Chapter 300: Where to move house? (2/2)
“What is it?” she turned back.
Long Feiye hesitated for a long time before he murmured, “If you have time this afternoon…move back to the Hibiscus Courtyard.”
Though his tone was mild, it was still an order filled with his domineering air. After Grand Concubine Yi dedicated herself to Buddhism, Han Yunxi had taken over the reins at the Duke of Qin’s estate. She then moved out of the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion in the Hibiscus Courtyard. Back then, she’d argued with him over her choice and even moved in and out a few times.
“Why do I have to move back…” Han Yunxi muttered in a slow, cautious voice. She’d once asked him this very same question.
But Long Feiye only pretended he hadn’t heard as he left without glancing back. His retreating form was cold and arrogant, yet somewhat lonely. Only then did Han Yunxi suddenly recall that the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion had long been dismantled in the Hibiscus Courtyard. Where was she supposed to go?
Long Feiye had already left, so she couldn’t ask him. Yet by the time she reached the Hibiscus Courtyard, she discovered that the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion had been rebuilt exactly as before.
“They started construction after esteemed wangfei left for Medical City. His Highness was waiting to receive you back.” Zhao mama was smiling so broadly that she couldn’t close her mouth.
When she’d gone to Medical City? So, Long Feiye hadn’t gone to Medical City simply for the sake of the poison grounds? Han Yunxi felt her heart warm, but then Zhao mama asked, “Esteemed wangfei, are we moving the things to His Highness’s quarters, or back to Leisurely Cloud Pavilion?” She had long asked the servants in the main hall about His Highness Duke of Qin’s exact words.
‘If you have time this afternoon, move back to the Hibiscus Courtyard.’
But he’d never told her a specific location within Hibiscus Courtyard. Han Yunxi could admit that Zhao mama’s question caused her to hesitate, but she quickly got rid of her stray thoughts and declared, “Since construction’s finished on the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion, we’ll naturally move back there!”
As she saw it, that was what Long Feiye meant.
“Esteemed wangfei, that might not be His Highness’s intentions at all,” Zhao mama said meaningfully.
Her esteemed wangfei had been imprisoned because of the crown prince before going on to Medical City. Though she’d been missing from the capital city for months, news traveled there fast. His Highness had shown up in Medical City to resolve her difficulties, then posted bounty posters searching for her all over the continent, before finally embracing his beauty and returning home from Medicine City. Obviously, the two of them had gotten into a disagreement before getting back together. Now that things were well, they should naturally live together.
“That’s exactly what his intentions are. Why are you hurrying with the move yet?” Han Yunxi grew agitated, though her fair white face was faintly dusted with pink.
Zhao mama’s shrewd old eyes noticed the blush immediately, so she said, “Esteemed wangfei, it’s not easy for everyone to move all these things. Why don’t you ask for specifics? Just in case we have to move house again.”
“Zhao mama, speak any more nonsense and I’ll send you back to serve His Highness instead of keeping you here.” How could Han Yunxi be ignorant of Zhao mama’s hints? Still, all she did was hang her head, though it did nothing to hide her reddened cheeks.
“Esteemed wangfei, please calm your anger! This old servant understands, understands!” Zhao mama’s laughter was full of hidden meaning that caused all the other servants at the side to laugh as well.
Han Yunxi was embarrassed to death and wished she could hide in a crack in the ground. Still, she was quite authoritative when she raged, “What are you all hanging around for? Go and work!”
—
That night, Han Yunxi moved back into the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion. As she stood by the garret window, she looked towards Long Feiye’s sleeping quarters like she’d done in the past and felt like an entire lifetime had passed. Only by standing at this window did she feel like she’d returned to the capital city at last.
Just when her thoughts were wandering, the light in Long Feiye’s quarters suddenly lit up, indicating that its owner had returned. They had been very low-profile when they came back, so they hadn’t startled anyone. Who knows what that fellow was busy with now? Just like in the past, he was always hardly at home. Han Yunxi stood there until his lights went out before going to her study. Although she was tired, she’d been staying up nights ever since she returned to study the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion. The plants they’d brought back from the secret area beneath the poison grounds was a hybrid from various highly corrosive poison plants cultivated by the Poison Sect. Because she noticed the plant had a few orchid buds, she decided to call it a Poison Orchid. As she sat at her workstation studying the plants, Lil Thing kept her company. Sometimes it’d scurry over to take a whiff of the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion.
“Do you recognize this? Have you smelled it before?” Han Yunxi asked gently.
Lil Thing loved it when its master spoke with such soft tones. It immediately grabbed onto its master’s finger and nuzzled her coquettishly. Han Yunxi stared helplessly at the skies. Privately, she decided not to hope for any answers from Lil Thing.
Gaining the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion means gaining the entire world.
Long Feiye had the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion, but couldn’t solve its secrets. Maybe a more accurate statement should be ‘anyone who masters the secrets of the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion will gain the entire world.’ As Han Yunxi saw it, anyone who knew the secrets of the poison should be able to control the Poison Sect as well. She kept her head lowered as she diligently paired various poisons together, oblivious to Aunt Ru who was standing outside the window. She was playing with a dagger in her hands, but didn’t make a move even after some time had passed.
After all, this was the Duke of Qin’s estate, so it wouldn’t do for Han Yunxi to die here…