Shen Xihe raised her eyebrows slightly – Xiao Wenxi had come to seek her help regarding marriage matters.
How could she make such decisions for Xiao Wenxi? The Princess Imperial of Ruyang was still alive, and Xiao Wenxi was His Majesty’s niece – she shouldn’t be seeking help from Shen Xihe.
Without changing her expression, Shen Xihe asked, “Does Miss Xiao need me to act as a matchmaker for someone she admires?”
Fortunately, her elder brother was already married; otherwise, Shen Xihe would have suspected that Xiao Wenxi wanted to marry him. Could it be her cousin?
“Yes, only with the Crown Princess’s help and approval can this humble one’s wishes be fulfilled.” Xiao Wenxi’s clear eyes sparkled enchantingly, yet when she looked at Shen Xihe, there seemed to be an unusual glimmer in them.
“Is it someone related to me?” Shen Xihe probed. “Miss Xiao, even if they are related to me, I won’t intervene. I wouldn’t want my close relatives to marry you just because they can’t refuse my face. That wouldn’t be fair to either of you.”
Xiao Wenxi hadn’t expected Shen Xihe to misunderstand. She couldn’t help but laugh, then her gaze grew dark as she studied Shen Xihe intently: “Crown Princess, haven’t you considered that I might still harbor inappropriate thoughts for the Crown Prince?”
She had once openly expressed her admiration for Xiao Huayong in front of Shen Xihe, who had seemed completely unbothered at the time. But now Shen Xihe was the Crown Princess and everyone in the capital knew of the Crown Prince’s deep love for her. Even now, did she truly not care at all?
“What does it matter if Miss Xiao’s heart remains unchanged?” Shen Xihe asked nonchalantly. “Let alone the fact that you share the same surname as Beichen, but given the kind of person Beichen is – and since you admire him, you must have heard something of his nature – if he were willing to take you, you wouldn’t need to beg me; if he’s unwilling…”
“You mean I’m deceiving myself?” Though Shen Xihe hadn’t finished, Xiao Wenxi gave a self-mocking smile.
“No.” Shen Xihe’s bright eyes grew deep as her pink lips parted. “It’s courting death.”
She was certain that any woman who dared to make trouble before her using his name would be made to regret ever being born into this world by Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Wenxi trembled, her pupils contracting. After a moment of apparent shock, she smiled bitterly: “This humble one is no match for Your Highness… no match for how well Your Highness understands the Crown Prince.”
Perhaps she had only glimpsed a fleeting fragment of Xiao Huayong’s true nature, while Shen Xihe saw him in his entirety – the Xiao Huayong who willingly revealed himself to her.
“If Miss Xiao has no other matters…”
“Don’t you mind?” Xiao Wenxi had never been so discourteous as to interrupt someone, but she couldn’t help herself. She had to ask – perhaps getting a clear answer would help her let go.
“Mind?” Shen Xihe didn’t immediately understand what Xiao Wenxi meant.
“Mind that someone admires the Crown Prince,” Xiao Wenxi clarified.
How could anyone remain so unmoved when faced with another woman’s admiration for their husband? Could it be that Shen Xihe truly had no feelings for Xiao Huayong in her heart?
Knowing Xiao Huayong’s true nature, Xiao Wenxi had never believed those outside rumors claiming Shen Xihe was using Xiao Huayong as a stepping stone and pawn. How could they see Xiao Huayong as such an incompetent person? Such short-sighted fools.
Shen Xihe laughed softly and shook her head gently: “I don’t mind.”
Not only was Xiao Wenxi stunned, but even Xiao Huayong, who had just arrived at the doorway and was about to stop Biyu from announcing him, paused in his steps, standing with his hands behind his back.
“Why don’t you mind?” Xiao Wenxi couldn’t help raising her voice. She felt somewhat angry. The man she admired, the most unattainable person in the world, the one who loved with his whole heart – how could someone fail to treasure him?
What she viewed as precious and unattainable, another could easily obtain yet discard like worn-out shoes!
Faced with Xiao Wenxi’s questioning and the condemnation in her eyes, Shen Xihe remained composed: “Why does Miss Xiao admire Beichen?”
Not understanding why Shen Xihe would ask this, Xiao Wenxi didn’t hide anything. Her admiration for Xiao Huayong wasn’t shameful, nor had it harmed others. She answered candidly: “If the Crown Princess asks why I admire him, I can’t quite explain it. Admiration is simply admiration. Perhaps it’s because… he moves like a noble gentleman, like a dragon swimming in the lake; distinguished and fragrant as an orchid, his bearing dignified and imposing.”
Xiao Wenxi used just twelve characters to describe Xiao Huayong, but her praise was evident. Her admiration for him had reached the point of infatuation.
“Yes, he is exactly as you say, as brilliant as the bright moon,” Shen Xihe wasn’t bothered by Xiao Wenxi’s praise or the enchantment in her eyes. “When the bright moon hangs in the sky, thousands gaze up in admiration. Some feel ashamed to harbor such ambitious thoughts, while others foolishly dream of embracing the moon. However, the bright moon belongs solely to one expanse of the night sky, untouchable by others. Having already possessed it, why should I mind if distant admirers steal a few extra glances?
If one must fret about it, there’s only one way to find peace.”
“What way?” Xiao Wenxi asked.
“Cover its clear radiance, break its brilliant light, let the bright pearl gather dust, dim the moon’s glow, and then no one would covet it anymore.”
Xiao Wenxi stood up reflexively, looking at Shen Xihe in disbelief.
Shen Xihe lifted her sleeve to raise her cup, taking a sip of peach blossom wine: “If you admire his magnificent radiance, how can you blame him for shining so brightly that he draws others’ yearning?”
Indeed, she admired Xiao Huayong because he shone like a bright moon, attracting all eyes. But if he could attract her gaze today, he could attract others’ gazes too. If one were to fret about this, how could one ever find peace in this life?
“Miss Xiao, I don’t mind that there are others in this world who admire him as you do, not because he holds no place in my heart,” Shen Xihe had always been someone who spoke her mind straightforwardly, without pretense. “Rather, it’s because I know I am his equal, and no one in this world is more qualified than I to stand beside him. I trust that among all the fleeting glamour and countless admirers, none can compare to me.
And if he were the type to change his affections easily, he wouldn’t be worth my jealousy over other women.”
Xiao Wenxi stood across from Shen Xihe, staring dazedly at the woman seated before her. Today she wore a light white gauze dress with a light purple shawl, her skirts spreading out around her, with golden threads embroidering vivid Pingzhong leaves.
She was just like those Pingzhong leaves – resilient and composed, able to flourish in the harsh autumn and stand proud in the bitter winter, exuding unwavering stability and an ancient, profound mysteriousness.
People often said women were like delicate flowers, and she had seen countless blooms, but Shen Xihe was different from any woman she had met. She wasn’t a delicate flower – the Pingzhong leaf was a tree, towering and reaching toward the clouds, competing in elegance with men.
At this moment, Xiao Wenxi finally understood perhaps this was why Xiao Huayong was so captivated. The woman he loved was unparalleled among all women in both breadth of mind and spirit, incomparable in this world.