Chapter 114 Solace from Childhood
Xiao Lingxi was stunned by those words. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and even her ears turned crimson.
The next second, she hurriedly lowered her head, her voice trembling:
"Your Highness, please understand! I would never dare to have such an overstepping mind! Your Highness is of noble birth, like the bright moon in the clouds. I have only the respect due to a subject to a ruler, and absolutely no... no delusional thoughts whatsoever. Please, Your Highness, see the truth!"
She had to rack her brains and muster all her courage to say those words.
I thought that Chu Yu would be satisfied after hearing this, or at least stop dwelling on the matter.
But when Xiao Lingxi looked up, she seemed to see out of the corner of her eye that the smile in his eyes had faded, and his usual deep and unpredictable expression had returned.
Chu Yu didn't ask any further questions or express any opinion, but instead leaned back in her chair.
A suffocating silence once again fell inside the carriage.
After an unknown amount of time, the carriage finally came to a slow stop.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
Xiao Lingxi was filled with trepidation as she followed Chu Yu off the carriage.
When I looked up and saw the scene before me, I was stunned.
This place turned out to be a relatively secluded street. Not far away, an old master was tending his stall, skillfully outlining various lifelike shapes with boiled sugar water.
It was clearly a stall selling sugar figurines.
Just as he was wondering, he saw Chu Yu walk forward, his gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of sugar figurines, finally pointing to a cute little girl sugar figurine holding a koi fish, and saying to the old craftsman:
"I want this one."
The master craftsman enthusiastically handed him the sugar figurine. Then, Xiao Lingxi stood there, watching Chu Yu holding a sugar figurine and walking towards her step by step.
This incongruous scene left Xiao Lingxi somewhat dazed.
The Crown Prince, who is usually a figure of great wealth and power, and who only plans and strategizes within the nine-layered palace, is now standing in front of a sugar figurine stall amidst the bustling atmosphere of the marketplace, holding up a sugar figurine shaped like a little girl with the hands that should be wielding the imperial seal and reviewing memorials.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, casting a golden glow that seemed to coat him with a halo, making his features appear even more handsome and gentle.
At this moment, time seemed to stretch out infinitely.
Many years later, Empress Xiao Lingxi still remembered that the once high and mighty Crown Prince had come down from his cloud-like heights to bring her a clumsy yet tender comfort from her childhood.
"I remember when I was little, there was a time in the palace," Chu Yu said slowly, his voice gentler than usual.
"You were arguing with the heir of the Duke of Dingguo over a doll, and he pushed you to the ground. You cried so hard that your elder brother was at a loss. It was only after I reminded him to go to the imperial kitchen and ask for a freshly made sugar painting that he was able to calm you down."
He looked at Xiao Lingxi's eyes, which widened instantly, and continued:
“I remember you were holding up a sugar figurine when you immediately stopped crying and started laughing, saying you wanted to keep it and look at it forever, and you couldn’t bear to eat it.”
Chu Yu paused for a moment before explaining why he had brought her here: "I thought you would still like to eat."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxi was completely stunned.
She looked up at Chu Yu, then at the string of sugar figurines in his hand, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
It turns out that the embarrassing incident from childhood was remembered not only by the eldest brother, but also by His Highness the Crown Prince, who was present at the time.
A wave of immense shame washed over Xiao Lingxi, and her ears burned.
She subconsciously explained, "Your Highness, that was because I was young and didn't know any better. I'm all grown up now and I don't eat children's food anymore."
Chu Yu's hand paused slightly, frozen in mid-air, and his deep, dark eyes seemed to freeze for a moment.
"I see. I was wrong to overlook that."
He spoke calmly, and then began to withdraw his hand.
At that moment, Xiao Lingxi, with courage she didn't know where it came from, suddenly stepped forward and gently took the sugar figurine.
Chu Yu looked at her with some surprise.
In the sunlight, the girl looked up at him, giving him a bright smile that also carried a hint of relief:
"Your Highness, that's not what I meant. I just suddenly remembered that when I was little, I was ridiculed for being greedy and useless, so I refused to touch sugar figurines anymore out of spite, because I felt ashamed to like these things."
She paused, looking at Chu Yu with clear eyes, her smile becoming even brighter: "But thinking about it now, it would be truly foolish to give up what you love and make yourself unhappy just because of a few awful words from others."
"Thank you for remembering, Your Highness, and thank you for the sugar figurine, I really like it!"
As she spoke, she boldly stuck out her tongue and licked the carp tail on the sugar figurine in front of Chu Yu.
A familiar, pure sweetness explodes on the taste buds, bringing back childhood memories, but without the grievances of yesteryear.
Chu Yu looked at the bright and lively girl in front of him, and the image of her gradually overlapped with the one in his memory who often caused trouble but was protected by her older brother, yet they were completely different. A deeper smile spread across Chu Yu's eyes.
He nodded slightly, his voice carrying a gentleness he himself was unaware of.
"I'm glad you like it."
After taking a few steps, Xiao Lingxi belatedly realized something, stopped, and asked with some uncertainty:
"Your Highness brought me here specifically just to... buy this sugar figurine?"
Is he... trying to coax her?
The idea was rejected by Xiao Lingxi as soon as it came to mind.
She thought the idea was absurd.
Upon hearing this, Chu Yu did not stop walking, but his expression paused almost imperceptibly, followed by a slightly unnatural low cough.
"It just so happens that I haven't left the palace in a long time, and today I happened to be in a teahouse... and witnessed a 'good show'."
He paused, as if to emphasize, "You are, after all, Jingheng's sister. I have known him for many years, and it would be inappropriate for me to stand by and do nothing while you are being disturbed."
So that's how it is.
Xiao Lingxi secretly breathed a sigh of relief; she had indeed been overthinking things.
Since Chu Yu was made crown prince, he has been busy with many matters, and has been granted residence in the Eastern Palace to assist His Majesty in handling government affairs. As a result, he has rarely been able to have casual contact with the children of his ministers as he did when he was young.
Over the years, apart from occasionally catching a glimpse of each other at palace banquets, we've had almost no interaction in private.
He must have taken her out to buy sugar figurines today because of his elder brother.
Afterwards, the two walked along the relatively quiet streets for a while, and when they saw that the sun was about to set, they turned back home.
When Xiao Lingxi entered the mansion, she noticed that the atmosphere was different from usual. The servants all had happy faces and walked with much lighter steps.
She suddenly slapped her forehead, remembering that today was the day the results were announced, and her second brother had passed the imperial examination with top honors!
This is a joyous occasion for the family! I was so busy dealing with that troublesome Shen Moyan family that I forgot to congratulate my second brother immediately.
She was about to turn around and walk towards Xiao Jingxuan's courtyard when she met Zisu on the way.
"Miss, you're finally back!"
Zisu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her: "The Second Young Master is at Madam's Yilan Garden, and the Marquis is also there. They are waiting for you to come back so they can have dinner together. They said they are celebrating the Second Young Master's success in the imperial examination."
"I'll go right away."
Xiao Lingxi nodded, and was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something and stopped. She grabbed Zisu and asked:
"By the way, where's Su Xiaoyu? Is she back yet?"
Zisu: "I'm back. I just got back a quarter of an hour ago. It's quite a coincidence that I arrived at the manor almost right after the young master."
One foot in front of the other?
Xiao Lingxi's eyes darted around, and an idea popped into her head.
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