Xie Jinyuan's hand, holding the jade chopsticks, paused almost imperceptibly before returning to normal.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slowly put down his chopsticks, his gaze calmly resting on Qin Xianyue's small face, which was filled with confusion and unease.
After a long moment, he slowly extended his left hand, pulling up the wide sleeve of his black robe a little, revealing a smoothly contoured forearm.
Under the candlelight, a faint, light brown scar, about two inches long, was clearly visible on the inner side of his arm.
"This scar," he began, his voice even and carrying a gentle reminiscence of the past, "was from when you were seven years old and insisted on climbing the old locust tree in the courtyard to pick locust flowers. I wasn't watching for a moment, and you climbed to a high branch, then your foot slipped, and you fell straight down."
He raised his eyes to look at her, his phoenix eyes shimmering with a perfectly measured light, a mixture of lingering fear and doting affection.
"I was under the tree at the time. In my haste, I couldn't afford to consider anything else and reached out to catch you. I caught you, but you, little maidservant, weren't light at all. When you fell, you also injured my forearm, scratching it with sharp stones. You bled quite a bit, and it scared you so much that you cried."
As he spoke, he extended a finger and lightly tapped Qin Xianyue's arm in the air:
"And you, when you fell, your sleeve was torn by a branch, and you also got a scratch on your forearm. It wasn't deep, but I imagine it left a mark."
He looked at her, his gaze gentle with a hint of inquiry.
"You've forgotten all of this?"
Qin Xianyue subconsciously raised her hand and touched the inner side of her left arm, near her elbow.
Through the soft fabric of her sleeping gown, her fingertips could indeed feel a very faint, raised line, almost blending into her skin.
She hadn't paid attention to it before, but now that he mentioned it, the floodgates of memory seemed to loosen slightly. In a daze, she seemed to recall a fleeting sense of stinging pain from branches scraping her and the terrified cries of a child, blurry yet incredibly real.
She looked up and met Xie Jinyuan's gaze again.
His expression was flawless, his eyes still holding the concern and gentle reprimand that naturally arose when mentioning her injury, perfectly aligning with the faint memories and gratitude in her heart.
Everything fit together seamlessly, confirming the truth of his words.
And this was precisely the brilliance of Xie Jinyuan's deception.
He had a photographic memory, and after a single glance at the Zhencha Division's report on Qin Xianyue's past, he had it all memorized.
The events he had just recounted—climbing the tree, falling, getting injured—were not fabricated.
Qin Xianyue had indeed suffered an arm injury in her childhood that left a scar.
However, the person who had reached out to catch her from under the tree at that time, and consequently also received a scar, was Gu Yanchi.
Even more "coincidentally," he himself had an old scar on his left arm, sustained in his youth during an archery competition with a fellow imperial student, where he was accidentally grazed by the opponent's dropped bow.
The location of the injury was similar, and the scar was old, which he perfectly used to "substitute the peach and plum" (a metaphor for substituting one thing for another), turning it into the most convincing "evidence" at that moment.
Guilt surged through her like a tide.
Qin Xianyue lowered her gaze, her voice barely audible.
"Elder Brother... I'm sorry. I was just too nervous and overthinking, and I misunderstood you."
Seeing her self-reproachful expression, Xie Jinyuan was about to offer some words of comfort when a passage from the records flashed through his mind. The words he was about to speak shifted, and he changed his approach.
"It's alright, Jiao Jiao..."
He used her childhood nickname, just as Gu Yanchi often did.
"Don't rush things with your memories. We have plenty of time to help you recall them bit by bit."
The moment he uttered the words "Jiao Jiao," it was as if he had awakened the dependence deep within Qin Xianyue's heart.
It was as if the name itself was an unquestionable, soul-etched recognition and belonging.
Xie Jinyuan observed her subtle reaction, understanding dawning in his eyes. He continued in a gentle tone.
"I know what you're wondering about. Wangshu Pavilion is not where you usually live, so it's natural for you to feel unfamiliar."
Qin Xianyue's attention was indeed captured. She looked up in surprise. "Then where did I used to live... in the Eastern Palace?"
Xie Jinyuan smiled slightly.
"Naturally, you lived in the courtyard of my sleeping quarters. We've been like this since we were young. When you first came to the Eastern Palace, you were small and had lost your parents. You were restless at night and always needed someone to stay with you.
Later, as we grew older, the Empress visited the Eastern Palace and saw that we still went everywhere together as we did when we were children. She said that as a young lady grows up, it's not appropriate to be so attached to her elder brother, so she personally designated this Wangshu Pavilion as your proper residence in the Eastern Palace."
His tone was relaxed, as if recounting an ordinary family matter.
"However, you've always been sentimental and accustomed to living there, so you always ran back to my place. You didn't stay in Wangshu Pavilion often. That's why there aren't many of your familiar belongings there, making it seem so strange."
He was speaking nonsense with a straight face.
"Since you're recuperating now, don't run back and forth. You can stay here."
Bi Wu and Dan Zhu, who were standing by, kept their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hands. Listening to their master's logical and well-articulated "lies" delivered without batting an eye, they dared not imagine the storm that would erupt if the Emperor and Empress were to know.
Qin Xianyue's face also flushed with embarrassment.
"That might not be proper..."
How could she live in the same residence as her elder brother?
Seeing her ears turn red, Xie Jinyuan couldn't help but chuckle and lightly tapped her forehead with his finger.
"What are you thinking in that little head of yours? Of course, you'll stay in the side hall! Do you think I can split my sleeping quarters in half for you?"
Xie Jinyuan's words made Qin Xianyue even more shy and embarrassed, and she lowered her head.
Xie Jinyuan stopped teasing her. His gaze shifted to the now slightly cooled food on the table, his tone turning calm but leaving no room for doubt.
"Also, from now on, regarding my daily life in the Eastern Palace, the food, clothing, and all other matters, you don't need to deliberately hide them from Jiao Jiao."
Bi Wu and Dan Zhu exchanged a quick glance.
The Prince's daily routines, preferences, and taboos had always been confidential, handled by specialized personnel who strictly prevented leaks to avoid any prying eyes or malicious intentions.
This was an ironclad rule of the palace.
However, since their master had given the order, despite their concerns, they could only accept and obey.
After accompanying Qin Xianyue to eat a little more and reminding her to rest well, Xie Jinyuan finally got up to leave.
Bi Wu helped Qin Xianyue wash up and prepare for bed.
When she brought the calming soup, she saw Qin Xianyue holding the bowl with a somewhat dazed expression. Remembering her previous wariness, she softly explained.
"Miss, this medicinal soup is prescribed by the Imperial Physician. This servant has already tested it for poison as per protocol. If you are still concerned, this servant can test it again in front of you."
Qin Xianyue came back to her senses and looked at Bi Wu, her eyes clear.
"There's no need. I trust Elder Brother. You are people he trusts, and I will trust you from now on as well."
Having said that, she drank the warm medicinal soup in one gulp.
Thinking of the weariness hidden beneath Xie Jinyuan's carefree expression, she put down the bowl and asked again.
"Why is Elder Brother so busy with official duties?"
Bi Wu recalled the Prince's instructions. While tidying the bed for her, she carefully replied.
"His Highness has indeed been preoccupied with a difficult case lately. The case itself isn't overly complex, and the culprit has been identified. However... this person is extremely cunning, elusive, and skilled at disguise. His Highness has had people investigating for days, but they still haven't apprehended them. With the deadline approaching, if there's no progress, His Majesty might... blame His Highness for not handling the matter effectively."
Qin Xianyue frowned slightly.
"Since the culprit has been identified, why can't they be caught by posting a Hai Bu Wen Shu and following the clues?"
Bi Wu sighed.
"It's because the person acts cautiously and has never revealed their true face. There's only a portrait from their childhood as a reference. But how can a person's appearance remain unchanged for decades? Relying on this single clue to find someone in a vast sea of people is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Therefore, the case has been stalled."
Qin Xianyue pondered, then after a moment of silence, she looked up and said.
"Can you find the portrait from when that person was a child? I'd like to see it."
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