Two weeks later.
In autumn, the ginkgo leaves at Lingyin Temple in Yingzhou are falling in abundance.
Xin Jiuwei leaned against the window, watching a golden leaf twirl and drift down beside the inkstone.
Xiao Xun was bent over his desk reviewing memorials sent from a neighboring country. The tip of his wolf-hair brush rustled on the paper. He would stop every now and then to cough—the wound from blocking the sword that day had indeed left him with a lingering ailment.
"Stop looking." She reached out and snatched the memorial from my hand, pushing a bowl of steaming medicine towards me. "You promised me you wouldn't concern yourself with state affairs for the next two weeks."
Xiao Xun looked up, a smile spreading across his eyes: "Madam is right."
He took the bowl of medicine and drank it all in one gulp without even flinching, but his expression changed when he saw the medicine on her fingertips. "Did you burn yourself?"
Before Xin Jiuwei could pull her hand away, he had already put her fingertips into his mouth.
The warm touch made her ears burn, and she quickly pulled her hand away: "Don't be so delicate." She then pulled a gold-embossed invitation from her sleeve. "This is from my sister. She says there's a poetry gathering at Panyue Tower today at noon."
"You want to go?" Xiao Xun picked up a ginkgo leaf that had fallen on her shoulder, his fingertips brushing against her neck unintentionally.
"I didn't want to go originally, but Xue Yingxue..." Xin Jiuwei snorted, "It's been a long time since I've seen her. I heard she's climbed up to the Prince of Ruyang's heir, and she specially sent twelve invitations to make sure we received them."
Xiao Xun chuckled and pulled her to sit on his lap: "Then let's go."
He removed a slightly crooked jade hairpin from her hair and, as if by magic, produced another gold hairpin shaped like a ginkgo leaf from his sleeve. "The lady must have a chance to vent her anger."
Xin Jiuwei looked at herself in the bronze mirror. The gold hairpin gleamed in the sunlight, and the veins of the leaves were clearly visible. It was the one she liked the most.
She suddenly turned around and grabbed Xiao Xun's collar: "When did you steal it? I clearly hid it in..."
Before she could finish speaking, her lips were sealed by his. Xiao Xun's kiss carried the bitterness of medicine, yet it was more intoxicating than any honey. Only when Qing Yuan's cough came from outside the window did she blush and push Xiao Xun away.
"Your Highness, the things you asked me to deliver have arrived." Qingyuan bowed her head, handed over a food box, and fled as if she were flying away.
The food box contained six pieces of osmanthus cake, the very flavor from her favorite shop.
"You even remember this?" Xin Jiuwei asked.
"You can't even remember such a small thing? What do you need me for, Madam?" Xiao Xun smiled, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and brought it to Xin Jiuwei's lips. "Want to try some?"
Xin Jiuwei took a bite, and the flavor of the osmanthus cake melted in her mouth. She smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "It's delicious. You should try some too."
Xiao Xun stared at him, his eyes darkening slightly. "Alright, then I'll try it."
As he spoke, he bent down and kissed Xin Jiuwei's lips again.
After a long while, he stepped back, a smile on his lips, "Yes, it is indeed delicious."
Xin Jiuwei's face flushed again. She didn't say anything, but just gently punched him.
Xiao Xun took her hand and kissed it. "Aren't you going to a banquet? I'll help you choose your clothes."
"Okay." Xin Jiuwei smiled again, and Xiao Xun pulled her up. The two of them went to pick out dresses together.
Even at night, Panyue Tower was still bustling with people. Xin Jiuwei specially chose a simple moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with only a few dark ginkgo leaves embroidered on the cuffs.
Xiao Xun wore his usual dark blue long robe, with the snow lotus jade pendant hanging from his waist.
"Miss Xin, it's been a long time."
As soon as I stepped into the flower hall, a familiar, aloof voice drifted over.
Xue Yingxue, a far cry from her usual deliberately plain appearance, was now dressed in a vibrant crimson dress with gold accents, a string of thumb-sized South China Sea pearls around her neck. She was arm-in-arm with a richly dressed young man, saying, "I thought you were enjoying a life of luxury in the capital with the Sixth Prince. Why are you back in our little town?"
Xin Jiuwei smiled slightly: "Yingzhou has beautiful mountains and rivers; even the pearls here are rounder than those from other places."
She glanced meaningfully at Xue Yingxue's necklace, "It's a pity the dyeing technique is a bit lacking; the pink blush looks too deliberate."
Xue Yingxue's expression changed, and the Prince of Ruyang immediately chimed in, "Young lady has a good eye, but this is indeed a tribute pearl from the South China Sea, a gift from His Majesty to my father..."
"Your Highness, please be careful with your words," Xiao Xun suddenly spoke up. "The South China Sea was hit by a hurricane last year, and all pearl farms were wiped out. How can there be any new tribute?"
He tapped the jade pendant at his waist lightly with his fingertips. "A batch of gold pearls has recently appeared in the East Sea. I'll send some to my wife to play with another day."
The young master was speechless. Seeing this, Xue Yingxue immediately changed the subject: "I heard that Miss Xin is getting engaged? The other party seems to be... your maternal cousin?" She covered her mouth and chuckled, "The young ladies have been picking and choosing, and none of the young men in Yingzhou City have met Miss Xin's standards. They thought she was going to marry into a noble family, but it seems she's going to marry into her cousin's family after all. Well—"
She paused, seemingly unintentionally, "When it comes to marriage, being too picky can actually lead to missing out on many opportunities."
The flower hall fell silent. Xin Jiuwei frowned, thinking that Xue Yingxue was still the same as ever. Her sister and cousin were clearly in love, but she described it as something pitiful and forced.
Just then, her sister and Qi Huaihe came in through the side door.
Xin Xiyao wore a light blue dress today, with only a bamboo-shaped jade hairpin in her hair, truly elegant and refined. Qi Huaihe followed behind her, holding an open brocade box in his hands, inside which lay a pair of jade bracelets.
"...The quality of this jade bracelet is terrible," Xin Xiyao pointed critically at it. "The color is uneven too."
Qi Huaihe nodded good-naturedly, "Yes, yes, yes, we'll go to Yuxuan Pavilion again tomorrow." Looking up and seeing Xin Jiuwei, he was immediately overjoyed, "Wei'er, come quickly and persuade your sister! She's already chosen seven or eight places..."
Xue Yingxue interjected sarcastically, "Young Master Qi is indeed devoted, but his taste is rather poor. Someone like Miss Xin deserves a better match..."
"What should we pair it with?" Xin Jiuwei interrupted coldly.
"To be matched with someone like me." Qi Huaihe replied with a smile, glancing at Xue Yingxue with feigned curiosity, "Ayao, who is this lady?"
Xin Xiyao said calmly, "This is Miss Yingxue from the family of General Xue."
Xue Yingxue was already engaged to the Prince of Ruyang's family, but Xin Xiyao still only introduced her as the last descendant of the Xue family, which greatly displeased Xue Yingxue.
Just as she was about to speak, Qi Huaihe bowed respectfully and said:
"So it's Miss Xue. I haven't been in Yingzhou for long and don't recognize everyone. Please forgive me, Miss Xue."
His words were pointed, and Xue Yingxue's face immediately turned somewhat ugly, while Xin Xiyao and her sister exchanged a glance, both of them almost bursting into laughter.
Don't let his calm and polite demeanor fool you, my cousin is just as cunning as Xiao Xun!
The heir apparent of the Prince of Ruyang quickly smoothed things over: "Let's not waste such a beautiful moment at today's poetry gathering. How about we choose autumn as the theme..."
"Your humble servant greets Your Highness the Sixth Prince!" A booming voice suddenly rang out from the doorway. The Prefect of Yingzhou, accompanied by a group of officials, rushed over and knelt down in unison, "We were unaware of Your Highness's arrival and have failed to greet you properly!"
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