Chapter 5 “Stay Away from That Tree If You Don’t Want to Die”

Chapter 5: "Stay Away from That Tree Unless You Want to Die"

I thought my naive and foolish confession would make Xie Yan mock me, but there was no response for a long time.

When I lifted my gaze, I met Xie Yan’s eyes. His gaze was intense and unreadable, filled with scrutiny and inquiry, as if assessing the depth of my shallow feelings.

After a long while, he shot me a deep, searching look and said coldly, "Dismissed."

Xie Yan must have been taken aback by my bold confession—perhaps he thought I was insane. Over the next few days, he barely acknowledged me and no longer ordered me around, treating me as if I were air.

I guessed his intention: since yesterday’s provocation hadn’t worked, he was now giving me the cold shoulder, hoping the cold treatment would make me give up.

But he never expected me to be so thick-skinned.

Had I been a young girl, I might have wiped away my tears and fled. Unfortunately, I am a man, with a man's relentless ambition.

I wasn't anxious at all about the current situation; in fact, I was quietly delighted. In the past, no matter how many times I lingered outside the Crown Prince’s residence, I could never even get a look at Xie Yan. Now, even if he ignored me, I was overjoyed just to be near him. I even walked with a spring in my step.

After confessing, my heart felt oddly at peace. Perhaps it was because I had laid all my cards on the table. Now, with nothing left to lose, I relied on nothing but courage to face Xie Yan.

Since Xie Yan no longer allowed me to serve nearby, I could only loiter just outside his door.

Everyone in the residence was busy with their own tasks. Only I had nothing to do, wandering aimlessly like a restless spirit.

I caught sight of that peach blossom tree again. Its long branches swayed gracefully in the spring breeze, like the last breath of life in a decaying courtyard. Whenever I peered into the residence from outside, I often saw its outstretched branches and felt an odd connection to it.

Coincidentally, the tree stood right outside Xie Yan’s study. I sat on one of its branches, lost in thought as I gazed at the study.

I wondered what Xie Yan was doing at that moment. He was always busy—sometimes meeting with ministers, sometimes studying late into the night. His expression was always cold and stern, keeping everyone at arm's length.

I often wondered if someone as aloof and proud as him would ever let anyone into his heart.

I couldn’t find an answer.

Just then, Xie Yan suddenly opened the window of his study. From dozens of steps away, we locked eyes. I could clearly see his initially cold expression darken completely. His thin lips pressed together, and a flash of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Had I done something wrong? I wasn’t sure, but my instinct for danger told me I should climb down right away.

Xie Yan left his study and hurried toward me like he was coming to punish me.

Like a child who had done wrong, I was terrified and wanted to climb down immediately. But the more nervous and rushed I felt, the more mistakes I made. I accidentally stepped on a slender branch and snapped it clean off.

When Xie Yan’s eyes fell on the broken branch, his calm demeanor cracked. He stared at my neck as if he wanted to wring it to mourn the broken branch. The killing intent in his Phoenix eyes churned violently.

Thankfully, I finally managed to climb down. Now I understood the problem: Xie Yan cared deeply about this tree, and I had foolishly broken one of its branches. Who could save me? Why was I always so clumsy?

"Feng Jiuyue!" he gritted out through clenched teeth, his eyes bloodshot with rage. He reached out to choke my neck, as if it were my neck, not the branch, that should have been broken.

Knowing I had done wrong, I didn’t dare resist. Xie Yan’s hand was icy cold, coiling around my neck like a venomous snake, tightening relentlessly. My breathing grew faint, and I could only stubbornly grip his fingers with my hands.

My vision blurred, but I could still see Xie Yan’s eyes—cold as ice, sharp as a blade, not a shred of mercy. It seemed as though killing me would be no different from crushing an insignificant ant.

"Xie... Yan..." I thought I was about to die. If I hadn’t died falling from the city tower, dying at Xie Yan’s hands would still be a fitting way to die. At least I could return my life to him. Resigned, I slowly closed my eyes.

But Xie Yan suddenly released his grip. Weak and exhausted, I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, feeling the relief of a narrow escape.

For a moment, I had truly believed I would die.

The afternoon sunlight fell on Xie Yan’s cold, pale face. His long, feather-like eyelashes were gilded with gold dust, and his gray eyes were frosty.

He took a handkerchief from his sleeve and meticulously wiped the hand that had touched me. His demeanor was noble and aloof, as if he were a sacred deity looking down upon a vulgar mortal.

"Stay away from that tree if you don’t want to die." When he had wanted to kill me, he seemed like a vengeful spirit. Now, he had calmed down, retracting the killing intent that had surrounded him. Only the warning in his tone carried a bone-chilling coldness.

I thought for a long time under the peach blossom tree but still couldn’t figure out why I had provoked such fury from Xie Yan. Eventually, an elderly woman in palace maid attire approached me. She picked up the broken peach blossom branch from the ground and shook her head at me disapprovingly. "You shouldn’t have touched His Highness’s belongings."

My throat injured, my voice came out hoarse. "Did the Crown Prince plant this tree?"

The old woman shook her head and looked up at the peach blossom tree swaying in the wind. Petals drifted down with the spring breeze, one landing on my forehead. I plucked it off and examined it carefully, but found nothing special about it.

"This peach blossom tree was planted by His Highness’s birth mother," the old woman said, turning back to me with solemn slowness. "Do you know anything about His Highness’s birth mother?"

I only knew that Xie Yan’s mother was a beautiful songstress sent as tribute from a foreign land. She had a pair of unique gray eyes, which Xie Yan had inherited.

"Madam Lanji came from a foreign land and passed away when His Highness was young. This peach blossom tree was planted by her own hands—the only memento she left for him."

"Although she was from a foreign land, she loved peach blossoms deeply. This tree was originally planted in the palace. After the Crown Prince’s residence was built, His Highness went to great lengths to transplant it here."

"Everyone in the residence knows this tree is untouchable. His Highness personally tends to it, watering and fertilizing it, afraid of the slightest mishap. And you broke one of its branches."

I had no defense against the old woman’s words. I didn’t know why, despite my age, I was still so mischievous. I wished I could turn back time and slap myself hard.

Seeing me in a daze, the old woman looked at me with reproach and hopelessness. She picked up the branch and was about to leave when I quickly stopped her and apologized. "Dear nanny, I was wrong. I truly didn’t know this tree was so precious. If I had known, I would never have dared to climb it, even if it meant death. I’ve already learned my lesson. I’ll take care of this branch. Could you tell me more about Xie Yan?"

"For example, his usual preferences and taboos?"

Seeing my sincere attitude, the old woman slowly explained the various taboos in the residence, all centered around Xie Yan. I noted everything down in a booklet, hoping to commit it all to memory.

From her, I learned that Xie Yan held deep feelings for Madam Lanji. I decided to start there to make amends.

Since the branch was already broken, there was nothing else to be done. I brought an exquisitely crafted vase from home, trimmed the peach blossom branch, and placed it inside. I set it by the window, where its pink hue stood out vividly against the gray-white wall, boldly emanating the fragrance of peach blossoms.

I hid outside the wall, watching for Xie Yan’s reaction. He was initially holding a book, but when he noticed the vase of peach blossoms from the corner of his eye, his furrowed brow relaxed slightly. He even reached out with his pale fingers to touch the vibrant petals.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief, but I felt it was still far from enough to atone for my mistake.

I went through great trouble to have someone find a portrait of Madam Lanji for me.

In the painting, she must have just entered the palace, still carrying the innocence and charm of a young girl. She wore exotic attire, draped in a delicate veil that revealed her slender waist and long legs. Even the curves beneath her bodice were distinctly visible. Her light gray eyes smiled, and her lips curved slightly upward, radiating the vitality and brilliance of youth.

It was hard not to be moved by her.

From this portrait, I could tell she was very different from other women—her personality was likely more passionate and unrestrained. So why was Xie Yan’s temperament so somber?

I quietly placed the portrait on Xie Yan’s desk and hid in the shadows to observe his expression.