“Feng Jiu’er, you…” Feng Qingyin nearly fainted from rage.

“Ugh, this one’s just as bad.” Jiu’er seemed completely oblivious to the other person’s fury. She took a bite of the red date cake and spat that out too.

There were still others left. She went through every last piece with her chopsticks, poking and prodding, and in the end she flung the chopsticks down and turned to look at Zhan Yuheng.

She actually had the audacity to look aggrieved!

Feng Qingyin squeezed her handkerchief tight. Feng Jiu’er whined plaintively: “Heng Brother, I’m starving. These things are dreadful — no human being could eat them. Is there anything else?”

Zhan Yuheng was not unaware that she was deliberately making things difficult for Feng Qingyin.

Yet the sight of this little girl’s mischievous side stirred far too many memories within him.

“Wait a moment — I’ll have something delicious brought to you right away.”

The Crown Prince’s words had scarcely fallen before two young eunuchs immediately answered “Yes” and hurried off to prepare the evening meal.

Feng Jiu’er said nothing more. Sparring with Feng Qingyin for the sake of it held no real interest for her. The open and hidden battles between women — when you stripped it all away — were truly rather tedious.

If Feng Qingyin weren’t always looking to cause trouble for her, she would have had no desire to spare this person a second thought.

What’s more, she genuinely could not see through Zhan Yuheng. He was the Crown Prince, lofty and supreme — killing her would be nothing more than a single word’s effort.

That he was willing to extend even a little care and patience toward her now was nothing more than a remnant of the affection between them from their childhood years.

She stopped speaking, and sat in her chair taking in the décor of Yuyang Palace.

Feng Qingyin finally managed to tamp down the blaze of fury burning inside her, and looked at Zhan Yuheng: “Crown Prince Brother, Her Majesty the Empress has already prepared the evening meal, and she especially sent me to invite Crown Prince Brother to dine with her.”

In her earlier rage at Feng Jiu’er, she had nearly forgotten something this important.

She had come here with proper cause — with the Empress backing her from behind, was she really going to be afraid of Feng Jiu’er?

But Zhan Yuheng said: “This palace has a guest to entertain in Yuyang Palace tonight. Please trouble yourself to go back and inform the Empress Consort on this palace’s behalf — this palace will go pay respects to her tomorrow.”

“Crown Prince Brother…” The smile in Feng Qingyin’s eyes scattered at once. She had not expected that even invoking the Empress could not move the Crown Prince.

Her original plan had been this: the Empress had not invited Feng Jiu’er, so this woman could only sit here alone, while she could accompany the Crown Prince to Xuanhua Palace and dine together with the Empress.

It would have looked just like a family of three — warm and harmonious — leaving Feng Jiu’er to wait here by herself.

Yet the Crown Prince, for the sake of Feng Jiu’er, had actually declined the Empress’s invitation!

“Crown Prince Brother has been out of the city for several days — Her Majesty has missed him dearly. Her Majesty’s hope is that Crown Prince Brother would go accompany her tonight…”

“This palace will go tomorrow. You may withdraw and report back now.” Zhan Yuheng waved his hand and looked away from her.

He turned his gaze to Feng Jiu’er: “Jiu’er, I’ll take you to see the back garden — there are the little golden chrysanthemums you love most there.”

How did he know she loved little golden chrysanthemums? Could it be that the original Feng Jiu’er had loved them too?

Jiu’er did not dwell on it. She stood and walked out the door alongside him.

Feng Qingyin followed them out and watched helplessly as they walked toward the rear courtyard — while she had to go back and report her failure.

All at once, she felt that even playing the card of the Empress was proving useless. She too wanted nothing more than to go to the back garden with Crown Prince Brother.

As for little golden chrysanthemums — she cared nothing for them. All she wanted was to be with Crown Prince Brother.

Even so, she hurried a few steps after them: “Jiu’er, aren’t peonies your favorite flower?”

Little golden chrysanthemums? Since when had she ever taken a liking to little golden chrysanthemums? Her own courtyard was full of peonies — all the ones other people had grown to ruin and discarded, which this foolish girl had picked up and replanted!