The young girl’s face, originally as charming as a pomegranate blossom, was now tinged with grievance, like petals dampened by rain, exuding a pitiable wetness.
The Chongwen Emperor had been feeling quite pleased with himself, but seeing Xi Hongrui’s dewy lotus-like appearance, his heart was gently stirred, and he could no longer maintain his stern demeanor.
He stepped forward, almost wishing he could simply gather this pitiable little figure into his embrace.
Yet as he reached out, he suddenly realized—this was not some autumn bloom or summer fragrance from his harem, plucked at his leisure, but a wild, delicate rose.
His rear garden boasted so many rare and exotic flowers, yet this wild rose did not belong to him.
She grieved for another, swayed for another, and he could only watch from the sidelines, unable to hold her in his hand.
For the first time, this emperor who possessed all under heaven felt a desire to actively pursue something.
He wished for this rose that did not belong to him to sway for him, to pine for him as well.
So the Chongwen Emperor reached out and gently patted her back: “Alright, alright, since he isn’t coming, why don’t I just escort you back instead?”
Xi Hongrui mustered her spirits and looked up at the Chongwen Emperor. Like the moon struggling to push through the clouds, she managed a faint smile: “Huang Daguanren, thank you. You truly are a good person.”
Another good person card?
Receiving this “good person” label again, the Chongwen Emperor was far less pleased than the first time.
But seeing the young girl’s simple, innocent eyes and remembering he was old enough to be her father, his heart softened once more. He joked, “Then shall this good person take you home now? Are you still angry?”
“Pfft—”
Xi Hongrui couldn’t help but laugh. With a nature that blossomed at the slightest sunshine, she lifted her head high and coquettishly retorted with spoiled pride, “I’m not angry at all!”
The Chongwen Emperor was amused and smiled knowingly.
Youth was truly wonderful. Such a carefree, lively temperament made it seem as if there were no worries in the world. Just being near her could infect one with vibrant energy—how could anyone bear to leave?
The Chongwen Emperor dismissed the others and descended the stairs side by side with Xi Hongrui. Occasionally glancing at the girl’s radiant face, his heart would flutter with emotion.
Seeing them preparing to depart, Qin Xingchao quickly ran ahead to clear the way, glancing back every few steps, afraid the Chongwen Emperor might be too engrossed in admiring the beauty and take a tumble.
De Ren followed closely behind, keeping his eyes wide open and his spirits alert, watching intently. Only Xi Hongrui remained “blissfully unaware,” occasionally turning to chat and laugh with “Huang Daguanren.”However, if the old emperor really did take a fall, Xi Hongrui was confident she could catch him, conveniently performing a ‘beauty saves the hero’ scene~
Fortunately, the Chongwen Emperor was merely somewhat clumsy and hadn’t actually reached such a level of foolishness.” Thus, he successfully descended the stairs, thoroughly delighted by the young girl beside him.
Qin Xingchao brought over the carriage, placed the stepping stool, and bowed to assist the Chongwen Emperor aboard.
After ensuring he was properly settled, he turned and respectfully offered his arm to Xi Hongrui.
After all, Qin Xingchao was a sturdy man, and propriety between men and women had to be observed. Seeing his strong arm extended toward her, Xi Hongrui instinctively took a step back, directly bumping into the chief eunuch De Ren behind her.
De Ren had been standing behind them with a beaming smile, half-shielding them, when the girl’s soft body collided with his.The bodies of the young, especially those of young girls, always carry an indescribable fragrance that seems to drift straight into one’s nostrils.
De Ren’s aged, nearly stuck-together eyelids suddenly cracked open into a thick slit at this peculiar scent.
Lifting his gaze, he saw the plump arm of the young woman, half-concealed yet revealed, rippling like fragrant waves with the folds of her clothing.
Noticing she had bumped into him, she immediately turned back, covering her face with a fan, revealing only a pair of deer-like clear eyes as she gave him an apologetic smile.
Her large eyes glanced at Qin Xingchao, then at him, before finally settling on him.
Switching the fan to her left hand, she extended her right hand, placed it on his shoulder, and with a slight push, she hoisted herself into the carriage.
De Ren watched that hand—slender and delicate as scallion stalks, with nails about an inch long, unadorned and tinged with the natural pink of youth. It rested as lightly as a breeze brushing water, then vanished in an instant, leaving only Qin Xingchao’s sturdy arm behind.
After respectfully assisting Xi Hongrui into the carriage, Qin Xingchao turned to De Ren and politely extended his hand: “Steward, please.”
De Ren shot him a disdainful glance, slowly rotated his right shoulder, and pulled out a snow-white silk handkerchief. He placed it on Qin Xingchao’s arm, using it as a cushion to support himself as he seated himself on one side of the carriage shaft.
Turning his head to glance inside the curtain, his face wore a benevolent yet insincere smile, leaving one to wonder what he was thinking.
Once all the esteemed guests were settled, Qin Xingchao carefully folded the handkerchief and returned it to De Ren. He then leaped onto the carriage and began driving the horse.
The carriage rumbled along, soon arriving at Golden Rooster Lane.
Xi Hongrui cheerfully called for Qin Xingchao to stop at the lane’s entrance: “This is the place!”
Lifting the curtain, she turned back to the Chongwen Emperor with a smile: “My lord, thank you so much for today. You should hurry home and rest now!”
The Chongwen Emperor chuckled, “Alright, when shall we meet next?”
Before her smile could reveal her teeth, Xi Hongrui covered her face with her fan: “Whenever you wish, of course. This humble servant will always be waiting for you at Linglong Pavilion~”
“Hehehe~”
The Chongwen Emperor watched as the young girl nimbly alighted from the carriage. In the deepening dusk, her emerald-green top and water-pink long skirt fluttered in the evening mist like the vibrant wings of a butterfly.
Yet, at one moment, this butterfly suddenly halted in disbelief before a doorway and cried out loudly—
“Pei San!”
The Chongwen Emperor was taken aback and immediately looked over. What had happened?
…
Xi Hongrui stared at Ning Meng in the courtyard, exclaiming in disbelief, “Pei San! What are you two doing!”
After bringing Ning Meng over, Pei San had been busy tidying up the room. Ning Meng stood downstairs, smiling as she watched him work.
When he finally finished and came down, Ning Meng took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from his brow: “Thank you, you must be exhausted.”
As the handkerchief touched his face, Pei San froze, looking down at the girl who was tenderly wiping his sweat.
Compared to Xi Hongrui, Ning Meng’s appearance was quite ordinary, but it was this very ordinariness that made her feel more approachable, without the constant sense of instability that seemed to linger around Xi Hongrui.
Xi Hongrui was like a delicate flower nurtured in one’s palm—not only thorny but also easily bruised at the slightest touch. Beautiful as she was, holding her for too long could grow tiresome.
Lost in this unfamiliar warmth he had never experienced, Pei San momentarily forgot to move, allowing Ning Meng to wipe his sweat and letting his grimy perspiration slowly stain her pristine handkerchief.Just as the two of them stood in awkward silence, a sharp cry rang out: “Pei San! What are you doing!”
Pei San turned abruptly to see Xi Hongrui standing at the door, wide-eyed and glaring at them with puffed cheeks.
Instinctively pushing Ning Meng away, Pei San hurried over: “Don’t misunderstand, there’s nothing between us!”
But Xi Hongrui wouldn’t listen to his explanation, completely exploding: “You didn’t come to pick me up after delivering the account books because you were fooling around with this little hussy, weren’t you!”
Pei San knew he was in the wrong, but with Ning Meng present, he couldn’t appear weak. He could only grab her arm forcefully: “Stop making a scene, will you? Ning Meng just came on the Crown Princess Consort’s orders, nothing happened between us!”
Xi Hongrui’s eyes widened in outrage: “I’m making a scene? Am I really making a scene! I saw her wiping sweat from your forehead! Are your hands crippled or your legs broken that you can’t wipe it yourself!”
Because Xi Hongrui’s voice was so loud, neighbors on all sides lit their lamps, threw on clothes, and prepared to enjoy the spectacle.
Seeing this situation, Pei San anxiously tried to pull her into the courtyard, but Mother Pei kicked the door open instead, standing in the yard with hands on her hips, shouting—
“You shameless slut! Even if my son really took up with Miss Ning Meng, what business is it of yours? What are you howling about here! With your kind, still dreaming of clinging to my son? Keep dreaming!”
Xi Hongrui stared at her in disbelief, then turned to Pei San: “You tell me! Is it any of my business or not!”
Over the past few days, they had been constantly attached to each other, and anyone could see what was going on. But this spoiled young lady Xi Hongrui would bat her eyes when ordering people around, yet twist away and refuse to speak clearly when things got serious, making Pei San feel like a wild cat was clawing at his heart.
Hearing her now almost explicit questioning, Pei San felt a surge of joy.
But hearing the neighbors stirring, he also felt some annoyance—why was Xi Hongrui being so unreasonable!
Indeed, he needed to keep her in check, or this girl would really become unbearably arrogant. So he said coldly: “What my mother said is right—what does my business have to do with you?”
Xi Hongrui took several steps back in disbelief, her lips trembling as she asked: “What did you say?”
Pei San looked at her with a stern face, reaching out to grab her shoulder: “Stop making trouble, it’s embarrassing, come inside!”
But what he received instead was a full-force slap across the face.
Hearing that resounding slap, everyone present froze. When they recovered, Mother Pei charged down like an enraged lioness, raising her hand to strike back: “You little wretch, how dare you! I’ll tear you apart!”
But Xi Hongrui had already fled with a sob after delivering the slap, and Mother Pei couldn’t catch up even if she tried.
Pei San stood frozen in place, hand to his cheek, unable to believe it—Xi Hongrui had actually hit him!
Ning Meng quickly came over from behind, first checking his injury.
After confirming it wasn’t serious, she looked worriedly in the direction Xi Hongrui had disappeared: “This is my fault for causing your misunderstanding. It’s so late—where can she go? You should hurry and bring her back.”
Pei San remained where he was, chest heaving violently. Hearing this, he exploded even more, roaring angrily: “Let her go wherever she wants! If she has the guts, let her die out there and never come back!”
With that, ignoring Ning Meng’s attempts to stop him, he stormed off, slamming the door behind him.
Mother Pei, who had been furious moments before, suddenly became quite pleased seeing her son like this.
She shot a vicious glare outside before firmly closing the main gate.”Little wretch, don’t even think about coming in tonight! I hope you run into kidnappers and get sold off!”
…
Xi Hongrui covered her face and rushed out, running until she reached the bridge where she leaned against the stone pier, trembling.
Gahahaha! She was dying of laughter! This felt absolutely amazing!
After two lifetimes, she had finally delivered that slap! Ohohoho!
Just as she was laughing so hard her shoulders shook, a frantic voice suddenly came from behind: “Oh my, my dear Miss Hong, you mustn’t jump!”
Turning around, she saw De Ren stumbling over in a frantic rush, his urgency so exaggerated it was as if his own mother had died.
The Chongwen Emperor, supported by Qin Xingchao, practically tumbled out of the carriage and stretched out his hand, shouting loudly: “Hong’er! Hong’er! I’m here!”
Seeing them, Xi Hongrui covered her face and let out a delicate “Yingning” sob.
Do you know how difficult it is to cry when you actually want to laugh?
Given how hard she was working at this, any future wealth and glory she might attain would be absolutely deserved!
Ahahaha!