After entering the inner room through the yellow pear lattice door with a food box in hand, Song Tangning noticed a sudden drop in temperature. The room was still sparsely furnished, but what surprised her was that Xiao Yan was seated on an extended balcony pavilion.
Next to him stood a screen decorated with cranes, and through the slightly opened windows on the balcony, the sound of trickling water could be heard. Beyond that lay the back lake. A cool breeze blew in from the lake, dispelling the heat from outside and making the room pleasantly cool.
Xiao Yan, dressed in a long robe, was seated by the railing, writing. The table before him was piled with a thick stack of documents, with sheets of paper spread across the desk, and a small pot was gently bubbling with hot tea. Seeing her enter, Xiao Yan set down his pen and looked up. "Did you sleep well last night?"
Song Tangning’s initial resolve to confront him immediately faltered. Before she could respond, Xiao Yan picked up a food box from the table and pushed it toward her.
"I heard you mention a few days ago that you wanted to eat the peach blossom pastries from Xilou. I happened to pass by on my way back from the morning court and bought some, along with their sugar-steamed cheese and abalone cups. They're all flavors you like, and they looked fresh, so I had them packed. Try and see if they suit your taste."
Song Tangning: "..."
The full name of Xilou was Xijue Lou, but because it was located in the western part of the city, people in the capital often jokingly called it Xilou. The palace was in the eastern part of the city, while Jiyun Alley was in the south. No matter how one traveled from the palace, it would be impossible to pass by Xilou in the west. It was obvious Xiao Yan had gone there specifically to buy the pastries.
Maintaining the little bit of determination she had left, Song Tangning said, "Brother, you did that on purpose."
She stomped over, placing the food box she brought on the table. She crossed her arms, preparing to tell him off. She was not going to be swayed by these sweet treats. But before she could speak, Xiao Yan casually pulled over a soft cushion embroidered with trailing crabapple flowers and placed it beside the table, gesturing for her to sit. "You must be tired from the walk. Sit down and talk."
"..."
As the saying goes, the courage of a warrior falters with repeated battles, eventually dwindling. Song Tangning glared at Xiao Yan's gentle, smiling profile, and her cross-armed posture became harder to maintain. Her eyes lowered, and she sat down at the table, muttering, "Brother, you promised to stay at the mansion and rest properly."
Xiao Yan replied earnestly, "There were matters at the palace I could not avoid. When His Majesty summons, one cannot refuse."
Hearing this, Song Tangning’s demeanor softened even more, feeling like she was being unreasonable. Her brother was a close minister to the Emperor, serving first as an internal officer and then as a court official. She knew that with Xiao Yan's position, it was impossible for him to stay at the mansion and rest completely. As long as Emperor An summoned him, even if his leg were broken, he would have to drag himself to the palace. She simply felt heartache for him. Despite being so gravely injured, he still had to deal with these matters, his face pale, unable to rest.
Seeing her dejection, Xiao Yan placed a peach blossom pastry in front of her. "Don’t be upset. I have no more duties this afternoon, so I don't need to leave the mansion."
Being indulged by him, Song Tangning felt even more like she was the unreasonable one. She couldn’t help but ask in a small voice, "Have you changed your bandages?"
Xiao Yan said, "I changed them this morning, and I drank the medicinal soup Miss Qin prepared."
Hearing this, Song Tangning finally felt a bit relieved. She glanced over at Xiao Yan’s waist, seeing nothing unusual, and though his face was still pale, he appeared in good spirits. She quickly opened the food box she had brought.
"Sister Qin said that you lost blood and need to replenish it. I had someone prepare some ginseng soup yesterday, using old pigeon meat simmered all morning. Try some, Brother."
The young girl placed the bowl in front of him, chattering as she fetched a spoon.
"This soup is very rich. Sister Qin said your body is different from others and you need to replenish slowly. Don’t eat the ginseng in the soup just yet; it might be too strong for your system."
"Sister Qin said to monitor the wound at all times. Did you feel dizzy this morning? Is the wound still bleeding? Did you take a carriage to the palace? Sister Qin said that since the wound is near a vital area, even if it's not life-threatening, you can't move around too much. Until it heals, you shouldn't ride a horse or engage in any physical conflict..."
Song Tangning’s gaze swept over him, as if she wanted to follow every single instruction from Miss Qin.
Xiao Yan watched her, busy as a little bee, tidying his desk while her mouth chattered nonstop. Far from being annoyed, he found her endearing. His lips curved into a smile, his eyes soft as he sipped the ginseng soup. "I’m not one to pick fights. As long as no one bothers me, I won’t bother them."
Song Tangning glared at him.
Xiao Yan quickly raised the spoon to shield his face. "Fine, even if provoked, I won’t fight back."
"But that's not right!" Song Tangning retorted. "What if someone takes advantage and bullies you? If you can't fight back, let Canglang handle it. If anyone dares to mess with you, have Canglang teach them a lesson."
Xiao Yan chuckled, his body leaning back against the armrest as laughter bubbled up.
"Xiao Haitang, if people see you being so protective, they might say you're unreasonable."
Song Tangning pouted. "Let them talk."
Yes, she was unreasonable. So what?
Xiao Yan's laughter grew louder as he leaned back, watching his rarely wilful little sister.
His little begonia* was just like him—unreasonably protective and so endearing. Seeing the sweat forming on her nose and her flushed cheeks, Xiao Yan reached out across the table, gently pulling her to sit down. "Enough, stop fussing. Have some pastries."
Song Tangning sat cross-legged by the table, wiping her sweat. "Brother, why is it so hot here?"
Xiao Yan raised the curtain by the railing and casually picked up a folding fan from the table, fanning her. "Below Crane's Cry Hall is a thermal spring. Two layers down, there’s a medicinal spring. When I first came to the capital, my health wasn't good, so I stayed here. With the medicinal spring and warm jade heating the floor, this place tends to be warmer than outside."
Song Tangning was surprised. "There’s a medicinal spring under this building?" She grew curious. "Isn't it unbearably hot here during summer?"
Xiao Yan handed her a handkerchief. "Not really. The temperature of the spring remains constant, and the warm jade also has cooling properties, making it warm in winter and cool in summer. Additionally, the balcony connects to the inner lake, so the breeze keeps it comfortable. During the peak of summer, it’s actually cooler here than outside."
"Warm in winter, cool in summer? That sounds amazing!"
Song Tangning’s eyes widened in wonder, and she couldn’t resist touching the floor, as if trying to see through the stone to the spring beneath.
Xiao Yan smiled. "When the weather gets hotter, you can come and see for yourself."
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T/N: Xiao Haitang, Little Begonia, Little Crabapple flower may be used interchangeably throughout this novel.
You can read ahead to chapterr 200 here
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