Four Seasons Brocade – CH 199

Chapter 199 ☆、

“The Prince is here! The Prince is here again!” Zi-Shan excitedly ran in to report to Ah Wu. It was as if she had just spoken of him.

Ah Wu tried hard to suppress her rising joy, but a slight smile could not help but appear on her lips.

“It’s only been eight days, and the Prince is here again. He’s come all this way; is he not tired?” Zi-Shan winked at Ah Wu, making her both amused and exasperated.

“Although there are some things I should not say, Your Highness should not give him a hard time, even if it’s just for the sake of His Highness’s hard work,” Zi-Shan said.

“You will say anything! You even dare to gossip about your mistress! I will find you a formidable husband and teach you a lesson!” Ah Wu glared at Zi-Shan. Zi-Shan was of marriageable age, and Ah Wu did not want her to marry in Shandong. So, for Zi-Shan’s sake, she had to return to the capital.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Ah Wu sat down in front of the mirror, smoothed her hair, adjusted her pearl hairpin, opened her lipstick box, and prepared to apply more lipstick. Only Zi-Shan anxiously followed behind. “Oh dear, even without these things, Mistress is already stunningly beautiful. We should hurry out to greet the Prince.”

Ever since Ah Wu arrived in Shandong, Zi-Shan had been the most anxious. She feared her mistress would be neglected by Prince Qi. Now that Prince Qi came to Shandong whenever he had time, she was slightly relieved, but she was also afraid her mistress would become arrogant and turn Prince Qi’s kindness into an ice cave. If he stopped coming later, they, mistress and servant, would be left with no one to turn to.

Ah Wu, however, was still somewhat embarrassed. The first few times Chu Mao came, she had not given him a friendly look. Initially, she resented Chu Mao for sending her to Shandong without her consent. Outsiders, unaware of the true situation, would only think that she, the Princess Consort Qi, had been dismissed for misconduct. The so-called illness was, as everyone knew, merely a pretext used by noble families to dismiss their wives.

Secondly, Ah Wu felt that Chu Mao’s actions were forcing her to bow down and admit defeat to Yuan Rongmeng, which was a gross underestimation of her. For the strong-willed and combative Ah Wu, this was an unbearable insult.

Of course, Ah Wu also knew that she was only angry with Chu Mao. Even if Yuan Rongmeng was no threat, she was now Pure Consort Yuan. If she were to lose face, Ah Wu would truly suffer. For one thing, like Nanny Hao spitting medicine in her face, that would be enough to make Ah Wu feel disgusted to death.

Ah Wu, however, did not believe it. She had many flaws and weaknesses; she was like delicate porcelain, easily broken. How could she dare to clash head-on with Yuan Rongmeng? Even if she could bear it, someone else would not.

When Chu Mao stepped into the room, Ah Wu feigned laziness as she rose. Seeing the weariness and exhaustion between his brows and the dust on his face, she felt uneasy. Besides, Chu Mao came so frequently; even a heart of stone would melt.

“Your Highness, why have you come again?” Ah Wu asked Chu Mao, her head lowered, a mixture of reproach and pride in her voice.

“I came to see you,” Chu Mao said with a smile, looking Ah Wu up and down. He reached out to touch her, but then remembered he had just entered, was still dirty, and might even smell of horse stench, so he withdrew his hand.

“Zi-Shan is already preparing hot water for Your Highness’s bath,” Ah Wu said, stepping forward to loosen the ties of Chu Mao’s cloak.

This gesture made Chu Mao feel flattered. Usually, when he came, he was lucky to even get a cup of hot tea personally served by her.

“It’s not exactly close to the capital. The estate has everything. I have Bing-Shuang by my side, and Your Highness has also arranged for secret guards. What could Your Highness possibly worry about? Why bother traveling back and forth like this, causing you so much anxiety?” Ah Wu handed the cloak Chu Mao had removed to Tong-Guan, then knelt to help him change his shoes.

Chu Mao could not accept this “favor.”

“I will do it myself; I will do it myself.”

After riding for a day and a night, even if he was very clean, his boots inevitably had an odor, and he dared not let Ah Wu smell it.

Seeing Chu Mao stand up with a look of trepidation and walk to the chair to take off his shoes, Tong-Guan could not help but smile. It was truly rare to see His Highness Prince Qi so uncharacteristically flustered.

Chu Mao changed his shoes, then smiled at Ah Wu and said, “Why are you treating me differently today?”

Ah Wu was afraid Chu Mao would become suspicious of her. Although she had resolved to curry favor with him in order to return to the capital, she naturally felt sorry for him, traveling back and forth. After all, he was her husband, like her own possession, and Ah Wu naturally cherished him. Therefore, she complained, “I do not know how Your Highness managed to win over my maid. She even scared me by saying that if I did not give Your Highness a good look, he might never come to Shandong again.”

As Ah Wu spoke, her cheeks flushed, making the pearls hanging from her ears appear pink. Through this half-joking complaint, she spoke her true feelings. How could she not be shy?

Chu Mao felt a sense of relief, as if the clouds had parted and the moon had finally appeared. He almost wanted to grab Ah Wu’s hand, but just then, Zi-Shan turned around and said, “The hot water is ready; please bathe, Your Highness.”

Chu Mao glanced at Ah Wu, who immediately turned her back. He was really pushing his luck! She’d only given him a little attention, and now he wanted her to serve him? He was dreaming! She had not completely forgiven him. The thought of his wet nurse, Nanny Hao, made Ah Wu feel disgusted.

“I will go to the kitchen and ask them to add a few more dishes,” Ah Wu said hurriedly, bowing her head as she walked out.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Since she had made an excuse to go to the kitchen, Ah Wu went there to find Zi-Zhui. She figured Chu Mao probably would not stay long, and she did not know if he’d eaten enough on the way. Worried he might be hungry from his journey, she instructed Zi-Zhui, “Cook a bowl of noodles first. Make it light, add plenty of fresh seasonal vegetables, fry an egg, and pour some meat sauce on top if you have it.”

Zi-Zhui said, “He came all this way, and all you are giving His Highness is noodles?”

“Noodles are filling. Also, make a few meat patties for His Highness to eat on his journey,” Ah Wu added.

Zi-Zhui chuckled, “If the Prince knew how much Mistress dotes on him, he’d probably come even more often.”

Ah Wu felt a blush creep down her face. “Stop gossiping with your sister Zi-Shan.”

Leaving the kitchen, Ah Wu hesitated for a moment before returning to the main room. Chu Mao had just finished washing up, his hair still wet. Ah Wu went over to help him wring his hair. “When does Your Highness plan to go back this time?”

“I will leave after dinner.”

Ah Wu’s hands stopped moving. She muttered, “Coming like this is worse than not coming at all.”

Chu Mao turned around, took Ah Wu’s hand, and pulled her to sit beside him. His large hand enveloped her soft little hand, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand. “How could I not come? Seeing you is better than not seeing you at all.”

Ah Wu, hearing such passionate words, did not dare look Chu Mao in the eye. She felt the warmth of his gaze, making her face burn, her heart churning as if boiling. He had treated her so coldly in the mansion, but now that she was in Shandong, he seemed to see her constantly.

“This place is still a bit too simple. I will have Lu Ruoxing come and serve you. We will renovate this place in the spring, rebuild a house in the back garden, and build a flower garden next to it. You can go there to cool off in the summer.” Chu Mao felt that even palaces and grand pavilions were beneath Ah Wu, let alone such a simple villa.

Upon hearing Chu Mao’s words, Ah Wu was taken aback. It seemed he truly intended for her to stay permanently. Tears welled in Ah Wu’s eyes, filled with resentment. To her, it felt like she had been sprayed with medicine by Nanny Hao and then slapped by Chu Mao. Ah Wu tried to pull her hand away, but Chu Mao held on tightly. She did not know where the anger came from, but she grabbed Chu Mao’s hand and bit it hard, leaving teeth marks and drawing blood before finally letting go.

Throughout this, Chu Mao did not utter a sound of pain, letting her bite him. The more Ah Wu thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string.

These tears were like boiling oil splashing into Chu Mao’s heart, scalding it and leaving a mark of excruciating pain.

Chu Mao pulled Ah Wu close, pressing her against his chest and gently stroking her back. His heart felt as if it were being overwhelmed by her tears, and for the first time, he hated his own powerlessness. If he were the one sitting in position today, Yuan Rongmeng would not be the sword hanging over Ah Wu’s head.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Then it was his aunt. Chu Mao’s heart sank further. Even as a child, he had sworn never to betray his aunt. He had sworn that when Nanny Hao, to protect him, willingly became a servant in Eunuch Wang’s household and was tormented beyond recognition by that heartless, childless man, Chu Mao had made the same vow. But back then, he had assumed he would be alone forever; he never imagined he would meet someone who so cruelly manipulated his heart, making him taste four of the five flavors—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—without even experiencing sweetness, already deeply trapped, as if sinking into quicksand; the more he struggled, the deeper he sank.

Chu Mao already felt guilty towards Nanny Hao for his unrequited love, yet he still chose to go along with Ah Wu’s wishes. Regarding Yuan Rongmeng, he again sided with Ah Wu, causing Nanny Hao to fall seriously ill. Now that Nanny Hao was bedridden, Chu Mao only hoped that Ah Wu could stand by his side and bear with his aunt for him; her poor health meant it was only a matter of time.

Chu Mao thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile, if Ah Wu was indifferent to him, how could she possibly tolerate his aunt for his sake?

Chu Mao was not a fool. If someone truly loved another, Ah Wu would not act this way. No matter how well she pretended, she could not fake liking him. Even so, as long as she was willing to deceive him, Chu Mao accepted it. He finally understood his father’s feelings back then. At that time, he thought the Longqing Emperor, Chu Yicheng, was utterly beastly; how could a normal person be so heartless and ruthless? Now, he realized that emotions could truly mold a person, making them neither human nor ghost.

Chu Mao rested his chin on Ah Wu’s head. He did not regret liking her so much. Just seeing her every day gave him inexhaustible energy and spirit, giving him a purpose in everything he did.

He took her to Luobei, sneaking to see her every night. Sometimes he’d let her know; sometimes he was too busy to see her more than once. Even so, unless he was chasing after Jinguo Erhan, he never missed a night to see her. Seeing her brought him peace.

Back in Shangjing, even though she had hurt him so deeply—daring to plead with him for the sake of a “lover,” even protecting the other man’s mother like her own mother-in-law—he outwardly ignored her, yet still lingered outside her window at night, even despising himself. But what could he do? Only when he saw her could he eat with relish and sleep soundly.

The two remained silently embracing. Ah Wu could not stop crying, while Chu Mao felt a deep sorrow. Zi-Zhui, holding the bowl of noodles, did not know whether they would eat it or not. But noodles were not like rice; they would become mushy and unpalatable if they cooled down. She could only call out loudly, “Please, Your Highness and Your Highness’s Consort, have your meal.”