Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.
The maid beside Jiang Shi hurried to open it. Standing in the doorway was, unmistakably, a face they had seen not long before.
It was Eunuch Xi!
Eunuch Xi, who had earlier held his nose in the air with overbearing arrogance, now seemed to have abruptly become a different person, his face full of respectful, ingratiating smiles. “Might I ask if the young ladies and young master have finished their lunch?”
The others: “…”
The shift from earlier arrogance to present deference was so stark, the contrast was almost too much.
It was fortunate she hadn’t eaten much earlier, or she might truly have been disgusted enough to be sick! A flash of distaste crossed Ling Jingshu’s eyes before she quickly looked away.
Whatever Eunuch Xi’s purpose in coming, it would be enough to let Jiang Shi handle it.
Jiang Shi steadied herself and rose politely. “We’ve already finished our meal and were just about to leave. Might I ask what brings Eunuch Xi here specifically?”
Eunuch Xi walked in, his face wreathed in smiles. “I’ve come specifically under His Highness Prince Yan’s orders — naturally, it’s a matter of importance.”
As he spoke, he had already reached the table and placed the calling card he carried before Ling Jingshu. “Ninth Miss Ling, this is His Highness Prince Yan’s calling card. From now on, should Ninth Miss Ling ever run into trouble in the capital, or face some difficulty hard to resolve, simply bring this card to Prince Yan’s residence to seek out His Highness.”
Ling Jingshu: “…”
The others: “…”
Wearing an expression that practically said, “This is an immense honor — hurry and thank His Highness,” Eunuch Xi declared proudly, “The gates of Prince Yan’s residence aren’t so easily entered. Every day, countless officials submit calling cards seeking an audience and are turned away. With this card, Ninth Miss Ling may enter and leave the residence at any time. This is an extraordinary honor!”
Suppressing the urge to lash out, Ling Jingshu said coldly, “His Highness Prince Yan and I are neither relatives nor old acquaintances — today’s encounter was merely by chance. I would not dare accept such a generous gesture from His Highness. Please, Eunuch Xi, take the card back, and convey my thanks to His Highness on my behalf.”
What an ungrateful Ninth Miss Ling, daring to refuse Prince Yan’s kind gesture and gift!
Eunuch Xi’s face instinctively began to darken. But he suddenly remembered how sharp this Ninth Miss Ling’s tongue was — how she had mocked him so thoroughly before Prince Yan that he couldn’t even lift his head, and how she had later spoken to His Highness himself without the slightest fear…
This was clearly someone who responded to gentleness, not force.
Getting the task done and reporting back quickly mattered far more than his pride.
Eunuch Xi forced himself to bow and squeezed out a smile. “Ninth Miss Ling, His Highness Prince Yan personally instructed me to be sure this card reaches your hands. If you refuse to take it, I truly have no way to answer to His Highness…”
Ling Jingshu’s lips curled. “Whether you can answer to him or not has nothing to do with me!”
Correction: this troublesome Ninth Miss Ling responded to neither gentleness nor force at all!
Ordinarily, trailing after Prince Yan, Eunuch Xi swaggered about while everyone scrambled to curry favor with him. When had he ever endured such mockery and humiliation? A breath caught painfully in his throat, neither rising nor falling, and his face turned a deep red.
He wavered, torn between snapping and cursing or continuing to bow and plead.
As though it weren’t enough to anger him already, Ling Jingshu added coolly, “Wasn’t what I said just now clear enough? Why haven’t you taken the card and gone back to report yet?”
Take the card back and report…
Those few words were like a basin of cold water poured over him, extinguishing every last spark of his anger.
What was the point of holding a grudge now!
If he failed to accomplish his task, how could he possibly face going back to report? Should Prince Yan’s temper flare, a beating could easily cost him his life.
At this thought, Eunuch Xi gave an inward shudder and bowed even lower, all his earlier arrogance gone without a trace. With a face full of apologetic smiles, he said, “Earlier, this lowly one’s eyes failed to recognize true worth and offended Ninth Miss Ling. Let me apologize now — I beg Ninth Miss Ling’s generous forgiveness, and ask that you not hold it against me.”
“Please, Ninth Miss Ling, do accept this card. His Highness Prince Yan ordered me to deliver it with absolutely no other intention behind it. A chance meeting is itself a kind of fate — please don’t decline His Highness’s kind gesture…”
Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and took the card away. “Enough. I’ll accept it on her behalf. Go back and report to His Highness Prince Yan!”
Eunuch Xi: “…”
Ling Jingyan: “…”
The young woman who had reached out and snatched the card was, in fact, Ling Jingyan.
On her sweet, charming face there was no trace of a smile now — only a clouded, sullen heaviness. She gripped the card tightly, with not the slightest intention of letting it go.
Did this count as having fulfilled Prince Yan’s instructions?
Eunuch Xi wondered uncertainly to himself.
Ling Jingshu felt both exasperated and amused, yet also a pang of sympathy for Ling Jingyan.
In front of an outsider, she had to preserve some face for Ling Jingyan. She had no choice but to speak up. “Fine, I’ll accept the card after all. Please, Eunuch Xi, convey my thanks to His Highness Prince Yan on my behalf.”
There was not the slightest hint of any intention to go thank him in person.
So, this could be counted as the task properly accomplished, after all!
Eunuch Xi let out a breath of relief, his face breaking into a delighted smile. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll go report back to His Highness right away.”
Once Eunuch Xi had left, the private room fell into complete silence.
Without anyone meaning to, everyone’s gaze fell upon the card in Ling Jingyan’s hand…
The Crown Grandson’s calling card had been covered in a layer of gold foil, which everyone had already considered extravagant. Prince Yan, however, had gone even further — his card was woven directly from gold thread, its pattern fine and clear, gleaming with a dazzling sheen. The card itself, simply as an object, was already a rare treasure.
No one had expected that, after meeting Ling Jingshu only once, Prince Yan would have a calling card sent to her.
Even less had anyone expected that Ling Jingyan would rush to claim the card on Ling Jingshu’s behalf…
“Why is everyone looking at me like that?” Ling Jingyan said, her fierce manner masking an inward guilt, putting on a show of bravado to hide her unease and disappointment. “Since Prince Yan had someone send the card, refusing it would be a slap in His Highness’s face. Sister-in-law just said herself not to bring trouble down on the Ling family — what’s wrong with what I did?”
It was a rare moment indeed for Ling Jingyan to sound so righteously confident!
Jiang Shi was speechless, glancing instinctively at Ling Jingshu.
Ling Jingshu hesitated for a moment, just about to speak, when Ling Jingyan, her face still tight, rattled off a long string of words. “I know cousin Shu was born beautiful, especially likable. With the Crown Grandson’s card already in hand, of course you wouldn’t care about Prince Yan’s card. If you don’t want it… you’ll just have to take it anyway!”
You may not care for it, but I care for it very much!
That was close — she had nearly let her true feelings slip out loud.
Ling Jingyan inwardly broke into a cold sweat at her own near-slip, believing she had concealed it perfectly. Little did she realize her face was as plain as blank paper, already laying every one of her thoughts bare for all to see. “If you really don’t like this card, then just don’t use it. At worst, I’ll go to the trouble of keeping it safe for you.”
Ling Jingshu: “…”