Xie Liwei slept soundly until Song Yaozhu called him for dinner, but he refused to get up. Song Yaozhu stood in front of the bed with her hands on her hips, and through the gauze curtains, her tone was still quite gentle.
"Your Highness, it's time for your meal."
Xie Liwei lay casually on the bed and said, "It's rare for me to be able to sleep in a bed, so I'd like to spend some time with it."
Song Yaozhu: "......"
Is he condemning himself for usurping someone else's place?
"Your Highness, it's as if I wouldn't let you into my bed," she snorted, turning away to eat.
Eat it or not, let him starve!
Xie Liwei got out of bed, put on his outer robe, and came out.
"I misspoke, Your Highness, please don't be angry!"
Song Yaozhu glared at him and ate her meal without saying a word. After washing up, she went to bed feeling refreshed. As soon as she lay down, she remembered what they had said before the meal, so she lifted the bed curtains to look at Xie Liwei.
The object of his affections was sitting on the chaise longue, holding a book in his hand, but he hadn't turned a single page for a long time.
Song Yaozhu turned over, no longer looking at him, but her heart was in turmoil.
If she still can't see the crux of the problem by now, then she's incredibly stupid.
How could Xie Liwei... how could he possibly fall in love with me?
How could he have a face like that?
Her heart was in turmoil, making it difficult to sleep. She didn't sleep well that night, lying in bed listening to Xie Liwei's long, drawn-out breathing, and she felt an urge to get up and stuff a pillow into his mouth and nose!
Damn it, I'm having trouble sleeping because of this troublesome guy, and he's sleeping so soundly?
Didn't he already sleep during the day? How can he still sleep?
You heartless bastard!
The next day, Song Yaozhu got up after breakfast. She got up listlessly, asked about Xie Liwei's schedule, and learned that he was handling matters in the front yard. For some reason, an inexplicable anger rose in her heart.
"Gold and silver, pack your things, I'm going back to Biluo Courtyard!"
Caijin and Caiyin were dumbfounded. Had the princess quarreled with the prince?
There's no need to go through all this trouble just because you're arguing! You move there, then you have to move back after you make up—it's exhausting! Of course, the main problem is that it's the servants who suffer.
Caijin then went to tell Granny Qin, who came to persuade her, "Your Highness, there are guests staying at Biluo Courtyard now. Why are you moving? Did you quarrel with the Prince?"
Song Yaozhu glanced at Caijin, who was huddled behind her, and waved her hand with a sigh.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to make a fuss. Since there are people living in Biluo Courtyard, let's just leave it at that."
Thinking about it, it was all just me messing around. Xie Liwei might not even have realized what I was thinking. If she messed around and he figured it out, wouldn't that force me to become his real husband and wife?
In other words, if he really wanted to, would she really choose to die to prove her innocence?
It's best to keep things as they are. If he doesn't point it out, I'll just pretend I don't know anything.
"Don't let the Prince know about this," she added.
Granny Qin agreed quickly, and then told Xie Liwei as she brought him the tonic soup.
"Your Highness, it's said that couples quarrel in bed and make up in bed, but if the Princess Consort is making a fuss about sleeping in separate rooms, then that's no small matter! You'd better pay attention!"
Xie Liwei sipped his soup while reading the letter sent by Duke Yu. He pulled out one and handed it to Granny Qin, "This is from Duke Yu to the Princess Consort. Granny, please take it over later."
When Granny Qin saw that Xie Liwei didn't take her words to heart, she became a little anxious.
"Your Highness, why don't you grow a beard? Like Master Xie!"
Xie Liwei looked at Granny Qin, puzzled. "Granny, although I am twenty-five years old, I am not old enough to grow a beard."
Granny Qin slapped her thigh and said, "Aren't you interested in the Princess and want to win her favor? This old servant has observed that the Princess likes men with beards and a refined and elegant demeanor!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Liwei put down his soup bowl and looked at Granny Qin with a serious expression. Granny Qin had spent a long time with Song Yaozhu, so she must have some basis for her words.
"You don't know, the way the princess looks at you is like she looks at a younger brother, without any romantic feelings at all. This won't do! It must be because your appearance isn't mature enough. Growing a beard will make you look more composed!"
The first half of the sentence is too harsh, but the second half makes a lot of sense.
"There's something I've been keeping to myself for too long. You don't know, but the way the Princess looks at Master Xie is different! Her eyes are practically glued to him! Master Xie pays his respects to her every morning and evening without fail! What other daughter-in-law is like our Princess!"
Xie Liwei: "......"
He pushed the soup bowl away, looked at Granny Qin with a troubled expression, and said, "Granny, you're overthinking it."
After finishing his sentence, he added, "Isn't this soup too salty today?"
Granny Qin was taken aback. "Impossible! I tasted the soup. How could it be salty?"
Granny Qin carried the soup bowl back to the kitchen, tasted the remaining soup in the pot, and found it wasn't salty at all!
She called her son, Qin Yu, over and asked him to try the soup as well.
"It's not salty at all, Your Highness! Why would you say this soup is salty?"
Qin Yu finished the soup in one gulp, smacked his lips, and said, "His Highness said you're worrying too much! The soup is fine, just worry less!"
Granny Qin picked up a spoon as if to hit him, "Get out!"
After Granny Qin left, Xie Liwei touched his chin.
Let's forget about growing a beard, but then again, the charm of a handsome man...
It can be considered, but not too much.
Meanwhile, Song Yaozhu read Yu Gong's letter, which stated that, as requested by Song Yaozhu, he had gathered evidence of the officials' oppression of the candidates before the imperial censors sent by the court to inspect the localities. He would then submit the evidence together with the censors.
The inspecting officials seemed to have divine assistance, and along the way they dealt with many officials involved in the case and rescued many oppressed candidates, which drew cheers from the crowd.
At the end of the letter, he said that he was doing well, that he was protected by secret guards, and that he was able to see the beautiful landscapes of the country while doing his work, which made him very satisfied.
He also told Song Yaozhu to take care of her health and to proceed slowly and steadily, without being too hasty.
Song Yaozhu read the following casual conversation several times, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Yu Gong was a wise man who appeared foolish, and he was also the only person in the world who knew that she was Xie Wanqing.
The feeling of loneliness I had when I saw this letter dissipated considerably.
When Xie Liwei entered, he saw Song Yaozhu resting her chin on her hand, staring blankly at the letter paper, seemingly lost in thought.
What are you thinking about?
"Lord Yu wrote me a letter, has Your Highness read it?"
"Never."
Song Yaozhu handed over the letter, but didn't give her the last sheet of paper with casual conversation.
"He did a good job." Xie Liwei finished reading the letter. In fact, Yu Gong had mentioned this matter in his letter to him, but not in as much detail as he had given Song Yaozhu.
"Are you thinking of writing him a letter?"
Song Yaozhu glanced at the blank letter in front of her, wanting to write a reply, but not knowing where to send it.
"No."
Xie Liwei lowered his eyelids, and his tone suddenly became inexplicable.
"Lord Yu is only loyal to my elder sister. I never expected him to treat you so well?"
Song Yaozhu looked up at him, and the moment their eyes met, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, as if he had seen through her.
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