Chapter 85: Spring Visitors Add Laughter, First Sighting Begins with a Secret Affection
The spring sun filtered through the crabapple branches, casting tiny specks of light across the bluestone slabs of the Fang Mansion courtyard. Little Swallow and Ziwei sat side by side on a stone bench beneath the wisteria trellis, watching the maids prune the branches, occasionally chatting and laughing softly. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers and the freshness of earth.
"Look at this wisteria. It's going to bloom in a few days. It'll be a shimmering purple, like a trellis full of amethysts." Little Swallow pointed at the vines twining above her head, her eyes sparkling. "When it blooms, I'll ask the kitchen to make you some wisteria cake. It's so sweet!"
Ziwei smiled and nodded, her fingertips lightly brushing the scroll on the stone table: "It sounds delicious. But you seem to be particularly concerned about food."
"Of course!" Xiaoyanzi patted her belly. "Life is all about eating and drinking! Besides, delicious food can make people feel better. Look, aren't you smiling more these days than when you first got here?"
Ziwei's cheeks flushed slightly at what she said. She lowered her head to look at the pages of the book and said softly, "Yes, I feel very safe living here. Thank you and my uncle and aunt." She paused, raised her head and looked towards the direction of the palace, her eyes filled with confusion again. "It's just... I don't know if my father..."
Xiaoyanzi's heart skipped a beat and she interrupted her quickly: "Don't think too much! Things will work out in the end! My brother has asked someone to find out, there will definitely be news." She sighed secretly in her heart. She knew who Ziwei's father was better than anyone else, but she couldn't say it out loud. She could only comfort her indirectly in this way.
As he was speaking, the butler, Uncle Fu, hurried over and bowed with a smile, "Miss, there are guests outside. They say it's the Fifth Prince, the two young masters of the Fu family, and your brother, Master Xiao Jian, who has also returned."
"Yongqi and the others are here?" Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up and she stood up immediately. "Please invite them in!" She turned to Ziwei and smiled. "They're some of my friends. They're very nice. Don't be shy."
Ziwei adjusted her dress nervously and nodded gently: "Yeah."
Soon, hearty laughter rang out from the courtyard entrance. Xiao Jian, along with Yongqi, Erkang, and Ertai, entered. Yongqi, dressed in a royal blue brocade robe, stood tall and proud, his smile bright. Erkang, in a moon-white gown, exuded a calm demeanor and a gentle gaze. Ertai, in a lake-blue casual suit, wore an uninhibited smile. All three were handsome and extraordinary.
"Little Swallow! We are here!" Yongqi was the first to greet and walked over with brisk steps.
"Why are you free today?" Xiaoyanzi greeted them with a smile, "Do you want to try some of the snacks my mom made again?"
"You still understand us the best!" Ertai joked with a smile, "I heard that the crabapple trees at the Fang Mansion are in full bloom, so I came here to enjoy the flowers and... ask for a cup of tea."
Xiao Jian walked to Xiao Yanzi, his eyes swept over her gently, and finally fell on Ziwei, nodding slightly.
Erkang's gaze froze involuntarily the moment he laid eyes on Ziwei. The girl before him wore a lavender dress, her dark hair loosely tied up, a few strands cascading down her cheeks. The sunlight shone on her fair face, making her eyes clear as water. She held a hint of shyness, yet possessed the gentle grace unique to Jiangnan women. Like an elegant ink painting, she instantly captivated him. He had never seen a woman with such pure grace before, and his heart skipped a beat.
Ziwei felt his gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly lowered her head, her fingers curled up subconsciously.
Seeing this, Xiaoyanzi hurriedly introduced them: "Ziwei, this is the Fifth Prince Yongqi, and these are the two young masters of the Fu family, Erkang and Ertai." She turned to the three of them and said, "This is my friend, Miss Ziwei, from Jinan."
"Hello, Miss Ziwei." Yongqi nodded gently, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. He felt that this girl had a quiet temperament and was very comfortable to look at.
"Miss Ziwei." Erkang retracted his gaze and tried to make his voice sound calm and natural, but the amazement in his eyes could not be hidden. "I am Fu Erkang."
"Hello, Miss Ziwei." Ertai also greeted with a smile, with curiosity in his eyes.
Ziwei knelt down and saluted gently, saying softly, "Hello, Fifth Prince, hello, Master Fu and the others."
"Please sit down!" Xiaoyanzi warmly invited everyone to sit down, and the maids quickly brought tea and exquisite snacks.
Yongqi sat down next to Xiaoyanzi and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake. "Speaking of which, we came here today because we wanted to invite you and Brother Xiao Jian to go horseback riding at the horse farm in the suburbs tomorrow. We recently received a batch of fine horses."
"Horseback riding? Great!" Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up. She loved horseback riding the most. "I'll definitely go!"
Xiao Jian smiled faintly: "I happen to be free tomorrow."
Ertai looked at Ziwei and asked with a smile, "Miss Ziwei, do you like horseback riding too? Do you want to go with me tomorrow?"
Ziwei quickly waved her hands and said shyly, "I don't know how to ride a horse, so I won't bother you guys."
Hearing this, Erkang said, "It's okay. There are docile ponies at the stable. If you want to go, I can teach you." As soon as he said this, he was stunned for a moment, not knowing why he said such a thing.
Ziwei looked up at him, and when she met his gentle gaze, her cheeks turned even redder, and she quickly lowered her head: "Thank you for your kindness, Master Fu, I... I still won't go."
Xiaoyanzi saw the clue and secretly nudged Yongqi with her elbow, winking at him to look at Erkang and Ziwei. Yongqi understood, suppressed a smile, and turned to talk to Xiaojian about the horse farm.
Erkang saw Ziwei was shy and stopped forcing her, but his eyes kept falling on her unconsciously. Seeing her eyelashes fluttering as she lowered her head to drink tea, seeing the gentle side of her face as she spoke softly, seeing her cautious look as she picked up a piece of lotus cake, he felt a corner of his heart soften, as if it was gently touched by something.
Ziwei could feel Erkang's gaze, and she felt a little flustered, yet she couldn't help but feel curious. This young master Fu looked gentle and refined, with clear eyes, unlike those slick young men she had met.
Yongqi suddenly remembered something and said to Xiaoyanzi, "Oh, by the way, last time you said you wanted to learn archery, I asked the guards to bring my little bow over. I'll let you try it out later."
"Really? That's great!" Little Swallow immediately became excited. "I've wanted to learn this for a long time!"
Ziwei looked up curiously when she heard the word "archery". Seeing this, Xiaoyanzi took her hand and said, "Ziwei, let's go to the martial arts arena later. I'll show you archery!"
Ziwei smiled and nodded: "Okay."
They chatted and laughed for a while in the courtyard, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Ziwei gradually relaxed and occasionally said a few words to everyone. Her gentle voice and quiet temperament made Erkang feel that the girl in front of him was as charming as a clear spring.
Ziwei watched the crowd chatting and laughing before her, feeling a surge of emotion. Especially when she saw Yongqi, she kept thinking of the vague mention of "royal family" in her mother's letter. This Fifth Prince was the son of the current emperor, so... could her father also be related to the royal family? The thought made her heart skip a beat, and she quickly forced herself to suppress it, not letting the thought run wild.
She secretly looked at Yongqi and saw that he got along well with Xiaoyanzi, had a bright smile, and had the nobility of a royal child, but without arrogance. She thought to herself: If... if my father was really in the royal family, I wonder if he would be so gentle?
Xiaoyanzi keenly noticed the strange look Ziwei gave Yongqi, and understood what was happening. She quickly interrupted with a smile, "Let's go, let's go to the martial arts arena! I want to show you how powerful I am!"
The group moved to the Fang Mansion's martial arts training grounds. Yongqi had someone bring a bow and arrow and taught Xiaoyanzi how to shoot. Xiaoyanzi learned quickly, and although her strength wasn't great, she managed to hit the target with her arrow.
"Not bad, not bad! You have talent!" Yongqi praised with a smile.
Ziwei stood aside and watched, unable to help but applaud Xiaoyanzi. Erkang stood beside her and said softly, "Little Yanzi is very lively."
Ziwei turned to look at him, smiled and nodded: "Yes, she is like a little sun, always able to make people happy."
"You are also very gentle." Erkang blurted out, but then felt a little abrupt and his ears turned slightly red.
Ziwei's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head and whispered, "Master Fu, you are too kind."
The sun shone on the martial arts arena, warming everyone's face. Xiaoyanzi's laughter, Yongqi's instructions, and Ertai's cheers intertwined. Ziwei stood aside, watching the lively and bustling scene before her, then glanced at Erkang, who smiled gently beside her. The gloom in her heart caused by the search for her father gradually dissipated.
Xiaoyanzi's figure as she drew the bow and shot the arrow was agile and nimble, Yongqi was patiently instructing her, and they occasionally smiled at each other; Ertai and Xiao Jian were chatting on the side, and were attracted by the movement in the field from time to time; Erkang and Ziwei stood side by side, and occasionally said a word or two, and the atmosphere was subtle and harmonious.
The arrival of these visitors brought a touch of joy and laughter to the Fang Mansion during the spring, and also quietly buried a few strands of young emotions, waiting to grow quietly under the warm sunshine. Little Swallow watched all this, thinking silently: Take it slow, everything will get better. Ziwei, in this life, I will definitely make sure you get what you want.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com