ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 47
“Her ears are fine, but it seems your eyes are not working properly.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi was somewhat surprised. She never expected that Xiao Yan would speak up for her.
She turned around, and Xiao Yan had already withdrawn his hand and sat down on the wheelchair. His movements were leisurely, neither fast nor slow. He slightly raised his chin, displaying a natural and dignified demeanor, just as Li Zhizhi had seen before.
Although he was clearly sitting, his gaze looked down on others. He looked at Mrs. Li and her daughter with a mocking tone, saying, “You see me, yet you don’t kneel and bow. Is this your manner?”
At first, Mrs. Li didn’t recognize him and was genuinely stunned. Li Suwan gently pulled her and whispered in a panic, “Mother, this is the Crown Prince.”
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Li was startled and quickly bowed, respectfully greeting, “This humble woman greets the Crown Prince.”
However, Xiao Yan did not ask her to rise. He only glanced at Li Zhizhi and said, “Let’s go.”
Li Zhizhi inexplicably understood the meaning behind his gaze. Taking a step forward, she pushed his wheelchair towards the princess’s mansion. Pa.s.sing by Mrs. Li and Li Suwan, without even a moment’s pause, the mother and daughter could only watch as the group walked away and soon disappeared at the gate of the princess’s mansion.
Once inside the mansion, Li Zhizhi said to Xiao Yan, “I must thank Your Highness for just now.”
Xiao Yan casually replied, “Thank me for what?”
Li Zhizhi pushed him through the corridor and said, “Thank you, Your Highness, for speaking up for me.”
The person on the wheeled vehicle let out a short, light laugh and only spoke after a moment, “With your sharp tongue earlier, I thought you were quite formidable, but it seems not so much?”
His tone lifted slightly, carrying a hint of mockery. However, Li Zhizhi was not offended. She modestly replied, “Certainly not as skilled as Your Highness. I will have to consult Your Highness more in the future.”
Xiao Yan:…
At first glance, it sounded like a compliment, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t quite that way, was it?
Knowing that Lady Li and Li Suwan had arrived, Li Zhizhi’s original good mood vanished, replaced by a faint shadow. Concerned that Princess Yongning might notice, she had to pretend as if nothing had happened, behaving as usual.
Princess Yongning was in the flower hall, and upon seeing them return, she was very pleased, saying, “I was just talking to Qingluo about when you would come back. What a coincidence.”
She then called Li Zhizhi over, looking her up and down, “It’s been a few days since we last met. I’ve missed you a bit. Come closer, let me have a good look.”
Also waving her hand, Princess Yongning appeared much more amiable and affectionate. Every gesture and movement exuded warmth. Li Zhizhi sat beside her as instructed, smiling, “I’ve missed Your Highness as well. I hope you’ve been well recently?”
Xiao Yan noticed that when facing Princess Yongning, she seemed like a completely different person. The setting sun’s afterglow shone through the window, outlining the graceful contours of her cheek. Her long eyelashes blinked lightly, reflecting tiny specks of light. Her beautiful eyes were bright, with clear and clean pupils filled with trust and joy, reminiscent of a harmless and gentle deer in the forest. It was sincere, as if emanating from the depths of her heart, without a hint of pretense.
Her tone was even a bit shy and embarra.s.sed, which surprised Xiao Yan quite a bit. Somehow, he suddenly remembered a type of gra.s.s he had seen in the imperial garden in his childhood. The leaves were as delicate as feathers, usually growing in dark corners, appearing weak and harmless. However, if one reached out to pull it, they would discover sharp thorns on its stem that could easily cut through flesh. But if touched gently, the leaves would close, as if shyly lowering their heads.
Xiao Yan looked at the young girl thoughtfully. She was talking to Princess Yongning with a smile on her face, different from any smile he had seen before, carrying a hint of innocence.
In that moment, Xiao Yan suddenly understood why Princess Yongning liked her.
Just then, a servant entered and whispered something to the Princess Yongning. Immediately, the smile on Li Zhizhi’s face faded, and that touch of innocence disappeared. Xiao Yan could almost guess what had happened without thinking, and a sense of impatience and annoyance rose in his heart.
As expected, the Princess Yongning frowned slightly. She glanced at Li Zhizhi and calmly instructed, “Say that I have matters to attend to and ask them to come another day.”
The servant was about to leave when the Princess Yongning remembered something and called out, “Forget it. Go and tell them that I am currently discussing matters with the Crown Prince. Let them wait.”
“Yes.”
After the servant left, the Princess Yongning took Li Zhizhi’s hand, patting it gently. She explained in a soft voice, “They came today to pay respects for your adulthood ceremony. If I only see you and not them, it might cause difficulties for you when they go back.”
Li Zhizhi nodded, “I understand your intention, Your Highness. You don’t need to worry about me.”
However, the Princess Yongning affectionately touched her head and smiled, saying, “You’re really a silly girl. Of course, I have to worry about you.”
On the side, Qian Luo smiled and said, “The princess is just worried about you, afraid that you might misunderstand.”
At these words, Li Zhizhi’s face blushed slightly, and she returned to her previous soft and shy demeanor. The eldest princess smiled and said, “Good child, the new clothes for the palace were sent this morning. I’m waiting for you to try them on. Hurry up.”
Li Zhizhi nodded and followed Qian Luo into the inner hall. The slender figure of the girl disappeared behind the folding screen. The eldest princess then picked up the teacup, took a sip, and still had a hint of a smile on her face. She asked Xiao Yan, “Do you think Zhizhi is cute?”
Her tone and expression seemed like she was boasting about her own child, with a touch of pride and satisfaction. She continued, “This child is really obedient. A little praise, and her face turns red. Her thoughts are delicate and sensitive. She speaks in a soft and gentle manner, pleasant to the ears and gentle. Oh, I haven’t seen such a well-behaved child. It’s truly like she grew from the depths of my heart.”
Xiao Yan’s lips couldn’t help but twitch, and he cleared his throat, reminding, “Speaking of which, you haven’t seen many children.”
“You and A’yang count as two,” the eldest princess paused and then smiled, “Qiang’er left too early. I was sick at that time and didn’t have the chance to see her much. I just remember that she didn’t cry much as a child. When the nurse held her, she always opened her big eyes to look around. Later, when she could walk and run, she always clung to me, following me wherever I went, like a little tail…”
At this point, her tone became somewhat melancholic. Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment and asked, “Auntie, do you feel that Li Zhizhi is like…”
“How could that be?” The eldest princess sensed his implication and chuckled, “Although Qiang’er was young at the time, her temperament was like mine when I was young—lively and restless. She couldn’t sit still for a moment. If I didn’t pay attention to her, she might have turned the house upside down. She and Zhizhi have no similarities at all.”
Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised, and the eldest princess sighed again, saying, “I did want to adopt her as my daughter, but her parents are still alive after all.”
At the mention of this, Xiao Yan’s expression slightly darkened, and he sneered coldly, “Those people are also called parents? In my opinion, they are truly not as trouble-free as two dead people.”
The Eldest Princess shook her head, “Even though they have many shortcomings, after all, they are blood relatives. What will happen in the future is still unknown. I don’t want to take advantage of their current situation. It would seem a bit too opportunistic, and Zhizhi might regret it in the future.”
However, Xiao Yan was not convinced, mocking in tone, “I’m afraid blood ties are just so.”
As he spoke, his phoenix eyes were filled with coldness, deep as an abyss. The Princess Chang frowned and called out, “Xiao Wu, you…”
Xiao Yan snapped back to reality, quickly restoring his usual expression. He smiled and said, “Perhaps Auntie is overthinking. I don’t think she will regret it. If you are concerned, maybe you can ask her.”
The Eldest Princess, after hearing this, indeed took it to heart. She pondered, “Let’s wait and see. I don’t want to make things difficult for her. If there is really a fate, there will be a day when it naturally happens. No need to rush at this moment.”
It felt like picking up a cat, liking it very much, wanting to keep it, but the cat turns out to be from the neighbor’s house. Worried that if you raise it and it becomes accustomed, it will go back to the neighbor’s house. However, if you don’t raise it, watching it being mistreated at the neighbor’s house is also uncomfortable.
After talking for a while, footsteps and the laughter of Xiao Rulei came from behind the screen. The Eldest Princess quickly put down the teacup and smiled, “Here they come.”
Before long, Xiao Rulei emerged from behind the screen, giggling, “Auntie, come and see, Sister Zhizhi looks so beautiful!”
Xiao Yan also turned his head to look, only to see a young girl slowly stepping out from behind the landscape screen, her head slightly lowered, looking a bit shy. She was wearing a light and delicate red embroidered jacket with a rolling feathery edge, paired with a silver-red layered skirt. The skirt was adorned with delicate cloud patterns embroidered with gold and silver threads. She covered herself with a light stone-blue gradually dyed wide-sleeved shirt, and her waist was adorned with pearls and bright jade. As she moved, the accessories jingled, creating a delightful sound.
“Ah,” the eldest princess exclaimed, standing up in surprise. “Even more beautiful than I expected. Zhizhi’s outfit is simply perfect!”
Qing Luo smiled and said, “It’s all thanks to the princess personally going to the Tailoring Bureau multiple times, afraid that they might make a mistake.”
“Good child,” the eldest princess beckoned to Li Zhizhi, smiling, “Come here, let me take a closer look.”
As Li Zhizhi approached as instructed, pa.s.sing by Xiao Yan, he caught a faint, elusive fragrance at the tip of his nose. It was like the scent of orchids in spring, light and fresh, exuding vitality. It was pleasant and reminiscent of budding plants or the early morning sunlight. Upon closer inspection, however, the fragrance disappeared without a trace.
Xiao Yan was puzzled, wondering what fragrance it was.
The eldest princess held Li Zhizhi’s hand, inspecting her from left to right, delighted. She then said, “Let’s tidy up your hair bun. Qing Luo, bring the hairpins I used during my coming-of-age ceremony.”
Fortunately, Xiao Yan intervened in time. During the eldest princess’s coming-of-age ceremony, everything was done according to the palace’s ceremonial rules, and the hairpins were intricately crafted into the shape of golden phoenixes, unsuitable for Li Zhi Zhi’s status.
The eldest princess expressed some regret but said, “It’s okay. I’ll have someone make you new sets of headdresses. There are various styles, and they are no worse than what I used back then.”
Li Zhizhi quickly said, “There’s no need for the eldest princess to go to such trouble. I don’t need so many.”
The eldest princess waved her hand, smiling, “I prepared them specifically for you. The coming-of-age ceremony is one of the most important events in a woman’s life, second only to getting married. It should not be underestimated.”
Xiao Rulei asked, “Aunt, I’ve come of age. Can I wear such a beautiful dress too?”
The Eldest Princess couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Of course, what does A’yang like?”
Xiao Rulei shyly replied, “I want to wear the same as my sister.”
Xiao Yan, sipping tea, coolly said, “You’re not as tall as her, and it won’t look as good on you.”
Xiao Rulei’s face immediately fell, pouting. The Eldest Princess quickly glared at Xiao Yan and said, “Can’t you say something nice?”
After comforting Xiao Rulei for a while, Xiao Yan looked at her playful and spoiled demeanor, wanting to say something more. However, he met the slightly reproachful gaze of Li Zhizhi and inexplicably closed his mouth, silently sipping his tea.
After all the fuss, as the sky darkened, the Eldest Princess finally remembered Lady Li, who had been left in the front hall, and ordered someone to bring the mother and daughter in.
As soon as they entered, Lady Li greeted with a smile, “Greetings to the Eldest Princess, Greetings to the Crown Prince, Greetings to the Seventh Princess.”
Li Suwan followed obediently, bowed in salute, and couldn’t help stealing a glance at Xiao Yan. Meeting his gaze, her face turned red, quickly lowering her head, revealing a section of a jade-like neck. Her heart pounded, wondering if the Crown Prince was looking at her.