Chapter 131: Silly, it's you I love, only you

Feeling Helingfeng's gaze repeatedly fall upon her face, Jin'er could not help but feel a strange sense of wonder in her heart. What on earth was wrong with this fellow today? Why did he feel so peculiar?

Accustomed to his usual furious and arrogant demeanor, this sudden silence and calmness instead made Jin'er somewhat unaccustomed.

After feeding him some water, she prepared to help him lie down and temporarily escape this bizarre atmosphere. Her hand had just touched his shoulder when Helingfeng suddenly spoke up.

"I wish to sit for a moment longer."

"Oh, then call for the maids when you want to lie down." With that, Jin'er was about to stand up and leave, but she felt an unusual sensation in her hand. Looking down, she saw that his slightly cool hand had actually grasped her wrist.

"Stay," Helingfeng said faintly.

Recovering her senses, Jin'er abruptly shook off his hand, quickly stood up, and stepped aside.

"You!" Helingfeng had not expected her to react in such a manner; she looked completely as if she found his hand repulsive, and anger inexplicably flared up in his heart once again.

"What do you mean, 'you'? Do you not understand that men and women should not touch hands when handing things over? Moving your hands and feet around, you are sick to this extent and still won't behave, hmph!" Jin'er muttered as she scanned him up and down with a look reserved for a scoundrel, then turned to leave immediately.

"Halt! This Crown Prince... orders you!" Helingfeng was so infuriated that he could barely get the words out.

This woman was truly impossibly bold, actually daring to speak to him like that and looking at him with such a disdainful gaze?!

"Save it, this young lady doesn't buy that routine." With that, Jin'er turned and strode away.

Lying in bed, Helingfeng was so angry that his chest heaved continuously. Damn it, the gentle side he had seen earlier was definitely an illusion!

——————————————————————

Over the next few days, Helingfeng's condition truly began to improve gradually. However, Jin'er grew increasingly regretful.

Seeing his complexion improve day by day, his temper had grown right along with it. He had a louder voice and much more strength to argue with her now... Left with no other choice, Jin'er simply tried her best to stay away from him, avoiding him whenever possible to spare herself from being angered by him all day long.

On the afternoon of this day, Jin'er once again invited Shitou and Qingyue to the pavilion in the inner courtyard to drink tea.

"Eh? Where did the zither come from?" Qingyue asked with a hint of delight as soon as he stepped into the pavilion and spotted a fine-quality ancient zither on the stone table.

"I asked the Emperor for it," Jin'er smiled and said. "It is truly boring in this palace. Yue, will you teach me how to play this?"

"Very well." Qingyue smiled as he walked forward and sat down next to Jin'er.

"I do have some basic foundation from before, but my practice time was too short, and my skill is not high." Actually, she would have loved to watch Qingyue dance, but she only knew two or three tunes on her leaf flute, and the tone felt far too monotonous, naturally incomparable to this zither.

Today, she had suddenly remembered learning the zither for a period of time with Ying'er back at the Liu estate. Taking advantage of the Earth Emperor's visit to check on the Crown Prince and seeing that the prince had improved significantly and was in high spirits, she had requested the zither to pass the time, and the Earth Emperor had readily agreed.

Clearing the poison from the Crown Prince's body was expected to take two to three months. Learning the zither during this period would not only pass the time but also count as acquiring a new skill, which was quite wonderful.

"Come, I will teach you." Qingyue turned sideways, picked up Jin'er's two small hands, placed them on the strings, and began teaching her hand over hand.

The sound of the zither lingered, the wind stirring their long hair and the hems of their robes. The matching ink-black and snowy-white, the equally peerless appearances, resembled a pair of immortals, so breathtaking that two passing maids froze in their tracks, almost forgetting to breathe.

As for Shiyuan, who was also in the pavilion, while utterly infatuated, he could not help but feel heartache and pain. Eventually, he gently set down his teacup, walked out of the pavilion, and stood not far away with his back to the two of them, leaning against a plum tree and gazing up at the sky in secret sorrow. The two of them looked so wonderfully suited for one another...

A scene like this repeated itself every day, and Jin'er's zither skills improved by leaps and bounds. It was only during the last few days that Shiyuan became reluctant to approach the pavilion, choosing instead to listen to the zither music from afar.

On this day, Jin'er played the zither alone and asked Qingyue to dance for her. Qingyue readily agreed; with a push of his feet, his figure drifted ten paces outside the pavilion.

Jin'er curved her lips into a smile, and her slender, jade-like fingers gently plucked the strings, releasing continuous, melodious zither notes from her fingertips. Opposite her, that snowy-white figure danced gracefully, spinning, flying in circles, turning back to glance... Every time their gazes met, Jin'er's heart would become intoxicated by the charm and allure in his eyes.

"Clap, clap, clap!" A crisp round of applause rang out, cutting the zither music short and instantly halting Qingyue's dance steps.

"Such beautiful zither music, such a beautiful dance." A melodious and pleasant voice echoed. Jin'er and Qingyue followed the sound and saw several people walking out of the plum grove. Walking at the very front was a beautiful young woman of about sixteen or seventeen. Her appearance was fresh and charming, her demeanor elegant and noble, yet her fleeting glances carried a vague, elusive hint of allure.

Could she be...

"Audacious! Why do you not yet pay respects to Her Royal Highness the Princess?!" a young eunuch behind her shrieked in shrill, indignant protest.

Jin'er started slightly, only then remembering the Princess Yunshang she had heard about earlier. Rising to her feet, she stepped out of the pavilion and walked to Qingyue's side.

"There is no need for formalities. I have heard that thanks to the divine doctor's exquisite medical skills, my imperial brother's condition is improving day by day. The divine doctor is a great benefactor to our Earth Nation, so let us dispense with overly formal courtesies," Yunshang said with a faint smile, gazing at the two uncommonly striking figures before her.

"Thank you, Princess. You flatter us," Jin'er replied calmly and with neither servility nor arrogance, wearing a faint smile.

Yunshang smiled faintly without a word, shifting her gaze instead to Qingyue standing beside Jin'er. After giving him what seemed like a casual sweep of her eyes, she turned back to Jin'er and said, "Let us go. Come with me to see my imperial brother." With that, she turned directly and headed toward Helingfeng's bedchamber. A young eunuch, two young maids, and four robust, handsome personal guards followed closely behind her, cutting a rather formidable figure indeed.

Jin'er told Qingyue to remain right where he was, while she followed along at a leisurely pace.

"Imperial Brother," Yunshang entered the room and called out sweetly.

"Imperial Sister, you have come." Helingfeng instructed a maid to help him sit half-upright, curving his lips into a smile. Although both wore smiles on their faces, Jin'er could tell that the two of them did not appear particularly close. She surmised it was likely because the Crown Prince spent year after year confined to his own palace, while the aged Emperor did not permit the princess to frequently disturb him, resulting in the two having very few interactions.

"Seeing that Imperial Brother's complexion has improved considerably, Yunshang is truly pleased. Imperial Brother must continue to rest well and recover your health as soon as possible."

"I shall. Thank you for your concern, Imperial Sister."

After exchanging a few routine pleasantries, Yunshang took her leave. Jin'er also prepared to slip away, but she was called back by Helingfeng.

"What have you been busy with all these days?" Helingfeng asked, frowning as he looked at her, his tone resembling that of a master interrogating a domestic servant.

Aside from meal times, she was nowhere to be seen on other days. He had sent a maid to investigate, and the news he received was that she spent every day practicing the zither in the pavilion with a man as beautiful as an immortal descending from the heavens. It made his anger flare up to no end.

Instead of properly taking care of her patient, she was living quite a carefree life herself!

"What business is it of yours?" Jin'er cast a sideways glance at him and retorted ungraciously.

"You!" Seeing her turn to leave once again, Helingfeng felt a surge of anxiety and hurriedly softened his tone as much as possible to ask, "Can you play the zither?"

Seeing his sudden change in tone, Jin'er found it somewhat difficult to adapt. She paused in her tracks and turned her head to look at him suspiciously.

"So what if I can?"

Seeing her staring fixedly at him, Helingfeng ultimately felt his pride taking a hit. He cleared his throat, turned his head back, lifted his chin, and commanded, "Play a few tunes for me. Lying in bed all day is truly suffocatingly dull."

Seeing him put on the Crown Prince's airs once again, Jin'er rolled her eyes at him in irritation. "If you want to hear music, find your palace musicians. I am a physician, and my only concern is healing illnesses." With that, ignoring the anger and shouting behind her, she departed on her own accord.

"Damn woman! Come back here!" Helingfeng slammed his fist against the edge of the bed in fury, truly wishing he could rush over and drag her back.

Endure! Bear with it a little longer! Once he recovered his health, he would show her how he intended to deal with her! Hmph!

Anger aside, the moment her figure vanished from his sight, a sense of inexplicable loss welled up in the depths of his heart.

He did not know when it had started, but every time she appeared before him, he would always seize the opportunity to lock horns with her; yet the moment she left, he would feel that empty sensation in his heart once more, accompanied by an increasingly intense longing for her return.

He had even dreamed of her several times. What on earth was happening to him?

Inside the pavilion, Qingyue sat at the stone table, his clean, slender fingers lightly brushing the zither strings as he relived the wonderful feeling of teaching Jin'er to practice every day. A faint smile could not help but bloom across his peerless face.

Outside the pavilion, Yunshang gazed infatuatedly at Qingyue's flawless visage, her heart completely overwhelmed by shock. How could such a beautiful man exist in this world? He was simply, quite simply, like a gift bestowed upon her by the heavens.

Adjusting her facial expression, Yunshang stepped forward briskly. Hearing the sound, Qingyue looked up, assuming it was Jin'er. Upon realizing it was the princess he had seen earlier, the smile on his face instantly faded, and he hurriedly stood up.

"Greetings, Princess," Qingyue lowered his eyes and said.

"I already said there is no need for such formalities from you. What is your name?" Yunshang tilted her head, looking up at Qingyue's captivating face with a smile.

Qingyue hesitated for a moment before speaking, "This humble person is Qingyue."

"Qingyue..." Yunshang murmured under her breath with lowered eyes, seemingly very fond of the name. However, she quickly adjusted her expression, sat down beside him with a faint smile, plucked a few strings, and then pressed down on them until the lingering echo died away. Only then did she close her eyes slightly and begin to truly play.

Qingyue stood to the side, staring in a daze. When zither music resembling celestial melodies flowed from her fingertips, his expression gradually softened, and he listened silently until, in the end, he sat down involuntarily, seeming completely captivated.

He had dealt with musical pitches and rhythms all his life, yet this was the first time he had ever heard such beautiful zither music. Not only was the melody as lovely as sounds from heaven, but the player's technique was also extraordinarily high, compelling him to feel a sense of genuine admiration.

When the tune ended, Yunshang turned her head and smiled, "I wonder what the young master thinks of this piece?"

Recovering his wits, Qingyue offered a sincere, gentle smile. "The princess's zither skills are peerless; this humble person is deeply impressed."

That smile of his seemed to make three thousand peach blossoms bloom in brilliant splendor, dazzling her eyes and throwing her heart into disarray. Had she not exercised the utmost control, she would likely have stared in a daze long ago and lost her royal composure.

"They say a kindred spirit is hard to find; I am truly fortunate today."

"No, it is this humble person who is fortunate to hear the princess's divine music."

Hearing this, Yunshang covered her mouth with a light laugh, her clear black-and-white eyes flashing with lively brilliance. "The hour is growing late, I shall take my leave now, and come another day to discuss zither techniques with the young master." With that, she rose, smiled, nodded toward Qingyue, and turned to leave.

Come another day? Qingyue stared blankly at the receding figure, his brow furrowing slightly. He had no wish to become entangled with people of the imperial household.

"The person is already out of sight, and yet you are still staring? You might as well just chase after her directly." A familiar voice came from the side, dripping with immense sourness.

Recovering his senses, Qingyue turned his head to see that Jin'er had walked up. Her small mouth was slightly pouted, and refusing to even look at him, she sat down and began furiously strumming the zither strings in an outburst of vent, producing music that was high-pitched and grating to the ear.

Hmph! She was jealous! She admitted that she was jealous! Catching sight of the two of them sitting together from afar had made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable; later, seeing Qingyue completely captivated had made it even harder to bear. What made her suffer most was that even after the princess had walked far away, he was still gazing after her in a daze. At that very moment, she realized the weight Qingyue held in her heart was by no means light.

The mere thought of his affectionate gaze lingering around another woman made her heart ache in an indescribable way.

Suddenly, Jin'er felt her hand tighten. Looking back, she saw that Qingyue had taken hold of her hand.

"Jin'er." Qingyue tightened his grip on her hand, looking at her with a half-smile. "Are you jealous?"

"Who is jealous? I just found it an eyesore!" Though Jin'er adamantly refused to admit it out loud, her expression and tone made it obvious to a fool that she was jealous—and exceedingly so.

Qingyue pursed his lips and smiled as he looked at her, his eyes brimming with delight and amusement. She was jealous, which showed that she cared deeply for him in her heart. Wonderful!

"You—you are still smiling!" Seeing that he did not speak, Jin'er turned her head only to run right into his breathtaking yet infuriatingly charming smile. In her exasperation, she blurted out, "噌" (with a darting motion), stood up as if to leave, but her arm was suddenly tugged, causing her body to lose balance and fall backward.

"Ah!" With a startled cry, the next moment she found herself seated right on Qingyue's lap.

"Let me go!" Jin'er's cheeks burned with heat, her face flushing as she spoke ungraciously while struggling to stand up, only to feel her waist tighten as she was reeled into his embrace.

Qingyue raised a hand to gently pinch her chin, forcing her to turn her face and look at him.

"I love the look of you being jealous." He chuckled softly, the corners of his eyes lifting, his dazzling eyes shining brightly.

Just as Jin'er opened her mouth to refute him, she saw his eyes darken, and his exceptionally attractive lips descended, covering her own.

Jin'er's body stiffened, completely forgetting to struggle.

Qingyue kissed her deeply for a moment before parting slightly from her lips. "You fool, I love you, only you..." After a gentle murmur, he kissed her lovely cherry lips once more, greedily and possessively claiming them as if no amount of taking could ever make up for the longing and yearning he had felt for her every single day during this time apart.

She was the one he loved most, his only love, the air, the morning sun, the rain and dew in his life... his everything. How could he possibly make her understand just how deeply he loved her...

Following a lingering, passionate kiss, Jin'er leaned against his chest, breathing slightly, the blush on her face making her look exceedingly charming and alluring.

Lowering his gaze, Qingyue looked at her affectionately, his hand covering her soft cheek as his thumb gently stroked her skin. "Are you still angry?"

Hearing this, Jin'er's cheeks grew slightly warm again. She bit her lip, lowered her gaze, and remained silent.

Seeing her looking so shy, Qingyue gently pulled her into his embrace and held her tight, a soft, helpless sigh escaping the depths of his heart.

He truly wanted to swallow her whole, keep her all to himself, make her never leave him, and make her belong to him alone forever...

————————————————————————

As night fell, a figure draped in colorful phoenix and golden silk brocade robes, surrounded by an entourage of palace attendants, was threading along the winding paths of the imperial garden.

A chilly wind blew, the winter plum blossoms exuded their fragrance, and the night scenery illuminated by palace lanterns appeared as enchanting and bewitching as a woman. Suddenly, an ethereal and melodious sound of a flute drifted over from the plum grove ahead.

"Audacious wretch, who goes there?!" an attendant by her side shouted sternly, but was stopped by a wave of the hand from the regal and noble middle-aged woman at the very front.

The flute music did not pause for even a split second, as if completely undisturbed.

With a hint of doubt, the woman walked forward slowly, approaching the source of the flute music step by step. The attendants behind her followed closely, every single one of them heightening their alertness and standing on full guard.

Winding past a few clumps of plum trees, a wondrous back came into view before everyone...

The person was clad in white garments, with a head of ink-black, waist-length hair falling naturally and smoothly behind them. The flute played on in low, lingering notes, and the long hair fluttered in the wind, making them look like an immortal descended to the mortal realm.

Suddenly, the flute music ceased. The person lowered the jade flute, dropped their hands, and slowly turned around.

Everyone caught their breath in unison. The noble woman, in particular, had her eyes light up, her jaw dropping open in astonishment, unable to close it for a long time.

"Yuhang..." The woman recovered her senses, pleasantly surprised. However, just as she wanted to take a step forward, she abruptly froze. Her expression suddenly shifted, and she sternly shouted, "Who are you?!"

She had almost truly mistaken him for Yuhang. Yet the person before her was clearly Yuhang in his youth. Although the present Yuhang still retained his charm, it was difficult for him to mask the erosion of passing years; how could he possibly still possess such a youthful and flourishing appearance as the person before her?

The white-clad handsome man did not speak. Instead, he gave her a deep look, suddenly turned, and leapt upward. Landing his stride, he vanished into the plum grove ahead, disappearing without a trace.

"After him! Pursue!" The attendants behind the woman cried out in alarm, and a group of imperial guards swiftly gave chase. The next moment, the entire imperial palace was thrown into an uproar; torches flickered and moved about, with shouts to catch the assassin ringing out everywhere, yet the assassin's figure seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Returning to her bedchamber, her thoughts spun a thousand times over. Her mind refused to shake off that familiar yet long-absent figure, as if she had returned to the past.

She slowly walked over to the dressing table, allowing her maid to remove the heavy hair ornaments from her head one by one. Her gaze locked firmly onto the reflection in the mirror—a face with sagging skin and wrinkled features, long since lacking the stunning beauty of the past—and boundless desolation arose in her heart.

Most difficult of all to retain in the mortal world are the rosy cheeks of youth facing the mirror, just as flowers abandon the tree...