Upon seeing the painting, Fu Qing's eyes widened in astonishment, and her expression became very unnatural.
Upon seeing this, Hongli's dark eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in them. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this painting? Or perhaps you've seen the person in the painting?"
For a moment, Fu Qing was so shocked that he lost his composure. If he didn't offer a reasonable explanation, the Fourth Prince might truly become suspicious of him. In that critical moment, Fu Qing had a flash of inspiration. He turned to Hongli, lowered his eyes, and bowed his hands in apology.
"Your Highness, please forgive me, but it seems that the ink from the hair in this portrait has been smeared onto the face by me."
Hongli approached and saw that a trace of ink had appeared on the fair face of the person in the painting. He had just been drawing the black hair, and perhaps because the ink was not yet dry, he had covered it with a handkerchief, which had just slipped off, causing this mark.
Fu Qing happened to be passing by and assumed that he was the one who had ruined the painting, which was why he was so nervous.
His explanation made sense, so Hongli no longer doubted it. "It's the wind's fault, it has nothing to do with you, you don't need to blame yourself."
This is a portrait of Su Yushan, and he absolutely cannot bear to let it be damaged. After a moment's thought, Hongli picked up his brush, without dipping it in ink, and following the ink marks, gently and slowly outlined a thin, curved strand of black hair between her hairpins, as if blown by the wind, brushing across her cheek.
As for the other ink mark, which fell at the corner of his eye, Hongli rounded it off, making it resemble a beauty mark.
This restoration not only conceals the ink marks but also adds a touch of charm to the figure in the painting.
Having witnessed the entire process, Fu Qing once again cupped his hands in praise, saying, "Your Highness's ingenious idea is truly admirable."
Admiration was merely empty words. At this moment, Fu Qing felt as if he had thorns in his back. The person in the painting was too similar to Yu'er; he didn't believe it was a coincidence. Why would the Fourth Prince paint a portrait of Yu'er? Could it be that she was the Fourth Prince's concubine?
If this is true, then wouldn't he have fallen for his own brother-in-law's woman?
Fu Qing's mind wandered, and he lost all interest in dealing with the situation. His wife, Lady Fucha, came over to deliver ginseng soup to Hongli and also visited her elder brother.
Seeing that her brother was safe and sound, Lady Fucha was relieved and asked him with concern if he had been injured while fighting.
Fu Qing had no memory of this younger sister, and replied politely but distantly, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. I suffered some minor injuries, but after a few months of rest, I have fully recovered and am fine."
Hearing that her brother had lost his memory and didn't remember her, Fucha smiled through her tears and said, "That's good. It's good that he's back. Your mother can finally rest easy."
After exchanging pleasantries, Hongli invited him to stay for lunch. Fu Qing should have stayed, but he was preoccupied with the painting and afraid of losing his composure again. So he made an excuse, saying that someone in his clan was celebrating a birthday and he had just returned, so he should go and pay his respects and offer his congratulations.
Since that was the case, Hongli did not insist on keeping him and allowed him to return.
On his way home, Fu Qing's heart was in turmoil, and he couldn't calm down for a long time. He hoped it was just a coincidence, that he had guessed wrong, but then he suddenly recalled the scene from that day and seemed to understand something.
When he said he was from the Fucha family, Yu'er looked visibly flustered. If she were someone else's concubine, she wouldn't need to be afraid of the Fucha family, unless... she really was Hongli's concubine, and Hongli was his brother-in-law, so that's why she was so nervous.
No wonder she was so adamant that day that there was no possibility between the two of them. Being the concubine of her brother-in-law and brother-in-law was too awkward a position.
Even if she were another prince's woman, he would have had the courage to try and win her over. But it was Hongli, how could he possibly steal his own brother-in-law's woman?
His special status burdened him with heavy moral shackles, and he, who was originally determined, suddenly lost the courage to persevere.
But he still held onto a sliver of hope, wanting to ask Yu'er in person if perhaps, perhaps it was just a misunderstanding...
But what if it's true? Once he exposes her identity, will she lose trust in him and flee overnight?
Fu Qing was confused and bewildered, as if shrouded in a thick fog, unable to see the road ahead.
Feeling depressed, he stayed in his room and refused to go out. However, in the evening, the Fifth Prince Hongzhou sent someone to invite him to Baozhen Tower for a chat.
Hongzhou was particularly fond of the roast duck at Baozhenlou Restaurant. Moreover, it was run by the father-in-law of his sister-in-law's brother, and because of this indirect connection, he often came to patronize the restaurant.
Fu Qing had been Hong Zhou's study companion. Even though Fu Qing didn't remember his past, this relationship was there, and he couldn't refuse, so he had to go to the appointment.
During the meal, Hongzhou asked what exactly happened on the battlefield and why he disappeared. Fu Qing only said that he did not remember the specific reason. Later, he accidentally came to a mountain village and stayed there for a few months. As for meeting Yu'er, he simply skipped over it and did not mention it.
Hongzhou comforted him, telling him not to worry, "I'll take you to the battlefield, the western suburbs, and the antique shops another day, to those places we used to frequent. Maybe you'll be able to find your memories."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Fifth Master."
"Hey---between us, there's no need for formalities." Taking a sip of wine, Hongzhou raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously. "I've heard that the water in the mountains is good for one's health. Are the girls there pretty? Are they as beautiful as the women in our capital?"
When Fifth Master suddenly asked about these things, Fu Qing had no choice but to reply, "I didn't pay attention to those girls."
"Really? You don't even look at girls?" Hongzhou couldn't help but wonder how boring his life must be. "So what do you usually do?"
"Farming, hunting, and borrowing books to read."
"That's all? Didn't you find a girl to spend time with under the moonlit flowers? Was there not a single girl in the village who stirred your heart?"
Hongzhou's words reminded him of that delicate yet sorrowful face, but this feeling of attraction could not be expressed and could only be kept in his heart.
Composing himself, Fu Qing chuckled dryly, "At that time, I hadn't yet found out about my background, so I didn't have the mind to think about anything else."
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