Chapter 118 Sister, Let’s Come and See You
So this was the scene that Song Yunhe and Xi Qingtong saw when they arrived at the palace in a carriage. On the road in front of the palace, dozens or even hundreds of people were diligently weeding. This was a voluntary act by the villagers of Hedong Village to repay Xiao Ji Qingwu.
A fifty-year-old woman, holding her seven or eight-year-old grandson by the hand, said, "Although we don't have time to help you plow all these fields, we can still make the grass on this road less so that you can come out and take a look. People should be grateful and repay kindness."
The carriage passed by, raising a cloud of dust. The two people sitting in the carriage who heard this looked at each other in confusion. Could it be that they had come to the wrong place?
But there was only one palace in the suburbs of Beijing that had been abandoned for many years, so there was no possibility that they had gone to the wrong place. When the carriage stopped at the gate of the palace and the two of them got off the carriage one after another, Song Yunhe felt even more weird.
The legendary dilapidated palace did not seem to be so dilapidated. Although the red walls outside were mottled and peeling, the neat and clean floor tiles at the door and the wiped and polished door all showed the owner's dedication to life.
However, the lightly dressed girl beside her couldn't help but raise the corner of her lips. Although they had the same appearance, the two sisters had very different attitudes when they saw the palace.
Xi Qingtong looked at the dilapidated palace in front of her, and her heart finally settled down. She didn't want to live in this desolate place and associate with a group of poor common people.
Seeing that the door was already open a person's width, Xi Qingtong asked the maid to push the door open. Just as Jinzhu took two steps forward, a hand suddenly appeared on the half-open door, and then the door was pulled open from the inside.
Amidst the creaking sounds, a young man in brocade robes walked out with the help of a cane. The morning light shone on him, and his jade-like face was dazzlingly white. When Song Yunhe and Xi Qingtong saw his appearance clearly, they were both stunned.
It turned out to be the deposed prince!
How could they have thought of facing Xiao Ji directly? They just wanted to come and see Qing Wu!
Xiao Ji on the opposite side glanced at the people outside the door indifferently. When he saw the face that was exactly the same as Qing Wu, the corners of his lips tightened almost imperceptibly.
Seeing Xi Qingtong again, Xiao Ji couldn't remain indifferent. Although he had allowed her to return home when he fell from power, her actions went far beyond simply "returning home"—to escape the infamy, she even forced Qingqing to exchange identities with her. Such behavior was truly despicable, and such a woman was truly disgusting.
Xiao Ji's fingers gripping the cane tightened unconsciously. He suppressed his emotions and shifted his gaze to the jade-like young man beside her. He instantly understood his identity - Song Yunhe, Qingqing's ex-husband.
The young man couldn't help but look Song Yunhe up and down. He thought he was keeping calm, but he didn't know that Song Yunhe was so shocked by his gaze that a layer of cold sweat slowly broke out on his back.
Even though he was deposed as the crown prince, the demeanor he cultivated in the supreme position would not disappear suddenly, and his innate nobility was engraved in his bones.
After looking at Song Yunhe for a few breaths, the young man realized that he was not as handsome as himself. He silently put his mind at ease, and the corners of his lips slightly raised, finally showing them a bit of a good face. "Sir Song, Madam Song, your sudden visit is really unexpected."
Song Yunhe was stunned for only a moment before quickly adjusting his demeanor. He stepped forward and bowed, "How is Sixth Young Master? I heard you were recuperating here, so I brought my wife to visit you. Sorry to bother you."
He was not surprised that the deposed prince could guess his identity, but it was beyond their expectations. In their expectations, Xiao Ji should be sitting in a wheelchair and living a decadent life. How could he suddenly open the door himself with a cane?
His tone was respectful and his posture was humble, while he also subtly kept Xi Qingtong behind him.
Xi Qingtong, who was blocked by the view, inadvertently took half a step back behind Song Yunhe, her folded hands tightly twisted in her sleeves, hoping that Xiao Ji did not recognize her. When that sharp gaze just now swept over her, her heart dropped instantly.
How could such a subtle action escape Xiao Ji's eyes? A hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes, and he chose to lead the conversation to Xi Qingtong.
His eyes passed over Song Yunhe's shoulder and landed on that frightened face. The corners of his lips curled up into a wicked smile: "Are you here to see Qingtong?"
After a pause, he continued, "I haven't thanked Madam Song for saving me yet. I welcome your visit today, and Qingtong will surely be happy. How could you think it's presumptuous?"
The word "Qingtong" came out of the boy's mouth with obvious intimacy, but the two people in front of the door were frightened and dazed when they heard it.
Xi Qingtong felt uncomfortable under this "friendly" gaze. She forced a smile, but couldn't control the trembling of her eyelashes.
She originally thought that she would see the destitute prince who was in dire straits. However, she did not expect that although the man in front of her was leaning on a cane, his overall demeanor was not much worse than before, and he even looked a bit more open and generous.
Fortunately, from the information revealed in his words, the fact that the two sisters had exchanged places was not exposed, so Xi Qingtong was able to maintain a smile. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard the girl's voice calling from behind.
"Liu Lang, look!"
Qingwu was running from the wasteland in the distance, with her arms crossed and seemed to be holding something in her arms. When she came closer, people could see that there were two furry kittens hidden in her arms.
The two little guys were huddled together, the orange one curled up obediently, and the other tabby cat with clear tiger stripes was twisting restlessly.
Her skirt was still stained with grass debris, and her eyes sparkled. "The children from Hedong Village sent this kitten. It was born to a village cat. It's already one and a half months old. They said the palace is big, and we'll have to stockpile food, so raising it is the best way to keep it away from rats."
The orange cat cooperated by meowing, and the soft and tender voice of the kitten melted anyone's heart. However, the tabby cat was already impatiently crawling out, hooking its little claws on Qingwu's clothes and pulling out the thread.
Song Yunhe's breathing stopped.
He had never seen Qingwu like this before - her plain blue dress was stained with grass debris, her cheeks were red from running, and her eyes were filled with a light brighter than the morning sun.
The restless tabby cat clung to her sleeve, but she just smiled and gently pinched the kitten's paw pad. Then she looked intently at the boy in front of the door and said with a smile, "The kittens are still young and naughty. I thought the children were right, so I brought them back. What do you think?"
The boy also nodded with a smile, his eyes looking at the girl gently, and then fell on the kitten in her arms.
He smiled and poked the kitten's forehead with his remaining hand, his voice unnaturally gentle, "Of course, if Qingqing likes it, keep it. It will also add some vitality to the house."
This intimate gesture made the two watching this scene's throats tighten. This was completely different from what they had imagined. Shouldn't they be just superficially close, but spiritually distant? Shouldn't they be constantly worrying about their future? How could they be so close, and seem so... happy?
My dear...
Xi Qingtong dug her nails deep into her palms. She didn't understand why someone who had been so distant and cold to her in the Eastern Palace could be so gentle towards the twin sisters. She also didn't understand why Qingwu was like this—
The skirt she was wearing was not at all appropriate, and looked more like something a servant might wear for work. Her hair was even more sloppy, wrapped in a piece of blue cloth, making her look like a village girl.
How could she attract him with this look?
Thinking of the cold reception she had received in the past, Xi Qingtong suddenly felt a surge of injustice in her heart. Her fear was suppressed by jealousy. She suddenly stepped forward and said loudly, "Sister, we came to see you."
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