Ignoring the Fourth Prince's ashen face, and the veins throbbing on Yinzhen's forehead, with a raging storm brewing in his eyes, Nan Yi smiled arrogantly and strode away.
As she walked outside, Yiren hurried to greet him. She had just heard a loud slapping sound from inside and was terribly worried, fearing that her master had been wronged. However, as a servant, she couldn't just barge in with her master present. She stared at Nan Yi's face and only relaxed when she saw that there was nothing amiss.
"Master, are you alright?"
Nan Yi glared at her. "Do you want something to happen to your master?"
"No..." It's not the master, it's not the master, could it be the master? No, it must be Consort Nian. Then, a questioning look fell on the master. Is it Consort Nian?
Nan Yi smiled smugly and raised an eyebrow. ...What do you think?
A loud bang came from inside the room, startling Yiren so much that she trembled. Nan Yi snorted and pulled Yiren away from the place where the trouble had started with a light laugh.
The two, mistress and servant, did not go to the Imperial Garden at this time, since the Fourth Master had promised that she would not have to attend the palace banquet.
Yiren took her on a wild tour of the palace, even visiting the Cold Palace. However, they were so frightened by the desolate scenery outside, the faint, mournful cries inside, and the chaotic, incoherent shouts and laughter that they ran far away.
The two walked around for about an hour when Nan stopped, panting, "Huff... huff... girl, I'm exhausted, huff... let's find a place to rest."
Yiren found a relatively clean stone, wiped off the dust with a handkerchief, and then took another handkerchief and placed it on the stone for her master to sit on.
"Master, please rest here for a while."
Nan Yi shuffled her aching feet and gently rubbed her slender waist. "Hmm, you should rest too."
Yi Ren looked around, then worriedly fanned Nan with her sleeve, "It's a pity there's no water..."
Before she could finish speaking, a slender hand reached out to the master and servant, silently handing them a delicate, small bamboo basket.
Nan took it, stunned. "...Uh, thank you!"
What does that mean? I looked down at the bamboo basket. It had a lid, so I couldn't tell what was inside. It didn't seem to weigh much.
"This servant greets the Ninth Prince. May the Ninth Prince be blessed."
"rise"
"Thank you, Ninth Prince."
The Ninth Prince glanced at Nan Yi with a helpless look. Was Zhu Lan prettier than him or something? Why was he staring at her so intently?
Nan Yi didn't know what the Ninth Prince was thinking, but she felt embarrassed. He had already broken off all ties with her, yet he still sent her gifts. This was his way of showing goodwill and no longer blaming her for lying.
Yiren carefully took the bamboo basket from her hand. Inside was a dish of soft and warm pastries and a bright red apple.
Nan Yi then realized she was hungry and unconsciously swallowed. She stole a glance at the Ninth Prince and found that he wasn't looking at her, but rather leisurely enjoying the scenery around him.
She was a little hesitant to eat. They say that if you eat someone's food, you're obligated to pay them. What if the Ninth Prince suddenly turned on her after she finished eating? How would she repay him?
The Ninth Prince was secretly anxious, wondering what she was dawdling about. He stopped pretending to admire the scenery and said angrily, "Eat quickly, it won't be good if it gets cold."
He had originally planned to find a way to lure her away from the banquet and have a proper chat, but to his surprise, she hadn't even attended the palace banquet. Overjoyed, he prepared these things in advance, endured the toasts from his brothers, and secretly slipped out to find her. In the end, all his efforts were worthwhile.
"...Oh," Nan Yi responded verbally, but didn't eat.
Jiu A didn't want to talk to her anymore, "Go and keep watch in front."
Yiren didn't move, keeping her eyes on her master until Nan nodded. Only then did she get up and stand a short distance away, also to avoid being seen by others. There were many people in the palace, and it would be easy for people to misunderstand if her brother-in-law and sister-in-law were alone together.
The Ninth Prince took a piece of hibiscus pastry and held it to her lips. When she opened her mouth, Nan Yi didn't stand on ceremony and swallowed it directly. The Ninth Prince smiled as he fed her, his eyebrows and eyes relaxing. He then took out an apple for her.
She took it, her expression awkward, and asked cautiously, "You're not angry with me anymore?"
The Ninth Prince looked at her with a melancholy expression, a lingering pain in his heart, which made her shrink back, her neck tingling with unease. She heard a soft sigh, "What's the use of getting angry?"
Nan Yi shook her head, thought for a moment, and said weakly, "I'm sorry."
"Um"
"sorry,"
"I received it, sir."
The two looked at each other and smiled, then sat side by side on a rock and chatted leisurely, as if they had returned to the pleasant time when they first met.
Nan Yi laughed freely, but Xiao Xi wanted to cry. There was nothing to do at the yamen today, so she took Xiao Qiao out and specially chose a jade shop with a good reputation. She took the bloodstone that Nan Yi had given her and prepared to ask a jade craftsman to carve it into a seal.
"Master, could you carve it into a seal?"
The master craftsman at the jade workshop frowned, his graying brows furrowed, and his serious expression made her feel uncertain.
"Tsk tsk, what a pity, what a pity," the old master stroked his sparse, white beard, shaking his head with a look of regret.
Xiao Xi also frowned slightly, knowing that the old master still had something to say, so she didn't interrupt.
The old craftsman, feigning mystery, finally spoke after a long pause, "Young lady, I have no other intentions. The jade is indeed a fine piece, extremely rare. I've seen chicken-blood stone before, but I've never seen such beautiful patterns. However... in my judgment, this should only be a scrap. If I could see the main piece, I would have no regrets in my life."
The master craftsman looked at Xiao Xi with anticipation, his eyes gleaming. He said, "Miss, would you allow me to examine the main material? If you agree, I would be willing to carve a seal for you free of charge. What do you say?"
Xiao Xi looked completely bewildered and asked blankly, "Main ingredient? What main ingredient?"
The old craftsman looked unconvinced and continued to argue with Xiao Xi, completely unaware that a wealthy-looking middle-aged man had entered the shop, his face full of drool as he greedily stared at the jade in the old craftsman's hand.
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