Chapter 11 

The rain gradually stopped as the sun began to set.

The hot summer night suddenly cooled down after the heavy rain.

The rain had washed through the leaves and soil, leaving round water droplets on the dark green leaves. A closer look revealed the half-moon hanging in the night sky reflected in them.

The strong smell of fresh grass filled the air.

The wake-up call rang out, covering the chirping of insects in the night grass, echoing through the long night.

“Pa-ta-pa-ta~”

Ning Yuan walked quickly, not noticing the puddles left on the ground as he stepped through them.

His face showed worry…

He had thought that the people he hired to change Ah Qiao’s yard were smart.

But what he didn’t expect was that they were so “obedient” that they even chose to change her yard in the middle of the heavy rain…

Wasn’t this a trick on him?

The gate to Cuihu Courtyard was right in front of him, but Ning Yuan suddenly stopped.

He had just received the news and rushed over without even having a drink of water.

Now, as he stood at the final step, he felt nervous.

Looking at the closed yellow pear wood door, Ning Yuan couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Today, with the heavy rain, Ah Qiao was probably furious with him…

He raised his hand, hesitating whether to knock, when the door suddenly creaked open from the inside.

…

Compared to the courtyard where she had lived before, Cuihu Courtyard was not only in a much better location but also had a small kitchen. When she was hungry at night, she could get up and heat something to eat, so she wouldn’t have to go to bed hungry.

But when she came out to stew lotus seeds, she heard footsteps approaching the door of the courtyard.

She thought it was the maid bringing fresh bedding, but when she opened the door, it was Jiang Huai standing there.

She couldn’t help but wonder if he was here to ask her to move back.

Help…

Just thinking about it made her anger rise again.

She furrowed her brows in irritation.

It had only been the second day since he had woken up, so why was he so upset?

“What brings His Majesty here so late?” she asked.

He’d better not cause her more trouble.

Although Xu Lianqiao thought this way, since she hadn’t gotten He Lishu^[1]means a separation or divorce agreement in Chinese. It’s a formal document where a couple agrees on the terms of parting ways, like dividing property or responsibilities. yet, she couldn’t express her anger. She could only hold it in, hoping that He Lishu would solve everything for her.

Ning Yuan, however, felt guilty. After all, he had caused Ah Qiao to get caught in the rain. He glanced around the courtyard awkwardly and tried to make an excuse with a slight embarrassment.

“The osmanthus tree in the courtyard looks nice.”

Xu Lianqiao turned to look at the tree in question, clearly puzzled, and corrected him.

“Your Majesty, that’s a jujube tree.”

The silence lingered for a moment…

Seeing that his excuse failed, Ning Yuan lowered his gaze to the tree right beside him. Xu Lianqiao was standing far away, wearing a light sandalwood double-breasted jacket. Her eyebrows were curved, and her long black hair seemed damp, as if she had just taken a bath.

But despite her relaxed appearance, her frown betrayed a hint of annoyance.

He apologized earnestly, his voice soft.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it would rain today. I asked you to move here because I thought you’d be more comfortable. I didn’t mean to make things difficult for you.”

Xu Lianqiao was taken aback by Jiang Huai’s apology. She looked up and met his eyes.

As she gazed at the light from the house behind her, she noticed that Jiang Huai was looking at her with a deep, sincere expression.

His eyes no longer held the same disdain as before. Instead, they were filled with sincerity.

She was stunned…

Jiang Huai wasn’t trying to manipulate her into falling in love with him, only to abandon her later.

“Oh.”

She didn’t know what to say, so she just responded softly.

In truth, she wanted to ask why he had suddenly changed his attitude, what had happened to him, but…

She was afraid of saying the wrong thing and provoking him. After all, she still needed his help to get He Lishu. Who knew what a person was like after waking up from such a long coma? So, she kept reminding herself to stay patient and wait for He Lishu to help with everything.

“Achoo~”

Unable to hold back her curiosity, she sneezed.

She couldn’t turn her head quickly enough, and with her hands still on the door, she feared it might offend Jiang Huai.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” she apologized.

It seemed like the universe was playing a trick on her.

She expected Jiang Huai to be angry, but to her surprise, his voice was filled with concern.

“Are you cold? Come inside quickly. It’s chilly out here.”

He raised his hand, as if to touch her, but then quickly pulled it back.

He reached for the door instead, closed it, and gestured for her to come inside.

“Go inside first. I’ll make you some ginger soup,” he said.

Xu Lianqiao watched him walk into the kitchen, then glanced back at the jujube tree that Jiang Huai had mistakenly called an osmanthus. Something felt off, but a cold gust of wind made her shiver, so she decided not to think about it for now. Her priority was to get inside and warm up.

…

The candle flickered.

Xu Lianqiao had been waiting in the room for almost fifteen minutes when the door opened, and Jiang Huai entered, holding a bowl of ginger soup. His fingers were twitching slightly, showing how hot the bowl was.

After placing the ginger soup in front of her, he quickly withdrew his hands and sat on a nearby stool.

“Drink it while it’s hot,” he said.

Xu Lianqiao glanced at his little gesture and almost smiled, but she stopped herself. She turned slightly to the side, picked up the spoon, and took a spoonful of the ginger soup.

However, just as the spoonful entered her mouth, she heard him speak again.

“Be careful, don’t burn yourself.”

But it was a little too late.

“Hiss…” she winced as she burned herself.

Seeing this, Ning Yuan immediately felt a pang in his heart. He quickly stood up, held her face gently, and looked at her mouth.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too serious.

But looking at her—her red lips glistening with moisture, her delicate nose, and the tears glistening in her misty eyes—he felt his breath catch. His mouth went dry, and he unconsciously pursed his lips.

Suddenly, the candle crackled, and at that moment, he felt something step on his foot.

Xu Lianqiao, taken aback by how close Jiang Huai was, didn’t have time to react. Before she could recover from the shock, his face was suddenly right in front of hers. His sharp nose and handsome features were striking, but it was the look in his eyes—soft yet with a hint of a smile—that made her instinctively step on him.

He should keep those eyes for someone else.

Her step was not strong enough to hurt him, but Ning Yuan pretended to be in pain and moved away.

He didn’t want Jiang Huai’s body to take advantage of Ah Qiao.

The brief connection between them felt like an eternity. Xu Lianqiao hurriedly turned her attention to Jiang Huai, trying not to meet his gaze.

“I’m fine,” she muttered before slowly finishing the ginger soup in front of her.

It was better to drink the soup than to feel sick tomorrow.

Without the warmth of the bowl in his hands, Ning Yuan felt a deep sense of loss. He wanted… to hold her close, to keep her safe.

“Okay, then. You should rest well tonight,” he said quietly.

“I… I’m leaving now,” he added, heading toward the door.

He left in a hurry, as always defeated when it came to her.

_

At the Yilan Courtyard,

When Mrs. Jiang was about to go to bed, she heard Nanny Xu mentioning that her son had changed the courtyard for Xu Lianqiao.

“Why can’t I see through Huai’er’s intentions?” she sighed.

First, yesterday, and then today.

When the old lady sighed, Nanny Xu quickly responded, “I think there’s something off about the prince…”

“Perhaps we should visit Daoxuan Temple and ask the Taoist chief to do a divination.”

Mrs. Jiang paused and thought before nodding, “That will do. You can make arrangements.”

“I’ll do that tomorrow,” Nanny Xu agreed.

Before going to bed, Mrs. Jiang gave an order to Nanny Xu:

“You should take care of Si Qing; she’s about to give birth. Don’t worry about these matters anymore.”

“Just tell her that it’s my wish. It doesn’t matter whether the baby is a boy or girl, as long as it’s healthy. After her birth, take her as a concubine.”

Upon hearing this, Nanny Xu raised her eyebrows.

“Then I’ll thank the old lady on behalf of Lady Lu.”

“You,” Mrs. Jiang teased, “it’s not easy for you to protect her like that.”

Nanny Xu sighed, either intentionally or unintentionally.

“I feel sorry for her too. Lady Lu lost her mother long ago.”

At the mention of Lu Siqing’s biological mother, Mrs. Jiang couldn’t help but feel moved.

“Yes, if it hadn’t been for Qing’er’s mother, Huai’er would have been gone a long time ago…”

Mrs. Jiang trailed off, feeling a pang of sadness. She couldn’t help but feel fear at the thought.

“After all, we owe them—mother and daughter…” she murmured.