Staring at Yan Shiyao’s reddened eyes, Qi Qingchen’s mind flashed to these past two days — she had been the same, those eyes rimmed red, glistening with unshed tears as she looked up at him.

Pitifully fragile. Please be gentler.

“Imperial Brother, where is Sister-in-law Jiang Jin?” Qi Zhiyuan wheedled in a coquettish tone. “Imperial Brother, didn’t you promise Mother Consort that you would accompany me and Sister-in-law Jiang Jin today to go boating and enjoy the scenery by the water? Let us go find Sister-in-law Jiang Jin and be on our way quickly.”

“Mm.” Qi Qingchen released Yan Shiyao and turned to Wu’an with a calm voice. “Go into the residence and summon the Side Consort Jin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yan Shiyao pressed her lips together. She understood now — there would be no visiting her mother today.

“You will come along with this Highness.” Qi Qingchen’s gaze fell on Yan Shiyao again.

Yan Shiyao froze. Going out to enjoy herself with him in her current position as his former Third Prince’s Consort — wouldn’t people talk?

And if His Majesty the Emperor were to find out, wouldn’t Qi Qingchen be reprimanded?

His being scolded was one thing, but if he were to incur His Majesty the Emperor’s displeasure, how could she ever persuade Qi Qingchen to petition the Emperor to release her mother?

His Majesty the Emperor must already be very displeased with her. Seeing her alongside Qi Qingchen would only enrage him further.

“Imperial Brother!” Qi Zhiyuan stamped her foot. “Mother Consort told you to accompany Sister-in-law Jiang Jin. She said nothing about bringing someone else.”

“Does that include maidservants?” Qi Qingchen raised an eyebrow.

“…” Yan Shiyao drew in a sharp breath.

Qi Zhiyuan pursed her lips and shot a taunting look at Yan Shiyao. “Has Eldest Young Lady Yan truly fallen so low as to become a maidservant?”

Qi Qingchen cast an unhurried glance at Qi Zhiyuan, his tone playful. “Why are you squabbling with a mere maidservant? You would only lower your own standing as a princess.”

“…” Qi Zhiyuan’s lips twitched, momentarily at a loss for words.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she had the distinct feeling that her imperial brother appeared to be putting Yan Shiyao down for her benefit, when in truth he was warning her not to cause trouble for Yan Shiyao — otherwise she would be the one diminishing herself.

——

Aboard a vessel of reddish-brown lacquered wood, the boat glided slowly forward. Yan Shiyao stood behind Qi Qingchen, while Qi Zhiyuan bent down and pressed her ear to Jiang Jin’s rounded abdomen, exclaiming in amazement, “Sister-in-law, he kicked you.”

Beneath the silk robes, Jiang Jin’s swollen belly rose and fell with a faint, subtle movement. It was Qi Zhiyuan’s first time witnessing a baby’s kick, and she looked up at Qi Qingchen with excitement. “Imperial Brother, come look.”

Sensing that she had become superfluous, Yan Shiyao turned her head and, through the wooden window, gazed down at the small stones visible through the clear water below.

Across the river stretched a row of ancient buildings. Their dark grey tiles had faded with age, and beneath the upturned eaves hung a neat row of small red lanterns, swaying gently from side to side with the breeze.

Their reflections shimmered in the river below, like clusters of ripe, delicious little persimmons.

Yan Shiyao sniffled. The scent of water reeds drifted in on the wind and tickled the tip of her nose. Being here was far better than being cooped up in the Third Prince’s residence.

She shifted her arm — which had begun to ache with a dull, heavy throb — lifting it slightly. The damp air seeped into the gaps between her bones, sending waves of cold through them. Yan Shiyao shook her arm out, and the pain grew sharper. Even her fingers had gone rigid and stiff, too painful to move.

“Eldest Young Lady Yan, what are you standing there staring at? Pour the tea,” Qi Zhiyuan demanded, tilting her chin up haughtily.

Yan Shiyao stepped forward with small, careful steps, picked up the teapot with her right hand, raised her face into a smile, and poured a cup for Qi Zhiyuan. “Your Highness, please.”

“And there’s still Sister-in-law’s cup. Does this Princess have to spell it out?” When Yan Shiyao moved to set down the teapot, Qi Zhiyuan said coldly.

Yan Shiyao bit her lip, aggrieved.

“Come here.” Qi Qingchen said with a half-formed smile. “She is this Highness’s maidservant. Did the two of you not bring your own?”

Jiang Jin’s expression stiffened slightly. What did His Highness mean by that?

When Yan Shiyao had been pouring tea for Princess Zhiyuan, why hadn’t he said anything then?

Now that Princess Zhiyuan was asking Yan Shiyao to pour tea for her, he had the nerve to say they hadn’t brought their own maidservants!

“Mm.” Yan Shiyao sniffled and walked with measured steps to Qi Qingchen’s side, proactively pouring him a cup of tea.

Qi Qingchen closed his hand around Yan Shiyao’s arm, which was ice-cold and stiff. He had meant to pull her down to sit, but upon feeling the abnormality, his voice turned sharp. “What happened to your hand?”

“Imperial Brother, aren’t you being far too attentive toward your maidservant?” Qi Zhiyuan pouted and asked.

“Turn the boat around. Head back.” Qi Qingchen issued the order to Wu’an, his eyes cold and dark.

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Qi Zhiyuan laughed bitterly in exasperation, watching helplessly as Wu’an went to inform the boatman to turn around. Their mother consort had gone to considerable lengths to allow her to go out of the palace for once, and now, because of Yan Shiyao, they were heading back again!

“How did you injure it?” Qi Qingchen lifted the girl’s arm, which had gone red and verging on purple, and gently massaged it.

Yan Shiyao’s lashes fluttered. She murmured softly, “It was Xuan Yanyu.”

A flash of ferocity passed through Qi Qingchen’s eyes. “This Highness will make sure to avenge you,” he said through clenched teeth.

Yan Shiyao’s lips parted slightly, and she paid his words no mind.

At that moment, Yan Shiyao took it for nothing more than an offhand remark…

Back at the Third Prince’s residence, Qi Zhiyuan’s face was dark with displeasure. She pleaded with Qi Qingchen to let her stay at the residence for a few days. Qi Qingchen, occupied with taking Yan Shiyao to see the physician, gave a perfunctory nod.

Qi Zhiyuan wrung her handkerchief and glanced at Jiang Jin, whose expression was troubled. She made her promise solemnly: “Sister-in-law, this Princess will make certain that Yan Shiyao is driven out of Imperial Brother’s residence.”

Jiang Jin shook her head, feigning indifference. “Zhiyuan, His Highness will be displeased. You would be getting angry over Yan Shiyao — it really isn’t worth it for you.”

“How could Yan Shiyao possibly compare to this Princess? How could Imperial Brother possibly get angry with this Princess over Yan Shiyao?” Qi Zhiyuan laughed lightly. “Sister-in-law, you just focus on resting and nurturing the baby. Leave everything else to me.”

Jiang Jin offered a few more token words of dissuasion, before being helped into the residence by Qi Zhiyuan.

——

The Kingdom of Xuanzhao.

The Xuanwang Palace — Crown Prince’s Bedchamber.

Seeing that Yan Yunning was in good spirits, Xuan Yanyu decided it was time to settle an old score.

Yan Yunning stilled when she heard the man bring up the matter of how she had slipped away from the Crown Prince’s residence without a word that day. It had been so many days — she had assumed he had long since forgotten…

Xuan Yanyu coaxed and tugged until he had drawn her into his arms. He looked down at Yan Yunning with a smile. “Tell me — what made you think of leaving the Crown Prince’s residence?”

“Because I didn’t want to look at you,” Yan Yunning said, squinting one eye and peeking sideways at Xuan Yanyu.

Watching Yan Yunning ease toward him with the tentative caution of a puppy approaching a bone, the man lowered his head and nipped at her flushed earlobe, his voice dropping low. “Then why didn’t you just drive this Highness out of the Crown Prince’s residence? Why did you have to sneak off yourself?”

“Hmm?” Yan Yunning tilted her head back to rest on his arm, her gaze falling into the man’s smiling eyes. She narrowed her own eyes and smiled. “Crown Prince, if I drove you out, would you not get angry?”

“Wouldn’t dare.” Warm breath drew near and a kiss landed on her lips. Yan Yunning huffed, “Oh, wouldn’t dare, would you? That’s not what it looked like when a certain someone flung down their porcelain bowl, shoved back the sandalwood chair with a great crash, and stormed off in a rage.”

The man gave a low grunt. “And you still have the audacity to say that. You knew this Highness would get angry — so why didn’t you serve him food? What were you doing serving food to someone else?”

Ye Chen sighed. There the Crown Prince went again. These past few days, whenever the Crown Princess failed to serve him food at mealtimes, His Highness wouldn’t eat a single bite. The jealousy was truly something extraordinary.

He genuinely hadn’t seen it coming before.

The moment the Crown Princess was even a second late serving him, His Highness would turn passive-aggressive — asking the Crown Princess to imagine how she would feel if he were the one serving food to another woman, and asking if she would be jealous.

The Crown Princess would then promptly and obediently serve him his food without another word.