The birthday banquet ended in a harmonious atmosphere. Xin Jiuwei chatted with the old lady for a while longer until the old lady looked tired, then she and Xiao Xun said goodbye and left.
The atmosphere in the carriage back to the prince's residence was subtly silent. The carriage wasn't large, and Xin Jiuwei could clearly smell Xiao Xun's familiar, cool, pine-ink scent. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the sash of her cloak, her heart still pounding. His focused gaze at the birthday banquet earlier, and the silent oppressive feeling in the carriage now, made her feel somewhat uneasy.
"You played the zither very well." Xiao Xun's deep voice suddenly broke the silence.
Xin Jiuwei was slightly taken aback, then raised her head: "Your Highness flatters me."
Xiao Xun didn't speak again, but just looked at her. In the dim light, his eyes seemed particularly deep. "The old lady likes you very much," he stated.
“My aunt treats me like her own daughter,” Xin Jiuwei said softly.
Another silence fell. The carriage rumbled along the cobblestone road. Xin Jiuwei found the silence somewhat unbearable and was about to say something when Xiao Xun spoke again, his voice low and calm, as if narrating something perfectly natural:
"Wait until your brother returns to Beijing and his health is properly restored."
"I will request permission."
"For the Xin family, we will reopen the old case and clear their name."
"To clear your father and brothers' names."
Xin Jiuwei suddenly raised her head, looking at Xiao Xun in disbelief! Re-investigate the old case! Clear her name! This... this was a wish she had been unable to fulfill in both her past and present lives! It was the heaviest boulder weighing on her and her brother's hearts! She had always thought that this would take a long time, require waiting for the right opportunity, and might even require paying a huge price!
She never imagined that Xiao Xun would make such a promise to her so directly and clearly! And at such a seemingly ordinary moment!
“Your Highness…” Xin Jiuwei’s voice trembled, the immense shock and subsequent elation leaving her almost speechless. She looked at Xiao Xun, at his face, still sharply defined even in the dim light, at the heavy, unwavering resolve in his eyes. This was not comforting words, not empty promises; it was the most solemn commitment a prince wielding immense power had made to his “fellow traveler”!
"I keep my word." Xiao Xun's voice remained deep, yet each word carried immense weight, possessing a power capable of calming the mind. He offered no further explanation, as if this were merely a pre-planned and perfectly logical event.
Xin Jiuwei's tears welled up without warning. This time, it wasn't fear, despair, or sorrow, but an immense surge of hope and gratitude for what had been lost and then regained! She lowered her head, tears silently streaming down her face, dripping onto the back of her tightly clasped hands. All words seemed pale and powerless at that moment.
Xiao Xun looked at her lowered head, her slightly trembling shoulders, and the single, glistening tear on the back of her hand. He didn't speak again, nor did he offer her a handkerchief as he had done outside the dungeon. He simply watched in silence, his deep eyes churning with complex emotions. After a long while, he very slowly reached out, his broad, calloused palm gently, with a tentative force, covering Xin Jiuwei's tightly clenched, icy hand.
His palm, carrying his slightly cool body temperature, strangely transmitted a powerful and reassuring warmth.
Xin Jiuwei's body trembled almost imperceptibly. She didn't pull her hand away, nor did she look up. She simply let that large, calloused hand, belonging to a man, cover the cold back of her hand. An indescribable flutter and warmth quietly spread throughout her body from where their skin touched.
The carriage returned to the prince's residence in silence. Inside, only the two men's clasped hands and a silent, warm atmosphere filled the air. The road ahead might still be long, but some boundaries had already been quietly broken. That relationship, which began with a cold contract and was forged in the crucible of blood and fire, was sliding with unstoppable momentum towards a deeper and more unpredictable trajectory.
Time flowed slowly as they waited for Xin Yunzhou to return to the capital. Under Lin Wanyi's meticulous care, Xin Jiuwei's health had largely recovered; however, the old wound in her heart still required long-term rest and she couldn't engage in strenuous exercise or experience excessive emotional excitement. Her daily life was regular and peaceful: reading, practicing calligraphy, talking with the old lady, and occasionally playing a few games of chess when Xiao Xun was free. Xiao Xun's chess skills were naturally far superior to hers, but he seemed unconcerned about winning or losing, sometimes even subtly giving her a few moves.
Xiao Xun remained busy. The war in the Northern Border had entered a prolonged stalemate, but the subsequent military affairs, the court politics, and the preliminary preparations needed to exonerate the Xin family all consumed a great deal of his energy. He still returned home very late, but no matter how late, as long as the light in Xin Jiu's warm pavilion was still on, he would always come over and sit for a while. Sometimes he would just quietly watch her turn the pages of a book, sometimes he would briefly talk about the developments in the court or the recent situation in the Northern Border, and sometimes he would simply sit there with his eyes closed to rest for a moment.
Xin Jiuwei gradually grew accustomed to this silent companionship. At first, she was a little reserved, but later she relaxed. She would keep tea warm on the stove and prepare some of his favorite light snacks. They still didn't talk much, but the invisible barrier between them disappeared in their daily silent interaction. The warm room was often filled only with the crackling of the charcoal fire and the soft rustling of turning pages; the air was no longer stagnant, but rather flowed with a strange peace and tacit understanding.
That evening, Xin Jiuwei was practicing calligraphy in the warm pavilion. Xiao Xun pushed open the door and came in, bringing with him a chill from outside, and a hint of weariness between his brows.
"Your Highness." Xin Jiuwei put down her pen and stood up.
"Hmm." Xiao Xun responded, took off his cloak, which was damp with cold air, and handed it to Xin Kui. He then walked to the brazier to warm his hands. His gaze swept over the calligraphy copybooks spread out on the desk and the several sheets of Xuan paper that Xin Jiuwei had copied.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
