Xiao Huayong grew increasingly pleased as he thought about it. Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, despite the sweltering heat, he dove straight into his private storehouse. After having people practically turn the storehouse upside down, he finally dug out a box of cool jade that had been bestowed by the palace many years ago. Still feeling it wasn’t enough, he immediately ordered Hua Fuhai to gather more and had all the jade pieces woven into a jade mat.
This was because after having Tian Yuan investigate, he found that no one had offended Shen Xihe. He suddenly looked up at the blazing sun overhead, thinking that since she was sensitive to heat, her irritability must have been due to the hot weather.
Hua Fuhai, being wealthy and generous, possessed countless treasures. He ordered people to work through the night, employing dozens of craftsmen who managed to deliver it to Xiao Huayong’s hands within three days. After not seeing Shen Xihe for three days, Xiao Huayong came to the Princess’s manor again with his prepared gift.
Clear sunlight illuminated the ground, with the morning sun hanging half-hidden behind the curved eaves.
Shen Xihe had prepared some cooling refreshments today, originally planning to go to the Eastern Palace. Zhenzhu had said Xiao Huayong would return after a day, but three days had passed with no major affairs at court. Perhaps he was truly upset.
This matter was her oversight, and Shen Xihe felt she should apologize, seeing no reason to save face.
The two encountered each other at the entrance of the Princess’s manor. Shen Xihe saw that today he wore an apricot-colored collar robe, his expression relaxed with joy evident in his eyes, clearly in an excellent mood.
She couldn’t help but look up at the sky. During the height of summer, daybreak came extremely early and days were very long. Although there was no court session today, he should have been handling state affairs at this hour. She had calculated the timing so that when she arrived at the Eastern Palace, he would have just about finished his morning governmental duties.
Yet Xiao Huayong was already at her manor gates – hadn’t he set out a quarter-hour earlier then?
“Where is Youyou headed?” The moment Xiao Huayong saw Shen Xihe standing at the gate, the joy in his eyes vanished without a trace.
Usually, when Shen Xihe planned to visit the Eastern Palace, she would notify them in advance. Having received no such notice, Xiao Huayong naturally didn’t think Shen Xihe was planning to visit the Eastern Palace, and immediately felt a touch of jealousy.
Where he stood, the sunlight enveloped him, illuminating his jade-like face, and making every emotion visible.
Shen Xihe slowly stepped aside: “Your Highness, please come in.”
So she was inviting him in, not planning to go out anymore?
Xiao Huayong felt somewhat pleased, but then thinking about how he hadn’t seen her for three days and she was about to go see someone else – if he hadn’t come early, he would have missed her entirely – that bit of joy disappeared again.
He wanted to say something, but feared annoying her; yet saying nothing left him inexplicably hurt. He could only maintain a stiff expression as he stepped inside.
Shen Xihe seemed not to notice his rapidly changing emotions. She wondered if she had spoken too much about his inscrutability, for whenever he was before her, he was like a child, wearing all his joy and sorrow plainly on his face.
That authenticity, that vividity – though it appeared extremely immature and unsteady, even displaying a childishness unbefitting a man of age, somehow she, who particularly disliked childish men, couldn’t bring herself to detest it.
“Your Highness, please be seated.” Shen Xihe led Xiao Huayong to a pavilion extending over the lake.
Zhenzhu and the others set down their food boxes and began unpacking them one by one. Watching this, Xiao Huayong’s expression gradually softened: “Prepared for me?”
“I had originally planned to visit Your Highness at the Eastern Palace.” Shen Xihe nodded, “Has Your Highness had breakfast?”
Even if he had eaten at this hour, he would say he hadn’t: “Not yet. I was just thinking about Youyou’s delicacies.”
Shen Xihe smiled slightly without exposing his white lie and instead sat down to accompany him with the meal. After eating, she finally said: “I was in the wrong that day, I shouldn’t have been discourteous to Your Highness.”
Xiao Huayong’s eyebrows lifted: “Discourteous? No, Youyou, you have always shown me too much courtesy, never discourtesy.”
Was she apologizing because she had reflected that she shouldn’t have shown her true emotions to him that day, or because she was truly concerned about his feelings? Clever as he was, usually precise in reading people, he couldn’t see through her heart.
Unable to see through, he asked directly: “Youyou, do you feel you neglected me that day? Or… are you worried I was displeased because of that day?”
“What’s the difference?” Shen Xihe asked.
“There’s a great difference.” He was very particular about her every move and action. “If it’s the former, Youyou merely feels she didn’t fulfill her duties as a host; if it’s the latter… it means Youyou values me in her heart.”
His eyes were calm, yet as deep and unfathomable as the ocean, not pressing but impossible to ignore, as he gazed at her quietly.
Shen Xihe thought carefully before answering candidly: “Both.”
She felt both that she had been discourteous and willful, and that she was mindful of his feelings.
As long as she cared about him, that was enough. Xiao Huayong’s smile became soft and satisfied, and he beckoned to Tian Yuan, who hurriedly brought up the box containing the jade mat.
Xiao Huayong stood up and, while lifting the square brocade box, said: “I was negligent. The capital’s summer days are scorching, and you are sensitive to heat. It’s natural to become irritable when the sun is so fierce. I specially prepared this cool jade mat for you. When placed at night, surrounded by its cooling energy, you will surely sleep well.”
The pieces of cool jade were connected like armor scales. Touching them felt icy and cool, extremely comfortable.
So, he had thought she was impatient with him that day because the summer heat had prevented her from sleeping well.
For some reason, Shen Xihe’s heart seemed to be gently touched by something, and in that moment of wavering, she felt deeply moved.
He hadn’t been angry, nor resentful, nor had he grown dissatisfied with her because of it. Instead, he had deeply investigated why she had acted that way, wondering if someone had angered her.
“Your Highness, people say women often act unreasonably. Did Your Highness never think that I too was being unreasonable that day?” Shen Xihe asked.
“How could that be?” Xiao Huayong’s gaze was clear. “Youyou are not the type to make trouble without cause.”
After a pause, he smiled at her with intimate tenderness: “To me, Youyou can do no wrong. If Youyou acts excessively, it must be others’ fault for provoking Youyou.”
“But Your Highness didn’t provoke me that day.”
“Youyou have always been clear about gratitude and grudges. If I didn’t provoke Youyou that day, then something must have upset Youyou, leaving the clever and quick-witted Youyou helpless. And since Youyou doesn’t see me as an outsider, holding in her emotions, she came to vent to me.” Xiao Huayong’s smile grew deeper as he spoke. “It is my fortune. In the future, whenever Youyou is unhappy, feel free to vent to me. I will gladly accept it.”
Shen Xihe couldn’t help but be amused by him: “Is this ‘love so deep, all faults forgiven’?”
Xiao Huayong smiled like a spring breeze: “Youyou, do you know why I still haven’t grown the least bit tired of you?”
Shen Xihe gently shook her head.
“It’s not because I’m stubborn, refusing to give up until I achieve my goal. Nor is it because I have a desire to conquer you, insisting on making you submit to me.” Xiao Huayong said softly, “Rather, from beginning to end, you have never denied the feelings I hold for you.”
She had only said she didn’t believe in eternal love, that there was no such thing as forever between men and women.