Xi Linxuan deliberately made the rolling sound of his wheelchair louder. When Wei Linxia noticed him, she was first stunned, then widened her eyes and casually greeted, “Your Highness hasn’t left yet?”
“as if she had never been angry.
“I forgot a piece of paper with writing,” Xi Linxuan said.
“Oh, let me help you look,” Wei Linxia said, walking to the desk. “There’s no written paper here. Perhaps Your Highness remembered incorrectly?”
Xi Linxuan had just made up an excuse. Amused by Wei Linxia’s pretentious way of searching, he teased, “How could I remember incorrectly? I’m not in my eighties.”
Wei Linxia was inwardly furious but smiled innocently: “If you don’t believe me, Your Highness can look for yourself.”
Xi Linxuan rolled his wheelchair over, flipping through the papers. Not finding it, he pulled a paper from his sleeve, opened it, and frowned: “‘A woman has thoughts, seeking but not obtaining, thinking day and night.’ Right, this is it. Apologies for disturbing you.”
He left, barely suppressing a laugh.
Teasing someone seemed fun, much more interesting than those who neither fight back nor talk back.
Wei Linxia rolled her eyes at Xi Linxuan’s retreating back, glad no one saw.
Later, she took up her pen to write her assignment, composing an essay on ‘Guan Ju’ praising the virtues of imperial consorts.
No need for originality, just following rigid ancient interpretations, or her father would worry his daughter was learning bad things. She finished in less than half an hour and couldn’t be bothered to read it again. She thought about wandering folk at the edge of an endless desert, on verdant grasslands, snapping fingers at girls they liked and singing folk songs. Wasn’t life wonderful! What imperial consort virtues? Such forced interpretations.
During dinner, the charming guest Yan Junzhu enthusiastically described her travel situation. Wei Linxia noticed Wei Fengzhi’s gloomy expression and lowered her head when she accidentally glanced at the noble prince, muttering to herself, “What a bad guy.” After dinner, as Wei Linxia walked back to her room, someone grabbed her arm: “Sister Chenbei, I beg you for something.” She knew exactly what it was and replied, “No discussion.”
