Chapter 13: Liking

“It was back when I was learning the palace rules in the imperial palace.

“Whenever you saw me back then, you’d stroll right past as if I were invisible. I wanted to befriend you, but I never got the chance.”

As Shi Yuning spoke, a sense of grievance bubbled up inside her. Back then, she had been all alone in the unfamiliar palace, full of anxiety and unease, and Xie Zhaoran wouldn’t even give her the time of day.

Xie Zhaoran was surprised too. During that period, she had indeed gone out of her way to avoid Shi Yuning.

But she never would have guessed that Shi Yuning had wanted to befriend her…

“You returned to the capital right when storm clouds were gathering and unrest was brewing. If I’d gotten close to you then, you might have ended up in trouble.”

Xie Zhaoran didn’t go into the specific dangers of the time. That was one reason she had kept her distance from Shi Yuning, but hardly the only one.

There were other reasons too, though it wasn’t the right moment to share them. She didn’t want to frighten Shi Yuning.

Shi Yuning listened to Xie Zhaoran’s vague yet sincere words. She recalled the Crown Prince’s illness during that stretch, and how Xie Zhaoran had married into the Eastern Palace just a month later.

She had attended that rushed wedding ceremony.

The Crown Prince had been absent the entire time; Xie Zhaoran had completed the rites all by herself. Her mother had remarked at the time how unfair it was to Xie Zhaoran.

At the thought, Shi Yuning blushed over her own baseless suspicions. Having finally gotten an answer, she was ready to let the matter drop.

“So that means… you don’t dislike me?”

Xie Zhaoran gazed at the stubborn young woman before her, waiting intently for her reply.

Unfortunately, for all that the question revolved around liking or disliking, it wasn’t the romantic sort of affection Xie Zhaoran had in mind.

Xie Zhaoran’s eyes flickered, her gaze sharpening as it fixed on Shi Yuning.

Not far behind Shi Yuning stood the residence of some household, a dimly glowing yellow lantern hanging beneath its eaves and casting light over their little patch of ground.

“Look at that lantern light under the eaves.”

Xie Zhaoran gave a slight nod toward the space behind Shi Yuning, the glow flickering in her own eyes.

Shi Yuning turned to look.

“Moths are always drawn to lamplight. People say a moth to a flame is its inevitable fate. I never quite believed it before.”

Shi Yuning was utterly baffled at the sudden shift in topic.

“What about the moths?”

Xie Zhaoran gave Shi Yuning a deep, intense look, a spark kindling in her eyes that burned bright.

“To me, you are that lamplight to a moth.”

“Do I like you or not?”

A gust of wind swept through. The lamp wick beneath the eaves struggled fiercely for a moment, its flame flickering wildly before holding steady against the breeze and shining even brighter.

Drifting clouds parted before the wind, unveiling the moon they had briefly shrouded.

Silence blanketed the world, the air alive only with the lingering, upturned lilt at the end of Xie Zhaoran’s question.

Shi Yuning stared in a daze as silvery moonlight bathed Xie Zhaoran’s face. Her long, thick lashes quivered faintly, like butterflies poised to take wing.

What moth? Shi Yuning thought. With colors that beautiful, they could belong to the loveliest butterfly imaginable.

But what exactly did Xie Zhaoran mean? That she herself was the lamplight to Xie Zhaoran’s moth?

Did Xie Zhaoran want to throw herself at her?

Chaos reigned in Shi Yuning’s mind. For the first time, she found herself agreeing with her father when he’d once said her brain just didn’t work right—that her thoughts never quite clicked into place.

Right now, they certainly weren’t.

Xie Zhaoran’s gaze, aggressive and unrelenting, stayed locked on Shi Yuning’s face.

Every time she saw Shi Yuning, her heart raced with heat, just like after completing a full set of swings with her meteor hammer.

At their first meeting, the Crown Prince lay at death’s door. Prince Yu’s faction had colluded with Prince Qiwei amid a volatile court and unrest at the Border Pass. Her plan with her imperial sister was only halfway executed.

To plot more effectively and foil Prince Yu’s schemes, Xie Zhaoran had resolutely married into the Eastern Palace.

For the past six months, she had toiled day and night, laying intricate plans and weaving through countless maneuvers. Now, everything was falling into place.

She could hold back no longer. She had to lay eyes on the flame that had burned in her heart for so long.

And there it was, right before her—so warm, so dazzling.

If also a little dim-witted.

Ever since Xie Zhaoran spoke, Shi Yuning’s mind had been replaying her words over and over. She didn’t fully grasp what Xie Zhaoran was trying to convey, but she was certain it wasn’t dislike.

Shi Yuning supposed Xie Zhaoran must be saying she liked her. Plenty of people had expressed their fondness for her before—her father called her a cheeky little squirrel, her mother said she was tough as a monkey.

Her uncle and aunt had once dubbed her Linzhou’s most radiant sunflower.

So many had voiced their liking for her. Then why did Xie Zhaoran’s words feel so strangely off-kilter?

It was as if a tiny kitten had slipped into her chest, lapping at her gently with its rough little tongue—sending tingles of numbness rippling through her.

In the midst of her daze, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly rang out ahead.

Xie Zhaoran swiftly drew the stunned Shi Yuning backward, retreating beneath the eaves.

Four silver-saddled gray horses pulled a carriage, with teams of mounted guards riding alongside on either flank. The procession thundered past without a care, toppling tables and chairs from the wonton stall along the way and not sparing them a glance.

The stall owner had already wheeled his cart aside long before and didn’t dare demand compensation.

“That’s Prince Yu’s carriage,” Xie Zhaoran said once it had passed into the distance. “It looks like he’s heading for the palace.”

These days, just the mention of Prince Yu filled Shi Yuning with disgust and rage. The anger she had only just calmed surged back to life.

“Is there no way to punish a black-hearted, lawless wretch like Prince Yu?!”

“How would you punish him?”

Shi Yuning puffed out her cheeks in fury. “Even if we can’t haul him before the law, we could at least beat him black and blue—enough to keep him bedridden for three months!”

Xie Zhaoran let out a soft chuckle. “Good.”

Shi Yuning blinked. “?”

She whipped around to peer up at Xie Zhaoran and saw no trace of a jest. “You’re serious?”

Xie Zhaoran took in Shi Yuning’s eager spark, the eager glint leaping in her eyes, and found she adored seeing her so vibrantly alive.

“Of course.”

Why else tell Shi Yuning all this? Not to reveal the truth only for her to choke down her fury and let the culprit walk free.

With her imperial sister’s plans advancing smoothly, Prince Yu could hardly stir up much more trouble.

Shi Yuning ground her molars. “Then when do we strike? I’m itching to go right now.”

“Tonight.” Xie Zhaoran eyed Shi Yuning’s state—if they didn’t thrash him tonight, she wouldn’t sleep a wink.

Shi Yuning gaped in shock. “Just like that? No planning?”

Xie Zhaoran thought her wide-eyed stare was utterly endearing, like a stubborn little donkey whose ears had perked up at the promise of a night to frolic free.

“Beating Prince Yu is no big deal. Whenever you want to do it.”

All her painstaking work over the past half year had been for this: so the person she cherished could act without restraint.

Xie Zhaoran’s words rang with such dominance. To Shi Yuning, the woman before her seemed to blaze like fireworks—radiant and mighty.

“Perfect! I’m full of energy now!” Shi Yuning patted her belly. Tonight’s wontons hadn’t gone to waste.

She seized Xie Zhaoran’s hand to chase after the vanishing carriage, only for Xie Zhaoran to hold her back.

Shi Yuning turned to her in confusion, brows furrowing.

“Not going?”

Xie Zhaoran reached out to tuck a loose strand of Shi Yuning’s hair behind her ear, then gently pinched her soft, plump earlobe.

“We have to go back and round up some helpers first.”

In the Eastern Palace, within the Crown Prince’s courtyard, the Crown Prince listened as Eunuch Xiaolin reported the situation.

Eunuch Xiaolin hadn’t wanted to disturb the Crown Prince’s rest, but the Crown Princess had rushed back to the residence and taken every last one of his elite guards and hidden protectors with him.

Something major must have occurred.

With his heart in his throat, he had roused the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince grew curious upon hearing that the Crown Princess had returned in person to claim the men.

“Send someone to follow and observe.” He paused, then added, “The Crown Princess is always measured in her actions. Tell them to protect her from the shadows without interfering in whatever the Crown Princess intends to do.”

Though he had no idea what the Crown Princess was up to so late at night, she wasn’t the impulsive type and must have planned it meticulously.

It wasn’t long before the scouts Eunuch Xiaolin dispatched returned with news.

“The Crown Princess headed toward the palace gates with the young lady from the Shi Family. This subordinate trailed them for a stretch before Miss Qin Xiao spotted me.”

“Miss Qin Xiao sent this subordinate back to inform Your Highness that the Crown Princess intends to ambush Prince Yu. The Crown Princess also instructed Miss Qin Xiao to pass a message to Your Highness…”

The guard captain faltered, reluctant to repeat it.

Seeing his hesitation, the Crown Prince knew it was no polite phrase.

“Just speak plainly. You are absolved.”

The guard captain exhaled in relief and relayed the Crown Princess’s words verbatim.

“The Crown Princess bade Your Highness retire early… mind your own business… it’s a spur-of-the-moment decision… she won’t take Prince Yu’s life… just… just plans to break one of his legs…”

The guard captain drew a deep breath upon finishing. Prince Yu was the Crown Prince’s brother, after all—one of His Majesty’s two remaining sons. The Crown Princess was far too brazen.

The Crown Prince fell silent, thoroughly embarrassed.

He had only just assured Eunuch Xiaolin that the Crown Princess handled matters with careful planning, and here Zhaoran had acted on pure impulse!

“Who did you say the Crown Princess brought along?” The Crown Prince asked abruptly, as if he’d caught a certain name.

“The daughter of Marquis Shi—Miss Shi, who’s been visiting the Eastern Palace frequently of late,” the guard captain replied honestly.

The Crown Prince frowned in puzzlement. “Why were they together so late at night?”

“This subordinate doesn’t know,” the guard captain said, then added thoughtfully, “The Crown Princess scaled the wall alone in the evening and returned with Miss Shi at her side.”

“I see!” The Crown Prince pressed his lips together, understanding dawning in his eyes. “This prince understands. Keep surveilling from afar to safeguard the Crown Princess. Otherwise, stay out of it.”

“Yes. This subordinate takes his leave.”

Once the guard captain had withdrawn, the Crown Prince found himself too alert to sleep. He gazed through the latticed window at the moonlight outside—a gentle, serene night.

Truth be told, it had taken him time to come to terms with Zhaoran’s particular tastes after learning of them. At first, he’d assumed her affections lay with his imperial sister.

Zhaoran had always loved playing with his imperial sister as children, after all.

That would have been a real headache. But now that he knew it was Shi Yuning, he felt much more at ease.

If Zhaoran’s feelings ran that deep, worst case they could simply abduct Shi Yuning—far simpler than trying it with his imperial sister.

Beyond the city walls, beside the official road in a wind-sheltered hollow, a modest campfire crackled. The imperial sister on the Crown Prince’s mind—the Great Enterprise Dynasty’s Eldest Princess Xiao Liju—let out a mighty sneeze.

Her attendant maid hurried to drape a thick, quilted cloak over Xiao Liju’s shoulders. “Your Highness has sneezed three times now. Surely you haven’t caught a chill?”

Xiao Liju yanked the stopper from her wineskin and took a hearty swig, warming her body as she replied, “This Palace is built tough. Someone in the Imperial Capital must be thinking of me.”

She downed another gulp, scattering much of the chill from their all-night journey. Turning to her maid, she asked, “Any homing pigeon messages from the Crown Prince today?”

The maid shook her head. “None these past five or six days. He must know Your Highness will arrive in the capital soon enough to speak face-to-face.”

Xiao Liju curved her lips in a smirk. Her brother could never contain his gossip for long; there must simply be none worth sharing lately.

She recalled what the Crown Prince had written about—Zhaoran’s hidden beloved, the granddaughter of Marquis Yunxiang Shi Chao.

She had once shared a battlefield with Marquis Shi. Though past fifty now, he was still hailed in the ranks for his upright bearing and heroic stature.

Age had etched lines on his face, yet it was clear he had been strikingly handsome in his youth.

A granddaughter raised in Jiangnan must be a beauty without equal, to stir the heart of someone as aloof as Zhaoran.

In Xiao Liju’s mind sprang the image of a graceful Jiangnan lady.

“Pass the order: rest here for half an hour, then move out.”

She could hardly wait to meet this elegant beauty.