Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn - Chapter 46
I don't know much about the zither, so I don't understand what kind of secret code these two are using.
When the song ended, Shen Zexuan clapped his hands lightly and said, "Yu, you've improved again."
Shen Haoyu smiled and said, "Third Brother, I often hear the sound of the zither, but Lin En in my household plays the xiao (vertical flute) very well."
"Thank you for your trouble." Shen Zexuan nodded and smiled at me.
What does this have to do with me? Do they want me to perform? Shen Haoyu was planning this all along; he's really acting strangely today.
As I received the white jade flute from Shen Haoyu, I pondered what to play. Looking at the abundance of red plum blossoms, and remembering the poems we had composed about them that day, I decided to play "Three Variations on Plum Blossom."
Having made up my mind, I put the flute to my lips and began to play intently. After playing it once, I heard the melodious sound of a zither. It turned out that Shen Haoyu was accompanying my piece. On a whim, I played the prelude again and then stopped, instead singing: "In this mortal world, there are always those who are deeply in love, do not laugh at their infatuation. If not for enduring the bitter cold, how could the plum blossom give off its fragrant scent? What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for each other? Look at all the stories in the world, the most heart-wrenching is the 'Three Variations on Plum Blossom.' The first variation breaks one's heart, the second variation makes one ponder, the third variation stirs up storms, in the depths of clouds and mist, the waters are vast and boundless."
Although the flute music stopped, Shen Haoyu's zither music continued without pause until I finished singing, at which point the zither music gradually ceased.
I looked up at Shen Haoyu, who was also smiling at me. In that instant, I felt my face flush and my heart race again. I looked away and saw Shen Zexuan also looking at me with a smile, but the meaning was unclear. I felt a pang of sadness for no reason and didn't dare to look at him anymore. I looked at Song Zhixuan, whose face was filled with suspicion. I didn't want to guess anymore.
Shen Haoyu spoke to Shen Zexuan, "Third Brother, today's trip was worthwhile, wasn't it?"
Shen Zexuan smiled, but I could sense that his smile was somewhat forced, and my heart ached a little.
Why is it? Why do I feel inexplicably heartbroken for this person who embarrasses me every time we meet? Don't tell me I've fallen in love with him after only meeting him twice. Of course, I do have some feelings for him, after all, he's quite visually appealing.
"Then thank you, Yu," Shen Zexuan said, his smile suddenly becoming alluring again.
Shen Haoyu cupped his hands and said, "You're welcome."
"Thank you," Shen Zexuan said. "Thank you, Yu, for going to the trouble of getting this exquisite wind chime for me today." With that, he took down the hanging wind chime and handed it to his attendant before leaving.
Shen Haoyu was stunned, and just watched as Shen Zexuan walked away gracefully into the distance.
Who would have thought you'd end up like this? This is what they call "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," hahaha...
Seeing Shen Zexuan take my wind chime away in this way, I felt a surge of secret joy.
That day, spent with Shen Zexuan, felt like a bizarre and inexplicable experience once again. Many years later, Shen Haoyu told me that he had actually put a lot of thought into that day: he wanted Shen Zexuan to see the talents of Song Zhixuan and me, and to play "The Hegemon's Tale," intending to show Shen Zexuan that the Prince Qing's mansion was full of talented people and fully capable of helping him seize the throne. He also hoped Shen Zexuan would take a liking to Song Zhixuan, diverting his attention from me. On the other hand, he hoped Shen Zexuan would take Song Zhixuan away; he was absolutely willing to give him to him, to sever Yunshang's feelings for Song Zhixuan. It turned out that Song Zhixuan had been firmly etched in Yunshang's heart during their trip to Yaoshan. As for his duet with me, in his words, he wanted to tell Shen Zexuan that we were perfectly in sync and deeply connected, so he should stop trying to take advantage of me. The only unexpected thing that day was that my wind chime was taken away by Shen Zexuan. Shen Haoyu was very upset about it, but I was very happy.
But by the time I learned all this, many things had already changed...
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 033
Chapter word count: 3369 Update time: 09-08-01 15:11
The Princess's birthday finally arrived, and the Qing Prince's mansion was bustling with activity as guests arrived in droves to offer their congratulations. But the excitement was theirs; we remained in Qiufeng Garden.
Yesterday, Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao both went out, leaving only Zinuo and me. This time, we couldn't even find anyone to play cards with. I remember on the way back from the plum garden that day, Song Zhixuan hesitated several times, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped. I couldn't stand it anymore and asked him what he wanted to say. He hesitated for a while before asking, "Do you and the Third Prince have a past?" My Zhixuan asked so tactfully, but what he really wanted to ask was, "Do you and the Third Prince really have something going on?" All those ambiguous and unclear words back then were enough to make people think of something. I could only sigh and say, "It's just a misunderstanding." Song Zhixuan didn't say anything more.
Song Zhixuan and I are acquainted, and he would ask me questions, but there were other people present at the time. How far would they think?
I lay dejectedly on the bed, staring blankly at the eaves. It was empty; my wind chimes had only hung there for less than a day before they said goodbye. Shen Haoyu later gave me a bag of seashells, but I had no heart to make anything else. I just tossed it aside—how foolish of me! If I made them, they would just belong to someone else. Of course, that "someone else" referred to Prince Shen Haoyu.
Today, Shen Haoyu didn't give any special instructions. After lunch, I picked up the crossbody bag that Yin Yan had made for me out of the palace. I had no choice; being responsible for my work, I had prepared many items: binoculars, a small carving knife, a thin wooden board, snacks, frostbite medicine… As for what I used them for, the binoculars were self-explanatory. The carving knife and thin wooden board were for taking notes, in case there were too many people coming and going and I forgot to remember anything. Why not paper and pen? Who carries an inkstone and a table and hides in a tree? How many tools would I need to prepare to write with a pen? Carving with a knife is simpler, even if it's slower. I can carve some symbols I recognize as reminders. The snacks were naturally for passing the time… With so many things to carry, I couldn't fit them all on my person, so I drew a design and asked Yin Yan to make a crossbody bag based on it. To show ownership of the bag and to prevent Shen Haoyu from coveting it, I also had Yin Yan embroider the character "恩" (en, meaning grace/kindness) on it. Perhaps the bag was too cheap and tacky, because Shen Haoyu only glanced at it strangely and didn't ask me for it. I breathed a sigh of relief; at least he wasn't fighting me for something. But then, I felt annoyed: You look down on my bag? I'll make some more unique designs and use higher-quality materials in the future, and they'll be so envious!
Arriving at my hideout, I took a felt mat from my bag and laid it out in my usual spot to sit down. Having waited here for over a month, I'd transformed my usual sitting place into a den, piling up branches haphazardly across the tree trunks to completely conceal my position. From below, you couldn't see anyone above. If possible, I'd even considered building a roof to protect myself from rain and snow, but considering that would compromise the secrecy of my camouflage, I had to abandon that idea.
I had just sat down when the tree trunk suddenly swayed. In a flash, someone appeared beside me. Startled, I nearly fell off the tree, but luckily he reached out and grabbed me, giving me a seductive smile, and said with a "helpless" tone, "Why are you always so surprised to see me?"
This person was none other than the Third Prince, Shen Zexuan, whose beauty was beyond human comprehension and who always embarrassed me (and of course, fascinated me).
"You...how...are you...here?" I was quite shocked. In a place where it was impossible for anyone else to appear besides me, suddenly this person appeared. I could only point at him with a trembling finger and ask.
“I’ve been following you ever since you left the Prince’s mansion,” Shen Zexuan said with a harmless smile, as he approached me with a gentle expression.
But I felt a chill run down my spine. I would rather he be as aloof and elegant as usual, saying things that would infuriate people, than be like this. He was acting so abnormally. I subconsciously leaned back a little.
Shen Zexuan moved closer, his warm breath hitting my face. Even knowing he preferred men, I couldn't help but tense up. This devil, why does he always get so close to me! My resistance has its limits!
"Finally, I can be alone with you." Shen Zexuan's intimate words and his handsome face so close to mine made my blood boil. If he loved a woman, or if I were a real man, what an intoxicating scene this would be. What a pity...
I shifted slightly away: "Third Prince, you haven't been drinking, have you?"
He slightly opened his mouth, his breath coming out fresh, without a trace of alcohol. Why was he acting so strangely today? Could he have been drugged? Someone as handsome as him is a low-risk individual; it's hard to say if someone with similar tastes isn't after him. I took his wrist to check his pulse; it was normal, not like he'd been drugged. So he was acting this way on purpose.
I released his hand and said coldly, "Your Highness, it's rare that you're interested in teasing me like this. What is the purpose? Please don't make things difficult for yourself; just return to your original appearance."
Shen Zexuan straightened his body, smiled leisurely, and finally returned to normal.
"Didn't you like how I looked just now?" Shen Zexuan called my name in a very intimate way. Although it was a bit cheesy, I couldn't deny that I liked hearing him call me "Dun" like that.
Not knowing what Shen Zexuan meant, I asked seriously, "What is it, Your Highness?"
Shen Zexuan looked at me seriously and said, "Would you like to visit my home?"
Visiting his home? It's true I like his handsome face, but I still feel awkward around someone with such a unique sexual orientation.
I declined, saying, "Your Highness, Lin En is not a free man. He either stays in the palace or has to stay here every day. I'm afraid..." I dragged out my words, intending to tell him that even if I wanted to go, I didn't have the time.
“If you are willing, I can arrange for someone to guard this place for you, and then you can go to my residence.”
"Oh, I see," I asked. "That's very thoughtful of you."
A blush rose on Shen Zexuan's face, making my heart flutter, but then I heard him say, "What if I said I like you?"
Hearing such a confession, I was naturally happy. And she's such a stunningly beautiful person, it's truly a pity...
If I tell him I'm actually a woman, I wonder if he'll kick me? Deceiving someone's feelings is shameful... Should I tell him the truth? But what if he gets angry and embarrassed after I tell him?
Forget it, I should just tell him. It's better to avoid this kind of torment for myself by not knowing the truth.