At Zhao Qian’s words, Long Yang’s brush-holding hand paused for a second, then carried on marking Palace Memorials indifferently as if he had not heard what Shi Yi and Zhao Qian had said.
Chu Qi quietly withdrew his gaze, letting his eyes alight next on Shi Yi.
Shi Yi thought for a while, then answered, “At first, I was too far away from the Crown Prince and Second Miss Lu, so I couldn’t hear what they said. After that though, I pretended to be a gardener and managed to get closer to them. I heard Second Miss Lu scolding the Crown Prince; he was extremely angry.”
Zhao Qian was stunned. “Scolding the Crown Prince?”
Chu Qi glanced calmly at the man behind the imperial table and saw that he had stopped his marking.
Imitating Lu Liangwei’s tone, Shi Yi reenacted her conversation with Long Chi.
The corners of Zhao Qian’s mouth twitched. “Did Second Miss Lu really say that?”
Shi Yi nodded. “She definitely did. The Crown Prince was livid with rage; he even warned Second Miss not to get ahead of herself and that she’d weep in regret one day.”
Chu Qi’s gaze had been fixed on his master all this time. After Shi Yi had finished speaking, he saw the corners of his master’s mouth curve upward almost imperceptibly, a hint of delight flitting through his eyes.
Chu Qi paused for a while, then thought to himself, ‘Master is such a sham!’
Long Yang pretended not to care about Second Miss Lu despite his obvious concern for her, but he could not help feeling pleased when he heard about her acting like the Crown Prince’s elder and scolding him.
Chu Qi secretly shook his head at his master’s childishness.
Zhao Qian frowned. “How could the Crown Prince speak to Second Miss Lu so disrespectfully? Why would Second Miss Lu weep when she is Master’s beloved?”
Shi Yi glanced at him speechlessly.
Zhao Qian had the nerve to even say that!
Second Miss Lu was a few years younger than the Crown Prince. There was no way he would be able to tolerate her behaving like his elder and scolding him out of the blue!
Only Zhao Qian could be so blind to the situation.
Long Yang raised his head and looked at Zhao Qian. “Ask the imperial chef to prepare some delicious snacks.”
Zhao Qian was startled. “Are you hungry, Master?”
Long Yang ignored him and went back to marking the Palace Memorial he was holding.
Zhao Qian stood there dazed for a brief moment, before he finally came to a realization. Joyfully, he asked, “Are you going to visit Second Miss Lu tonight, Master?”
Long Yang was in a good mood, so he did not mind the eunuch’s impertinence. “Yes.”
A broad smile immediately spread over Zhao Qian’s fair, plump face. “I’ll go to the imperial kitchen right now and supervise them closely. This humble servant will make sure they prepare snacks that Second Miss Lu will be satisfied with.”
The corners of Long Yang’s mouth lifted slightly, and he did not say another word.
Zhao Qian scuttled off to the imperial kitchen.
That night, Lu Liangwei bathed way in advance. Afraid that Long Yang would show up again, she blew out all the candles in her room and climbed into bed, preparing to sleep.
With her going to bed so early and the room so dark, she did not believe that Long Yang would still have the nerve to enter.
Moreover, she would be going to Tianzhu Mountain with her grandmother the day after tomorrow, and she would not be seeing him for a long time. The mere thought of that relaxed her.
Thoughts ran through her mind as she lay in bed, and drowsiness gradually overtook her. Just when she was about to drift off, the room suddenly lit up.
A tall, slender figure walked in from the outside.
Watching the approaching figure, Lu Liangwei’s brow creased.
Why was Long Yang here again? She had already blown out the candles; why had he still come in?
“Since you’re not asleep yet, do get up. I’ve brought you some snacks.” The man’s gentle and affectionate voice came from outside the netting. Following the end of his statement, he added, “It’s a fresh flower pastry newly created by the imperial chef; I think you’ll like it. There’s also golden dumplings and chestnut cake.”
Every time he mentioned the name of one of the snacks, Lu Liangwei could not help swallowing as her mouth watered. No longer pretending to be asleep, she immediately sat up and drew the netting aside.
“It’s not good to eat so late.”
A smile glimmered in Long Yang’s serene, fathomless eyes. “Well, it’s alright once in a while.” After a pause, he asked tentatively, “Why don’t you eat just a little then?”
Lu Liangwei’s fingers tightened on the netting. She truly could not resist the lure of delicious food.