Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Excluding the day Yao Huang got married, when he watched her veiled figure from afar among the guests, Li Tingwang had not seen Yao Huang for an entire year.

Today, his mother took him out to shop for New Year supplies. Li Tingwang knew that Yao Huang, now a noble princess, likely wouldn't enjoy such bustling activities as she once did, but he couldn't help scanning the crowds. After numerous disappointments, he finally spotted Yao Huang.

At first glance, Li Tingwang only saw Yao Huang in her coral-colored brocade coat. Despite the weak winter sunlight, her smile was as radiant as spring. Just as Li Tingwang was about to rush over, he noticed the wheelchair Yao Huang was pushing, almost obscured by the nearby crowd, and saw the composed and extraordinary Prince Hui sitting in it.

Prince Hui, the second son of the current emperor, a prince whom even a military Jinshi like himself had to kneel and greet.

Reason won out, and Li Tingwang held back, but he couldn't control his eyes. He continued to gaze at Yao Huang with almost greedy intensity, watching her laugh as carefree and innocent as she always had, her cheeks rosy and full of joy, until she finally noticed him, quickly looked away after a moment of shock, and pretended not to recognize him.

Li Tingwang's heart beat even faster.

Since Yao Huang had never shown the shyness of a girl seeing her sweetheart, Li Tingwang dared not express his feelings, fearing ridicule or rejection from her. Yao Huang had always treated him like a half-brother, either laughing or still upset from their last argument. But just now, Yao Huang couldn't bring herself to look at him. Could it be that she finally understood his feelings? Could it be that she too...

His mother approached, interrupting Li Tingwang's thoughts. He could only attempt to conceal his longing for Yao Huang before Prince Hui approached, bowing respectfully.

As Yao Huang's skirt vanished from sight and the two servants carrying New Year supplies passed by, Li Tingwang eagerly glanced up, hoping to catch another glimpse of Yao Huang.

Wang Shi shoved her son into a nearby alley, scolding in a hushed tone, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Or do you not want to take the Military Jinshi exam?"

Li Tingwang pursed his lips.

Wang Shi grasped her only son's hands, pleading, "Foolish son, forget her. It's best for both of you. If you keep yearning for her, what will he think of Yao Huang, and what will he do to you? Don't think your father is untouchable in our alley; what is he compared to him? For your father's sake and your future, listen to me and marry Commander Cui's daughter soon!"

Li Tingwang laughed. The Cui family, the Cui family. If not for his mother's firm opposition to him marrying Yao Huang, he would have proposed to the Yao family the year Yao Huang came of age. If he had proposed earlier, there would have been no need for Yao Huang to enter the palace selection.

"I won't forget, and I won't marry anyone else. You might as well give up on this idea."

Pulling away from his mother's hands, Li Tingwang strode out of the alley. Taking one last look in the direction Yao Huang had gone, he clenched his fists and finally walked away in the opposite direction.

His mother was right about one thing: he couldn't cause trouble for Yao Huang, burdening her with a prince who had lost his legs and was already unpredictable.

Pushing Prince Hui through the bustling South Street, Yao Huang's good mood was gone. Her mind was filled with the image of Li Tingwang standing out in the crowd, gazing at her with deep affection. Yao Huang didn't care about Li Tingwang's feelings, but she was worried whether Prince Hui had seen that scene and whether he had misunderstood her relationship with Li Tingwang.

Yao Huang believed she and Li Tingwang were innocent and had a clear conscience, but the royal family's requirements for a princess's conduct were too strict. Yao Huang was afraid Prince Hui would investigate her past. Li Tingwang had been visiting her home since he was twelve or thirteen, always tagging along when she went out with her brothers and cousins. And she and Li Tingwang didn't always argue; there were many times they laughed and played together. To outsiders, she and Li Tingwang might seem like childhood sweethearts?

Despite her worries, Yao Huang pushed the wheelchair steadily, avoiding every pedestrian who almost bumped into Prince Hui by only looking ahead.

As they were about to leave, there was a new stall selling sugar-coated haws. The city vendors were more particular, wrapping each haw in oil paper to keep it clean.

Yao Huang smiled and asked Prince Hui below, "Your Highness, have you ever had sugar-coated haws?"

Prince Hui shook his head.

Yao Huang: "Shall I buy two sticks?"

Zhao Sui: "One is enough. I won't eat."

Yao Huang, standing behind the wheelchair, found it inconvenient to read his expression, but she still pushed Prince Hui over and had Fei Quan pay ten coins for one stick.

The carriage was waiting outside. Under the curious gazes of some passersby, Yao Huang and Qing Ai cooperated to push Prince Hui's wheelchair into the carriage.

After the wheelchair was completely inside, Fei Quan closed the door beside them.

Yao Huang asked Prince Hui to hold the sugar-coated haws for her. She crouched down as usual to secure the wheelchair. Once it was fixed, Yao Huang sat on the side, taking the sugar-coated haws while smiling and examining Prince Hui's seemingly unchanged handsome face: "We've been out for over an hour. Are you tired, Your Highness?"

Zhao Sui finally got to see the princess's face properly.

However, at least half an hour had passed since meeting the Li family mother and son. The long walk was enough for the princess to compose herself and face him.

Even so, Zhao Sui noticed a hint of curiosity in the princess's smile.

So, Li Tingwang was indeed special to her. And if Zhao Sui remembered correctly, Yao Lin had once offhandedly mentioned that his spear skills were no match for Li Tingwang's. The princess had also mentioned that she watched Yao Lin and others play polo several times a year. The elders of the two families were in a superior-subordinate relationship. Zhao Sui could easily deduce that in those polo matches the princess watched, where Yao Lin participated, Li Tingwang was also present and outplayed Yao Lin.

A strikingly beautiful girl from a centurion's family, and a tall, handsome young man with exceptional martial skills from a thousand-household family.

"Not tired," Zhao Sui said, glancing at the low cabinet with the tea set. "Just a bit thirsty."

Yao Huang let him keep holding the sugar-coated haws as she crouched to pour water for him.

At that moment, the princess finally stood shorter than Prince Hui. Zhao Sui watched the princess's profile as she focused on pouring water, and images of Li Tingwang accompanying her to the market, riding horses, releasing river lanterns, having snowball fights, building snowmen, and all the things childhood sweethearts might do together flashed through his mind.

A talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match. If it hadn't been for the sudden palace selection...

Yao Huang set the teapot down, slowly rose, and leaned over to hand the tea bowl to Prince Hui.

Zhao Sui held the bamboo skewer of the sugar-coated haws the princess had given him in his left hand, took the tea bowl with his right, and slowly drank it all.

After drinking the water, Yao Huang sat back in the side seat, took the sugar-coated haws back, peeled off the outer oil paper, revealing the bright red hawthorn fruits coated with a thin layer of sugar ice, seven in all.

Yao Huang held the largest fruit at the top of the sugar-coated haws up to Prince Hui, smiling as she said, "Your Highness, try it. It's quite sweet."

Zhao Sui looked at the sugar-coated haws before him, thinking Li Tingwang might have bought them for her before. With Li Tingwang's height, he could reach the highest row of sugar-coated haws for her.

"You eat it," Zhao Sui said, turning his head away. He really didn't want to eat these street snacks that might crumble and stain his robes.

Yao Huang knew he was particular. Since she had already offered and Prince Hui didn't want to eat, she would eat it herself. She peeled open the stuck-together oil paper, spread it out, and placed it under the sugar-coated haws to catch any falling sugar ice.

Zhao Sui lifted a corner of the curtain, but his ears were filled with the sound of the princess munching on the sugar-coated haws. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the princess opening her red lips to bite into the equally red hawthorn fruit.

Yao Huang noticed Prince Hui's glance, saw his Adam's apple bob, and understood. Holding the sugar-coated haws in one hand and the oil paper in the other, she gestured with her eyes for Prince Hui to move his arm off his knee, then plopped down onto it.

"Come on, have a taste," Yao Huang said, holding the fourth hawthorn fruit she was about to eat up to Prince Hui's mouth.

Zhao Sui leaned back, still refusing.

Yao Huang closed her eyes and smiled, "I won't watch Your Highness eat, is that okay?"

Zhao Sui: "..."

The princess with her eyes closed urged him, "Hurry up, I want the first sugar-coated haw Your Highness eats in this lifetime to be fed by me."

Zhao Sui pursed his lips and leaned down to the princess's hand.

The hawthorn fruit was round and plump. Zhao Sui didn't want to copy the princess by biting into a fruit, sliding it up the skewer, and swallowing it whole, puffing out his cheek. After a moment of hesitation, he watched the princess's closed eyes and bit into one side of the hawthorn fruit, trying to bite off only a piece.

Yao Huang heard the sound of the sugar ice on the outer layer of the fruit cracking. Opening her eyes, she saw Prince Hui quickly take the bitten piece into his mouth like he was stealing a bite, then immediately sat up straight, lowering his eyes and staying still, as if there was nothing in his mouth.

Yao Huang whispered, "Your Highness makes me seem so crude."

Zhao Sui: "..."

The next moment, the princess laughed, deliberately looking at him, then opened her mouth and bit into the remaining large half of the hawthorn fruit, swallowing it whole with great gusto, not feeling crude at all as she ate.

Zhao Sui turned his head away.

Yao Huang exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness is blushing!"

Zhao Sui kept his head tilted, waiting to swallow the small amount of hawthorn fruit in his mouth before glancing at the princess and reminding her, "You ate the one I hadn’t finished."

Yao Huang blinked her eyes, "And?"

Zhao Sui looked at her and asked, "Have you ever eaten someone else’s leftovers?"

Yao Huang didn't like hearing this and glared at him, "Even though my father’s just a centurion, he isn’t so poor that he can’t afford to buy me a whole skewer of candied haws. Don’t look down on people, Prince."

Zhao Sui: "...That’s not what I was getting at."

Yao Huang: "Then what were you trying to say?"

Prince Hui looked down and stayed quiet.

Yao Huang recalled his earlier blush and his emphasis on half or whole, and understood. She smiled and said, "Prince, are you asking if I’ve ever shared a candied haw with another guy?"

Zhao Sui: "No, I know you wouldn’t do that."

He realized he’d misspoken and shouldn’t have doubted the princess.

Yao Huang snorted, "I’ve never done that, not even with my mom’s leftovers. But if it’s my sweetheart, I wouldn’t mind sharing a hawthorn fruit with him."

Prince Hui’s eyelashes fluttered.

Yao Huang stared at them and said, "Too bad my sweetheart can’t stand me—he’d even mind a kiss, let alone sharing my spit."

Prince Hui suddenly raised his eyes.

Yao Huang inexplicably blushed and shook the skewer with only three fruits left, "I meant just a little spit on the fruit." She wasn’t asking Prince Hui for a kiss.

Zhao Sui: "I didn’t care."

Yao Huang didn’t believe him, lowered her head to bite half, and held the remaining half in front of Prince Hui.

Prince Hui surprised her.

He took her hand holding the skewer, pressed the sides of the half fruit, popped it off, and ate it.

Yao Huang: "..."