Chapter 12 The crisp crackling sound of New Year's firecrackers exploded in my ears, and...
The crisp crackling sound of firecrackers exploded in my ears, one after another. Every household hung up red lanterns. The joy of the festival dispelled the misfortunes of the previous year, and people were praying for peace and success in the new year.
The hustle and bustle of the street makes the quietness inside the academy even more striking.
In a wing room somewhere, Xiao Wangshu, dressed in a silver bamboo and white robe, was reading at his desk facing the half-open window.
After moving out of the Xiao Mansion, he was able to concentrate on his studies.
A few days ago, Mo Shu came to see him with a holiday gift, saying that he had learned a lot from the owner of the Lou family and now he has bought a small shop.
With the support of the Lou family, business is doing pretty well. In a few years, he plans to bring his old mother from the countryside over so that he can enjoy a peaceful life with him. He had a simple smile on his face when he said this.
Someone from the Lou family also came, saying that the boss had told them before he left, asking if Brother Guanshan was still thinking about him even though he was not in the capital.
He didn't have anything valuable, so he gave back a small landscape painting he had drawn himself. The people in the Lou family were very happy and said that his boss would be very happy.
In addition, Yao Ce also came specially for the previous matter. The two of them went boating on the lake together and returned home happily.
Although the other students did not come to visit, they still exchanged New Year's greetings when they met. Needless to say, it was Xiao Wangshu who was the one to pay a visit to the teachers of the academy.
The Xiao family didn't even do anything to save face. Not to mention the master didn't even send a servant to inform them. Xiao Wangshu was quite happy about this, as he had been troubled a lot when he was in the Xiao family before.
Now that the Spring Examination is approaching, he has read countless books in order to deal with the servants of the Xiao family.
Xiao Wangshu was so absorbed in his studies that he forgot about time. When he looked up, he saw a hazy fog. A warm yellow light swayed slowly along with the large red lantern at the entrance of the wing room, casting a vague warm shadow on the ground.
White snow fell lightly, and a thin layer of it accumulated on the ground, eaves, trees, and plum blossoms.
For a moment, the world was silent, as if he was the only one left in the world.
The wind blew and the pages flipped, and I felt the coldness seeping through me.
She took the cloak and put it on, then ground ink and began to write. Her black hair was tied up with a small crown on her head, leaving only a few strands hanging by her ears.
As the night deepened, the candlelight flickered. His hands were as white, clear and slender as jade, with a faint blush on the fingertips and backs of his hands. He held the brush lightly, moved the brush steadily, and wrote with both strength and softness.
In just a moment, the neat little characters appeared on the paper.
Until a light cough broke the silence.
Under the plum tree in the courtyard, Xie Xuanhui, dressed in a dark black robe with gold embroidery, held a black oil-paper umbrella in one hand, almost blending into the night, with only a bright red spot around his waist.
He walked out of the snow, his feet making a crisp crackling sound, and his blood-red lips made people feel in a trance that the person coming towards them was a spirit transformed from the plum blossom, which was fascinating.
Xiao Wangshu, who was in the room, stared at Xie Xuanhui who was standing in front of the window. He felt the cold fragrance of plum blossoms coming from his nose. The fragrance was so strong that it enveloped him in a moment.
In this small world where he was the only one left, a creature named Xie Xuanhui broke in without him knowing when.
"You won't invite me in?"
Xie Xuanhui's voice suddenly exploded in Xiao Wangshu's ears, and it was at this moment that he was surprised to find that Xie Xuanhui's voice was so clear and pleasant, like a mountain spring flowing in winter, rippling water, and a rare touch of warm winter sunshine.
"Your Highness."
He cried out softly, with a hoarse voice and a panic that had never appeared on his face before.
Putting the umbrella outside the house, Xie Xuanhui lifted the curtain and entered the house. Like a cat patrolling its territory, he looked around and his light eyes fell on Xiao Wangshu.
The corners of his eyes, mouth, and every inch of his skin revealed a hint of disgust.
"You live here?"
No wonder His Royal Highness the Crown Prince disliked it. Compared to his palace, this room was too small.
The room seemed a bit crowded with two men standing there. However, it could only fit a bed, a desk, two small stools, a round corner cabinet, and a not-too-big shelf. There was no room for anything more.
"Your Highness is wronged."
With a smile on his lips, Xiao Wangshu did not look unhappy at all. He kept moving his hands to take out a stool, placed it near Xie Xuanhui and asked:
"Why is Your Highness here?"
They haven't seen each other for half a month since they parted on bad terms that day.
"If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't know how you could concentrate on your studies living in a place like this."
Although he said this in disgust, he did not stop sitting on the stool.
"Your Highness, you're joking. There are places worse than this. Do you mean those students won't study anymore?"
After closing the window, Xiao Wangshu took the cloak that His Highness had taken off and put it aside, and replied.
Staring at Xiao Wangshu's hands, which were slightly red from the cold, Xie Xuanhui blinked slightly and said after a moment of silence:
"I've bought a small courtyard. Since you're working for me, I won't treat you unfairly. Besides, you should have someone to take care of you. Since Mo Shu is useful, I'll send someone else to you. I'm still waiting for you to win the first prize in the imperial examination one day."
Xie Xuanhui seldom called himself "Gu" in front of him. Whenever Xie Xuanhui did so, it meant that it was an order and could not be questioned.
So he bowed his head and said yes without bowing, knowing that His Highness would probably be angry if he did so.
The house fell silent once again, the warmth that had just risen inside being suppressed by the silence. It was as if the wind from outside had somehow found its way in through a crack, sweeping through the entire house, and snow began to fall.
Xiao Wangshu was startled when his sleeve was pulled. He looked up and met a pair of eyes that were brewing a dark storm.
His long-standing survival instinct of seeking profit and avoiding harm allowed him to detect the danger signal at the first moment, so he spoke up to interrupt the other party's brewing emotions.
"Your Highness, how will Your Highness return to the palace today?"
I'm afraid the palace gates must have been locked by now.
The passionate and surging emotions surged in Xie Xuanhui's eyes like a dark mist.
But in the end, Xie Xuanhui let go of the hand that was pulling his sleeve, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he had regained his "calmness".
"The palace gates are already locked at this time."
This was nonsense that both of them knew, but Xiao Wangshu understood Xie Xuanhui's meaning almost instantly. He breathed a sigh of relief and began to feel a headache.
"Your Highness, I really am..."
He didn't even have the time to say his refusal before he was ruthlessly interrupted by Xie Xuanhui opposite him.
"That's all right, I guess."
The snow outside the window seemed to be falling even harder, with large snowflakes reflected on the paper window. Xiao Wangshu couldn't push him out the door for the time being, especially when his mood was so "unstable".
"Your Highness, please sleep on the bed."
Trying hard to ignore the joy that suddenly appeared in his eyes, Xiao Wangshu looked away and made up his mind to study hard all night.
So Xie Xuanhui, who finally lay on Xiao Wangshu's bed with a certain joy and complacency, suddenly discovered that Xiao Wangshu turned around and sat at the desk. For a moment, then two moments, he was the only one lying on the bed.
The old wooden bed made a dull creaking sound, which continued and impassioned, as if expressing the uncontrollable resentment of someone lying on the bed.
"Your Highness, please be quiet."
The only sound in the house was the rustling of pages turning, and the orange candlelight warmed every corner of the room.
Lying on the bed, looking at Xiao Wangshu's back, the prince of Zhongshan Kingdom, the future emperor, the crazy, terrible and violent Xie Xuanhui in people's mouths, is now just a person who is cautiously loved but cannot be obtained.
Perhaps this moment was too beautiful, even the dark and paranoid Xie Xuanhui just stared at Xiao Wangshu's back in silence.
The night is long and I can’t sleep.
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