Showering someone with favors for no reason — the person is either a schemer or a thief!
This unusual and exuberant warmth made Ling Xiao’s skin crawl all over.
Ling Xiao rarely spent time with outsiders in ordinary life, and he was not skilled at pretense. Whatever he thought showed plainly on his face, which was as blank and expressive as a clean sheet of paper. He looked somewhat awkward and, more than that, deeply uncomfortable: “Many thanks for Your Royal Highness’s kind intentions. However, Imperial Physician Wei has already written out a prescription for me, and all the medicinal ingredients have been gathered at Huichun Hall — there is no need to trouble Your Highness any further.”
As he spoke, he quietly tried to draw his arm back… it would not come back.
Prince Yan’s grip was extraordinarily strong. No matter how Ling Xiao pulled, he could not free his arm. Short of struggling openly and forcefully, which would have made a scene and put Prince Yan in an awkward position.
Ling Xiao gave up pulling with a silent, frustrated sigh.
Prince Yan appeared not to have noticed any of Ling Xiao’s small, repeated attempts at all, and continued smiling with perfect ease: “It is good that all the medicines are in order. In any case, if there is any difficulty, just come to Prince Yan’s residence and find this prince.”
At least he had not raised the matter of moving into Prince Yan’s residence again.
Ling Jingshu felt an inexplicable relief and said with a soft smile, gently prompting Ling Xiao: “A’Xiao, His Highness the Crown Grandson wishes to keep us for lunch today before we leave — I have already agreed on everyone’s behalf. Your eyes are still inconvenient; do be careful at the table and mind your manners before the two Highnesses.”
In a handful of brief words, she managed to surprise everyone present.
Madam Jiang, with her perceptive mind, turned it over briefly and at once guessed what had transpired.
In her heart she felt both astonished and a little amused, and also somewhat resigned.
It was perfectly obvious — this His Royal Highness Prince Yan had come specifically because of Ling Jingshu. And judging by Prince Yan’s manner, while this sort of trouble was only the first occurrence, it would certainly not be the last…
Ling Jingyan also looked momentarily taken aback, then quickly understood, and lowered her head. She pressed her lips together tightly.
Ling Xiao’s nature was simply straightforward — but he was not dull or slow, and he grasped the meaning behind Ling Jingshu’s words just as swiftly.
This Prince Yan was a serious nuisance and would have to be handled with care.
Prince Yan had come because of A’Shu. No matter how capable and clever A’Shu was, she was still an unmarried young girl. When facing a Prince Yan of high standing and no restraint in word or deed, she would inevitably be at a disadvantage. This was the moment for him to stand up and step forward.
A sense of responsibility welled up in Ling Xiao’s heart — the mission to protect his elder sister — and he unconsciously straightened his back. He replied calmly: “Understood.”
Everyone made small talk for a while.
Naturally, for the majority of that time, the one doing the “talking” was Prince Yan. The Crown Grandson chimed in occasionally.
Ling Jingshu had made up her mind to pay Prince Yan no attention. Whatever he said, she kept her head slightly bowed and gave no response. Even the usually lively Ling Jingyan was wildly out of character today — listless and deflated, head drooping, with not a spark of energy.
Madam Jiang, as a married woman, found herself seated together with an imperial prince and a crown grandson, and was for the moment at a loss for what to say. She, too, simply kept silent.
Ling Xiao, however, performed surprisingly well — giving and receiving freely in his exchanges with Prince Yan, never at a loss for a word.
“…… Since I cannot use my eyes, I rarely go out, and my temperament prefers stillness. When I have free time with nothing to do, I have the young attendant at my side read aloud to me. Sometimes it is classical texts and policy essays; sometimes it is travelogues and the like. Does Your Highness have any favored pastimes?”
Prince Yan laughed carelessly: “Oh, this prince keeps quite busy. When there are matters, I attend court; when there are none — well, I wander the streets of Luoyang. Wine houses and teahouses, cockfighting and dog-fighting, bird-selling and flower-selling — all the amusing spots the city streets have to offer, this prince knows every last one of them. Once your eyes are healed, just follow along behind this prince. This prince guarantees you will broaden your horizons and not want to go home——”
“Sixth Imperial Uncle,” the Crown Grandson interjected out of nowhere, “the places you frequent may not necessarily suit Young Master Ling.”
He added coolly: “Gambling dens, brothels, pleasure boats — those disreputable and mixed sorts of places. Young Master Ling may not be suited to such amusements.”
Prince Yan: “……”
It was a rare occasion to see Prince Yan rendered speechless with nothing to say.
Being exposed before a beauty was genuinely humiliating. But these were indeed places he frequented, and no matter how thick-skinned a prince might be, one could hardly deny it outright…
The Crown Grandson had seized the opportunity to cut Prince Yan down a notch. The stifled irritation he had been suppressing finally found release, and he felt an instant, extraordinary lightness — his mind clear, his spirits high. He glanced left and right, then said casually: “It is almost noon. Go to the kitchen and hurry them along — have someone bring the food out earlier. And prepare two flasks of good wine as well.”
“Two flasks are hardly enough.”
Prince Yan said with a half-amused smile: “It is a rare chance for us uncle and nephew to sit together and drink at leisure — a mere two flasks would not be nearly satisfying enough. If there is not enough good wine in the residence, send someone to Prince Yan’s residence now to bring some over.”
The provocation in his tone was plain for all to hear.
The Crown Grandson suppressed the urge to give a cold snort, and smiled faintly: “Sixth Imperial Uncle jests. How could our residence ever be short of good wine — there is as much as anyone could want. Since Imperial Uncle is in such high spirits, how could I not keep you company.”
Their gazes met — the air between them crackling faintly, like the flash of blades and the breath before a clash.
Ling Jingshu watched it all, and quietly felt relieved.
Now that those two were competing with each other, they would naturally have no mind to spare for A’Xiao.
Before long, the Crown Grandson and Prince Yan were chatting and laughing in what appeared, somehow, to be perfect harmony — and made their way to the dining hall together. Ling Xiao too went along, supported by his young attendant.
Ling Jingshu and the other two women were escorted to a separate, smaller room. Atop the precious rosewood round table, a spread of exquisite and varied dishes had already been laid out in full.
Ling Jingshu turned with a smile toward the palace maids attending nearby: “You have all been very kind just now. We will eat — there is no need for you to wait on us. Please withdraw for the time being.”
The palace maids acknowledged and retired.
The room now held only Ling Jingshu, Ling Jingyan, and Madam Jiang — along with their respective trusted personal maids.
The atmosphere loosened at once.
“A’Shu, that was truly unexpected earlier.” Madam Jiang let out a long breath. “I never imagined Prince Yan would appear at the Crown Prince’s residence.”
Ling Jingshu gave a quiet sigh, responding helplessly: “Indeed, I did not expect Prince Yan to come either.”
Their encounter at Dingxiang Tower had been a full month ago. Prince Yan had not shown his face at all in that month — who could have foreseen that today he would suddenly appear out of nowhere, in that stomach-turning fashion of warm fawning?
Ling Jingyan bit her lip hard, and let slip a few faintly sour words: “Isn’t it perfectly obvious? Prince Yan fell for you at first sight. He heard you were at the Crown Prince’s residence and came here specifically to see you. All that warmth toward A’Xiao — that is simply loving the house and everything in it.”
Ling Jingshu shot Ling Jingyan a look: “Cousin Yan, there is no need to add to the trouble. What first sight, what loving the house — have I not already told you? I have never had any such thoughts toward Prince Yan. Him suddenly appearing like this — it gives me a headache already.”
Ling Jingshu usually said little and mostly deferred to Ling Jingyan in most things — for her to speak this bluntly was genuinely rare.
Strangely, the lingering dejection, dissatisfaction, and faint resentment in Ling Jingyan’s heart vanished without a trace, and she replied quite naturally: “Well, the way you handled it just now was perfectly fine, wasn’t it? No matter how burning Prince Yan’s interest might be, if he is met with that cold indifference time after time, naturally he will eventually give up on the idea.”
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