Mo Li

"Your Highness, Concubine Yang has arrived," a maid announced from the doorway of the study where Ye Li was organizing the account books she had brought from the Ye residence. Ye Li looked up, slightly taken aback by the maid standing at the door. Qingshuang was the first to speak, "Jingwen, what are you doing here?" The maid was none other than Jingwen, formerly known as Hanqing, whom Ye Li had previously assigned to the embroidery workshop in the Ye household. The maids of the Ding Royal Palace all wore plain moon-white robes with simple sashes, yet even in such modest attire, Jingwen managed to exude an air of coquettish charm.

Jingwen gazed at Ye Li with unease and murmured, "The steward said the clothes I embroidered were unfit for Your Highness to wear. Since there are already four master embroiderers in the workshop, I was reassigned to serve outside." Though she was glad to leave the embroidery workshop, the humiliation of having her skills dismissed as worthless flickered across her face. Ye Li sighed inwardly—this girl had spent over a month in the embroidery room yet still hadn’t learned to be wiser. Did she truly believe her pretty face would solve all her problems?

"Very well, you may leave. Show Concubine Yang in," Ye Li said with a wave of her hand.

"Yes, Your Highness." Jingwen curtsied and withdrew respectfully.

Qingshuang grumbled, "Why on earth did Mama Lin and Mama Wei assign her to serve near you, miss? She clearly has no sense of propriety." Qingluan and Qingyu, who had arrived later and were unfamiliar with Jingwen—who had remained in the embroidery workshop—only noted her overly alluring appearance. Hearing Qingshuang’s remark, they both turned their attention to her. Qingshuang stomped her foot in frustration. "I completely forgot to mention it to Mama Lin!"

Qing Xia chuckled lightly. "Relax, Qingshuang. Mama Lin was one of the old maids who served Madam back in the day. Do you really think she wouldn’t recognize what kind of person Jingwen is? Besides, she’s only a second-tier maid serving outside now—not even on par with Yun’er or Cui Er. In an unfamiliar place like the Ding Royal Palace, she won’t be able to stir up any trouble."

Ye Li set down her book and smiled. "Qingshuang, you should learn more from Qing Xia. Don’t be so impulsive about everything."

Qingshuang stuck out her tongue. "Yes, as Your Highness commands."

The moment Ye Li stepped into the flower hall reserved for female guests, she paused in surprise. Seated in the place of honor was a middle-aged woman in her fifties, dressed in luxurious cloud brocade robes and adorned with a gilded filigree gemstone headdress, exuding an air of imposing nobility. Had Ye Li not known her identity beforehand, she might have mistaken her for the late King Ding’s principal consort rather than his concubine. At the moment, Concubine Yang reclined in her chair with her eyes closed, while two maids attended to her—one massaging her shoulders and the other gently waving a palace fan. Ye Li nearly laughed—it wasn’t even June yet, and the weather in the capital wasn’t particularly warm. Wasn’t she afraid of catching a chill from the fanning?

"Your Highness!" The attendants quickly rose and bowed as Ye Li entered.

"You may leave. My apologies for keeping Concubine Yang waiting." Ye Li dismissed them with a wave and took a seat opposite, frowning slightly. Only then did Concubine Yang slowly open her eyes, scrutinizing Ye Li with a critical gaze. Ye Li met her inspection with a faint smile before shifting her attention to a young woman in white seated below. The girl seemed timid—when their eyes met, she shrank back nervously and averted her gaze."Concubine Yang, is there something you need?" Ye Li withdrew her gaze and turned toward Concubine Yang.

Concubine Yang narrowed her eyes in displeasure, her already aged face darkening further. With a light snort, she said, "The Princess Consort's airs are too grand. After entering the household, she doesn't even know to pay respects to her elders. This concubine had no choice but to come pay respects to the Princess Consort herself." Ye Li understood—she was here to pick a fight. Frowning slightly in feigned distress, she smiled faintly and said, "Then it seems this consort has been remiss. However, yesterday I asked His Highness, and he only mentioned that after the customary return visit, I would need to pay respects to my elder sister-in-law. He didn’t mention anyone else in the palace whom I should personally visit."

Concubine Yang's expression stiffened, taking a moment to recover before she looked at Ye Li and said, "His Highness has been in low spirits these years and may have overlooked some things. As the Princess Consort, not only did you fail to remind him, but you dare to be so disrespectful!"

Remind him? Mo Xiuyao didn’t even mention you—clearly, he doesn’t acknowledge you. Why would I go out of my way to remind him?

Long before the wedding, Ye Li had already memorized the identities of the members of the Ding Royal Palace. Take this Concubine Yang, for example—her status was quite peculiar. Not only was she the only concubine of the late King Ding, Mo Liufang, but she was also the biological aunt of Mo Xiuyao and Mo Xiuwen, and the younger sister of the late Princess Ding. Yet, such a status didn’t earn her any more respect in the Ding Royal Palace. In fact, whether during Mo Liufang’s time, or later under Mo Xiuwen, or even now under Mo Xiuyao, she had been largely ignored like air. Concubine Yang was not yet fifty, about the same age as Princess Zhaoyang. But though both women had been widowed around the same time, their appearances suggested a gap of at least ten years.

But Ye Li felt no sympathy for her. One could only say she had brought it upon herself. Concubine Yang had entered the Ding Royal Palace when the late Princess Ding was giving birth to Mo Xiuwen. After Mo Xiuwen’s birth, the Princess Ding’s health deteriorated, and the once-loving relationship between her and King Ding grew cold. Seven years later, shortly after giving birth to Mo Xiuyao, she passed away. And compared to Mo Xiuyao’s indifference toward Concubine Yang, Mo Xiuwen—known for his gentle and refined demeanor—treated her with outright disgust. Thus, Ye Li had ample reason to believe that Concubine Yang had used some unconventional means to enter the Ding Royal Palace, directly causing the rift between Mo Liufang and the Princess Ding. Even setting all that aside, even if Mo Xiuyao were to take concubines in the future, she would never accept Ye Shan or Ye Lin as one of them. If sharing a husband with another woman was hard to swallow, sharing one with her own sisters would be pushing the limits of her tolerance.

"This consort... truly sees no need to personally pay respects to a mere concubine," Ye Li said softly, her clear eyes half-lowered."You! How dare you!" Concubine Yang's face flushed red with anger as she pointed at Ye Li, unable to speak for a long while. The title of concubine had been the pain of her entire life. When she first married into the royal palace, she was already a concubine, and she didn't blame anyone—after all, she was born of a concubine herself. After her elder sister passed away, she thought she would have the chance to become the principal wife, since the prince had only her as his concubine. But until the day the prince died, he never spared her a glance. Ever since Mo Liufang's death, she knew she would never have the opportunity. Until her own death, she would remain merely a concubine, not even entitled to be buried beside Mo Liufang.

"The rules of the royal palace are not unknown to you, Concubine Yang. So who is the one being presumptuous here?" Ye Li raised her head and gazed at her calmly. "The Ding Royal Palace honors the prince as its master externally, but internally, the principal wife holds authority. Not to mention a mere concubine—even a proper dowager consort cannot embarrass the principal wife. That is why, after Mo Xiuwen's passing, the palace servants no longer referred to Lady Wen as the principal wife but as the Eldest Madam, signifying her status as the elder sister-in-law of the prince and principal wife, not the principal wife of the Ding Royal Palace."

Having subdued Concubine Yang's arrogance, Ye Li's expression softened slightly as she smiled faintly. "Concubine Yang, you've come so early—is there something you wish to discuss?"

Stunned by Ye Li's sudden change in demeanor, Concubine Yang snapped back to reality, her face darkening with anger. But the young woman in white sitting beside her murmured uneasily, "Aunt..."

Concubine Yang glanced at the girl in white and actually managed to suppress her rage. Turning to Ye Li, she said, "This is my niece from my maiden family, Qianru."

The young woman in white rose and bowed gracefully to Ye Li, her voice soft and gentle. "Qianru pays her respects to Cousin Sister-in-law. It is an honor to meet you."

Ye Li frowned. A daughter of the Yang family and niece of Concubine Yang—that would make her Mo Xiuyao's cousin. But this cousin was entirely unfamiliar to her. The Yang family was not a prominent noble house to begin with. In fact, apart from the first Prince Ding, Mo Lanyun, who had married a princess of the previous dynasty, none of the Mo family's principal wives in subsequent generations came from illustrious backgrounds. This was partly because the men of the Mo family did not rely on marital connections for power, and partly to avoid drawing the imperial family's suspicion. As far as she knew, the Yang principal wife had no legitimate brothers, and the only illegitimate brother had passed away years ago. That would make Yang Qianru the orphaned daughter of that illegitimate son.

"There's no need for such formalities, Cousin. Please, take a seat," Ye Li said. "It seems the prince must have forgotten—he never mentioned you to me, so I wasn't prepared with a gift. Please forgive the oversight." As she spoke, she removed the icy jade bracelet with floating flowers from her wrist and placed it in Yang Qianru's hands. Turning to Concubine Yang, she asked with a smile, "Does Cousin reside with you, Concubine Yang?"

Concubine Yang glanced at Ye Li and nodded. "Qianru is still young and has no other relatives. I brought her here so I could look after her. Since she is not a daughter of the royal palace, there's no issue with her sharing my courtyard."Ye Li had no intention of making a fuss about arranging a separate courtyard and nodded with a smile, "As long as Cousin and the Side Consort don’t feel slighted, it’s fine. If anything is lacking, just send someone to let me know. There’s no need to feel embarrassed."

The Side Consort’s eyes flickered as she said, "Actually, the reason I brought her to see you is precisely for this. Qianru is nearly seventeen now, and it’s long past time to consider her marriage prospects. But the Prince is usually nowhere to be found, and an old woman like me has little insight. Since you’re Qianru’s cousin, please take care to look into this for her. Also, it’s not fitting for a young lady to dress so plainly all the time—her wardrobe and accessories should be enhanced as well."

The Side Consort continued speaking without pause, while Yang Qianru, seated beside her, had long since flushed crimson and lowered her head, refusing to look up. Ye Li reclined comfortably in her chair, listening to the Side Consort’s demands. If there had been any hint of discussion at first, by the end, it had turned into outright orders.

Ye Li couldn’t help but frown as she observed Yang Qianru’s snow-white attire. Had the household been withholding her cousin’s allowances? Even if Mo Xiuyao disliked the Side Consort, he wouldn’t stoop to depriving a young lady of her rightful provisions, would he? Yang Qianru’s plain white dress, even her hair tied simply with a white ribbon—anyone who didn’t know better might think she was in mourning. Even the better-dressed maids in the mansion looked more presentable than her.

Yang Qianru suddenly raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears and panic, and hurriedly said, "No… the Prince’s household has never mistreated Qianru. Please don’t misunderstand Cousin Xiu Yao… It’s Qianru’s own fault…"

Ye Li couldn’t help but rub her temples. What on earth was all this? Massaging her forehead, she turned to Qingluan beside her and said, "Go see if Granny Sun is free. Ask her to come here."

Granny Sun arrived quickly. Qingluan had evidently briefed her on the situation, as she had also brought along the steward in charge of the inner household accounts and the matron responsible for household provisions.

"Greetings to the Princess Consort. Greetings to the Side Consort," the three of them chorused in unison.

Ye Li nodded. "Granny Sun, no need for formalities."

Granny Sun rose and said, "Thank you, Princess Consort. I heard you summoned this old servant regarding the provisions for the Side Consort’s courtyard. I took the liberty of bringing along Steward Wang from the accounts office and Matron Zhang, who oversees provisions. Please forgive my presumption."

Ye Li smiled. "No need for such apologies. I’ve only just arrived and am unfamiliar with these matters. Since the Side Consort raised the issue of the young lady’s provisions, I thought it best to ask you about it. In that case, Matron Zhang, how have the young lady’s provisions been handled? If she has suffered any grievances, it would reflect poorly on our Prince’s household if outsiders were to find out."

Matron Zhang stepped forward, her expression slightly uneasy. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, the young lady’s provisions have always been allocated according to the standard for a secondary daughter of the Prince’s household. Though our mansion hasn’t had a young lady for several generations, the old regulations remain unchanged. We would never dare to withhold the young lady’s rightful share."

"Then, what exactly are the young lady’s monthly provisions? If the old standard is truly insufficient, it wouldn’t hurt to make some adjustments. Or, if necessary, a portion can be drawn from the Prince’s or my own allowances," Ye Li said.Granny Zhang glanced at Yang Qianru sitting nearby and said, "The young mistress receives thirty taels of silver monthly for personal expenses, with cosmetics and such purchased separately by the estate. She has four sets of seasonal clothing each year, plus two sets of jewelry at the start of winter and summer. Not a single tael is ever missing from her festival allowances. Our family has served the royal palace for generations—we would never dare mistreat the young mistress."

The accounting steward standing nearby added, "Your Highness can verify this. When His Highness and Her Highness married, the entire estate received rewards. The chief madam received five hundred taels, the side consort two hundred, and the young mistress one hundred. The servants were also rewarded accordingly. I wouldn't dare delay—the account books can be presented as proof." At these words, all eyes turned to Yang Qianru. Her white mourning robes and frail, windblown appearance hardly suggested any mistreatment. Granny Sun's stern face darkened with displeasure. Not only had the estate not mistreated her—even if they had, hadn't the palace supported her all these years? What did she mean by wearing white right after the royal wedding?

The maids who had accompanied Ye Li from the Ye household also disapproved of this delicate young mistress. Fourth Miss Ye was already delicate enough, but this one seemed even more fragile. Yet her treatment in the palace nearly matched that of a Ye family's legitimate daughter. Back home, their own mistress received only thirty taels monthly. Moreover, this Miss Yang had no reputation in the capital, clearly never socializing—so where did her expenses go? To come crying poverty right after the wedding was simply outrageous.

Ye Li frowned at the side consort. It wasn't that she was stingy—as a newcomer, she couldn't recklessly overturn established rules to increase Yang Qianru's allowances. Even the wealthy Ding Royal Palace couldn't distribute silver without restraint. Without rules, there would be chaos—and the palace had treated Yang quite well already. Unfortunately, the side consort disagreed. Seeing Ye Li hesitate, she snapped, "What does Her Highness mean by this? Qianru is His Highness's own cousin—can't she spend a few taels? If word got out that Ding Royal Palace mistreats an orphaned girl, it would shame His Highness." Clearly, the side consort was determined to pin the "mistreatment" label on Mo Xiuyao.

"Then how much does the side consort deem appropriate?"

Scowling resentfully, the side consort declared, "Eighty taels monthly at least! And only two jewelry sets? Qianru hasn't been able to appear in society for years—her marriage prospects are suffering. She'll need to accompany you frequently now. Have Elegance Pavilion deliver four more sets." Watching the side consort's entitled expression, Ye Li barely suppressed an eye-roll. When had she agreed to bring Yang Qianru along? To blame the palace for Yang's lack of social exposure—had she been born outside the Ding Estate, with the Yang family's status, she might not even compare to the Ding's concubine-born daughters."Concubine Mother, please be mindful of your words. The Princess Consort is the mistress of Ding Royal Palace. It would be highly inappropriate for her to take an unmarried young lady out in public. Even if she were to do so, it should be a young lady from the palace or the Princess Consort's own younger sister," Granny Sun said sternly. Ye Li couldn't help but silently applaud the remark. She had no desire to drag around a delicate girl who wept at flowers and grieved over rain to social gatherings. Upon hearing Granny Sun's words, Yang Qianru's face flushed crimson with embarrassment. She let out a soft cry, clutching her chest as tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Before the concubine could erupt in anger, Ye Li frowned slightly and addressed the three, "Since everything has been clarified, Steward Wang and Matron Zhang may take your leave. Additionally, allocate an extra ten taels from my monthly allowance to Cousin Qianru. Guests should not be treated poorly."

"Yes, as the Princess Consort commands," Steward Wang and Matron Zhang replied before withdrawing.

Ye Li continued, "Concubine Mother and Cousin Qianru, you may also retire for now. As for Cousin Qianru's marriage, I will discuss it with His Highness and provide you with an answer later."

The concubine was reluctant but dared not openly defy Ye Li, seeing her dismissive expression. She could only leave in a huff, dragging the aggrieved Yang Qianru along.

After seeing them off, Ye Li turned to Granny Sun. "Granny Sun, add another ten taels to Steward Wang and Matron Zhang's salaries this month, deducted directly from my funds."

Granny Sun acknowledged the order, then hesitated before speaking. "Princess Consort, there was no need to indulge the concubine and her niece. Our palace has never mistreated Cousin Qianru, nor have we touched a single coin of the inheritance left to her by the Yang family." Ye Li sighed. "Did you see what she was wearing today? If outsiders saw her, what would they think?" Granny Sun pursed her lips. "Princess Consort may not know, but the young lady is quite peculiar. She has an extreme fondness for white. We originally sent her seasonal garments in colors favored by young ladies, but she dismissed them as vulgar, insisting on wearing only white. If there were no white clothes among those sent, she would rather wear old ones, wasting many perfectly good outfits. The stewards had no choice but to select white garments for her. For His Highness and Your Highness's wedding, Matron Zhang even specially ordered a peach-red and a lavender set for her. Who would have thought..."

"Vulgar? I doubt that's the real reason," Ye Li mused, thinking of another person who favored plain colors.

"With more guests likely visiting the palace in the future, we can't let her appear like this again. Since King Ding has now married and made public appearances, we can no longer keep the gates closed as before. I'll consult His Highness later to see if he wishes to replace all the plain-colored clothes." After a pause, Ye Li smiled faintly. Granny Sun blinked in realization. "Princess Consort, are you suggesting...?"

"I said nothing of the sort. I merely dislike white clothing," Ye Li replied with a light laugh.

"Princess Consort, His Highness requests your presence."

Mo Xiuyao did not keep maids in his service, so the messenger was one of his guards. Ye Li nodded and rose. "Where is His Highness now?" The guard replied, "His Highness awaits you at the Water Pavilion."

"Understood. You may go."The Ding Royal Palace could be considered the largest estate in the capital, which naturally corresponded to the status of the King Ding in the Great Chu. Though the palace had not expanded in size over the past century of renovations by successive lords, its scenery was unmatched in the capital. In the southwest corner of the estate lay a natural lake, occupying one-sixth of the entire palace grounds. A wooden corridor stretched across the water, winding its way to a spacious three-room Water Pavilion at the lake's center. The surface of the lake was covered with lush green lotus leaves, casting a serene emerald shimmer on the water. Even from a distance, a faint coolness could be felt—undoubtedly an ideal retreat for summer heat.

Waving her maids to stay behind, Ye Li stepped onto the lakeside corridor alone and made her way to the Water Pavilion. As expected, she found Mo Xiuyao sitting by the open window, lost in thought. Hearing her footsteps, he snapped out of his reverie and smiled. "A Li." Ye Li entered and asked, "What were you thinking about?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head with a chuckle. "I’ve been caught up with trivial matters these past few days and haven’t had the chance to ask—are you settling in well?"

Ye Li shrugged and took a seat opposite him, smiling. "I’ve always adapted quickly. The people in the palace are kind, and I’m quite comfortable." Noticing the odd expression on Mo Xiuyao’s face, she blinked and teased, "Could it be that you’re the one who isn’t used to it?" Unexpectedly, Mo Xiuyao nodded and admitted softly, "I truly am a little unaccustomed. It’s been… many years since I’ve felt like this palace had anyone but me."

"Hmm… Should I give you some space?" Ye Li felt a pang of guilt, realizing her presence might be troubling him. Mo Xiuyao let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. "How could that be? A Li, I thought we were husband and wife."

"So?"

"I think we need to spend more time together," Mo Xiuyao said.

Ye Li understood that some people would instinctively retreat from unfamiliar situations, while others would choose to face the challenge head-on. Mo Xiuyao clearly belonged to the latter. For couples like them, who obviously had no affection before marriage, fostering feelings afterward was indeed necessary. Do you have any good suggestions? Mo Xiuyao said, "If you have time, you could accompany me in conversation or reading. Or, if you don’t find it embarrassing, I could also accompany you for a walk outside."

"Go out?" Ye Li felt a stir of interest. She seemed to have forgotten one of the benefits after marriage—going out had become much more convenient than before.

"No problem." Ye Li nodded, agreeing to Mo Xiuyao’s suggestion.

Seeing her decisive manner, Mo Xiuyao was momentarily taken aback, a faint smile curling at his lips. "Yesterday, I mentioned painting a portrait of A Li. Would you like to see how it turned out?" Ye Li walked over in surprise. "It’s finished already?"

On the table before Mo Xiuyao lay an unfurled scroll. The painting depicted a woman in red standing with a sword in hand. Ye Li immediately recognized the attire and the hair ornaments as her own from her wedding day. However, the red dress was not the heavy, intricate Phoenix Brocade wedding gown embroidered with peonies but a simple, flowing red robe with golden Cloud Pattern trim and a golden belt at the waist. The peony at her forehead had been replaced by a vivid flame. The woman held her sword aloft, her expression bright and dignified, yet with an added touch of pride and sharpness.

"Is this... me?" Ye Li murmured, staring at the woman in the painting. The face was familiar, yet subtly unfamiliar. But that unfamiliarity somehow felt more truly known to her. For some reason, Ye Li found the woman in the painting extraordinarily beautiful—far more so than the reflection she usually saw in the mirror.

Mo Xiuyao smiled. "Legends speak of a beauty whose dance with a sword moved all who saw it. A Li, you have the bearing of the young Lady Qingyun."

"I haven’t..." Ye Li shook her head. She had never performed a sword dance in public. To be precise, she didn’t even know how to. Her gaze lingered on the gleaming Cloud-Grasping Sword in the woman’s hand.

Mo Xiuyao said softly, "I believe this is the real A Li."

Ye Li remained silent, unable to tear her eyes away from the woman’s face in the painting. Indeed, she had once seen such an expression on another familiar face—the carefree confidence of moving effortlessly through gunfire, the sharp pride of fighting barehanded amidst blood and storm. It was a life entirely different from the present. Since accepting reality, she had strived to conform to the standards of women in this era, believing she had gradually forgotten the woman who laughed freely in the mud and sweat. But... if she had truly forgotten, if she had truly accepted it, why would she still possess the hidden skills she had now?

"That day when A Li held the Cloud-Grasping Sword... I thought you were more beautiful than I had ever seen you before," Mo Xiuyao said, almost sighing, recalling the moment Ye Li had drawn the sword. Though it had been brief, the fierce aura unlike any other woman’s, the bold and heroic sweep of her arm—in that instant, Mo Xiuyao felt as though he had glimpsed a legendary general commanding the battlefield.

"Could... could I have this painting?" Ye Li asked hesitantly.Mo Xiuyao smiled, "This was meant for you." Since the topic of painting was casually mentioned yesterday, he knew A Li had treated it as mere jest. Yet, the image of Ye Li's radiant beauty on their wedding night and the moment she drew her sword in the Ye family hall kept flashing before his eyes. Despite the busy affairs of the prince's residence these past two days, he had stayed up last night to complete this painting—though it still lacked an inscription. "What do you think would be a fitting inscription, A Li?"

Ye Li shook her head and hesitated before replying, "Perhaps none is needed. It’s not meant for public display." She loved the painting dearly and worried an inscription might ruin it.

Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Very well, no inscription then. But a signature is still necessary." He picked up a brush from the stand on the table and instructed, "Grind the ink for me."

Curious about Mo Xiuyao’s calligraphy, Ye Li complied. The painting alone proved his earlier claim—that his skill rivaled Han Mingyue’s—was no exaggeration. But how would his writing fare?

Mo Xiuyao chuckled as he dipped the brush in ink. "A Li, your calligraphy is uniquely refined. I may disappoint you." With practiced strokes, he inscribed beside the portrait: Prince Ding Xiu Yao, to his wife A Li. His script was elegant yet forceful, exuding restrained vigor.

Pleased, Ye Li carefully moved the painting aside to dry, intending to store it later. But the words to his wife A Li stirred an odd sensation in her. When she glanced up, she found Mo Xiuyao watching her. Turning away now would seem guilty, so she met his gaze squarely. He smiled faintly and averted his eyes first.

The strange tension made Ye Li want to leave, yet she couldn’t bear to abandon the painting. Besides, fleeing would mean conceding defeat—and she had just resolved to spend more time with him. Quickly shifting the topic, she said, "By the way, there’s something I wanted to discuss. Could you stop wearing white clothes?"

Mo Xiuyao arched a brow. "Do you particularly dislike white?"

"I have no preference for colors. It’s just a habit," he replied. "But why bring this up?" Knowing Ye Li, she wouldn’t care about his attire unless there was a reason.

Ye Li recounted the earlier incident in the courtyard. Mo Xiuyao stared at her in disbelief. "So you think she insists on white because of me?"

Ye Li nodded. "That’s my theory."

"But I don’t wear white every day." While his wardrobe leaned toward muted tones, it wasn’t exclusively white.

"Yet every time she sees you, you’re coincidentally in white," Ye Li countered with a shrug.

Mo Xiuyao studied her for a long moment before chuckling softly. "A Li... are you jealous?"

Jealous?!

Ye Li’s expression darkened. She shot to her feet and said woodenly, "Apologies, but our household is out of vinegar!" Without another word—or even sparing a glance at the painting—she turned and strode out.

"Your Highness?"

A Jin appeared at the door moments later, eyeing Mo Xiuyao. Granny Sun was right—the prince wasn’t very adept at handling his wife. In just a short while, he’d managed to drive her away.Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, "I'll have this painting sent to the princess consort later."

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Ah, emotions and communication~ Slow and steady is indeed more challenging. How about we give their feelings a dramatic boost later?