Chapter 177
The lady affectionately held Su Zhelan's wrist as they passed through several moon gates and covered corridors, arriving at a quiet and elegant courtyard. A small plaque hung above the gate, inscribed with the three characters "Zhu Feng Xuan" (Bamboo Breeze Pavilion). Inside, verdant bamboo provided shade, and several banana trees grew in the corners, creating a very peaceful environment.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, Madam Su busied herself with preparations, loudly directing the maids and servants who had followed her: "Quickly! Prepare the largest guest room in the east wing, open all the windows to let in some fresh air! Change all the bedding to new, softer ones! Go to the storeroom and get that set of celadon tea utensils, light the incense burner, and choose some light and elegant fragrances..."
The servants responded in unison and immediately got to work quickly and efficiently.
Madam Su then pulled Su Zhelan to sit down at the stone table in the courtyard, and sat opposite him, her face filled with undisguised concern and curiosity, and began to ask him in detail:
“Good child, tell your auntie, how old are you this year? You don’t look that old… How long have you been studying medicine with my unreliable Ayan? He’s been running wild with Gu Linzhao for too long, he’s never settled down. Has he bullied you or made you do this or that?” She paused, her tone softening, with a helpless smile. “But he’s just stubborn and kind-hearted, he’s not a bad person… How have you been doing with him out there? Are you well-fed, clothed, and clothed? Have you been hungry or cold?”
Su Zhelan was somewhat overwhelmed by her barrage of eager questions, but she still answered honestly and softly, one by one: "Madam, I am seventeen... I have been studying under my master for almost six years. My master treats me very well, has never bullied me, and has taught me all his medical skills... My master... is doing well, but he is often busy studying medicine and treating patients, and sometimes he forgets to eat..."
Madam Su nodded repeatedly as she listened, sometimes clicking her tongue in distress, and sometimes glaring at Su Yan when she heard him say he "forgot to eat," as if she wanted to immediately grab her son's ear and give him a good scolding.
Suddenly, as if only then realizing that she had been so focused on asking about her son, she slapped her forehead and laughed, "Look at me! I was so busy asking that troublesome one! Good boy, what about you? What does your family do? You've been out with Ayan for so long, have you written home to let us know you're safe? So that your parents won't worry."
Upon hearing this, Su Zhelan's previously calm expression darkened slightly. He remained silent for a moment, his eyelids lowered, and his voice became even softer than before, carrying a hint of barely perceptible bitterness: "...There's no one left at home. My parents passed away many years ago."
Madam Su's smile froze instantly, and a hint of panic and deep regret flashed in her eyes.
She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say. She could only awkwardly try to make amends: "Oh dear! Look at my mouth... I'm so sorry, child, I didn't mean it... Sigh!"
Her face was full of genuine apology and heartache. She reached out and gently patted Su Zhelan's hand. "It's alright, it's alright. From now on, treat this place as your own home! If you need anything, are short of anything, or suffer any grievances, just tell your aunt. Don't be shy!"
Su Zhelan raised her head, forced a smile, and shook her head: "Madam, you flatter me. It's alright."
The lady gave Su Zhelan some more earnest instructions, and seeing that she did look tired, she stood up and said, "Good child, you must be tired from the journey. You should rest well. You can use the servants in the courtyard as you please. I will come to call you for dinner later."
Su Zhelan stood up and respectfully thanked her, "Thank you for your trouble, Madam."
The lady looked at him with affection again before turning and leaving with her maid, leaving Su Zhelan alone in the new and unfamiliar exquisite courtyard. The surroundings became quiet, with only the rustling of the wind blowing through the bamboo leaves.
Seeing that the servants had tidied up the room neatly and carefully, Su Zhelan gently told them to go and rest.
Once the room was completely quiet, leaving only himself, he let out a soft sigh, walked to the soft couch by the window, sat down, and gazed at the unfamiliar yet exquisite courtyard outside, lost in thought. The days of travel and Madam Su's warm concern had left him feeling somewhat weary. He closed his eyes, intending to take a short rest.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but in his half-awake state, a few very soft yet clear knocks on the door startled him awake.
Thump, thump, thump.
Su Zhelan's heart skipped a beat. He opened his eyes; the light in the room was now slightly slanted. He composed himself, remembering that this was his master's house, and his wariness lessened. He got up, walked to the door, and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
A deep, familiar voice came from outside the door, with a hint of barely perceptible laughter: "It's me."
Su Zhelan was startled. That voice... He hesitated and pulled the bolt on the door.
Standing outside the door was indeed Xiao Qiyun. He had changed out of his travel clothes and was now wearing a dark brocade robe with subtle patterns, which made him appear even more upright and dignified. However, his deep eyes were smiling at him, which seemed somewhat incongruous with his solemn attire.
"Your Highness?!" Su Zhelan exclaimed in surprise, instinctively looking behind Xiao Qiyun. The corridor was empty. "You... how did you find this place? How did you get in?" The security at the manor was not lax, and besides, his courtyard was located quite deep inside.
Xiao Qiyun's lips curled into a smile. Without waiting for Su Zhelan's invitation, he nimbly slipped into the house and gently closed the door behind him. His gaze quickly swept around the room, passing over the obviously new and expensive furnishings, before finally settling on Su Zhelan's surprised face.
“My bodyguards have been following me all the way,” he explained succinctly, his tone as casual as if he were remarking on the weather. “I came here as soon as I finished dealing with matters at the Crown Prince’s Palace.” He took a step closer to Su Zhelan, naturally extending his hand to pull her closer by the waist. Looking down at her, he lowered his voice, his tone coaxing: “While this place is nice, it’s still just a temporary residence. Why don’t you come back to the Crown Prince’s residence with me? It’s much quieter there, and no one will bother you. It’ll definitely be more comfortable and relaxing than here.”
Su Zhelan felt her ears burning from his sudden intimacy. She instinctively placed her hand on his chest, gently pushing him away a little, and shook her head, saying, "Your Highness's kindness is appreciated. This place is very nice... My aunt specially arranged it for me, which is very thoughtful. There's no need to trouble Your Highness any further."
Xiao Qiyun was pushed away but was not angry. Instead, he took the opportunity to grab his wrist and led him to sit down on the soft couch. He then sat down next to him, his arms still loosely around his waist, in an extremely intimate manner.
"Troublesome?" Xiao Qiyun chuckled softly, turning his head to look at Su Zhelan's slightly flushed profile. His tone carried a hint of grievance and accusation. "On the way back to the capital, to avoid suspicion, I've only seen you a handful of times. I've almost missed you terribly... Now that we've finally arrived and settled in, instead of showing me some affection, you're acting distant?"
These words were so blunt and explicit that Su Zhelan's face flushed crimson, even his neck turning pink. He was so embarrassed he wanted to disappear into the ground, his voice trembling as he cried out, "...Don't talk nonsense!"
Seeing his embarrassed and embarrassed appearance, Xiao Qiyun's smile deepened. Instead of restraining herself, she took advantage of the situation and moved even closer, almost whispering in his ear, "What nonsense did I say? Don't you miss me?"
The two cuddled and whispered sweet nothings to each other for a while.
Su Zhelan blushed and his heart pounded as Xiao Qiyun teased him. It took him a while to calm his agitated state. Suddenly remembering something, he looked up and asked, "By the way, Your Highness, has Sheng Xuan... returned to the General's Mansion?"
Xiao Qiyun was enjoying this tender moment when he heard Su Zhelan suddenly mention Sheng Xuan. His handsome face immediately darkened, and the hand around Su Zhelan's waist tightened. He said irritably, "Why bring him up out of the blue?"
Su Zhelan either didn't notice the displeasure in his tone, or she did but didn't care, and asked again, "Then... where is the General's Mansion? Is it far from here?"
Xiao Qiyun's face darkened further. He turned his face away and bluntly uttered three words: "I don't know!" His tone was full of sullenness and displeasure.
Su Zhelan looked at Xiao Qiyun, who was clearly sulking and turning his face away from him, and felt both amused and helpless. He knew the prince's temperament well; he was easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force, especially on such trivial matters, where he was particularly stubborn.
He sighed softly, leaned slightly towards Xiao Qiyun, and spoke in a soft, tentative voice, "Your Highness... please don't be angry."
Xiao Qiyun still held her neck stiffly, ignoring him, but the taut lines of her profile seemed to have softened slightly.
Seeing this, Su Zhelan pressed on, reaching out a finger and very lightly tugging at the cuff of Xiao Qiyun's luxurious brocade robe, like a kitten scratching someone, the force so light it was almost imperceptible. Her tone carried a hint of coquetry, which she herself didn't even realize: "I...I didn't mean to bring up other people. I was just asking casually..."
He paused, observing Xiao Qiyun's reaction. Seeing that the other party did not turn around but seemed to be listening intently, he continued in a soft voice, "Your Highness is busy with state affairs, yet you still took the time to come see me... I am very happy."
These words seemed to gently scratch at Xiao Qiyun's heart. He finally moved slightly, glancing at Su Zhelan out of the corner of his eye. Although his face was still expressionless, the low pressure of "I'm unhappy" around him had obviously dissipated a lot.
Seeing that he was softening, Su Zhelan became bolder and her voice became gentler, filled with sincere gratitude: "I know Your Highness means well and wants me to be more comfortable. It's just... I just accepted your kindness, and it's really not appropriate for me to leave immediately. I... I remember Your Highness's kindness."
As he spoke, his cheeks flushed again, but he still mustered his courage and gently shook Xiao Qiyun's sleeve: "Your Highness... please don't be angry, okay?"
Xiao Qiyun finally turned his head slowly, his deep gaze falling on Su Zhelan's slightly flushed cheeks and her clear eyes filled with pleading. The last trace of displeasure in his eyes was finally smoothed away by her soft and gentle words.
He snorted, his tone still deliberately cold, but his arm honestly wrapped around Su Zhelan's waist again, pulling her closer to him: "...always good at saying sweet things to coax me."
Seeing that he was finally willing to talk to her, Su Zhelan felt relieved and couldn't help but smile. She obediently let him hug her and whispered, "I'm not just trying to coax you, I'm telling you the truth."
Looking down at his docile yet slightly cunning appearance, Xiao Qiyun felt her jealousy vanish, replaced by a pleasant and comforting sense of satisfaction.
His tone softened completely, even carrying a hint of indulgence: "...Fine. I'll let you off this time."
Su Zhelan was being held in Xiao Qiyun's arms, the two talking in hushed tones. Just as the atmosphere was easing, Su's light footsteps and cheerful call came from outside the door:
"Zelan? Good girl, how's the preparation going? Dinner is all ready, let's head to the main hall!"
The sound was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Su Zhelan was so startled that he jerked up from Xiao Qiyun's arms almost reflexively! His mind went blank; his only thought was—he absolutely could not let his wife see the Crown Prince in his room! If word got out…
In her haste, Su Zhelan didn't care about anything else. She hurriedly pulled up Xiao Qiyun, who was still sitting on the couch and raising his eyebrows at her. Her gaze quickly swept around the room and finally settled on the heavy pear wood wardrobe by the wall!
"Your Highness! Forgive me!" he said hurriedly in a low voice, almost pushing and shoving the bewildered and amused Xiao Qiyun toward the wardrobe.
Xiao Qiyun was both amused and exasperated by Su Zhelan's sudden action. When had he, the Crown Prince, ever needed to hide in a wardrobe? But looking at Su Zhelan's anxious face, with sweat dripping from her nose and her cheeks flushed, he couldn't get angry. Instead, he found it amusing and, half-pushed and half-yielding, followed his lead and bent down to crawl into the fairly spacious wardrobe.
Su Zhelan slammed the cabinet door shut with a "bang," leaving only a tiny crack for ventilation. He took a deep breath, forcibly calming his wildly beating heart, and tried to make his voice sound steady as he addressed the doorman, "Yes, madam! I... I'm coming right now! Thank you for coming to call me!"
Madam Su, standing outside the door, had no suspicions. She smiled and replied, "No rush, take your time," and her footsteps gradually faded into the distance, as if she had gone ahead to wait.
Hearing the footsteps fade away, Su Zhelan finally breathed a long sigh of relief. She turned around and quickly walked to the wardrobe, opened it a crack, and whispered anxiously and shyly to the pair of teasing eyes in the darkness inside, "Your Highness! You...you should go back now! It's time for dinner!"
Through the crack in the cabinet door, Xiao Qiyun not only didn't move, but instead reached out and blocked the crack, chuckling softly, "You're kicking me out already?" His voice came through the crack, carrying a lazy, magnetic quality.
Su Zhelan was both anxious and embarrassed, fearing that someone would turn back, so she could only plead, "Your Highness!"
Seeing Su Zhelan's frantic state, Xiao Qiyun's smile deepened. He suddenly leaned closer to the crack in the door and quickly pecked Su Zhelan's lips before she could pull away. Satisfied, he whispered, "Alright, whatever you say. Don't worry, I have a way to get out. I'll make sure no one catches you in the act and ruins your reputation."
He emphasized the words "catching someone in the act" with particular clarity and suggestiveness, causing Su Zhelan's face to flush crimson, even the tips of his ears burning! He was both ashamed and angry, and without thinking, his hand instinctively tightened its grip—
"Bang!"
The wardrobe door slammed shut! Immediately afterwards, a muffled, painful groan came from inside: "Ugh!"
Su Zhelan was startled, only then realizing that he had closed the door too hastily and seemed to have bumped into something? He hurriedly opened it a crack again and saw Xiao Qiyun in the dark wardrobe, one hand covering his forehead, his brows slightly furrowed, his expression a mixture of amusement and helplessness.
"You..." Xiao Qiyun gasped, her voice a mixture of amusement and exasperation, as she accused him in a low voice, "...Are you trying to murder your husband?"
Su Zhelan panicked, feeling both guilty and wanting to laugh. She was flustered, unsure whether to apologize or check on him, her face flushing red and then pale. Finally, she could only stammer, "I'm...I'm sorry! I...I didn't mean to!...Are you alright?"
Xiao Qiyun rubbed his forehead, looking at Su Zhelan's embarrassed expression, as if he wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. In the end, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, waved to him, indicating that he was fine and told him to go quickly.
Su Zhelan blushed and fled the room, looking back every few steps, her mind a jumble of emotions. She was worried about Xiao Qiyun's forehead and felt hot with shame at the words "murdering her husband."
Su Zhelan followed the lady through the brightly lit corridor to the spacious, brightly decorated main hall. The hall was already bustling with people, filled with laughter and chatter, and the air was filled with the aroma of delicious food and a lively family atmosphere.
As soon as Su Zhelan stepped into the hall, he was somewhat at a loss for words at the sight before him. There were quite a few people sitting or standing in the hall, including middle-aged men dressed in rich clothes, several women adorned with jewels, and a few teenagers younger than Su Zhelan who were curiously observing him.
The moment Madam Su entered, all eyes fell on Su Zhelan, who followed closely behind her and seemed somewhat uneasy.
There was pure curiosity, a kind of benevolent scrutiny, and a hint of judgment in that gaze.
Su Zhelan had never seen anything like this before. He felt his cheeks burning and didn't know what to do with his hands and feet. Instinctively, he wanted to lower his head to avoid those gazes. He quickly scanned the entire room, anxiously searching for a familiar figure.
Soon, his gaze settled on one side of the hall. There sat Su Yan with a "keep away" expression, holding a cup of tea and sipping it casually, seemingly uncomfortable with the lively atmosphere around him but trying to suppress it.
Gu Linzhao sat casually next to him, talking animatedly to a man who looked like Su Yan's older brother, making the man laugh heartily.
Upon seeing the two, Su Zhelan felt as if she had found a savior. Her eyes lit up, and she almost held her breath, lowered her head, and quickly walked through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances directed at her, and ran straight to Mr. Su Yan's side.
He carefully stood next to Su Yan's chair, his head slightly lowered, his hands nervously twisting the hem of his clothes. He looked just like a chick that had found its mother hen's protection in an unfamiliar environment and immediately huddled under her wings for safety, wishing it could hide itself away.
Su Yan noticed his approach, glanced at him sideways, and saw his nervous and anxious appearance, as if he wanted to disappear into the ground. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he didn't say anything in the end. He simply put the teacup in his hand on the small table next to him and turned his body slightly to the side, inadvertently blocking some of the gazes from other directions from Su Zhelan.
Gu Linzhao, who was standing to the side, also noticed Su Zhelan. He stopped talking, grinned at him, and mouthed silently, "Don't be afraid."
Encouraged by Gu Linzhao, Su Zhelan felt a little more at ease, but he still didn't dare to look up. He simply stood even closer to Su Yan, as if only in this way could he find a sense of familiar security in this unfamiliar and overly enthusiastic environment. He made up his mind that unless his master spoke up tonight, he would stay close by, not leaving his side for a moment.
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