The night was already as deep as ink. The last candle in the Zhencha Division's yamen was extinguished, and only then did Xie Jinyuan emerge, stepping onto the cold, clear moonlight that covered the steps.
Upon entering the Eastern Palace gates, the long palace road seemed even more silent and deep in the night, with only the light from the guards' lanterns illuminating a small patch of ground before his feet.
The attendants followed silently behind him, their footsteps light and quiet, none daring to disturb their Young Master, whose expression clearly showed he was still deep in thought.
As he approached the main courtyard, Xie Jinyuan paused slightly.
He looked up. The windows of the main hall, which should have been dark as usual, were now emitting a warm candlelight, making them particularly conspicuous in the heavy night.
His sword-like eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he turned his head to ask.
“Who is in the hall, keeping a light on?”
The head palace maid, Dan Zhu, immediately stepped forward from the side and replied in a low voice.
“Replying to Your Highness, it was Miss Qin who insisted on waiting for you to return.”
She paused briefly, and seeing that His Highness's expression was not displeased, she continued.
“Bi Wu tried to persuade her several times, saying that Your Highness had official duties and his return date was uncertain, and asked her not to wait so hard. But Miss just shook her head, refused to eat dinner, and refused to go to bed.
We… did not dare to force her, fearing that our words might cause her to overthink things, so we could only let her be.”
Xie Jinyuan's eyes deepened upon hearing this.
The cases at the Zhencha Division had been complex and intricate these past few days, and those old officials in court were skilled at stirring up trouble. He had been working almost non-stop to deal with them, and had almost forgotten that he had an "adopted sister."
She had lost all memory after falling into the water and injuring the back of her head, but those habits ingrained over the years, etched into her bones, had stubbornly remained.
Without even thinking, he knew who it was that always made her wait until late at night.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again, his voice low in the night wind.
“In these past few days, has she shown any unusual behavior? Or any suspicion?”
Dan Zhu took a slight breath, her words becoming even more cautious.
“Replying to Your Highness, Miss is very delicate and sensitive. Her observation of people and events around her is far beyond that of ordinary people. Casual remarks from the servants, or a fleeting expression, can become clues for her to connect.
Although Sister Bi Wu can always explain things smoothly, in the long run, I am truly worried…”
As she spoke, she quickly glanced at the Crown Prince's calm profile, her voice dropping even lower.
“Miss has amnesia and her emotions are already in turmoil. We rely on our words to construct her past. But the people in the palace respect Your Highness and are dutiful towards Miss. This 'dutifulness' carries a distance and caution that ordinary people might not notice, but with Miss's ability to observe expressions, over time, she will inevitably sense that something is wrong.
We cannot… truly keep Miss like a prisoner, not allowing her to interact with anyone. The balance in this is truly difficult to manage.”
Xie Jinyuan listened silently, his fingertips unconsciously toying with the blood amber prayer beads on his wrist. He suddenly asked again.
“What is the latest from the Gu family?”
Xiao Lin, the commander of the guards, who followed him like a shadow, immediately stepped forward and handed him a simply drawn bamboo slip.
“Replying to Your Highness, the Heir of the Marquis of Dingbei, Gu Yanchi, for the first two days, sent people to search urgently along the East Lake and at various docks and carriage stations in Yun Jing. For the past three days, the pace of the search has noticeably slowed, and personnel seem to have been withdrawn.
According to reports, the Marquis's Estate is currently busy preparing for the marriage with Minister Lin's Manor. Everyone in the estate is busy, and Young Master Gu has also visited the Minister's Manor multiple times to discuss details.”
A very faint, very cold curve appeared at the corner of Xie Jinyuan's lips.
However, when his gaze fell again on the stubbornly lit, warm candlelight in the hall, the sharpness in his eyes unexpectedly softened a little.
He stopped speaking and strode towards the light.
“Your Highness,” Dan Zhu reminded him softly, “Would you like to change your clothes before seeing Miss Qin?”
Xie Jinyuan did not stop, his steps even quicker.
“If I'm any later, I'm afraid she'll starve herself.”
Qin Xianyue, having fallen into the water and not yet recovered, was still weak. Coupled with waiting on an empty stomach until late at night, the fatigue and the stuffy heat from the brazier made her eyelids involuntarily heavy.
Suddenly hearing footsteps outside, she was startled awake to see Xie Jinyuan, his phoenix eyes smiling, walking towards her.
“Elder Brother.”
Her voice was filled with joy, which inexplicably pleased Xie Jinyuan.
He strode closer and, seeing her eagerness to get up upon his arrival, gently placed a hand on her slender shoulder.
“You are injured, sit down.”
His tone was irrefutable, but when his gaze fell on her pale face, made even paler by the long wait, it was tinged with clear blame.
“Why did you not eat dinner?”
Qin Xianyue blushed slightly at his words and looked up at him.
“Did Bi Wu report me?”
“I am not blaming you,” Xie Jinyuan softened his tone slightly, “It’s just that you are still weak. How can your body recover properly if you don’t eat?”
As his gaze swept towards Bi Wu, Qin Xianyue gently placed her hand on his arm.
'Elder Brother, please don't make things difficult for them. I insisted on waiting for you.'
Xie Jinyuan immediately understood what Dan Zhu meant by Qin Xianyue's perceptiveness.
He reached out and patted the back of her hand resting on his arm in a comforting gesture.
“I have enough people to serve me, you don't need to wait so hard every day. Be careful not to ruin your health.”
Qin Xianyue blinked, her tone carrying a sense of natural insistence.
“They are them, and I am me. If I don't wait, how can they persuade Elder Brother? Don't think I don't know, you haven't eaten dinner either, have you, Elder Brother, busy until now?”
“...”
Xie Jinyuan choked.
She was actually right.
He was born into royalty and was made Crown Prince from a young age.
Although he was loved by his Father Emperor and Mother, they were often strict with him.
Especially his Father Emperor, who always asked more about his studies, his martial arts training, and his achievements in governance.
But he rarely truly cared about whether he was cold or hungry.
Qin Xianyue seemed to sense his loneliness after his silence and said again.
“I prepared a few small dishes for Elder Brother, and they've been kept warm on the stove, but…”
Her voice carried a hint of apology.
“I forgot what Elder Brother likes to eat. They wouldn't tell me when I asked Bi Wu and the others, so I could only cook according to my own taste. Please eat some, Elder Brother, to fill your stomach.”
Saying this, she gestured to Bi Wu.
“Bring them up.”
A moment later, two exquisite small dishes were placed on the small table before Xie Jinyuan.
Qin Xianyue served him a bowl of plain congee, her movements so familiar as if she had done it countless times.
Xie Jinyuan took the bowl of congee and slowly took a mouthful.
His gaze swept over the dishes on the table. The flavors were clearly on the lighter side, which was quite different from the information about Qin Xianyue previously submitted by the Zhencha Division.
The records indicated that this adopted daughter of the Marquis of Dingbei, who had served in the Northern Army, accustomed to the harshness of the border, preferred lamb and beef, with a salty and heavy taste.
But the dishes before him were completely different.
Therefore, the taste recorded in the information was likely not her true preference, but rather… an instinct that had been forcibly changed or even forgotten over a long period to cater to someone else's habits.
Who that person was, the answer was almost obvious.
Xie Jinyuan's expression imperceptibly darkened.
It seemed Dan Zhu's reminder was correct; the investigation materials were not complete.
These subtle differences deeply rooted in daily habits, if not paid attention to, could easily become flaws.
If he were to continue playing the role of "Elder Brother," he would need to be even more cautious.
Only after Xie Jinyuan had eaten half a bowl of plain congee did Qin Xianyue symbolically pick up her chopsticks.
She occasionally looked up, gazing at the man eating beside her.
The candlelight flickered, outlining his incomparably handsome face even more vividly. His brows were like painted ink, and when his phoenix eyes were slightly lowered, they lost their usual wildness, revealing a rare tranquility.
However, the noble aura that permeated him, the regal bearing of a superior that even eating could not dispel, still made him impossible to ignore.
As she watched, the lingering sense of emptiness and vague sense of incongruity in her heart resurfaced quietly.
A thought, before she could even ponder it deeply, escaped her lips with a faint sigh.
“Are you… really my Elder Brother?”
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