An oppressive air began to surround Pei Qianhao as this thought crossed his mind, making it seem as if the surrounding atmosphere had stagnated.
Pushing open the tightly shut door however, there was not a soul in sight as Pei Qianhao entered.
If she’s not in the boiler room, where has she gone? Has she hidden because she is aware of her wrongdoing? Pei Qianhao snorted coldly before walking out of the room. No matter where you are, this prince will ferret you out and punish you severely!
~~~
Su Xi-er was currently perambulating in the back garden of the County Government Office, clad in the light yellow dress. The brilliance of the moon gently reflected off of her, creating the illusion of silvery halos surrounding an immortal fairy.
However, the conflicted expression in her eyes and her knitted eyebrows made people realise that ‘fairies’ also had worries.
Su Xi-er was searching for a type of flower that she had recognised the fragrance of earlier. Only Nanzhao has this type of flower, but I can’t find it even after following its scent here.
It just happened to be this situation that Pei Qianhao found her in. It was his first time seeing Su Xi-er in anything other than the coarse clothing she usually wore. Her hair bun was also not highly coiled up anymore, with some tied at the back of her head in a few loops while the rest drifted freely at her shoulders.
With the moonlight illuminating her fair face, her eyes became increasingly captivating.
Pei Qianhao silently walked over without uttering a single word. Only when he reached Su Xi-er’s side did she notice his presence.
Su Xi-er then bowed as she leisurely greeted him. “This servant pays her respects to Prince Hao.”
Her tone was calm, as if she had long expected that he would come.
Pei Qianhao’s eyes were slightly narrowed. “This servant? This prince can’t make out anything that looks like a servant on you.”
“Prince Hao, things happen for a good reason. This servant saw that the Shui Family’s young miss was full of passion, imploring this servant to let her bring the hot water to you.”
“Full of passion?” Pei Qianhao couldn’t help but snort coldly. He then hooked his right hand around Su Xi-er’s waist and watched her fixedly. “Since you have witnessed such a passionate and yearning expression from another woman, you should at least learn from it.”
Su Xi-er looked at him in a composed manner. He wants me to be full of passion for him as Shui Yinglian is. However, the words ‘full of passion’ no longer have anything to do with me.
“This servant is unable to do that.” The words slowly left her parted pink lips.
Perhaps it was the moonlight that was titillating, perhaps it was her different attire that night, or perhaps it was that aloof and arrogant aura of hers,but Pei Qianhao’s breath hitched for just a moment as his gaze became deeper.
The air around the two of them seemed to congeal as his lips closed in on hers. Just as they were about to connect, the fragrance of a certain flower wafted past Su Xi-er’s nose, causing her to suddenly push Pei Qianhao away with both hands.
She turned around and followed that flower fragrance, completely disregarding a certain someone, who was already pulling a long face.
Su Xi-er surveyed her surroundings. It should be around here. With that in mind, she prepared to walk into the parterre.
Before she could step in however, she was pulled back by Pei Qianhao. “What are you looking for?”
“A type of flower. This servant’s mother often picked them for me when I was young.” She then tried to shake him off.
Instead of letting go, Pei Qianhao only grasped her wrist more tightly. “Some flowers in the parterre have barbed thorns on their stems. If you carelessly enter, you may end up badly mutilated.”
How could I be badly mutilated? He’s simply scaring me.
Su Xi-er looked at the parterre. The flower fragrance was clearly emitted from here.
“What flower are you looking for? What’s the name?”
Su Xi-er looked at him and replied softly, “A yellow flower in the shape of a star. The name is…my mum named it as ‘Weiyi’[*].”
“Weiyi?” Pei Qianhao asked back. There’s no flower with this name, but I do know of a type of flower that is yellow and in the shape of a star.
“Lingrui[**] Flower. The flower is indigenous to Nanzhao, and can’t survive outside of its home nation. If you want to see it, this prince will take you there after we reach Nanzhao.”
Su Xi-er showed a bitter smile. That’s right. How could I have forgotten this point? Didn’t Mum name it ‘Weiyi’ precisely because it wouldn’t be able to survive if it leaves Nanzhao and gets transplanted in other nations?
Perhaps it was because they were getting closer to Nanzhao that her emotions were in such delirium.
“There’s something wrong with you tonight,” Pei Qianhao remarked confidently as he observed her expression.
Su Xi-er raised her head to look at him. “The Shui Family’s young miss fits the bill for a beauty. Are you not considering keeping her, Prince Hao?”
Changing the topic of the conversation is the best method.
Pei Qianhao chuckled. “What you said is right. She’s bright and beautiful, and has the qualifications to enter the Beauty Palace. It’s just that she shouldn’t have worn your clothes.”
“Let this prince ask you, were you the one who came up with the idea to exchange clothes?”
“Prince Hao, what is the point of asking a question to which you already know the answer?”
Pei Qianhao’s voice gradually turned ice-cold. “Do you feel that this prince has been too benevolent? To be so audacious, were you so sure that this prince wouldn’t dare to punish you?”
Although she didn’t know why, Su Xi-er had indeed believed in that fact. At least he wouldn’t for now. Even if he punishes me, he wouldn’t take my life.
There was no logical basis for this assumption; it was simply her intuition.
“Carry a wooden basin and kneel with the Shui Family’s young miss in the courtyard. You’re not allowed to get up,” Pei Qianhao instructed coldly before flinging his sleeves forcefully as he left.
Su Xi-er looked at this retreating figure, then looked at the parterre. The flower fragrance is completely gone. Maybe I can ask Shui Yinglian why there’s a type of flower that has a fragrance so similar to Lingrui?
~~~
Once he was out of sight, Pei Qianhao didn’t return to his room, but instead stood next to the woods in the courtyard. The scenes from that night gradually emerged in his mind. I was drunk on wine that night. After I made my way to the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters, I was knocked out by some unknown woman.
He hadn’t seen the appearance of the woman clearly, but from his interactions with Su Xi-er after that, he was certain that it was her.
In the imperial palace, he had discovered that this woman was obedient on some occasions, while being surprisingly daring in others. She had differentiated herself from the masses. After ordering someone to bring her here, her reactions were once again completely out of his expectations.
I deliberately made things difficult for her in the room, and she returned the gesture by adopting a clever artifice and almost sending me a ‘pleasant surprise’.
However, all of this is nothing compared to her actions beside the parterre. Her expression was dignified. If the flower that she is looking for is a Lingrui, that would imply that she isn’t a Beimin citizen and that her mother could be a Nanzhao citizen.
If she is of Nanzhao’s blood, Beimin’s imperial palace wouldn’t have kept her as a palace maid, even in the Palace Side Quarters.
For the moment, Su Xi-er’s identity had become an enigma, causing Pei Qianhao to furrow his eyebrows involuntarily.
Only when he collected his thoughts did he realise that he had actually spent so much time thinking about her. There is no woman who can make me like this.
Pei Qianhao’s eyes were slightly narrowed. The sudden oncoming of such a novel experience had been breathing colour back into his life for quite a while now.
(* It means one and only.)
(** A fictional flower in this novel)
