about the size of a baby's fist, had been broken in two.
The cracks were jagged and sharp, and fine, dense porcelain shards were scattered throughout the brocade box. The once round and delicate ocarina was now nothing but a mess that could never be pieced back together.
That's enough—
The girl's cold voice still echoed in his ears. Holding the shattered ocarina, Xiao Jin felt a pain in his heart that was worse than the shards of ceramic cutting his hand.
It's unclear when exactly, but the Crown Prince seems to have resumed his old routine, before Qi Yuxuan even left the Princess's residence.
Occasionally, just like long ago, he would bring the princess's favorite snacks and, like any well-behaved and sensible junior, accompany his aunt to play chess and chat, staying for an entire afternoon.
When he occasionally ran into Qi Yuxuan, he was cautious, polite, restrained, and distant, just like before.
Qi Yuxuan originally thought she should be happy.
The crown prince finally understood and stopped thinking about marrying her, which is a good thing.
But when they met again in the garden of the Princess's residence, Qi Yuxuan simply couldn't convince herself that it was a coincidence.
“Cousin Crown Prince, it seems that the affairs of state have become much easier recently, which is why you have time to visit Mother more often.”
This was the first time in so long that she had taken the initiative to speak to the Crown Prince.
Qi Jun smiled politely: "Yes, the newly appointed scholars have all been granted official positions, so there are far fewer memorials to be sent to the Crown Prince, which naturally frees up some time."
Qi Yuxuan then remembered this matter and nodded knowingly, realizing that she had been overthinking it.
"Then take your time, cousin. I'll go first..."
She slightly bent her knees and calmly began to leave, but the Crown Prince's voice was even faster than hers:
"What have you been busy with lately? Minying said you haven't agreed to go to the palace to play with her for a long time." After saying that, Qi Jun tactfully stepped aside: "I was just asking casually, don't be nervous, you can go ahead and do what you need to do."
The Crown Prince was so courteous that Qi Yuxuan couldn't very well turn around and leave without showing any respect, but she also couldn't say that she was afraid to go to the palace and didn't know how to face the Crown Prince...
She said softly, "Thanks to my mother's high regard, I have been learning how to manage the household affairs and also organizing the family's property, accounts, and storerooms. As a result, I have had much less time to play around."
Qi Jun stared intently at the top of her slightly drooping, jet-black hair:
"Indeed, now that you've come of age, your aunt must be considering your marriage. As the future mistress of a household, you need to familiarize yourself with these things in advance."
"I heard that not long ago, Pei Yan, the top scholar of this imperial examination, asked Lady Yu to propose marriage to him?"
This was the first time Qi Yuxuan had discussed marriage with a man who was nominally her cousin but had no blood relation to her—and he was a man she had rejected before.
She felt her cheeks burning, not from shyness, but from embarrassment.
Why is my cousin asking this?
The girl's slightly flushed cheeks and resistant tone, when seen and heard by Qi Jun, turned into anger and embarrassment.
So Pei Yan is the kind of man she likes, and she doesn't object to marrying a man like that, right?
Or perhaps, if it weren't for him, she would be no different from other girls her age when it came to propose marriage, remaining shy and timid, only treating him coldly and sternly refusing him.
"So, did Aunt agree?"
"No, my mother said I'm still young and there's no rush to get married. Please stop asking, cousin!"
Only after she finished speaking did she belatedly realize that her tone had been somewhat harsh.
Qi Jun pursed his lips. "But I'm your cousin. It's perfectly normal for me to care about my sister's marriage."
He's right. Whether it's out of concern for the eldest princess or love for his younger sister, there's nothing wrong with his questions.
But... after all, she had personally rejected the Crown Prince, and now he was showing concern for her marriage as an elder brother, which gave her a strange feeling that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Qi Yuxuan looked up and saw that the Crown Prince's long eyelashes had drooped, casting a faint shadow under his eyes. He seemed somewhat aggrieved. The Crown Prince had never shown this side of himself before. She quickly said:
"I'm a little embarrassed. My cousin suddenly asked these questions, and I didn't know how to answer them..."
The prince's lips still held a hint of sadness: "It's alright. I was impolite in the past, so it's understandable that you still harbor resentment towards me."
Qi Yuxuan said weakly, "I didn't..."
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