Due to the sudden downpour, by the time dusk fell, the sky had darkened considerably. The paths within the temple were mostly muddy trails, making it difficult to venture out. The Ning’an County Princess and Wei Lingci had only come to visit friends, and with the rain starting, they decided to take shelter at the Princess Consort’s place for a short while.
But now, it seemed they wouldn’t be able to leave the temple gates. They had no choice but to ask the temple monks to accommodate them for the night. However, many visitors who had come to offer incense were in the same predicament—delayed and unable to return home. The guest rooms were already scarce, and now they felt overcrowded.
The Pingnan Prince’s Consort had made arrangements in advance and selected a secluded, independent courtyard. After the rain began, she hadn’t left either. Now, the spacious courtyard had two extra guest rooms, which conveniently accommodated the Ning’an County Princess and her daughter.
Wei Lingci and her mother stayed in the room directly across from Xun Changqing’s. When the Second Imperial Prince Xun Yiran arrived, the Imperial Capital—which hadn’t seen rain for half a month—encountered the heaviest storm of the year. Rain poured down in sheets, the sky grew overcast, and as if that weren’t enough, several claps of thunder rumbled suddenly.
It was the flash of lightning from the thunder that allowed Xun Changqing, who had opened the window for some air, to spot the young man in dark robes. She stood at the window, watching him. Over these years, many outdated customs had changed because of the Ningyuan Emperor’s identity as a woman. Women could now enter officialdom, so what rules couldn’t be broken? Searching for someone at dusk—if no one with ulterior motives noticed—hardly seemed disgraceful.
Xun Yiran wore a fresh-colored robe. Even though he had come through the downpour, only the lower half of his boots was wet; the rest of him remained clean and neat. Everyone at Lingyun Mountain knew of his affection for Wei Lingci, though faint rumors in the Imperial Capital had been suppressed by the Empress.
In the Empress’s eyes, Wei Lingci’s status wasn’t sufficient for her to be the principal wife of the eldest legitimate imperial prince. What she favored was a noble daughter from a great clan, someone who could help Xun Yiran ascend to the throne.
There was a beauty whom, once seen, he could not forget! That was exactly Xun Yiran’s mood.
The first to emerge was the Ning’an County Princess. The two exchanged a few polite words, but Xun Changqing, watching unblinkingly from the opposite window with her ink-black eyes, stared at them for a long time without seeing Wei Lingci. Could she not be there?
Rain slanted through the window, gathering into droplets on Xun Changqing’s eyelashes and brows, trickling down her cheeks and into her collar. She stood there oblivious, gazing out, her heart filled with suppressed anxiety and irritation. Unbeknownst to her, the door opened. By the time she noticed, the familiar peach blossom scent from earlier wafted to her nose.
Before she could turn, someone pulled her back slightly. The window slammed shut in front of her. She whipped around quickly, her eyes lighting up—it was Wei Lingci again.
But shouldn’t she be across the way? Why had she come to her room?
Wei Lingci immediately noticed the rainwater on her face, like a child caught playing in the rain by an adult.
But Xun Changqing wasn’t truly a child. Looking at the uninvited guest with clear displeasure, she pouted and said, “Why did you enter my room again without knocking?”
Wei Lingci paused, seeing her sweet smile and the mischievous glint in her half-narrowed peach-blossom eyes. She inwardly sighed at the child’s vengeful nature—this time, she was indeed in the wrong. Compromising, she said, “It’s my fault. Young Master, may I borrow your room to sit for a moment?”
If she were really an eight-year-old child, she might have been fooled. But Xun Changqing clearly wasn’t. She knew Wei Lingci was avoiding Xun Yiran. And now, being together with her wouldn’t be bad at all. Why interfere and play into the Second Prince’s hands?
Most importantly, why should she help Wei Lingci? If she truly married, it would remove one of her worries, sparing her constant unease and thoughts of the past, fearing she’d be deceived by her again as in her previous life.
With that in mind, she turned her gaze to the door, her tone extremely gentle and perfectly obedient. “Very well. I just saw Second Brother arrive. I’ll lend you the room—I’ll go find him across the way.”
Children couldn’t keep secrets. If she went, she’d give everything away. Wei Lingci’s expression darkened at once. Seeing her about to open the door, she hurriedly commanded, “You’re not allowed to go.”
Not allowed again. In her previous life, Xun Changqing had heard those words countless times from her. Now, they’d only met twice, their statuses different, yet she still bossed her around. Wei Lingci was much taller than her, her bundled hair slightly disheveled, lips pale and dry as she stared at her angrily.
Xun Changqing gritted her teeth, glaring back defiantly, her small face tense as she shot back stiffly, “Why not? Miss Wei isn’t my elder, and your rank isn’t higher than mine. On what authority do you order me around?”
“Oh?” Hearing this, Wei Lingci pursed her lips, found a seat by the table, and sat down calmly. She tapped her fingertips on the desk, signaling Xun Changqing to come closer. Obediently, she did. Only then did Wei Lingci say indifferently, “Didn’t the Princess Consort tell you? Today, she asked me to take you as my apprentice and bring you back to Lingyun Mountain. Right now, you should call me Master.”
