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墨書 Inktalez
Yun Kexin entered the hall, and the doors of Chengqi Palace closed immediately. The Crown Prince did not raise his head; he merely lifted his eyelids slightly, staring at the chessboard in front of him. Just as she was about to speak and greet him, he suddenly blurted out three words:
"You are truly ruthless!"
Yun Kexin was taken aback, not expecting the Crown Prince's first words to be this. For a moment, she forgot to bow and only said softly, "Your Highness..."
The Crown Prince still did not turn around, his eyes fixed on the chessboard as if his soul were wandering elsewhere, and he said:
"Come over and help me solve this game."
"Yes." Yun Kexin obediently sat down in the position opposite the Crown Prince.
In the instant their gazes met, Yun Kexin suddenly felt a pang in her heart: after several years apart, the Crown Prince had transformed from a mischievous and carefree boy into a composed and steady man. His handsome features had become even more pronounced, and his eyes held a powerful intimidation that made anyone who looked into them feel a strong sense of oppression.
"Why are you silent?" The Crown Prince noticed Yun Kexin staring at him and smiled, "Don't you recognize me?"
"That's not it," Yun Kexin steadied herself and replied with a faint smile, "I was just thinking about why Your Highness thinks I am ruthless."
"Isn't it true?" Qin Ke scrutinized Yun Kexin in return, "For years, you have always avoided me. Whether I sent someone to find you or Consort Xiang invited you, you turned them all down. What do you mean by that?"
Yun Kexin forced a bitter smile: how could she explain the complicated "interests" involved to the Crown Prince?
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Yun Kexin nodded slightly and carefully chose her words. "I have my own difficulties, but to start with, I just feel that you are the current Crown Prince. Your status is noble and special; it is better for someone like me to keep my distance."
"But now? Why have you suddenly appeared?" The Crown Prince Qin Ke's eyes scrutinized Yun Kexin directly. "It wouldn't be that Tong Zhichen sent you here to 'put out fires,' would it?"
Yun Kexin was speechless, wondering when the Crown Prince had become so sharp-tongued. Had he been affected by Zhen'er’s death?
"Your Highness, please don't be sad." She did not answer directly but got straight to the point. "No matter how things ended for Zhen'er, she could at least say she received the love of the current Crown Prince during her lifetime; that is something worth having no regrets over. It’s just that Zhen'er and you did not have the fate to be together, but at least there was love once, wasn't there? You should not do anything foolish because of this..."
"I knew Seventh Sister was sent by Tong Zhichen as a guest." Qin Ke's gaze turned cold, revealing his displeasure as he said, "Do we have no other topics to discuss?"
Yun Kexin's smile froze, her crimson lips slightly parted, unsure of what to say.
"To be honest, Your Highness, Young Master Tong did tell me about your situation," after a moment, Yun Kexin patiently said in a gentle tone, "but I did not come here as a guest this time. It is also for the sake of our brief friendship as classmates."
"Do you still remember what happened back then?" The prince appeared somewhat surprised and touched, his eyes reddening.
"I remember everything," looking at the prince's gradually softening face, with a glimmer in his eyes, Yun Kexin's emotions were also affected. "Your Highness, you and Young Master Tong are my most beautiful memories."
The prince silently lowered his head, staring at the disordered Go board in front of him. With a bitter smile, he changed the subject:
"Yun Kexin, can you see anything from this board?"
"Your Highness's current state of mind must be like this game—chaotic and tangled," Yun Kexin slowly looked at the scattered pieces on the board.
Qin Ke raised his head, staring intently at Yun Kexin, speaking to her as if to himself:
"Is there a solution?"
"Your Highness needs to calm down," Yun Kexin smiled but spoke earnestly. "You must not get stuck on the matter of Zhen'er; overthinking will only cause more pain and lead you into a dead end."
Yun Kexin recalled her own experiences in this life and the previous one, feeling more understanding and sympathy for the prince.
"That's why I want to become a monk..." Qin Ke sighed as if drained of strength. "Otherwise, how can I find peace facing those old things in the palace every day?!" By the end, the prince's expression had turned cold, laced with sarcasm.
"There are countless ways to find peace," Yun Kexin seamlessly continued, her pace steady. "It doesn't have to be such an extreme choice—"
"Why do you so arbitrarily think that becoming a monk is extreme?" Qin Ke's face darkened again, his words filled with coldness. "Seventh Sister, isn't there already enough opposition from those old folks in the palace? Now you want to add yourself to that list?"
"Your Highness, if you believe I am opposing you or acting as a guest, then I have nothing more to say," Yun Kexin stood up calmly and said with a serious expression. "A woman takes her leave."
After finishing her words, Yun Kexin turned to leave, but Qin Ke quickly grabbed her wrist. He said eagerly, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." Seeing Yun Kexin turn around, he relaxed and added, "I just wanted to hear a few words between friends, without involving anything else."
Yun Kexin looked at the hand Qin Ke was holding, and he apologetically withdrew it. Only then did she sit back down.
"Your Highness, what I mean is that if a person's heart cannot settle down, then no matter where they go, their mind will be in chaos. Conversely, those who can adjust their mindset to adapt to new situations do not need to seek inner peace through 'renunciation.'"
Qin Ke nodded in understanding and said softly, "Yun Kexin, I understand. You want me to forget Zhen'er and this sorrow..."
"Not entirely," Yun Kexin shook her head and continued, "It's just that you should temporarily set it aside. At least don't keep suffering over it. Besides causing confusion in your heart, it will also make you lose your sanity and willpower, causing you to overlook more important matters."
A smile gradually spread across Qin Ke's face. "Yun Kexin, I never expected that after years apart, your words have become sharper, and you've even learned how to comfort others."
Yun Kexin smiled lightly and said, "Your Highness, these are just conversations between friends; there's nothing special about comforting or not. You don't need to be polite."
The prince smiled back. "In any case, I am very grateful that you came today. I hope I didn't scare you before?"
Yun Kexin gently shook her head. The prince looked at the now grown-up Yun Kexin before him with admiration and pleasure reflected in his gaze.
However, Yun Kexin slightly averted her eyes and said, "Your Highness, I've been in the palace for quite some time now; I must take my leave."
"I'll see you off," the prince said with a slight smile.
Qin Ke and Yun Kexin walked out of Chengqi Palace. Outside the hall, Feng Yinxiao and Tong Zhichen had been waiting for a long time. When they saw the two come out, they approached them.
"Commander, please ensure that Seventh Sister is safely returned to Duke of E State Mansion," Qin Ke instructed Feng Yinxiao. "There must be no mistakes."
"Yes," Feng Yinxiao replied respectfully before turning to Yun Kexin and saying, "Seventh Sister, please."
As Yun Kexin turned and walked down a few steps, the Crown Prince suddenly chased after her and walked to her side.
"Yun Kexin, as the Crown Prince, I cannot visit your residence, so may I summon you to the palace?" Seeing Yun Kexin's hesitation, Qin Ke explained, "Don't worry, I have no other intentions; I just want someone to talk to. It won't take too long."
"Alright, whenever the Crown Prince wishes to summon me to the palace, just send someone to convey the message," Yun Kexin could not refuse the Crown Prince's kind request and replied casually, "Yun Kexin will comply."
"Until we meet again," the Crown Prince smiled.
"Until we meet again!" Yun Kexin calmly bid farewell.
****
Inside the carriage, Feng Yinxiao couldn't help but ask what Wen Yun Kexin had said to the Crown Prince, as if she had become a different person.
"Nothing much, I just exchanged a few simple words with him," Yun Kexin appeared relaxed in front of Feng Yinxiao, like a happy little bird.
"Simple words?" Feng Yinxiao was skeptical and turned his head with a smirk, "How is that possible? From the Empress Dowager and the Emperor down to us ministers, we've worn our mouths out trying to get the Crown Prince's attention. You exchanged a few simple words and 'brought him back'?"
He looked into her eyes, filled with affection, while feeling a hint of jealousy—did the Crown Prince really only have 'feelings' for Yun Kexin? His usually sharp intuition made him uneasy.
"What do you mean by 'brought back'?" Yun Kexin teased with a smile, "The Crown Prince hasn't shown any signs yet. Who knows, by the time I return to Eguo Gongfu, he might be feeling down again."
Feng Yinxiao couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to gently pat Yun Kexin's head—he had unknowingly started to enjoy using 'body language' to express his affection for her, though it was only in private.
"So Yun Kexin agreed to visit the Crown Prince often—" Feng Yinxiao turned his face away, looking down as he asked in a low voice, as if he were asking something inappropriate and felt embarrassed.
"You are being exaggerated," Yun Kexin laughed without realizing Feng Yinxiao's underlying anxiety at that moment. "The Crown Prince merely mentioned it casually; there's no such thing as 'often.'"
Feng Yinxiao turned back and gazed at the graceful and intelligent Yun Kexin before him, his handsome face carrying a faint smile. He thought to himself: hopefully, he was just overthinking it.
“Yun Kexin, if the Crown Prince really summons you to the palace in the future, I will come to pick you up.” He was frustrated with his own wandering thoughts, Feng Yinxiao said slowly.
Yun Kexin lowered her gaze, her face already flushed: she had just wanted to say something similar to him, but unexpectedly he had “read her mind” and spoken first.
“Okay.” Clever as she was, she naturally understood the implication of his words. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, and she did not dare to look up and meet his eyes.
Sensing her shyness, he couldn't bear to tease her any longer; he simply smiled mischievously and took hold of one of her hands...
Three days later, Yun Kexin received a message from the Crown Prince to come to the palace. The person sent to pick her up was none other than Feng Yinxiao along with a team of imperial guards, and the Crown Prince was waiting for her in the Imperial Garden.
Under Feng Yinxiao's guidance, Yun Kexin slowly entered the Imperial Garden, where the Crown Prince waved at her from the stone bridge.
“Greetings to the Crown Prince.” Yun Kexin nodded and prepared to kneel in respect.
“There's no need for that, don’t kneel,” Qin Ke extended his hand to stop her in time. “In informal situations from now on, Yun Kexin can disregard these formalities and treat me like a friend, just like Tong Zhichen.”
“Prince Xie,” Yun Kexin looked up, her smile radiant like a flower. Seeing that the Crown Prince no longer appeared listless or dejected, she felt a weight lift from her heart. “Are you feeling better?”
“Not bad. If I were still like I was a few days ago, I wouldn’t dare summon Yun Kexin to the palace,” Qin Ke replied. (To be continued)
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