Chapter 71 Borrowing an Umbrella
He knew that the young lady from the Xiao family was beautiful, but he always politely glanced at her and then looked away.
Never before have I been able to observe the other person's appearance so closely from the shadows.
Her skin was naturally radiant, not the pale white of someone who had been hidden away and unknown to the world, but a warm white with a healthy glow. She had a full and delicate forehead, dark eyebrows and bright eyes, a straight nose, and naturally red lips.
Her dark hair at her temples was like clouds, which made her chin look even more delicate and her neck long. The skin hidden under her jacket seemed to have a pinkish glow. He closed his eyes tightly.
Qi Jun, what are you doing?!
He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.
To him, Miss Xiao was just a child whom his aunt, the Princess, particularly favored. She was also pitiful in background and not as well off as other noble ladies, so he took care of her as much as he could.
How could he be so presumptuous as to stare at people like that?
but--
He had just heard his subordinates report that they seemed to have seen Qi Huan and Qi You together. Given Qi Huan's bullying nature, he was really worried that Qi You would be bullied again, so he rushed here, only to find that he only saw the Xiao family's daughter talking to Qi You.
Xiao Yuxuan was the only girl who was neither afraid of nor disgusted by Qi You.
Normally, most of the girls would avoid Qi You, and they didn't have a good opinion of this foolish prince, whether openly or secretly.
The few who were relatively kind at best simply pretended not to see him and didn't really treat Qi You as a proper prince.
"Sister, what is boredom? Can you eat it?"
Qi You, with a finger in his mouth, tilted his head and looked at her with a smile.
"Your Highness, it's about to rain. If you get wet, you might fall ill and have to drink very bitter medicine. Is that alright?"
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Qi You, who had initially insisted on not leaving, began to waver.
"Bitter medicine...don't drink bitter medicine!"
He yelled and ran wildly out of the paulownia grove, leaving Xiao Yuxuan stunned.
What kind of person is the Seventh Prince?
"Girl, let's hurry back, the sky is getting increasingly gloomy."
Qin Yuan glanced at the sky and gave a reminder.
They didn't bring umbrellas when they came out. If they got wet, they would have to wash and change their clothes, which might delay the palace banquet.
"Okay, let's go."
Xiao Yuxuan withdrew her gaze and, supported by Qin Yuan, walked out of the woods.
Unexpectedly, before we even stepped outside, the rain began to fall heavily.
The air was instantly filled with the mist of rain, and the scent of damp earth filled the air. The master and servant walked quickly for a while.
But the fine raindrops mixed with the fallen paulownia blossoms pelted down, and Qin Yuan alone could hardly protect Xiao Yuxuan.
“Miss, this won’t do. There’s a pavilion over there. Please go and take shelter from the rain for a while. I’ll go get an umbrella.”
"good."
Under the umbrella not far away, Qi Jun looked intently at the little girl sitting in the pavilion, rubbing her fingers together.
She must have gotten a little wet from the rain. The pavilion was empty on all sides, and now the wind was starting to blow. If she sat there for too long, she might catch a cold.
"Her maid might be able to borrow an umbrella sometime soon, so please send mine to her first."
Sun Miao was greatly surprised, and then his face showed reluctance:
"Your Highness, if we lend out the umbrella, won't you have to go back in the rain? You are of noble birth..."
Qi Jun glanced at him but didn't say anything, his meaning was clear.
Sun Miao looked at the oil-paper umbrella in his hand, then glanced at the Crown Prince with difficulty, and finally agreed, holding the umbrella as he walked into the pavilion.
"Wait, don't say that I asked you to deliver it. Just say that you gave it to her when you were passing by."
Qi Jun was worried that Miss Xiao didn't like receiving favors, so he added another word of advice.
Sun Miao readily agreed, but he had some doubts in his heart.
The Crown Prince is being far too kind to this Miss Xiao; he treats the princesses much better.
However, the Crown Prince has always been kind and benevolent. As a man and the heir apparent, it is only natural that he would take care of a young girl at this time.
Xiao Yuxuan immediately noticed someone approaching.
Seeing that the man was dressed in the robes of a high-ranking eunuch, and that his face looked somewhat familiar, she racked her brains but couldn't recall where she had seen this eunuch before.
Sun Miao stopped at the foot of the pavilion steps, closed his umbrella, stood by a pillar, and bowed, saying:
“Miss, this pavilion has no shelter on any side. It is not safe to stay here for long when it rains. I just happened to be passing by. I will lend you this umbrella for now. Please go inside quickly so you don’t catch a cold.”
The other party's tone was humble and warm, but Xiao Yuxuan knew that she was dressed like an ordinary noblewoman and had no items that could indicate her status. How could she be worthy of such respect from this person who seemed to be a steward?
She stood up and said:
"Thank you very much, sir. May I ask where you work? I will send my maid to return the favor and express my gratitude later."
Sun Miao smiled, avoiding the question:
"You're too kind, young lady. I am but a lowly servant and do not deserve such kindness from you. There is no need to return this item. I will take my leave now."
After he finished speaking, he took two steps back, turned around and disappeared into the torrential rain. His figure quickly vanished from sight.
Xiao Yuxuan stepped forward and picked up the umbrella. The umbrella was heavy, with wide ribs that were finely polished without a single burr or protrusion. The tung oil on the surface of the umbrella was even and delicate, making it of excellent quality.
Xiao Yuxuan didn't believe it was the father-in-law's own umbrella.
The palace was strictly hierarchical, and such fine umbrellas could only be used by nobles and masters.
So it was sent on his master's orders? But who is his master?
She tried to recall everyone she had met since her rebirth, but the clues were like loose threads; just as she was about to unravel them, they suddenly vanished.
Well, the most important thing right now is to get back. She struggled to hold up the umbrella with both hands and stepped into the rain outside the pavilion.
Paulownia petals occasionally drifted onto the umbrella and then fell down with the rain, splashing onto the hem of her skirt, but even so, her skirt didn't get very wet.
Thanks to this big umbrella.
Qi Jun waited until Xiao Yuxuan had completely left the paulownia grove before slowly walking in the opposite direction.
"Investigate what Qi Huan was doing over there just now."
He believed that his subordinates' report was not unfounded, but he only saw Qi You and Xiao Yuxuan. Where was Qi Huan? And why did he leave?
Why was Xiao Yuxuan there? Did she, like her adopted sister, fall in love with her fourth brother?
He was inexplicably irritable, probably because the southwestern border was unstable recently and he had been too busy with state affairs and hadn't had enough rest.
The rain came quickly and went quickly.
Just as Xiao Yuxuan stepped under the eaves of the side hall, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.
Qin Yuan, who was late in arriving, was indeed stopped by someone who was an old acquaintance—Princess Wen Yue.
"Aunt, why are you lending a maid to that Xiao Yuxuan? Does the Xiao family need one more servant?"
After Qi Wenyue finished speaking, she quickly took the princess's hand and swayed it back and forth, her tone coquettish:
"I don't care, I like this maid, so please give her to me!"
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