Chapter 28.3

Tao Ti cleared her throat and mustered her courage to address Pei Yan, “Your Highness, I steamed some Qingtuan today. Would you like to try them?”

Pei Yan gave a slight nod, “Sure.”

Tao Ti quickly signaled to Linglong with her eyes, and Linglong immediately understood, hurrying off to the kitchen to prepare.

Meanwhile, Instead of entering the hall, Pei Yan sat on a stone bench and motioned for the Fifth Prince and Sixth Princess to come over for a chat.

Xu Wenchan held Tao Ti’s hand and whispered, “Ah Ti, it’s getting late. Should I leave now?”

Tao Ti glanced at the sky and whispered back, “Alright, just wait here for a moment. I’ll go get you two boxes of Qingtuan—one for you, and one for your mother and father to have a taste.”

“Aw… Ah Ti, you’re so nice.” Xu Wenchan looked at her with gratitude, her heart melting.

“It’s just a little snack,” Tao Ti patted her hand. Turning to see Pei Yan talking to the two children, she headed straight to the kitchen.

Xu Wenchan sat somewhat reservedly on the side. She had seen the Crown Prince from a distance at banquets before, and even then, she thought he was just like an immortal. Seeing him up close now, he was really as handsome as a painting.

Seeing how well Tao Ti interacted with him just now, it seems they get along quite well? Ah, it’s a shame about the Crown Prince’s health. I think there’s a hundred-year-old ginseng at home. Maybe I should fetch it for Tao Ti tomorrow and suggest she use it to help the Crown Prince?

Lost in her random thoughts, Xu Wenchan suddenly felt a cold and piercing gaze directed at her, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

Instinctively, she looked up and found herself meeting Pei Yan’s eyes. He had a gentle and approachable expression on his face.

It must be just her imagination, right? Xu Wenchan awkwardly smiled back at Pei Yan, not knowing what to say. She quickly averted her gaze and looked towards the kitchen.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Tao Ti emerged from the kitchen, carrying a beautifully crafted lacquer box. She handed it over to Xu Wenchan and said, “Here.”

After the two friends exchanged reluctant farewells, Xu Wenchan left.

As Tao Ti returned from the entrance, she saw the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Princess seated on either side of Pei Yan, chattering away excitedly.

“The red bean paste ones are the best! They’re sticky and fragrant, and not cloying at all!” the Fifth Prince enthused.

“Brother Crown Prince, you should try the one with pork and bamboo shoots, it’s the most delicious. The pickled vegetable and tofu ones are also good!” said the Sixth Princess.

“I think the sweet ones are the best. The sesame and peanut ones are super fragrant!” insisted the Fifth Prince

“But you didn’t hold back on the pork and bamboo shoot ones just now either…”the Sixth Princess remarked.

“…” the Fifth Prince blushed again. What was up with this little Sixth Princess? Why did she keep undermining him like this in the Eastern Palace?

Listening to their banter, Pei Yan’s expression remained composed, though he found their chatter quite noisy.

He didn’t particularly like children, finding their noise and constant chatter bothersome… and their fragility, too.

Fortunately, it was getting late, and Noble Consort Xu had sent a eunuch to come to take the Fifth Prince back.

The Fifth Prince was somewhat reluctant to leave. He gave Pei Yan a pleading look, silently urging him to say something and ask him to stay for dinner. If the Crown Prince made such a request, Noble Consort Xu wouldn’t be able to refuse.

Pei Yan caught the Fifth Prince’s puppy-eyed expression but chose to feign ignorance. With a gentle and sincere tone, he said, “It’s getting dark, you should all head back.”

With that, the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Princess had no choice but to obediently return.

The only consolation was that Tao Ti gave each of them a box of Qingtuan before they left, saying, “Take these with you and enjoy them slowly.”

After a pause, she called the Fifth Prince aside, bent down and said patiently, “Xiao Wu, I know you’re a good child and not a troublemaker… I know what happened with the salted egg yolk pastries last time…”

The Fifth Prince’s face turned red in an instant, and he asked in embarrassment, “Sh-She complained to you?”

“No, I was the one who asked her,” Tao Ti explained. “I just wanted to tell you, Feifei lost her mother at a young age, and she doesn’t have the kind of favour from His Majesty that you do. The little girl is all alone, and she’s had a difficult life in the palace. She’s your sister. I’m not asking you to take special care of her, but you shouldn’t bully her.”

“I wasn’t trying to bully her, I was just… teasing her…” the Fifth Prince mumbled in response.

“If someone were to snatch your Qingtuan from you on your way back later, would you think they were just teasing you?”

“Who would dare to—?!”

“Well, how about the Third Prince? Or the Second Princess?”

“…” the Fifth Prince was at a loss for words.

“You’re actually very smart. You know they’re stronger than you, so you wouldn’t dare to snatch from them. Then, why would you do that to Feifei? You’re stronger than her, so you think it’s okay? Xiao Wu, treat others how you want to be treated.”

Upon hearing her words, the Fifth Prince’s spirit wilted instantly. He felt that his petty thoughts had been thoroughly seen through by the Crown Princess.

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