Jiaojiao was so nervous that even her fingers curled up tightly.
She had really wanted to see him again, but she had not known what excuse to use. Sending things to Noble Consort Yan had indeed been an excuse to get closer to Gui Heng, but she never expected to run into him here.
Jiaojiao steadied herself, turned around, and called softly, “Fifth Imperial Brother…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt that it sounded too distant, so she quickly changed it.
“Fifth Brother.”
Gui Heng did not answer. He looked at the girl for a moment before speaking calmly.
“If Princess Jiaoran is free, may I have a word with you?”
Jiaojiao looked up blankly.
The sunlight was bright. The young man stood against the light, his face pale and cold like jade. If one looked carefully, they could see a faint trace of deep purple hidden in his black eyes.
It was like a rare cluster of purple crystals embedded among a mountain of black obsidian.
Gui Heng noticed where she was looking, and a trace of displeasure rose within him.
“Princess Jiaoran.”
“Mm, okay!”
Jiaojiao quickly agreed and followed him toward a secluded place.
As she looked at Gui Heng’s slender back, she suddenly felt a little sad for some reason.
Everyone called her Jiaojiao, their voices carrying affection and indulgence. Yet Gui Heng only called her by her formal title.
There was no hatred in his voice. He said it as though it were simply the natural thing to do.
But why?
Wasn’t he her brother too?
Gui Heng seemed very familiar with this place. He turned around a corner, and before long, he led Jiaojiao to a quiet, deserted spot.
Under the red palace wall, a cluster of tall bamboo swayed gently. It was an excellent place for a private conversation.
When Gui Heng stopped, Jiaojiao obediently stopped as well.
Now that she was standing so close to him, she could not help sighing inwardly.
The future tyrant was really tall. He was still growing, yet he was already more than a head taller than her.
His shoulders were so broad, and his legs were so long…
While Jiaojiao was looking at Gui Heng, Gui Heng was also looking at her.
With her obedient and well-behaved appearance, there was truly no trace of the former Princess Jiaoran in her.
Jiaojiao raised her eyes and met his searching gaze.
She quickly gave him a flattering smile. Her dimples were small and shallow, and her eyes curved like crescent moons.
Today, she had her hair styled in a flower-like double-bun hairstyle. A small cluster of pearls decorated the center of her hair, while two side buns hung down with pale lavender ribbons that lightly brushed against her snow-white neck.
Her dress was also in soft, light colors. Standing beside the green bamboo, she looked gentle and clear, like a drop of morning dew resting on a leaf.
Seeing that he remained silent, the little princess tilted her head in confusion.
Gui Heng looked away and said in a deep voice, “I heard about the things you sent. Thank you.”
He paused.
“And thank you for returning the cloak to me.”
He had never expected that he would ever see again the garment his mother had painstakingly embroidered.
Jiaojiao quickly waved her hands, her eyes curved with happiness.
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome! Noble Consort Yan is your mother, so she is half my mother too. If there is something I can do to help, of course I should help.”
Gui Heng lowered his eyes and looked at her.
“Why have I never seen you so generous with your time before?”
Jiaojiao answered awkwardly, “I was younger before… I-I didn’t really understand things.”
Gui Heng gave a faint, mocking smile. The disbelief on his face was obvious.
“Princess Jiaoran, there is no one else here. If there is something you need from me, just say it.”
“Although I really cannot imagine… what there could possibly be in this world that the princess wants but cannot have.”
His thin lips curved slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes.
Jiaojiao looked directly into his eyes. Her gaze was clear as she shook her head.
“That’s not it. The reason I kept my distance from you before was my fault. After I became sick this time, I thought about many things…”
Gui Heng said, “Tell me.”
Following the plan she had prepared beforehand, Jiaojiao spoke softly.
“We’re all brothers and sisters, so we should naturally love and get along with each other. Third Imperial Brother bullied you like that last time. He was the one who was wrong, so I…”
Gui Heng interrupted her.
“Why?”
Jiaojiao stared at him with her round eyes.
Gui Heng raised his eyes and asked slowly, “Tell me. Why should brothers and sisters get along just because they are brothers and sisters?”
Jiaojiao had not expected him to focus on that point.
After thinking for a moment, she answered quietly, “Because we’re related by blood. We have a blood relationship that can never be severed. Naturally, we should be closer to each other than we are to other people.”
Her voice was soft and weak, and there was a hint of guilt in it.
Gui De and Gui Heng really were bound by blood.
As for her…
Gui Heng raised an eyebrow.
“And what kind of reasoning is that?”
Jiaojiao was speechless.
Her rosy lips parted slightly. Uneasiness appeared in her clear, round eyes.
After a long moment, she finally asked softly, “Why doesn’t it count?”
Gui Heng’s voice was calm, but every word was clear.
“Something only becomes a principle when most people accept it as one.”
“Everyone says things like that. But among Father’s sons, how many truly believe it?”
His eyes were deep and dark, as though they could see straight into the deepest part of her heart.
Jiaojiao thought of Gui De’s face and found herself completely unable to argue.
Her cheeks suddenly grew hot.
Her skin was soft and pale, so the rush of blood quickly brought a bright flush to her delicate cheeks. She bit her lower lip with her white teeth, looking both anxious and helpless.
It was as though someone had bullied her.
Gui Heng fell silent.
After a moment, he looked away and said calmly, “You can see the answer by looking at me. Forget about the past. Just look at what happened during the Chrysanthemum Banquet. Why do you think I was completely unable to fight back against Third Brother?”
His voice remained calm, but there was an unmistakable arrogance in his expression.
“If we’re talking about ability, he is no match for me.”
Jiaojiao nodded wildly.
Of course! He was the male lead, the overpowered hero. Naturally, his fighting skills were the best!
She had also been wondering for a long time why Gui De had managed to beat him so badly.
Gui Heng slowly lowered his eyes and looked at her, his gaze dark.
Jiaojiao noticed his expression gradually becoming more serious. Without realizing it, she pursed her lips and stared at him blankly.
She had been nodding like a little chick pecking at grain. When she suddenly stopped, it was as though someone had frozen her in place.
She looked so stiff and blank that it was almost funny.
Gui Heng stared at her for a while.
Then, without warning, he bent down and leaned close to her ear.
The young man’s pale, handsome face suddenly came close. His breath brushed against Jiaojiao’s soft ear, cool and slightly ticklish.
“Although Third Brother and I are both Father’s sons, we are different.”
His cold presence was too overwhelming.
Jiaojiao felt a little frightened. Her voice became soft and shaky.
“D-Different in w-what way?”
Gui Heng’s expression grew even colder.
He straightened and glanced toward Xuanyan Hall in the distance.
The next moment, he caught her trembling, slender fingers and placed them against his own face.
“Different in what way?”
He repeated the question quietly.
He stared at her. It was hard to say whether his gaze or his voice was colder. Every word carried a chill, as though he wanted to crush the sentence between his teeth.
“My eyes are different from his. My hair is different from his. My skin, my features…”
“I am the son of a foreign woman who was condemned as a criminal. So even though half of my blood comes from Father, I can never be exactly the same as them!”
His expression…
It was terrifying.
Jiaojiao instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Gui Heng held it firmly and would not let her retreat.
His fingertips were slightly cold as he forced her hand to trace the deeper contours of his features, slowly moving toward his eye socket.
It was the first time Jiaojiao had realized how frightening her own round, pale-pink fingernails could look beside someone’s eye.
It was as if one careless movement could blind him.
His eyes were still dark like ink mixed with purple crystal, but a faint red color was slowly spreading beneath them.
They were forced to look directly at each other for what felt like a very long time.
Jiaojiao’s eyes began to ache, and a layer of mist gradually rose in her vision. Even her clear gaze became blurred by tears.
Gui Heng slowly loosened his grip.
He felt her hand move, but he did not tighten his hold again.
Jiaojiao pulled her hand free.
She did not step back. Instead, she gently touched his eyelid with her fingertip.
Her touch was so light that it was like spring wind kissing the first flower of spring.
“Your eyes…”
Jiaojiao murmured softly, almost to herself.
“Fifth Brother, do you know why I returned that cloak to you?”
She sniffed.
Her round eyes were filled with clear tears, so delicate that they looked as though they might shatter with a single touch.
Gui Heng stared at her, his throat tightening.
Jiaojiao squeezed her eyes shut, forcing back her tears.
When she opened them again, she slowly curved her lips into a slightly damp smile.
“These past few days, I kept the cloak hanging in my bedroom. Whenever I looked at it, I would think, ‘What a beautiful color…’”
“It really suits your eyes.”
Gui Heng instinctively took a step backward.
Her hand dropped with him.
Jiaojiao did not mind.
“No matter what you think, I really want to treat you well, Fifth Brother. As for whether we’re related by blood or not… if you don’t like me talking about it, then I will… try not to mention it so much anymore.”
She still had to mention it sometimes.
Otherwise, how could she build their brother-sister relationship?
Gui Heng’s expression became somewhat strange.
He said nothing and simply nodded.
“Jiaojiao has one more thing to ask you.”
Jiaojiao blinked, her long eyelashes still damp.
“Brother, since you think even blood relatives may not necessarily be close, does that mean… even if two people aren’t related by blood, you wouldn’t refuse to become close to them just because of that, right?”
Gui Heng was silent for a moment.
Then he looked at her.
“Of course. For example, husband and wife should be the closest people in the world to each other, yet they must never be related by blood.”
Jiaojiao’s eyes suddenly widened a little.
It was as though she had received an unexpected piece of good news.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Gui Heng noticed it clearly.
“That’s good. That’s good.”
Jiaojiao murmured to herself for a moment.
Then she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling brightly and her dimples showing faintly.
She looked absolutely delighted.
Gui Heng paused.
Then he suddenly turned his head toward the distance.
Jiaojiao followed his gaze in confusion, but saw nothing.
She only heard several familiar calls.
“Princess! Princess!”
Jiaojiao suddenly remembered Yuqiu, who was still waiting in the original place.
She quickly looked at Gui Heng.
“Fifth Brother…”
“Is that the person who came with you?”
The corners of Gui Heng’s lips lifted slightly.
His voice was low.
“Go on.”
Jiaojiao let out a sigh of relief and nodded.
She took a breath. Happiness sparkled in her moist eyes.
She gave him one last look, then turned around, lifted her skirt, and ran away.
She looked like a cheerful little bird.
Gui Heng watched her light footsteps disappear into the distance.
Lost in thought, he slowly raised his hand and touched his eyes.
Xuanyan Hall was in a remote part of the palace.
The two of them walked slowly for quite a while before finally returning to Jiaoran Hall.
As soon as they entered, they smelled a sweet fragrance.
Jiaojiao had spent most of her childhood sick in bed, so her daily meals had always been bland and tasteless.
Now that she was finally healthy, she could eat whatever she wanted.
The small kitchen in Jiaoran Hall was famous throughout the palace. Its cooking was even better than the imperial kitchen’s.
Once the palace servants discovered how much she loved pastries, they began making all kinds of treats to suit her taste.
Several kinds of delicate pastries had already been placed on the small table.
There were almond pastries with cream, water chestnut cakes, pine-nut pastries shaped like Buddha’s hands, and pumpkin, red bean, and chestnut cakes.
Some were sweet, some were savory.
Beside them was a bowl of steamed milk custard.
“Princess, you’re back?”
Cuixue happily handed her a silver spoon.
“Try this, Princess. We added some rice wine and freshly picked osmanthus flowers. It’s perfect for eating right now.”
Jiaojiao took a bite.
“So—good!”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“This is way too delicious! How can milk custard taste this good?”
She smiled at Cuixue.
“I know! It must be because the osmanthus flowers inside were personally picked by Cuixue!”
Cuixue immediately beamed with happiness.
Yuqiu also joined in.
“Then next year, I will have to guard the osmanthus tree. We can’t let Cuixue take first place every year.”
The group was laughing and chatting when the curtain moved.
Aunt Du entered carrying tea.
When she saw Jiaojiao’s smiling face, she paused slightly.
Cuixue hurried over to take the tray.
“Auntie, why did you bring it yourself?”
Aunt Du handed the tea over and lovingly used a handkerchief to wipe the crumbs from the corner of Jiaojiao’s lips.
“I was afraid the princess would be thirsty after walking so much, so I asked the small kitchen to make some milk tea.”
Jiaojiao’s face lit up with excitement.
After finishing the milk custard, she picked up the cup of milk tea and happily gulped it down.
Aunt Du carefully observed her expression.
Her brows never relaxed.
After a while, Jiaojiao still had not noticed anything.
Yuqiu and Cuixue, however, had already understood what was happening.
They exchanged a glance and quietly left.
Only then did Jiaojiao realize that Aunt Du wanted to speak to her privately.
She belatedly put down her cup, folded her hands over her knees, and sat up straight, ready to listen seriously.
Sure enough, Aunt Du sighed.
“Princess, ever since you recovered from your illness, your personality has become much more cheerful. You can now laugh and chat with us servants like this. It’s just…”
Jiaojiao asked cautiously, “Just what?”
Aunt Du said, “Noble Consort Roujia still doesn’t know.”
Jiaojiao fell silent.
She lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the tassel on the small pouch hanging from her waist.
Aunt Du patiently waited for a moment.
Finally, she heard Jiaojiao say in a tiny voice, “Didn’t I just go to pay my respects a few days ago…?”
She had taken over someone else’s body.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling to show filial respect to Princess Jiaoran’s mother.
It was just that, no matter how she looked at it, that woman did not seem to need her filial affection at all…
Besides, every time she heard the name Roujia, she was reminded of her current situation and immediately developed a headache.
Aunt Du gently pulled her fingers away and bent down to straighten the tassel.
“Ganlu Palace is quite far away, so the princess doesn’t need to go there personally. You only need to let the noble consort know that you have her in your heart and that you are always thinking of her.”
If the person could not go, then something else had to go in her place.
Jiaojiao thought about it with difficulty.
Then, adapting to the situation, she pointed at the pastries on the table.
“Then, Auntie, could you pack a box of pastries for me and send it to Ganlu Palace…?”
“Ah!”
Aunt Du immediately bowed.
“I have already prepared it. I’ll have someone send it over now. I’ll tell Her Ladyship that the small kitchen here has made some new pastries, and the princess enjoyed them, so she wanted Her Ladyship to try them too.”
…
Aunt Du was about to leave the hall when she suddenly stopped and looked back.
Jiaojiao was sitting on a tall chair beside the table, holding her cup of tea.
She took a sip of milk tea.
As if she had suddenly thought of something, smile lines appeared around her round eyes.
She gently swung her legs.
The princess had gone to Xuanyan Hall and come back looking so happy.
What could have happened?
The princes were all tall, while Jiaojiao was petite.
Sitting on the tall chair, her feet did not even touch the ground.
The golden-embroidered hibiscus flowers on her skirt rose and fell with the gentle movement of her little legs, like newly blooming flowers opening toward the sunlight.
Even Aunt Du, who had watched her grow up, often found herself wondering what kind of man could possibly be worthy of such extraordinary beauty.
The princess was still young, but those of them who served at her side could not help thinking ahead.
Even though the Emperor doted on her, sooner or later, the princess would marry.
What kind of life she had afterward would depend greatly on what sort of family she married into.
If Noble Consort Roujia was unwilling to worry about these things, then the Empress would naturally have to handle them.
And as for Empress Wen’s character…
Others might not know her well, but how could Aunt Du not know?
As the princess grew older, they had to make plans early.
If possible, Aunt Du hoped that the princess could remain as happy as she was today for the rest of her life.
Aunt Du slowly let out a breath.
Then she turned around and lowered the curtain.