Fengyu slept restlessly in the back hall of Changshou Palace until dusk. Xie Xun, still young and full of vigor, never seed to tire while teasing her incessantly. She could only cry and beg for rcy, yet thankfully, his busy schedule left him little ti to pester her further. Otherwise, she truly felt like she would lose half her life.
When she awoke, the evening glow painted the sky. Outside the corridor, Qiuxiang and Chunlu were admiring the sunset. Such a fiery cloud scene was rare in the capital, resembling auspicious ons descending from the heavens. Resplendent clouds stretched endlessly across the horizon, breathtakingly beautiful, leaving Fengyu amazed by the spectacle.
"My lady, look at how gorgeous the sky is!" Qiuxiang, noticing Fengyu awake, eagerly pulled her outside to appreciate the view. Fengyu had always loved natural sceneries—sunrises, sunsets, and anything in between. During her ti in West State, whenever she found a day or two of free ti, she would venture beyond the mines to admire the desert landscape.
Basking in the warm sunlight, Fengyu felt utterly at ease. "It truly is stunning."
In the rigidly square confines of the Imperial Palace, witnessing such picturesque sunsets was an extraordinary rarity. Within the palace halls, the palace maids and eunuchs serving Fengyu were handpicked ticulously during this period. Familiar with her temperant, they kept a respectful distance, ensuring she remained undisturbed.
Qiuxiang, concerned about her catching a chill, went inside to fetch a cloak for her. It was already late autumn—this year warr than usual—though there was still a faint bite in the air.
"The palace gates will likely be locked soon; we should start preparing to leave the palace."
"My lady, Second Young Master has brought Ru Yi into the palace, and His Majesty has said you’ll be having dinner together tonight. He’s asked that you stay at Changshou Palace instead of leaving."
Fengyu was overjoyed when she heard ntion of Ru Yi. Since her Second Brother had returned, she hadn’t had the chance to see Ru Yi. "Ru Yi is in the palace? Where is he?"
"While you were resting, Sister Xia Zhu and Sister Dongxue took him to play in the imperial garden."
Excited upon hearing this, Fengyu imdiately decided to leave the palace to find Ru Yi.
In the imperial garden, Ru Yi was flying a kite. Xia Zhu, Dongxue, and several young eunuchs surrounded him, doting on him like stars around the moon. Little Ru Yi ran through the garden, his face beaming with joy. When he spotted Fengyu, he quickly handed his kite to Dongxue and ran toward her gleefully. "Auntie, Auntie, where have you been lately? You haven’t co to see Ru Yi!"
Ru Yi, at the height of playful innocence, was as enchanting as a finely crafted porcelain doll, evoking tender affection from everyone around him. Fengyu picked him up, kissed his cheek, and said with a warm smile, "Auntie has been sick and resting at ho. How has Ru Yi been lately? Have you been scolded?"
Ru Yi’s cheerful deanor instantly turned pitiful as he puffed up like a stuffed bun. "I got scolded! Daddy is so an! He even hit Ru Yi!"
"What? He even hit Ru Yi?" Fengyu was taken aback. Second Brother had always been gentle with Ru Yi, cradling him like a treasure far more tenderly than his treatnt of Xie Xun. Who would have expected him to punish Ru Yi?
"He hit my palm," Ru Yi said indignantly, his eyes brimming with grievance. "Daddy said Ru Yi was naughty, too mischievous, and needed discipline."
Dongxue, standing nearby, spoke up, "Second Young Master believes Ru Yi is becoming too spoiled and unruly, needing firm rules to follow. He even deliberately smashed his own favorite vase because of Ru Yi."
"I didn’t do it on purpose!" Ru Yi squird in Fengyu’s embrace, earnestly defending himself. "Ru Yi didn’t break it deliberately! Daddy is bad!"
"Alright, alright, Ru Yi didn’t do it on purpose." Fengyu gently coaxed him. Since Ru Yi’s return to the capital, he had been doted on endlessly. Children are especially sensitive to affection—they know who loves them, and with that confidence, they often behave recklessly. He was increasingly showing signs of the mischievous spirit Xie Xun had as a child, which Second Brother surely wouldn’t tolerate or indulge.
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