Chapter 14

Whenever people spoke of Nan Gongye, most would say he resembled his elder brother, the Crown Prince, far too much in appearance. But if one set aside the resemblance, Nan Gongye was, in his own right, an exceptionally handsome young man, though he still carried a hint of youthful immaturity.
At this moment, as he looked at Yan Yiming, his deep, star-like eyes, so similar to Nan Gongxuan’s, seemed to suddenly brighten, shining brilliantly like the stars.
“Her Majesty detained me for half an hour, which is why I’m a bit late. Are you upset with me, A’Ming?”
His tone was almost like a coquettish whine, clearly aware that Yan Yiming wasn’t actually angry, using it as a way to bring them closer.
Yan Yiming parted her lips in a smile, then let it fade as she lifted her head. “Of course, I’m upset with you.”
The smile on Nan Gongye’s lips froze. Little A immediately begged Yan Yiming to act like a decent person. Ignoring Little A’s voice, Yan Yiming blinked and smiled again. “I’ll punish you by having you treat me to tea tomorrow. I prefer Biluochun.”
Hearing the latter part, Nan Gongye realized Yan Yiming wasn’t actually angry but was teasing him on purpose. Relieved, he couldn’t muster any anger and even found her playful, girlish antics all the more endearing. Moreover, Yan Yiming’s words clearly indicated she wanted to take the initiative to arrange a meeting with him.
Nan Gongye was in high spirits, and his demeanor became noticeably more lively as he laughed. “Then if I’m late again tomorrow, could I still have the honor of treating you to tea the day after?”
His gaze was gentle yet filled with eagerness as he watched Yan Yiming. If possible, he didn’t just want to spend tomorrow or the day after with her, he wanted to share every single day with Yan Yiming from now on.
“Considering how exceptionally handsome you are,” Yan Yiming pretended to ponder seriously, giving Nan Gongye a thorough once-over before adopting a solemn expression. “Of course, I’d be delighted.”
Nan Gongye was quite pleased by the teasing.
He had once disliked being told he resembled his imperial brother, but as he gradually grew closer to Yan Yiming, he began to feel grateful for their similar appearances. If it was this resemblance that made Yan Yiming like him, he was more than willing.
Yan Yiming had no idea what Nan Gongye was thinking at that moment. She studied his features for a while, and perhaps because she had been staring for too long, or perhaps because her growing fondness for Nan Gongye was overshadowing her dislike for Nan Gongxuan, she found it increasingly difficult to see any resemblance between the two.
When Nan Gongye looked up and met Yan Yiming’s intense gaze fixed on his face, he felt both delighted and uneasy, asking her what she was looking at.
“You,” Yan Yiming replied with a smile. “The more I look, the more I feel that the Fifth Prince and the Crown Prince aren’t really that alike.”
Nan Gongye’s heart skipped a beat, fearing she might say something like, “Since you don’t look alike, let’s not meet again.” He forced a smile and casually asked, “What’s different?”
“Your eyes are different, and so are your lips,” Yan Yiming said, tracing the outline of his lips in the air. “The Crown Prince rarely smiles. The look in his eyes and the curve of his lips make people keep their distance. But you, Fifth Prince, always have a smile on your face, making others want to get close to you.”
Nan Gongye sensed something different in her words, as if she didn’t mean what he had initially thought. “So, A’Ming, which do you prefer?”
“People who smile often tend to have good luck,” Yan Yiming said, gazing at him. “I like those who smile at me, and I like those I can smile back at.”
Nan Gongye’s eyes suddenly lit up, fixed intently on Yan Yiming’s face. That day, she wore an ivory-white gown, exquisitely embroidered with silver thread at the collar and cuffs, making her delicate features even more striking. Jade earrings dangled beside her fair neck, swaying with her every movement, tempting one to replace the earrings with a gentle caress on her smooth, porcelain-like skin.
Young as he was, such romantic thoughts were never far from his mind. If they weren’t in a teahouse, he would have longed to pull her tightly into his embrace.
Nan Gongye felt that some matters could no longer be delayed. Yan Yiming had already undergone her coming-of-age ceremony two years ago, and he himself had reached the age for marriage discussions.
Most patrons of this teahouse were wealthy or noble, and the attendants serving on the second floor had seen their fair share of distinguished guests. When the young attendant entered and saw Nan Gongye, he was so startled he didn’t dare look up again. After preparing the tea, he quickly left the room.
Little A overheard the attendant being pulled into the adjacent tea room by the maids waiting outside as soon as he stepped out. The young ladies who had been gossiping earlier anxiously asked who Yan Yiming was sharing the room with. The attendant glanced around before mysteriously uttering a few words.
The group of young ladies, who had been ready to mock her, fell silent as if choked when they learned it was the Fifth Prince. After a long pause, one of them, suppressing her jealousy, questioned, “Are you sure you didn’t mistake him for someone else…?”
The attendant raised his hand and swore to heaven that he had seen both the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince before and wouldn’t dare lie about such a thing.
The young ladies exchanged uneasy glances, gritting their teeth in resentment, wishing they could tear Yan Yiming apart. Unable to let it go, they could only mutter under their breaths that Yan Yiming was shameless.
Yan Yiming guessed that this young lady probably wanted to scold her for seducing the younger brother and then turning to flirt with the elder brother, but being a well-bred lady, she couldn’t bring herself to say such words. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have nearly torn the handkerchief in her hands in half.
“Isn’t that Miss Jian and Lord Jiang?” Nan Gongye suddenly spoke, pulling Yan Yiming’s attention back from the neighboring table.
Looking down at the long street below the teahouse, she saw Jian Yu’er wearing a veil and speaking with a handsome man.
“Lord Jiang?” It couldn’t be the Lord Jiang she was thinking of, could it?
“Indeed, it’s Jiang Yi, the only one in a century to achieve the top honors in three imperial examinations, and he’s barely reached the age of twenty,” Nan Gongye said, his gaze lingering meaningfully on Jiang Yi and Jian Yu’er before continuing, “However, Jiang Yi is famously aloof. Even I have never seen him smile at anyone. I wonder what skills this Miss Jian possesses to make such a cold-faced gentleman laugh so heartily.”
Yan Yiming could clearly tell that Nan Gongye was mocking Jian Yu’er. She found it both amusing and touching, such an obvious act of favoritism was both dashing and endearing. But she couldn’t reveal that she already knew, so she pretended not to catch the sarcasm. “Perhaps the two have known each other for a long time and share some history.”
Nan Gongye neither agreed nor disagreed, but there were some things he didn’t say to Yan Yiming.
Having witnessed Jiang Yi’s icy demeanor toward others, the way he treated Jian Yu’er differently now suggested there must be something fishy going on, perhaps even something ambiguous and unclear.
However, Nan Gongye had no intention of meddling in this matter. He would be overjoyed if his elder brother could marry Jian Yu’er the next day, just so he could set his mind at ease.
As they were leaving, they happened to run into a few young ladies who seemed to be out for a stroll together. The customs of Chenxia were liberal, with no restrictions on women going out or being seen in public. The young ladies acted as if they had just discovered Nan Gongye’s presence, each expressing delight and greeting him respectfully. When they noticed Yan Yiming, they feigned surprise and remarked, “Lady Yan is here too? Were you and His Highness just coincidentally meeting, or did you come here for tea together?”
These young ladies were probably unwilling to believe that Yan Yiming and Nan Gongye had any connection.
However, Nan Gongye made no attempt to hide anything. Perhaps he didn’t even recognize most of these young ladies. In high spirits that day, he continued to smile and proudly declared, “Of course, I came here for tea with A’Ming.”
The girls’ expressions turned somewhat sour, but the leading Miss Li forced a cheerful smile and extended an invitation to Yan Yiming. “What a coincidence to run into you here, Sister Yan. We’ve just arranged to visit Lihe Garden to admire the flowers. Why don’t you join us?”
Yan Yiming looked at these dramatic young ladies with a faint, mocking smile. Just then, Lu Mei came in from outside, happily handing a small paper bag to Yan Yiming.
Nan Gongye's gaze was immediately drawn to the small paper bag. He glanced at it curiously and asked, “What is this?”
“Chestnut candy,” Yan Yiming replied, not missing the sudden sparkle in Nan Gongye's eyes. She turned around and politely declined Miss Li's invitation. Under the murderous glares of the other young ladies, she and Nan Gongye left together.
Their intermittent conversation could still be heard.
The Fifth Prince’s voice, unable to conceal his delight, asked Yan Yiming, “So A'Ming likes this too?”
“You like it?” Yan Yiming picked up a piece and teased Nan Gongye, “Qi'er said Your Highness loves this the most. Such a childish taste.”
Then they watched as the Fifth Prince leaned in, taking the piece of chestnut candy directly from Yan Yiming's hand. Maintaining that posture, he smiled at her and whispered, “Don’t treat me like a child.”
After that, they could no longer hear what the two were saying, but just from their intimate gestures, it was clear their relationship was anything but ordinary. The Fifth Prince had even called Yan Yiming “A'Ming,” and she had personally fed him candy?
Wasn’t Yan Yiming the one who only trailed after the Crown Prince like a lovesick fool?
Why was the Fifth Prince so close to this woman with such a notorious reputation?
Little A followed behind and whispered to Yan Yiming, “Host, they’re all saying you’re a shameless seductress who’s bewitching Little Five.”
Yan Yiming picked up another piece of chestnut candy and popped it into her mouth. “Thanks for the compliment.”
“By tomorrow, everyone might know you’ve two-timed the Crown Prince.”
“Isn’t it better if everyone knows? And what do you mean by 'two-timed'? Have I ever been with Nan Gongxuan?” Yan Yiming chewed the candy in her mouth, thinking of Nan Gongye’s smile that seemed reserved only for her. She muttered, “Little Five really loves sweets. But the cane sugar in ancient times isn’t very tasty, what a pity. If I get the chance, I’ll definitely let him taste what real candy is like.”