Chapter 11 Returning the Gift is a Mistake
The second half of the journey was uneventful, but fortunately the carriage moved quickly and soon arrived at the Xie family's villa.
“Miss Meng,” Pei Xu’s voice was calm and even as he entered the car, “we’re almost at Miss Xie’s estate.”
Meng Lingyao moved her lips, her voice still soft and gentle, but there was no smile on her face. "Thank you for seeing me off, Lord Pei."
Pei Xu gently tugged on the reins, and the black horse slowed down. "At the request of the Princess, Miss Meng, you need not be so polite."
Meng Lingyao couldn't help but glare at the person outside through the curtain. It was as if nobody wanted to be associated with him; did he really need to distance himself so much?
Once the carriage came to a stop, she eagerly helped Songlan down from the carriage.
When she reached Pei Xu's side, she deliberately slowed her pace, wiped her fingertips with a handkerchief, and then casually handed it to Song Lan, saying in a soft voice, "The handkerchief is dirty, wash it clean."
Songlan was unaware of the brief commotion on the car window sill, and readily agreed upon hearing this.
Pei Xu stood quietly beside the carriage, seemingly oblivious to everything, but his grip on the reins tightened almost imperceptibly.
Xie Chengyu stood on a few blue stone steps, his eyes shining brightly. He looked at Pei Xu for a while, then at Meng Lingyao, who had changed her clothes for some reason. It took him a while to come back to his senses.
She coughed lightly, suppressing the urge to jump down the steps, quickened her pace, approached rapidly, and hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Lord Pei."
Before Pei Xu could return the greeting, she immediately turned to Meng Lingyao, "Yaoyao, where have you been? Why are you still here..."
Her eagle-like gaze was fixed on her strikingly different outfit.
Meng Lingyao smiled and said, "I accidentally got my clothes dirty while I was out, but fortunately the Princess helped me and asked Lord Pei to escort me home."
Xie Chengyu let out a long "Oh—" and said with a smile, "In that case, I really have to thank the Princess for her kindness."
She gave Meng Lingyao a deep look. Meng Lingyao clearly understood the meaning behind the words "I'll confess honestly later," and sighed softly in her heart.
The exchange ended with a simple "I'll definitely come to thank you properly another day." The two watched Pei Xu leave, his crimson robes fluttering in the wind as he quickly disappeared at the end of the road.
Before she could speak, Meng Lingyao preemptively said, "Let me go back and change my clothes."
Xie Chengyu grabbed her wrist. "Why change it? It looks great."
“It’s beautiful—” she paused before saying softly, “When I was standing up there just now, I thought it was some newlywed couple returning home together.”
Although Xie Chengyu was born into the Xie family and received the best education for noble ladies from a young age, she lived in Jinling with the old patriarch of the Xie family for many years and was deeply influenced by him. Her temperament was far more unrestrained and cheerful than that of the young ladies in the capital, and she was also much more outspoken.
Meng Lingyao had known her since she returned to the capital three years ago, and thought she was already used to her way of doing things. But this time she was still shocked and couldn't help but shiver.
This statement is far more frightening than the arrow that flew in from the Princess.
She had no desire to have anything to do with Pei Xu.
With a furrowed brow, Meng Lingyao turned to the Xie family maid and said, "Quickly find some mugwort to fumigate the area. There are many spirits in the mountains; your young lady may be possessed."
The maid was stunned and looked at her mistress helplessly.
Xie Chengyu waved to her and leaned on Meng Lingyao's shoulder with a laugh.
How could she not know her friend's thoughts? When the young ladies mentioned Pei Xu, Meng Lingyao never participated in the discussion and would always change the subject.
With such a great opportunity presented to them, who could resist taking the chance to tease their friend?
This is simply human nature.
After laughing enough, she finally straightened up, cleared her throat, and said in a serious tone, "What you just said really had the style of Meng Shaoqing, which shows that you have a family tradition of learning."
Meng Lingyao glanced at her with a complicated expression, not feeling like she had been praised.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." Xie Chengyu took her arm. "Go back quickly. I had someone make some ginger soup. You've been outside for so long, don't catch a cold."
Meng Lingyao gave a soft "hmm" and walked into the house.
The table was laden with food sent by the Princess. Xie Chengyu picked out a lotus-shaped pastry, ate it, wiped his lips, took a sip of tea, and said, "Yaoyao, why do I feel like you went to the Princess's residence to beg for money?"
“The Princess is very kind.” Meng Lingyao thought for a moment, “Perhaps it is compensation for my fright today.” After all, her mother was the same way. Whenever she coaxed her, she would personally cook a bowl of steamed sweet cheese, something she usually found troublesome and didn’t want to do.
"Is that so?" Xie Chengyu wasn't particularly familiar with the Princess, but had only heard a little about her from her family and elders.
The princess, once a proud and unrestrained woman with a fiery personality, became as cold and detached as a frozen lake after her husband's death.
When we occasionally bump into each other at banquets, we are always distant, far from being friendly.
"The Princess is so kind. Although we are the younger generation, we should not accept it without giving back. We should think of a way to return the favor."
Meng Lingyao thought of that dress, as radiant as rosy clouds, and nodded seriously.
The next day, just as the two had finished packing their return gifts, new items arrived.
"These are freshly hunted pheasants and rabbits. The Princess specially instructed that they be sent here for the two young ladies to enjoy something fresh." The man was clearly dressed as a guard, with fine clothes, yet he carried a pheasant in one hand and a gray rabbit in the other, with a large basket on his back, looking exactly like a mountain hunter.
"Thank you, Princess. You even remembered us while you were out hunting." Xie Chengyu looked flattered and waved to the servant to take the game.
Meng Lingyao sized up the two prey. "Pheasant is best stewed with bamboo shoots at this time of year, and the rabbit is plump and suitable for roasting." She smiled and said, "I will certainly not disappoint the Princess's kindness."
“I’m glad you two ladies like it. There’s one more thing,” the guard said, taking down his basket and pulling out a snow-white fox. It was very clean, except for an arrow wound on the back of its neck, which killed it instantly.
"This leather is well preserved. It's cold, so you two ladies can use it to make hand warmers."
"Such fine fur is truly rare." Xie Chengyu reached out and touched it, his fingertips sinking into the snow-white fur, and sighed, "The Princess's kindness makes my gift seem all the more inadequate."
She gave a wink, and a maid stepped forward, handing over a delicate little jar.
"I don't have anything particularly special here, except for a jar of wine made from the green plums in the courtyard two years ago. Perhaps the sunshine and rain were exceptionally good that year, and the plums grew exceptionally well, so the wine is somewhat acceptable. I hope the Princess will not find it too crude."
Meng Lingyao also presented her return gift at the opportune moment, a painting that she had just finished that morning.
The guard carefully put away the two items, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and nimbly mounted his horse.
Before long, the return gifts from the two younger generation members were presented to the princess intact.
The guard reported the two men's responses verbatim.
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess laughed and said, "She certainly knows how to eat. Let's do as she says. We'll use the remaining pheasant to make soup, and roast all the rabbits."
The aunt, of course, did not refuse and immediately gave the order.
Her gaze swept over the items on the table. The princess opened the wine jar, and the wine, with its clear aroma and golden color, exclaimed, "Good wine!" She immediately decided, "We'll drink this wine tonight."
She put down the wine, took a handkerchief to wipe her hands clean, and then reached out to the painting.
The scroll slowly unfolds—
The woman in the painting is dressed in lake-blue riding attire, riding a white horse, nocking an arrow and drawing a bow. The fierce aura between her brows and eyes almost leaps off the paper.
Pei Xu had just passed under the corridor when he heard the Princess's voice from inside the house, "Yanxing, what do you think of this painting?"
Pei Xu turned around and stepped into the warm pavilion. After examining the painting for a moment, he replied, "It captures both form and spirit." He gazed at the radiant princess in the painting and was momentarily lost in thought.
"I have heard that Miss Meng studied painting under Master Xie. A great teacher produces a great student. This is indeed true."
Pei Xu's eyes flickered slightly as his gaze swept over a corner of the painting, where a rounded shape was rendered in very light ink—it was a rabbit.
"In my opinion, the student has surpassed the master." The eldest princess gently stroked the bowstring in the painting. "Peizhi, put it away carefully."
“Yes,” Pei-zhi replied.
"Some people do good deeds anonymously, but end up empty-handed, without any return gift." After admiring the gifts from the two young maids, the princess turned and teased.
Pei Xu's face remained expressionless. "Your Highness cares for juniors and deserves our respect."
The eldest princess pouted.
“That white fox has a beautiful coat. It’s a pity I’m getting old and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. I didn’t see the white figure in the bushes today,” the princess said, pointing at him. “You beat me to it.”
Pei Xu lowered his eyes. "Just lucky."
The eldest princess felt a toothache at his "unperturbed by favor or disgrace" demeanor, and impatiently waved her hand, signaling him to leave quickly and not stand in her way.
Pei Xu bowed meticulously and left.
A woman's voice could be faintly heard behind me.
"With his personality, I don't know which girl will be able to put up with him in the future."
"Your Highness, Lord Pei is simply calm, composed, and polite."
This was followed by a disdainful "tsk".
Pei Xu's eyes softened almost imperceptibly.
A patch of snow accumulated on the eaves was blown off by the wind. For some reason, he reached out to catch it almost without thinking. The icy snowflake instantly turned into watermarks in his palm.
The warmth of their fingertips touching that day seemed to linger, as if burned by fire. He curled his fingers and quickly withdrew his hand.
He frowned slightly and sighed inwardly.
That's incredibly rude.
-
In the stillness of the night, Peizhi removed the gold hairpin from the princess, saying, "Your Highness hasn't been this happy in a long time."
Having served the princess for many years, from a lowly maid to now being addressed as aunt, she could naturally see that her joy these past few days was genuine.
The bronze mirror reflected the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and the princess curled her lips into a smile, "A vibrant young girl, just looking at her is delightful."
She suddenly remembered something, "Have you found out? That day at the manor, the one who said pine resin and snow water were the best match for venison was..."
“It is indeed Miss Meng,” Pei Zhi said with a smile. “This servant has found out.”
She recounted the confrontation in the warm pavilion that day, word by word.
"So, she made it up on the spot?" The princess chuckled, rubbing her forehead. "No wonder she almost crushed the cup yesterday."
"It was all due to the mistake of flying geese."
The eldest princess delivered her final verdict.
Light snow began to fall outside the window again. Pei Xu stood by the window and shivered for no reason. After a pause, he raised his hand and closed the window.
A thin layer of snow light shone through the paper and into the room, as if shrouded in moonlight.
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