From the moment she changed her name to Xiao Wenxi, she knew she could never be with him.
“Mother, I understand. Even if I hadn’t changed surnames, still being a Wei family lady, he wouldn’t marry me anyway,” Xiao Wenxi lowered her eyes dejectedly.
Her delicate eyebrows and phoenix eyes, jade cheeks and crimson lips with naturally upturned corners, graceful and gentle; her eyes like water-soaked apricots, rippling softly.
As lovely as spring peach blossoms; as pure as autumn chrysanthemums.
The Princess Royal drew Xiao Wenxi into her embrace with some melancholy: “I’m very relieved that you understand.”
Xiao Wenxi nestled against her mother, forcing back the moisture in her eyes: “Mother, could we invite the Princess over as a guest?”
“Xieer?”
“Mother, I want to see properly what kind of lady could earn such cherishing from him,” Xiao Wenxi looked up, her eyes pleading.
The Princess Royal considered for a while before agreeing: “Alright.”
…
When Xiao Huayong returned to the Eastern Palace, it was already the Xu hour (7-9 PM), yet he saw bright candlelight in Xiao Changgeng’s chambers, his book-holding silhouette cast on the windows.
He went straight to his chambers where Tianyuan waited anxiously, only relaxing upon seeing Xiao Huayong. He quickly prepared washing items, finally bringing medicine to soak Xiao Huayong’s fingernails, which soon came off in complete pieces.
Revealing raw red flesh beneath, Xiao Huayong’s real nails hadn’t grown back. He attached fake nails made from his previous ones after special treatment, adhering them over gossamer-thin gauze on his fingertips.
Due to the medicine, the flesh where the nails detached had turned slightly purple. Tianyuan looked on with distress: “Your Highness, please don’t leave the palace anymore. Your nails need proper healing.”
In the palace, he could just wrap them lightly with medicine, but outside while impersonating others, careful treatment was necessary.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Xiao Huayong smiled slightly.
“Your Highness…” Tianyuan was utterly helpless.
“The autumn hunt is in a few days, and I must attend,” Xiao Huayong said. “Don’t worry, I won’t use Xiao Guoxing’s identity anymore.”
Tianyuan asked puzzled, “Why? Did the Princess see through it again?”
“Precisely because she didn’t see through it,” Xiao Huayong’s face turned cold.
Shen Xihe was a solitary person who rarely grew close to others. Even Bu Shulin and Xue Jinqiao had to persistently pursue her attention to gain special treatment. While she wasn’t as coldly dismissive toward Xiao Guoxing as usual, she didn’t treat him particularly differently either.
This bothered Xiao Huayong, and he absolutely wouldn’t use Xiao Guoxing’s identity again.
Wasn’t it good that she hadn’t seen through it?
Seeing Xiao Huayong’s displeased expression, Tianyuan dared not say more.
However, Tianyuan hadn’t expected that Xiao Huayong, who had firmly declared last night he wouldn’t use Xiao Guoxing’s identity again, would become restless upon hearing early the next morning that Princess Ruyang had sent Shen Xihe an invitation which she had accepted.
“I must visit Princess Ruyang’s mansion,” the Crown Prince began fiddling with his fingers again. “Since entering the capital, she’s rejected all invitations from other households, yet today she accepted Aunt’s – it must be because of Xiao Guoxing.”
Tianyuan: …
Shen Xihe was indeed waiting for Xiao Guoxing to come again, but instead received Princess Ruyang’s invitation for tea at her mansion.
Usually, Shen Xihe would have declined, but today she guessed this might be Xiao Guoxing’s strategy, so she extraordinarily accepted.
When she arrived properly dressed at Princess Ruyang’s mansion, she only saw Princess Ruyang and her daughter, Lady Xiao Wenxi.
“Wenxi greets the Princess,” after Shen Xihe exchanged greetings with the Princess Royal, Xiao Wenxi also came forward to bow.
This was Shen Xihe’s first time meeting Xiao Wenxi. She hadn’t seen her at Furong Garden before, and later at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, she had been in mourning and didn’t attend.
She was an outstanding beauty with well-balanced features.
“Lady Xiao,” Shen Xihe returned the greeting.
“I’ve invited the Princess today to thank you for giving medicine to my son yesterday. My daughter has also long admired you and wished to meet you, hoping to learn some of your grace for future benefit,” the Princess Royal spoke warmly with an affectionate smile.
“The Princess overstates. I grew up in barbaric lands. With the Princess’s careful guidance, Lady Xiao should be the one teaching me,” Shen Xihe said modestly.
Hidden in the shadows, Xiao Huayong felt inexplicably sour. Thinking about how Shen Xihe treated other elders – while not deliberately arrogant, she rarely lowered herself to be humble and courteous – yet she was different from the Princess Royal.
It must be because of Xiao Guoxing!
Thinking this, Xiao Huayong turned to give a cold look at the following Xiao Guoxing.
Xiao Guoxing: ??
What had he done wrong? Why was His Highness giving him such a cold look?
“What does the Princess enjoy doing usually?” Xiao Wenxi asked, leading Shen Xihe to a well-arranged flower arbor. Flowers twined around them with pleasant fragrance, exquisite refreshments lay on the stone table, beside a teapot and stove for brewing tea. “I enjoy making tea daily.”
“I shouldn’t move much, so I usually just read books and tend to flowers and plants at home,” Shen Xihe replied.
Xiao Wenxi invited Shen Xihe to sit, while Princess Ruyang also accompanied them: “If the Princess doesn’t mind, please try Wenxi’s brewed tea.”
“My pleasure,” Shen Xihe smiled slightly.
The golden tripod brazier caught Shen Xihe’s attention – she was familiar with such stoves, having seen them in Xiao Huayong’s Eastern Palace.
Particularly, Xiao Wenxi used the same charcoal as the Eastern Palace, then poured water from a jar: “I used to think spring water was best for tea, but later learned from someone that rainwater is superior.”
The so-called rainwater was collected through complex processes during rainfall.
“Tea brewed with rainwater leaves no scale in the pot, no stains in the cup,” Shen Xihe responded.
Xiao Wenxi’s smile deepened as she nodded: “The Princess is also knowledgeable about tea.”
Shen Xihe just smiled faintly. The Princess Royal engaged Shen Xihe in conversation, knowing both the Tao family and Shen Yueshan, she spoke of her parents’ deeds.
While responding, Shen Xihe observed Xiao Wenxi’s every movement, increasingly noting similarities between her tea-brewing manner and Xiao Huayong’s.
Tea preparation had two methods – brewing and steeping. During her visits to the Eastern Palace, Xiao Huayong always used the brewing method.
She stored her tea leaves in a gilt silver turtle box – Shen Xihe had seen one like it in the Eastern Palace.
The gilt silver phoenix-patterned spoon, the twin fish-patterned gilt silver osmanthus cups, the ribbon-patterned silver bowls…
After observing, Shen Xihe asked: “Is Lady Xiao close to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
No one expected Shen Xihe to ask so directly. The Princess Royal was puzzled, while Xiao Wenxi’s smile remained unchanged: “Why does the Princess ask this?”
“I often visit the Eastern Palace. His Highness is also skilled at brewing tea. Lady Xiao’s tea-making technique resembles His Highness’s, and many tea implements are similar, hence my question.”
Shen Xihe wasn’t implying any romantic relationship – she was probing, testing the closeness between Xiao Guoxing or Princess Ruyang’s household and Xiao Huayong.
Unaware of the circumstances, Xiao Wenxi thought Shen Xihe was questioning her.