The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading-Chapter 42 - 41 Delivering a Message for Your Highness (First Update)
Chapter 42 -41: Delivering a Message for Your Highness (First Update)
Chapter 42 -41: Delivering a Message for Your Highness (First Update)
Lady Xu scoffed with disdain, “It’s just a birthday gift, isn’t it?”
One by one they fawned and flattered as if they had never seen such a thing before.
Lady Chang also looked forward with great anticipation to what gift His Highness would give her, feeling a tinge of expectation in her heart.
In the eager gaze of everyone, Lady Chang opened the brocade box to find a pair of gold-inlaid jade bracelets with exquisite craftsmanship, the jade of fine quality, but such jewelry was common in the Imperial Palace. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Everyone craned their necks to see the gift in the brocade box, only to find a pair of bracelets.
Eh!
In the crowd, some inevitable sighs of disappointment could be heard, and those who had just praised Lady Chang now felt embarrassed to mention anything about rare treasures or unique gifts.
Still, some couldn’t help but grumble to themselves.
Lady Xu sneered, “I thought it was some unique gift, but it’s just a pair of bracelets.
They said Lady Chang was the most favored, but I think it’s more like she’s out of favor.”
Xu Chenghui showed a face of disappointment, “I thought it would be something very special, but this is it?”
Lady Feng sipped her tea, “His Highness remembering Lady Chang’s birthday and preparing a gift for her is already not bad, unlike us, who get nothing.”
Lady Li looked at the bracelets, feeling fooled for thinking Lady Chang was favored and that His Highness would give her something ingenious—only to be slapped in the face so quickly.
When their words reached Xiao Jinyan’s ears, he calmly drank his tea and glanced at Shen Chuwei, noticing her cheeks puffed out and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing a section of her fair, slender wrist.
With a pile of fruit peels, bones, and shrimp shells in front of her, it was clear that she was here to do nothing but eat.
Everyone was focused on what he had given Lady Chang, wondering if she was in or out of favor.
Only Shen Chuwei cared solely about the food, as if someone was starving her.
Shen Chuwei, while stuffing delicacies into her mouth, glanced over at Lady Chang and recognized the brocade box, then the bracelets inside…
Eh, weren’t they exactly like the pair she had given?
She couldn’t help but suspect that Xiao Jinyan had simply picked something at random from the storeroom to bring over~
Lady Chang, looking at the bracelets, couldn’t help but feel disappointed, yet she managed to show a happy smile on her face, “Thank you for the gift, Your Highness, this concubine likes it very much.”
Xiao Jinyan spoke indifferently, “If you like it, that’s good.”
Considering the matter of serving His Highness tonight, no matter what, it would be best if Xiao Jinyan stayed.
“Your Highness, this concubine will pour you a drink,” she said as she filled his cup with wine.
Xiao Jinyan picked up the cup in front of him and took a sip from the edge.
Seeing Xiao Jinyan drink, Lady Chang finally breathed a sigh of relief, “Your Highness, this concubine has learned a new piece and would love to play it just for you to hear.”
Lady Xu tsked inwardly, using the excuse of playing the piano to keep His Highness behind, truly shameless!
For the first time, Xiao Jinyan found himself agreeing with Lady Xu’s sentiments, finding such excuses to make him stay only made him quite averse.
“I have urgent matters to attend to tonight, another time!”
Lady Chang’s eyes paused, her hand resting on her lap clutching a handkerchief tightly.
Even though she was dissatisfied inside, she still maintained a facade of gentle and virtuous demeanor on the outside.
“Your Highness works day and night.
This concubine regrets not being able to help and feels ashamed.”
Xiao Jinyan asked, “I hear you’re feeling better?”
“Your Highness, after a long period of recuperation, this concubine’s health has indeed recovered.” Lady Chang’s eyes fell excitedly, hope kindling within her—was His Highness preparing to let her serve by his side tonight?
Xiao Jinyan said, “That’s good.
The Empress Dowager has been worried about your health, and now she can rest assured.
I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”
As Xiao Jinyan stood up to leave, he caught a glimpse of a brocade box on an adjacent table, which was very similar to the one he had given.
He withdrew his gaze and left.
As he passed by Shen Chuwei, he paused, “Lady Shen Fengyi, there is something I need to discuss with you.”
Shen Chuwei, who had been planning to finish those last few shrimps and slip away, found herself singled out by the Crown Prince.
Wiping her hands, she obediently stood up and followed Xiao Jinyan out of Xinlan Hall.
The moment His Highness left, the atmosphere suddenly turned somewhat awkward.
Xu Chenghui laughed as she tried to smooth things over, “Your Highness deals with endless affairs, it’s just unfortunate that this coincided with Lady Chang’s birthday.”
Xu Liangyuan, holding her handkerchief, snickered at the awkward flattery from Xu Chenghui, reminding her with a laugh, “Your Highness and Shen Fengyi have left together already.”
Xu Chenghui responded, “So what?
His Highness only remembers Lady Chang’s birthday.
As for Shen Fengyi, I doubt he remembers at all.”
Feng Liangyuan chimed in, “Exactly.
It’s only Lady Chang’s birthday that His Highness would remember.
All we can do is envy her.”
Xu Liangyuan could not stand the way everyone fawned over Lady Chang, glancing at the brocade box on the desk, she continued with a smile, holding her handkerchief, “Don’t you think that the gift from His Highness is very similar to what Shen Fengyi gave?”
Feng Liangyuan exclaimed, “Xu sister, one can be reckless in eating but not in speaking.
How could the gift from His Highness possibly be the same as the one from Shen Fengyi?”
” Feng Liangyuan is right; His Highness chose jewelry as a birthday gift because he was too busy.
It definitely wouldn’t be the same as what Shen Fengyi gave,” Li Liangyuan also remarked.
Xu Liangyuan calmly said, “What’s the hurry?
Why don’t we open it and see whether my guess is right or wrong?”
Lady Chang looked at the brocade box before her and instructed, “Dongmei, where is the birthday gift from Shen Fengyi?”
Dongmei had recorded every gift received, so with a glance at the record, she would know which one was from Shen Fengyi.
She placed the brocade box in front of Lady Chang.
Upon opening it, Lady Chang found to her dismay that it indeed belonged to the same set as the bracelets sent by His Highness, and her face immediately soured.
Everyone present was so shocked they were at a loss for words.
Seeing her guess confirmed, Xu Liangyuan couldn’t help but feel delighted.
Outside Xinlan Hall
Shen Chuwei was still thinking about the unfinished prawns.
It was all because of Xiao Jinyan; he didn’t even wait for her to finish before summoning her.
Under the glow of palace lanterns, Xiao Jinyan glanced at Shen Chuwei.
“I want to drink the lemon honey tea from last time now.”
“I’ll get Chun Xi to send it to you once I return,” she replied.
Shen Chuwei thought it was something serious, but it turned out he just wanted lemon honey tea.
Now she felt even more that not finishing those prawns was a bigger loss.
Xiao Jinyan knew her response would be different from that of other women, who surely would have brought it personally.
After returning, Shen Chuwei sent Chun Xi to deliver the lemon honey tea to Xiao Jinyan.
Before leaving, Xiao Jinyan asked Chun Xi to relay a message to Shen Chuwei.
Shen Chuwei washed up and went to sleep.
Chun Xi rushed back into the room, her face flushed with excitement, “Young mistress, His Highness asked me to bring you a message.”
Seeing how happy Chun Xi was, Shen Chuwei had a bad feeling.
“What message?”
“Three days from now is the autumn hunting expedition, and His Highness is asking if you’d like to go?”
Shen Chuwei had seen autumn hunting expeditions in TV dramas, where hunting and eating grilled meat were involved, and crucially, one could leave the palace.
She had long wanted to leave the palace to feast on the delicious foods of Main Street.
“I want to go, but will His Highness really take me?” On her way back just now, Xiao Jinyan hadn’t mentioned it, and she feared getting her hopes up for nothing.
“His Highness said, ‘the young mistress can go, but there are conditions.'”
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You treasure kids are incredible; you even guessed this!!
This is the first update, two more to come during the day.
