Chapter 64 The wounds are all healed
As Chen Yanqing emerged from the pharmacy, looking at the increasingly scorching sun, a strange unease stirred within him.
He hadn't been to the front hall for almost a month, and hadn't seen Li Yuanzhao either.
Now that my injuries have finally healed, it's time to report back to her.
Thinking of this, he turned around and walked towards his own side courtyard.
I can't dress so casually when I'm going to see His Highness.
Back in his room, he opened his trunk, his gaze sweeping over the neatly folded clothes before finally settling on the brand-new dark green collared Hu-style robe on the top shelf.
The clothes have fine stitches, and the collar and cuffs are embroidered with dark gold cloud patterns, which is the most fashionable style in the capital at the moment.
The eldest princess was wealthy and never stingy with those around her, ordering new clothes for her servants every month.
The last time the tailor brought him the fabric to choose from, he immediately took a liking to this dark green Hangzhou silk.
For no other reason than that Lin Xue'an wore the same color clothes at the last hunting ground, and Li Yuanzhao still clearly remembers the way he looked at Lin Xue'an then.
The clothes had just been made and delivered only two days ago, and he hadn't been willing to wear them yet, but now he couldn't wait to put them on and see her.
Perhaps, changing to her favorite color will make her pay more attention to me.
Chen Yanqing quickly changed his clothes and straightened his collar in front of the bronze mirror.
The boy in the mirror had handsome features, and his dark green Hu-style robe made him look even more upright, giving him a more vibrant appearance than when he wore a mask.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and quickened his pace as he headed towards the main hall.
Unexpectedly, just as I turned the corner of the corridor, I bumped right into someone.
He looked up, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Cheng."
Li Yuanyou was very upset.
He felt something was off lately; ever since they returned from the hunting grounds, his elder sister had become much less affectionate towards him than before.
He visited her several times, but was either turned away at the gate with the excuse of being "busy with official duties," or he heard that her illegitimate son from the Lin family was with her, so he couldn't even get a meeting.
He couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong, so he came even more often, hoping to catch a chance to say a word to his elder sister.
He frowned as he unexpectedly bumped into a stranger in his elder sister's palace.
This man had a handsome appearance, gentle eyes and brows, and although his complexion was somewhat pale from illness, it made him appear even more dignified.
In terms of looks alone, she was quite as beautiful as Lin Xuean.
He had never seen this person in his elder sister's residence before. Could he be... the elder sister's newly recruited male favorite?
However, this face looked strangely familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place it.
Thinking this, he asked directly, "Who are you?"
Chen Yanqing was slightly taken aback before belatedly realizing what was happening.
I forgot to wear a mask when I went out today!
He inwardly groaned. In the past, when he wore that mask, although His Highness Prince Cheng didn't pay much attention to him, he had seen him several times and clearly recognized him.
But now that they've changed their true appearance, how can they explain the obvious difference in their looks if they directly state their names?
Thinking of this, he inexplicably felt a surge of resentment and began to secretly blame Li Yuanzhao.
Why can't she like her own original appearance?
This forced him to wear that restrictive mask every day, making it a luxury to even show his true face.
Isn't this current situation entirely her fault?
He forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, maintained his bowed posture, and spoke respectfully: "Your subordinate, Chen San, is a newly arrived attendant by Your Highness's side, therefore Your Highness has never met me."
“Chen San?” Li Yuanyou pondered the name for a moment, his brows furrowing even more, his tone filled with undisguised disdain, “What an awful name.”
He took two steps forward, looking down at Chen Yanqing and scanning his face.
"I know everything about the courtiers around my elder sister. Since you're new here, what about that... that flamboyant-looking man from before?"
Chen Yanqing lowered his eyes, concealing the tension in them, and said in a low voice, "I have only recently come to Your Highness's side and do not know who you are talking about."
Li Yuanyou, however, seemed to have become interested and continued on his own: "I knew that guy wouldn't last long by the Empress's side! He's clearly a servant, but he acts like he's the master every day, with an arrogant attitude that makes people angry. If it weren't for the fact that he's someone by the Empress's side, I would have dealt with him long ago."
He paused, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice: "Now look what's happened. I heard he even implicated my elder sister a few days ago, made a mistake and was punished. How can my elder sister still tolerate him by her side? I think, since we haven't seen him for a long time, she's probably already thrown him out to feed the dogs."
Chen Yanqing was filled with rage, but he could say nothing and do nothing. He could only grit his teeth and squeeze out a few words: "Your Highness is right."
Seeing his obedience, Li Yuanyou patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "You're more sensible than him. Do a good job and serve your elder sister well, and I'll reward you handsomely in the future."
"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."
Only then did Li Yuanyou decide to let him go. "Go ahead."
Chen Yanqing bowed and withdrew.
Only after he was completely out of Li Yuanyou's sight did he raise his hand to touch his face.
When has he ever suffered such humiliation because of his face?
Is his appearance really that unsightly?
An indescribable sense of grievance and resentment welled up in his heart. He looked towards the front hall, a complex mix of emotions flashing in his eyes.
Li Yuanzhao... what do you take me for?
Do you like me, or the me behind the mask?
He composed himself, went back to his room, and put on his mask.
After thinking for a moment, he changed back into his usual gray-blue guard uniform and went to the front hall again.
Li Yuanyou didn't know whether he had been turned away or had already seen His Highness and left.
In any case, Li Yuanzhao's study was closed and completely silent.
He composed himself before gently knocking on the palace door. "Your Highness, I have recovered from my injuries and have come to report."
After a long while, a voice came from inside the hall: "Enter."
As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Lin Xue'an emerge from the inner room, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and her hair at her temples slightly disheveled.
Upon seeing Chen Yanqing, he avoided eye contact and hurried past her, almost fleeing in panic.
Chen Yanqing stopped in his tracks.
What is he doing here?
Did they come out from the inner room of the study?
What exactly happened during the month he was away?
This person has actually reached the point where he can freely enter and leave the inner room of His Highness's study.
My chest felt like it was being squeezed tightly by something, a suffocating pain.
He watched Lin Xue'an's figure disappear around the corner of the corridor, then turned to look into the study.
Li Yuanzhao was sitting behind his desk reviewing documents, his expression as indifferent as ever, as if nothing had just happened.
She looked up at him, her tone calm, "Are you all healed?"
Chen Yanqing snapped out of his daze, suppressed the bitterness in his heart, and bowed respectfully: "Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am much better now."
Li Yuanzhao's gaze lingered on him for a moment, then he said ambiguously, "You're quite quick to agree."
Chen Yanqing didn't understand the hidden meaning in her words, taking it as a casual greeting, and replied, "It is all thanks to Your Highness's kindness in inviting the imperial physicians to treat me and bestowing precious medicinal materials that I was able to recover so quickly."
Li Yuanzhao hummed in agreement, put down his pen, and suddenly changed the subject: "In that case, I have something to ask you to do."
A surge of excitement instantly welled up in Chen Yanqing's heart.
As long as I can stay by her side, as long as she still values me so much, those inexplicable feelings of loss from just now don't seem so important anymore.
"Your Highness, I am at your disposal."
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