“By the way, the Prince also asked how your second sister’s injury was,” my younger sister asked, seeing my odd expression. “What’s wrong?” I shook my head. The fact that the Crown Prince’s handkerchief had such a pattern could not be a coincidence. He deliberately gave this handkerchief to my younger sister, presumably to arouse my curiosity.
And I was indeed curious. If embroidering a yahua flower was just a coincidence, there was no reason for the angle and half-open, half-hidden form to be so similar. An Jin had always kept the handkerchief I gave him close to his body, and with his personality, he would never casually display it in front of others, let alone to the Crown Prince with whom he had long-standing grievances.
Despite my curiosity, I wasn’t foolish enough to actively seek clarification. More worrying was my younger sister’s situation.
The number of girls in Yan Feng City dreaming of marrying the Crown Prince was probably similar to those dreaming of marrying An Jin, but An Jin already had a wife, while the Crown Prince did not. Therefore, although the Crown Prince kept many concubines in Qifeng Palace, more and more girls hoped to marry him and monopolize his affection.
Perhaps this was a form of vanity. The Crown Prince’s status was noble, his looks more beautiful than most women, and he was quite charming. If a girl could make such a man completely devoted to her, it would likely feel more accomplished than gaining the admiration of other men. Of course, sayings like “rivers and mountains are easy to change, but nature is hard to move” would hardly be believed by young girls immersed in romantic fantasies.
What I worried about was the Crown Prince’s capricious nature – if my sister truly fell into his hands, she would surely suffer. The Crown Prince showed no respect to his concubines, treating them merely like slaves to be manipulated.
Someone who could elevate you to the heavens when happy and throw you to the ground when displeased was certainly not a good match.
Yet my younger sister once again displayed her stubborn, fearless attitude, researching and scheming ways to get close to the Crown Prince at home, eventually even seeking help from me and An Jin. Surprisingly, our mother did not object this time.
An Jin and I naturally turned a deaf ear, absolutely refusing to give her any opportunity to approach the Crown Prince. Finding no success with us, she went to Song Sitian to help her. Song Sitian’s older brother was a personal attendant of the Crown Prince, and he managed to arrange a meeting between my sister and the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince’s ambiguous attitude made my sister increasingly invested, and one day, while I was walking Yuan Xiang out, I encountered the Crown Prince Xia Zhiyuan’s carriage sending my sister home.
His complexion turned cold. “I haven’t provoked her; she came to me on her own.”
Indeed, a beauty with a serpent’s heart. I tried to compromise again. “My younger sister is young and naive. Please, Your Highness, spare her.”
“What, being my woman is suffering?” He frowned. “How can we talk about sparing her?”
“Your Highness!
” I said sternly, “My husband’s old grievances with Your Highness – if you have any anger, you can direct it at us as a couple. Involving family members is hardly an honorable act.”
“Old grievances?” Xia Zhiyuan pondered, “So that’s what he told you. Has my lady considered the matter I previously discussed?”
I paused, recalling what he had said about coming to his side. “No discussion. I won’t leave An Jin.”
His expression showed slight regret. “My lady, have you considered that perhaps your husband isn’t quite what you imagine? His kindness to you might have other motives.”
I scorned him. The tactic of sowing discord had long ceased to work on me.
Seeing I was unmoved, Xia Zhiyuan curved his lips in a smile. “My lady will understand someday. As for your sister—” he suddenly looked in my direction and said loudly, “Is my lady preventing me from associating with her sister out of jealousy? In fact, I sense my lady’s feelings. But since you’re married to An Shilang, why prevent your sister’s happiness?”
I was stunned speechless by his shameless, distorted words. My younger sister stood nearby, eyes wide with surprise.
The Eastern Palace had clearly mastered the art of sowing discord. He now succeeded with my sister. Satisfied, he mounted his carriage and left, leaving me facing my sister, who looked tense, breaking out in cold sweat.
“Second Sister, how could you—no wonder you never agreed to my associating with His Highness, so you—” she accused.
“I—” I was burning with anger and at a loss for words. “He’s slandering me!”
My sister looked angry. “How can you face your brother-in-law? How can you face me?”
I was desperate. “Xiao Ya! Think carefully. An Jin is far better than him. How could I possibly like him?”
My sister was stunned. “Second Sister…”
I was still furious: “I only love An Jin, An Jin!”
My sister stretched her neck, as if swallowing. She raised her right hand and pointed.
Following her gesture, I saw An Jin standing nearby, his deep ink-colored eyes curved in a smile, entangling my heart.
“Well said,” he said.
I completely understood its sentiment, which could be summarized in six words that perfectly captured my current mood.
How utterly embarrassing.
Chapter Seventeen: A Glance from My Husband
Though my sister was naive, she wasn’t stupid. Once she calmed down, An Jin and I jointly explained the situation, proving our deep marital love and revealing the origin of An Jin’s feud with the Eastern Palace. Gradually, she understood the nuances of the entire affair.
However, the fact that the Eastern Palace she had been infatuated with would engage in such divisive tactics had clearly left a painful wound on her heart. Having experienced two heartbreaks in such a short time, she felt disheartened, complaining that all the good men in the world belonged to someone else – like her brother-in-law and her father – while the rest were either useless hypocrites or true villains.
To comfort her, with An Jin’s agreement, I brought out my treasured possession: a meticulously compiled album of beautiful people from Yan Feng City, collected over years of painting.
Among these beauties, almost every one of them has had an unpleasant memory, including the gloomy Eastern Palace. My younger sister listened very carefully. The people in this album all possessed extraordinary beauty, yet no one could have a smooth life.
I hugged my sister’s shoulders, our heads touching. “What Second Sister wants to say is that pursuing the one you love is not wrong in itself. But you must first determine if he is worth it. Once you decide, don’t regret it. Even if you’re truly wrong, you must be able to pick up and let go.”
My younger sister said nothing, seeming to be thinking. She flipped through the album and softly exclaimed, “Is this my brother-in-law?”
I leaned over to look, and saw written under An Jin’s name: A single glance from An Lang captivates souls. This was the evaluation by people of Yan Feng. He was not the most beautiful, but he always had a unique charm that made one unable to look away, wanting to look more and more, gradually etching into one’s heart. I used to disagree with this, but now—
I raised my head and looked at An Jin in the distance. He was half-leaning on a bamboo chair drinking tea, holding a historical scroll. Wearing a light blue straight-cut long robe, the fabric flowing and loosely cut, subtly outlining his tall, slender figure, adding a touch of elegant demeanor.
Probably feeling my gaze, he looked up and smiled gently at me, like a piece of jade soaking in a clear pond, pure and clean.
My sister leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Second Sister, your face is red.”
