The courtyard was lush with greenery, and the windows were half-opened. Inside, a woman was grooming herself in front of a mirror. Despite her not-so-young face, she wore a smile as if she were a young girl in love. The smile spread along the lines of her eyes, bringing a rosy blush to her pale cheeks, making her look even more radiant than if she had applied rouge. With a slight curl of her lips and a sparkling gleam in her eyes, she carefully selected a golden hairpin from the sandalwood dressing-case, raising her wrist high as she turned to the person behind her and asked, “Will wearing this make me look old?”
As Nanny Yu inserted the hairpin into her hair bun, she chuckled, “Princess, where do you see signs of aging? Not a single white hair has appeared on your head. Your complexion is glowing today, and anything you wear will look good.”
The princess gave her a playful glare. “You have such a sweet tongue. What time is it now? Is my husband coming over?”
Nanny Yu glanced at the hourglass and said, “Princess, don’t worry. It’s only the ninth hour of the day. Your husband said he would come closer to dinner time.”
The princess nervously touched the jade bracelet in her hand, her face suddenly blushing. She lowered her head and whispered, “Do you think… he will stay here tonight?”
Nanny Yu tidied the stray hairs at her temples and smiled, “Since the lord volunteered to have dinner with his wife tonight, he must be prepared to stay the night.” She leaned close to the princess’s ear and whispered, “Princess, rest assured. I specially chose magnolia incense today, and I’ll add some wine later to liven up the mood. He won’t be able to resist staying.”
The princess’s face flushed in the bronze mirror as if she had returned to her youthful days. She sat anxiously in the new room, waiting for the person she had longed for countless times in her heart to arrive. If there was still a chance, could everything start anew?
As she harbored countless thoughts and anxiously awaited, someone was racing on horseback, rushing all the way. Xiao Zhixuan lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the setting sun in the sky, couldn’t help but turn her head and complain, “It’s all your fault, big brother. We agreed on this yesterday, yet you made us so late today. If it gets dark, we might miss the boat race.”
Xiao Du glanced at the green zongzi Yuanxi held in her hand absentmindedly and replied, “You only think about playing. Yesterday, there was such a commotion in the Buddhist hall. Father and I spent the whole day settling the relatives and silencing the monks. Not everyone is as carefree as you.”
Thinking of the events in the Buddhist hall yesterday, Xiao Zhixuan’s eyes dimmed, and she said, “Actually, the princess is quite pitiful…” Before she could finish her sentence, she was glared at by Xiao Du. She immediately realized her mistake and shrank her neck guiltily, only to hear Xiao Du say, “Remember! You can frolic around on ordinary days, but don’t casually discuss matters concerning your elders.”
At this moment, Yuanxi finally finished peeling off all the zongzi leaves calmly. She smiled and handed the glutinous rice zongzi, which was white and sticky, to Xiao Zhixuan’s mouth, saying, “Nanny Li told me that she added osmanthus flowers inside. Try it and see how it tastes.” Just scolded, Xiao Zhixuan smelled the aroma and smiled again, just as she picked up the zongzi and felt a resentful gaze coming from the side. Xiao Zhixuan turned her head in triumph and stuffed the zongzi into her mouth, saying, “Sister-in-law peeling zongzi is indeed delicious.”
Xiao Du glared at her fiercely, turned his head away, and looked out the window with a dark expression. Yuanxi took a moment to understand what had happened and hurriedly peeled another zongzi and handed it to Xiao Du. Unexpectedly, Xiao Du didn’t even glance at her, just coldly said, “You eat it yourself. I don’t like sweet things.” Yuanxi thought for a moment, thinking he didn’t like it, and said “Oh” and put it in her mouth. She couldn’t swallow the zongzi, but she didn’t understand how she had offended him.
Outside the window, the horses were galloping, oblivious to the subtle emotions inside the carriage, and soon arrived at the famous Jade Spring Lake in the capital. Before they even got off the carriage, they heard thunderous drumbeats and cheers from the lake. Dozens of colorful dragon boats, following the rhythm of the drums, sailed out on the lake, leaving white waves in their wake.
The lake was filled with colorful boats, and the shores were crowded with excited crowds. They cheered enthusiastically, waving their hands to cheer on the rowers on the boats. But there was a large space near the lake shore, with many pavilions erected, and thick curtains hanging from them, providing a place for the rich young masters and misses to rest and watch.
Xiao Zhixuan was immediately infected by the atmosphere. She grabbed Yuanxi’s hand and hurriedly got off the carriage, walking briskly towards the pavilion with the “Xiao” character flag. When she turned her head, she found Xiao Du following behind with an indifferent face.
She smirked and jumped back to Xiao Du’s side, whispering in his ear, “I know Sister-in-law made several colorful ropes yesterday. I deliberately kept an eye on her when I went to see her just now, and she had brought them out. They must be waiting to be given to you. Alright, alright, you should be happy now.”
萧渡 snorted, “What’s there to be happy about a few ropes?” But his expression involuntarily softened, and his pace quickened slightly. Xiao Zhixuan made a funny face secretly and happily walked towards Yuanxi, holding his hand.
As they entered the pavilion, tea, and fruits were already prepared. The boat race was in full swing, with drummers at the bow of each boat pounding the drums vigorously, and the cheers getting louder and louder. The rowers with red cloth tied around their heads rowed with enthusiasm, some even took off their outer garments, revealing their muscular and bronzed upper bodies. Sweat dripped from their muscles, accentuating their appearance against the backdrop of the white waves.
The young ladies from prestigious families on the shore had never seen such a scene before. Some exclaimed and quickly covered their faces and turned away, while others, bold as they were, couldn’t help but widen their eyes and peek.
Xiao Du and his group were closest to the boats, so they had a clearer view. Xiao Du was not pleased with what he saw. He turned to Yuanxi and noticed her staring intently at the rowers, seemingly undisturbed. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, he slammed his teacup onto the table and said, “Let’s go outside for some fresh air!”
Yuanxi, deeply engrossed in watching, was suddenly pulled by Xiao Zhixuan’s sleeve. She turned around to see her husband glaring at her fiercely. Not understanding what had happened, she heard Xiao Du say, “What’s there to see? Come with me.”
Reluctantly missing the rare lively scene, Yuanxi followed Xiao Du outside. However, as soon as they stepped out of the pavilion, they saw several people in white silk robes and square scarves outside another pavilion not far away. They were reciting poems while watching the boat race. One of them turned around, seemed somewhat surprised to see them, but quickly put on a smile and bowed from afar, saying, “Marquis, Madam, I didn’t expect to meet again after leaving the estate.”
Xiao Du’s smile faded. He furrowed his brows and shouted, “Who chose this spot?”
A servant, unaware of what had happened, approached with a smug look, saying, “I came early to occupy it. This spot offers the best view of the boat race. What does the Marquis think?” Xiao Du glanced at him coldly and said, “When we return, you will receive twenty strokes of the cane!”
The servant’s smile froze on his face, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. As he pondered where he had gone wrong to offend the Marquis, inside the Xuan Yuan Marquis Mansion, Xiao Yunjing pushed open a door and walked inside. The princess, upon hearing the sound, hurriedly stood up and straightened her clothes, walking to the door to greet him.
Xiao Yunjing sat down at the table and said, “Your health isn’t good. You didn’t have to come specially to greet me.” The princess smiled and said, “The food and drinks are ready. We’re just waiting for you to start the banquet.” She then instructed the maidservants to come in. Once the food and drinks were arranged, Nanny Yu led the maidservants out and closed the door behind them.
Under the candlelight, there were only two figures silently facing each other. They hadn’t been alone like this for a long time, and they both felt a bit awkward. The princess rose gently and poured a cup of wine for each of them, saying, “Today is the Duanwu Festival. Let’s have a cup of calamus wine to celebrate.”
Xiao Yunjing gently pressed her wrist and said, “You shouldn’t drink.” The princess shook her head with a smile and said, “I’m happy today. It’s okay to have a few drinks.” Xiao Yunjing looked at her deeply but ultimately didn’t stop her. They toasted a few cups and exchanged a few words, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious. After a while, the princess held her forehead, her beautiful eyes gazing at Xiao Yunjing, and said softly, “I’m feeling a bit weak from the wine. Could you help me to the bed to rest?”
Her flushed cheeks and flirtatious drunkenness reflected in the candlelight, stirring something inexplicable in Xiao Yunjing’s heart. He stood up and helped her up. The princess leaned her head gently against his chest, her disheveled hair brushing lightly against his neck, and the scent of incense enveloped him, making Xiao Yunjing finally feel a bit moved. He couldn’t help but hold her tighter.
The princess raised her head, looking at his somewhat intoxicated eyes, feeling even more delighted in her heart. She softly said, “Husband, do you remember how we first met?”
But before she could finish speaking, she felt his body suddenly stiffen. Xiao Yunjing’s gaze gradually turned cold, and the moment of tenderness had already dissipated. He placed her on the bed abruptly and said, “If the lady is drunk, it’s better to rest early.” Without looking back, he walked out.
“Wait!” The princess propped herself up on the bed, unable to control the tears in her eyes, trembling with resentment, and shouted, “After so many years, you tell me, what did I do wrong?”
Xiao Yunjing paused, turned around, and stared at her for a long time before finally saying slowly, “You don’t know what you did wrong?”
The princess’s eyes filled with anger at first, but under his gaze, they gradually turned into astonishment and fear. Her body slowly slid down until she sat softly on the bed, unable to make a sound anymore.