After leaving the Yuanwei Courtyard empty-handed, Situ Jing's regretful expression was one for the ages. Anyone seeing him would probably think he'd be kicking himself over this blunder for days. Truth be told, even as he hurried away, he couldn't stop mentally berating himself.
What was I thinking? he lamented inwardly.
The precious ginseng treasure, which he hadn't even had time to fully appreciate, was now someone else's to care for! He felt like he'd just been robbed blind, but the worst part was that he had willingly handed it over.
However, before he could spiral too deeply into self-pity, a servant appeared, bowing respectfully and delivering a message that made his stomach tighten.
"The King requests for your presence immediately, my lord."
Situ Jing's heart sank. The tone didn't suggest this was a casual chat. With a groan of resignation, he straightened his robes and set off for Xiao Chenyuan's study. His mind raced with every possible scenario that might await him.
As soon as he stepped through the doorway, a frigid voice cut through the air:
"Where's the flowerpot?"
Situ Jing froze mid-step, his face blank for a moment.
"..." Is Your Highness playing games with me?
Forcing a smile that was more painful than any frown, he replied stiffly, "It… it's with the Queen now."
Xiao Chenyuan's hand, poised mid-stroke over the paper, halted. His dark eyes lifted, pinning Situ Jing in place like a hawk eyeing prey.
"You brought the ginseng to her?"
Situ Jing gulped audibly.
"Your Highness… I just thought it might be wise to consult her on proper care techniques…" He chuckled nervously, though his laughter trailed off into silence under the King's unyielding stare.
"What did she say then?" Xiao Chenyuan's tone was deceptively calm, the kind of calm that made Situ Jing's knees weak.
"The Queen said…" Situ Jing hesitated, then plastered on a desperate grin. "'The King is truly extraordinary!'" He added a feeble thumbs-up for effect.
Xiao Chenyuan closed his eyes for a brief moment, exhaling slowly. In his mind, he could already hear Qingwu's biting tone and see her gritted teeth as she delivered such a backhanded compliment.
"Since you're so fond of tending plants," Xiao Chenyuan said, each word clipped and deliberate, "why not take responsibility for every plant in the Manor? When the work is done, you only may rest."
Situ Jing's jaw dropped. "Your Highness! Xiao Chenyuan! This is too much! I'm not just your subordinate—I'm your best friend! Don't you value our friendship?"
The King's reply was as cold as the winter wind. "Then you won't need your salary next month. Friends, after all."
Situ Jing straightened up immediately, his face a picture of righteous determination. "I am your most loyal subordinate, Your Highness! I'll start the planting immediately!"
Before Xiao Chenyuan could reach for another document to throw at him, Situ Jing bolted out the door. His hurried retreat ended abruptly when he tripped over the threshold and landed face-first on the ground.
Xiao Chenyuan, watching from the doorway, could only shake his head in silence.
"Ahhh… my mouth… it's bleeding! What a cursed life I lead!" Situ Jing's pitiful wails echoed down the hall as he clutched his bruised chin.
The King didn't even spare him a glance as he stepped past, his expression unreadable.
"Heartless!" Situ Jing cried after him, his voice dripping with exaggerated betrayal.
Later, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Xiao Chenyuan found himself standing before the closed gates of the Yuanwei Courtyard. His frown deepened. The gates, shut long before evening fell, sent a clear message: no visitors allowed. And it wasn't difficult to guess exactly who was being turned away.
He inhaled deeply, trying to steady himself, but his irritation only grew.
Why am I even here? he wondered.
His fingers absently toyed with the prayer beads on his wrist—an old habit he turned to whenever he needed to calm his mind. As the beads slid over his skin, his hand brushed against the folded paper hidden in his sleeve. He stiffened.
It was the agreement he'd claimed to have burned. For reasons he couldn't quite understand, he had rewritten it and kept it with him.
Ridiculous, he thought, shoving the beads back into place. Why should it matter how she behaves?
Inside the courtyard, Qingwu was busy replanting the ginseng spirit in her garden. The cheeky little plant, finally freed from its pot, was acting like a spoiled pet, rubbing its leaves against her hands with abandon.
"Behave!" she scolded, giving its leaves a light smack.
The ginseng spirit recoiled momentarily, only to wiggle even more enthusiastically, as if emboldened by her attention.
Qingwu sighed, deciding it was best to let it be. She wasn't about to indulge its bizarre antics further.
Then she paused. Even with the gate closed, she could sense the presence lingering just beyond. With a knowing smile, she walked over and pulled the door open.
Xiao Chenyuan stood there, momentarily caught off guard.
"Oh? Who's lurking outside my door?" Qingwu teased, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Why, it's the King himself!"
The King's expression didn't waver. "This is myManor. Why should I lurk?"
"Ah, my mistake," she said, her grin widening. "Did you come to see me?"
"No."
His gaze shifted to the freshly planted ginseng in the garden, then back to her. She tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "What's that you've got hidden in your sleeve, hmm?"
Xiao Chenyuan's hand twitched, but before he could retreat, Qingwu darted forward, grabbing his arm.
"Stop this nonsense," he said lowly, his voice tinged with both exasperation and something softer, almost reluctant.
"Liar!" she shot back, grinning. "Men who break their promises will grow pig's tails, Xiao Chenyuan. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
The whimsical remark struck something deep within his heart. For a brief moment, he faltered, his grip loosening just enough for Qingwu to snatch the paper from his sleeve.
"Oh, what's this?" she said, holding it aloft. "Didn't you say you weren't here to see me?"
She took a playful step forward, and Xiao Chenyuan instinctively retreated. Their impromptu chase ended when his back met the sturdy trunk of a tree .
Before Qingwu could press her advantage, Xiao Chenyuan moved. In one swift motion, he flipped their positions, pinning her against the tree, her wrist was caught in his grip above her head.
His tall frame loomed over her, his other hand gripping her second wrist as he pressed it upward. His eyes, dark and unreadable, locked onto hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.
His breath brushed her ear as his deep, gravelly voice murmured, "Do you enjoy this game of the cat and the mouse?"
Qingwu's ears tingled, and for once, she faltered. She realized how precarious their closeness had become but dared not move, knowing any slight shift might bring them dangerously closer.
She quirked her lips, feigning innocence. "So, tell me, Your Highness… are you the cat, or the mouse?"
Xiao Chenyuan's lips curved into the faintest smirk. With a single hand now restraining her wrists, his other hand drifted downward, brushing the pale column of her neck. His touch was light, ambiguous—just long enough to blur the line between threat and something far more intimate.
The moment hung between them, thick with unspoken tension, teetering dangerously between peril and allure. For a moment, the world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the crackling energy of their proximity.