Si Que walked through the Ziwei Garden, heading back to fetch You Yuji.
The outer door was open, and he stepped inside, continuing towards the inner room. Just as he reached the doorway, he overheard a conversation between You Yuji and Zhenxu.
“Madam, why don’t you leave with Prince Qi as he suggested?” Zhenxu’s urgent tone carried a hint of confusion.
Si Que’s footsteps halted momentarily, and he peered inside. The silk screen obstructed his view but cast the graceful silhouette of You Yuji sitting at the dressing table. Si Que waited for a while, but You Yuji didn’t respond.
He resumed walking, the sound of his steps causing the two women behind the silk screen to turn their heads.
Zhenxu still wore a look of surprise, clearly not understanding how Princess Que could freely enter and exit the Eastern Palace.
Si Que looked at You Yuji.
She was seated sideways on an embroidered stool, glancing back at him. Her delicate white wrist tilted slightly, and her slender fingers held a long eyebrow brush.
You Yuji had been holding the brush for a long time, but her trembling hand had prevented her from drawing her eyebrows properly.
The final step of her makeup remained unfinished.
Si Que studied You Yuji’s partially made-up face for a moment. He walked over, leaned against the dressing table opposite her, took the eyebrow brush from her hand, and bent down to draw her eyebrows.
Carefully, yet leisurely.
You Yuji observed Si Que’s expression, a smile forming at the corner of her lips as she softly asked, “Do you know how to do this?”
Si Que casually responded with a hum, “There’s not much about women’s affairs that I don’t know.”
He paused, leaned back slightly to admire his work, then leaned in again to draw her other eyebrow.
You Yuji felt the gentle strokes on her eyebrows, the fine brush gliding along her skin, leaving a clear trail that felt as if it was carving across her heart.
Two sparrows flitted playfully past the window, leaving behind cheerful chirps.
Si Que finally finished drawing You Yuji’s eyebrows. As he admired his work, he asked softly, “Why didn’t you leave with Prince Qi?”
After asking, he gradually moved his gaze from her eyebrows to her gentle eyes.
You Yuji gazed at him tenderly, her eyes sparkling with the serene glow of distant stars.
How could she leave with Prince Qi?
Someone had promised to return for her before nightfall.
He had kept his promise; how could she leave early?
You Yuji didn’t say this aloud, but Si Que understood her intentions from her eyes without her needing to speak. After a long while, Si Que lifted his hand and gently touched You Yuji’s cheek with the back of his fingers.
The expressionless face he had maintained since entering the room gradually softened.
The storm that had been brewing in his heart for days finally dissolved in the warmth of her gaze, transforming into a gentle spring stream that washed over his entire being.
Si Que’s gaze fell to his hand. The tear that had once been there was long gone, but the burning sensation remained. The pain spread from the back of his hand to his heart, causing it to spasm intermittently.
Initially, he hoped to bully her into tears, but today, for a single tear of hers, he wanted to slaughter a nation.
You Yuji gently grasped Si Que’s hand, softly saying, “I’m fine, don’t be sad.”
Hearing this, Si Que returned from his thoughts. He chuckled lightly, leaned closer to You Yuji’s ear, and whispered, “Sister, who did you put on makeup for?”
With that, he lightly brushed his cool cheek against You Yuji’s soft one.
He placed his hand on the back of You Yuji’s neck, gently caressing it, and asked cheerfully, “Haven’t seen me for a few days, did you miss me?”
You Yuji, mindful of Zhenxu still being present, weakly pushed him away and whispered, “Stop it…”
Si Que held her hand, staring into her eyes. With a smile on his lips, he slowly said,
“But I missed you so much it drove me nearly mad.”
You Yuji looked into Si Que’s eyes, seeing through his smiling gaze deep into his soul, as if she was being drawn into a vortex, falling endlessly…
Zhenxu kept her head down, seriously considering whether she should temporarily leave the room to avoid the awkward situation. But Zhenxu was anxious, almost to the point of tears! This was the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince’s territory! Was it really okay for these two to be reminiscing and whispering sweet nothings here?
Si Que didn’t leave Zhenxu in suspense for long.
Si Que lifted You Yuji horizontally, carrying her out.
You Yuji hurriedly clutched his collar, saying, “Zhenxu!”
“Someone will take her away.”
You Yuji sighed in relief, and her grip on Si Que’s collar slowly loosened. She quietly looked at Si Que, who lowered his gaze to look at her in his arms, saying, “Sleep.”
You Yuji slightly parted her lips, seemingly having many questions she wanted to ask. She had many concerns and much confusion. But whether due to the effects of the poison in her body or because Si Que’s embrace was too reassuring, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly closed her eyes, pressing her cheek against Si Que’s chest. In no time, she fell into a half-sleep, half-daze.
All those worries were cast aside, with no time or desire to ponder over them now.
The rumbling of the carriage wheels woke You Yuji. The continuous rumbling by her ears reminded her of the relentless rush of the day she was kidnapped. This made her sleep lightly, and she opened her eyes in a daze.
The first thing she saw was a white collar.
“We’re not there yet.”
A familiar voice reached her ears, and she realized she wasn’t in the kidnappers’ carriage; she was leaning against Si Que. She closed her eyes again, even snuggling closer to the chest she was leaning on. Before falling asleep, she vaguely felt a coolness on her forehead.
Half-asleep, her thoughts were slow, and it was only in her dream that she knew what it was.
This time, You Yuji slept very soundly, a sense of peace she hadn’t felt since being kidnapped, even with the influence of the drug. When she woke up, the lively noises outside the carriage window reached her ears.
The laughter and chatter from outside gradually made her smile, fully waking her.
Tonight was the Lantern Festival.
“I can’t go back to the You family,” You Yuji murmured lazily, not opening her eyes, her voice soft.
Her mother was gravely ill, and You Yuji didn’t want her to worry any more because of her. Until she completely expelled the poison from her body, she couldn’t go home.
As for the Jinnan Prince’s Mansion? You Yuji didn’t really want to go back there either. In truth, she didn’t need to stay there anymore. It was just that she had once had a fond attachment to that place.
“Alright,” Si Que asked, “The poison in your body will take some time to fully dissipate. Is there anywhere in particular you’d like to go?”
You Yuji thought for a moment and said, “Last year’s Lantern Festival, I had some glutinous rice balls from a family-run stall that were really delicious and quite affordable, a huge bowl. I want to eat them again.”
Si Que looked at the closed-eyed beauty in his arms with some surprise, not expecting her to say that. He asked, “Where? I’ll go with you, and we’ll get a big bowl to share.”
“I don’t remember,” You Yuji’s cheek rubbed against Si Que’s collar, her voice soft, “I only remember it was near Lotus Street, and the stall owner was a kind old man. The table of that glutinous rice ball stall was painted blue. Hmm… it’s been a year, I don’t know if he’ll still be there.”
“Alright, we’ll go and have some glutinous rice balls, get a big bowl, and share it.”
You Yuji smiled slightly in his arms.
Si Que gently removed her hand from his collar and said, “But first, wait for me in the carriage for a moment.”
You Yuji was just opening her eyes, sitting up from Si Que’s embrace. She watched as he stepped out of the carriage. Unable to resist, she lifted a corner of the curtain beside the carriage window, pushing it open with some effort to look outside.
Tonight’s night market was bustling, filled with the sound of laughter and the sight of people coming and going.
You Yuji’s gaze followed Si Que as he walked into the crowd, soon losing sight of him. Her hand grew tired from holding the curtain, and after a while, she had to let it drop, unable to keep watching for his return.
She was used to being cautious and considerate, thinking things through carefully. But today, sitting in this carriage that still carried the faint medicinal scent of Si Que, You Yuji let her mind go blank, allowing herself not to think about anything for the moment.
She leaned softly against the window, smiling as she listened to the lively sounds outside the carriage. The laughter seemed contagious, and despite being separated by a thin wall, she could feel the joy of the festival-goers outside.
Although the poison made her body feel weak and fatigued from the inside out, the joyful sounds outside the carriage filled her with an unusual sense of emotion.
You Yuji waited for a while longer, and then Si Que returned.
He was carrying a set of new clothes.
You Yuji furrowed her brows slightly, puzzled as she watched Si Que close the double doors of the carriage, pull down the curtains over the windows, and sit beside her.
You Yuji was confused, not understanding why Si Que wanted her to change clothes. If they were trying to disguise themselves to avoid attention, they should be using coarse fabric clothing, not this kind of luxurious attire.
Si Que tugged at You Yuji’s sash, helping her remove her clothes while explaining, “I don’t like seeing you in clothes of dubious origin.”
You Yuji was momentarily stunned but then understood.
The clothes she was wearing had been given to her by the palace servants while she was imprisoned in the Eastern Palace.
Feeling weak and her arms sore, she let Si Que undress her. As he removed her outer and middle garments, he moved to unfasten her undergarments. You Yuji instinctively turned her face towards the window, listening to the nearby laughter outside the carriage. Her heart tightened, feeling that the well-covered carriage couldn’t conceal her shame.
“The inner garments… there’s no need to change those…” You Yuji whispered, fearing the people outside might hear.
She usually didn’t speak in such a soft and fragile tone, making Si Que glance at her. He then pulled her hand from her chest and removed her undergarment, tossing it aside.
You Yuji looked at the garment on the floor, about to speak, when Si Que lifted her onto his lap. As he started to remove her skirt and pants, You Yuji whispered, “I can do it myself…”
Si Que slowly removed her inner pants, saying, “For the next month, you’ll be weak. You’ll need me to take care of everything, even eating and drinking.”
With that, he pinched her lower back.
“You…”
The sounds of laughter outside seemed amplified, making You Yuji’s made-up cheeks even redder. She grabbed the red cloak Si Que had just bought, covering herself, and urgently whispered, “Detoxify me…”
“No, I can’t.”
You Yuji frowned, urgently saying, “You can!”
Si Que chuckled softly, nodding, “Yes, I can.”
“You…” You Yuji bit her lip.
The carriage had been stationary for a while, and the two horses pulling it seemed restless, wanting to move. They neighed and stamped their hooves, causing the carriage to sway slightly.
You Yuji’s body involuntarily fell into Si Que’s chest, and the red cloak she was using for cover fell to the ground. Too weak to pick it up, she lightly pushed Si Que, urgently whispering, “Hurry, dress me!”
Before she finished speaking, Si Que had turned to fetch her undergarment. He placed it on her, his hands reaching behind her to tie the straps. Halfway through, he paused, seriously looking into You Yuji’s eyes, and asked, “Sister, didn’t you really miss me?”
