Volume One, Chapter 12: How About I Seek Lord Xuan?

When Changle returned to her residence, a young maidservant wearing a padded jacket was waiting at the door.

Upon seeing Changle step out of the carriage, the maidservant beamed, curtsied, and said, "I have been sent by our Prince to deliver some medicine to you, Miss."

Changle stared at the two jars of ointment held out in the girl's hands, momentarily stunned.

Prince? Which Prince? Which one?

Seeing Changle’s bewildered expression, the maidservant added with a smile, "Our Prince is His Highness, Prince Xuan."

Wei Chengxuan?!

Changle was taken completely by surprise.

The maidservant placed the ointment into Changle's hands and said, "Please keep these safe, Miss. I have other duties to attend to, so I shall take my leave now." Before Changle could refuse, the girl turned and hurried away.

"Wait..." Changle started to call out, but the girl was already gone.

"Miss, you're finally back!" Hearing movement at the courtyard gate, Lindong opened it and hurried out. Seeing Changle’s swollen, reddened cheeks, her eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Miss..."

She hadn't accompanied Changle to the Marquis’s estate today. By the time she heard about the incident and rushed over, the banquet had already ended, and she hadn't even been able to get through the main gate. She couldn't understand what the Marquis and his wife were thinking. Changle was their own biological daughter; how could they bring themselves to strike her so viciously? What kind of hearts did they have to be so blatantly biased?

"Why are you crying? I’m perfectly fine," Changle said, wiping the tears from Lindong’s face.

"How can you call this 'fine'? Your face is as swollen as a bun."

Lindong and Changle had always been more like sisters than mistress and servant, so they didn't stand on ceremony with each other.

"It’s likely to snow tonight, and you still have a cold. Let’s go inside first."

Once inside, Lindong went to find the medicine, but Changle handed her the jars she had received. "Use these."

Lindong first cleaned Changle’s face, then carefully applied the ointment, grumbling all the while, "The Marquis and his wife were truly cruel. It’s as if you aren't even their own child."

Changle had once wondered if she was not their biological daughter, and if Hua Zhiyu was the true child of the house. But she only ever thought such things when feeling particularly unlucky; it couldn't possibly be true.

Even if she were the biological child and Hua Zhiyu were the adopted one, what difference would it make? Qi Feirou and the Marquis had long since been biased.

"That’s enough." Changle might have minded these things in the past, but now she didn't care at all. "Did you get the money I asked you to withdraw from the shop?"

"I did." Lindong pulled a hidden stash of three thousand taels in banknotes from a drawer. "Here you go, Miss."

"I really want them to see that even without the Chang'an Marquis estate, I can live very well—in fact, even better."

"It doesn't matter if they know or not."

Lindong nodded. "That's true. If they knew you owned so many properties, they would probably just come begging for more money. It’s better they don't know."

"Exactly. Tomorrow, we’ll take this money and buy a two-courtyard house." Changle counted the banknotes, and the gloom of the day began to lift.

It wasn't that she couldn't afford a larger residence, but now was not the time. The house they were currently renting was fine for a while longer, but the landlord’s cousin had come to the capital to seek shelter, and the landlord needed the house back, so they had no choice but to move.

"Miss, this is for you." Lindong took out a pouch she had embroidered herself. "Happy birthday, Miss."

"Wait, Miss." Lindong went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of noodles topped with beef. "Eat it quickly before it gets cold."

Looking at the longevity noodles that Lindong had brought with such joy, Changle felt her eyes sting with sudden tears.

"Miss, don't cry," Lindong said, panicked.

"I’m not. Go get a small bowl, and we’ll share it."

"Alright."

The two stayed in the room, sharing the bowl of longevity noodles. They hadn't finished eating when a knock sounded at the gate.

"Who could it be at such an hour?" Lindong wondered aloud. She opened the door and saw Feng Linlang carrying a food box; her eyes lit up instantly. She called back into the room, "Miss, it’s Miss Linlang!"

"Lindong, get some bowls and chopsticks. We’re going to celebrate Changle’s birthday!" Feng Linlang strode into the room carrying the food box, and Changle rose to greet her.

"Linlang, why are you here?"

"I haven't celebrated your birthday yet, so of course I had to come." Feng Linlang was deeply worried about Changle, but she didn't want to bring up today’s events and cause her more pain. She smiled, pulled Changle to the table, and began setting out the dishes she had brought from home. "I even brought wine."

Feng Linlang produced two small bottles of fruit wine like a treasure. It was made by the maid in her own chambers—sweet, light, and not intoxicating, perfect for young ladies.

Lindong brought over the bowls, chopsticks, and cups. The three were very familiar with one another and stood on no ceremony, sitting down together.

Feng Linlang raised her glass. "Changle, I wish you peace and joy throughout all the years to come."

"No matter what happens in the past or the future, I will always stand by your side."

"Oh, right. This is a birthday gift Huaiyu asked someone to deliver to you." Feng Linlang took out a brocade box. "Huaiyu asked me to tell you that he has been sent away by his father and cannot return to the capital to celebrate with you, but he promised to return before summer to accompany you to the lake to pick lotuses."

Changle looked at the box placed before her, a sharp, bittersweet ache rising in her throat.

Over the years, many people had come and gone in her life, but those who remained—those who protected her steadfastly and trusted her unconditionally—were only these two or three.

Linlang was one, Lindong was one, and Huaiyu was one.

After the meal, Feng Linlang decided not to return to the Zhongyong Marquis estate and stayed the night with Changle.

Once they had washed up and changed into their nightclothes, they curled up under the covers. Feng Linlang held Changle’s arm tightly. She had originally thought that the incident at the Chang'an Marquis estate was just a typical row, but after returning home, she learned that after the commotion, Changle had actually proposed breaking off her engagement to the Third Prince.

She didn't care why Changle had finally made up her mind; she only feared that Changle was holding in her sorrow.

"Changle, have you really decided to break off the engagement?"

"Yes." Changle stared at the canopy, knowing that Linlang had stayed the night out of concern. She added, "Don't worry, I’m not sad. The reason I wouldn't let go before was simply because I wasn't willing to admit defeat."

Feng Linlang thought to herself, *How could she not be sad?* That was someone she had liked for over a decade; it wasn't as if one could simply stop liking them overnight.

But she supported Changle’s decision with all her heart. The Third Prince was already thoroughly tarnished and entirely unworthy of her Changle.

"Changle, whatever you decide, I will support you unconditionally. You are so wonderful; the Third Prince is the one who doesn't deserve you."

"I believe you will find a husband who will treat you with his whole heart in the future."

At the mention of this, Changle’s thoughts stirred. She turned her head to look at Feng Linlang. "Linlang, what do you think would happen if I went after Prince Xuan?"