When Wei Huaixu's palm enveloped the little girl's hand, he felt the smooth and soft skin against his palm, and she carried a pleasant, light, and sweet fragrance of orchids.
Just like her as a person.
His heart started racing, and his ears felt slightly hot.
He tried to stop himself from daydreaming, his phoenix eyes fixed on the bronze kettle not far away. He took her hand, raised it, aimed, and threw it.
Qingying watched as the arrow left her finger, arced gracefully, and landed right in the center of the pot, spinning once inside.
"It...it's a hit!" Qingying's eyes widened.
Wei Huaixu stepped aside, stood beside her, and nodded with a smile, "Yes, you passed."
"Wow! That's great! Hahaha, I made it!" She laughed out loud with joy, completely forgetting her composure as a noble lady.
Princess Yongning, who was sitting by the flower bed not far away eating fruit, looked in their direction, her eyes crinkling into a smile, and said softly, "So this is what the Crown Prince likes. Tsk tsk, he can do this to someone so young."
...
Qingying only stayed at Yongning Residence for an hour before taking her leave.
Wei Huaixu left with her, riding a tall, black steed, escorting her carriage.
After pondering for a moment, Qingying lifted the carriage curtain and peeked out half her face, asking, "Isn't Your Highness returning to the palace?"
The direction to the General's Mansion is opposite to the direction to the Imperial Palace. She refused his escort from the beginning, but he wouldn't listen.
"I have some business to attend to, and we'll be going the same way."
She swallowed hard and whispered, "But what you're doing... I'm afraid it's inappropriate."
After all, she was still an unmarried girl, and being escorted back to the mansion by a stranger could be used as a pretext by those with ulterior motives.
Wei Huaixu wasn't stupid; how could he not understand what she meant?
He pursed his lips and said helplessly, "Are you so afraid of being associated with me?"
"No, I..."
"Don't worry, once we're out of the alley and in a crowded area, I'll leave on my own."
Qingying breathed a sigh of relief when he said that.
Actually, she wasn't afraid of what others would say about her; she was just afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the General's Mansion.
Just as she was about to lower the curtain, Wei Huaixu suddenly said, "Wait."
She stopped what she was doing. "Is there anything else, Your Highness?"
Wei Huaixu pulled out a cloth bag from somewhere, handed it over, and said, "This is for you."
She paused for a moment, then didn't take it. "Why is Your Highness sending me something again?"
"I know that tomorrow is your birthday." Seeing her frown, he quickly explained, "I know you don't celebrate your birthday, so I chose to give it to you in advance today as a token of my affection, is that alright?"
He looked at her with a sincere expression, his dark, bright eyes filled with a pleading expectation.
Faced with such a gaze, Qingying couldn't bring herself to refuse.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
She finally reached out and took the cloth bag.
Wei Huaixu's face was visibly happy, his smile revealing his white teeth, and even the mole at the corner of his eye seemed to glow.
"Go back to your residence and take another look. The alley is just ahead. I can only take you this far. I will come to see you again when I have time in a couple of days."
After saying that, he rode away.
Qingying gazed in the direction he had left until he was out of sight, then lowered the curtain and looked down at the cloth bag in her hand.
The apricot-yellow cloth, embroidered with a warbler perched on a branch, is a color that symbolizes nobility and is reserved for royalty.
She sighed and tucked it into her sleeve.
She said to Yu Yue beside her, "What happened today must not be told to anyone. Not only you, but even Granny Zhang is not allowed to speak of it. Do you understand?"
Yu Yue nodded. "Understood."
That night, Qingying took the cloth bag out again when she was about to go to bed.
When you open it, there's only a bracelet inside. It's made of red rope and has no extra decorations. It's just adorned with two emerald green beads. It looks ordinary, even a bit ugly.
She thought there might be something else inside, but when she turned the bag over, it was empty; there really was only this bracelet.
Why did the Crown Prince give her this?
Qingying was completely baffled.
I simply stopped thinking about it.
She locked the bracelet and cloth bag together in the box where she had saved her money.
...
Two more peaceful days passed.
That day, Qingying was pruning flowers and plants in the courtyard when Mumian, who was by Pan's side, rushed over to announce: "Miss, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived. Madam wants you to wash and change before meeting him in the main hall."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince?!"
She suddenly remembered that he had said he would come to see her again when he had time a couple of days ago. She thought he would come by the window at night as usual, but this time he came openly and honestly.
Not daring to keep him waiting, Qingying could only temporarily put aside what she was doing and immediately went inside to change her clothes and do her makeup.
Upon arriving at the reception hall, they saw three people sitting inside: the old lady Wang, the general's wife Pan, and the crown prince Wei Huaixu.
Qingying stepped forward and greeted each of them, and was then offered a seat.
Wei Huaixu sat in the head seat, still wearing a gentle smile, but his eyes were deep and unfathomable.
"Is Miss Liu feeling any better?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am much better now."
"You look quite well. I've come here today on behalf of the Empress Dowager. She knows you're in poor health, so she specially found some nourishing medicinal herbs for me to deliver over. I've already given them to Madam Liu."
Qingying immediately stood up to express her gratitude.
He waved his hand and said, "No need to thank me, thank the Empress Dowager."
Just as Qingying was puzzled, an invitation was delivered to her. The eunuch in charge said, "The Empress Dowager is preparing to hold a banquet at Fanghua Palace on the fifth day of the fifth month. She hopes that you, young lady, can attend."
Qingying accepted the invitation and said, "Thank you for your trouble, sir. I will arrive on time."
Wei Huaixu then stood up and said, "The things have been delivered and the person has been met. I still have some matters to attend to, so I will not stay any longer."
The group rose and bowed, saying, "Respectfully seeing off Your Highness."
As soon as Wei Huaixu left, the old lady dismissed everyone around her, leaving only the three of them in the room.
Madam Pan frowned and asked, "Is the Empress Dowager preparing to choose a wife for the Crown Prince?"
Wang's gaze was fixed on Qingying, her expression serious and her tone slightly cold: "When did you get involved with the Crown Prince?"
Qingying tightened her grip on the handkerchief, lowered her head, and admitted, "We met by chance at the Spring Appreciation Banquet."
She didn't dare mention the Tibetans at Chongfu Temple, for fear of adding fuel to the fire.
Pan asked in surprise, "Didn't you say you were with the Crown Prince? How come the Crown Prince is also there?"
“It was His Highness the Crown Prince who first invited me to Qinyu Tower for tea…” She swallowed and added, “But during that time, I did not do anything inappropriate with him.”
Wang knew her well enough to know that she wasn't the type to act recklessly. She sighed helplessly, "Alas, it's all over now. There's no use dwelling on the past. Since the Crown Prince is interested in you, we can't stop him. We just don't know what the Empress Dowager's attitude is."
Madam Pan said, "Since the Empress Dowager sent the Crown Prince to personally deliver the tonics, she must be satisfied with Shushu."
"How do you know this isn't a warning?" Madam Wang glanced at her and said, "Do I need to tell you the principle that a tall tree catches the wind?"
Pan opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't utter a rebuttal.
Wang said, "Let's make good preparations these next few days. We can't offend the Empress Dowager. We'll know her intentions at the banquet."
"Yes," the mother and daughter replied in unison.
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