Lu Zhan was young and had a strong constitution. Even though his injuries hadn't fully healed and he'd been soaked by the rain, after downing two steaming bowls of ginger soup, not only did he avoid catching a cold—his complexion even looked a bit better.
But if you were going to put on an act, you had to do it properly. After Qing Su went to the palace to request leave on his behalf, Lu Zhan put on a pale, sickly look and announced to the outside world that he was gravely ill and needed quiet rest. As a result, the usually bustling Prince Yong Manor shut its gates, and the atmosphere in the capital suddenly grew tense.
Shen Wan wasn't sensitive to court affairs. She could only hear bits and pieces of news from Zhi Chu's fellow villager, the older woman in charge of purchasing. But the young maid was only interested in romantic gossip and the like, so by the time Shen Wan learned that Lu Zhan had shut himself in to recuperate, three days had already passed.
"…Xiao Lan said Prince Yong has been sick for days," Zhi Chu whispered, her brows knit with worry. "Miss, do you think His Highness fell ill because he got soaked in the rain that day? And… and… would His Highness blame you for it?"
From Shen Wan's reactions the last few times Lu Zhan came up, Zhi Chu had vaguely sensed that Shen Wan's feelings were not entirely ordinary—though she didn't think too deeply about it, only assuming that Shen Wan admired him. Now, putting herself in Shen Wan's shoes, Zhi Chu grew nervous. Her miss admired Prince Yong—if Prince Yong truly blamed her, Shen Wan would definitely be heartbroken!
Thinking of how Shen Wan had thrown a massive tantrum during last year's New Year festivities when she was displeased, Zhi Chu's scalp went numb. She instinctively glanced at Shen Wan.
In the lamplight, however, Shen Wan's expression was still fairly calm. There was only some anxiety and worry hidden in her eyes, and none of the usual signs of unreasonable fussing. The worry Zhi Chu had been holding finally settled back down.
Shen Wan didn't know that Zhi Chu had remembered the previous Shen Wan. After instructing her to call He Bai over, she carefully closed the door.
"He Bai…" Shen Wan coughed lightly and asked in an embarrassed, quiet voice, "Do you still have a way to contact Prince Yong now?"
He Bai froze, almost thinking their earlier message-sending had been exposed. Her back tensed instantly as she denied it firmly. "This… there was a way, but ever since this servant entered the residence, I haven't contacted His Highness again. Perhaps… it can't be done anymore."
Shen Wan wasn't too surprised, but she was still disappointed.
With no outsiders present, Shen Wan didn't bother to hide her emotions. Her dejection fell clearly into He Bai's eyes. He Bai immediately sensed something was off and hurried to salvage the situation. "Does Miss have business? This servant isn't certain, but I can try."
"Really?" Like a wilted blade of grass suddenly drenched by rain again, Shen Wan couldn't help straightening up.
He Bai became even more convinced that the Shen family's young lady admired Prince Yong. She held back a laugh and nodded.
"It's like this," Shen Wan said. "I just heard that His Highness caught a chill and fell ill. It's… somewhat related to me, so I'm worried…" Shen Wan truly was worried. Medical standards in ancient times were low; if anything went wrong, even a minor cold could take a life. And if something happened to Lu Zhan, the Shen family would likely be dragged down as well.
He Bai didn't know the details and took Shen Wan's words as an excuse for her concern. She kept her face straight and nodded again.
"So I want to ask you… could you help inquire about His Highness's condition? Of course, I don't have any ill intent. You can personally supervise me," Shen Wan said.
He Bai was holding back laughter so hard her mouth corners nearly twitched. She coughed to cover it, then pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Miss, please wait. This servant will try."
Shen Wan let out a breath, her worry easing slightly, and a hint of a smile finally returned to her face.
To be safe, He Bai didn't use the Little Skylark they usually used to pass messages. Instead, she wrote a note and sent it—along with a jade pendant—to Prince Yong Manor.
When Qing Su received the note and the jade pendant, he found it rather novel. After confirming there was no poison, he properly delivered them into Lu Zhan's hands. "My lord, a message sent to the gatehouse from He Bai."
Lu Zhan was leaning against a soft cushion with a scroll in hand. Hearing this, he lazily lifted his eyes. "Sent to the gatehouse? Open it and take a look."
Qing Su complied, carefully breaking the wax seal. After a quick scan, a trace of amusement appeared in his eyes. "My lord… it's a letter from Miss Shen, sent through He Bai. She wants to ask how your health is."
Lu Zhan paused, then snatched it over with a swift motion—so quick and vigorous that it looked nothing like the "fever that won't break" and "weak constitution" the imperial physician had reported to Emperor Zhaowen.
After reading it carefully, the irritation of being unable to leave for days swept away. A light, buoyant smile rippled through his brows and eyes. As he spoke, his voice lowered. "You were right… She's so simple—almost too easy to fool."
Qing Su hadn't heard the latter half clearly and replied on instinct, "My lord, what did you say?"
Lu Zhan coughed lightly to cover it. "I was thinking how to reply to this letter."
"You—" Qing Su watched as Lu Zhan casually picked up a brush, shock widening his eyes. "You're going to reply personally?"
Lu Zhan raised a brow. "What? Not allowed?"
There was a subtle, dangerous edge in his expression. Qing Su's back went cold under that look. He pressed his lips together and obediently began grinding ink, not daring to say another word.
In the reassuring hush of the room, the roses in the vase at the corner gave off a clean fragrance. Lu Zhan curved his lips and slowly set brush to paper—
"His Highness's health is gradually improving, though there remain symptoms of fever and cough. I must still recuperate with care."
After writing, Lu Zhan read it over twice more, and only after confirming there were no issues did he set the brush down. To be fair, he didn't wish to make Shen Wan anxious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have listened to Qing Su and drunk the second bowl of ginger tea. But first, he was still claiming illness to the outside world, so replying this way was cautious. Second, he actually wanted to see what Shen Wan intended to do after learning this information.
—If he were to dissect it carefully, there was probably a bit of mischievous pleasure in it, too.
Because Shen Wan had saved him at Huguo Temple yet pretended not to recognize him and refused to admit it, Lu Zhan had developed a very real curiosity about her. Add in the Empress meddling by placing two medical maids at Shen Wan's side, and Lu Zhan could occasionally receive news about Shen Wan—curiosity fermenting into unconscious attention.
Thus, realizing that Shen Wan had been privately concerned about him all along filled him with an indescribable joy. Driven by that unfamiliar joy, Lu Zhan handed the written note to Qing Su and instructed, "Have someone deliver it to the Shen residence quickly. Remember—say it was you who wrote it."
An innocent scapegoat, Qing Su glared at him, furious yet unable to speak.
Prince Yong Manor's guards were indeed more capable than the Shen family's guards. The letter quickly reached the Shen residence gatehouse. Hearing that it was to be delivered to He Bai, the gatehouse men didn't suspect a thing. They assumed Lu Zhan had business and personally hurried it to He Bai without delay.
To be safe, He Bai opened the letter in private first. Finding nothing abnormal, she then brought it to Shen Wan.
It was nearly curfew. Shen Wan had changed into lighter clothes and was waiting to bathe. Seeing He Bai, she could hardly believe it. "The reply came?"
He Bai nodded gently. "I have some acquaintance with His Highness's guard, so I inquired on your behalf. His Highness is gradually getting better, though he still has some fever and coughing. The rumors outside that His Highness is gravely ill are likely all false."
At last receiving concrete news, Shen Wan's heart settled. Once her mind cooled, she noticed something on the note that she hadn't before and said casually, "This handwriting is excellent. I wonder how it was trained."
He Bai looked along with her instinctively. Black ink on white paper—sharp contrast. Each character sat neatly on the page, yet carried the grandeur of iron strokes and silver hooks, as if swallowing mountains and rivers.
Standing behind Shen Wan, He Bai silently closed her eyes.
After opening the letter, she had vaguely felt something was off—but she had only checked the contents and forgotten the handwriting itself. Such calligraphy could never be produced without years of grueling practice. It absolutely couldn't be Qing Su's. And… He Bai vaguely remembered that there seemed to be a painting hanging in the Empress's Fengyi Palace with Prince Yong's own inscription—the handwriting on it looked identical to this note.
For a moment, He Bai felt the same grief and indignation that Mu Su had felt—
She had delivered messages to Lu Zhan so many times, yet never received a single word in reply. Now this letter was merely for Shen Wan to read, and Lu Zhan had replied personally.
The differential treatment couldn't be more obvious!
Though at a loss for words, He Bai didn't forget the important thing. Seeing Shen Wan's attention completely captured by the handwriting, even admiring it, He Bai's heart jumped. Steadying herself, she said softly, "Miss, this note… to be safe, it's best to burn it."
He Bai silently apologized to Lu Zhan in her heart, worried Shen Wan might refuse. But Shen Wan wasn't foolish. She understood the stakes well. Though she was reluctant—still not quite done admiring it—she nodded.
He Bai exhaled in relief. Taking the note, she held it to the candle and burned it until not even a corner remained. Only when the entire note had turned into charred remnants did she turn back to Shen Wan. "Miss, do you have any other instructions?"
That question landed exactly where Shen Wan wanted. She blinked and asked, "Do you know much about Prince Yong?"
With the earlier lesson as a warning, He Bai answered more carefully this time. "In what sense?"
Shen Wan lowered her voice as well. "Like… for example, what does Prince Yong like?" Seeing He Bai's expression turn a little subtle, Shen Wan hurried to patch it up. "I mean—I want to give Prince Yong a gift of thanks."
Author's Note:
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He Bai, expressionless: He likes you! Give yourself—he'll be happy!
Wanwan: stunned speechless.
He Bai, hoarse and desperate: Believe me!
My checkup showed some issues, and I spent time asking the doctor about them, so I couldn't make it before eleven. Sorry, sorry. I have to go back to the hospital tomorrow for a follow-up, so I need to sleep early. No time to proofread typos today—please make do. Sending hearts.
Thanks to Mu Shan Bei Shui for the landmine—hugging you and lifting you up high~ Thanks to Rare Cutie, Little Fire-Fire Huang Yan, Blackcurrant Milk, Passerby, and January Fei for the nourishing support. Love you all—everyone rest early, take good care, good night~