prince
Chapter Five
I stared blankly at Lan Feiyu, and mumbled a reply in a daze, which earned me a smile from her: "Your fever has subsided, so why is your face still so red?"
I certainly didn't know how to answer that question, so I just ignored it and changed the subject, saying, "If you're busy, I'll come back later..."
"It's alright, Xi'er, did you come to see me about something? Just tell me." Lan Feiyu pulled me along and said readily, "I took this job myself. Although my subordinates have checked the accounts a few times, they haven't actually done the calculations themselves, so they're always a little uneasy. In fact, all the money collected from this restaurant has to be handed over to the national treasury. Who would dare to mess around?"
I was even more impressed. Lan Feiyu was the same age as me, and not only did she serve as the head of two museums, but she was also so responsible and dedicated that it made me feel ashamed. You know, I often just do the homework assigned by my teachers perfunctorily.
"Xi'er?" Lan Feiyu asked again with a smile. I coughed and told her that I hoped she would take me to the palace to meet my older brother. Upon hearing this, Lan Feiyu slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "Oh dear, that's right! We must inform the Prince that you have recovered from your illness as soon as possible. He was very worried about you!"
As she spoke, her smile dimmed.
I suddenly remembered the violent deaths of her father and brothers, especially her elder brother. After many years of separation, he had finally returned to his hometown, only to be taken away by death so soon. She must have seen her elder brother's concern for me, which stirred up her deep brotherly love that had been unfulfilled.
Lan Feiyu must have noticed my gaze, because she gave me another deep smile. The smile was forced, and I must have been bewitched at that moment. I couldn't help myself and did something that was the most reckless thing I've ever done. I moved closer to Lan Feiyu and, without thinking, planted a heavy kiss on her cheek.
Looking back, I felt utterly ashamed.
If I were a man, even a member of the imperial family attending court, I would probably be severely reprimanded by her for this frivolous act!
But honestly, at the time I truly believed that this was the best way to comfort her.
When I was around eight or nine years old, my mother returned home from an outing. It was dark and rainy, and I snuggled into her arms, wanting to sing to her. The smile she gave me was just like Lan Feiyu's smile today.
I couldn't comfort her. When Aunt Xian came back, she hugged my tearful mother, kissed her left cheek, then her right, and finally held her tightly in her arms. She hummed a couple of times in her ear, and my mother actually stopped crying and started laughing.
—Of course I know that Lan Feiyu and I have only met once, how can she be compared to my mother and Aunt Xian? But my blood was boiling, it was like suddenly drinking three bowls of strong liquor.
Of course, one cannot deny the consequences of one's own actions.
Lan Feiyu must have been terrified by me. She stared at me with her already large eyes wide open, her face stiff and motionless.
I lowered my head and stammered, "I...I..."
With a determined look, she said, "I just don't want to see you sad while I'm smiling."
Fortunately, while I was mustering the courage to explain, Lan Feiyu also recovered. Her gaze softened noticeably as she looked me up and down and smiled silently.
When she smiled, I smiled too, until she suddenly reached out and took the flower she had given me yesterday from my hair, and said softly, "This flower isn't as beautiful anymore. If you like it, I'll pick another one for you."
I nodded hurriedly: "I like whatever I like, whether it's flashy or not."
Lan Feiyu held the flowers in her hand, glanced at me again, and then said, "Xi'er, how about this, you go back to your room and wait for me for a moment. I'll tidy up here and then we'll go to the palace together."
I already knew that she was not like me, a woman waiting to be married, idle and carefree, but rather someone with heavy responsibilities. Moreover, there was the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," so how could I object? I immediately agreed, took my leave, and left the accounting office.
Ami wanted to lead me back, but I waved my hand at her: "No, no, no, Ami, let's wander around this clinic!"
"Huh? But... the owner clearly told us to wait inside..."
Ami's overly timid and obedient manner made me laugh. I patted my chest and assured her, "The master only suggested it, he didn't say we had to wait inside. Don't worry, I'm a guest from the court, and my brother is a prince. Just listen to me, there won't be any problems."
Even so, Ami was still skeptical. I had to repeatedly assure her that if Lan Feiyu blamed me, I would take full responsibility and would never make things difficult for her. Only then did she finally agree. However, it was clear that she was still reluctant and slowly led me towards the front hall.
This wasn't just a whim. Seeing Lan Feiyu's abilities today has given me quite an inspiration. Even though she is a woman, there are other things in this world besides getting married, having children, expanding the family, and eventually becoming the matriarch of a large family.
At home, everyone treated me like a little kid. Over time, even though my mother had been planning to marry me off since last year, I still saw myself as a helpless child. Even with Aunt Xian and my older sister as role models, I always felt that I was too young and inexperienced. I had never experienced such a profound awakening as Lan Feiyu.
She was the same age as me, and she had lost both her father and brother. Suddenly, she lost her support and her situation seemed not good either. Yet, I didn't see her being heartbroken or feeling sorry for herself, which made me feel even more ashamed.
I wish I could help her.
With that in mind, I decided to see if there was anything I could do to help her with her burdens. Unfortunately, Ami didn't understand, and I was too embarrassed to say so. She crawled along like a snail, and I could only follow behind her, inching along little by little. After about ten steps, I gave up. At this rate, we would arrive at the front hall in no time.
I walked past Ami, somewhat exasperated: "Tell me where the front hall is, I'll go see it myself, you wait here for me."
Ami pointed in a direction, but still said, "Miss, Ami will stay with you..."
"No need, no need, I'll be right back." I left Ami behind and rushed through a long corridor as if on a march. Because I was in such a hurry and didn't look around, I didn't notice that there were side branches in the corridor. Suddenly, someone popped out from one of the side branches and bumped into me hard.
I cried out "Ouch!" and slumped to one side. The other one was even worse off than me, falling straight to the ground.
She was a girl about the same age and dressed similarly as Ami. She looked up at me with teary eyes, rubbing her lower back near her buttocks with one hand and supporting herself on the ground with the other, and opened her mouth.
"Are you alright?" I rushed over in a panic, reaching out to help, when I heard an annoyed young male voice above me, first a local dialect, then fluent Mandarin: "Who are you? What are you doing at the clinic? Did the Second Prince send you in?"
Second Prince?
I looked up in confusion, and the little girl on the ground tugged at my sleeve, her voice barely audible: "Sister, hurry up and bow! Don't you recognize the eldest prince?"
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