Nanyuan, it should already be snowing in Jiangnan by now. I know you fear the cold, but you must not do as you did last year—lighting four braziers in one room and ending up stewing in your own irritation.You wrote that you've acquired Zhu Song's Snowy Shoals, Twin Eagles. It happens that Younger Brother said he would visit you after spring begins, so let him bring it back to the capital after seeing you. And when he does, you are not allowed to quarrel with him.I am well in the Fourth Prince's residence. I only wish my Nanyuan peace, joy, and smooth sailing in all things.—For Zhiwei's perusal.As Ye Nanyuan stepped into the room, she instinctively glanced toward the bookshelf.The Snowy Shoals, Twin Eagles hanging behind the shelf showed no sign of having been touched, but the book on the shelf directly facing the painting had been swapped—from The Doctrine of the Mean to Records of the Grand Historian.So, he had already seen the painting.Ye Nanyuan lowered her gaze and let out a cold laugh.Back then, her elder sister had written to her, saying that the Fourth Prince admired Zhu Song's paintings and had sent people far and wide searching for them. Wanting to win the Fourth Prince's favor, she had begged Nanyuan to help find one.Though Ye Nanyuan resented how her sister devoted herself entirely to this Fourth Prince, she also knew that without some measure of favor in a prince's harem, life would be difficult. The Jiang family held only a low-ranking official post of the fourth grade, and as a Gege in the Fourth Beile's Mansion, Jiang Zhiwei carried little weight.She did not care for the Fourth Prince, but for her sister's sake, she had to do her utmost to search. As luck would have it, the painting had fallen into the hands of a drunkard. Ye Nanyuan offered him a jar of Luofu Spring she had newly brewed herself, and only then did she buy the Snowy Shoals, Twin Eagles from him.But since spring began, Ye Nanyuan had been waiting—waiting for her sister's letter, waiting for the Jiang family's carriage.Yet after the eighth day of the third month passed, even her birthday came and went, and all she received was word that her sister was gone. And so this Snowy Shoals, Twin Eagles had been carried from Jiangnan to the capital.Now, looking at the Fourth Prince's demeanor, it seemed he still wanted it!If her sister had not died, this would have been his by right. Now it would serve its purpose and do her a favor. Whether through sentiment or through seduction, she would carry this painting straight into that filthy harem.Ye Nanyuan's tightly shut eyes flew open in an instant. The more she thought of those people in the Fourth Prince's residence who had harmed her sister, the more radiant the smile on her face became.Her snow-blue skirts swayed lightly as she hugged the fox in her arms and flopped onto the soft couch. "What are you looking at?" The fox that over a dozen people could not catch was perfectly docile in her embrace.Yinzhen set down the book in his hand and handed it to her."A Manual of Go." The young girl let out a surprised cry, then her eyes darted about slyly—quite reminiscent of the fox in her arms.Seeing her guilty expression, Yinzhen knew at once that she had no interest in go. Then again, with her lively, restless nature, if she could sit still long enough to play a game of go, that would be the real wonder.He smiled and ignored her, continuing to read his book.But the young girl could not sit still. She squirmed beside him, hugging the fox, her face a picture of distraction.She did not speak, and Yinzhen did not call her out. He let her stew in her own hesitation, saying nothing.Sure enough, before long, a hand tentatively reached out and poked at his sleeve. Yinzhen turned the page and kept reading, pretending not to notice.That finger, fair as a scallion segment, crept forward a little more, then boldly grabbed his sleeve and tugged it back and forth. Those slender fingers, gripping his sky-blue sleeve, were almost blindingly white."What is it?" Yinzhen turned his head in exasperation. "If you don't let go, you'll wrinkle my sleeve beyond repair.""It's your fault for staring at that go manual and ignoring me." There were plenty of women in his harem, but he had never seen one this bold. The young girl pouted, looking thoroughly wronged.As if he were the one bullying her.He found her rather headache-inducing. "You know full well how I was injured, yet you insist on bringing that beast before me. Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?""Deliberately provoking you?" The girl was astonishingly bold, springing up from her chair. "I brought it here in good faith to apologize to you, but you beat it to death without even hearing me out, and then—and then you slandered me."She shot him a fierce glare, her beautiful eyes instantly welling with glistening tears, the red mole at the corner of her eye burning like a drop of fresh blood. Huffing indignantly, she scooped the fox from the couch into her arms and made to charge out the door."Hey—" Yinzhen sighed and reached out, catching her wrist.The string of Buddha-Lotus Jade Beads on her delicate white wrist was caught in his palm along with it. The moment his hand touched the beads, Ye Nanyuan stopped moving.Yinzhen had his back to her and did not see the hatred that flashed through her eyes.He had only acted on impulse, reaching out before he could think. But her snow-blue sleeve had ridden up a few inches, and caught off guard, he had grabbed her bare wrist.The touch beneath his palm was soft and smooth.His heart gave a start. The next moment, Ye Nanyuan, who had been facing away, suddenly turned around, her eyes—still red from anger moments ago—fixed unblinkingly on him.Her eyes were truly too striking—pupils clear as black and white with not a trace of impurity, the emotions within them burning bright and moving.Yinzhen felt his palm grow hot under that gaze, and with a loosening of his fingers, he immediately released her wrist."Last time, sir told me that men and women should not touch, yet now you've forgotten your own words." Yinzhen kept his head lowered, his expression unreadable, but from the young girl's light and playful tone, he knew she was deliberately teasing him.For no reason, he felt a weight lift from his chest.Ye Nanyuan knew she couldn't push too hard at this moment, so she smiled brightly and changed the subject: "Then does sir have time now to hear its apology?" The Spirit Fox in her arms was perfectly well-behaved, blinking with a lively, clever look.Yinzhen took a deep breath and raised his head.He knew some creatures were highly attuned to human nature, and seeing this, he only smiled: "It was because I chased it that it caused me to fall into the trap. There's a cause for every effect—no need for it to apologize.""Then sir won't capture this Spirit Fox in the future?"Ye Nanyuan blinked, lifting the fox's two paws and holding them up before him, her face full of ingratiation: "This fox wouldn't sell for much anyway, and it's scrawny and not even cute."She bent the fox's paws downward, her eyes curving like crescent moons: "Sir is merciful—spare this little one's life."One person and one fox, both with pairs of clear black-and-white eyes, now both shining with light, stared straight at his face, their intent to please unmistakable.Seeing her like this, Yinzhen couldn't help but laugh, a low chuckle rising from his throat. Helplessly, he reached out and flicked her forehead with his finger: "You've already said this fox and I are fated. If I don't agree, would miss let me go?""Let it down, then. From now on, no one will capture this little creature." As if it understood, the Spirit Fox let out an "awoo," landed on the ground, and swiftly dashed out of the room.Only after the fox had vanished did the young girl turn back with a fawning expression.She tugged at his sleeve and led him to the soft couch: "Sit, sit—sir is kind and good-hearted, a true gentleman. You mustn't tire yourself out."Then she poured him tea and handed him the chess manual he'd been reading halfway through.Finally, she rolled up her sleeves and pounded his shoulders, her face so full of flattery that it seemed impossible she was the same person who had just been red-eyed and angrily cursing.In all his years, he'd seen those who fawned over the powerful, but never one who flattered so openly and unashamedly.Smiling, he shook his head and asked, "You're quite devoted to that fox."The young girl, while kneading his shoulders, declared boldly from behind him: "This young lady isn't doing it for herself—it's all for sir's good." She was frail, so her strength was naturally limited.Her pounding on his shoulders was like a gentle tickle, and as she pounded, she muttered: "Think about it, sir—I saved that fox first, and then I saved you. What does that mean?"Yinzhen's hand, which had been flipping open the chess manual, paused, and his gaze on the pages lost focus.He and she…Ye Nanyuan's eyes darted around, and she said with a grin: "It means the Spirit Fox is fated to be with sir!" The smile on Fourth Prince's face stiffened instantly…He shouldn't have expected anything good to come out of her mouth!His murky gaze cleared in an instant. He let out a cold snort and flipped another page of the chess manual: "Oh, if I'm so fated with that fox, then I might as well capture it after all—since I'm its destined one.""Sir, how can you go back on your word?" The young girl grew anxious, her pounding ceasing as she hurried around to face him: "You just said you'd let the fox go."Seeing her flustered look, Yinzhen sneered: "You seem quite concerned about that fox.""Sir doesn't keep his promises." The young girl lowered her head and glanced at him sideways: "Your leg's already lame, and you still talk big.""You!" Yinzhen was so angry he wanted to hurl the book in his hands.Gritting his teeth, he snatched up the teacup beside him and gulped down a mouthful, only then calming his emotions enough to speak.He said flatly: "What's so good about that fox? I said I don't want it, so I don't."The young girl lowered her head before him, her tender, scallion-white fingers twisting together anxiously as she stammered: "But… but it's because of that fox that Nanyuan met sir."
Chapter 10
I Became Fourth Prince’s Mistress (Qing Dynasty Time Travel)