Li Chenjiao rolled her eyes at Qiu Ci, then looked at Qiu Hu first: "Why are you in such a panic?"
Qiu Hu took a breath: "The gatekeeper said that Eunuch Su instructed that Fourth Master is in a bad mood right now."
No wonder Qiu Hu was in such a panic.
Li Chenjiao asked another question: "Did Fourth Master return to his residence after returning to the capital?"
Qiu Hu thought for a moment: "The gatekeeper said that Fourth Master seems to have returned from the palace."
Li Chenjiao said "Oh," and quickly thought of Consort De in the palace.
Li Chenjiao did not make a special effort to welcome them. She simply told the two maids not to rush to put away the painting tools on the small couch, and then moved to the corridor to watch the two maids prune the withered branches.
After spring arrived, the bonsai under the eaves and the newly planted flowers in the yard all grew well.
Li Chenjiao was not given careful watering by the two maids, yet she still grew very well.
Li Chenjiao liked to stand under the corridor for a whole morning whenever she had nothing to do.
When Li Chenjiao was watching the maid pruning the withered branches, the Fourth Master arrived.
After not seeing him for more than ten days, the Fourth Master did look thinner. His dark python robe was probably covered in mud from the journey, and his complexion was visibly poor, though it was certainly not because of the mud on his robe.
Li Chenjiao pretended to have just noticed the arrival of the Fourth Master, and her voice was full of joy as she spoke: "Master is back? This servant heard the magpies chirping under the eaves this morning, and waited all day hoping to find some silver in the yard. It turns out that the good news is that the Fourth Master is back."
Li Chenjiao's words were cleverly chosen, but her smile was too genuine, and her words sounded so true, as if they were indeed true.
Fourth Master kept his lips pressed together and didn't speak until he reached the covered walkway, then he said, "What are you doing standing outside? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
You could sense the Fourth Prince's displeasure from his tone.
The two maids who were pruning the dead branches slowed down a bit, inwardly worried for their princess.
Li Chenjiao naturally knew that Fourth Master's anger was not because of her, yet she could still smile radiantly.
“In spring, plants grow well, but some dead branches cannot be left, otherwise they will hinder the growth of new buds.”
Fourth Master glanced at the withered branches pruned on the ground and suddenly asked, "Just because they're old, does that mean they're no longer worth keeping?"
Li Chenjiao paused, walked over and picked up the withered branch from the ground: "This servant remembers the saying, 'The silkworm spins silk until death, the candle burns until it turns to ash.' This withered branch was pruned because it was useless in the bonsai, but this servant will keep it forever."
Li Chenjiao picked up the withered branch with her back to the Fourth Master, clearly knowing that the so-called withered branch and new leaves were the Fourth Master and the Fourteenth Master.
At least that's what Fourth Master thinks right now.
How can the Fourth Master be described as a withered branch at his current age?
Li Chenjiao stood up: "It just so happens that I'm annoyed by having to fold a page every time I read a storybook."
Fourth Master looked at Li Chenjiao's smiling face and said, "It's windy outside, let's go inside and talk."
Li Chenjiao knew she had coaxed the man halfway. Still clutching the withered branch, she followed the Fourth Master into the room.
As Li Chenjiao walked, she turned back and instructed, "Fourth Master doesn't like sweets, so prepare a dish of candied fruit. I'll still drink crabapple blossom tea, and serve Fourth Master the Meijiang Cui Pian tea he brought last time."
Fourth Master walked ahead, listening to Li Chenjiao's soft, coquettish voice instructing the servants.
Fourth Master never reveals his likes or dislikes; these habits were naturally figured out by Li Chenjiao herself.
Fourth Master didn't feel that his likes and dislikes were being spied on; on the contrary, he truly felt Li Chenjiao's concern for him.
There was still a smell of paint inside.
Fourth Master casually asked, "Painting?"
Li Chenjiao cleared a space in front of the small couch: "With the continuous spring rain, I don't like to go outside. Although I am stupid, I still find some enjoyment in it."
The Fourth Prince glanced at the painting: "The spring grass is a deep green, such a color is quite fitting for the season."
Li Chenjiao's eyes darted around, and she picked up her brush, dipped it in pale yellow paint, and used it to embellish the spring willows: "Pale yellow is also a bright color in spring."
The Fourth Prince, completely unaware of what was happening, simply nodded slightly in agreement.
Li Chenjiao made this stroke, then turned her brush around, pondered for a long time, and finally turned to the peach-pink paint.
Fourth Master took another unopened vermilion brush and used it to support Li Chenjiao's wrist as a way of stopping her.
"Peach pink is all the same, this painting is going to be ruined by this one stroke."
Li Chenjiao slowly raised her eyes, her gaze full of teasing: "A beauty is like a peach blossom in spring, how could she be a flaw?"
Fourth Master could now easily understand that Li Chenjiao was teasing him about Xie Gege. He put on a stern face and scolded her, "Nonsense."
Li Chenjiao laughed again: "Yes, yes, this servant shouldn't boast. This servant is just a plain and unremarkable person."
These words sound as if the Fourth Prince himself had misunderstood that Li Chenjiao was hinting at something about Xie Gege.
Li Chenjiao was undoubtedly a silver tongue. The Fourth Master straightened up from the small couch and couldn't help but pinch Li Chenjiao's cheek.
"Only I can tolerate your mouth."
That's true, but Li Chenjiao only acts recklessly in front of the Fourth Master.
After laughing and joking, Li Chenjiao put down her paintbrush and raised her hand to support her chin: "I was fortunate enough to meet Princess Xie once when she came to the manor. I'm not lying, Princess Xie is only a little bit inferior to me."
As Li Chenjiao spoke, she raised her other hand and made a gesture that said "just a little bit more".
Only Li Chenjiao could say something like that. When Fourth Master heard Li Chenjiao's words, he couldn't hide the smile on his face: "Yes, yes, yes, just a little bit short."
Fourth Master's mood has improved.
Just then, two maids came up with cakes and tea.
Li Chenjiao pushed the candied fruit towards Fourth Master, but didn't dwell on Xie Gege's matter, quickly changing the subject: "Is Wutai Mountain fun?"
The Fourth Prince took a sip of tea, seemingly unsurprised that the little princess only knew how to play: "The Southern Tour is more interesting."
Fourth Master's words truly came from the bottom of his heart.
The two became increasingly familiar and natural with each other, unlike the relationship between a prince and a princess, but more like a casual chat between close friends.
Fourth Master liked these moments when he didn't have so much to think about.
He smiled more often when he was with Li Chenjiao, and each time it was a genuine smile from the heart.
Too lazy to spare any time, Fourth Master also picked up another brush while Li Chenjiao was painting.
A light drizzle had started falling outside, occasionally pattering against the small window in the wind.
The two people inside seemed quite at ease.
Everything was no longer noisy, and nothing was bothersome anymore.
The two maids watched the spring rain from outside and couldn't help but sigh, "Spring rain is as precious as oil; this year will surely bring a good harvest."
In this kind of weather, the servants naturally witnessed the interactions between their own princess and the fourth master.
Naturally, they were genuinely happy for their princess.
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