Chapter 10.1

When Su Jiao saw Su Wei smiling as he walked toward her, Su Wei’s expression finally softened somewhat.

He quite naturally pulled Su Jiao’s wrist toward him.

“Elder brother.”

“Why are you here?”

Su Jiao said with a grin.

“Isn’t it because I was worried about His Highness going out alone?”

Su Wei’s gaze immediately shifted over, his gentle eyes carrying a frost-like chill.

“Why would His Highness be outside my father’s study?”

“I was passing by.”

Xie Yan had little intention of explaining himself, and beckoned to Su Jiao.

“Help me back.”

“You go support His Highness.”

Su Jiao hastily pointed to a servant nearby.

Xie Yan instantly narrowed his eyes.

“My coming here just now was also by chance. I’ve walked quite a distance and am rather exhausted. Since there happens to be a place right behind me, Deputy Minister Su wouldn’t mind if I sat for a moment in your study, would he?”

“This subject would naturally—”

Su Jiao’s father had just cheerfully begun to speak when Su Jiao immediately came to her senses, hurrying over and grabbing Xie Yan’s arm.

“The study is a place for official business — how uncomfortable it would be to rest there. I’ll just support His Highness back to the courtyard.”

She looked up at Xie Yan with a bright smile, her face full of concern.

“Besides, the study is cold, quite unlike the rooms inside with their warm braziers.”

The two looked at each other, and Xie Yan’s eyes carried a hint of amusement.

So there is indeed something suspicious going on.

Under his deep, half-smiling gaze, Su Jiao felt increasingly guilty, and unconsciously pinched the fabric of her sleeve.

“Your Highness? Xie Yan?”

“Mm.”

He gave an almost imperceptible nod, and Su Jiao let out a long breath of relief.

She supported Xie Yan down the steps, and as they passed Su Wei, his tone carried displeasure.

“Does His Highness really need to have Jiao Jiao do even such trivial things as giving support?”

Xie Yan’s steps did not slow.

“Between husband and wife, why must everything be so clearly divided?”

****

Once the group entered the room, Su Wei’s expression remained frosty throughout, while Su Jiao, afraid that Xie Yan might bring up going to the study again, clung to his side in every possible way to redirect the conversation and let the matter pass.

“Add another brazier in here — His Highness has only just recovered from his illness for a few days.”

“You two go shut the windows — don’t let the cold wind from outside blow in.”

“Is His Highness thirsty? The Su family has some snow tea that arrived fresh before the new year — I’ll have someone brew it.”

“Just look — after going out for a little while, His Highness’s outer robe has already taken on a chill.”

The man sat there the whole time with his eyes lowered, saying nothing, while she stayed close by Xie Yan’s side, chattering away in a continuous stream.

Father Su was clearly pleased to see this. Su Wei’s expression grew colder still.

“Jiao Jiao.”

“Here.”

Two voices sounded at the same time. Xie Yan indicated for Su Jiao to lift the teacup, and drank two sips from it as she held it out for him.

Su Wei abruptly rose to his feet.

“This son still has matters to attend to. I shall take my leave first.”

His robes swept up a gust of cold air as he walked out without looking back.

With only the three of them left and little more to say to each other, Su Jiao saw Xie Yan back to the courtyard.

“Your Highness, please rest well. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Where are you going?”

Xie Yan noticed the not-quite-concealed bulge inside her sleeve and let the words fall without any change in his expression.

The hand holding hers had not loosened.

Was he reluctant to let her go?

From the first time in the courtyard when she had persuaded him not to kill anyone up until now, Su Jiao had confirmed some of the guesses she had held in her heart.

The Xie Yan of five years ago responded to gentleness, not to force.

Though he rarely spoke much on many occasions, as long as one said a few sweet words, it was still fairly easy to coax him along.

She lowered her head and shifted the fingertips he was clasping.

“You were injured a few days ago and have only just recovered now that we’re back. I had someone prepare a medicinal soup to nourish you.”

After all, once they returned to the palace, such conveniences would no longer be available.

Xie Yan’s gaze seemed to shift slightly. Su Jiao said with a smile:

“It should be ready by now — let me go check on it. Wait for me here.”

Xie Yan released her hand.

Su Jiao turned and went back to her own bedchamber, and the smile on her face vanished entirely.

She had found a hidden compartment in the study, but when she had opened it, there had been nothing inside but a few blank, disordered sheets of paper.

Su Jiao drew those sheets of paper from her sleeve and examined them carefully, and even passed them over water, but saw no characters appear on them.

That such an important hidden compartment would hold only a few sheets of paper was, needless to say, impossible.

Then someone had already gotten there ahead of her and swapped the contents out.

Or perhaps… she hadn’t found the right place.

Su Jiao’s expression shifted again and again, but there had only been that one chance to enter the study. If she went again and was caught by Xie Yan a second time, she would not be able to talk her way out of it so easily.

He was a prince, after all. If he were to go in there and unearth some incriminating material belonging to her father, the entire Su family could be sentenced to execution on the spot.

Su Jiao rubbed her brow, knowing that her panic today had most likely drawn Xie Yan’s attention.

But fortunately, this was the Xie Yan of five years ago — still somewhat easier to fool.

It would just be a bit of a nuisance.

Su Jiao tucked the sheets of paper away and headed outside, then turned toward the kitchen.

“A medicinal soup still needs at least half an hour to prepare,” the cook said with an apologetic expression.

How would that do?

She had told Xie Yan she would be right back.

Su Jiao looked around.

“Is there any other tonic broth already cooking?”

“The madam has never been one for such things, and neither the master nor the young master drink them either, so we haven’t prepared any.”

Having said this, the cook noticed Su Jiao’s expression fall in an instant, and spoke up carefully.

“There certainly won’t be time to prepare it now, but if young miss absolutely needs it, there is a restaurant directly across from the Su residence.”

****

A quarter of an hour later, Su Jiao stepped through the door carrying a steaming bowl of codonopsis and black chicken soup.

“I personally watched over it as it simmered for two hours. I had originally come out midway to look in on His Highness, but I didn’t expect you to be absent from the room, and then time was lost looking for you, which is why they only brought it just now. Please try some quickly.”

Su Jiao brought the spoon to his lips, and Xie Yan lowered his head. Watching him take that first spoonful, and seeing that he did not bring up her panicked appearance outside the study, Su Jiao felt a wave of relief wash through her.

She couldn’t help but put on a show of complaint.

“That soup took such a long time to prepare — I stood there waiting for over an hour. Never mind back pain, even my hands were burned from constantly lifting the porcelain lid.”

As she spoke, she deliberately revealed the fingers that had been reddened by the wind outside. Xie Yan glanced over, and his brow shifted slightly.

“Were they really burned?”

Su Jiao blinked.

“They really were. I’m this worried about His Highness — what reason could Your Highness possibly have to doubt me?”

Worried?