The fragrance emanating from Bai Xiangxiuâs body differed from that of other women. It was fresh and pure like pine and bamboo or cypress, a scent one could only find high in the mountains. The perfume from rouge was so light as to be almost nonexistent. Just where did one raise a girl like this, so sweet and soft to the point she didnât even seem to have any bones?
He subconsciously tightened his grip, worried that sheâd fall.
By the side, the pageboy by his side found the situation amiss. Where was this? The princeâs estate! He could tell that his masterâs expression looked fascinated and affected. If anything happened, wouldnât it offend that strict and rigorous prince? So he hastened to say, âBig sister servant, why arenât you getting up yet? Sir, you havenât been hurt, right?â
Song Jiaoyue laughed bitterly as he let go. Still, his heart ached, a dull pain that never seemed to subside. If possible, he really wanted to hold her for the rest of his life.
Xiao Shi really was frightened and jumped up like a hare. âMadame Xiu, are you alright? Did this servant hurt or crash into you?â
âIâm all right. Has Sir Song been injured?â When Bai Xiangxiu saw Xiao Shi get up, she hastened to follow and dutifully backed away, a marked difference from her behavior before of wanting to get close to him.
At this point, Song Jiaoyue seemed to understand why heâd felt a trace of unease when theyâd first met. It was because she had been secretly staring at him.
He actually felt unused to her lack of attention now, but at the same time, he began to respect this woman. She could put down her feelings just as sheâd taken them up and adapt to the circumstances. What a great difference when compared to him!
Song Jiaoyue felt that he was a man who could only pick someone up and never let them go. âIâm fine, but youâŠhave to take good care of yourself.â His reply was polite but stilted, and he didnât dare look at her face anymore.
Bai Xiangxiu immediately changed the subject. âWhy did Sir Song come by?â
Song Jiaoyue also replied instantly. âNaturally, to inquire after the princeâs injury. Is he better now?â
âAlready much better, please come this way,â Bai Xiangxiu was slightly ill at ease. She kept getting the feeling that Sir Songâs gaze was scorching hot. But that had to be a misconception. After all, didnât he feel nothing? He had no heart. Since he was heartless, she shouldnât think too much either, or else itâd turn everything into a mess.
She led the way forward like a mistress of the household, while Song Jiaoyue watched her from behind. Her figure was slender and pretty, her long hair dutifully piled up on her head to expose a spotlessly white nape.
This Madame Xiuâs beauty certainly had no equal. No one would be able to ignore her when they faced her! Even Long Heng, his ice-cold friend, was no exception. He only hoped that the other could love her a bit more tenderly.
Soon enough, they arrived at Winter Garden. The doors to the courtyard were wide open, since more people had come to visit since the prince was resting here. Bai Xiangxiu walked in first and found the prince still sitting properly on his bed, reading a book. She had no idea heâd gone out earlier, and made a pretense of asking, âYour Highness, Sir Song has arrived to call on you. I donât know ifâŠâ He should come in, or you should go out?
It was obvious that an injured patient shouldnât go out, but she had no idea that his recent headstrong actions had worsened his injury to the point where he couldnât walk.
âLet him come in, you can go rest.â After taking care of matters, she hadnât come back quickly but had run into Song Jiaoyue instead? He didnât know why, but his heart constricted again. He was uncomfortable!
Soon afterwards, someone led Song Jiaoyue inside. Song Jiaoyue had long recovered to his usual self and smiled as soon as he entered. âJust where did you get all these injuries?â Although heâd walked in carelessly, his eyes were still darting around to all corners of the room.
This used to be her sleeping quarters, no? But why were there so many flowers and plants in here, to the point that it seemed a little strange? Still, they smelled very nice, as if heâd entered a garden in the full bloom of spring again. His mood instantly improved as he sat by Long Hengâs side to look at his friend. The upturned corners of his lips proved that their owner was feeling happy.
Long Heng only said a few words, âItâs just a minor injury. Look at you, youâve come visiting this princeâs estate ever since it was built. How did you lose you way into Summer Garden?â
âSummer Garden?â Shoot, he must be overthinking things. He hastily smiled and said, âHow could I not know where Summer Garden is? Youâre rampantly underestimating my memory. I heard that you were treating your wounds elsewhere, so I took a detour. On my way, I happened to meetâŠâ he paused as he saw Long Hengâs pupils violently contract.
Song Jiaoyue inwardly clenched his fists. Indeed, the other valued her, so he continued, âMadame Xiu seemed like she was about to faint, so I supported her for a bit before we both went this way.â It was better to reveal how heâd held her without trying to hide it, rather than have someone else use it as a pretext for gossip in the future. After all, they couldnât be sure that no one else had seen them at that moment.
âFaint?â Long Heng grew worried, though not a trace of it appeared on his face. As a man, he naturally refused to be anyoneâs laughingstock, but his heart was filled with anxiety.
âPrecisely. Letâs not talk about that, were your injuries caused by⊠that person from the Lin family?â Song Jiaoyue intentionally changed the topic and saw Long Hengâs expression completely change. Honestly speaking, that Miss Lin was really impressive if she could cause his friendâs face to change like this.
This was an unpleasant topic as well. It was obvious Long Heng didnât want to talk about the details. After the two of them chatted for a while, Song Jiaoyue stood up. He wasnât the type that normally enjoyed the things in this room, but found his attention drawn to a certain plant. That plant was covered in nothing but thorns. The young lady heâd met by the seaside had taken away something just like this, right?
âWhat is this?â Anyone would be curious about such a thing, right?
âHuoâer⊠no, itâs a cactus,â Long Heng had asked about it too, but Madame Bai had actually given the plant a name. He coughed lightly. Did he lose some dignity naming it like that to his friend?
âCactus? Is it a flower? Or a plant?â He reached out to touch it, but Bai Xiangxiu had long heard their conversation from next door.
âDonât touch it.â Otherwise heâd be pricked and bleed.
Song Jiaoyueâs fingers stopped very close to the plant, his heart thumping. Was she worried for his sake? But wasnât she afraid of Long Heng getting angry if she was so obvious? When he turned back, he saw that Long Heng didnât look like anything out of the ordinary. It looked like he trusted her very much. Or perhaps, he knew sheâd be like this because she was kindhearted. Thatâs right, sheâd always been a kindhearted girl.
Song Jiaoyue withdrew his hand. âMany thanks for pointing it out. But Iâm not sure what the uses of this cactus are?â
So the young lady from the seaside really had been her. Back then, sheâd given her all to obtain this thing, as if she liked it very much.
âCacti have strong survival skills. Originally, they grew in the desert and could be used to treat sunburn. MoreoverâŠâ Urk, once she started talking about plants, she couldnât stop. For a second there, Bai Xiangxiu had almost forgotten about her status. Thankfully, she didnât say too much and soon shut her mouth, a little embarrassed.
Song Jiaoyue was very happy. Although they were separated by a curtain, this was the first time heâd spoken so many words with her. His heart was filled with delight.