Chapter 49

Chapter 49 After they had walked together for a while, Xie Run finally thought to ask, "Has the Prince eaten?" Prince Jing said calmly, "No." Xie Run opened her mouth, struck by an indescribable surprise. This lord hadn't even eaten dinner, yet he was accompanying her—who had already eaten—on a stroll? How rare! Perhaps it was Xie Run's look of surprise that amused Prince Jing, for he raised his hand and gently pinched her nose. "I didn't have much appetite today. Have your small kitchen make a few simple dishes later." Xie Run supposed that made sense. With everything that had happened today, if she were Prince Jing, she wouldn't have much appetite either. Before long, the dishes sent over from the small kitchen filled an entire table. After all, it was the Prince dining—how could anyone dare to truly keep it simple? Stewed snow frog with pear, lamb trotters with bamboo shoots, five-flavor steamed chicken, goose meat rolls, stir-fried bean sprouts, and fresh mushroom and vegetable soup. Xie Run looked at the table full of dishes that were a feast for both eyes and nose, and felt hungry again. Prince Jing, as if he could read her mind, said to Dantao, "Bring another set of chopsticks and a bowl for your mistress. Look at how greedy she is." The words were dismissive, but his tone carried not a trace of disdain. Xie Run valued her dignity and emphasized, "It's not this concubine who wants to eat—it's the Prince's child who wants to eat." Prince Jing was even more amused. "Fine. It's not you who wants to eat, it's my child who wants to eat." "Dantao, why don't you hurry and bring a set of chopsticks and a bowl for your young master?" His laughter was unrestrained and bold, brimming with delight. Xie Run couldn't help but blush. The maids and eunuchs of Spring Mountain Courtyard joined in the laughter. That evening, after Prince Jing finished bathing, he lay on the bed in his underclothes, a scroll in hand, reading casually. Xie Run, stroking her belly, paced back and forth by the bedside to aid digestion. When she turned around, she saw Prince Jing bathed in the warm orange candlelight. The dim lamplight fell upon his sharply defined features, softening the coldness about him, making him appear all the more deep and gentle. As he lowered his eyes to read, every movement was extraordinarily captivating. Xie Run was bewitched by his handsome looks, forgetting even to walk, simply staring in a daze. Prince Jing seemed to sense something, and when he turned his head, his gaze met hers. A smile rippled through his eyes. "Stunned by looking at me?" Xie Run walked closer and nodded seriously, not stinting on her praise. "The Prince is truly handsome!" She added, "But the underclothes the Prince is wearing today look a bit familiar?" Prince Jing raised an eyebrow. "Just familiar?" Before Xie Run could speak, she heard Prince Jing's teasing voice. "With stitching this coarse, it would be hard to find another set in the entire manor. And Suisui can't recognize it at a glance?" Xie Run's face flushed red, and she pretended to look annoyed. "Prince, if you keep teasing this concubine, I won't make any more for you!" Prince Jing reached out with his long arm and pulled her into his embrace, his thin lips gently catching her earlobe. His scorching breath fell into Xie Run's ear, instantly spreading a flush of crimson. His voice deepened, low and husky, as if coaxing her: "I like it very much." "Make two more for me?" Xie Run's face fell, and Prince Jing laughed. "There's no time limit—take however long you need. Your reward won't be lacking." Xie Run immediately broke into a smile, turned around to hook her arms around Prince Jing's neck, and couldn't help but plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Prince. You'd better keep your word!" Prince Jing's eyes grew darker, and his voice took on a hoarse quality. "When have I ever not kept my word?" After a moment, he added, "You're growing more brazen by the day." She actually dared to kiss him so openly! Xie Run smiled in feigned innocence, squirming in Prince Jing's arms. "Even if this concubine is brazen, it's because the Prince indulges me!" With that, she even straightened her back with an air of self-righteousness. As they joked, the worries and frustrations that had weighed on Prince Jing during the day all melted away. Sometimes, just seeing Xie Run's smile made him feel deeply comforted and warm. "Enough, then. Be as brazen as you like." These words carried boundless affection. Xie Run also realized that since the poisoning incident, Prince Jing seemed to be treating her better and better? Early the next morning, the moment Prince Jing stirred, Xie Run opened her eyes as well. Prince Jing glanced at her. "Did I wake you?" Xie Run sat up in bed and obediently shook her head. "I slept too much these past few days. Now I can't seem to fall back asleep." With that, Xie Run suddenly felt a surge of interest. "Let me help the Prince dress." Prince Jing found this quite novel. "Aside from that first time you served me, when you helped me dress while half-asleep, every other time I've already left by the time you've even opened your eyes." Having spent so much time with Prince Jing, Xie Run had grown increasingly unguarded around him. "This concubine is still young—I need enough sleep to grow." Prince Jing's gaze swept over her chest with a knowing smile. "And yet you're no longer growing there?" Xie Run's cheeks flushed slightly, but she maintained her composure. "Now I'm growing in the belly." Prince Jing nearly laughed out loud. This Xie woman was getting more and more interesting! Xie Run threw on an outer robe and set about helping Prince Jing dress. She treated it as a novelty, puzzling over this part and studying that one. "Prince, how do you tie this sash? This concubine never figured it out last time." Prince Jing was surprisingly patient, guiding her hand to teach her. "How is this strap tied?" "The button won't fasten." With all this dawdling, they ended up half an hour later than usual. Prince Jing barely touched his breakfast before hurrying off to court. Xie Run sat alone in the main hall to eat, her cheeks slightly warm. The two of them playing quietly together—that was called bedroom intimacy. But letting play delay serious matters, in the eyes of others, looked very improper. Xie Run took a bite of the bun, chewing slowly and swallowing carefully, taking a long while before she finished it. Suddenly she said to Dantao, "Go instruct the people in the courtyard that not a single word of today's events is to leak out." One reason was that it would appear disrespectful, lacking the dignity of a mistress. Another was that it would make people mistakenly think Xie Run was presuming on favor, inviting idle gossip for no reason. She had always followed a low-key, survival-first style and didn't want to be talked about. Dantao said with a smile, "This servant has already given the orders." After breakfast, Xie Run took a few maidservants to stroll around and familiarize herself with the layout of Spring Mountain Court. "They say Spring Mountain Court is the smallest of the four courtyards, but to me it looks bigger than three or four Forest Pavilion." Those words were Xie Run's own. Dantao said, "The original area wasn't small, but with half a mountain added, it appears a bit cramped." Xiaoshu had been in the prince's residence for a long time and knew a bit of inside information: "When the residence was being built, they planned to level this mountain, but I heard it would affect feng shui, so they kept it." Lüzhi was also a household-born servant and nodded along, "This servant has heard that too—they say although Spring Mountain Court's location is a bit remote, its feng shui is excellent." Xie Run listened to them talk and felt pleased inside. She raised a hand and pointed, "In a couple of days, we can set up a swing over there." Dantao asked with a smile, "Then the young master will have a place to play in the future too." Xie Run: "...No. It's for me to play on in the future." The maidservants covered their mouths and giggled. Xie Run showed not the slightest embarrassment. She had suffered enough in her last life; in this life she didn't want to endure a bit of hardship, so that could only mean the child would have to suffer instead. If Prince Jing heard this, he would probably laugh at her again.