Chapter 26 Yan Jiarou's heart suddenly pounded...
She didn't like this feeling of being out of control, so she could only lower her head and remain silent—in this state of confusion, she dared not look at him.
She ran her fingertips along the slender flower stem, pondering what excuse she could use to extricate herself—although today's attempt had been unsuccessful and full of twists and turns, fortunately, in the end, she had still managed to obtain the peony imbued with Xiao Che's aura.
Moreover, she had stayed by Xiao Che's side for so long, and he had even held her wrist. Now she was covered in Xiao Che's scent. She believed that this contact alone would be enough to keep her from falling ill for several days, not to mention that she had also obtained the peony that was covered in Xiao Che's scent.
Now that her goal had been achieved, it was time for her to go back. Staying with Xiao Che any longer made her vaguely worried that something might happen.
She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Perhaps she simply disliked this feeling of being out of control and tense. Her heart was racing uncontrollably, accompanied by a slight feeling of suffocation and dizziness.
I never felt this way when I was with Xiao Jue.
Xiao Che, however, always managed to influence her, especially after she contracted the strange illness, she became even more afraid of contact with him.
Their relationship is currently quite delicate.
She couldn't stay any longer.
Just as she was about to say goodbye, Xiao Che suddenly asked her, "Do you know why I chose peonies for the flower-adorning ceremony?"
Yan Jiarou was taken aback, her fingers gently fiddling with the object. After thinking for a moment, she said, "...Is it because the Imperial Concubine likes it?"
Xiao Che smiled and said, "Then do you know why my mother likes peonies?"
Yan Jiarou finally looked up at him.
A look of confusion crossed his eyes.
Peonies are undeniably beautiful, but peonies are also renowned for their beauty. Why then did the imperial concubine favor peonies so much? Is there some unknown reason behind this?
Xiao Che gave her a deep look: "Just as the peony is the national flower revered by the Wei people, the peony is the flower that the Lanling people have always believed in. The Lanling people have always been loyal, so do you know what the peony represents in our Lanling people?"
Yan Jiarou hesitated and shook her head. For some reason, her heart suddenly began to beat violently and uncontrollably again. She had a premonition that peonies must have a special meaning for the Lanling people. Perhaps she shouldn't accept the peonies that Xiao Che gave her.
Xiao Che smiled slightly, put his hands behind his back, leaned slightly closer to her: "In our Lanling tribe, the peony is the flower of loyalty, representing exclusive love. Among millions of people, I love you the only one."
Yan Jiarou bit her upper lip, her cheeks inexplicably burning. Xiao Che was merely stating the meaning of peonies among the Lanling people, but when he got to the second half of the sentence, he slowed down his tone. That tender tone, especially the words "I love you alone," lingered in her ears, as if... he was saying it to her on purpose.
She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her mind: "So...so that's how it is..." Xiao Che had always disliked her, how could he possibly say such a thing to her?
Xiao Che smiled enigmatically and continued, "Then do you know what it means when a man picks a peony and gives it to a woman in the Lanling tribe?"
"I...I don't know..."
"You really don't know?" Xiao Che's smile deepened, and he raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of teasing in his eyes. "Then let me tell you..."
He moved closer to her, his warm breath brushing against her ear, his voice slightly hoarse, and said, "In our Lanling clan, the peony is not only a flower of fidelity, but also a flower of betrothal. If a man plucks a peony and gives it to a woman, and the woman happens to accept it, then the two of them are betrothed..."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted downwards to the peony in her hand, and he feigned surprise with a hiss: "Is this the peony I just picked and gave to you?"
Yan Jiarou's eyes widened, and she shook her head helplessly: "Xiao Wenqi, I...I don't know..."
"Don't know what?" Xiao Che smiled at her, his voice hoarse. "Don't you know the meaning of this peony to me, or don't you know... that I would give you a peony?"
"I……"
Yan Jiarou was completely stunned, utterly bewildered as to how things had turned out this way: "I...I don't know, Xiao Che, I can't..."
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly somewhat surprised. He had expected her to say "I don't like it," but instead she said "I can't."
However, "no" was not something he wanted to hear. Fortunately, he had already expected that she wouldn't say anything he wanted to hear either, so he didn't mind. He just smiled and moved closer to her, their breaths mingling, so close that it seemed he was about to kiss her.
Yan Jiarou's mind went blank. It was as if all the sounds around her had disappeared, and all was silent except for her own heartbeat and breathing, which became increasingly clear.
His light brown pupils reflected her dazed face. Sunlight fell into his eyes, like the first rays of the rising sun shining into a clear lake, causing shimmering gold that was captivating.
Everything before her eyes was too unbelievable. These days, she kept dreaming of Xiao Che. In her dreams, he was acting very out of character, behaving ambiguously with her. She couldn't tell whether what she was seeing was reality or a dream.
She stood there, stunned, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Just as Xiao Che was about to kiss her, he suddenly stopped, leaned close to her ear, and chuckled softly: "What's wrong? Scared stiff?"
He called her name: "Yan Jiarou." He said, "How could you be so stupid? The meaning of the peony was just something I made up on the spot. You didn't take it seriously, did you?"
Yan Jiarou slowly opened her eyes, the confusion in her eyes fading away, replaced by a look of embarrassment and anger. Her face turned bright red in an instant, and finally, she was so angry and embarrassed that she almost gritted her teeth and said, "Xiao Wenqi, you dare to lie to me!"
Xiao Che suppressed the smile on his lips, slowly straightened up, and looked at her with a deeper meaning in his eyes.
A playful glint appeared on his lips as he said, half-jokingly, "I can also be honest with you."
Yan Jiarou was stunned for a moment: "Wh...what?"
"That's a question for you, my dear sister." He lifted his eyelids, a half-smile on his face. "Do you want me to lie to you, or not?"
Yan Jiarou was stunned.
How...how is she supposed to answer that?
Of course she didn't want to be deceived by Xiao Che. She was angry that he lied to her and played her for a fool, but... but if she answered no, wouldn't that mean she hoped that what Xiao Che had just said was true? What was the difference between that and indirectly proposing to him?
Thinking of this, her face flushed even more, and she glared at him, saying, "I...I didn't know...Xiao Wenqi, you did this on purpose!"
"Don't know?" Xiao Che chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Yan Yan, you don't know anything."
Whether it was Yan Jiarou's imagination or not, when Xiao Che said those words, a hint of loneliness and self-mockery seemed to flash in his eyes.
However, she quickly realized that it must be an illusion!
The next moment, a smile crept onto Xiao Che's lips, and he reverted to his usual demeanor, a casual yet wicked grin.
"You're so angry because you were deceived? What, you really want me to tell the truth?"
"I didn't!" Yan Jiarou's chest heaved as she turned her face away, clearly genuinely angry. "If Your Highness wants to have some fun with someone, you've picked the wrong person. I'm not like Wang Ruoying or Huo Chu. You can tell them these ambiguous things, and they'll be happy to oblige—I don't need to."
Xiao Che gave an "Oh?" and slowly turned the ring on his finger: "Why are they willing to accompany you?"
He curled his lips into a smile, coaxing, "Just because they went to Taiye Pavilion today to pick up my hairpin?"
Yan Jiarou had no doubts: "Of course, why do you think they picked up your hairpin? It's because there's a custom in Wei—when a man throws a flower, if it lands on a woman, it's to express his love for her. Even if the woman picks up the flower afterward, it's a good omen, meaning that the two of them will have a good outcome in the future."
“They already liked you, and as a prince, marrying you would be a good way out for them, so naturally they flocked to you. But you never throw flowers to any of the women. If the mountain doesn't see me, I'll just go to the mountain. If you don't throw flowers to them, they'll just come and pick them up themselves—isn't that obvious?”
Xiao Che: "You mean, all the women who picked peonies today like me?"
Yan Jiarou blinked and nodded confidently: "Yes."
"You mean that... what's his name, Huo Chu?"
Yes, she likes you.
"And there are also those from a collateral branch of the Wang family of Taiyuan..."
You mean Wang Ruoying? She likes you too.
"And then there's Du Shaoqing's daughter..."
"I like you."
“Then,” he paused for a moment, his gaze falling on her two lips, which were bright red and parted repeatedly, only uttering the word “like”. So he smiled slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and asked, “And you?”
Yan Jiarou didn't listen to his specific question, and just replied habitually, "Of course, I like you too."
Her mouth reacted before her brain, and the result was that the moment the words left her mouth, she froze on the spot, her eyes wide open.
The incessant chirping of cicadas all around, which was originally an unstoppable cacophony, now seemed distant and hazy.
She could only hear her own heart pounding like a drum, each beat more intense than the last.
A flush spread from her ears, and she knew without looking how red her face had become, especially when she met Xiao Che's ambiguous smile. She wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
She hurriedly protested, "No, I...I didn't...I didn't!"
"Oh? Didn't you say that all the women who picked up peonies today liked me? If I remember correctly, you picked up peonies today and you're also a woman, so you have both."
"So what if they take them all! I'm different from them. I... I picked up peonies because..."
"Why?"
Yan Jiarou bit her lip, just about to say that she was only trying to ruin his marriage, but the excuse that she thought could fool him seemed clumsy no matter how she thought about it.
They were already estranged, so what did it matter to her what his fate was? If she tried to sabotage it, it would seem deliberate, more like out of jealousy and resentment...
No, no, no, she absolutely couldn't say that! She didn't want Xiao Che to have such a misunderstanding about her, not even the slightest bit!
So, gritting his teeth, he could only say, "I... I just happened to be passing by Taiye Pavilion and saw everyone fighting over that peony. I was curious and wanted to see what kind of peony was causing such a commotion. Is it wrong for me to take a look?"
"Passing by?" The word rolled on Xiao Che's tongue. He looked at Yan Jiarou and said with a playful tone, "For the Crown Prince's flower-adorning ceremony, instead of rushing to Ziyun Pavilion, you took a detour and passed by Taiye Pavilion. What are you up to this time, my sister?"
"I..." Yan Jiarou's face flushed. She thought that this excuse was still very clumsy, so clumsy that Xiao Che would see through it almost immediately. But the words had already been spoken, and no matter how clumsy they were, she could only bite the bullet and try to cover it up.
"Who said I was going to Ziyun Pavilion? In previous years, I went to pick peonies because I liked them. But there are so many flowers in the world, all vying for attention. Who says I can only like peonies?"
"So what do you like now?" Xiao Che looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing, a hint of eagerness in his eyes: "Peony?"
If she didn't like peonies, why would she compete with those noble ladies? Whether she liked them or not, she could only say she liked them. Besides, everyone loves beauty, so how could she really dislike peonies? "I have never said that I don't like peonies."
The movement of turning the ring suddenly stopped. Xiao Che leaned down slightly, staring leisurely into her eyes, and asked, "Between the peony and the peony, which do you prefer right now?"
“I…” Yan Jiarou’s long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly, and her clear black and white eyes seemed to be shrouded in a veil of mist, rippling with shimmering water.
Her lips were bright red and luscious, and she stammered, "I...I don't know..."
"Don't know?" Xiao Che chuckled. "Yan Yan, you're saying you don't know again."
Peonies are elegant and graceful, while peonies are beautiful and vibrant. They each have their own unique beauty. It's not strange that she doesn't know which one she prefers.
Yet she vaguely felt that Xiao Che seemed to be talking about flowers, but there was a deeper meaning behind it. Her mind was in a mess, and she felt that if she stayed any longer, he might ask her something else, and she might not be able to handle it.
Since I've already spent so much time with Xiao Che and gotten my hands on the peony, the best course of action is to leave.
She quickly took a step back, not daring to look him in the eye, and said rapidly, "That's right, I don't know anything. It's a waste of time for Your Highness to ask any more questions. Let's stop here... I... I have something to do, I'll be going now."
After saying that, he fled as if he were running away. At first, he walked briskly, but later he started jogging.
It's as if... he's some kind of jackal or tiger.
It's as if it will swallow her whole.
Xiao Che smiled and waited until her figure completely disappeared before slowly turning his gaze away.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him, followed by an arm draped over his shoulder. Yan Xiao's slightly teasing voice rang out from the side: "What are you doing here? The flower-adorning ceremony isn't over yet, and you're already gone. I thought you had something urgent to do. Could it be that you just came to this Agarwood Pavilion?"
"It's nothing," Xiao Che said with a faint smile, turning the ring on his finger. "I just ran into a rabbit and couldn't help but tease her for a while."
"A rabbit?" Yan Xiao raised an eyebrow, immediately realizing, "That stupid rabbit that even mistakes its own savior?"
He said, "But didn't you say last time that you planned to distance yourself from her from now on, saying that her affairs would no longer concern you—didn't you say that?"
“I did say that I would not provoke her again—as long as I don’t force things, there will be no more contact between us. I thought that would be the case between us from now on. But this time, she came to me on her own.”
"The rabbit came to me by itself, and I couldn't resist, so I teased her for a while, that's all."
He paused, then said, "This will not happen again—"
"She wanted my hairpin, though I don't know why, but it certainly couldn't be because she liked me. Since that's the case, she got what she wanted, so naturally she won't come looking for me again."
Yan Xiao pondered for a moment after hearing this, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong: "I'm not saying this to be mean, Xiao Wenqi, but who talks about themselves like that? Can't you have a little more confidence in yourself?"
“You Lanling clan, aren’t you known as the ‘clan that brings disaster to the country’? No, don’t be fooled by me, you know I’m using it in a positive sense… The way you’re acting, I think you’re only bringing disaster to yourself.”
Xiao Che glanced at him coldly: "If you don't shut up, I think I can also harm you." As he spoke, his hand moved, the wind from his palm was fierce, and he was already poised to strike at Xiao Che's neck.
Yan Xiao leaned back, barely dodging the attack, and chuckled as he reached out to take Yan Xiao's hand: "Alright, alright, we're brothers, just kidding."
“It’s been a long time since we’ve sparred. You can fight if you want, but it’s not a good place to practice. Let’s go to the training ground another day. Right now, there’s something more important—the hairpin ceremony isn’t over yet, and you’ve already left. That would be against etiquette, so His Majesty sent me to find you.”
He raised his chin at him: "Third Prince, come with me."
Xiao Che then turned back with him, but did not notice that the jade pendant tied to his belt had fallen into the Chenxiang Pavilion during their earlier playful fight.
After returning to Chenghuan Palace, Yan Jiarou first drank a full cup of tea. The cooled tea helped to dispel the inexplicable heat in her body.
But her face was still burning. She cupped her face in her hands and ran to the dressing table to take a look. She found that both cheeks were flushed pink and the blush didn't fade for a long time. Just as she was observing carefully, she suddenly noticed that the earring on her right ear was missing.
Those were her favorite pair of earrings, a pair of gold and gemstone-inlaid jade rabbit pounding medicine earrings. The jade rabbit was carved with lifelike detail, standing on auspicious clouds, pounding medicine, and was very exquisite.
No, she must have left it somewhere; she has to find it.
Walking back, she finally found her lost earring in front of the peony bushes at the Agarwood Pavilion.
She happily picked it up, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed something lying nearby.
Turning my head, I saw that it was a jade pendant.
After picking it up and examining it closely, I saw that it was a jade pendant inlaid with pearls and dragon patterns, which shone with a lustrous sheen in the sunlight.
Inlaid with pearls and dragon patterns, this is a jade pendant that only princes would wear.
My gaze shifted downwards and I noticed three beads tied to the net. Was this... Xiao Che's jade pendant?
Yes, Xiao Che and she had just been here, and they lingered here for quite a while, so they must have stopped here around this time.
She found the jade pendant that Xiao Che had left behind, and she should have sent someone to return it—that was her original plan. But as she ran her fingertips along the engravings on the jade pendant, she had other ideas.
If she remembered correctly, this jade pendant was worn by the prince since he was a child.
In other words, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xiao Che should have worn this jade pendant for eighteen years.
Eighteen years... so many years, this jade pendant must have been completely imbued with Xiao Che's aura.
Wasn't she always wanting an object to be imbued with Xiao Che's aura?
Flowers don't bloom for a hundred days, let alone flowers that have been picked and kept in water; they will only last for half a month at most.
Half a month later, the flowers withered.
After the flower withered, the aura belonging to Xiao Che on it naturally dissipated completely.
How could it compare to the jade pendant that Xiao Che wore for years?
Since she contracted the strange illness, she has needed Xiao Che's aura for comfort at all times. However, she and he have always been at odds, and he is her absolute nemesis. It is very inconvenient for her to absorb his aura. But if she had this jade pendant, wouldn't it be as if he were always by her side, solving the problem once and for all?
A one-time solution... that was just too tempting for her.
She brought the jade pendant to her nose; the faint scent of agarwood was indeed the aroma of Xiao Che.
The familiar scent stirred up restlessness within me, vaguely resembling the onset of an illness.
She bit her lip impatiently, her breathing suddenly becoming rapid, and tears welled up in her eyes, revealing a hint of confusion...
She just separated from Xiao Che, how could this be...?
The intervals between her episodes seem to be getting shorter and shorter...
Fortunately, he currently has items that bear the scent of Xiao Che.
She quickly and tremblingly brought the jade pendant closer to her.
A steady stream of breath entered her nostrils; Xiao Che's unique scent was like a miraculous medicine, quickly calming a hidden restlessness within her and temporarily filling her longing.
It was at this moment that she decided to keep the jade pendant for herself.
This approach was indeed not very honorable, but she had no other choice at the moment. Besides, Xiao Che was an extremely detestable person. He had bullied her like that before, so what was wrong with giving her a jade pendant now?
Thinking of this, she coughed, looked around, and seeing that no one was around, she quietly hid the jade pendant in her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), then pretended to be nonchalant, folded her hands, and slowly walked away.
The jade pendant was worn close to her heart.
The jade is warm and smooth, and it doesn't feel cold to the touch. No wonder it's said that jade nourishes people. After wearing it for a long time, the feel of it becomes similar to the body temperature of its owner... Just like this jade pendant, it still retains Xiao Che's body temperature.
Perhaps feeling guilty, Yan Jiarou's heart suddenly started beating very fast.
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