Chapter 589: Fish Can’t Really Judge by Looks, Can They?

Chapter 589: Do Fish Really Care About Looks?

As the Crown Princess held a high status, she didn’t need to remain present throughout the entire event. After sending off the Enqing Earl’s family, she withdrew to the rear hall to rest.

With her gone, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed considerably.

However, while some of the girls were still shaken by the fate of the Enqing Earl’s daughter and dared not act rashly, others continued to glance around with restless glances, clearly itching to make a move.

Lou Ruhui dragged Xingxing outside for some fresh air.

Earlier, her mother had pressured her to perform for the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince, so she had no choice but to follow the crowd and recite a poem.

"That poem was so cheesy it made my teeth hurt," Lou Ruhui couldn’t help but grumble quietly to Xingxing. "My mother forced me to go up there… All our girlfriends know exactly what I’m capable of. I just closed my eyes and went through with it."

Seeing Lou Ruhui describe her performance as if it were a walk to the gallows, Xingxing couldn’t help but laugh again.

Lou Ruhui then started tickling Xingxing. "You little brat, still making fun of me?"

The two giggled and teased each other.

But after just a few steps, they heard soft singing coming from not far ahead.

Xingxing and Lou Ruhui turned to look and saw a beautiful girl singing softly amidst the blooming spring flowers in the garden. Her voice was gentle and lingering, like a nightingale’s song carrying far and wide.

Lou Ruhui glanced at the nearby tiled courtyard wall. Just on the other side was the front hall where the Crown Prince worked…

Lou Ruhui felt she had put two and two together.

She glanced at Xingxing, wondering if she had caught on, but Xingxing suddenly whispered, "...You think the Crown Prince thinks she’s annoying?"

Lou Ruhui was baffled. "Uh, probably not… She sings quite beautifully, doesn’t she?"

Xingxing murmured, "Sister Lou, earlier at the birthday banquet, I noticed the Crown Prince barely reacted to the girls’ performances and even seemed a bit impatient. But the moment the Crown Princess spoke, he immediately smiled…"

Lou Ruhui covered her face. "...Little sister, did you forget that I also went up to recite a poem? That’s kind of embarrassing."

Xingxing’s face flushed, and she stammered to make amends. "Sister Lou, I-I didn’t mean your poem was bad…"

Lou Ruhui had only been teasing her, but seeing Xingxing’s fair little face turn pink, she was completely melted. She wrapped her arms around Xingxing’s slender waist, rubbing cheeks with her, and repeated "It’s fine" three times.

Xingxing blushed even deeper and reached out her small hands to hug Lou Ruhui’s shoulders, hugging her tight.

Just then, from the courtyard on the other side of the wall, a guard bellowed, "Who’s singing there, disturbing His Highness’s work? Watch it!"

The shout instantly turned pale the nightingale-like girl. She immediately fell silent, too scared to sing another word.

Lou Ruhui was stunned.

R-really? Just as Xingxing said, the Crown Prince found even such a lovely voice annoying?

What’s wrong with him?

Xingxing scratched her cheek.

She guessed that perhaps the Crown Prince’s heart belonged solely to the Crown Princess, so any other attempts at flirting were nothing but nuisances in his eyes.

After strolling around for a while, Xingxing—already quite familiar with the Eastern Palace—led Lou Ruhui to an excellent spot to admire the koi fish. She even flagged down a maid for two handfuls of fish food, sharing one with Lou Ruhui as they fed the fat, fancy koi.

The palace maid smiled and said to Xingxing, "My Lady, I don't know why but these fish seem to prefer the food you toss in. They've visibly grown much plumper, looking wonderful. The young eunuch who feeds them even received a reward for it. He was completely confused and asked us servants, 'What's going on? The fish food is the same, yet when I feed them, they hardly gain any weight.' I told him, 'It's all thanks to My Lady’s blessings!'"

The maid spoke clearly and fluently, her words making Xingxing giggle.

Xingxing, now eager, declared, "Then I’ll feed them until they’re even fatter!"

The maid clapped her hands enthusiastically in encouragement. "I'm sure you can do it, My Lady!"

Lou Ruhui watched Xingxing with a dazed expression.

If she didn’t know that Xingxing had no ulterior motives toward the Eastern Palace, she might have suspected Xingxing was the young master of this place.

Lou Ruhui tried tossing a handful of fish food herself.

The koi did rise to the surface to eat, but perhaps because they were spoiled more than other koi—more pampered—they seemed lazy and barely interested in the food.

Lou Ruhui pursed her lips slightly. Refusing to believe it, she tossed another handful into the water.

This time, only a handful came up, looking almost reluctant to eat.

Lou Ruhui puffed out her cheeks.

Remembering the maid’s words to Xingxing earlier, she felt a bit indignant and said, "Xingxing, you try."

Xingxing obediently tossed some fish food onto the water.

To Lou Ruhui’s astonishment, the koi reacted as if it were a feast, swarming eagerly on the surface, fighting over it.

"That's impossible!" Lou Ruhui couldn’t believe it. She even leaned in to sniff the fish food in Xingxing’s hand.

It smelled exactly like hers!

Still not convinced, Lou Ruhui took a pinch of fish food from Xingxing’s hand and, once the fish had mostly finished eating, scattered it onto the water—only to find that barely any koi surfaced this time, as if the earlier frenzy had been an illusion. Only a handful came up!

Still not convinced, Lou Ruhui held out her hand, letting Xingxing take a pinch of fish food from her palm.

Xingxing did as asked, tossing the food onto the water—

And suddenly, the koi in the pond went wild as if it were magic food, leaping and splashing, tails thrashing in excitement!

Lou Ruhui’s eyes widened in shock. "That's impossible," she muttered, she thought. "Do these fish only eat based on looks?"

Xingxing wasn’t entirely sure either and offered, "Maybe the scent of the balm I use is different and more appealing to them?"

Lou Ruhui was half-convinced. "Really? What balm do you use?" She was burning with curiosity.

"It’s one my second brother brought back from the Western Regions. I really like it," Xingxing said generously. "I still have plenty left. I’ll send a jar to your residence later, Sister Lou. You can try it."

Lou Ruhui nodded excitedly. "Good."

She just couldn't believe it!

There was no way the fish were actually judging by appearance, right? she thought.