Chapter 40 - Fortunately

 Pei Xiuyan had never lost his temper with Zhao Yujiao. His sudden scolding made Zhao Yujiao tremble, and her lips turned pale.

She lowered her head timidly. "Prince... I'm sorry... Did I say something wrong... I... I..."

While speaking, her tears were like beads that had broken off the string. Her eyes were instantly covered with a layer of mist. She was like a frightened deer, which made people feel pity.

Pei Xiuyan realised that he had just scolded Zhao Yujiao because he was angry that she mentioned Ye Chuyan. For a moment, he regretted it and was irritated. He took a breath and softened his face and voice.

"Jiaojiao, be obedient and stop crying. I was wrong just now. I didn't sleep all night, and there were many things going on in the palace yesterday. I'm really in a bad mood today."

Zhao Yujiao secretly glanced at Pei Xiuyan while crying. Seeing that he had regained his gentleness towards her in the past, she stopped crying with sobs. She knew that Pei Xiuyan had feelings for Ye Chuyan. After such a thing happened, she had to find out how Pei Xiuyan would deal with Ye Chuyan.

So she said very considerately, "Your Majesty, I just wanted to say that my sister was humiliated at the palace banquet. She has always been arrogant. Will she be heartbroken and do something stupid? Your Majesty, go and see my sister."

Pei Xiuyan was distracted for a moment. No, after he confessed his feelings to Ye Chuyan yesterday, she would not do anything stupid. But he really wanted to see Ye Chuyan at this time.

Zhao Yujiao gently grabbed Pei Xiuyan's hand and said, "Your Highness..."

Pei Xiuyan came back to his senses and looked at Zhao Yujiao. Seeing that her eyes were slightly red, she was still trying her best to suppress the grievance in her heart. She persuaded him to comfort Ye Chuyan, and suddenly he felt even more guilty. Zhao Yujiao was his lifesaver; she was considerate and pitiful. Why did he get angry with her just now?

He reached out and stroked Zhao Yujiao's black hair.

Zhao Yujiao lowered her head shyly and whispered, "Prince——"

This sound was like a cat's cry, tickling people's hearts.

Pei Xiuyan held Zhao Yujiao in his arms, his voice a little tired.

"Jiaojiao, I have been busy with the palace for a while, and I haven't been with you for a long time. After sending the new emperor of Beirong away, I will take you to hunt in the suburbs, okay?"

This made Zhao Yujiao completely relieved. Just now, she was still worried that Pei Xiuyan was angry with her because he liked Ye Chuyan. Now she found that even if Pei Xiuyan had some feelings for Ye Chuyan, it was still not as good as her position in Pei Xiuyan's heart. So she pushed Pei Xiuyan away, gently smoothed the small wrinkles on his clothes, and said softly, "Prince, wash up and go to see my sister."

Pei Xiuyan nodded, arranged for someone to wash him and change his clothes, and then went to Jianjia Garden.

Zhao Yujiao watched Pei Xiuyan go from the study to Jianjia Garden until she could no longer see him, then she happily returned to her courtyard with Hongying.

Hongying was really puzzled and asked, "Miss Zhao, how could you persuade the prince to go to Jianjia Garden?"

Zhao Yujiao was in a very good mood and smiled. She asked back, "Do you think men like women who look at them with a frown or women who are gentle and considerate?"

Hongying answered without thinking, "Of course they like women who are gentle and considerate."

Zhao Yujiao smiled but said nothing when she heard this. Based on her understanding of Ye Chuyan, Ye Chuyan must have hated Pei Xiuyan because of the palace banquet. If Pei Xiuyan went to visit Ye Chuyan in the name of comforting her, Ye Chuyan would definitely speak ill of him. In contrast to the two, Pei Xiuyan would find out how considerate and gentle he was.

However, Zhao Yujiao didn't know that Pei Xiuyan and Ye Chuyan expressed their true feelings to each other in the Imperial Medical Bureau yesterday. She thought that her persuasion was perfect and returned to her courtyard in a good mood.

 

※

 

Ye Chuyan didn't sleep all night. When she woke up in the morning, her eyes were dark blue.

Bai Zhi felt very distressed when she saw this. She made a soothing soup and persuaded Ye Chuyan to drink it and then sleep for a while. Ye Chuyan knew that Bai Zhi was doing it for her own good, but she had something important to do today, so she naturally refused.

The master and servant were still arguing when Pei Xiuyan came.

Bai Zhi felt mixed emotions. She had heard everything about yesterday from Yan Xue. Seeing Pei Xiuyan now, she really couldn't be happy. She was also worried that Pe Xiuyan would embarrass Ye Chuyan because of her. Although she was reluctant, she still bowed respectfully.

Pei Xiuyan didn't care about Bai Zhi's subtle expressions. He waved his hand to let her leave and said that he wanted to be alone with Ye Chuyan.

Yan Xue accompanied Bai Zhi to guard outside the door. He noticed that Bai Zhi looked unhappy and asked with concern, "Miss Bai Zhi, are you okay?"

Bai Zhi glared at Yan Xue unhappily and snorted coldly. Following such a master, Yan Xue must not be a good person. It's a pity that her heart beat faster every time she saw Yan Xue before. She was really blind.

Yan Xue was confused, and he was a bit confused. "Miss Bai Zhi, if Yan Xue did something wrong, please tell me."

Baizhi said angrily, "What did you do wrong? The prince asked the princess to dance barefoot in front of everyone; why didn't you help persuade the prince?"

Yan Xue was speechless...

It took a long time before he explained dryly, "Miss Baizhi, you misunderstood. The prince had no choice but to do what happened yesterday. The emperor and so many ministers were watching. If the prince offended Beirong, the Qing Palace would become the target of public criticism in the future."

He thought for a while and said, "In fact, the prince has always had the princess in his heart. Yesterday, the princess had an accident in the cold palace. The prince was so angry that his face turned black. Later, the prince took the princess to the Imperial Medical Bureau. He had already explained it to the princess in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and the princess also forgave the prince."

Yan Xue felt a little regretful after he finished speaking. The master's affairs were absolutely confidential, and he told Bai Zhi all this as if possessed by a ghost.

Bai Zhi's face changed again and again after hearing this. Finally, he asked uncertainly, "Are you telling the truth?"

Yan Xue saw Bai Zhi curling her lips out of anger, and her round little face looked at him, and his ears turned red.

"Of course... of course it's true. The prince will definitely treat the princess well in the future."

Bai Zhi thought for a while, and her expression finally eased, and she smiled with the corners of her mouth curved.

Yan Xue secretly peeked at Bai Zhi, and saw that she smiled with curved eyebrows and a little playfulness in her tenderness. His heart tightened, and he looked at the yard with a tense face, not daring to look at Bai Zhi again. The two stood outside the house with their own thoughts. 

The two people in the house also had their own thoughts. Ye Chuyan didn't know why Pei Xiuyan came to Jianjia Garden so early in the morning. Thinking of the fact that she and Pei Xiuyan had just resolved the misunderstanding yesterday and were affectionate, she had to continue pretending today.

"Prince, why are you here?"

Pei Xiuyan said nothing, but suddenly went up to hug Ye Chuyan and rubbed her hard in his arms. "Ayan, can you call me Brother Yan like before?"

Brother Yan? Ye Chuyan felt a chill all over her body, and resisted the desire to push Pei Xiuyan away, laughing and joking:

"Prince, I called you Brother Yan before because I was not yet a marriageable woman, and you and I were not married. Now you are the Prince of Qing, who is above everyone else. If I call you Brother Yan again, people will hear it, and I will definitely be laughed at."

She was glad that she couldn't see his face when she hugged him, and Pei Xiuyan couldn't see the hatred and disgust rolling in her eyes when she said this.