Chapter 19 Invitation: Come see me tonight.
As Wei Jing was seen off, the sunset was already deep.
Clouds drift and mist swirl, the night sky is just beginning to blend with the blue, and the bright moon shines.
As Yue Yining sat at the table drinking tea, a white mist suddenly enveloped her, and a graceful, ethereal figure knelt down before her.
"Miss, why did you answer him like that just now?"
Yue Yining paused, her hand still holding the teaspoon. She looked up, and Ayu's gaze was as pure and clear as snow.
Recalling the Fourth Prince's outrageous words in front of them, Yue Yining blushed slightly: "Are you unhappy? I didn't explain to him because I felt I couldn't reason with him, not intentionally..."
The person in front of me smiled gently and shook their head.
"Miss, that's not what I was asking about."
Ayu: "I wanted to ask you, Miss, why did you say you were still considering it?"
Yue Yining was taken aback.
Wei Jing's words just now drifted down like yellow leaves on a treetop, fluttering and turning into a wisp of golden smoke that blew into her mind.
Before leaving, Wei Jing asked her one last question, just like Wei Yihua had, as if it were some kind of unspoken agreement.
Wei Jing: "I'd like to know, what kind of lord would a capable and ambitious person like you be willing to follow?"
Ayu slowly said, "I had already left by then and didn't hear your answer. But when he asked me the previous question, if you had any goals you planned to follow, I was still close by and heard you say that you were still considering it."
"That young master just now must be one of the Princess's brothers. I don't quite understand, because I remember Miss said she didn't want to participate in the struggle for the throne."
Yue Yining smiled, but didn't answer him immediately. Instead, she said meaningfully, "Has anyone ever told you that you are really smart?"
He only came to bring tea and water once at the end of their conversation, yet he was able to tell who the person was.
Yue Yining put down her teaspoon: "Yes, he is indeed a member of the royal family, and according to the information he revealed, he should be the fourth prince, who shares the same mother as the eldest princess."
“You may not know the Fourth Prince, but I have heard of him. His birth mother is the Emperor’s most favored concubine, and he has the backing of the General of the State’s Mansion. He is flamboyant and unrestrained in his behavior,” Yue Yining said. “Look at his words and actions just now. Does he have the temperament to tolerate being rejected? I said I was still considering it only so that I could send the person away safely and not get myself into trouble.”
Ayu slowly loosened her fingers, which were curled up in her sleeve, revealing deep red welts on her palms.
Yue Yining sensed a sudden glimmer of light in his eyes: "So, that means Miss doesn't actually intend to agree to his proposal, right?"
Yue Yining: "Of course, how could I agree to that?"
The fourth prince is clearly ambitious but lacks practical skills and is somewhat stubborn. Although he is not a bad person, he is far from understanding the people's sentiments and the affairs of the world. If you follow such a person, you will probably not be able to sleep well every day, as you will always have something to worry about.
"Not to mention that I don't intend to participate in the struggle for the throne between the two princes, even if I did, I wouldn't assist such a troublesome lord," Yue Yining said lazily. "I'm going there to be a strategist, not to take care of children."
As Yue Yining spoke, she looked up and saw Ayu smiling at her with her eyes crinkled, her smile gentle and radiant.
Yue Yining almost dropped her teacup, her heart trembling slightly from the shock.
Is he really that happy just because he said he didn't plan to agree to that person's offer...?
After Wei Jing's visit, the eldest princess seemed to be held back by something and did not come to see Yue Yining again.
Autumn scenery is fleeting, like a passing sunset. Time flies by in the blink of an eye, and the seasons change in an instant.
Winter has arrived, and the mountains and forests have quietly turned gray and white.
The cold continued to descend, deepening, withered branches hanging with withered leaves pointing towards the sky, and the bamboo grove and pine trees in the courtyard lost their color, like paper cutouts washed clean.
The three sat around in the corridor. Yue Yining leaned against the wooden table, the tea smoke from her fingertips warming her dark blue cloak.
Looking at the scenery in the courtyard, she smiled and said, "When the Cold Festival arrives, all the other trees have shed their leaves, but the bamboo and pine trees remain as usual."
Ayu: "As the ancients often said, one can live without meat but not without bamboo. Both bamboo and pine trees have been praised by poets, and many people admire their lofty and persevering character, which is not afraid of the cold."
Yue Yining looked at Ayu. After winter arrived, he always wore a sheepskin cotton robe, with a belt cinching his waist, which made his broad shoulders and slender waist appear even more prominent. His face, as smooth as jade, was already captivatingly beautiful with just a slight smile.
Yue Yining joked, "What, do you have other opinions?"
Ayu smiled faintly: "Ayu wouldn't dare. I just remembered that a few days ago when I was sweeping up the withered bamboo in the yard, it was clearly withered, but when I tried to pull it up, I couldn't move it at all. Only after digging into the soil did I find that the root system underground was so strong and connected in patches."
"The book says that the edges of bamboo groves are often barren because bamboo steals nutrients from other plants. Once planted, it grows wildly and is difficult to uproot. In this sense, bamboo is sturdy on the outside but hollow inside, can block out the sun when planted in groups, but cannot withstand the wind when planted alone. Its roots are fine and good at scheming, its waist is flexible and bends without pride, and it appears noble on the surface but colludes in secret. It is more like a hypocrite than a gentleman."
Yue Yining nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "That's quite a novel way of putting it. Bamboo is not a gentleman, but a hypocrite. It appears upright and honest on the surface, but in reality, it is deeply rooted and domineering in the dark."
"Not bad, although it's a bit unconventional, I like it."
Fu Yao had been silent, drinking her tea with her head down, when she suddenly stood up and said, "I'll go to the backyard to see if the soup is ready."
Yue Yining was taken aback, but Fu Yao left after she finished speaking.
Ayu noticed that Yue Yining's gaze followed her for a long time without leaving her, and asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Yue Yining turned around and waved her hand: "It's nothing."
Yue Yining said this to Ayu. But after lunch, Yue Yining quietly went to Fu Yao's room.
If there were no other matters to attend to after meals, Fu Yao would usually stay in her room to practice her martial arts. Yue Yining walked along the corridor to the door, and just as she was about to knock, she suddenly realized that the door was not closed properly.
She hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open and went in, calling out softly.
"Yaoyao, are you inside?"
The moment Yue Yining pushed open the door, she happened to see Fu Yao wrapped in a blanket and huddled on the bed.
Fu Yao sat up as soon as she heard Yue Yining's voice.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes were wide open, looking quite surprised: "Miss, did you look for me? What's wrong...?"
Yue Yining closed the door behind her, quickly walked to the bedside and sat down, chuckling, "It's nothing, I just came to talk to you."
You don't seem to be in a good mood today. Is something on your mind?
Under Yue Yining's concerned gaze, Fu Yao slowly lowered her head, somewhat hesitant and awkward: "...I...I don't have anything on my mind."
Yue Yining didn't believe it: "It's obviously a lie! You'd better tell the truth, are you hiding something from me?"
Fu Yao: "...Then I'll tell you, Miss, but you can't laugh at me."
Yue Yining sat up straight, almost squeezing into Fu Yao's bed, practically swearing to the heavens, "I won't laugh, I absolutely won't laugh."
"Tell me quickly, Yao Yao."
Fu Yao pursed her lips, her voice barely audible: "It's just... I'm a little jealous of Ayu."
Even though Yue Yining had prepared herself mentally, she never expected the answer to be like this.
The gentle concern on her face froze.
"ah?"
Fu Yao glared at him: "So what if I'm jealous of him! He's only been in this house for a short time, and you trust him so much, Miss!"
"Before autumn arrived, Miss, you would rather wash up in the courtyard yourself than have him bring a basin of water into your room. But now? He folds your clothes, changes your bedding, and brings you snacks and tea to your bedside table. I, your personal maid, have had all my chores taken away, and I have no reason to even enter your room!"
Yue Yining blushed with embarrassment: "It's not what you think, Yao Yao, it's because..."
Fu Yao interrupted her loudly, like an angry calf bellowing: "Miss, don't try to argue with me! I saw it all this morning. You were so cold you didn't want to get out of bed. A-Yu came in and out of the room to heat up a hot water bottle and put it in your bed before you got up! And he even helped you put on your socks! I'm so angry! Why should he help you put on your socks? I've never even helped you put on your socks!"
Yue Yining was embarrassed and blushed as she spoke, while Fu Yao became more and more agitated and aggrieved: "Why is he so close to you? I'm the one who understands Miss the most, I'm the one who has spent more time with Miss! And you two always seem to have such a good time chatting. Sometimes when I sit next to you, I can't even get a word in edgewise. I always feel like I'm the one who's superfluous..."
Yue Yining coughed, feeling her neck burning: "Yaoyao, stop talking."
When Fu Yao saw her expression, she thought she was angry and immediately fell silent.
Fu Yao pouted and muttered, "I... I'm not blaming Miss, I'm blaming A-Yu! It's all because he didn't know his place that I got angry. Miss did nothing wrong."
The fever on Yue Yining's face subsided, and her heart grew cold.
She slowly said, "No, I'm not angry. On the contrary, I'm very grateful to you, Yao Yao, for reminding me."
Before she knew it, Ayu had been in her home for several months. The autumn rains and cold winds of these days had not only blown away the leaves that were about to fall from the branches, but had also completely dispelled her wariness of Ayu.
But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that Ayu has only known them for less than six months. In less than six months, she has already grown accustomed to his presence and has even let her guard down around him.
Thinking of this, Yue Yining suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
No, that's not right. Something's not right.
This is completely contrary to her initial idea.
Seeing that she was lost in thought, Fu Yao called her a few times, "Miss? Miss? Are you listening?"
Yue Yining snapped out of her daze, only to see Fu Yao looking at her anxiously: "Miss, what I just said was just my thought on the spot. Actually, I don't think Ayu did anything wrong. He's hardworking, has a good temper, and is very loyal to you, Miss. I didn't mean anything by it..."
Yue Yining reached out and patted her head. Fu Yao squinted as she was rubbed, and through the gap she saw her young lady smiling: "Yes, I understand, don't worry."
The gap was too narrow, and she couldn't see the subtle glint in Yue Yining's eyes.
That night, all was quiet, and a cool breeze drifted through the courtyard and into the house.
The candlelight flickered by the window. A figure in a thin cotton robe approached, and a pale hand extinguished the flame.
Ayu pushed open the door very gently, and the creaking sound was not very clear in the quiet night.
He closed the door and lowered his eyes.
After dinner tonight, he picked up his plate and was about to clean the stove when Yue Yining grabbed his sleeve from behind.
Ayu was stunned for a moment, then turned around and saw Yue Yining's gentle, smiling eyes.
She was very close, and a faint, familiar fragrance wafted from her. The scent of calamus and angelica reminded him of the sachet he had placed in Yue Yining's room, the smile in her eyes when she took it from his hand, and the lingering warmth of her fingers touching his palm.
My heart skipped a beat, for reasons I don't know.
Yue Yining looked at him and spoke in a low voice, which Fu Yao, who had already walked some distance away from the two of them, could not hear.
She said, "Ayu."
"Come to my room tonight at 7 PM. Don't let Yao Yao see you."
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