She couldn't tell if it was her imagination, but every time she called him "Brother Su Cheng," he would twitch his face and appear rather nervous.
She didn't know why, though.
Su Cheng truly had a grievance he couldn't express. Being called "Brother Su Cheng" in front of the Prince was practically a death sentence.
Thinking of the painful sting of his cold, sharp gaze, he felt like a burden if he stayed another second. He left with a hurried, "I'll go ask the innkeeper to send food over," and then he was gone in a flash.
Feng Jinyao smiled, exchanged a glance with Feng Er, and then said,
"Second Brother, you don't need to worry. I'm perfectly fine."
This was the second time she had said it, wanting to put Feng Er at ease. Having such conditions while traveling was already very good, and she was quite content.
"Mm, you tidy up first. I'm going to the yamen to deliver the transfer order."
"Won't Second Brother eat first?"
"It's fine. The yamen is not far from here; I'll be back in a moment. You rest first."
"Alright."
After such a long journey, Feng Jinyao finally felt the fatigue as she could finally rest.
Yun Xu and He Huan, along with the two old maids and young servants they brought, carried the belongings into the courtyard one by one, organizing and tidying.
Feng Jinyao sat in a nearby pavilion, drinking tea. Standing beside her was a guard named to protect her, but in reality, it was the disguised Prince Ding.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your thoughtful arrangement of this courtyard."
"As long as A Yao likes it."
Only the two of them were here. Feng Jinyao had already seen through the Prince Ding's disguise on the road, so she was too lazy to speak in platitudes.
After protesting his form of address several times without any substantial change, Feng Jinyao gave up correcting him.
"Tomorrow is the grand wedding day for the Chi and Zhu families. Does Your Highness have any plans?"
"This matter has been arranged. A Yao just needs to wait and watch the show tomorrow. Don't worry about these things all day. It's more important to take care of your health."
Seeing Feng Jinyao's slender waist, Xiao Tingyi felt a pang of heartache. However, some things were not suitable to be said now, so he could only transform his concern into companionship and meticulous care.
They didn't bring much, and everyone was quick with their hands, so everything was soon put in order.
When Yun Xu came to ask Feng Jinyao to return and rest, Feng Jinyao was a little surprised as soon as she stepped into the room.
Seeing her expression, Yun Xu couldn't help but chuckle, "Miss, you were startled too, weren't you? When I first came in to sort the luggage, I thought we were back at Ning'an Courtyard. The furnishings and arrangement are just like our home in the capital. It's truly odd."
The maids didn't understand the reason and naturally thought it was a coincidence.
But Feng Jinyao knew in her heart that this was the Prince Ding's deliberate action.
She was grateful for such an arrangement, but at the same time, she felt burdened.
Ever since she began cooperating with the Prince Ding, Feng Jinyao always felt his silent, meticulous care.
She knew what this implied.
However, her feelings towards the current Prince Ding were the same as her feelings towards Yin Canwen back then.
She had no intention and was unwilling to become dependent on someone else so soon. In this regard, the Prince Ding seemed to have a psychic connection with her.
Apart from the form of address, there was no other impropriety.
Feng Jinyao wanted to refuse, but she didn't know where to start.
It wasn't until many years later that she slowly came to understand what "slowly plotting" meant. It began with a gentle breeze and fine rain, appearing around her silently, never forcefully intruding into her life. But by the time she realized it, she had already grown accustomed to this companionship, and her heart was no longer willing to refuse.
It had to be said that the method of conquering without fighting, when applied to Feng Jinyao, was indeed a decision Xiao Tingyi had carefully considered.
Huan circled the surroundings, and the more she walked, the more comfortable she felt.
She hurried back and said excitedly to Feng Jinyao,
"Miss, there's also a natural hot spring connected to the back of this house. I touched the water, and the temperature is just right. Would you like to soak in a hot spring to relax your muscles?"
This time, even Yun Xu became excited.
A natural hot spring was rare even in the capital, and they hadn't expected one to be arranged in a small courtyard.
The three of them went to the hot spring, and indeed, it was perfectly arranged. Even the flower petals and essential oils they usually used were Feng Jinyao's favorites.
"How strange. This place is as if it were tailor-made for Miss. Why is everything so to your liking?"
Yun Xu voiced Feng Jinyao's thoughts. However, the more this was the case, the more she felt the need to maintain a clear head. Otherwise, if she fell into the Prince Ding's gentle trap, it would be difficult to escape later.
"We'll talk about it another day. After all this traveling, eating something and sleeping is the most important thing."
"Yes! I'll arrange it right away."
Huan, like a bird released from its cage, looked around the courtyard freely and then headed towards the moon gate.
Upon receiving Huan's message, the innkeeper quickly brought the food.
It included dishes they usually ate in the capital, as well as signature dishes from Jiangnan.
Feng Jinyao's mouth watered at the sight. As she had said, she ate three large bowls.
Yun Xu, worried she might overeat, took out the medicine box previously given by Physician Zhang. "Miss, you should eat slowly. Indigestion is very uncomfortable."
She smiled shyly, not knowing why she could eat so much. Not to mention Yun Xu, even she herself found it exaggerated.
Taking the pill and warm water from her hand, Feng Jinyao drank it all down.
She had originally planned to sleep to regain her energy, but now she had to walk more to aid digestion.
"Miss, since you can't sleep now, why don't we go for a walk? This is my first time in Jinling City, and I haven't seen what it's like."
As soon as she said this, even the usually steady Yun Xu thought it was a good idea.
They happened to meet Feng Er, who was returning from the yamen, and Feng Jinyao told him about it.
"Alright. Coincidentally, I'm not taking office for the next couple of days, so I have time to accompany you. Once I get busy in a few days, I might not have the chance."
Upon hearing him say this, Huan quickly had someone send more food.
After Feng Er ate his fill, he took the three of them and a few martial arts-skilled young servants and went out.
Meanwhile, Su Cheng and the Prince Ding appeared at a detached courtyard of the Min family.
The "Prince Ding" had been recuperating here for several days, and the courtyard had been filled with the smell of medicine daily since his arrival.
Lin Huaijin had brought in an elder with a celestial demeanor multiple times, and the solemnity on his face had never faded.
The Emperor Qi had arranged for people to constantly monitor the Prince Ding's movements within the accompanying entourage.
Seeing this situation, they also sent urgent intelligence back to the capital daily, not daring to slack off in the slightest.