"Say… What does Young Master Wu think about the young girl?"
While Bai Shuyin asked out of curiosity, the redhead prince only blinked his eyes, mouthing a 'who?'
"The young girl from before? You saw her… right?" The transmigrator leaned closer, crossing her arms above the table, looking like she was about to unleash gossip.
"Long black hair, small rabbit face?" Bai Shuyin gestured towards her own face. She was brimming with excitement, wanting to know what this young man would think of his future concubine, even though he didn't realize it at the moment. "Big-ass eyes and nose as small as a button?"
When she still got nothing from the prince, she went into full-blown details. "Yellow-colored iris, childlike features, dressed in whites, pale as hell– That one tiny girl that got down from the carriage. Don't tell me you actually miss her?" Bai Shuyin deadpanned.
This prince needed to have his eyes checked to miss something so huge that was literally right in front of him.
Wu Jiangfeng took a moment to think about it carefully before he thoughtfully said, "That indeed is a very well designed carriage. She must be the child of a very respected official based on how high the canopy is on top. It looks quite sturdy as well–"
"Enjoy!" An arm appeared so suddenly between them and placed their meals on the table, effectively cutting off whatever Wu Jiangfeng wanted to say.
"....?" Bai Shuyin gaped and couldn't believe what she was currently hearing.
She was asking Wu Jiangfeng about his thoughts about the original female lead, not about how sturdy the carriage was! Thank heavens that their food had been served before she had to listen to a lecture about the complicated structure of ancient carriages.
However, when a good-looking vegetarian dish was presented in front of them, Bai Shuyin was relieved from her provisional annoyance. The smell of spices emitted was mouth-watering. The red color made the dish look so appetizing that Bai Shuyin gulped down unknowingly.
The teen came back again, this time with two bowls of steamed white rice and chopsticks.
The transmigrator looked at Wu Jiangfeng's expression, exuberant in excitement at the plate full of his favorite food. She soon realized he really didn't notice anything else. For him to miss such an eye-catching female lead, she could never understand that.
"You know what?" Bai Shuyin sighed, muttering to herself. "Forget it, let's just eat."
***
It was dark by the time she returned. Wu Jiangfeng had insisted on walking her back like a gentleman he was, not trying to discredit the guard that looked out for them a few feets away. It turned out that Wu Jiangfeng had declined the invitation to stay at Madam He's and stayed in the residence of a close friend.
Made her wonder who that close friend was.
Bai Shuyin leaned against the bed frame, mind wandering for a long moment. The candle flickered in the lantern, an orange hue painted her face. The crown prince of Wu continent had asked for another meeting before his departure from here. Should she agree or should she not? If she wanted to pursue this path, she might as well be delighted at the invitation. Yet, deep down, she had a guilty conscience about her desires.
The white-haired girl sighed, all of a sudden, she missed Wang Heiyue terribly. Despite that boy being tight-lipped, without his presence, the surrounding was suddenly too quiet, too silent. Loneliness nudged in but Bai Shuyin reassured herself with the books.
She had a few of them stored in the cabinet. She had to admit that books in this world were quite… unpredictable. They were hard to get due to the high price so she got these from Madam He's leftovers, though she would have to say, Madam He's taste was remarkably unique.
Forbidden love between a Master and disciple? A night of consummation with the emperor? Dominating with the eunuch?!
Bai Shuyin's depressed mood vanished. She pulled a random book from the cabinet, tucked herself under the thin blanket and prepared herself for the ride.
The door was pushed open softly, creating a small creaking noise as if the person entering didn't want to disturb anyone inside.
"You're back!" Bai Shuyin, not looking at the newcomer yet she always knew by the distinctive air he carried, smiled and greeted Wang Heiyue, who grunted in return. After shutting the door, Wang Heiyue sat down at the table and heaved out a heavy sigh.
That made Bai Shuyin blink, she snapped the unrelated book and turned towards Wang Heiyue. "How's your day?"
Wang Heiyue turned to look her straight in the eyes and Bai Shuyin maintained hers, neither pulling away nor flinching at being stared at. She curved her eyes up into crescents and waited for Wang Heiyue to answer. Despite trying not to react much, she felt the atmosphere tense up unlike the comfortable and familiar one she was used to.
There was something unusual with the interaction they were currently having. It made her wonder what exactly happened with Wang Heiyue after a day hanging out with the female lead. Was it pleasant? Did he get entranced? Did he finally fall in love? Was he rejected?
Wang Heiyue's lips tightened. In his mind, he kept on recalling the image of Bai Shuyin and Wu Jiangfeng, laughing so freely and relaxed, unlike the one he was used to, with stressful and controlled facial expressions.
Bai Shuyin might not know, but Wang Heiyue noticed everything, how her face twitched beforehand as if deciding which expression to wear especially when he was around, how tired she was after working yet she still took care of him. When he stayed up late for some self-training she knew nothing of, she would still stay up till he came back just to greet him, perhaps with a little scolding.
The appearance of Wu Jiangfeng was an unpredictable variable, though for another reason, Wang Heiyue knew attraction sparked in those violet eyes. And it irked him to no end.
"Yin Yin." Wang Heiyue lowered his lashes. "Does Yin Yin like him?" He asked quietly.
A pause and Wang Heiyue felt like the air was suffocating him. Yin Yin was still smiling so gently like usual, but he saw the tiny creases form around her eye. She was thinking how to react and Wang Heiyue despised every second she took.
Unexpectedly, a knock on the window interrupted them.