Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Although Xu Duan Yi did not know what Xie Qingya was thinking at the moment,

under his intense gaze, she couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed, her cheeks quickly warming under his eyes, and her gaze involuntarily shifting to the side.

But it was only for a moment.

When she saw the longevity noodles on the tray, Xu Duan Yi hurriedly said, "I'll take the noodles inside first, Your Highness, please come and eat soon. If we wait too long, they'll become clumpy and won't taste as good."

After saying this, she went into the house first.

Xie Qingya's gaze, however, remained fixed on her, not retracting even for a moment.

Not until Xu Duan Yi's figure disappeared inside.

Only then did he take a deep breath, closing his eyes tightly, suppressing the surging emotions in his chest until they subsided somewhat, before he followed her into the house.

Inside the room.

The longevity noodles had already been taken out of the tray by Xu Duan Yi and placed opposite her.

Hearing footsteps,

Xu Duan Yi turned to look at him with a smile.

Under her gaze, Xie Qingya's heart, which had just calmed down, seemed to race again.

Fearing that all would be lost.

He quickly averted his gaze and said, "I’ll go freshen up first."

He then headed towards the washstand in the corner of the room.

Xu Duanyi noticed his hurried movements and didn’t think much of it. She said, "Okay," and sat back down.

Xu Duanyi poured herself a cup of tea and held it in her hands, sipping slowly.

This morning, she had been busy kneading and rolling dough, fearing that Xie Qingya might leave before she arrived. She had rushed all the way here.

Now, she was really thirsty.

Xie Qingya was already washing up. The cold water on his face helped calm his restless mood a little, and his mind was no longer as foggy as before.

But the boldness of letting his feelings be known, which he had mustered last night, seemed to have vanished by this morning, at this very moment.

Now, he had no idea what to do.

He could only strike up a conversation and asked, "Did you make the noodles?"

Xu Duanyi didn’t have as many thoughts as he did.

Hearing his question, she smiled and said, "Yes." She put the teacup down and, looking at Xie Qingya’s back, continued, "Mr. Wang wanted to help me, but I thought, for your birthday, I didn’t know what to give you. If I had to rely on someone else to make this bowl of noodles, it would have been half-hearted."

"Try it and see if you like it."

She wasn’t sure if what she’d made would be to Xie Qingya’s liking.

But she figured longevity noodles were pretty much the same.

She used to make them for her aunt all the time.

Xie Qingya, however, without hesitation, softly said, "I like it."

Xu Duanyi was too far off to catch it.

"What was that?" she asked.

Xie Qingya didn’t repeat it, just said, "Nothing," and added, "I’ll try it after I freshen up."

Xu Duanyi didn’t dwell on it and smiled, saying, "Sure."

She stayed seated, waiting for Xie Qingya to join her.

When Xie Qingya turned, he caught sight of Xu Duanyi and her radiant, unguarded smile aimed at him.

Her radiant smile made Xie Qingya’s heart skip a beat once more.

For a moment, he gazed at Xu Duanyi, almost tempted to call out her name, though he had no idea what he’d do afterward.

But he just felt this sudden urge to call her.

Xie Qingya looked at Xu Duanyi, his lips parting slightly as he was about to say "Xu," but she beat him to it, saying, "Actually... the idea for the longevity noodles came from Peace."

Hearing that familiar name out of the blue, Xie Qingya’s foggy mind felt like it had been hit with a bucket of ice water.

Instantly, all thoughts of romance vanished, replaced by what Xu Duanyi had just revealed.

"Peace?" he asked, his expression incredulous as he stared at Xu Duanyi.

He instinctively stepped closer to Xu Duanyi, his brows knitting slightly.

He looked at Xu Duanyi and murmured, "How could he..."

Though he trailed off, the shock was clear.

Xu Duanyi, hoping to ease the tension between the brothers, didn’t hold anything back.

Seeing Xie Qingya standing there, frowning, head bowed, waiting for her answer, Xu Duanyi couldn’t help but feel like laughing.

She knew he couldn’t get over Peace, just like he couldn’t get over Zhang Ning.

Truth be told, Peace was no different.

He acted like he didn’t care about Xie Qingya’s business, but deep down, he cared more than anyone.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to stop her that day.

She figured that after this, the tension between the brothers would finally ease.

Xu Duanyi felt relieved and gestured for him to sit down first.

Xie Qingya was too preoccupied to care about anything else at that moment.

The matter was so astonishing that his mind was consumed with understanding it, leaving no room for other concerns.

He did whatever Xu Duanyi asked of him.

He promptly sat across from Xu Duanyi, his eyes fixed on her, eagerly awaiting her response.

Xu Duanyi didn’t make him wait long.

As Xie Qingya sat, she poured him a cup of tea.

The tea was a simple variety she had fetched from the kitchen that morning. Mr. Wang mentioned it was harvested by local tea farmers.

Yutian Mountain was home to a vast tea plantation.

Nearly all the locals knew how to process tea.

The tea wasn’t well-known, and they typically processed it for personal use.

Xu Duanyi had sampled it earlier and found the flavor surprisingly good, comparable to what she usually drank.

She had already brought this up with Mr. Wang.

She planned to talk with Uncle Guo about opening a sales channel to the capital through Ciji Hall. In the future, any excess tea from Yutian could be shipped to the capital for sale.

Ciji Hall wasn’t just a charity; it also managed several businesses.

Her aunt and mother had previously managed these businesses.

After her mother’s passing, her aunt transferred the family’s assets to her.

Now, she oversaw these businesses.

She was also considering whether other products from Yutian could be exported.

Otherwise, even after the flood disaster, the locals might struggle to get by.

With the national treasury limited, the court couldn’t offer ongoing support.

If they could develop self-sustaining practices, they could support themselves and avoid hardship.

This was a topic she wanted to discuss with Xie Qingya.

But now wasn’t the time to bring it up.

Xu Duanyi handed the teacup to Xie Qingya, not pressing him to eat, knowing he wouldn’t have an appetite yet.

It was better to explain the situation first.

He’d likely feel better eating afterward.

"The day I arrived in Yutian, Peace figured it out," Xu Duanyi told Xie Qingya. "He's very smart. Knowing I was coming to Yutian, he immediately guessed you were here too."

His younger brother had been clever since childhood.

It wasn't surprising to Xie Qingya that he had guessed it.

What he was more concerned about was what Xu Duanyi had just said.

Xu Duanyi could naturally tell what he wanted to know. She didn’t hide anything and explained to him in detail: "Ping'an told me that during your birthdays in the past, your uncle and aunt would prepare a bowl of longevity noodles for you."

"Later, when I was about to leave, he mentioned this to me, suggesting that if I had time, I should also prepare a bowl for you."

Finally, he heard everything.

But Xie Qingya looked dazed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Why..."

Xu Duanyi looked directly into his eyes and said softly, "I’ve mentioned to the prince before that Ping'an, like Zhang Ning, doesn’t actually blame you for what happened back then... Just like the common folk, even though they know you are Prince Nan'an and know about that battle, no one truly blames you."

Seeing Xie Qingya lost in thought for a long time, Xu Duanyi didn’t disturb him and simply stayed by his side.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the bowl of longevity noodles.

Worried it might get soggy, she thought it was time to remind him to eat.

Longevity noodles are best eaten quickly.

But before she could call him, Xie Qingya, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly picked up his chopsticks.

He lowered his gaze and ate the longevity noodles in silence.

Seeing this, Xu Duanyi didn’t disturb him again and simply sat quietly with him as before.

The noodles were thin, all hand-made by Xu Duanyi.

Kneading the dough wasn’t difficult.

But longevity noodles, symbolizing long life, had to be long and unbroken to signify a long and prosperous life for the eater.

The broth was light and clear.

It was served with two neatly arranged small greens, some mushrooms, and an egg.

Simple, yet aromatic.

The room was silent.

After a while, Xie Qingya suddenly spoke: "On our birthdays in the past, our mother would personally cook and prepare a bowl of longevity noodles for us."

Xu Duanyi didn’t expect him to speak up so suddenly.

She thought he would remain silent, but his words caught her off guard.

In her memory, the Grand Princess had always been the epitome of luxury and elegance.

No matter the occasion.

Her attire was always impeccable.

Even though she had raised four children, the Grand Princess in Xu Duanyi’s memory was always adorned with jewels and gold, exuding a subtle, pleasant fragrance. Even her nails were always perfectly manicured, painted with the most elegant colors, giving her a youthful and noble appearance.

Xu Duanyi was truly surprised.

That such a Grand Princess would personally cook.

Xu Duanyi was so taken aback that she momentarily forgot to respond. When she finally thought of a reply, Xie Qingya spoke first, "Hard to believe, huh?"

Xu Duanyi instinctively nodded.

Realizing that Xie Qingya was still looking down at his bowl of noodles, she quickly added, "A bit."

Xie Qingya didn’t look at her either, continuing to speak with his head lowered, "My mother was very particular about her appearance. Every time my father came back, he’d bring her lovely clothes and jewelry. Later, when my elder brother grew up, he did the same. She always called me a little troublemaker, and the wrinkles around her eyes were from all the times she got mad or worried about me."

Xie Qingya spoke slowly, his words a bit scattered.

Xu Duanyi was pulled into the past by his words.

She remembered the first time she met the Grand Princess.

Before she even saw the Grand Princess, she’d been pretty nervous. Even though her mother always said the Grand Princess was kind, Xu Duanyi still felt a bit intimidated by someone of such high standing.

That changed when she was led into the palace.

She saw the Grand Princess, branch in hand, chasing Xie Qingya around and yelling, "Xie Qingya, stop right there!"

At the memory, Xu Duanyi suddenly smiled, her eyes crinkling.

Catching Xie Qingya’s gaze, Xu Duanyi snapped back to the present, unsure when he had lifted his head. She explained, "I was just remembering the first time I went to the palace, when Auntie Xie was chasing you."

Hearing this, Xie Qingya clearly remembered it too.

He also smiled slightly and added, "I was so embarrassed that I skipped dinner on purpose."

Xu Duanyi instinctively followed up, "And then?"

Xie Qingya raised an eyebrow, "Then, of course, I ended up starving. My mom was in charge, and she wouldn’t let anyone sneak me food. Even Father couldn’t do anything about it."

"Later, I was so hungry I snuck into the kitchen to grab something to eat. I thought I’d pulled it off without anyone noticing, but the next day, Mother deliberately mentioned at the table that there had been a thief in the kitchen the night before. From their looks, I knew they all knew it was me."

"I was so mortified I dropped my chopsticks and bolted."

Xu Duanyi burst out laughing.

After laughing, she felt a bit awkward and quickly looked down, using her handkerchief to cover her mouth as she coughed lightly.

Xie Qingya glanced at her, "Go ahead and laugh."

He shrugged, "When I was a kid, there were countless such embarrassing moments. At first, I’d feel awkward, but after it happened so many times, I got used to it."

"Later, even if Mother mentioned it in front of me, I could keep eating without changing my expression."

After saying this, he seemed to think of something, and his expression suddenly darkened, the faint smile in his eyes fading.

However, Xie Qingya didn’t let Xu Duanyi see this.

He lowered his head and ate a few more bites of noodles, finishing both the noodles and the soup and vegetables. Then he looked at Xu Duanyi and asked, "What about you? What was Auntie Xu like?"

Their fathers were sworn brothers.

Xu Duanyi used to address Xie Qingya's mother as "Aunt," while Xie Qingya referred to Xu Duanyi's parents as "Uncle and Aunt."

However, Xu Duanyi's mother passed away when she was very young, and Xie Qingya had only seen her when he was very young, before he was three years old. He had long since forgotten that memory.

When Xie Qingya suddenly asked about her mother, Xu Duanyi was momentarily stunned before she regained her composure.

She quietly set the handkerchief down on her lap.

After a moment, she looked down and spoke softly, "My father was somewhat hot-tempered. When he was young, he often lost his temper with people, but he never lost his temper with my mother."

"Whenever there was an issue, if my mother talked to him, no matter how furious he was, he would calm down right away."

"So, my father's men all knew that going to my mother was more effective than going to him."

"My mother was very gentle and even-tempered, the kind of person everyone thought was easygoing. But she wasn't just a doormat; when it came to principles, she never compromised, nor would she let my father compromise either."

"Her health was fragile, and she was always on medication."

"But she wasn't weak-willed. I remember one year when my father was off at war, enemy soldiers infiltrated the city. My mother, frail as she was, refused to flee with me and instead stayed in the mansion. I still remember that day, my mother clutching a sword in her hand... She usually only handled books and needles, but that day she stood in front of me, sword in hand."

"I also remember her telling me that my father was a hero, and his wife and daughter couldn't be cowards who ran from danger. The city's people were still there; how could we live with ourselves? If we abandoned the city and fled, how could we face its people in the future? Who would ever trust us again?"

As Xu Duanyi spoke, she raised her eyebrows and smiled.

It was a very bright smile, filled with fearlessness and composure.

Over the years, her most vivid memory of her mother was the way she looked when she passed away.

But now, being asked by Xie Qingya what her mother was like, Xu Duanyi realized that her memories of her mother went far beyond that.

Her mother was very, very good.

She would hold her hand and walk with her, hug her to sleep, sing lullabies to her, and hold her hand to teach her how to write, stroke by stroke.

Even though she had already passed away, Xu Duanyi would still remember her.

Just like her father.

They would never forget her in their lifetime.

Xu Duanyi looked at Xie Qingya, their eyes meeting, and suddenly understood why he had suddenly asked her this.

Just as she remembered her mother.

He did the same.

His father, mother, elder brother... his longing for them was no less than anyone else's.

The only difference between them was—

His remembrance, besides longing, also carried deep self-blame and guilt.

Xu Duanyi wasn't really surprised that he felt this way.

Putting herself in his shoes, if she were Xie Qingya, she would feel the same.

But even knowing she would feel that way, she still couldn't bear to see him trapped in such self-blame and pain for years.

"Xie Qingya..."

She called his name softly.

She looked at him, still unsure of how to comfort him, but Xie Qingya smiled and interrupted her first, "Xu Duanyi, thank you."

His response took Xu Duanyi by surprise.

Before she could respond, she heard him say, "I know what I need to do now."

"If they are watching from above, they certainly wouldn't want me to remain like this," he said to Xu Duanyi, word by word, "It's time for me to move forward."

His relationship with Peace was straightforward.

But with Xu Duanyi, he was still unsure how to proceed...

They...

"Master!"

At the sound of her voice, Xie Qingya's wandering thoughts were instantly brought back.

He withdrew his gaze and said to Xu Duanyi, "I'll go take care of some matters first."

Before Xu Duanyi could speak, he lifted his eyes again, looking at her and said, "...I'll be back early this afternoon."

Hearing this, Xu Duanyi smiled and simply said, "Alright."

As Xie Qingya stood up, she rose too, ready to see him off, but he politely declined.

Xie Qingya looked at her and said, "Don't come out; you woke up so early today, go back to sleep for a bit." As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Xu Duanyi's face, and he slightly frowned.

Xu Duanyi wasn't really sleepy.

She had slept well last night, and there was still plenty to do today.

But hearing Xie Qingya's concern, she didn't want to worry him, so she smiled and said, "Alright."

Xie Qingya didn't say anything more.

He simply tidied up the items on the table and took them out himself.

She watched Xie Qingya leave.

Xu Duanyi didn't look away until Xie Qingya was out of sight, then she turned to Shiyu and instructed, "First, go to the base and invite Uncle Guo over; tell him I have something to discuss. On your way out, call for Mr. Wang; I have something to ask him."

She intended to ask Mr. Wang first.

Besides this tea, what else does Yutian have?

So when Uncle Guo arrives, she can discuss business with him.

And also inform Uncle Guo about her plans to return to the capital later.

Shiyu understood her intentions.

She didn't immediately go to call someone, but instead, unusually hesitated and asked Xu Duanyi, "Master, are you truly going to stay?"

Xu Duanyi had already returned to her seat, holding a teacup, and upon hearing this, she asked Shiyu, "Do you want to go back?"

Upon hearing this, Shiyu immediately shook her head vigorously.

"I don’t mind where we are. Wherever you are, I’ll be there. I just think the prince is right—this place is chaotic and dangerous now. I’m afraid something might happen to you if you stay."

When she said "happen," Shiyu couldn’t help but frown.

Xu Duanyi paused, holding her teacup, and then said, "It’s because it’s dangerous here that I can’t leave right away. I used to lead from behind, thinking I’d done enough. But being here, I realized I still have a lot more to do."

She really wanted to do more.

But it was clear that part of Xu Duanyi’s heart stayed for Xie Qingya. How could she leave him alone in such danger?

"Shiyu, if you..."

Before Xu Duanyi could finish, Shiyu interrupted her for the first time, both anxious and angry, "Master, what are you saying? I’d never leave you!"

Her cheeks flushed with anger.

Before Xu Duanyi could respond, she added, "I’ll go find Uncle Guo right now!" With that, she ran out.

Xu Duanyi watched her go, shaking her head.

She didn’t end up drinking the tea.

She got up and walked to the window.

She knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Uncle Guo wouldn’t agree easily, and neither would Xie Qingya...

And her aunt.

If her aunt found out she’d come to Yutian and wanted to stay, Xu Duanyi wondered what her aunt would think.

But she couldn’t help worrying.

Her heart felt heavy.

Xu Duanyi had always planned three steps ahead. She never acted without a plan, but every time she encountered Xie Qingya, it seemed like everything else was forgotten.

She was very clear—no matter what she would face in the future, at this moment, her heart was as firm as a rock, unshakable.

No matter what others said, she would still stay here, waiting for all the dangers to pass, and then leave with Xie Qingya.

Xu Duanyi leaned on the windowsill, facing outside.

She took a deep breath and exhaled a long sigh. By the time Mr. Wang arrived, she’d calmed down a bit.

...

Meanwhile, in the palace.

Her aunt, Empress Dowager, had indeed already learned of her presence in Yutian.