You Yuji stared at Princess Que, who was smiling at her, and was momentarily dazed before she responded with a gentle smile of her own. “Alright, I’ll go get it for you.”
She put down the tea cup in her hand and quickly walked inside. Entering the inner room, she headed straight for the wardrobe. As she searched for Si Que’s outer clothes, You Yuji couldn’t help but feel puzzled in her heart—
The princess called her “sister”? Was she older than the princess? You Yuji tried hard to recall, but she wasn’t particularly sure about the princess’s age. Maybe they were about the same age?
Suddenly, You Yuji understood. Married into the same household, a concubine calling the main wife “sister” was a rule symbolizing harmony between wife and concubine.
Holding the white cotton cloak in her arms, her eyes dimmed a little. Obviously, she didn’t hope that her relationship with Princess Que would be one of a main wife and concubine.
However, she thought about it and felt relieved. The princess had always been proud and aloof. By calling her “sister,” it represented the princess’s willingness to be close to her, not to mention the princess had given her freshly brewed wine. You Yuji felt a sense of shared suffering as exiles from fallen kingdoms. No matter what, meeting and getting to know an old acquaintance in a foreign land was always a fortunate event. You Yuji decided that she must treat the princess even better in the future.
She carried Si Que’s cloak outside. Liufeng and Zhenxu had already brought up the charcoal brazier and were tending to the fire. Si Que was sitting on the wooden couch by the window, instructing Liufeng to take away the tea on the round table at the door and replace it with a new set of hot tea.
You Yuji quickly walked over, unfolded the cloak, and wrapped it around Si Que. She stood in front of Si Que, bending down to tie the strings at his collar.
She slowly emerged from the mourning period for her father and did not wear the plain white clothes today. Instead, she changed into the purple she had always liked. However, it was not pure purple but a tie-dye blend of light purple and white. Despite being made of cloth, it still exuded a layered, ethereal lightness when draped over her graceful figure. She did not favor silky satin fabrics, preferring gauze in summer and cloth in winter.
As she bent over, the light purple fabric of her skirt gently brushed against Si Que’s legs. She moved closer to straighten the collar at the back of Si Que’s neck. The gentle purple fabric piled on Si Que’s lap. The neckline, reaching her chest, couldn’t conceal the snow-white skin beneath her collarbone. A cool breeze blew in from the window, making her skirt flutter like waves.
Si Que averted his gaze from the fluttering fabric at her chest, looking instead at the slowly burning charcoal.
“Are you still cold? Should I close the window?” You Yuji asked softly.
“I’m not cold.” Not only was he not cold, but he was also a bit warm.
You Yuji placed her palm on the back of Si Que’s hand. Si Que hesitated for a moment but didn’t pull his hand away. You Yuji felt the warmth of his hand, smiled, and said, “It’s good that you’re not cold.”
She released his hand and straightened up. The fabric of her skirt that had been draped over Si Que’s legs fell away.
You Yuji sat down on the other side of the small table on the wooden couch, smiling as she took out the sweet wine and poured two cups. She first poured one for Si Que and placed it in front of him, then poured one for herself.
You Yuji took a sip, tasting the fresh sweetness with a hint of grassy flavor on her tongue. As the wine went down her throat, she then tasted the subtle spiciness typical of wine.
After savoring the wine, You Yuji slowly smiled and looked at Si Que, saying, “I didn’t expect the princess to be good at making wine. The taste is sweet at first and then rich; it’s truly a fine brew.”
Everyone likes compliments.
“The slight intoxication after drinking is alluring, making one want to drink daily. Over time, I became more particular about the taste and started making my own,” Si Que paused, “If sister likes it, I’ll send you some whenever I make wine in the future.”
Si Que shifted his gaze from You Yuji, his long eyelashes lowered. He picked up the cup of wine in front of him.
“Alright. Then sister thanks the princess in advance.”
Si Que took a sip of wine and said indifferently, “There’s no need to be so formal, sister.”
You Yuji thought for a moment and realized that it was indeed too distant to keep addressing the princess formally after she had taken a step forward and called her sister. She smiled gently, her eyes softening, “Then I’ll call you Que Que from now on.”
The sweet wine was still in his mouth, and upon hearing this, it almost seemed to flee in surprise. Si Que managed to avoid choking, but his face turned slightly red.
After a moment, he regained his composure, looked at You Yuji, who was smiling at him, and said with a smile, “Sister can call me whatever she likes.”
The smile in You Yuji’s eyes became even more radiant.
Standing aside, Liufeng’s eyes darted around in surprise. The princess always disliked others getting close to him. She still remembered a few years ago when a drunken playboy confessed to the princess, praising his beauty like that of a goddess and calling him Que Que, Ah Que, and Lady Que…
Then… that person naturally did not see the sun the next day.
You Yuji took a piece of pastry from the box and handed it to Si Que.
“A friend made this herself. She never used to be interested in needlework or cooking, but recently she’s taken an interest. Probably because she’s smart, she learned quickly and made this so well. Que Que, have a taste.”
Si Que had intended to say something, but upon hearing You Yuji’s final term of endearment, he felt somewhat uncomfortable and silently accepted the pastry, taking a bite.
“How does it taste?” You Yuji asked.
“Not bad.”
You Yuji also ate a piece and happily said, “If Lady Chun knew her skills were so praised, she’d be delighted.”
“The daughter of the Jiang family?” Si Que asked.
“That’s right. We’ve known each other since childhood and get along well,” You Yuji said, a bit surprised. “I didn’t expect you to know her too.”
Si Que ate the pastry slowly and said, “I’ve heard a bit about her fiery personality.”
Thinking of Ah Chun’s spirited manner before her marriage, You Yuji couldn’t help but laugh. Both being from Si Kingdom, they had many topics to discuss in their casual conversation. Whenever You Yuji mentioned someone, Si Que would think for a moment and also know who she was talking about. You Yuji was somewhat surprised, having thought that Princess Que was a solitary and aloof person indifferent to others, yet he seemed to know a lot about many people.
Even some rumors You Yuji had heard could be verified by Si Que. The people she knew were, in some roundabout way, connected to him.
Tiny snowflakes fluttered outside the window, and You Yuji and Si Que drank and chatted. In this foreign place, a sense of joy akin to meeting an old friend arose.
The fragrance of the wine enhanced this joy even further.
The wine in the pot was quickly finished, and Si Que asked Liufeng to bring more.
“These are a few types I usually drink. Try them and see which one you like best,” Si Que said, looking at the flush on You Yuji’s cheeks.
You Yuji didn’t drink often but inherited her father’s natural high tolerance. She wasn’t drunk at all, but even a little bit of alcohol would bring a charming blush to her cheeks. Normally, her beauty was restrained by herself, but with the indulgence of alcohol, her every gesture and smile exuded natural allure.
Si Que thought of a word—
Enchantress.
These past few days, Si Que realized what it meant to be captivated by beauty.
Desire, thus, arose.
You Yuji tasted each type of wine and chose the strongest one. She raised her cup, lightly swaying it towards Si Que, her eyes charming. Si Que snapped out of his daze and downed his cup of wine in one go.
When You Yuji poured more wine, she accidentally knocked over the cup, spilling wine all over herself. She frowned and stood up, hurriedly using a cloth to wipe the stains from her clothes.
The stains were hard to remove, so she turned her head and instructed Zhenxu to fetch her clothes.
“Cold wine on your body, be careful not to catch a chill. Before your clothes arrive, change into mine first.”
You Yuji nodded. She glanced at the tiny snowflakes outside the window, got up, and walked to a corner out of sight from the window, starting to untie the laces at her chest.
Si Que had been watching her, but seeing this, he averted his gaze to the scattered falling snow outside the window and said, “It’s too cold with the window open; you should change in the inner room.”
“That works too.” You Yuji pressed her hands over the half-untied front of her clothing and walked toward the inner room.
After a while, Si Que lowered his eyes, his expression fading back to the usual mask of indifference.
Over the years, he had grown accustomed to doing things as he pleased. His elder brother, the Crown Prince, said he was indulging himself because he knew his life would be short.
Perhaps that was true?
Yet it wasn’t entirely so.
But the reason didn’t matter much anymore. What mattered was that he had grown used to doing as he wished, enjoying the thrill of reckless abandon.
He particularly liked gambling with his own safety.
Probably because he had good luck, he always managed to win.
A person who treated his own life as a mere stake had nothing he wouldn’t dare to do, nothing he couldn’t afford to lose. In fact, he had developed a faint desire to lose.
How could a person like him touch a woman?
Wearing women’s clothes didn’t mean he could forget his responsibilities as a man.
This world was too harsh on women; if he touched one, he’d have to take responsibility. Taking responsibility required being alive.
And being alive was a shackle.
He craved mad freedom and complete control over life and death. He even longed for a grand downfall.
Si Que took a sip of the strong wine, and as the rich aroma filled his senses, he looked at the falling snow outside and slowly curved his lips into a bright yet strange smile.
Taking responsibility for a woman and spending a lifetime together in close companionship?
No, he didn’t want such a mundane life.
He chose unrestrained madness.
So, this woman was untouchable.
Si Que coldly put down the wine cup in his hand.
You Yuji walked out from the inner room, her voice carrying a smile, “Que Que, your skirt is too long.”
Si Que turned around.
You Yuji twirled, holding the snowy skirt, the hem flaring out like a suddenly blooming epiphyllum.
Si Que picked up the wine cup again and took another sip of the strong wine.
He glanced down at the remnants of wine swaying in his cup, and a sudden thought brought him joy—he wondered when he would finally pull out the thorn that was You Yuji.
Not long after, Zhenxu brought You Yuji’s clothes, and she went to the inner room to change.
The first snow of winter had come suddenly and stopped quickly.
You Yuji gazed into the distance outside the window, vaguely seeing the silhouette of plum blossoms. She suddenly became interested and said, “Drinking and chatting during the first snow is an elegant affair. So is viewing plum blossoms. Shall we go to the plum grove?”
Without waiting for Si Que to respond, she naturally placed her palm over the back of his hand and immediately added, “Can your body handle it? If you feel tired, we can go another day.”
“I will accompany you,” Si Que smiled.
You Yuji invited Si Que to view the plum blossoms also because she wanted him to go out more.
Si Que changed his clothes and donned a veiled hat before leaving Yunxiao Courtyard. He disliked being praised for his beauty, especially by men, so he often used the veiled hat to shield himself when going out.
This was Si Que’s first time leaving Yunxiao Courtyard. The household servants couldn’t help but steal glances at him. Seeing his face covered by the white veil of the hat, they were disappointed. When Si Que first arrived at the prince’s residence, he didn’t wear a veiled hat, and some servants who had seen his face had been astonished, praising his divine beauty to those who hadn’t seen him. Naturally, the ones who hadn’t seen him were now burning with curiosity.
Once they entered the plum grove, there were no curious gazes.
The first snow was so gentle that it didn’t cover the ground in white. The red plum blossoms on the branches were only dusted with a little bit of white.
You Yuji stood under a red plum tree, looking up at the blossoms. The light reflected by the snow fell on her face, adding a layer of softness to her charming features.
“Do you regret it?”
A strange male voice suddenly sounded from behind, startling You Yuji. She turned to look.
Chen Qi stared deeply at You Yuji’s face and asked again, “Do you regret choosing Chen Anzhi that day?”
Chen Qi was one of the three young lords the Western Empress Dowager had offered for You Yuji to choose from.
You Yuji replied gently, politely, and courteously, “Lord Qi.”
From behind the white veil of his hat, Si Que cast a cold glance at Chen Qi.
