Si Han lay listlessly on the bed. The sounds of laughter from outside drifted in through the window, only adding to her annoyance. Another round of loud, crackling firecrackers made her irritation peak. She turned over in frustration and covered her ears.
Even with her hands over her ears, the muffled sound of the firecrackers still reached her, as if veiled in a layer of mist, making them seem more distant.
Unbidden, Si Han thought of the annual New Year’s Eve celebrations back in Si Kingdom. At that time, she was a princess of noble birth, happily chasing around at the palace banquet, holding a sparking firework stick in her hand.
The stark contrast brought tears to her pillow.
Si Han sobbed softly for a while.
Gone were the days when a slight frown would bring a crowd of palace maids to comfort her. She knew no one would console her now. Sniffling, she gradually stopped crying on her own.
She was confined here, with only two disobedient maidservants around her. Even if she were not confined, she probably wouldn’t feel like going out to watch the festivities.
She pulled the quilt over her head, buried herself completely, and used her hands to cover her ears, trying to block out the sounds of laughter outside. She couldn’t help but think, on such a day as New Year’s, would Emperor Chen grant an amnesty? If he did, would her father and brothers be released from prison? Would they come to rescue her?
And she wondered where her elder brother, the Crown Prince, was now, and how his forces were faring.
“Elder brother, when will you come to rescue me…” Si Han sniffed and couldn’t help but shed a few more tears.
She began to guess where her elder brother might be now, when he would come to rescue her, and what life would be like after she was rescued…
It was stuffy under the quilt, and Si Han curled up, feeling ill. Filled with beautiful hopes for the future, she was almost about to fall asleep when the sound of the door opening disturbed her.
Xiuling and Xiufang, the two maidservants, came in, laughing and chatting, and sat down at the table outside to drink water.
Since arriving at the Jinnan Prince’s Residence, Si Han had had several changes of maidservants. Now it was Xiuling and Xiufang. Both were young and not very clever, and because of Si Han’s current situation, they didn’t take her very seriously.
Disturbed from her hopeful dreams and opening her eyes to the same dark, confined space, Si Han frowned unhappily. She clenched her fists and angrily pounded her pillow.
The two maidservants outside were clearly having a great time, their voices filled with laughter.
They talked about how delicious tonight’s food was and how beautiful the fireworks they had just seen were. One lamented that it was a shame something had happened in the residence this year, preventing it from being as lively as last year. The other noted that the fireworks outside the residence were even more beautiful than in previous years.
Before long, they started talking about Tanxiang Yingyue.
Xiuling whispered, “I heard that the two masters of Tanxiang Yingyue kissed secretly. I wonder if it’s true!”
Xiufang hesitated for a while before speaking, “It should be true. Quite a few people saw it. But I think it might have been a coincidence? Or maybe they were drunk. I heard that over there, the masters and servants were eating meat and drinking together, having a lively time. Perhaps they just drank too much! Yes, it must be that.”
Xiuling said something else in a low voice, but Si Han didn’t hear it clearly. Si Han threw off the quilt and sat up, her gaze falling absentmindedly in one spot.
Those two from Tanxiang Yingyue kissed?
You Yuji and Si Que?
Others in the residence might not know, but she was very aware that this princess was actually a prince!
This was a secret of the Si Kingdom’s royal family. When they were young, their father sternly warned everyone to keep the secret, saying it was tied to the nation’s fate, and if the secret was leaked, they would be stripped of their royal status and expelled from the palace.
In hindsight, her father’s words might have been somewhat intimidating, but she and her siblings had solemnly kept this secret since childhood, even helping to cover it up.
Her vacant gaze suddenly sharpened, her eyes filling with a fierce light. She raised her hand and touched her cheek. Despite all the time that had passed, she could never forget the pain of being slapped that day.
A smile appeared in Si Han’s eyes. Before long, the smile turned into a look of confusion.
Should she expose the scandal of these two adulterers, ensuring they meet a miserable end?
Or should she use this secret to blackmail Si Que into rescuing her?
She knew Si Que could rescue her; he had the capability. She had always known that Si Que was a formidable monster, a capable monster.
It was a choice between revenge and self-preservation.
The door creaked open, and Xiuling stood at the entrance, looking at Si Han with her disheveled hair and smiling, “The fireworks are beautiful tonight, wouldn’t you like to go out and see, Aunt?”
Xiufang, sitting outside, pursed her lips, annoyed at Xiuling for being meddlesome. This concubine still held onto her past identity as a princess, not knowing her place. Why bother causing trouble? Not only was there no benefit, but it also risked getting scolded.
To Xiufang’s surprise, Si Han spoke normally, “Help me with my hair.”
Si Han, sweeping away her previous irritation, happily walked out of the room and stood in the courtyard, admiring the fireworks blooming against the night sky.
She looked towards Chunxing’s house across the way, finding it odd that there were no lights on in her room. Had Chunxing gone to bed so early? With all the noise outside, could she really sleep?
Si Han lived in Chunxing’s courtyard, but because she was under house arrest, she rarely left her room. Chunxing, being the way she was, meant the two of them had almost no interaction.
After standing in the cold wind for a while and finding it uninteresting, Si Han was about to turn back when she saw Chunxing’s door open. Chunxing quickly stepped out, not even bringing a maid, and hurriedly walked away, soon disappearing from view.
Si Han found it strange but couldn’t be bothered to investigate. She turned around and went back inside to sleep.
Chunxing herself didn’t know where she wanted to go or where she could go.
The sky was filled with fireworks, illuminating the surroundings clearly as Chunxing wandered aimlessly through the estate.
She walked up the back mountain to the place where they used to often stargaze together. Many New Year’s Eve nights were spent here, and they made promises for the future with the starry sky as their backdrop.
She then went to the plum grove. A few years ago, she had been punished by her master for a mistake and was sent to sweep the fallen leaves. As the sky darkened, he came to help her after his duties. The plum grove seemed endless, and they started sweeping from opposite ends, gradually approaching each other, exchanging smiles as they crossed paths, and continuing to sweep the leaves until they reached the end. When they turned to sweep another row, they would always look back to catch sight of each other from afar, gradually drawing closer.
But now, the cool breeze on the mountain did not bring his hand to drape a cloak over her. The whistling and wailing of the plum grove did not contain his ever-present figure.
Chunxing then ran to the Wanli Pond.
On New Year’s Eve two years ago, she had already become the consort of the young master and sat here to find some peace. He still found an excuse to sneak over. She told him to leave quickly, and he agreed, saying that on this night of reunion, he couldn’t feel at ease without seeing her.
Chen Anzhi, who shouldn’t have been there, somehow managed to come over. Blocked from retreat, he jumped into the icy winter waters of Wanli Pond to hide. Drunken Chen Anzhi talked to Chunxing, who, with trembling hands, managed to persuade him to leave. He then emerged from the pond, catching a severe illness that took two months to recover from.
He said he couldn’t let anyone know about their relationship.
Chunxing sat by Wanli Pond, crying uncontrollably.
From now on, no one would make an effort to come to her on New Year’s Eve, even if only to see her for a moment.
The question she never asked would never be answered.
Many things had been decided the day her mother sold her. Born a slave, she was no longer considered a person.
The emotions that couldn’t be contained, those desperate glances they exchanged, ultimately let Fang Qingyi notice. Moreover, even before she became Chen Anzhi’s concubine, Fang Qingyi had once teased them, saying they were “childhood sweethearts.”
“Were you coerced?” Chunxing muttered to herself. She watched the reflection of the dazzling fireworks on Wanli Pond, her tears falling one by one.
She and Wangjiang, despite their innocence, had a private affection that was like a raging fire, never to be forgiven, always threatening to lead to her downfall.
Her tears fell into Wanli Pond, creating ripples that distorted the brilliant fireworks reflected on the water.
“I wonder if the water is cold…” Chunxing slowly closed her eyes. At this moment, she realized that her fragile existence was merely for the chance to see him one more time.
With a loud splash, water splashed high into the air.
Soon, distant maids screamed, “Someone fell into the water! Someone fell into the water! Help, someone save her!”
You Yuji and Si Que, on a single horse, rode back to the You residence under the shadow of the fireworks.
You Yuji gazed at the front gate of her home, feeling a bit dazed. She hadn’t expected to return tonight. Now, standing before her family’s home, she felt a surge of apprehension in her heart.
Was it the alcohol that made her less cautious and more reckless tonight?
Rushing back so late at night, she wondered what others might think or say. Even if she didn’t care about others’ opinions, would her family worry about her coming back so late?
Her mother was bedridden, perhaps unaware of her late return. If she did find out, it would certainly cause her concern. Her mother’s illness was heavily influenced by her worries; how could she bear more stress? And Jiamu, that thoughtful child, would undoubtedly…
“What’s wrong, don’t want to go home?”
Si Que dismounted and stood looking up at her.
The white horse pawed the ground elegantly, its hooves making a sound that alerted the household servants.
“Is someone outside?” A servant pushed the courtyard door open a crack, and seeing You Yuji on horseback, he was momentarily stunned. His face quickly broke into a smile, and he opened the gate wide, hurrying forward.
“Why are you back!”
You Yuji’s gaze passed over the servant and into the courtyard, catching sight of the gently swaying red lanterns. She smiled and said, “I came back to take a look.”
She dismounted and handed the reins to the servant.
The servant took the reins with a smile, “You arrived at the perfect time. The masters are still up, drinking. They haven’t gone to bed yet!”
You Yuji’s eyes twinkled with amusement, not surprised. She was relieved that her second brother and cousin were spending the New Year in the capital, otherwise, her younger brother would feel even more lonely this New Year. On the other hand, she felt a bit regretful that her second brother and cousin couldn’t reunite with their own families.
She took a step forward, realizing Si Que hadn’t followed. She stopped, turned back to him, and said, “Come on.”
Si Que stood still, his face expressionless, “Sister is home to reunite with her family. It’s not appropriate for an outsider like me to intrude. Maybe I should head back?”
The servant’s eyes darted around, trying to grasp the situation.
You Yuji understood what Si Que wanted to hear.
But she deliberately did not say it.
She smiled gently, her eyes soft. Then she walked up to Si Que, naturally taking his hand, and said softly, “Family and friends are always together.”
Si Que didn’t hear the answer he was hoping for. He glanced at You Yuji, his expression darkening. Yet, You Yuji’s smiling gaze, so tender and enchanting in the night, made him suppress his displeasure. Together, they walked into the residence.
The servant led the horse, smiling, “Miss, you arrived just in time. The lady is awake!”
You Yuji was startled.
Mother is awake?
She hurried forward. Passing through the back courtyard’s archway, she immediately saw her mother sitting by the flower bed. Not only was her mother awake, but she had also gotten out of bed and was sitting in the courtyard!
You Yuji stared at her mother in shock, forgetting to react. She couldn’t see anyone else around her mother, her eyes filled only with the gentle figure of her mother.
