Chapter 140 Let Me Smell It

Chapter 140: A Whiff for You

As the fireworks faded, the people of Great Xia welcomed the sixth year of Qingyuan amidst auspicious snowfall. The New Year's Eve imperial banquet was also drawing to a close.

Unlike ordinary palace banquets, on New Year's Eve, imperial relatives holding princely titles and their designated heirs were required to remain in the palace until after midnight.

In previous years, Bai Xiuming would not have attended this banquet, but this year, at King Ming's request, he accompanied him to the palace.

The New Year's Eve banquet was held in Chengyun Palace, located in the eastern part of the imperial palace. Normally, entry was forbidden and the area heavily guarded; only on the night of the banquet was access permitted.

There was nothing particularly special about the palace, except for the numerous trees planted within its grounds. These trees never grew leaves or bloomed throughout the year, yet their trunks grew thicker season after season. No one knew their species.

As midnight approached, the many royals who had been drinking and chatting inside the hall excitedly headed outside. Bai Xiuming was also pulled along by King Ming.

By then, numerous people had gathered around each tree outside the hall. King Ming smiled and said to Bai Xiuming, "Go pick a tree for yourself and see what luck next year brings."

Bai Xiuming pretty much understood what this was about, so he casually chose a tree with the fewest people and stood beneath it.

When the bell from the Heavenly Tower rang out, the trees in Chengyun Palace instantly sprouted leaves, bloomed, and bore fruit.

The fruits were red, each about the size of a fist, with a subtle inner glow.

These fruits were called Chengyun Fruits. Every year, King Ming would bring one back for him.

It was said that the Chengyun Fruit Trees were planted by the ancestors of the Bai clan and were intrinsically linked to the clan's destiny. If the clan's fortune was prosperous, the trees would bear many Chengyun Fruits. If their fortune was insufficient to sustain an imperial dynasty, the trees would wither and never bear fruit again.

Outside of Great Xia, the Chengyun Fruit was known as the Imperial Fortune Fruit. Though the fruit could only be used to nourish the body, its symbolic significance was extraordinary.

In the brief moment Bai Xiuming's mind drifted, the Chengyun Fruit tree before him was already laden with fruit.

Standing beside Bai Xiuming, a prince from an unnamed manor stared at the tree for a long while before suddenly shouting, "This year's Fruit King is on our tree!"

Everyone immediately turned to look.

Bai Xiuming also saw it—a Chengyun Fruit the size of a human head had grown on the tree before him, standing out much more than the others.

By custom, once a tree was chosen, one could not move and could only pick the fruit from that chosen tree.

The others, seeing such a large fruit growing on someone else's tree, were clearly disappointed. The prince who had shouted earlier couldn't wait to climb the tree, while others below yanked on his pants.

"Have you no shame? Let go!"

"That fruit wasn't meant for you—get down here!" someone laughed, pulling him down by his pants.

As soon as one person came down, two more rushed up.

The tree wasn't very tall to begin with, and one of them climbed quickly, nearly reaching the Fruit King—only for the fruit to suddenly drop on its own.

Everyone below reached out to catch it, but the fruit fell precisely into Bai Xiuming's hands.

A collective sigh of disappointment rippled through the crowd. With the fruit claimed, everyone had to find other targets.

Someone nearby tutted and remarked, "So eager. Last year, the fruit I picked actually smacked me in the face—I almost fell off the tree."

This sparked a lively discussion, and someone else complained, "That's nothing. Last year, the fruit I finally managed to pick was sour. I gave it to my mother, and her teeth ached so badly she couldn't eat for two days. She was so mad she found an excuse to cut half a year's allowance from me."

Some lingered by the trees, chatting while selecting fruits, while others had already picked theirs and started munching on the spot.

The emperor and several elder princes stood smiling at the palace doors, watching the younger generation excitedly gathering fruit.

Bai Xiuming returned to King Ming's side with the Chengyun Fruit in hand. When the emperor saw the fruit, he praised, "That's quite a large fruit. It seems something good will surely happen this year."

King Ming, who had somehow also picked a fruit, took a crunchy bite and added, "Good or bad doesn't matter. What's important is that he won't have to steal my fruit anymore."

The emperor laughed out loud and said, "I should go pick one too. If I wait any longer, all the big ones will be gone. If I end up with a small one, the queen will be mad."

After taking a few steps, the emperor turned back and hinted meaningfully to Bai Xiuming, "This Chengyun Fruit is a better gift than jewelry."

"I'll remember that," Bai Xiuming replied thoughtfully.

After the banquet concluded, the imperial relatives dispersed in small groups, returning to their respective residences. King Ming asked Bai Xiuming beside him, "Coming back to my estate with me?"

Bai Xiuming declined, "I still have some matters to attend to. I'll return later."

King Ming glanced at the fruit in his hand, then waved him off dismissively. "Go on, then."

By this time, in Changping District, only a handful of homes were still setting off firecrackers outside.

Amidst the occasional distant pops of firecrackers, the lights in every home gradually dimmed.

After finishing her snowman, A Chan was urged by Chen Hui to return to her room to sleep. Having played in the snow for so long, she was getting chilly and obediently went back to her room.

While playing, she hadn't noticed anything, but once she stepped into the warm room, drowsiness immediately set in.

She flopped onto the tiger-fur bedding and lay there for a while, then reached out to grab a soft pillow to hug. In this half-asleep state, she dozed off.

In her dreams, she faintly heard someone knocking. Thinking it was part of her dream, she groggily opened her eyes—only to find the sound was still there.

And it was coming from the rear window.

A Chan sat up, taking a moment to gather herself before getting out of bed and walking to the window.

She opened it, and the cold air rushed in. Along with the wind and snow stood Bai Xiuming.

"What are you doing here?" A Chan propped her elbows on the windowsill, leaning slightly forward to ask the man outside.

Bai Xiuming raised his hand, and a bright red fruit nearly the size of a plate suddenly appeared before her.

The sight of such a beautiful fruit instantly captivated A Chan's attention. Just as she was about to lean in for a closer look, the knocking sound came again.

"A Chan, are you asleep?" Chen Hui's voice accompanied the knocking.

For some reason, A Chan suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She glanced at Bai Xiuming, then turned to look at the door, seemingly torn between choices.

Bai Xiuming seemed to find her conflicted expression amusing. Before she could react, he had already leaped into the room.

Now that he was inside, she couldn't very well push him back out.

A Chan hurriedly closed the window and shoved him into a corner out of sight from the door before answering, "Not yet. What is it?"

As she spoke, she walked toward the door.

Opening it, she saw Chen Hui holding a teapot. Handing it to her, Chen Hui instructed, "This is ginger tea. Remember to drink a cup later to ward off the cold."

"Okay." Though she didn't particularly like the taste, she knew she should drink it to avoid getting sick.

After accepting the tea and closing the door, A Chan turned around to find Bai Xiuming sitting on her bed.

The fruit he had brought earlier now sat on the table, making the fruits in the bowl beside it look small and unappealing in comparison.

A Chan carried the teapot to the table and poured a cup of ginger tea.

The temperature of the tea was just right for drinking, so she drank it all in one gulp. The ginger tea had no honey in it, and the dreadful spicy taste made her gasp.

After finishing it, she turned to see Bai Xiuming still staring at her. A Chan picked up another teacup, poured another serving, and handed it to him, insisting they share the "treat."

Bai Xiuming took the ginger tea from her, clearly aware of her mischievous intent, yet still took a sip.

The fiery taste hit his throat, and his brow twitched slightly. He was about to set the cup down when A Chan’s small hand covered his, forcing him to drink the entire cup.

Once he finished, she asked teasingly, "Was it good?"

"What do you think?" Bai Xiuming clearly disliked the taste as well.

A Chan burst into giggles. She sat down beside Bai Xiuming, catching the cold scent of winter clinging to him, mingled with a rich aroma of wine.

She loved that scent and leaned in closer to breathe it in, whispering, "Did you drink?"

"Only a little," Bai Xiuming let her lean in.

"What a coincidence, I only drank a little too. Here, smell." With that, she moved even closer.

Bai Xiuming watched her small face inch nearer, his eyes deepening, but he didn’t pull away.

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door again, followed by Chen Hui’s voice: "A Chan, go to bed early. Don’t stay up playing."

A Chan froze, quickly turning to reply, "I know, I’m going to sleep now."

She was too far from the candle on the table, so she tugged at Bai Xiuming’s sleeve. With a flick of his fingers, the candlelight in the room snuffed out instantly.

Seeing the light in her room extinguished, the footsteps outside gradually faded as Chen Hui returned to her own room.

By then, A Chan had already leaned back, the warmth between them dissipating. Bai Xiuming rubbed his fingers lightly; a twinge of regret flickered through him.

"What’s that fruit you brought?" A Chan asked in a whisper, afraid of being overheard.

"A Fortune Fruit. It should be very sweet," Bai Xiuming replied in an equally low tone, like they were sharing a secret.

A Chan had never heard of such a fruit before, but judging by its beauty alone, she was sure it must be delicious.

In the darkness, Bai Xiuming’s eyes could still clearly discern her features. She was dressed especially beautifully today, her hair styled in an elaborate coiffure, adorned with the gilded hairpin he had sent her.

"The New Year present I sent—do you like it?" he asked.

Though the Emperor believed the Fortune Fruit was the better gift, Bai Xiuming thought A Chan would love anything beautiful.

"I do," A Chan answered without hesitation.

Mentioning gifts reminded her that she had prepared one for him as well. Hurriedly, she said, "Wait, I have something for you too."

A Chan fumbled her way to the dressing table, searching for a while before finding a lacquered box.

Unable to light a candle, she relied on the faint glow of the Fortune Fruit to barely make out the contents of her hands. Confirming she hadn’t grabbed the wrong thing, she returned to the bed and opened the box.

Inside lay a pair of paired fish jade pendants. A Chan took one out and held it up, saying to Bai Xiuming, "This is for you."

Bai Xiuming looked at the pair of pendants. He reached out and took the one in A Chan’s hand, his fingers tracing lightly over it before saying, "Help me put it on."

"Alright."

A Chan’s hands found Bai Xiuming’s belt. He already wore a jade pendant there, so she quickly unfastened it and replaced it with the paired fish pendant she had gifted him.

Since she had given him a present, of course he should only wear hers.

Then, with a dismissive flick, she tossed the old pendant aside.

Bai Xiuming chuckled at her action before asking, "Since it’s a pair, should I help you wear the other one?"

A Chan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine."

So Bai Xiuming picked up the other paired fish pendant and fastened it to her waist. Now, they both wore matching pendants.

With the gift exchanged, A Chan felt one less thing weighing on her mind. She yawned and began hinting he should leave. "I need to sleep."

"Walk me out?"

Seeing a guest off was proper manners. A Chan took his hand and led him back to the back window, helpfully opening it for him and reminding him, "Erase your footprints. Don’t get caught."

Bai Xiuming had no choice but to comply, wiping away the traces in the snow. As she was about to close the window, he pressed a hand against the frame and said, "How about I take you to the Lantern Festival for the Shangyuan Festival?"

A Chan had never been to the capital’s Lantern Festival. Last year on Shangyuan, she had been struggling to survive.

It was also the day she first met Bai Xiuming.

"Okay," she said.

Pleased with her answer, Bai Xiuming finally released the window and said softly, "Go back to sleep. I’m leaving."

With that, his form blurred slightly before disappearing into the night.

The next morning, A Chan stirred awake, feeling something digging into her. After rummaging through the blankets, she pulled out an ornately carved jade pendant shaped like a sinuous dragon.

Recalling the events of the previous night—perhaps due to the wine—her memory was foggy, but she vaguely remembered Bai Xiuming visiting.

He had brought a huge fruit and invited her to the Lantern Festival.

What else had happened?

A Chan thought hard for a while before remembering she had given him one of the paired fish pendants as a gift. She hurriedly searched through the clothes she had tossed aside earlier and found the other pendant still on her belt.

Gifting the pendant wasn’t the issue—the problem was that it wasn't proper for someone to steal the recipient’s original pendant while giving them a new one.

A Chan held the jade pendant for a while, her cheeks warmed with embarrassment by her own behavior.

Like a child hiding evidence, she tossed the pendant into the lacquered box by her bed, deciding to return it later.