Chapter 7 “Get, Out”

Chapter 7: "Get. Out."

After tidying up breakfast, I noticed Xie Yan was still frowning over official documents. Quietly, I poured him tea and replenished his ink and brushes. Then, settling by the tea table with my calligraphy copybook, I began to practice intently.

Through persistent effort, my handwriting had become much neater and more regular. Though it still couldn’t compare to Xie Yan’s childhood script, it was at least legible now, which brought me comfort.

The afternoon sun filtered through the thin window screen, casting light on the copybook. The scent of ink lingered, and the strokes on the page seemed to carry the summer’s stifling heat. Feeling a little dizzy, I set down my brush and turned to look at Xie Yan.

He was still absorbed in writing, head bowed, his striking gray eyes shaded by long lashes. His brows were tightly knit, and his thin lips were pressed into a stern line, as though troubled by official matters. Unable to bear seeing him like this, I brought him a cup of tea.

He looked up at me, a hint of confusion in his expression, though he remained silent. I was used to his reticence; we had developed a strange, unspoken understanding where I could discern his deeper thoughts from just a glance.

"Take a break for a moment. Don’t push yourself too hard—sometimes relaxing helps you come up with better solutions," I said, daringly reaching out to smooth the furrow between his brows.

This wasn’t an attempt to be a libertine stealing kisses and jade; it was just a habit I’d formed with my father when he frowned. But with Xie Yan, I was overcome with the same impulse.

Almost immediately, I regretted my boldness. Looking up, I met Xie Yan’s cool gaze. He didn’t seem angry, but he reached out and grasped my wrist, his cool fingers encircling it easily.

I couldn’t break free as he admonished, "You're overstepping."

Though his tone was stern, his grip didn’t hurt me. I quickly pleaded, "Your Highness, I was wrong. I just didn’t want to see you straining over your work."

A summer breeze rustled the papers on the desk, and my loose hair brushed against my face, adding to the itchiness. Standing so close to Xie Yan, I could even catch the faint scent of cold pine from him. My heart galloped like a runaway horse.

Just as I thought something ambiguous might happen between us in this intimate atmosphere, a clear voice interrupted from outside the room.

"Crown Prince Brother, are you there?"

I didn’t know what Xie Yan was thinking, but I didn’t want anyone to see us in such a strange posture. Xie Yan seemed to feel the same; he finally released my wrist, and I could breathe easily again.

The person who entered was a handsome youth in brocade robes. He looked nothing like Xie Yan—where Xie Yan was sharp and austerely handsome, this youth was radiantly beautiful and delicate, with cunning fox-like eyes that darted about, full, upturned lips, and shallow dimples when he smiled.

I tried to step aside, but the youth blocked my path, mirroring my movements left and right, clearly toying with me.

"Crown Prince Brother, is this your study companion, Feng Jiuyue? He’s so pretty, like an exquisite doll."

The youth leaned in close, examining me intently. His reaction was similar to that of a rake, yet I saw no lust in his eyes—only curiosity, as if admiring a novel object.

"Crown Prince Brother, he’s even prettier than a woman. Can you lend him to me for a few days to play with?"

This was utterly absurd. Though he himself had such a feminine air, he insisted on insulting me.

I was about to retort angrily when Xie Yan’s figure suddenly blocked my view. He had stepped between me and the youth without my noticing, and I felt a wave of relief.

"Xie Xing, what are you doing here?"

Xie Yan’s tone was impatient, and I privately felt he was standing up for me.

So this beautiful youth was Xie Xing, courtesy name Xingzhi—the Eighth Prince.

"Oh, Crown Prince Brother, Father Emperor sent me to fetch the Ten Thousand Buddha Sutra you were copying for him. He suddenly wanted to see it today and asked me to come get it." Xie Xing finally dropped his playful act and explained why he had come.

"Wait here," Xie Yan said, glancing back at me as if the words were meant for me rather than Xie Xing.

His gaze as he left was deep and carried a subtle warning, though I couldn’t decipher what he was warning me about.

After Xie Yan left, only Xie Xing and I remained in the room. The air grew awkward, and I was about to find an excuse to leave when he suddenly leaned in and said with feigned innocence, "You like Crown Prince Brother, don’t you?"

Were my feelings for Xie Yan known to all? Then again, after Yuan Ye had read my letter aloud in front of everyone, probably everyone in Jiang State knew. The thought made me deeply embarrassed.

"Speak up," Xie Xing urged, cupping his cheek in his hand and watching me seriously, as though my answer mattered greatly to him.

"Why do you ask?" My voice came out dry and trembling. I could boldly admit my feelings to Xie Yan, but I didn’t want others to mock my sincerity.

"I can tell from your eyes that you like Crown Prince Brother."

Xie Xing tapped my eyes with his folding fan, a smug smile curling his lips. "The way you look at him holds affection. I know."

"Want to know how I know?" His ears twitched slightly as if catching a sound behind him, but he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. "Because I look at my Yu Chou the same way."

"What are you two doing?" Xie Yan’s voice, cold as ice and laced with hidden fury, suddenly cut through the room.

Before I could process Xie Xing’s words, I realized I’d been set up. From Xie Yan’s angle, Xie Xing and I must have looked intimately close, like a pair of mandarin ducks, necks entwined.

"Oh, Crown Prince Brother, we were just playing around. Don’t scare your little study companion with that long face."

Xie Xing added fuel to the fire. Though he’d orchestrated it, he now played the innocent—a cunning little fox who loved causing trouble.

The jest was harmless, and I could tell Xie Xing was merely mischievous by nature, with no real ill intent.

I opened my mouth to explain to Xie Yan, but he glanced at me coldly and sideways, his face dark with stormy anger. His eyes were sharp as blades as he spat out, "Get. Out."

This was the first time he’d been so harsh with me since the peach blossom tree incident. I didn’t know what I’d done wrong, but I felt wronged. With Xie Xing present, I couldn’t find the words to defend myself and could only force myself to walk out.

As I left, I heard Xie Xing remark behind me, "Crown Prince Brother, you have no idea how to be gentle with someone delicate. He looked like he was about to cry—his eyes were red. But he has a tiny red mole at the corner of his eye—so pretty."

Xie Yan said nothing, and my heart sank.

As I trudged out dejectedly, I ran into a tall, imposing man gripping a sword at the corridor’s turn. He looked fierce, with sharp, narrow eyes and a scar running through his right eye, giving him a cold, intimidating aura.

His sidelong glance sent a chill through me, and I sensed intense hostility radiating from him—though I didn’t know why.

Dressed in jet black martial attire, he was broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, exuding a warrior’s vigor. He held a jade-colored sword in his arms, and a single jade pendant engraved with the character "Chou" hung at his waist.

It dawned on me: could this be Yu Chou? The one Xie Xing liked? Had he seen Xie Xing’s earlier antics and thus directed his anger at me?

But why was Xie Yan angry with me?

Unable to figure it out, I pushed the thought aside and went to the kitchen to brew a few bowls of milk tea.

It was the hottest part of the day. Unlike Xie Yan’s cool, airy room, the kitchen was stifling and scorching, the heat making my face flush and my head fuzzy.

As I carried the milk tea around the corner, the blazing sun overhead made me break out in a cold sweat. I nearly stumbled, but a passing young male servant caught me in time.

My health was truly too poor.

I was born prematurely, and my mother had a difficult delivery. Since childhood, I’d been weaker than others and fell ill more easily, especially in summer.

Normally, used to a life of luxury, every room in my home had ice blocks for cooling during summer. But Xie Yan didn’t seem bothered by heat, so I never mentioned it, though occasionally I felt overheated and suffocated.

Going to the kitchen to make milk tea had taken a toll. If not for the servant, I might have crashed headfirst to the ground.

I asked the servant to deliver the milk tea for me and request leave on my behalf. Unsure if Xie Yan was still angry, I thought it best to avoid him and went home to rest.

Little did I know that my illness, once triggered, would spiral out of control. By nightfall, I was running a high fever. My father grew frantic and even summoned a palace physician to take my pulse.

The physician’s diagnosis matched my own: heatstroke, compounded by my weak constitution, had caused the severe illness to come on so fiercely. I needed several days of rest to recover.

I drifted in and out of sleep, and my father stayed by my side whenever he wasn’t attending court. On the second day, the steward from the Crown Prince’s estate came to our home and, for some inexplicable reason, brought my father a bunch of expensive medicinal herbs. He then hinted around about my condition, diet, and daily habits. My father answered each question in detail, and only then did the steward hurriedly take his leave.

I learned all this from Xiao Man.

My hunch was it might have been because the milk tea wasn’t delivered. Xie Yan probably was having withdrawals after just one day without it, which is why he sent the steward over. I forced myself to sit up and write down the secret recipe for the milk tea, then had the servants deliver freshly squeezed cow’s and goat’s milk to the Crown Prince’s estate. Only then did I feel at ease enough to focus on recovering.

Truth be told, I tend to avoid problems I can’t figure out. For instance, since I didn’t understand why Xie Yan was upset with me this time, I simply chose not to dwell on it.

The days of recuperation passed rather quickly. By the third day, I was able to get out of bed, though I still felt a little dizzy.

I felt as though the room was filled with the lingering aura of my illness, so I had the servants move my daybed to a shaded spot in the courtyard. There, I lounged comfortably, reading light novels while Little White circled around my feet, occasionally catching the sunflower seeds I tossed his way.

Life was truly comfortable—the only thing missing was Xie Yan. Just as I was about to sigh over his absence, I saw Xie Yan standing before me, dressed in his dark court robes, aloof and stern. I rubbed my eyes hard, wondering if I was hallucinating.

Author's Note:

Xie Xing: I’m my sister-in-law’s biggest fan when it comes to his looks.