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Chapitre 39

Chu Xuyao was taken aback by his words, and a hint of confusion appeared on his usually cold face: "That's what I can't understand either..."

"So, Xuyao, you're overthinking it..."

"Can……"

With a decisive gesture, Dongfang Lie stopped Chu Xuyao from speaking: "This matter ends here. Xuyao, do not speak of it again!"

With a disgusted look at the shabby servants' quarters, Dongfang Yao grabbed Rongyue's shoulder and was about to turn and leave: "Wife, there are so many big houses in the palace, why do you want to live here? It's so small and dilapidated, how can anyone live here..."

Small and dilapidated? Rongyue shook her head, both amused and exasperated. This prince, so oblivious to the hardships of ordinary people! Such a secluded courtyard was beyond the reach of even the average servant in the palace. Red walls, green tiles, and soaring eaves made ordinary people outside the palace sigh in envy. If even such a house was uninhabitable, wouldn't half the world's population be homeless and sleeping on the streets?

“Brother Yao,” Rongyue gently nudged Dongfang Yao’s arm and advised, “This place is a bit small, but it’s very quiet. Look, it’s peaceful and undisturbed. Living here isn’t so bad, is it?”

“But my wife—” Dongfang Yao wrinkled her nose reluctantly: “Let’s go. Look how dilapidated this place is, and there’s not even a servant to wait on us…”

Rongyue glanced at this stubborn little tyrant and thought to herself: This master is really spoiled!

Seeing Dongfang Yao grab her and try to pull her out without explanation, Rongyue quickly stopped him, saying, "No, Brother Yao! I'm used to living here and don't want to keep moving. If Brother Yao doesn't like it, how about this: I'll stay here, and you can go back first and come back tomorrow..."

Suddenly, Dongfang Yao stopped, and Rongyue, losing her balance, crashed heavily into his broad back. Rubbing her reddened nose, Rongyue was about to look up when she was startled to see his back suddenly tremble. Looking at him suspiciously, Rongyue's heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat, all because of his tearful, sorrowful expression…

"Wife, do you... not like me anymore..." With a suppressed sob, Dongfang Yao seemed to have heard the opposite of what he hoped for, and burying his head in the sand like an ostrich. His pitiful and forlorn expression, like that of an abandoned child, tugged at Rong Yue's heart.

"How could I not like you? Brother Yao, don't think such things..."

"I wasn't thinking anything!" Suddenly raising her tear-filled eyes, Dongfang Yao's resentful gaze was full of accusation: "You just don't like me anymore! Otherwise, why would you kick me out?"

Pointing to herself with utter confusion, Rongyue asked, "I... I kicked you out? When did I kick you out?"

"Just now! You told me to go back first, you chased me away, you don't want me anymore! Waaah--" Dongfang Yao cried out in grievance, clutching Rongyue's palace dress tightly with both hands, and the tears she had been holding back finally burst forth.

"I didn't!" What an injustice! She wasn't trying to get rid of him at all! He was the one complaining about this and that and wanted to leave, so how could he be clinging to her?

"Yes! Honey, you kicked me out! Waaah—I knew it! You must not like me anymore! Otherwise, you wouldn't have left in the first place! Honey, waaaah—"

"remote……"

"Wait a minute," as if realizing a serious problem, Dongfang Yao suddenly stopped crying, glaring at Rongyue with his two red lanterns: "Wife, have you climbed over the wall like a red apricot?"

Huh? Blinking her almond-shaped eyes blankly, Rongyue was completely bewildered. What...what does that mean?

Hiccuping, Dongfang Yao's face, streaked with tears and snot, was earnest and serious: "That day I overheard the servants in our household secretly saying that you, Red Apricot, climbed over the wall! They also said... they said that the wife who climbed over the wall fell in love with someone else, so she won't be coming back!" Tears welled up again, and her wails echoed through the sky once more: "Waaah—wife, are you like they said, Red Apricot, climbing over the wall...? Do you like someone else, waaaah..."

Finally, she understood what this apricot with legs and the ability to crawl was all about! How dare she gossip and spread rumors that she was having an affair! Gritting her teeth in anger, Rongyue's face twisted slightly.

Clutching Rongyue's clothes tightly, Dongfang Yao howled incessantly, "Wife, you can't leave me! I'll be good, I'll do whatever you say, you can't send me away, you absolutely can't abandon me, waaaah--"

Ignoring his buzzing ears, Rongyue gently patted his back and coaxed him softly, "Be good, your wife won't abandon you! How could your wife bear to leave such a good person as Yao-gege?"

"Then, my dear wife, do you like me?"

"like……"

Dongfang Yao's watery eyes immediately lit up: "Really? Honey, you're not lying to me?"

"My wife never lies."

He wiped his face abruptly with his sleeve, sniffed, and chuckled foolishly, "Wife, could you say that again? Hehe..."

"My wife never..."

"The previous sentence."

Uh? Oh, Rongyue let out a soft sigh: "I like it..."

"Wife, you need to finish your sentence!" With a slight brow twitch, Dongfang Yao shook Rongyue's arm in dissatisfaction.

He sighed helplessly, "My wife likes Yao-gege..."

"No! The wife should clarify whose wife she is!"

"Brother Yao's wife likes Brother Yao..." Why does that sound so awkward and tongue-twisting!

Weiwei grinned with satisfaction, but Dongfang Yao wanted to "strive for perfection": "Wife, I think you should add your name! Wife, please say it again, please say it again! Please, wife..."

Rolling her eyes and nodding, Rongyue mechanically opened her mouth: "Brother Yao's wife, Liu Rongyue, likes Brother Yao, is that alright now?"

Tilting her head, Dongfang Yao pondered for a while before saying, "How about adding Yao-gege who likes someone else..."

Holy Mary, take her away!

Volume One: Pear Blossom Courtyard Under the Melting Moon, Chapter Forty-Seven: The Bird-Shooting Incident

Perhaps out of consideration for Dongfang Yao's presence, breakfast was changed from the original congee and side dishes to four dishes and a soup. She had just finished breakfast and hadn't even put down her chopsticks when the eunuch sent by Dongfang Lie began hurriedly urging Rongyue to go to the Imperial Study to wait and serve him.

This time, Dongfang Yao wouldn't stand for it! He had just found his wife yesterday, and he hadn't even had enough time to warm up to her yet. How could he possibly let his wife serve someone else now!

With one kick, Dongfang Yao sent the kneeling eunuch, who kept repeating "By order of the Emperor" and "By imperial decree," sprawling face-first into the dirt. Holding the slingshot Rongyue had made the night before in his left hand and pulling Rongyue along in his right, Dongfang Yao skipped and hopped towards the woods of the West Garden, ignoring the eunuch's bitter expression…

Amidst the rustling of leaves in autumn, as leaves fall from a thousand homes, late autumn has arrived. The abundant leaves have all fallen, carpeting the ground in golden hues. The branches are askew, and a few scattered remnants of leaves cannot conceal the birds' roosting places. From afar, Rongyue and the others can clearly see clusters of gray bird nests nestled among the branches.

Early morning is when birds are at their most energetic and in the best mood. Facing the fiery red sunrise, the birds flap their wings, stretch lazily, and after preening their proud plumage, they begin their noisy chatter. Suddenly, some sensitive topic comes up, and the birds, their feathers bristling, start arguing endlessly. Those in the flock who have a place in the hierarchy rush to speak, giving the others no chance to refute them, while those who don't get a chance frantically flap their wings and pace back and forth on the branches, trying to express their discontent. Unbeknownst to these excited and noisy birds, a pair of eyes gleaming with an unknown light are watching them intently!

Holding a small slingshot with a fork made of precious and rare nanmu wood, Dongfang Yao tiptoed toward the big tree where the birds were. He bent down, picked up a small stone, wrapped it in cowhide, leaned forward with his left leg, bent his right leg slightly, pulled the bowstring taut, closed his left eye, and stared intently at target number one on the tree.

"Whoosh—" The pebble flew like an arrow towards the little sparrow in the tree that was howling at the top of its lungs!

"Chirp chirp—" The pebble whistled past, brushing against the little sparrow's wings with great regret. The startled little sparrow cried out twice, quickly realizing what was happening, and flapped its wings in a panicked flight.