Although I couldn’t refute him, I felt something was off. If the Eastern Palace wanted revenge, he had ample opportunity—why go to such lengths to obstruct An Jin and create chance encounters just to talk to me and have me paint a portrait of his dancing girl? I had already promised to paint for the Eastern Palace. If I broke my word, he would likely reveal my identity as the Lantern Festival’s Thirteenth Young Master to An Jin, which would strike deeply and provoke retaliation. If An Jin found out I had stolen his painting… we had worked hard to restore our harmonious relationship…
An Jin, who believed in communicating through physical intimacy rather than words, resolved our misunderstanding with a passionate “heart-to-heart” after he locked the Lantern Festival outside.
Afterward, we whispered in bed while the Lantern Festival mournfully howled outside, attracting wild cats and dogs. I imagined its language translating to: My master is busy, leaving me locked outside.
He climbed onto the bed, hugged me, and said he was hungry. I remembered he hadn’t eaten dinner, so I proposed making him noodles. He declined, worried I might freeze in the cold, and requested another “heart-to-heart” to alleviate his hunger.
Finally, he settled down, hugging me from behind and singing a lullaby to coax me to sleep. Yuan Xiang outside happily hummed along. I found the melody familiar and quickly fell asleep, holding his arm in a daze.
In a half-dream, half-awake state, I heard him whispering in my ear.
“…I can do anything… Don’t blame me… Okay…”
I smacked my lips and bit his finger. “Won’t blame you… Go to sleep, be good.”
Chapter Twelve: The Eastern Palace’s Infatuation
The Eastern Palace’s efficiency was extraordinary. After a few days, the daughter of the Libretto Official approached me, expressing her willingness to meet my elder brother. Her expression resembled that of a martyr, likely having received “attention” from the Eastern Palace Lord. While I felt some sympathy for her sacrifice, my elder brother remained unaware of the underlying motives and had a favorable impression of the girl. After weighing my options, I decided to let them interact, hoping she might discover his good qualities.
Eventually, my elder brother happily went on a date with her, despite my sister and me urging him to exercise restraint.
