With a movement of the wheelchair, Yao Huang's gaze was immediately drawn back, landing on the fair back of Prince Hui's hand, where veins bulged as he forcefully pushed the wheelchair.
Yao Huang hurriedly took over the wheelchair.
Since she exerted force here, the large wheels rolled forward, and Zhao Sui could only let go.
Yao Huang looked down and saw Prince Hui with a straight face, his expression no longer just simply lifeless.
Looking up, Yao Huang noticed that two shops away, diagonally opposite, was "Liao's Medical Clinic." A lock hung on the clinic's door, but outside, an awning had been set up. Several long benches were arranged under the awning, left for the commoners waiting to see the doctor to sit on.
Yao Huang then pushed Prince Hui under the awning, letting him face the long benches, before she went over to sit down.
In just a short distance, Prince Hui's face had changed from displeased back to lifeless.
Yao Huang reached out her hand to him: "Give me the handkerchief."
Zhao Sui took out the handkerchief from his right sleeve and placed it in her palm.
The handkerchief was still damp. Yao Huang casually shook it open and was about to grab Prince Hui's hand, which had been dirtied by the large wheels.
Understanding her intention, Zhao Sui snatched the handkerchief back: "I'll do it myself."
When he wiped his hands, his palms faced downward. Seeing this, Yao Huang wanted to help again, but just as she reached out, Prince Hui avoided her.
Yao Huang only found it amusing. Facing that handsome face praised by everyone, she whispered, "When those young ladies and young wives were staring at you, I was only proud that my husband is handsome, and didn't feel at all that they were taking advantage of my husband. Why is it that when I look at others a few times, and they don't even notice or care, you get angry instead?"
Zhao Sui: "...See no evil."
Yao Huang: "Commoner families don't have that many rules."
Prince Hui finally looked directly at his princess: "You are now a Prin..."
Yao Huang nervously covered his mouth, looked front and back, and glared at him, saying, "Be careful, don't let anyone hear."
Zhao Sui: "..."
Yao Huang withdrew her hand, taking into account his royal background and many rules, and softened her tone: "Alright, I promise I won't stare at other men anymore. If I look, I'll only look at you."
Saying that, her gaze even circled Prince Hui's upper body, which was bound by his long gown.
Zhao Sui: "...Let's go back."
Yao Huang: "It's still early. Since we're already here, let's see what other shops are ahead."
Having resolved the minor awkwardness just now, Yao Huang continued to push Prince Hui forward to stroll. Passing by a roasted seeds and nuts shop, Yao Huang bought five catties each of original and five-spice flavored roasted melon seeds, packing them in two small sackcloth bags.
The shopkeeper handed the sackcloth bags to Yao Huang, and she turned around and stuffed the two bags of melon seeds into Prince Hui's arms. Prince Hui could even carry her, so holding ten catties of melon seeds would definitely not tire him out.
After strolling around for more than an hour, Yao Huang finally pushed Prince Hui back to the new residence. The sky was still bright at this time, and before entering the door, Yao Huang even waved to the crowd of women on the opposite bank.
Feiquan, who came to open the door, pretended not to see the two sackcloth bags in the prince's arms and closed the main door with incomparable speed.
Yao Huang held the wheelchair and asked, "Did two children come to deliver a dog?"
Feiquan: "They did. Liao... my father carefully checked it. Jinbao, is it? Jinbao has no lice on him, nor any other diseases. He's just small in size and his food hasn't been keeping up, so he looks thin and weak. Big brother just washed him twice and put him in the west courtyard to dry his fur. Shall I bring him over now?"
Yao Huang: "Go ahead."
Feiquan bowed his waist and looked at the prince for instructions.
The prince silently consented.
Feiquan then knew that the prince temporarily had no needs that would be inconvenient for the princess to attend to.
After Feiquan left, Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui to the backyard. She always kept a basin of clear water and a pot of clear water in her room. Wetting a towel, Yao Huang walked to Prince Hui's side, first placed the two bags of melon seeds on the table, and then shook the towel in her hand: "Will Second Master wipe himself, or shall I help you?"
The river water only looked clear; it was definitely not as clean as well water. Whether it was Prince Hui's face, which had been touched by others' saliva, or his hands, which had pushed the wheelchair, they both needed to be wiped again.
Zhao Sui took the towel and waited until the princess turned to wash the handkerchief before covering his face with it.
Yao Huang went outside to hang the handkerchief to dry, and when she returned, Prince Hui had already finished wiping.
Yao Huang poured a bowl of water for each of them, then sat beside him, grabbed a small handful of melon seeds from the sackcloth bag, and imitating Prince Hui, peeled them only with her hands. After peeling one, she brought the melon seed kernel to his lips: "Outside, Second Master peeled so many for me. Now it's my turn to feed you the ready-made ones."
Zhao Sui: "I didn't specially peel them for you. I really rarely eat this kind of snack."
Yao Huang: "Do you rarely eat them because of decency and rules, or because Second Master doesn't like to eat them?"
Men had many issues. They were even embarrassed to sit openly on a cushion. Perhaps he was also afraid that eating snacks would be discussed by others as not dignified and proper enough?
Zhao Sui was silent.
Yao Huang understood. Smiling, she stuffed the melon seed kernel between Prince Hui's slightly pursed lips. Zhao Sui had no choice but to open his mouth, and when the princess offered it again, he caught it with his hand.
After feeding him a few in a row, Feiquan and Aji came over together. Regardless of whether the prince stayed overnight in the backyard or not, Aji would keep watch for the princess in the west room at night.
Feiquan carried Jinbao, who had been personally bathed by Grand Eunuch Qing'ai, a royal servant specially assigned to serve the prince. The little puppy was also afraid of strangers, shrinking pitifully in Feiquan's arms. Except for rolling a pair of watery black eyes to observe his surroundings, he didn't dare to move at all.
Yao Huang took Jinbao, and Feiquan and Aji retreated.
In the princess's arms, Jinbao still didn't dare to move.
Yao Huang stroked his furry head while laughing at him: "Why are you so timid? Let me tell you, I am the daughter of a minor official with the best fortune in the world, and you are the ordinary little dog with the best fortune in the world. Meeting Second Master, you just enjoy good food and drink. No matter how good the lives of your four brothers and sisters from the same litter are, they can't compare to yours."
Jinbao couldn't understand, but he could feel the gentleness of his new owner's hands, which was even more comfortable than how his original little owners stroked him.
Prince Hui watched quietly from the side.
Yao Huang reached her hand to Jinbao's belly and felt it. It was round and bulging; it seemed he had eaten a full meal at Madam Gao's place.
Having had enough of adoring him herself, Yao Huang asked Prince Hui: "Does Second Master want to hold him? Qing'ai washed him very clean; he's full of the scent of Chinese honeylocust."
Zhao Sui: "No need."
Yao Huang deliberately said: "Is Second Master really afraid of dogs?"
Zhao Sui looked at Jinbao and suddenly called out: "Little Yellow."
Jinbao pricked up his ears, obviously more accustomed to this old name.
Yao Huang: "..."
She glared faintly at Prince Hui: "If the prince teases me like this again, I won't talk to you anymore."
Zhao Sui: "You started it."
Yao Huang: "Then I didn't give the prince a nickname either. From childhood to adulthood, only those few children in the alley who annoyed me would deliberately call me Little Yellow, Huanghuang, Ah-Huang. Does the prince also want me to be angry with you and dislike you?"
Zhao Sui didn't answer this question, only reached out and stroked Jinbao's head, saying to this puppy: "Getting a name bestowed by the princess is indeed your fortune."
Beating around the bush, Yao Huang gave him a reproachful glance.
It grew dark outside the window. Zhao Sui still needed massage and a bath, so he called Feiquan to push him to the front courtyard. Before leaving, Prince Hui looked at Jinbao in the princess's arms and said, "Tell Aji to send Jinbao to the west courtyard. Bring him back tomorrow morning."
In Prince Hui's eyes, cats and dogs were only brought over to be teased when their masters felt like it; the rest of the time, they were left entirely to the servants' care.
Yao Huang smiled and said, "There's no need. Let it sleep in my room; it can keep me company."
Zhao Sui took a few extra glances at his princess consort, somewhat suspecting if she was hinting at something.
However, the princess consort was petting Jinbao again, her eyes full of adoration. She really did not look like she was using the dog to express her feelings.
After Prince Hui left, Yao Huang freshened up and asked Aji to fetch a small basket from the west courtyard. She lined the basket with a layer of dry hay meant for kindling, pressed it down firmly to make a dog bed for Jinbao, and placed it right next to her bed.
Jinbao was the runt of the litter. Ever since it was born, it had been bullied by the other four puppies, only getting the leftovers whether nursing or eating. That was why it was so timid and cowardly. It was fine during the day, but tonight it had suddenly moved to an unfamiliar place. Waking up in the middle of the night and unable to find the big dog that usually slept beside it, the little fellow began to whimper in a milky voice.
Yao Huang was sleeping soundly and was only woken up after Jinbao barked seven or eight times. Drowsily leaning over the edge of the bed, she reached a hand into the dog bed and perfunctorily coaxed it while petting, "Alright, alright, stop barking."
Pressed flat in its bed, Jinbao felt the warmth of that hand and indeed stopped barking.
At this moment, Aji pushed the door open from the outside and poked her head in to ask, "Madam, is everything alright?"
Yao Huang held down Jinbao, who was trying to roll over again, and mumbled, "It's fine. Jinbao is just homesick and crying a bit. Go to sleep, and you don't need to come over if you hear it bark again."
Aji said, "It's better if I take it to my room, so it doesn't disturb your rest, Madam."
Yao Huang replied, "No need, go to sleep."
Aji really did want to sleep, but just as she reached the door of the west room, she heard someone knocking from the veranda. Aji hurried over and heard Feiquan asking softly through the door, "What happened to Madam?" Could a snake or mouse have gotten in and frightened her?
Aji explained the situation to him.
Relieved, Feiquan went back to report to the Prince.
An image of the princess consort, clearly exhausted yet trying to coax a puppy, surfaced in Zhao Sui's mind. Moreover, she was on her monthly cycle.
When Prince Hui was woken up a second time by the faint sounds of a dog barking in the backyard, he called for Feiquan and asked, "What time is it?"
Feiquan checked the water clock and replied, "Just past midnight."
Zhao Sui said, "Light the lamp."
Aji knew that the princess consort loved dogs. She had kept one when she was young for a full seven or eight years. Later, when the dog fell ill and passed away, the princess consort cried her heart out and was only consoled after her parents took her to Wangxian Restaurant for a grand meal. Therefore, since the princess consort insisted on sleeping with Jinbao herself, Aji did not try to take over the task.
Jinbao did not bark for long. Aji was just about to fall back asleep when she unexpectedly heard Feiquan's voice outside the window, telling her to open the door.
Aji jolted awake. There were only two keys to the side door, one for the front courtyard and one for the back. At night, Feiquan would only dare use the key if the Prince was coming over.
Hurriedly putting on her clothes, Aji opened the door as fast as she could.
Under the pale moonlight, there was indeed a wheelchair outside the door.
Aji lowered her head and stepped aside.
Feiquan pushed the Prince into the east room in the dark.
Yao Huang first felt Jinbao's restless movements before she realized someone had entered. The rolling sound of the wheelchair meant it was the Prince.
Not wanting to move, Yao Huang continued to comfort Jinbao and asked, "Why are you here, Second Master? Everything is fine over here."
Zhao Sui said, "It woke me up. Let Feiquan take it to the west courtyard."
Yao Huang didn't mind the trouble herself, but she couldn't delay the Prince's rest. She had no choice but to watch Feiquan carry the puppy away along with its bed.
Since Prince Hui had come to the backyard in the dead of night, he naturally wouldn't go back.
Yao Huang pushed the wheelchair to the bedside, and Prince Hui propped himself up and sat on the bed.
Yao Huang habitually leaned into his embrace and muttered, "How are your ears so sharp, Second Master? I thought you wouldn't be able to hear it."
Zhao Sui patted her hand. "Go to sleep."
Perhaps because she had been petting Jinbao for too long, the half-asleep Yao Huang hugged the Prince for a while and unexpectedly started touching his chest. Beneath the thin silk garment was a distinct bulge of muscles. Although not as exaggerated as a blacksmith in a forge, it was still firm and solid, yielding slightly if pressed with a bit of force.
The fondled Prince Hui asked, "...Don't want to sleep?"
Growing more awake the more she touched, Yao Huang hurriedly turned away.
