Until her arm was released, Wen Shuyu sat back in her place, averting her gaze.
She busied herself with tidying the tea set, answering a question that hadn’t been asked: “It’s… this year’s new tea.”
Xiao Jingchen looked at her current state, a low chuckle escaping his throat.
Hearing this laughter, Wen Shuyu felt inexplicably flustered and annoyed. Wait, wasn’t she the one teasing and flirting with Xiao Jingchen? Why did it now seem like she was the one panicking first? Shouldn’t it be Xiao Jingchen who was flustered and blushing?
Shouldn’t Xiao Jingchen’s ears have turned red after being forced to drink tea with her lipstick mark, and be the one being teased? Why was it the opposite now?
She cleared her throat, preparing to regain some ground.
Looking up with a raised eyebrow, she said, “It seems His Highness the Crown Prince likes this flavor.”
“The aroma of the tea lingers, making it difficult for me to discern the exact taste for a moment,” Xiao Jingchen paused slightly, his expression unchanged, but his gaze subtly swept over her lips. “Perhaps so.”
The moment his gaze landed on her lips, Wen Shuyu felt her heartbeat quicken. Yet, on the surface, she laughed lightly, her fingertips tracing the rim of the teacup.
“I never thought there’d be something His Highness the Crown Prince couldn’t discern. I always assumed His Highness understood everything.”
Xiao Jingchen’s gaze followed her fingertips, then lifted to meet her eyes directly. “All things in this world can be analyzed, but those that are close at hand… require careful savoring.”
Wen Shuyu: !!??
This wasn’t right. Had Xiao Jingchen’s mouth been blessed today?
Her heart skipped a beat, but she pretended to be relaxed. “Then, should I pour His Highness another cup, so you can savor it more carefully?”
Xiao Jingchen’s gaze fell on the teacup with the lipstick mark. He shook his head, his voice as calm and gentle as ever. “A small taste is quite enough. However, if you insist on offering it, I would be remiss to decline.”
Wen Shuyu’s eyes curved upward. “Oh? Then, Your Highness, do you prefer the ‘tea’ from before, or are you looking forward to the next cup of ‘tea’?”
Xiao Jingchen’s body leaned forward almost imperceptibly, closing the distance between them in an instant.
“I was thinking… perhaps the key to the question was never the tea.”
He paused, his gaze resting on her slightly parted lips in surprise, and smiled gently. “But the one who brews it.”
As these words fell, it was like a stone thrown into a lake, sending ripples across the surface.
For the first time, Wen Shuyu didn’t know how to respond. She only felt her ears burning—it must be an illusion.
Xiao Jingchen remained as gentle and refined as ever, leisurely adjusting the sleeves on his wrist as if those earth-shattering words hadn’t come from his mouth.
“This tea has gone cold,” he said, elegantly pouring her a fresh cup and presenting it to her. The rim of this new cup was distinct. “Try this. This time, the flavor is clear.”
Wen Shuyu took the teacup directly and drank it all in one go.
Before Xiao Jingchen could ask her about the taste of this tea in the next round, she set down her chopsticks and gracefully headed toward the bedchamber.
“I’ve finished eating and will rest now. Your Highness, please make yourself at home.”
Xiao Jingchen watched her retreating figure, the corners of his eyes softening, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze.
The palace maids and eunuchs had yet to recover from the moment His Highness drank that cup of tea.
The head eunuch, being an old-timer who had watched the Crown Prince grow up in the Eastern Palace, was so astonished he didn’t know what to say, merely sighing, “The Princess has grown even bolder.”
“Is that so?” Xiao Jingchen curved his lips, his gaze still fixed in the direction she had left, his voice gentle and indulgent. “Just a little paper tiger.”
On the daybed in Plum Garden, Wen Shuyu tossed and turned restlessly.
“Xiao Liu, do you think Xiao Jingchen went somewhere to learn new tricks? He even knows how to flirt back now.”
“No, that wasn’t right at all. According to the storyline I had in mind, after drinking the tea, he should have blushed, then I would have subtly teased him again, and he would have been so flustered he’d flee in embarrassment. That’s how it should have gone.”
“Why was it me who ended up leaving?”
“Wait, why did I leave? I can’t lose, Xiao Liu, Xiao Liu.”
Listening to her master’s stream of frustrated words, Xiao Liu pondered for a moment before replying, “Master, come to think of it, although Xiao Jingchen always appears gentle and amiable, I’ve never actually seen him blush or panic over anything. He always seems so calm and composed, no matter what he does.”
Xiao Liu scratched its head. For some reason, based on its experience traveling through thousands of minor realms over millions of years, it always felt a sense of dissonance between Xiao Jingchen’s soul and his outward persona. Could it be an illusion?
And Xiao Jingchen’s profile looked so familiar… Why did it feel like it had seen him somewhere before?
During the God-Demon War, it had suffered severe injuries and lost part of its memories. Which part exactly had it lost?
Wen Shuyu looked at it. “What are you thinking about, Xiao Liu?”
“Nothing, Master,” Xiao Liu snapped back to attention and shook its head. “But Master, think about it. The way Xiao Jingchen responded to you today actually shows that your efforts to pursue him lately have been quite effective. Maybe it won’t be long before you successfully win him over.”
Wen Shuyu patted Xiao Liu’s head, the ice in her eyes melting, replaced by a glimmer of light. “You’re right. We’ll continue tomorrow.”
The girl and the beast exchanged a knowing smile.
…
Early the next morning, faint morning light filtered through the carved golden window lattice. Sparrows chirped a few times on the crabapple branches outside the hall, rousing Wen Shuyu and Xiao Liu from their light slumber.
Meanwhile, in the study of the Eastern Palace, Xiao Jingchen had already returned from the morning court session and had been sitting at his desk for some time, poring over ancient texts.
The door to the hall creaked open a small crack.
Wen Shuyu peeked her head in, her beautiful eyes curving into a smile as she looked at Xiao Jingchen. “What are you doing, Brother Crown Prince? Are you busy?”
Xiao Jingchen looked back at her, his eyes warm in the sunlight. “Go ahead, what is it?”
Wen Shuyu walked in and handed over an ancient painting from a previous dynasty. The jade hairpin in her hair swayed slightly. “Brother Crown Prince, I invite you to appreciate this painting with me.”
Xiao Jingchen reached out to take it, his gaze shifting from the white jade hairpin that shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight to the painting itself. He said softly:
“Beautiful.”
“What’s beautiful?” Wen Shuyu blinked…