Upon realizing she had bumped into someone, Qingqing quickly prepared to apologize, but the person said, “Miss Lin?” Qingqing looked up in confusion to see it was the Fourth Prince. She hurriedly wiped away her tears, bowed deeply, and said, not knowing whether she was defiant or genuinely apologetic, “This humble girl has rudely bumped into you, I deserve death.”
The Fourth Prince, seeing her tear-streaked face and pitiful appearance, felt a surge of sympathy, and his feelings towards her warmed slightly. He smiled and said, “What grievance has Miss Lin suffered? Why not share it with me?” Although he was the same age as Qingqing, being a bit taller, he spoke as if he were an adult consoling a child.
Qingqing couldn’t help but find it amusing, which lessened her anger. She shook her head, “It’s nothing, I overstepped my bounds and offended the Crown Prince.” The Fourth Prince’s brows furrowed slightly, “My second brother is usually amiable, not so petty.”
Hearing this, Qingqing felt even more wronged and began crying again. The Fourth Prince, who seldom spoke to women and didn’t have Li Qin’s charm with princesses and palace maids, was flustered by her tears. He quickly said, “I just spoke casually; Miss Lin, please don’t mind. Perhaps my brother was also at fault.”
Qingqing’s tears lessened, and the Fourth Prince instructed a young eunuch to bring tea and snacks, leading her to a quiet pavilion to sit. He said, “Miss Lin, do not worry, even if you did offend, my brother would not blame you.” He thought she was worried about Li Qin’s blame, not knowing she was hurt by being called “ugly.”
Qingqing sighed deeply, “I, a person of such fate, do not care whether others blame me or not.” The Fourth Prince, seeing her despondent look, thought of his own plight due to his mother’s humble origins and early death, which led to disdain from palace servants and even a distant relationship with the Emperor. Seeing Qingqing’s sadness, which seemed even greater than his own, he felt both pity and a kinship.
After thinking for a while, the Fourth Prince finally found some comforting words, “You are so kind and sincere, you are bound to have endless blessings in the future. How could you be ill-fated?”
