Chapter 291

Chapter 291

Over the next few days, Su Yi truly caused no further mischief and recovered smoothly.

Some were pleased, while others were worried—pleased that she no longer treated her illness like a game, as Rong Noble Consort’s repeated bouts of sickness were less a reassurance and more a prelude to being strung along.

Though she had no intention of leading others on, some couldn’t resist giving it a shot anyway.

Most were driven by the mentality of "pushing you out of the way and taking over while you’re down," making it hard for them to sit still.

Even after getting the short end of the stick once or twice, they’d still be fuming—yet what could they do? They’d still take a stab at it next time, at most letting others take the lead while they stayed behind. If someone from their faction succeeded, it’d be the same for them.

So no matter how many times they were led on, they’d still fall for it.

This wasn’t about whether they had any sense—it was about the necessity of competing. If you didn’t fight, what if someone else succeeded?

The palace forced everyone into the fray, trapping everything. Staying here too long made it easy to forget what they were like at the beginning—what was trapped was no longer just the body.

——

"Her Highness is taking her midday nap and it’s unclear when she’ll wake. Noble Lady Qing, you should return for now." Qinxin spoke politely, but the dismissal was clear.

In truth, the ‘nap’ was just an excuse to avoid seeing her.

A soft rejection, in other words.

Of course, for someone like Noble Lady Qing, who cultivated a gentle demeanor, even if she understood the implication, she couldn’t react with force or insist on seeing her.

Not only would it be useless, but it might also backfire.

"In that case, I won’t disturb Her Highness’s rest any longer." Noble Lady Qing’s expression remained unchanged, showing neither surprise nor disappointment. She simply instructed her attendants to hand over the items they had prepared for Qinxin to inspect.

"Just some little trinkets to pass the time, meant to amuse Her Highness. I’ll trouble you, Qinxin, to pass them along." Noble Lady Qing added with a smile, her tone pleasant and seemingly sincere, without any sugarcoated daggers.

This was her habit—no matter whether Su Yi saw her or not, Noble Lady Qing never came empty-handed.

Having been softly turned away twice, this was already the third time, yet Noble Lady Qing still visited without a trace of impatience, as composed as ever.

She meticulously avoided anything edible, opting instead for delicate, amusing little objects or dramatic tales—not overly lavish but always thoughtful.

Qinxin looked over before having them put away, her scrutiny meticulous and cautious. Noble Lady Qing’s expression remained completely unfazed, as if this were entirely routine, showing no displeasure at the careful examination.

However, the maid by Noble Lady Qing’s side wasn’t as composed. Though her face betrayed nothing, her eyes flickered with faint dissatisfaction. Realizing this was improper, she quickly lowered her gaze further.

She might have thought her reaction went unnoticed, but walls have ears—let alone right out in the open. Did she think everyone was blind?

Qinxin’s naturally stoic expression made her emotions hard to read as she followed protocol to see them out.

As for Noble Lady Qing’s maid, Qinxin didn’t spare her another glance. As long as Noble Lady Qing was satisfied, that was her business.

Not long after they left, the maid couldn’t help but complain on her mistress’s behalf. "My lady, you came with such good intentions to visit Her Highness, yet she—"

"Chun Tao." Noble Lady Qing called her name, her voice as gentle as ever but now edged with frost.

Chun Tao immediately realized her mistake and murmured, bowing her head. "This servant spoke out of turn." She couldn’t help feeling a little aggrieved.

"Look at that pout of yours." Noble Lady Qing lightened the mood with a teasing remark, dissolving the tension.

It was very much a case of the stick and the carrot.

"My Lady." Upon hearing this, Chuntao quickly pursed her lips but couldn't help breaking into a smile again.

"One must remain cautious in speech and conduct when outside," Noble Lady Qing advised, her voice full of earnest concern.

Chuntao nodded hurriedly, remembering what happened to Consort Ping's maid. Realizing her mistress spoke out of care, her resentment faded. "I understand, and I will never act so carelessly again," she promptly assured.

Noble Lady Qing smiled but said nothing more, letting Chuntao help her as they walked on. Yet, there was little warmth in Noble Lady Qing's eyes, though Chuntao remained oblivious beside her.

After seeing Noble Lady Qing off, Qinxin returned to Su Yi's side, bringing along the gifts the noble lady had left. "Would you like to inspect them, Your Highness?" she inquired.

"Just store them away," Su Yi replied lazily from her reclining couch, eyes still closed, not particularly curious about what Noble Lady Qing had brought this time.

Qinxin wasn’t surprised by the response. "As you wish, Your Highness."

She then instructed the servants to box these items along with previous gifts from Noble Lady Qing, storing them in a storage room for rarely used items.

Noble Lady Qing’s visits had become quite frequent. While this might have been on the Imperial Noble Consort's orders to show they were on good terms with Su Yi, a single visit would have sufficed to signal amicable relations.

Observing Noble Lady Qing, Qinxin noted her temperament differed greatly from the Imperial Noble Consort’s. Beneath her seemingly gentle exterior, Noble Lady Qing might be more complex than she seemed.

People's motives are hard to read—who knew what other intentions Noble Lady Qing might have? It was wiser to keep some distance.

Though Su Yi had declined the meeting—nice as it was to have a pretty companion—it wasn’t worth inviting unnecessary trouble.

Given the choice between someone easygoing and someone who might cause trouble, the decision was obvious.

Who would willingly seek trouble when simplicity was an option? It's not like she was bored.

If she could say no to cuddling even a cute little dumpling, turning down a lovely lady was hardly a stretch.

Initially, Kangxi had been busy with hunting trips and audiences with Mongol nobles. Even outside the palace, he remained as busy as ever—what seemed like leisure was just working relentlessly in a different place.

Worn out during the day, he had no energy left by night, often falling asleep faster than Su Yi.

And yet, some still dared claim her frail constitution couldn’t possibly satisfy Kangxi’s needs.

As if they didn’t know the man worked himself to the bone by day and let his body rest completely at night. When would he even have energy for that?

Now that the official business had slowed down, Kangxi’s schedule eased, granting the accompanying consorts a kind of sightseeing trip.

After some time apart, Su Yi was startled to find the little milk dragon’s face no longer round.

His baby fat had disappeared suddenly.

Not only was it gone, but his complexion had changed too—going from dumpling-white to a sun-kissed wheat tone.

He’d also grown taller and leaner, his features sharper, his skin tauter.

No longer soft and round like mochi, his contours were now defined.

Having forgotten how quickly children change, Su Yi was genuinely taken aback.

Especially by Kangxi—truth be told, he appeared barely tanned, making his lack of tan the biggest surprise.

It wasn’t that Su Yi saw him every day and thus couldn’t tell if he had tanned, but before the trip, she noticed that the newly prepared sun-protection balm—made with pearl powder, white aconite, litharge, white oyster shell, white poria, and angelica root, combined through special methods—had decreased by at least one-fifth in quantity.

Though it looked like a thick paste, it didn’t leave a chalky residue, wouldn’t streak with sweat, and provided excellent sun protection.

Not only did it shield against the sun, but it also nourished and repaired the skin, could be cleansed away with camellia oil, leaving the skin fresh and clean.

Su Yi didn’t tan because she circulated qi around her body daily, but she still liked to keep beauty and whitening products on hand—who could resist?

Even cultivatresses who had achieved eternal youth still adored Youth-Preserving Elixirs, and Su Yi was no exception.

However, Su Yi, who had been convalescing since her arrival, hadn’t used it at all. Staying indoors meant no need for such effort, and after the palace renovations, many items were discarded. Though her dressing table was newly replaced, the daily essentials were only replenished right before the trip.

Yet, the sunscreen’s quantity had clearly been used.

If Su Yi hadn’t touched it during this time, and neither Qinxin nor the others would have used it, then where had it gone?

Initially, Su Yi hadn’t considered this possibility. But after seeing the little milk dragon, now sun-browned to a whole new hue, and recalling how others she’d glimpsed before had also darkened somewhat, it struck her.

Yes, even the little milk dragon had changed color from the sun—so why was Kangxi the exception?

It couldn’t be that both of them were naturally sun-resistant.

Given Kangxi’s lead-by-example rigor, setting an example that forced others to keep up, even with tree cover, no one could escape the sun’s impartial glare.

The sun’s creed was: *No one escapes my radiance.*

Thus, Kangxi’s barely-tanned complexion stood out painfully obvious.

That left only one seemingly impossible but inevitable conclusion: Kangxi had used her sun-protection balm!

It was like everyone else bravely faced the sun unprotected, while he secretly sneaked applications behind their backs—the audacity!

It just hadn’t been obvious earlier among the fair-skinned imperial consorts and lesser consorts.

But now, surrounded by people either deeply tanned or sunburned, Kangxi’s barely-changed complexion was glaringly conspicuous.

Su Yi’s gaze flickered between Kangxi, the little milk dragon, and the others, her face maintaining a gentle smile while her mind raced with deductions.

The little milk dragon, who had been glancing at Su Yi intermittently, noticed her looking his way and brightened instantly, flashing a fleeting, teeth-baring smile before reining it into decorum.

Still, Su Yi clearly caught the glimpse of his little white teeth.

*Hmm, the little one’s been diligent with his tooth-rinsing regimen.*

"Rong Imperial Noble Consort, you look radiant today, with such a rosy vigor—hardly like someone who’s just recovered from a serious illness. It seems you’ve fully regained your strength. Today, all us sisters can finally chat together. Wouldn’t you say so, Sister Ping?" Consort Hui initiated, her every glance brimming with triumph.

Lately, the First Prince’s outstanding performance had brought her great pride, and she spoke with unmistakable self-assurance.

Consort Ping, directly addressed, inwardly scoffed. *Hui thinks a few compliments give her the right to act so boldly? Her son, forever trailing the Crown Prince’s shadow, is nothing more than a spare heir—yet she still deludes herself he could reach the throne.*

Amused, Consort Ping quickly masked her disdain and replied smoothly,

"Today is indeed rare. I had hoped to visit Rong Imperial Noble Consort earlier to keep her company, but alas, my health failed me. Thankfully, Qing Noble Lady frequently visited, ensuring she wasn’t left without companionship. That, at least, salves my conscience."

She sighed, performing regret for her earlier absence while needling Hui for only remembering sororal camaraderie now that Rong Imperial Noble Consort was present.

By highlighting Qing Noble Lady—the only one who actively visited Rong Imperial Noble Consort, even skipping Hui’s gatherings—she also hinted at her own displeasure with Qing. Lesser consorts who defied Consort Hui would face consequences, but Qing, backed by the Imperial Noble Consort, wasn’t someone Hui could easily punish.

Still, petty vexations were always possible.

"If you wish to come, no hour is ill-chosen."