After the woodcutter left, Zhenzhen said to the Crown Prince, "Back then, Cheng Yuan swore with his life that my birth mother was buried in this grave. But since this tomb has existed for many years, it couldn’t possibly be my mother’s."
The Crown Prince replied, "If we follow Meng Yunxiu’s speculation that Official Liu is your birth mother, then Cheng Yuan wasn’t exactly lying. Having existed for eighteen or nineteen years, this grave is likely Official Liu’s."
Zhenzhen knew his reasoning was sound, but accepting this conclusion meant acknowledging that Qiu Niang was not her birth mother—something she absolutely could not accept. So she remained silent.
"However, if that’s the case, there’s one good thing about it," the Crown Prince said, offering a comforting smile. "It suggests your mother might still be alive. If she had truly passed away over two years ago, Cheng Yuan could have simply taken you to her real burial site after laying her to rest. Why would he go through the trouble of erecting a new stele and renovating this old grave, pretending it was your mother’s tomb?"
Moments ago, her heart had been weighed down by a thick cloud of doubt, leaving her breathless. But these words were like sunlight breaking through the clouds, suddenly filling Zhenzhen with hope. She laughed with a mix of shock and delight, "Yes, yes! From this perspective, it’s very likely my mother is still alive!" Then she immediately asked the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, could you ask Cheng Yuan about my mother’s whereabouts?"
The Crown Prince shook his head. "Cheng Yuan is deeply cunning and has gone to great lengths to conceal this matter. He certainly won’t tell the truth just because I ask. If I question him directly, he’ll respond with lies, and it would alert him, causing him to hide your mother even more deeply. But don’t worry, I’ll find a way to investigate. From now on, whatever you cannot do, I will do for you."
These last words warmed Zhenzhen’s heart. She looked at the man before her with deep emotion, momentarily at a loss for words. The Crown Prince gave her a gentle smile, naturally took her hand, and led her to the edge of the cliff. Pointing to the valley below, he said, "There’s a lotus pond down there with a lovely view. Let’s sit for a while before heading back."
In the pond, the lotus flowers, both red and white, stood gracefully under the sun, blooming in full splendor. The Crown Prince and Zhenzhen sat side by side by the water’s edge. Zhenzhen’s brows were still furrowed with worry as she gazed silently at the sunlight dancing on the misty waves. The Crown Prince glanced at her, then reached for a nearby lotus leaf. He plucked one, bent its stem into the shape of an elephant’s trunk, tied a loose knot, and handed it to Zhenzhen.
"Ah, a jade tube cup!" Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up as she took it and examined it closely. Instantly, she recalled the celebration banquet two years ago, where she had used a lotus leaf to make a jade tube cup to replace the Crown Prince’s stolen wine vessel. In the grand hall, she had tried to explain the origin of the jade tube cup but couldn’t remember the details. It was the Crown Prince who stepped in and helped her finish reciting it.
Sigh, that allusion about the Wei dynasty’s Zheng Que was too convoluted. I only read it two or three times and couldn’t recite it at all. I was so embarrassed I nearly fainted in the hall. Thankfully, Your Highness remembered and helped me out. I immediately felt relieved and thought, ‘Amitabha, the Bodhisattva has shown mercy!’" Zhenzhen laughed as she spoke to the Crown Prince.
"Clearly, you hadn’t read enough," the Crown Prince chuckled, then asked, "I helped you out of that predicament, yet you only thanked the Bodhisattva. Didn’t you have even a little bit of girlish fancy for me?"
Zhenzhen widened her eyes in surprise. "At that time, I thought you were lofty and distant, like a celestial being. How could I have any girlish fancy? Who would have such thoughts about a statue in a temple?"
Suddenly making a connection, Zhenzhen reconsidered and found the Crown Prince’s behavior more suspicious. "Could it be that Your Highness already had improper thoughts about me back then?""Not yet," the Crown Prince's smile deepened. "I just thought you looked rather pitiful and a bit adorable, stammering and unable to recite your text in front of everyone, so I casually helped you out."
Zhenzhen immediately asked, "Then why does Your Highness treat me differently now?"
"What do you think?" the Crown Prince countered.
Zhenzhen thought to herself, how would I know what you're thinking? A mischievous impulse struck her, and she deliberately said, "Did you discover my natural beauty?"
"Oh?" he calmly asked, "Is it more beautiful than mine?"
Zhenzhen was both amused and exasperated. Instinctively, she wanted to deflate the prince's confidence, but upon reflection, she realized that in terms of beauty, his ranking among men probably did surpass her own among women. Feeling disheartened, she could only ask resentfully, "Then what do you like about me?"
The Crown Prince said, "You detected the issue with Consort Li's green salt and played a significant role in clarifying the incident of the consort's childbirth. Those related past events troubled me for many years, becoming a knot in my heart. After the truth came to light, I naturally noticed you, finding you clever and decisive. Later, when I went to Jiaming Hall to accompany The Emperor for meals, I often observed you. Did you notice?"
Zhenzhen was very surprised. "Not at all. I always thought Your Highness behaved with refined elegance in front of The Emperor during meals, never looking around, and I never noticed Your Highness paying special attention to me."
"That's because your eyes were only on the imperial cuisine and The Emperor who was dining," the Crown Prince said. "Others eat simply to eat, but for you, eating is work. In Jiaming Hall, your eyes were fixed on every dish—first examining them carefully, then concentrating on distinguishing their flavors. After presenting them to The Emperor, you attentively observed his every subtle expression, wanting to know his feelings about the food. At such times, you wouldn't notice the people and things around you."
"Yes," Zhenzhen laughed. "Paying attention to The Emperor's reactions to the food is my duty. Moreover, Pei Shangshi requires me to reconstruct the dishes by discerning their color, aroma, and taste, so I must focus entirely to do it well."
The Crown Prince's gaze softened. "I like girls who take their work seriously. The expression you have when you're focused on doing what you're good at is simply indescribably beautiful."
But Zhenzhen keenly caught a word in his statement. "Does this 'you' include Feng Jing?"
The Crown Prince laughed in surprise. "How did the scent of lotus in the air suddenly turn sour?"
Zhenzhen was momentarily speechless and could only glare at him.
"Zhenzhen, how do you feel about me now?" he asked, smiling happily. "A gentleman is open and forthright—don't hide it."
Zhenzhen steeled herself. "Alright, Your Highness, it seems I might like you a little."
"Hmm," the Crown Prince mused thoughtfully. "It seems it's time to arrange another barbecue..."
"Ah, no!" Zhenzhen laughed, jumping up and stepping back several paces.
The Crown Prince also stood up to face her, smiling as he said, "I heard you once said that matters between us would be decided by me. I think now is a good time."
Zhenzhen thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, please give me a little more time."
"To learn how to untie a belt?" he immediately asked, reacting quickly. And when he said such things, his expression was always very calm, as if stating a fact. If you thought it was teasing, it was only because your mind went there.
Seeing Zhenzhen blush with embarrassment, he turned his face toward the breeze and smiled, letting her off. Then he responded to her request: "I don't agree."
"No," Zhenzhen declared, "you already agreed."The Crown Prince smiled and asked, "What makes you say that?"
Zhenzhen replied, "I'm just counting on you not to take advantage of someone in a vulnerable position."
"You won't be in 'danger' anymore. From now on, any crisis that comes your way will be resolved by me before it reaches you," he said softly. "But if you're not ready yet, I can wait."
Zhenzhen gazed at him as he spoke gently, and that feeling of having had a few light drinks, of being pleasantly tipsy, washed over her again. Unconsciously, she pressed a hand to her heart, trying to calm the sudden flutter.
He reached out to her. "Come, Zhenzhen. The scenery here is like a painting. Let's stay a little longer."
As if enchanted, she walked back and placed her hand in his.
He led her to sit again by the lotus pond. The two of them silently watched the thousand leaves of the wind-swept lotus, neither speaking for a while, yet both feeling a deep sense of peace. After a moment, he pointed ahead and said, "There's a white egret over there."
"Where?" Zhenzhen perked up, craning her neck to look.
He picked up a flat, small stone from beside him, adjusted its angle, then with a flick of his wrist, sent it spinning across the water. The stone skipped lightly several times across the surface before gently landing on a white egret hidden beneath the lotus leaves. Startled, the egret spread its wings and flew toward where the clouds met the water.
"That's fun!" Seeing this, Zhenzhen also picked up small stones to try skipping them across the water, aiming to find the egrets hidden among the flowers and leaves. However, her skill was not as good as the Crown Prince's, and after several attempts, none of her stones came close to the egrets. The Crown Prince observed her posture, occasionally helping her adjust it. Laughing and chatting, they played for a while longer. Later, the Crown Prince noticed a pair of mandarin ducks in the water not far away and picked up another small stone, preparing to toss it. But Zhenzhen grabbed his arm with both hands and said, "They're having a rendezvous. Don't disturb them."
The Crown Prince looked up and saw the pair of mandarin ducks playfully nuzzling each other in the water, a scene of tender intimacy. Turning back to Zhenzhen, he saw her holding his left arm with both hands, her cheeks slightly flushed from their earlier game, her eyes bright as she looked up at him. His heart stirred. He tossed the stone aside, suddenly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and gently tilted her to the right, laying her across his lap.
The stone fell into the water, startling two nearby seagulls and egrets, which took flight left and right, crisscrossing over the water's surface interwoven with flower shadows. Zhenzhen let out a gasp of surprise. Her left hand gripped his right shoulder, while her right hand reached upward as she tried to sit up, but her wrist was caught by the Crown Prince and slowly pressed down.
He leaned in and kissed her trembling lips.
All the kisses Zhenzhen had experienced before were light and brief, and mostly initiated by her—just a touch before parting. She had never imagined it could be like this: a kiss led by him, sweeping over her like a wave, easily invading the space between her lips and tongue. For a moment, she felt dizzy, but with a hint of curiosity, she didn't seem to mind his touch. He was skilled at guiding her, his kiss both irresistible and gentle, like the tide—softly washing over her before receding. This happened several times. Just as she thought she could catch her breath, a new wave would surge unexpectedly, startling her into readiness. Unconsciously, her hands climbed to his neck, as if trying to halt her gradual surrender, but this only seemed to fuel his determination, delighting him as he launched a new round of advances.
By then, the sky was gradually darkening. A layer of twilight glow swept across the water and clouds, and the setting sun, still tinged with golden light, flickered in and out behind the clouds, dyeing the expanse of emerald water behind them a golden-red hue. Occasionally, seagulls and egrets flew past, their shadows cast by the gentle breeze onto their clothes, but they paid no heed, lost in this haven of flowers and islets, momentarily unaware of the passage of time.He did not release her until much later, gazing into her shyly opened eyes as he said seriously, "One month, no more."
She was momentarily stunned, unsure what he meant.
He smiled. "The time I'm giving you."
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