jealousy
When Yan Shu woke up the next day, her head felt heavy, as if it were stuffed with cotton. She rubbed her forehead and slowly walked to the courtyard to sit down. Just then, A Yun also came out of the house. The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh—they both looked like they were still hungover.
Qingfeng happened to pass by and, seeing Ayun, teased, "Oh, Sister Ayun, you just got engaged yesterday, and you're already coming out of Lingying's room today?"
"Shut up!" Ayun glared at him irritably.
Yan Shu knew that Qingfeng always loved to joke, so she just smiled and pursed her lips.
Ling Yuan walked over, sat down beside her, and gently massaged her temples: "You must not drink so much in the future."
"Yes, Your Highness." Yan Shu looked up at him, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
Perhaps still under the influence of alcohol, Yan Shu went to bed early after dinner that evening. In the small house next door, Ling Yuan was discussing important matters with Xuan Gui.
"Now that it has been confirmed that Chen Li is involved, we will retrieve the account book tonight," Ling Yuan said in a low voice. "Xuan Gui and I will provide support outside, while Ling Ying and Qing Feng will sneak in to retrieve the item. Please be careful."
The four of them arrived at the seed shop under the cover of night. Lingyuan and Xuangui hid in the shadows, watching Lingying and Qingfeng sneak in silently.
Time ticked by, and almost half an hour had passed, yet there was still no movement. Xuan Gui grew anxious: "Uncle..."
Before the words were finished, two familiar figures finally emerged from the shadows.
"Your Highness."
"Your Highness, we have obtained the goods."
Ling Yuan immediately took the ledger and quickly flipped through it by the moonlight. It clearly recorded that Chen Li bought seeds for two taels of silver but sold them to the army for ten taels. However, the whereabouts of the extra silver were nowhere to be found.
"It seems we still need to lure the snake out of its hole." Ling Yuan put away the account book and instructed Ling Ying, "Go and report to my uncle that Chen Li mentioned a Lord Wang and asked him to investigate in detail."
---
The winters in the North are dry and cold, but snow never falls. That day, Yan Shu was tending to the begonia in the courtyard, but something felt off—although in winter the begonia only had bare branches, the twigs should have been fuller, but this one was gradually withering. She squatted in front of the flowerpot, pondering for a long time, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
Ayun came out of the house carrying a basket, and Yan Shu asked curiously, "What's this?"
“The Cold Clothes Festival is coming soon, and we need to send clothes to our ancestors to offer as a sacrifice,” Ayun replied softly. “I have prepared some clothes and incense to burn for my parents.”
Yan Shu was taken aback by what she heard. She thought of Ling Yuan... The thought of that buried truth caused Yan Shu a sharp pain in her heart.
“Ah Yun,” she said softly, “teach me how to make winter clothes.”
In the following days, Yan Shu devoted herself to sewing winter clothes. Although her needlework skills were not very good, she did it with exceptional care, each stitch carrying an indescribable and unspoken sentiment.
That day, Lingyuan was pondering the case in his study when Yan Shu came in carrying a basket: "Your Highness, the Cold Clothes Festival is approaching. I have made winter clothes and prepared incense and candles."
Ling Yuan was slightly taken aback. The rituals in the palace were complicated and he had long been accustomed to those cold ceremonies. But now, looking at the simple winter clothes in Yan Shu's hands, a warmth rose in his heart.
"Thank you," he said softly.
On the night of the Cold Clothes Festival, the two set up an incense table in the courtyard. Yan Shu threw the Cold Clothes into the fire one by one, the flames leaping and illuminating her profile.
"Father, Mother," she murmured softly, "Lingyuan is doing well now, you can rest assured..."
She spoke with such sincerity, as if she truly knew nothing. But only she knew how ridiculous this "filial piety" was.
Ling Yuan stood behind her, watching the flickering flames, his heart aching. He hoped Yan Shu would never know that secret, never have to choose between her closest relatives and her beloved. For him, and for her unjustly deceased mother, she could do her part.
Ke Yan Shu knelt before the brazier, her heart sinking with each piece of clothing she burned. She tried to make her movements appear natural and her voice sincere, but the guilt in her heart, like the cold night wind, seeped into every crevice. She knew the truth, yet she had to pretend to know nothing; she should have sought justice for the unjustly deceased Imperial Concubine, yet she could only offer a hypocritical memorial here.
The flames crackled, and the winter clothes gradually turned to ashes in the fire. Both were heartbroken, yet both had to feign calm. One believed he had protected the other's innocence, while the other tormented by guilt.
Ling Yuan finally couldn't resist and gently wrapped his arms around her from behind. Yan Shu leaned into his embrace, and the two hugged each other in the cold wind, each hiding their unspeakable pain.
After the memorial service, the two returned to the house, a silent understanding and a faint sadness permeating the air, but they both tacitly agreed not to mention it again.
In the days that followed, Yan Shu began to worry about the crabapple tree again. Seeing the branches wither and die each day, she was so worried that she lost her appetite.
Seeing her like this, Ayun suggested, "Your Highness, I know a master gardener. Why don't you go and ask him for advice? He's incredibly skilled."
Yan Shu's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked A Yun to take her there.
The crabapple trees in the North are different from those in the capital; they are smaller varieties. So, for several days in a row, Yan Shu carried flowerpots to the person who grew them, and when she came back, she couldn't help but talk about how amazing that person was.
Lingyuan didn't care at first, but seeing her running around every day and always mentioning that "flower-growing expert" in her words, she gradually felt uneasy.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he secretly followed. Turning the corner, he indeed saw Yan Shu talking to a man. The man was pointing at a flowerpot and explaining something, and Yan Shu listened intently, occasionally unconsciously shifting her body slightly closer.
Ling Yuan's face instantly darkened.
Just then, Xuan Gui, Ling Ying, and Qing Feng returned after finishing their errands. Qing Feng, with her sharp eyes, spotted Ling Yuan from afar: "Huh? Didn't the Prince say he had things to do at home today? What's he doing here?"
Just as the three were about to step forward to greet him, they heard Ling Yuan shout in a deep voice:
"Cui Yanshu!"
Yan Shu was startled. Turning around, she saw Ling Yuan standing not far away, his face ashen. He strode over, grabbed her wrist without a word, and pulled her away.
They bumped into the three bewildered people, but Ling Yuan didn't even glance at them. He simply pulled Yan Shu back to the courtyard.
Ling Yuan kept a somber face all day. He only ate a few bites of food at dinner before putting down his chopsticks, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, no one daring to ask any questions.
Yan Shu knew perfectly well that the jealousy had been out of control.
At night, Ling Yuan sat in his room reading, but couldn't turn a single page for a long time. All he could see was Yan Shu smiling at that man.
Yan Shu walked in, sat down opposite him, and gently took the book from his hand: "Your Highness."
Ling Yuan got up and was about to lie down on the bed.
“If Your Highness ignores me,” Yan Shu pretended to get up, “then I’ll go sleep with A-Yun.”
Before she could finish speaking, Ling Yuan grabbed her arm and said, "Settle down."
After the two lay down, Yan Shu explained softly, "I went to ask for advice because I saw that the crabapple branches were not good."
"You're not allowed to go again tomorrow," Ling Yuan said in a muffled voice. "If they can't be raised, we'll just buy more. I'll buy you as many as you want."
Hearing his words, brimming with jealousy, Yan Shu felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She leaned forward and gently kissed his lips.
Ling Yuan was stunned at first, then turned over and pulled her into his arms, deepening the kiss.
As night deepened, the crabapple tree outside the courtyard still had withered branches, but inside the house it was warm and cozy, as if spring had arrived early.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Yan Shu woke up feeling sore and weak. She moved slightly, feeling as if her whole body had been taken apart, her nose was stuffy, and her head was dizzy.
"What's wrong?" Ling Yuan asked, sitting up as he looked at her after hearing the noise.
Yan Shu rubbed her sore temples, her voice hoarse from just waking up and noticeably nasal: "It's nothing, it's just... I think I caught a bit of a cold."
Looking at her slightly flushed cheeks, Ling Yuan recalled their passionate encounter last night and immediately understood. He smiled slightly, reached out and pulled her, blanket and all, into his arms, nuzzling her head with his chin, and whispered, "Yes, it was my fault. From now on, I will make sure you are properly covered and never let you catch a cold again."
Yan Shu buried her burning face in the crook of his neck and softly hummed in agreement.
After getting up, Ling Yuan's expression was even gentler than usual. He personally watched Yan Shu drink the ginger soup to dispel the cold, and then instructed A Yun to prepare something light for lunch.
Qingfeng and Lingying noticed that their lord's expression had relaxed, and he was whispering something to his princess, whose face was still slightly flushed. Qingfeng nudged Lingying with his elbow, lowered his voice, and winked, "This... is it all better? The storm has passed?"
Ling Ying glanced at the two people who seemed to be getting along well, shrugged, and said calmly without any expression on her face, "Looks like everything's alright now."
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