Today, Wei Huaixu walked in gracefully, dressed in a scarlet, wide-sleeved robe, exuding a dignified yet slightly unrestrained and wicked charm.
It was the first time Qingying had seen such a bright color on him, and she was slightly amazed.
He has a pair of very beautiful phoenix eyes, slightly narrow and long, with round eyes and slightly upturned corners, and his smile is captivating.
As he approached, the two bowed and greeted him.
Princess Yongning stepped forward first, smiling, and said, "Why is Crown Prince so late? Miss Liu was already getting ready to go back."
“Perfect, I can take her back on the way.”
Princess Yongning pouted and said with dissatisfaction, "Well, you're so good to me. You want to get rid of me after you've used me."
Wei Huaixu took his seat at the head of the table. "No, I haven't taken advantage of you in the slightest."
"you……"
He didn't take advantage of her; he simply told her directly: "Tomorrow, the Liu family's maid will come to your residence. Go to the imperial kitchen and get some things to entertain her. Don't mistreat her, so as not to lose face."
Then she went to the imperial kitchen, where a cook handed her a food box filled with food, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince had specifically instructed her to do so.
Her relationship with Wei Huaixu was quite close; over the years, she had never seen him care so much for any other woman.
Her gaze swept back and forth between the two of them, gradually becoming unfathomable.
“Your Highness is not young anymore. Yesterday, the Empress Dowager mentioned your marriage. She said she would choose an auspicious day to hold a palace banquet and invite eligible young women from noble families or prestigious clans to come and be introduced to you.”
Qingying pinched her fingers and turned to look at him.
His expression remained unchanged. He lightly tapped the teacup in front of him with his long, slender, and fair fingers, and said, "My fourth brother is not married yet, why should I be in such a hurry?"
His Majesty is nearly fifty years old. Apart from the three deceased princes (the eldest, sixth, and tenth princes), he still has nine sons, with Wei Huaixu being the fifth. Currently, only the second and third princes are married.
"The Royal Grandmother's place..."
"I will reply to her myself." He glanced at Qingying, clapped his hands, and stood up.
Princess Yongning looked at him: "You're leaving so soon after you arrived?"
Wei Huaixu glanced at her, curled his lips, and said, "What's the point of sitting here? Let's go play pitch-pot."
"Alright." Princess Yongning pulled Qingying up, took her hand, and acted as intimately as if they were longtime best friends. "I wonder if Miss Liu has ever played pitch-pot?"
Qingying shook her head. "I've only ever seen my brother play with it."
There was a training ground in the General's Mansion where Liu Chengfeng practiced his skills every day. In previous years, Wei Dongchen often came to visit him. She also happened to see the two of them competing in pitch-pot when she went to visit her brother, but she had never played a part in it herself.
Wei Huaixu said, "It's alright, I'll teach you."
When they arrived at the back garden, the servants had already set up the double-handled copper kettle and marked the throwing line.
Typically, the contest is a two-person competition. Each person has a set number of arrows. They can only stand outside the line and throw their arrows at the copper pot. The person who hits the most arrows wins.
Wei Huaixu pulled an arrow from the quiver held by the servant, tossed it casually, and the arrow circled once in the middle of the quiver before falling straight in.
The movements were fluid, clean, and precise.
Princess Yongning clapped her hands and praised, "It's been a while since I last saw you, Crown Prince, your pitch-pot skills have become even more superb."
Then, she changed the subject: "But I won't admit defeat either."
She also picked up an arrow, aimed at the bronze pot, and threw it with all her might. She hit the pot, but only the rim, so she got a low score.
Wei Huaixu raised an eyebrow and said, "Yongning, you need to practice more."
Princess Yongning was not annoyed: "Your skill in playing pitch-pot is even better than that of the Prince Yu's heir, how could I possibly compare?"
Qingying watched from the side, her heart restless, and she was eager to try it out.
Wei Huaixu noticed, smiled, and beckoned to her with his finger, saying, "Come here."
She stepped forward, and he placed an arrow in her hand, saying, "Try it out first."
Qingying held the arrow, her eyes fixed on the bronze pot not far away. After examining it several times, estimating the direction, and simulating the force, she finally threw it.
However, what one sees with their own eyes is completely different from what one feels.
She didn't realize how difficult it was when she watched from the sidelines, but she only discovered its skill and power when she tried it herself, because the arrows she threw couldn't even touch the pot.
She felt somewhat embarrassed, looking at the arrows lying on the ground, only a step away from her and at least three steps away from the bronze pot, feeling that their broken and scattered state was an insult to her skills.
"Don't be discouraged, everyone's like this the first time they play." He said, and put a new arrow into Qingying's hand, saying, "Just aim carefully and throw, and you'll get better with practice."
Qingying took the arrow, her pinky finger lightly touching his index finger before separating. A warm current seemed to flow through her fingertips, filling her with confidence once more.
She stared at the pitch-pot, mimicking the throwing motion with her hands, and after a moment, she threw it out with force.
This time, he finally threw it a little further, about a fist's distance from the copper kettle.
“Good, we’re getting closer.” He handed over another arrow.
Qingying was now filled with fighting spirit. She thought that if she got a little closer each time and tried a few more times, she would eventually get the ball in.
It's just pitch-pot, how could that be difficult for her?
However, as it turns out, sometimes one cannot be blindly optimistic.
She looked at the arrows scattered all over the ground in different places, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.
Princess Yongning probably hadn't expected her to play so badly; her encouraging smile vanished. Not only did she miss every single shot, but she couldn't even touch the pot!
"It's...it's alright," Wei Huaixu continued to comfort her, but his tone lacked some confidence.
He then ordered his servants to retrieve the arrows.
Qingying then realized that she had already thrown away an entire quiver of arrows, and felt even more frustrated. She twisted her sleeves, lowered her head, and muttered, "Am I too stupid?"
Looking at the dejected girl in front of him, Wei Huaixu felt as if a dark cloud had gathered above her head.
He couldn't help but raise his hand and pat her head, coaxing her softly, "It's not that you're stupid, it's that I didn't teach you well."
Princess Yongning also came over and patted her on the shoulder, comforting her, "It's alright, Miss Liu. I was terrible at it the first time I played, I couldn't get it in no matter what I did. Guess what happened in the end? Heh~ I melted down that broken pot and made one with a big mouth, so I could get it in even with my eyes closed, hahaha."
Qingying was amused by her, "I didn't expect the princess to be so cunning."
Wei Huaixu said, "She's always like this. If she doesn't play well, she'll blame it on the distance being too far, or the spout being too small, or even the weather being bad. In short, it's never her fault."
"How could you expose my secrets like that, Crown Prince?!" Princess Yongle pouted and complained.
The atmosphere finally became lively again.
Qingying was not one to be easily discouraged. Soon, her fighting spirit was rekindled. She rolled up her sleeves, picked up her arrows, and continued to throw them.
Unfortunately, I still couldn't get the ball in after several attempts.
Just as she was contemplating whether to give up temporarily and practice secretly at home, a large, well-defined hand reached out from behind and grasped her small, slender hand holding the arrow.
Her back pressed against his hard chest, and the boy's unique, faint fragrance wafted over her. He bent over, tilted his head slightly, and his chin was only an inch away from her shoulder, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
Too close.
She had never been in such close contact with a man before, not even Liu Chengfeng.
For a moment, she forgot to think; her breathing became erratic, and her heartbeat became erratic.
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