Xiao General Manor
The amount of gossip in the manor didn't lessen just because Xiao Yuxuan left.
"Cui Xin, what do you think is the relationship between Royal Concubine and the Prince of Ping…? Before, they were…" The maid who had spoken wore a set of light green and white clothes. Her appearance was of plain, and her hair was tied with a simple hairpin.
"Hush, if the Duke hears you, be careful that you won't be driven out of the Manor! Yesterday, Steward Zhou strictly forbade us to discuss this matter in private… With your mouth, something bad will happen sooner or later!" Cui Xin glared at Feng Xue!
"Ugh…" Hearing Cui Xin's words, Feng Xue couldn't help but looked around. Only after seeing that no single soul could be seen, did she finally relax!
"This mouth... If I say about it again in the future, you hit me! At least getting beaten up by you is better than getting punished by Steward Zhou… " Feng Xue shrugged, and leaned on Cui Xin's side.
"It's good thing you know fear... Let's go…" Cui Xin pointed and left with Feng Xue.
As the wind blew, a dark figure slowly walked to the light. His hazy eyes carried a trace of ruthlessness as they shot towards the direction where Cui Xin and Feng Xue had left to. The corner of his mouth slowly curved into an ice-cold arc.
Only after almost three days of rest did Duan Mu Yan's chills recovered completely. It was also because of this that she was allowed to eat with everyone. The white dress she was wearing which was tied around the waist in a blue band, was simple but it still revealed her slim figure. And with an emerald jade pendant tied around her waist, she appeared elegant and magnificent.
Her beautiful face did not have the slightest hint of adornment, making her seem even more alluring. Her eyebrows were black without a painting, and her cherry lips were red without even touching!
Duan Mu Yan's appearance caused a huge disturbance in the originally calm main hall!
"Mu Yan is here! Sit down... Since your illness has just started to heal, it's not good to stand there for too long!" Xiao Yin said calmly as he saw Duan Mu Yan walk into the main hall! He knew that during this period of time, he had wronged this child.
"Many thanks, royal father…" Duan Mu Yan gave a deep bow. With the support of Yue'er, she walked towards Xiao Jin Feng with graceful steps!
"Mu Yan, our Xiao family is different from the imperial family. We don't have that many rules." In his eyes, Duan Mu Yan was no different from his own daughter. Perhaps… It was because Xiao Yin had always felt that he owed Consort Li.
Hearing Xiao Yin's words, a trace of warmth flashed across the bottom of Duan Mu Yan's heart. Her beautiful eyes that were like butterfly feathers trembled as he looked towards Xiao Yin.
"Many thanks, royal father…" Duan Mu Yan felt that the distance between Xiao Yin and her had started to narrow, and the love between a father and a daughter was slowly growing.
Just as Duan Mu Yan was about to approach Xiao Jin Feng, a sudden collision nearly made her fall to the ground! Contrary to everyone's expectations, Xiao Jin Feng actually pulled Su Jin Xiu, who was serving by his side, to sit in the seat that Duan Mu Yan was about to sit in!
"Prince…" Su Jin Xiu looked at Xiao Jin Feng in astonishment. With a frown, a trace of strangeness flashed through her frightened eyes!
"Jin Feng! What do you mean? Xiu'er was just a maid, how could she sat down with us?! And that seat…"
"This seat is Shirou's! Furthermore, Xiu'er is not just a maid! She was Shirou's little sister… Why would I not let her sister sit here in her stead?!" His hoarse voice was filled with hatred and resentment, Xiao Jin Feng didn't even raise her head to look at Duan Mu Yan!
"This is too outrageous! Xiu'er, you can leave now…" Xiao Yin frowned coldly as he glared at Xiao Jin Feng. He could understand the pain of losing his wife, but he couldn't forgive his son for treating Duan Mu Yan in such a manner.
Even though she was unwilling, Su Jin Xiu still got up with a cowering face. However, in the next second, she was ruthlessly torn off by Xiao Jin Feng again!
"Sit down! You are not allowed to get up without my permission!" Xiao Jin Feng held Su Jin Xiu in one hand and the dishes on the table in the other. His expression was cold and his expression was impassive!
"How preposterous!" Just as Xiao Yin was about to smash the table and rise to his feet, Duan Mu Yan suddenly spoke.
"Royal Father... Mu Yan suddenly felt unwell… I should go back to my room and rest first... Mu Yan will take her leave…" Her slightly curled eyelashes trembled as her watery black eyes drooped down like fireflies.
Before Xiao Yin could speak, Duan Mu Yan had already walked out of the main hall.
As Duan Mu Yan's figure slowly left his sight, a trace of heartache flashed through Xiao Jin Feng's heart. He simply couldn't feel it at all; it was only a weak tremble.
"Xiao Jin Feng! You're going too far! " Xiao Yin ruthlessly threw the porcelain bowl in front of him and left in anger!
In the main hall, Xiao Jin Feng was still holding the dishes on the table and stuffing them into his mouth! At the corner of his eyes, that stubborn teardrop didn't fall down. 'Shirou … Where are you... I miss you... Every day I think... His heart ached every day… Shirou.'
However, there was one person who was in high spirit with all the ruckus. At this moment, Su Jin Xiu was enjoying sitting at the same table as Xiao Jin Feng. The desire in her heart spread to every cell in her body like a venom.
Leaving the main hall, Duan Mu Yan lowered her eyes and quietly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her unintentional actions had landed in Qiu Yue's eyes!
"Esteemed Wangfei…"
"I'm fine… Yue'er, I've wronged you…" Duan Mu Yan's heart ached as she looked at her maidservant. This servant will follow the momentum of the situation. Her position in the Xiao family was not even worth mentioning, so how good would it be to Yue'er?
"Esteemed Wangfei, don't say that … Yue'er does not feel wronged, neither should the Wangfei. The old Master treats you like his own daughter. Even if it was the first wife from before, the old Master has never treated anyone like that!" Qiu Yue's cherry lips lightly opened as she comforted her.
Duan Mu Yan thought though that there was no need to be concerned about. Because she and Xiao Jin Feng might be called husband and wife, but in reality, they had gone their separate ways. It was understandable that he would hate her, and if he hated her, it would at least lessen the pain and guilt in her heart.
Beside, the Heavens were just, her Imperial Father treated her like air, but Xiao Yin loved him as if she were his own daughter. Duan Mu Yun recalled Xiao Yin's kind smile just now and a trace of warmth flashed past her heart.
In the main hall, Xiao Jin Feng had released Su Jin Xiu at an unknown time! "Your Highness…" Seeing Xiao Jin Feng's expressionless face stuffing food into his mouth, tears fell from her eyes.
Su Jin Xiu's heart felt as if it was pierced by a needle. She had a deep affection for Xiao Jin Feng! Yet there was no response.
Xiao Jin Feng threw away the chopsticks in his hand and left without looking back. Su Jin Xiu's hand clenched into a fist as she watched Xiao Jin Feng's lonely figure slowly fade away from her line of sight. A trace of iciness flashed past her dark eyes. Rather than worrying that Xiao Jin Feng might fall in love with Duan Mu Yan, it would be better to let him constantly think about a dead person.
Palace's Grand Tutor Hall
A soul-stirring flute melody lightly rang out. Looking from afar, one could see a person with a clean countenance in a white clothes, with black hair dyed in ink. When the wind blew and his clothes and hair flapped along, he was almost like an immortal.
Duan Zitong who was just outside her residence, heard of the music piece and set out to find the origin of the sound. As she stepped onto the fragmented lotus steps in the direction of the Tutor Hall, Duan Zitong slowly circled around the shade railing and lightly moved to Xiao Yuxuan's side. Although she had no intention of disturbing such a beautiful mood, the flute music still abruptly stopped.
"Why did Yuxuan stop?" Duan Zitong's cherry lips parted as her charming eyes became like silk. Every time he faced Xiao Yuxuan, she would do her best to make herself look elegant. She seemed to only be a hair's breadth away from him. It seemed that they were a perfect match.
Only after a long time had passed did Duan Zitong realize that in Xiao Yuxuan's eyes, she had always been an evil woman, a woman with a vicious heart.
Xiao Yuxuan turned his jade-like face towards Duan Zitong as he bowed respectfully. There was not a trace of warmth in his clear eyes! "I am afraid that I will sully the princess' phoenix ears..."
"The honored grand tutor must be joking. This kind of heavenly music is indeed a blessing for the catalpas. I wonder where this song came from?" Duan Zitong's cherry lips curved into a smile, as she reached out her white hands towards the bamboo flute in Xiao Yuxuan's hands. Xiao Yuxuan slightly bowed, skilfully avoiding Duan Zitong's jade-like hand and taking advantage of the situation to place the flute on his waist.
"Reporting to the princess, this song was written by this humble subject. Its name is' Butterfly Loves Flower'…" His clear eyes flashed with a hint of resplendent splendor. This song was specially written by him for Duan Mu Yan. Not only was there a tune, but there was also a lyrics. But those lyrics… He only left to chant for Duan Mu Yan alone.
"Butterfly Loves Flower... That's a good title... However… The love between butterflies and flowers, were destined to be sorrowful forever..." A trace of unfathomable light flashed across Duan Zitong's eyes as she lightly spoke.
"'Love is intoxication, and love is infatuation; and to be in love with the love of your life despite of the distance brings extreme joy.' The butterfly and the flower may not be together for a lifetime, but it will last for a thousand years. Love is not enough for an outsider to snatch away…" Xiao Yuxuan was neither servile nor overbearing. A trace of the wind blew past his handsome face.
Duan Zitong's eyes drooped, and a fierce light flashed through them. How could she not know the hidden meaning behind Xiao Yuxuan's words?! Even though Duan Mu Yan was already a wife to another man, his heart was still filled with determination!
"Yuxuan … I want to learn this song..." Duan Zitong turned her gaze to the side and concealed the conspiracy in the depths of her eyes.
"Easy, Yuxuan will write down the score and present it to the princess… However…" Xiao Yuxuan's clear eyes lowered slightly, as if he was in a difficult situation.
"I will do my best to arrange a meeting between the Imperial Tutor and the First Prince…" Duan Zitong's voice was gentle as she walked straight into the Tutor Hall without even looking back.
Behind him, Xiao Yuxuan looked at Duan Zitong's back in astonishment, his heart trembling slightly. He had never expected her to guess his thoughts. Was it because he revealed such obvious thoughts? This woman was too scheming. In the Tutor Hall, Xiao Yuxuan didn't say anything more.
He had prepared the music for the 'Butterfly Flower' on a predetermined piece of paper. There was a variation because the true 'Butterfly Flower' belonged to Mu Yan alone.
As he watched Xiao Yuxuan throw ink at the parchment like flowing water, Duan Zitong's heart sank once more. The spark of love had already started to burn her conscience. With a handsome, resolute face, perfect, and exquisite facial features, she seemed to transcend the mortal world.
Xiao Yuxuan's every move seemed to float like an immortal, and in Duan Zitong's eyes, the music of the world naturally came from a peerless person. While Duan Zitong was immersed in the ecstasy, Qing Lan suddenly appeared.
"Seventh Princess…" She was dressed in a simple and unadorned palace attire, standing respectfully outside the hall with her eyes looking humbly at Duan Zitong.
However, her gaze landed on Xiao Yuxuan. She had a straight nose, smooth yet perfect lips. This wasn't the first time Qing Lan had met Xiao Yuxuan, but she was as moved as she was the first. Any woman could not escape from such a god-like immortal!