Qingwu and Liuwan rose to greet him, bowing slightly: "Master Xiao."
Su Tiyue sat on the small stone stool. When she saw that it was him who came, she turned away indifferently and did not look at him.
Xiao Heye put one hand behind his back, took two steps forward, and said to her two maids, "You two go back first. I have something to say to your mistress."
Qingwu glanced at Xiao Heye curiously, then turned to look at Su Tiyue, thinking that the two had only been apart for half a day, could it be that Xiao Zhangyin was missing the Empress again?
Thinking this, Qingwu nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, and then pulled Liuwan to walk outside.
Liu Wan paused, then bent down towards Xiao Heye with the lantern in her hand and said softly, "Master Xiao, please leave this lantern for Your Highness. It's dark and the road is slippery. I'm afraid Your Highness might not be able to see clearly and fall."
Xiao Heye said, "No need. We'll take the Empress back after we finish speaking. Anyway... it's on the way."
His voice was cold and deep, and the aura surrounding him was imposing and chilling. When Liu Wan heard him say this, she could only softly reply, "Yes."
After Liu Wan and Qing Wu walked away with their lanterns, the small pavilion hidden behind the woods and rockery was plunged into complete darkness, with not a glimmer of light.
Xiao Heye slowly walked over and sat down next to Su Tiyue.
"Is Your Highness going to see the Empress Dowager?" he said slowly.
Su Tiyue did not answer him, but asked coldly, "How did Master Xiao know I was here?"
"Tsk, in this palace, what difficulty is there for a servant to find out someone's whereabouts? Your Majesty, perseverance pays off."
Su Tiyue coldly mocked him: "What a fine saying, 'Hard work pays off.' I don't know who said it this morning, but not all efforts will be rewarded."
"What, doesn't Master Xiao think there's a contradiction in what he's saying?"
Xiao Heye curled his lips into a smile, his voice stern: "Is Your Majesty still angry?"
Regarding what he said this morning, and... because he wouldn't play these seductive emotional games with her, and refused to cooperate with her in acting out these ambiguous and flirtatious scenes.
Her expression was calm, showing no anger; she simply didn't want to see him at that moment.
Su Tiyue stood up, walked to the edge of the pavilion, reached out and held onto the pillar supporting the pavilion, turned her back to Xiao Heye, and said, "Does Master Xiao have anything else to say? If not, I'll go back first."
He didn't speak again, stretched his long legs, assumed a comfortable position, leaned on the small stone table with one hand, and stared silently at Su Tiyue's back.
In fact, he had nothing to say; he was just waiting.
What are we waiting for?
Perhaps they're waiting to see a good show.
After a long while, Su Tiyue did not hear him speak, so she turned around and stared at the dark figure. It was too dark to see what expression Xiao Heye had on his face; she could only see a dark, indistinct figure.
Just as Su Tiyue was about to speak, a slight smile appeared on her lips, and footsteps and voices drifted from the entrance of Cining Palace.
Zhou Tingyue came out from inside, and coincidentally, he bumped into Granny Liu, who was returning from the Imperial Wardrobe, at the door.
Therefore, Su Tiyue and Xiao Heye could clearly hear their conversation from the pavilion behind the artificial hill.
Granny Liu said, "Is His Highness the Crown Prince going back already? Won't he stay a little longer?"
Zhou Tingyue said, "Yes, I chatted with Grandma for a while. She must be a little tired. Please take good care of her."
Granny Liu nodded in agreement, then asked, "Is Consort Shu still inside?"
Zhou Tingyue frowned, his voice gentle yet nonchalant as he said, "I have not seen Consort Shu, so why would Granny Liu ask such a question?"
"Oh, I just ran into Consort Shu at the gate. She also said she wanted to see the Empress Dowager. This old servant thought she had gone inside..."
Hearing this, Zhou Tingyue seemed to understand why he had waited so long at Cining Palace but had not yet seen Su Tiyue.
He wanted a chance encounter, a meeting that seemed like a coincidence but was actually pre-planned, but all of it turned out to be an illusion.
Two lanterns hung high at the entrance of Cining Palace, their dim light casting a shadow of sadness and loss on Zhou Tingyue's handsome and refined face.
He asked, "Did Granny Liu say anything to Consort Shu?"
Granny Liu said, "This old servant has told Her Highness that you are inside."
"Hmm, I see..."
Zhou Tingyue lowered his head, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth. So that's how it is.
From the moment Su Tiyue entered the palace, she resolutely broke off all ties with him, without the slightest hesitation or wavering.
She was always so decisive and resolute.
Love decisively, and break up decisively.
Now, they won't even give them a chance to meet.
He craned his neck to look into the distance, scanning the area around, but saw nothing but dark tree trunks and bare artificial hills.
Granny Liu asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"N-nothing...it's nothing." Zhou Tingyue remained silent.
"..."
Zhou Tingyue perked up and carefully explained some other things. He stood at the door and talked with Granny Liu for a while.
But Su Tiyue couldn't hear the rest. Every time she heard that person's voice, she would feel inexplicably heartbroken.
Su Tiyue looked up at the two people standing at the door.
The man stood in the dim light, not too far away, while Su Tiyue hid in the desolate darkness, unable to do anything but silently watch his figure.
Looking at his disappointed and dejected expression, seeing his shattered emotions and longing.
This winter has been far too cruel and cold for them.
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