"What kind of taste is it?" Xiao Man asked curiously.
Nangong Yi leaned closer to Xiao Man and sniffed carefully. "Snow lotus flowers have a very, very faint medicinal scent, which is exceptionally pleasant."
"Lecher!" Xiao Man said with disdain.
Nangong Yi's expression stiffened. "I'm not a lecher!"
"Still saying you're not a lecher? In the capital, there are at least eighty, if not a hundred, brothels, and which one doesn't have your admirers?"
Nangong Yi glared at Xiao Man, put down the medicine in his hand, washed his hands, and poured Xiao Man a glass of water. "Drink some water to moisten your throat. Your voice is hoarse."
"It's probably because I hurt my throat when I was made to vomit." Xiao Man took the glass and drank it in small sips. "By the way, I heard from Ah Yu... I heard from the Prince of Qin that your wedding date was set for August. Why was it changed to September?"
"September is a better date, auspicious, suitable for weddings," Nangong Yi said perfunctorily. "By the way, will you enter the palace for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
"I'm not sure. If His Highness the Prince of Chu wants me to accompany him, I can't refuse." Xiao Man's throat was a little sore, and her voice was very soft, sounding exceptionally gentle, which made Nangong Yi feel a little dazed. Growing up, he seemed to have never seen Xiao Man so gentle, as if she had changed into someone else.
"For some reason, I feel like you've changed," Nangong Yi voiced his doubt. "You're not like the Xiao Man I used to know at all."
"Is it the former me or the current me that's better?" A flicker of surprise flashed through Xiao Man's heart. This blockhead was unusually perceptive.
"As long as it's you, that's good enough," Nangong Yi fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist. "If you enter the palace for the Mid-Autumn Banquet, be careful. Don't let anyone discover your identity, or even Fourth Brother can't protect you."
Xiao Man nodded. "I understand. Thank you for your concern."
Nangong Yi looked up at Xiao Man. It was still the same familiar face, the same person, but that strange feeling lingered. Xiao Man never thanked him. She would only grab his neck and yell at him fiercely, "Stinky boy, how dare you lecture me!"
Nangong Yi felt that Xiao Man had changed. When did it start? It must have been in the spring of last year. Xiao Man had become distant from him. Although she was still as flamboyant and overbearing, she was different. He had always thought it was because Xiao Man had grown up and become sensible, but recently, this strange feeling had become more and more intense.
"Xiao Man, do you still remember the time I fell into the water in the imperial garden?" Nangong Yi asked abruptly, looking at Xiao Man.
Xiao Man covered her mouth and laughed. "What, do you want to settle old scores with me? Are you still holding a grudge because I beat you up after pulling you out of the imperial garden lake?"
Nangong Yi breathed a sigh of relief. "Exactly. Back then, in the palace, no one dared to cross me, not even my elder brother, the Crown Prince. Yet you, you beat me black and blue. My mother was heartbroken, but she didn't dare to cause trouble for you, and just told me I deserved it." Southern Dan Novel Network
"I also remember that you were unconvinced and complained to the Emperor. As a result, the Emperor punished you by copying the 'Dao De Jing' ten times. You copied it while crying, crying so sadly. In the end, His Highness the Prince of Chu helped you copy it."
Nangong Yi blushed for the first time in a long time. Having his embarrassing childhood stories revealed by Xiao Man made him feel a little shy. "The key is that later, when you came to the palace, you always called me a crybaby."
"You were always a crybaby, crying at the slightest provocation. Crying when you lost a fight, crying when I didn't take you out to play, crying when you climbed a tree and couldn't get down. I was even chased around the courtyard by my grandmother with a feather duster because of it."
"You were the one who got me up the tree, and then you ran away. I was stuck in the tree alone for a whole day, how could I not cry?" Nangong Yi retorted. "You were too unfair!"
"How was I supposed to know you were such a coward, able to climb up but not down?" Xiao Man said guiltily.
Seeing Xiao Man's guilt, Nangong Yi's doubts, which had just subsided, resurfaced. He remembered that Xiao Man had not felt guilty at all after being beaten. She had even righteously said that he, a boy, could climb up but not down, and besides crying, all he knew was to complain, utterly useless!
Nangong Yi shook the doubts from his mind. The person was still the same, with that familiar scent. Perhaps everyone changed when they grew up.
"Are you staying here, or going back to..."
"I'm going back to the Prince of Chu's manor." Xiao Man struggled to sit up. "I'm much better now, there's no serious problem."
Nangong Yi supported her. "I'll escort you back to the Prince of Chu's manor."
"No need..."
"Anyway, Third Brother knows I'm always pestering you to play. Escorting you back won't attract his attention." Nangong Yi, without further ado, helped Xiao Man out, got into his carriage, and only returned to his own manor after safely delivering Xiao Man back to the Prince of Chu's manor.
As soon as he returned to his manor, the butler reported that Miss Du had been waiting for him for a long time.
A hint of impatience flashed in Nangong Yi's eyes, but he didn't hesitate and walked straight to the reception hall.
Du Yulan sat quietly on a chair, her expression serene, lost in thought. When she heard footsteps, she turned her head and, upon seeing Nangong Yi, immediately rose to pay her respects.
"Didn't I tell you to go back earlier? Why are you at Prince Qi's manor?" Nangong Yi sat in the main seat and asked coldly.
"Your Highness's actions today have truly made Yulan confused, so I waited at the manor for Your Highness to enlighten me." Du Yulan's voice was gentle and polite, yet it brooked no refusal.
Nangong Yi looked at Du Yulan. "What do you want to know?"
"Xiao Qin is a woman," Du Yulan stated with certainty, not in a questioning tone.
Nangong Yi narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand what you're saying."
"Your Highness likes women, that is beyond doubt. Today, when Xiao Qin had an accident, Your Highness was very flustered, looking like someone worried about a loved one."
Nangong Yi's expression was unreadable, but Du Yulan knew she had guessed correctly. Xiao Qin was indeed a woman. She had meticulously investigated the women around Nangong Yi, finally narrowing it down to one person.
"Xiao Qin is Xiao Man..." Before Du Yulan could finish speaking, Nangong Yi, who had been sitting in the main seat, was already in front of her, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the ground. Du Yulan struggled but could not break free.
"You're seeking death."
Du Yulan's pupils contracted uncontrollably. Everyone said that Prince Qi loved beautiful women and was most tender towards them, but at this moment, in Nangong Yi's eyes, she saw only killing intent. This man truly wanted to kill her, just because she had seen through Xiao Man's identity.
Her breath was slowly being stolen away. Du Yulan had never felt death so close. She was the young miss of the Grand Tutor's manor, doted upon since childhood, and exceptionally stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat. Her marriage to Prince Qi was not so much Consort De's choice as it was her own.