Chapter 58 Why Does It Matter to "Is This Your Answer to Me?"...
"Your Highness."
A few fish food pellets were sprinkled from her slender, white fingers, attracting several koi carp to swarm forward and scramble for them. Xue Rongyue caught a glimpse of the figure on the stone bridge out of the corner of her eye, quickly turned her head, and called out.
"Where has the young master been? He hasn't changed out of his robes from yesterday, and he looks travel-worn." Xue Rongyue stepped forward, a faint floral fragrance wafting towards her, and she smiled slightly.
Instead of answering, Qin Jin asked, "Is Madam Xue waiting for me?"
"nature."
Xue Rongyue did not deny it, and made way for them, walking side by side to the pavilion.
As dusk falls, lanterns are hung in the pavilion, casting a warm yellow glow that complements the layers of sunset clouds on the horizon.
Xue Rongyue had dressed up specially today. Her jet-black hair was styled into an updo, with a gold peony silk flower tucked diagonally into her hair. A row of small pearl hairpins adorned the gold and jade begonia hairpin, and the dangling hair ornaments, though simple, exuded wealth.
She was wearing makeup, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and a peony flower was painted on her fair and delicate forehead, which made her exquisite eyebrows and eyes even more radiant.
"This is?"
Qin Jin subtly shifted his gaze to the dazzling array of dishes laid out on the table.
"Firstly, to welcome the young master and wash away the dust of his journey; secondly..." Xue Rongyue stood up and personally poured wine for Qin Jin, her eyes smiling, "and also to thank the young master for the gifts. I really like those jewelry and fabrics."
This afternoon, Qin Jin sent his servants to deliver a box of silk fabrics and three full boxes of jewelry. Jingnu is still busy in the courtyard counting and registering them.
"Why has the Crown Prince prepared such a lavish gift for me?"
"This was originally to express my gratitude for the meals that Madam Xue had hosted before. Now that today's meal is over, I'm afraid I'll be indebted to Madam Xue again."
Their words rang out simultaneously, one a question, the other an explanation.
"I see."
Xue Rongyue tilted her head, a look of disappointment, both real and feigned, flickering in her eyes.
With a slight brow twitching, Qin Jin made no attempt to hide his probing question: "What does Madam Xue think?"
The night breeze was cool, casually ruffling the stray hairs at Xue Rongyue's temples, and the bright moonlight leaped into her pupils like ripples of light.
Xue Rongyue poured herself a cup of wine, raised the cup to Qin Jin, and smiled gently upon hearing this: "What I think is none of the question. This question... of course, we should hear the answer from the young master."
Having said that, he drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.
Seeing this, Qin Jin couldn't help but recall his drunken night on the eaves, and said with a headache, "If you can't hold your liquor, then drink less."
Xue Rongyue was about to speak in defense, but before she could finish her sentence, a plan came to her mind. She suddenly stopped speaking and smiled instead: "A little bit won't hurt."
She looked up at Qin Jin again, her brows furrowing in displeasure: "Is Your Highness unwilling to do me the honor? I've already drunk it all."
Qin Jin reluctantly picked up his wine cup and drank it all before Xue Rongyue would finally give up.
Xue Rongyue raised an eyebrow smugly, then poured the two of them another cup of wine and casually asked, "Were the silks and jewelry that the young master sent all selected from the place where he was on official business and transported back to Chang'an?"
Qin Jin nodded: "I imagine you have no shortage of the fashionable silks and jewelry in Chang'an."
Xue Rongyue curved her lips and drank another cup of wine: "I knew the patterns on the silk didn't look like the styles popular in Chang'an. Your Highness has gone to a lot of trouble. Come to think of it, I've gotten a good deal. I can get so much fabric and jewelry in just a few meals."
Before Qin Jin could speak, she changed the subject and asked directly, "Were these items given to me only, or did others receive them as well?"
With almond-shaped eyes like a clear, shallow stream, Xue Rongyue's clear gaze was fixed on Qin Jin. She sipped her wine absently, her cheeks flushed, and she tilted her head, waiting for Qin Jin's reply.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and a dark current surged in Qin Jin's eyes: "Who are the others?"
"How can you ask me this?" Xue Rongyue frowned. "This question should be answered by the Crown Prince."
She leaned forward half an inch, her eyes slightly curved, and pressed him with her gaze: "So, was there anyone else?"
The gloomy clouds of the day quietly dissipated at dusk, and the bright moon hung in the sky above Chang'an. The soft moonlight reflected in the swaying wine, and even the crescent moon seemed to be tinged with a hesitant, drunken state.
Qin Jin met Xue Rongyue's gaze, his thin lips curving slightly. Instead of retreating, he sounded the horn of a counterattack. His deep, husky voice was gentle as he asked instead of answering, "Why does Madam Xue ask this? Why do you care... if there are other people around?"
Xue Rongyue said with dissatisfaction, "I asked first. Doesn't the young master understand the principle of first come, first served? He should answer me first."
She frowned and gave a soft hum: "Or are you saying that an irrelevant answer is the answer?"
Qin Jin's deep gaze seemed to be stained with thick ink; when they looked at each other, it was obscure and unclear, like a bottomless abyss. Upon hearing this, he replied decisively, "No."
Xue Rongyue's expression hardened slightly, as if she hadn't expected him to compromise so quickly. Her eyebrows arched slightly: "No?"
"No."
Qin Jin stared intently at Xue Rongyue, his voice clear: "There is no one else here."
"Now, Madam Xue, could you please tell me your answer?"
"Madam Xue, why do you care if there are other people around?"
Qin Jin's answer and reaction were far beyond Xue Rongyue's expectations. Faced with Qin Jin's questioning, she was speechless for a moment and did not know how to answer.
Could it be that, to be honest, I was just asking casually?
She coughed lightly, a hint of inquiry creeping into her eyes: "...Why does Your Highness care about this question?"
"Doesn't Madam Xue mind?"
Qin Jin's thin lips curved into a deeper smile, brimming with blatant mockery. He suddenly scoffed, mercilessly exposing her: "It seems that Madam Xue cannot answer this question."
Upon hearing this, Xue Rongyue was certain that Qin Jin had provoked her, but she genuinely couldn't answer. She could only continue to evade the question, saying, "An irrelevant answer is an answer in itself. Haven't I already told the young master my answer?"
Qin Jin sneered and put down his wine cup: "That's a real pity. Madam Xue's answer was too obscure and difficult to understand. I'm sorry I can't figure it out."
Xue Rongyue clicked her tongue in amazement.
After leaving Chang'an, why has Qin Jin suddenly become so difficult to deal with? In the past, he could only helplessly resist her ambiguous words, but today he has truly surprised her. He has actually made her somewhat unable to cope.
He must have learned a skill from someone outside.
Xue Rongyue looked him up and down with suspicion in her eyes.
Qin Jin's expression turned cold and indifferent. He glanced at her briefly, his expression detached and aloof, and stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality today, Madam Xue."
Having said that, he turned and left.
"Why!"
Xue Rongyue was taken aback and quickly chased after her: "Why did you leave so suddenly? These dishes were specially prepared for you, and we haven't even touched them yet!"
Qin Jin's indifferent voice drifted over: "Not hungry."
Is this about being hungry or not?!
Xue Rongyue stamped her foot and jogged all the way, finally catching up with him.
Seeing Qin Jin's expression, she suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve, asking incredulously, "...Are you angry?"
Qin Jin looked distant and brushed her hand away: "No."
"You call this nothing?"
Xue Rongyue frowned: "Just because I didn't answer you?"
At once?
Qin Jin sneered and quickened his pace.
"Stop right there!"
Xue Rongyue didn't understand why he was acting like this all of a sudden. She ran up to him angrily and blocked his way. Her expression was already a little impatient, but she still held back for the sake of the mission: "Why are you in such a hurry? You have to give me a chance to answer you."
Qin Jin's lips curled up subtly, and he lowered his eyes, his gaze sharp as he glanced at her sideways: "What do you mean?"
Xue Rongyue couldn't help but regret her careless words, but seeing that she couldn't avoid it, she hesitated for a moment before handing Qin Jin an embroidered purse: "This is something I specially embroidered for you during the time you were away from Chang'an."
—My purse!
Qin Jin stood there, stunned.
Does she know what it means when a woman gives a man a purse that she has embroidered herself?
The moonlight was soft and pale on the eaves, and the golden bells under the eaves jingled.
Leaves rustled against each other under the eaves, flower branches swayed gently, lush green branches rippled like waves, and the rustling sound of falling leaves was incessant.
But none of these noises could mask the sound of his heartbeat.
Qin Jin clenched his fists tightly at his sides, but couldn't stop trembling. His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes, beneath his trembling eyelashes, were slightly red. His gaze flickered, unable to conceal his shock.
Seeing that he remained silent, Xue Rongyue frowned and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Jin subconsciously looked at the purse.
Against a backdrop of verdant green, Xue Rongyue did not embroider wolves on the purse this time, but instead embroidered two emerald bamboos at the ferry crossing. With the green leaves floating, ripples spread across the water, holding a hazy crescent moon.
Jin, month.
His breathing suddenly became rapid, and Qin Jin could clearly feel his cheeks getting warm. After a brief pause, his heart pounded even more violently in his chest.
He didn't speak, controlling his rapid breathing, his eyes fixed on her.
This is currently the most fashionable embroidery pattern in Chang'an.
Seeing that he remained silent, Xue Rongyue assumed he genuinely disliked the situation and couldn't help but feel indignant. She pouted and said, "If you don't like it, then forget it."
They're so hard to please!
Forget it!
Don't let her sell it tomorrow!
Xue Rongyue was about to pull her hand back from the purse when Qin Jin suddenly grabbed it.
His grip was like a red-hot iron, firmly holding her wrist so she couldn't move an inch. Xue Rongyue winced in pain, finally realizing something was wrong. She looked up at him, astonished, and exclaimed, "Qin Jin, what's gotten into you now?!"
Qin Jin took a deep breath, but could not control his disordered breathing and increasingly heavy breathing, which made the redness at the corners of his eyes more obvious.
Amidst heavy breathing, the shadows cast by his eyelashes swayed incessantly. Qin Jin spoke in a hoarse voice, each word distinct: "Is this...is this your answer to me?"
What?
Xue Rongyue paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at the purse in her hand and blinked.
Can it also be considered an answer?
Why?
but......
That would be perfect, saving her the trouble of racking her brains to come up with a perfunctory answer.
Xue Rongyue nodded tentatively: "I guess so...?"
Even though Qin Jin thought he had made ample preparations, the moment he heard the answer, a persistent buzzing sound filled his ears, and his chest heaved violently with each breath.
His palms were sweating, and he couldn't control the heat in his heart. It felt like there was a wad of cotton stuck in his throat, neither going down nor coming up.
Even his thoughts began to wander.
Seeing Qin Jin fall silent again, Xue Rongyue wasn't sure if his reaction indicated satisfaction with the answer, so she could only twitch her wrist again: "Young Master, can you let go now?"
Qin Jin's eyes trembled slightly, and his tightly clenched fingers loosened inch by inch. His gaze fell on the red mark around the woman's fair and delicate skin. He parted his thin lips slightly, cleared his throat after a long while, and then uttered two restrained sounds: "I'm sorry."
Xue Rongyue pouted: "That apology doesn't sound sincere."
Qin Jin's Adam's apple bobbed for a moment, and then he asked in a low voice, "Then what constitutes sincerity?"
Then I'll have to rip you off big time!
Xue Rongyue pondered for a moment, but had no good idea for the time being: "I can't think of anything right now. I'll tell you when I do."
Qin Jin replied in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
Why are you suddenly being so obedient?
Xue Rongyue looked at Qin Jin with suspicion, feeling rather uncomfortable. Just as she was about to ask a question, she saw Qin Jin suddenly step past her and walk towards the pavilion.
Xue Rongyue was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after him: "What's wrong? Where are you going again?"
She really couldn't figure out Qin Jin's thoughts, and she was truly afraid of him tonight.
Sitting on the stone bench, Qin Jin picked up his chopsticks meticulously. Hearing this, he cleared his throat and replied with pursed lips, "Time to eat... I'm hungry again."
Xue Rongyue: "......"
Xue Rongyue was instantly amused and annoyed. She crossed her arms, glared at Qin Jin, and cursed him inwardly before sitting down and deliberately asking him, "Young Master Qin, do you like this dish?"
Qin Jin naturally heard the sarcasm in her words and smiled, "I won't eat this meal for nothing."
"What are you doing?" Xue Rongyue glanced at him sideways. "Are you planning to pay me?"
Qin Jin looked up at her, a barely perceptible glint of darkness flashing in his eyes. He smiled lightly and said, "Tomorrow is the grand banquet in the palace. I'm afraid General Xue will try every means to continue to push for your marriage with the Liu family."
He said, "I'll help you solve it."
Xue Rongyue never doubted Qin Jin's abilities and promises, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but smile: "Really?"
Qin Jin raised an eyebrow slightly: "Absolutely no exaggeration."
Xue Rongyue was overjoyed and no longer cared about his inexplicable behavior tonight. She quickly picked up her chopsticks and eagerly put two pieces of food on Qin Jin's plate: "Young Master, please, you've worked hard, please eat more."
Qin Jin chuckled, picked up the two pieces of food, took a bite, and his smile froze instantly.
He stared at Xue Rongyue expressionlessly: "...This is a piece of ginger."
Xue Rongyue couldn't help but burst into laughter.
On a pavilion not far away, a maid was supporting Princess Yu'an. Although she couldn't hear the conversation between the young man and woman in the pavilion, she could tell from their expressions that they were in good spirits.
The maidservant said thoughtfully, "Your Highness's efforts have not been in vain. Prince Qin and Lady Xue are living together in the mansion, and their relationship is indeed much better than before. At least they are no longer at odds with each other."
"It's more than just that we've stopped being confrontational."
Princess Yu'an, always sharp-eyed, naturally noticed that the item Xue Rongyue handed to Qin Jin was a purse. While surprised, she couldn't help but start to ponder.
Xue Xiude's actions after entering Chang'an naturally did not escape the emperor's notice. She had also heard a little about his plans and had been uneasy these past few days. It was not that she cared about anything else, but that she was worried about Xue Rongyue.
Once she truly re-establishes kinship with the Liu family, Xue Rongyue's life will not be easy, no matter what happens in the future.
These past few days, she's been so worried she can't even drink. After all, regardless of what happens in private, Xue Xiude is Xue Rongyue's biological father. If he decides on her marriage, no one can say a word against it. If anyone wants to interfere, the emperor must grant the marriage.
However, the Xue family has a special status and is involved in the power struggle between the emperor and the empress dowager. The families to whom the marriage is arranged must be carefully selected. If there is any carelessness or oversight, it will backfire and harm Xue Rongyue even more.
After hesitating for so long, she decided to take a walk tonight, taking advantage of the gentle night breeze and beautiful moonlight, to ease her anxious heart. Unexpectedly, she stumbled upon this scene, which stirred up her previously shelved thoughts again.
If we're talking about someone who can put the emperor at ease and put her at ease, there really is one.
It's so far away, yet so close at hand.
I just don't know if that person is willing.
Seeing Qin Jin solemnly accept the purse and carefully hang it on the jade belt at her waist, Princess Yu'an narrowed her eyes, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curled up.
She smiled with relief and muttered to herself, "...She must be willing."
The maidservant didn't understand what she meant and couldn't help but ask, "What is Your Highness saying?"
Princess Yu'an stopped smiling and shook her head: "It's nothing, let's go."
However, his steps were noticeably lighter than before.
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Author's note: Yes, although it's a strategy story, Xiaoyue's enlightenment came later than Shizi's.
Persimmon: She gave me a purse; she really cares about me! [shy]
Xiaoyue: I made him angry, so I'll just give him something to appease him. [Oh oh oh]
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