Life in Jiangnan flowed by like a gentle stream, seemingly calm on the surface, but with subtle changes taking place beneath, thanks to Crown Prince Xiao Chengjing's visit, which kept his "three-day promise."
Shen Yuewei had been having a poor appetite lately. Although her morning sickness had subsided, she still felt a bland taste in her mouth. That afternoon, Xiao Chengjing came as usual and keenly noticed that she had little interest in the lunch that Zhang Mama had carefully prepared, only managing to drink a few sips of soup.
He didn't say anything, sat for a while, and then took his leave. Shen Yuewei assumed he was busy with official duties and didn't think much of it.
To everyone's surprise, there was a gentle knock on the courtyard gate at dusk. Chun Tao opened the door, and there stood Xiao Chengjing's taciturn and trusted guard, holding a steaming food box.
"His Highness ordered this to be delivered to Miss Chen." The guard said succinctly, put down the food box, and withdrew.
The food box was opened, revealing a bowl of clear, warm chicken and corn soup, several refreshing and appetizing Jiangnan side dishes, and a small dish of perfectly pickled plums. The soup was fragrant, the corn was soft and sticky, and the chicken was finely minced; its flavor was warm and delicious, instantly whetting Shen Yuewei's appetite. Before she knew it, she had drunk most of the soup, feeling soothed and much more refreshed.
“Miss, this…” Chun Tao exclaimed in surprise.
Shen Yuewei looked at the empty bowl, a slight tremor in her heart. He even noticed this? And went out of his way to have it made and sent over? This meticulous care was completely different from his indifferent attitude towards her dietary preferences at the family banquet in her previous life.
That night, Shen Yuewei did not sleep well.
In a half-dream, half-awake state, she seemed to have returned to the Eastern Palace's sleeping quarters in her previous life. During her pregnancy, with a poor appetite, she tossed and turned, only to be told by a maid, "His Highness has already retired to the study."
However, in the blurry corner of her dream, she seemed to "see" a familiar figure standing quietly outside the bedroom window in the dead of night, whispering something to the palace maid on night duty.
The next day, a bowl of warm, sweet soup with calming herbs appeared on her desk, along with several plates of candied fruits she often ate in Jiangnan during her childhood. At the time, however, she was immersed in resentment and bitterness, assuming it was just a routine preparation by the imperial kitchen, never giving it much thought…
Dreams and reality intertwined. When Shen Yuewei awoke, her pillow was slightly damp. The moonlight outside the window was like water. She stroked her now much calmer belly and realized for the first time clearly: perhaps Xiao Chengjing in her past life wasn't entirely indifferent? Were those details she had overlooked, those hidden acts of care, ever truly real? Were they merely blinded by misunderstanding and resentment?
Xiao Chengjing seems to have found a "new way" to get along with Shen Yuewei—by giving her books.
Knowing she loved reading, he would occasionally send her travelogues, essays, and even interesting storybooks, all carefully selected for their lighthearted content, devoid of any obscurity or stimulating elements. Sometimes, he would also slip in a book or two on childcare and health, claiming it was "recommended by Imperial Physician Zhang."
Shen Yuewei was a little awkward at first, but she gradually got used to it. When she had nothing to do, she would browse through the books under the eaves, which helped to pass the time.
One day, when Xiao Chengjing came, he saw her frowning as she looked at a chess manual, with an unfinished game on the table, clearly pondering it alone.
"Do you like playing chess?" he asked.
Shen Yuewei nodded: "I know a little, it's just to pass the time." In her previous life in the Eastern Palace, she had also tried to get closer to him in this way, but he always refused her with the excuse of being "busy with official duties".
Xiao Chengjing sat down opposite her, his slender fingers picking up a black piece: "Shall I play a game with you?"
Shen Yuewei was slightly taken aback, then nodded in agreement.
The two played chess. Xiao Chengjing's style was steady and grand, progressing step by step; Shen Yuewei, on the other hand, was meticulous and adept at setting traps. The game became increasingly intense, and Shen Yuewei gradually became engrossed in it, sometimes frowning in thought, sometimes her eyes brightening at a brilliant move. Xiao Chengjing's gaze, however, was mostly fixed on her focused and expressive face. He found it more interesting to observe the genuine emotions she displayed as the game unfolded than to deal with court intrigues.
At the end of the game, Shen Yuewei lost by a narrow margin, but she was still eager for more, her face flushed with the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent: "Your Highness's chess skills are superb, Yuewei admires you."
"Your strategy was brilliant, but you were a little too hasty in the middle game," Xiao Chengjing commented, his tone unusually gentle. Looking into her bright eyes, a soft spot softened in his heart. This Shen Yuewei was vibrant and alive, no longer the blurry, resentful figure he remembered.
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