Princess Xinyang’s pen suddenly stopped.
Yujin, while kneading Gu Jiao’s calf, glanced at Princess Xinyang without a trace.
In fact, Yujin was also unsure what Princess Xinyang’s true attitude toward the young marquis was—saying she cared, yet heartlessly refusing to recognize him; saying she didn’t care, yet she would faint from sadness over his plight.
As for fainting from anger, Yujin did not believe it, would not accept it.
It was probably that she couldn’t overcome a certain barrier in her heart.
Perhaps she feared that being too kind to the young marquis would betray the memory of the child who had died.
Gu Jiao was being massaged so comfortably that she felt sleepy, her little head starting to nod off like a pecking chicken.
Yujin signaled to the young maid with a wave of her hand, gesturing for her to bring over a cushion.
The young maid complied.
With a meaningful look from Yujin, the maid placed the cushion behind Gu Jiao and gently helped her lean back against it.
Princess Xinyang, absorbed in her calligraphy, hadn’t noticed Gu Jiao was almost asleep. She paused, then suddenly asked, "So who taught you to fight so fiercely?"
Gu Jiao jolted awake, stubbornly retorting, "I didn’t fight!"
Princess Xinyang did not even lift her eyes, "With whom did you fight?"
Gu Jiao replied, "Prince Ning."
Yujin: "..."
"You even went so far as to clash with a prince; you’re quite brazen." Princess Xinyang wrote a large character for ’autumn’, "Why?"
Gu Jiao spoke candidly, "I found him disagreeable."
Princess Xinyang: "..."
"It is rare to find someone who finds Prince Ning disagreeable." Princess Xinyang’s expression remained calm as she continued her practice.
Gu Jiao turned to look at Princess Xinyang, "What about the princess? Does the princess find Prince Ning agreeable? What kind of person is Prince Ning in the princess’s eyes?"
Princess Xinyang said indifferently, "I have had little contact with Prince Ning. Perhaps Princess Ning An could answer you if she were here."
Indeed, Princess Xinyang was married to Marquis Xuanping, who was allied with the Empress Dowager and the crown prince, forming a camp distinct from Prince Ning’s and the Zhuang family. Consort Zhuang was particularly petty, and would never allow Prince Ning to have much contact with Princess Xinyang.
However, when mentioning Prince Ning, Princess Xinyang’s expression did not change in the slightest. Could this mean she never suspected Xiao Hen’s "death" was connected to Prince Ning?
Truth be told, four years ago, the only two people with a motive to burn Xiao Hen to death were Prince Ning and Princess Xinyang.
The lesser the suspicion on Prince Ning, the greater it became on Princess Xinyang.
Princess Xinyang showed absolutely no suspicion towards Prince Ning—was it because the culprit was herself, or had Prince Ning’s facade succeeded in deceiving everyone?
In the end, Gu Jiao fell asleep.
The sun was strong by then, its rays shining through the window lattices, warming the entire table. Gu Jiao even broke out in a slight sweat.
Yujin quietly stood up, placed Gu Jiao’s feet on a stool, and added another cushion, making it stable and comfortable for her feet.
"Princess, are we still going out?" Yujin asked softly.
Princess Xinyang, continuing her calligraphy practice with a serene air, said, "Another day, I don’t feel like going out today."
Yujin acknowledged, then turned to walk around the Flower Room, cutting a few fresh flower branches to arrange in a vase.
The room was silent, filled only with the sound of the pen scratching on the paper, the quiet snipping of branches, and the even breathing of someone asleep.
The surroundings were serene, yet for once they did not feel lonely.
"Blanket," said Princess Xinyang, her eyes not leaving her writing, steady and focused.
"Okay," Yujin put down the scissors and flower branches, wiped her hands with a cloth, opened the wardrobe, and brought out a thin cashmere blanket.
She approached to drape it over Princess Xinyang but heard Princess Xinyang speak emotionlessly, "For her."
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