When Xi Yu turned his body toward Fuying, Ye Weifeng squeezed his palm so hard that a red mark was left behind.
“Your Ninth Highness, my apologies. I promised to give this floral wreath to him,” Xi Yu said with an apologetic smile.
In truth, Xi Yu had never promised Ye Weifeng anything. Yet when that floral wreath was handed over by Xi Yu and personally placed upon his head, the blood throughout Ye Weifeng’s entire body began to surge at an accelerated pace.
This was the first time, between Fuying and himself, that he had been firmly chosen.
This was the first time he had won against Fuying, that younger brother of his who disgusted him yet was universally adored.
And all of this was brought to him by the person smiling at him right now.
He heard Xi Yu speak, saying with a smile, “Now this prize is yours.”
At that exact moment, as Xi Yu smiled at him like a spring breeze and looked solely at him, Ye Weifeng suddenly understood why Xi Yu was praised by the people of Kyoto as the Jade-Faced Guanyin.
With the appearance of a Guanyin, he would deliver all living souls from suffering, yet he could also bewitch a person’s soul.
His soul had been captured by Xi Yu.
He heard Fuying pleading with Xi Yu, asking if he could come and be his study companion. Before Xi Yu could even answer, Ye Weifeng had already spoken out instinctively, “No, because he is mine.”
It was a sense of possessiveness at work; it was vanity at work. Whatever Fuying wanted, Ye Weifeng wanted to contend for. Whether it was the floral wreath or Xi Yu, he would never let Fuying get his way.
“I do not agree to the resignation you requested this morning. Xi Yu, you will remain my study companion always,” Ye Weifeng uttered with a chilling undertone.
For many years afterward, Xi Yu remained his study companion, then his imperial tutor, then his strategist, general, prime minister, and Ye Weifeng’s favored intimate companion.
The initial cause was simply because Fuying wanted it, and Ye Weifeng refused to let him have his wish fulfilled, entirely unrelated to Xi Yu himself.
For the longest time, Ye Weifeng had intensely detested Xi Yu’s excessive interference in his life, always feeling that he was under Xi Yu’s control and constraint.
Yet during these past few months, Xi Yu had actually been willing of his own accord to stay in the Cold Palace, without meddling in state affairs, paying no attention to his business, and even playing chess and music with that fool every single day.
In the past, Ye Weifeng would never have believed that Xi Yu was willing to let go of him and cast his gaze upon someone else.
The old Xi Yu used to manage him down to the smallest detail; even matters like what clothes he should wear every day were subject to Xi Yu’s questioning, let alone that suffocating desire for control.
Ye Weifeng often felt that he was like a bird kept in Xi Yu’s cage. He couldn’t breathe, grew impatient, and harbored deep resentment toward Xi Yu.
Yet now that Xi Yu truly left him to his own devices, clearly possessing long-awaited freedom and absolute power, Ye Weifeng felt an inexplicable panic.
It was as though something he had once considered utterly unshakeable was slipping away from him, leaving Ye Weifeng unable to endure it for even a single moment.
The scene witnessed in the Cold Palace earlier that day dealt an immense shock to Ye Weifeng, instantly recalling the Floral Festival scene from his childhood.
Yet the version of himself who had been firmly chosen back then was now excluded by Xi Yu. This time, his gaze was directed toward Fuying, his foolish ninth younger brother.
After Fuying had been reduced to a brainless fool, he had actually lost to him once more, a reality that inflicted a massive sense of defeat upon Ye Weifeng.
His lingering headaches finally erupted violently at night, driving Ye Weifeng into a cold sweat induced by his old nightmares.
Waking up abruptly in the dead of night, Ye Weifeng stared wide-eyed with a terrifying expression.
No, Xi Yu just happened not to see me. As long as I appear before him, he will definitely choose me unconditionally.
Had he forgotten? That time when Xi Yu’s cousin—what was her name again? Yue Xueling? The moment she arrived at the Xi family estate, she monopolized all of Xi Yu’s attention.
An exquisitely carved porcelain doll of a young girl, even Xi Yu doted on her immensely. Coupled with her pitiful, destitute background, Xi Yu felt growing sympathy for her and consequently invested a great deal of attention into her.
In the past, whenever Ye Weifeng called out to Xi Yu, he would always come at a moment’s notice and follow Ye Weifeng’s lead in all things. Yet after Yue Xueling appeared in the Xi family household, the steps Xi Yu took toward him were constantly intercepted by her. Most unbearable of all to Ye Weifeng was the fact that Xi Yu genuinely placed him in second place.
The prospect of becoming Xi Yu’s backup option was something Ye Weifeng could not accept under any circumstances.
“Xi Yu, the tutor says my academic progress has slipped significantly lately.” After class, Xi Yu was packing his bundle to leave the palace when he was intercepted by Ye Weifeng.
Xi Yu furrowed his brow. “Where are the most mistakes made?”
Xi Yu was always calm and composed, making this the first time he revealed a trace of anxiety. Yet at that moment, Ye Weifeng was incapable of discerning whether Xi Yu was anxious because of Yue Xueling falling ill at home, or because of him.
“The fault does not lie with me, but with you. You rush off in such a panic every day, leaving the palace to go home without a moment’s pause. With a negligent study companion like you, how can I possibly study well?”
In front of Xi Yu, Ye Weifeng always found it impossible to resist using his worst tone and attitude. Having endured countless grievances in this deep palace with no one to confide in, he could only intentionally find ways to vent on Xi Yu.
Because he knew Xi Yu wouldn’t truly get angry with him, he always threw little tantrums at Xi Yu, much like a child acting awkward and willful when demanding candy. In the past, Xi Yu would always gently soothe him.
Yet this time, perhaps because Yue Xueling was truly gravely ill, Xi Yu failed to summon the patience to coax him for the very first time. “What the Fifth Prince says is true. Another day, Xi Yu will certainly come specifically to plead guilty.”
With that, he cupped his fists, clearly still intending to leave.
“Another day?” Ye Weifeng found it unbelievable. Yet for the very first time, Xi Yu bypassed his expression and hurried straight toward the palace gates.
This was because Yue Xueling was genuinely deathly ill. Having traveled thousands of miles all alone to Kyoto to rely on the Xi family, she had already endured immense hardship. Her poor health since childhood, combined with an inability to acclimatize to the local environment, meant she had been falling sick on and off continuously.
Yet none of those instances compared in severity to this one, leaving her drastically emaciated and struggling even to swallow food.
The entire Xi family was exceedingly worried and anxious. Every single doctor in Kyoto had been invited over, yet Yue Xueling showed no signs of improvement.
“Auntie need not worry about me. I suppose Xueling simply lacks the fortune and cannot adapt to Kyoto’s environment and water,” Yue Xueling murmured between coughs, tears rimming her eyes, looking exceptionally pitiful.
Madame Xi could never bear to see such a sight. She held Yue Xueling’s hand, staying up to nurse her day and night. When Yue Xueling ached too much to sleep, Madame Xi stayed awake right alongside her.
Witnessing this, Xi Yu naturally grew anxious as well, to the extent that he failed to notice Ye Weifeng’s ashen complexion.
Later on, the palace dispatched an imperial physician to examine Yue Xueling, which they heard was due to Ye Weifeng pleading for a favor. With the exceptional skills of the Imperial Hospital staff, Yue Xueling recovered quite rapidly.
The Xi family specially invited Ye Weifeng to their home to express their gratitude, and Yue Xueling, to show her sincerity, personally cooked a meal to thank him.
The trouble arose precisely during this meal. Clearly, Yue Xueling had inquired about Ye Weifeng’s dietary restrictions beforehand and avoided those ingredients while cooking, yet Ye Weifeng still suffered an allergic reaction.
His entire skin turned red and swollen; he suffered from both vomiting and diarrhea. The more he forced himself to pretend nothing was wrong, the more worried Xi Yu became, casting a gaze toward Yue Xueling that carried a measure of blame.
Yet Yue Xueling was merely at a loss. She wanted to explain herself to her cousin, until she caught the triumphant smile Ye Weifeng flashed her, finally making her realize that it wasn’t her fault, it was Ye Weifeng inflicting self-harm simply to frame her.
This madman, such incidents had occurred countless times over the many years she stayed with the Xi family. Although her cousin Xi Yu always stopped mid-sentence with unspoken words and never uttered anything harsh to her, Yue Xueling still felt deeply hurt inside.
Consequently, one day, Yue Xueling took the initiative to bid farewell to her aunt, planning to return to her uncle’s home in the countryside.
Before leaving, she couldn’t help seeking out Xi Yu. Though she had resolved to leave, she refused to bear the unjustified blame as she departed.
“Cousin, in truth, many things were not done by me. I never harmed him.” The moment Yue Xueling spoke, Xi Yu naturally knew who she meant.
Xi Yu looked at Yue Xueling with a resolute gaze. “I know. It was never your fault.”
Yue Xueling felt a sense of grievance. She had assumed Xi Yu never trusted her, yet he actually believed her and knew the entire truth.
“Then Cousin, why is it that whenever Ye Weifeng frames me, you always keep your distance from me, as if I truly committed those malicious deeds?” Yue Xueling said, growing increasingly aggrieved.
Xi Yu handed her the travel funds he had prepared for her long in advance, a very heavy sum. “Xueling, it is your cousin who has failed you. If you ever need your cousin’s help in the future, your cousin will not hesitate.”
He paused, his gaze turning incomparably complex. “It’s just that the moment I draw close to you, he inflicts yet another wound upon his own body, and I dread seeing him get hurt above all else.”
Yue Xueling turned her face away, unwilling to witness the deep devotion Xi Yu held for another person in his eyes. She bit her lower lip fiercely until it was on the verge of bleeding, wearing an expression on the brink of tears.
Yet in the end, Yue Xueling did not cry out loud. She shoved the hairpin her mother had left behind before dying into Xi Yu’s embrace, then turned resolutely and walked away.
Even while knowing that such affection would never receive a response, Yue Xueling still wanted to give that hairpin away.
Having given it, there would be no regrets; she could return safely and peacefully to the countryside.
Back then, Ye Weifeng had secretly rejoiced in triumph over driving Yue Xueling away, believing his scheme had worked, completely unaware that he had merely won because of Xi Yu’s partiality toward him.
Pulling himself out of the memories, Ye Weifeng reasoned that since he could succeed time and time again, he would absolutely not lose this time either.
That’s right, Xi Yu will return to my side.
All I need to do is act just as I did before, right?
He still remembered the utterly soul-broken expression Xi Yu wore when he first heard he was going to take a wife. There was never a moment when Ye Weifeng was more certain of his standing in Xi Yu’s heart than then.
Only at that time was he unequivocally and resolutely convinced that Xi Yu cared about him, cared about him above all else.
Ye Weifeng forcefully suppressed a cough, then bit down hard on his lower lip. Yes, I must prove it once more: Xi Yu cares about me the most.
Ye Weifeng suddenly grew somewhat impatient. He wanted a reenactment of past events, solely to verify it once more, solely to soothe his own panic, solely to appreciate the soul-broken, heartbroken expression Xi Yu would wear because of him.
Ye Weifeng decided to accelerate his plan: he was going to take Yue Xueling as his imperial consort!