After Wei Huaixu left, Qingying sat under the candlelight and carefully examined the jade token in her hand.
The jade is entirely milky white, with wisps of smoky purple. The carving is exquisite, and the coiled dragon is lifelike. This is a rare piece of smoky purple jade; it's unlikely that you can find another one like it in the entire Eastern Lin Kingdom.
He just gave it to her so easily?
Qingying gently caressed the jade-like body, feeling the cool and delicate touch between her fingers.
She felt that Wei Huaixu might genuinely like her. If it was merely to secure her position, such feigned compliance would be less effective than directly requesting an imperial decree from the Emperor to grant them marriage.
Why doesn't she just trust him this once?
As she thought this, the dark clouds that had been weighing on her heart seemed to gradually dissipate.
She smiled happily and carefully put the jade token away.
I had a good night's sleep.
The next day, Qingying was sunbathing in the courtyard when Liu Chengfeng walked in carrying a chicken.
She stared at the chicken still flapping its wings, and jumped onto the chair in fright. "Brother, what are you doing?!"
Liu Chengfeng quickly hid the chicken behind his back, scratched his head, and said with a simple smile, "This is a chicken that Dongchen and I bought from a farmhouse in Hushi Town outside the city. I heard that free-range chickens taste very fresh, so I thought I would buy a cage of them to help you get better."
"One cage?"
"Yes, this is just one of them. The rest are still in my yard. You take this one to your small kitchen and stew it. I'll take another one to Grandma later."
Qingying swallowed hard, waved her hand, and told Yuyue to take the chicken to the kitchen. She then got off the chair, patted her still pounding heart, and complained, "Brother, you really know I'm afraid of these biting creatures, yet you still used them to scare me."
"How could this chicken bite?"
"How could I not? Have you forgotten the time when I was seven years old and was chased all over the yard by chickens at my maternal grandparents' house?"
Liu Chengfeng slapped his forehead in annoyance, "Look at my memory."
Qingying smiled and teased, "Brother has always been forgetful. I wonder if he'll still remember his little sister after he gets married."
"What are you saying, Shushu? You are my sister. Even if you get married in the future, you will still be my sister. How could I, as your older brother, not miss you?" he said, affectionately patting Qingying's head.
Qingying's smile froze on her face. "Brother caught a chicken and didn't wash his hands!"
"Uh..." Liu Chengfeng's smile froze, and his hands froze as well.
"Aaaaaah! I just washed my hair yesterday!!"
"I'm so sorry, I forgot. Shushu, please don't be angry, please don't ignore me..."
...
Her freshly washed hair was still damp. Qingying, dressed in thin clothes and barefoot, lay on a bench in the courtyard, holding a copy of "Sushui Family Etiquette" in her hands. Her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
The weather after the start of summer was mild. She tilted her head slightly, and the dappled sunlight shone through the layers of green leaves, giving her pale, slightly sickly skin a soft, rough edge.
Granny Zhang sat on the veranda outside the house, a winnowing basket on her lap containing medicinal herbs. She carefully cleaned the herbs, removing any weeds mixed in, occasionally glancing up at the other side of the room.
Yu Yue, standing to the side, asked with some concern, "Won't the young lady catch a chill again?"
"Let her be. She's only fourteen. Her body has already bound her. We can't let her lose even this little bit of freedom."
She didn't say anything more.
Not long after, Tong Xia returned from outside, carrying a small cage in her hand, inside which was a pure white cat.
"Look, girl!" she said, as if seeking praise, as she brought the cage to Qingying's front.
"What is this?" Qingying put down the book in her hand and was about to get out of bed.
Granny Zhang immediately reminded her, "Miss, you should wear shoes and not walk barefoot."
She then put on her shoes and approached the cage.
"This cat is so beautiful."
A tiny, snow-white creature huddled in its cage. It had a pair of very special bi-colored eyes: its left blue eye was crystal clear, while its right yellow eye shone with golden light, clear and transparent. Its fur was long and soft, and it had a big head, round eyes, pointed ears, and long legs. It was absolutely adorable.
Tong Xia said, "This is a cat given to us by His Highness the Crown Prince. It's called Chiyu. It was bought from a merchant from the Western Regions in Jing City. The servant who brought it said that Chiyu is priceless. His Highness the Crown Prince must have gone to great lengths to acquire it."
"His Highness the Crown Prince?" Granny Zhang frowned and said, "He's been sending things to our residence every few days, could it be..."
She looked at Qingying, and for a moment she was speechless.
Qingying teased Chiyu in the cage and said softly, "So cute, let me give you a name, how about... White Deer?"
"Let the white deer roam freely among the green cliffs, and when the time comes, ride to visit famous mountains. Although I cannot take you to visit all the famous mountains and rivers, if possible, I hope to take you to see more of the world in the future."
Granny Zhang was surprised that she accepted the Crown Prince's gift without hesitation, and without even the slightest surprise, as if... she knew he would send it.
When did the young lady become so familiar with the Crown Prince?
While she was still racking her brains trying to figure it out, Qingying had already taken the cat into her arms.
Granny Zhang hurriedly put down the winnowing basket and rushed forward to stop her, "Miss has a lung disease, she absolutely cannot have close contact with the cat!"
Qingying knew that Granny Zhang meant well, so she could only reluctantly put the kitten down.
This was something she had finally managed to get from Wei Huaixu after much pleading.
When she first mentioned wanting to get a cat, Wei Huaixu immediately refused. Later, she was always saddened, saying that when she was young, she had picked up a stray kitten, which her mother had thrown away. It was winter then, and by the time she found it, the kitten had frozen to death, which is why she has always felt regret.
In the end, Wei Huaixu couldn't persuade her otherwise and finally agreed. Unexpectedly, it was delivered just a few days later.
Even though Lady Pan objected, she dared not dispose of the cat that His Highness the Crown Prince had given her.
This could be considered a little bit of rebellion within her years of being docile and obedient.
That night, Wei Huaixu came again.
Qingying was waiting by the window early on. When she saw him, she smiled brightly: "Axu is a quarter of an hour later than usual today."
"Something came up on the way and I was delayed." He took out a paper package from behind his back and said with a smile, "Guess what's inside?"
Qingying leaned closer and sniffed, then exclaimed with delight, "Plum yogurt?"
He tapped her delicate nose and teased, "You little dog's nose, so sensitive?"
"I smelled a slightly burnt, sour smell."
She took the paper package, opened it, and saw small plums, each one coated with a fine layer of sugar frosting after being roasted, and tasted sweet and sour.
Qingying picked up a pearl and put it in her mouth, then took another one and held it to his lips.
Wei Huaixu opened his mouth and ate it without hesitation.
"Is it good?" she asked.
"tasty."
Qingying smiled sweetly, ate another one, and then suddenly remembered something and said, "Wait for me a moment."
Before Wei Huaixu could react, she put down the paper bag and ran away.
A short while later, Qingying returned, carrying a folding fan in her hand.
"I've received so many things from you, I should at least give you something in return."
He took it and opened it, examining it in the dim candlelight. The white fan was painted with distant mountains, green pines, and flying cranes, grand and quite charming.
He asked, "Who painted this?"
"I drew it myself."
Wei Huaixu couldn't help but be a little surprised: "You drew this?"
She nodded and asked with a smile, "Do you like it?"
"Of course." He carefully folded the fan and put it away, as if it were a precious treasure. "I never expected you to be such a good painter. I have seen many great painters in the capital, and some of their works are not as good as yours. If your talent were to spread, you would surely be named the most talented woman in the capital."
"I dare not accept such praise, Your Highness is too kind."
She had barely finished speaking when a shout came from afar: "Assassin! Catch the assassin!"
The two were startled almost simultaneously.
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