“What? You’re saying he found out?” Aunt Cai’s hand, which was cutting the Hangzhou silk fabric, trembled, instantly tearing a big hole in the cloth.
Xiao Zhixuan sat down in a daze, as if she had no strength left to speak, just nodding silently.
Aunt Cai quickly placed the scissors on the table and hurried over, asking, “What’s going on exactly? How much does he know?”
Xiao Zhixuan lifted her head with a vacant look in her eyes, suddenly bursting into tears. She leaned over and hugged her waist, saying, “Mother, I’m so scared. Can’t we stop now? Big brother said that as long as we’re willing to stop, and tell him the whole truth, he won’t continue to pursue it.”
Seeing her like this, Aunt Cai felt very sorry and quickly hugged her tightly, gently patting the back of her head, as if comforting her for a long time before Xiao Zhixuan stopped crying. She then took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears before softly asking, “Don’t worry, tell me what happened exactly?”
Xiao Zhixuan sniffled and explained how Xiao Du had tried to test her and how he eventually got her to confess. Aunt Cai listened with a pounding heart and furrowed brows, asking, “So you confessed everything?”
Xiao Zhixuan shook her head. “I didn’t dare. I’m afraid if I tell you everything, Big Brother will hate me. So no matter what he says, I only admitted to eavesdropping on their conversation out of curiosity. But big brother…” She recalled Xiao Du’s expression at that time and still felt a chill. “But Big Brother seemed disappointed. He said that he originally treated me as his sister, and if I was willing to confess, he wouldn’t pursue it.”
Aunt Cai sighed. “Silly child, how could you possibly compare to your big brother’s thoughts? What he said was just to lure you into revealing everything. If you did, I’m afraid I wouldn’t see you anymore.” She wiped away tears with a handkerchief as she spoke.
Xiao Zhixuan felt a panic rising within her and started crying again. “What should we do? What should we do? Since Big Brother has suspicions, sooner or later, he will come to you. If he tells his father, his father will be furious. Will they kick us out?”
Seeing her panicked and helpless, Aunt Cai’s heart ached. “It’s all because of me that I’ve caused you this trouble. But don’t worry, I still have one important card up my sleeve. I was planning to wait a few more days to think about it carefully, but it seems like we can’t wait any longer. Now, there’s only one person who can save us.”
She lifted her chin slowly, determination and ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.
In the silence of the third watch, all was quiet. Even the cranes wandering by the pond had curled their necks and fallen asleep.
On the blue stone path illuminated by sparse moonlight, a maid-like woman, partially covering her face, looked around nervously in front of the temple door for a long time before finally creaking open the red lacquered door. She bowed to the Buddha statues on all sides before turning to carefully close the door. The moonlight flowed faintly over the lacquered door as a crane, for some unknown reason, woke up and let out a low cry, beginning to pace restlessly. The door opened again, and the woman walked out, patting her chest lightly as if she had just recovered from a fright. She tidied her hair and straightened her posture, a smug smile appearing on her face.
She left the temple, walking briskly with her head down. As she passed through a grove of trees, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her, nearly startling her into crying out.
The figure slowly turned around, and the woman, upon seeing her face clearly, forced a smile and said, “So it’s you. What are you doing here?”
The person sneered coldly. “Cai Xiaotao, shouldn’t I be asking you that? What are you doing here?”
Aunt Cai’s eyes darted around quickly, then she sighed deeply and said, “The Marquis has already discovered our situation.”
The person was suddenly startled and then gave her a cold glance. “Does he know about your situation, or ours?”
Aunt Cai also smirked coldly. “Isn’t it as you said? We’re already like crickets tied to the same rope. Since it’s come to this, I might as well be frank. Don’t even think about sacrificing pawns to protect the king. Even if I die, what I hold in my hands is enough to drag you down.”
The person’s face was obscured in the night, making it impossible to discern their expression. “It seems I guessed right. You indeed left a trump card. It’s just a pity that our master used to trust you too much.”
Aunt Cai lifted her chin defiantly and said firmly, “Anyway, you’d better find a way to help me get away. Otherwise, we’ll have to die together.”
The person lowered their head in contemplation, and the two stood silently facing each other in the darkness until a cool breeze blew, carrying the scent of flowers. The sky began to lighten, and many hidden currents began to surge, many schemes unfolding quietly.
Meanwhile, Yuanxi’s eyes were focused on the half-embroidered mandarin ducks in her hand. The warm autumn sun filtered through the window, casting a comfortable warmth over her, much like the embrace of the person in her heart. Unable to suppress a slight smile, she felt a sweetness seep into every stitch. After a while, she rubbed her slightly stiff neck, about to take a rest, when she suddenly heard a commotion in the courtyard. She vaguely heard Nanny Li and others exclaiming, “Master, this won’t do.” Quickly, she put down her embroidery frame and lifted her skirt, walking out the door.
In the pouring sunlight, Xiao Du stood in the courtyard, his sleeves rolled up high, digging soil near the tree opposite her window. Beside him stood Nanny Li and several frightened servants, trying to persuade him, but he just glanced over, unmoved.
Nanny Li hurried over when Yuanxi came out, saying, “Madam, please persuade the master. He insists on planting flowers here himself, but this is something that should be done by the gardeners in the mansion. If he accidentally injures himself, how can we bear the responsibility?”
Xiao Du raised an eyebrow in exasperation upon hearing this, “Do I look that weak? Planting a flower couldn’t possibly hurt me.”
Unable to contain her laughter, Yuanxi grasped Nanny Li’s hand and reassured her, “It’s not a big deal, Nanny Li, you don’t need to worry. I’ll go talk to him.”
With that, she walked over to him, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face, and asked with a smile, “What are you up to?”
Xiao Du couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as he looked at her radiant smile in the sunlight. He had wanted to hold her hand but remembered his dirty hands, so he reluctantly withdrew, explaining with a hint of satisfaction, “This flower is called Jiaohuang, it’s a top-grade peony. I remember you admired it when we visited Uncle Feng’s place before, so I thought of planting one for you under the window. This flower is quite precious and difficult to cultivate. I specifically asked Uncle Feng for some planting tips. Those rough folks in the mansion might not be able to handle it.”
Upon hearing his intention to plant the flower specifically for her, Yuanxi leaned gently against his side and softly said, “Then I’ll accompany you.”
Nanny Li observed the sweet exchange between the two, feeling a pang of guilt for interfering. It was rare for His Highness to want to personally plant flowers for Madam, and they were needlessly intruding.
Realizing she was being intrusive, she shooed away the servants and chuckled, “It’s thanks to His Highness’s thoughtfulness. I’ll go prepare some tea for you all.” With that, she hurried back to the house, gossiping with the maids inside.
As Xiao Du chatted with Yuanxi, he effortlessly tilled the soil and planted the flowers, feeling no sense of exhaustion. Whenever Yuanxi saw him sweating, she tiptoed over to wipe his brow, getting closer to him. Her fragrance drifted into his nostrils like a feather, stirring up ripples in his heart.
Feeling a bit overheated from the sun, Xiao Du came up with an idea. He straightened up and furrowed his brow, “Oh no, it feels like a bee stung me on the back of my neck. It’s itching and stinging, and my hands are dirty. Could you please take a look?”
Yuanxi was taken aback, quickly tilting her head to look, but Xiao Du, being naturally tall and standing stiffly, made it difficult for her to see. She kept tiptoeing forward, trying to get a closer look, until she was pressed against his chest.
As Yuanxi earnestly searched the back of his neck, she suddenly felt his warm breath tickling her ear, causing her face to flush and her heart to race. Just then, she heard a muffled chuckle from above and realized she was practically clinging to him, with his arms open as if to embrace her.
She shot him an irritated glance, about to pull away, when he whispered in her ear, “It hurts. Don’t believe me? Feel for yourself.”
Despite her deepening blush, Yuanxi couldn’t resist his pleading tone. She reached out to touch the back of his neck, her unsteady stance causing her lips to accidentally brush against his neck with each attempt. Each touch sent a shiver down his spine.
After carefully feeling around for a while and finding nothing swollen or red, Yuanxi glared at him, “There’s no bee sting. It’s broad daylight; I’m not going to indulge your nonsense.” Before she could step back, his arm pressed her against the nearby apricot tree, and his warm, wet lips immediately captured hers, tangling with her tongue.
Yuanxi was overwhelmed by his kiss, her body going limp, but she suddenly felt something hard between her legs. Startled, she remembered they were still in the courtyard, her face burning red as she struggled to break free, “What are you doing? Someone might see us.”
Gasping for breath, Xiao Du reluctantly released her lips and smirked mischievously, “Then let’s go inside.”