Chapter 15

Her brother’s hands were unexpectedly warm. Cheng Nanyu had felt more than once that Song Yushu was cold-hearted and emotionless.

Even when faced with his mother, whom he hadn’t seen in many years, he remained unperturbed, as if nothing in this world could affect his emotions. Therefore, she always thought her brother was one of those people who didn’t possess the warmth of a normal human being.

But when her hand was held by his, she realized she had been wrong all along.

After all, her brother was human too; his hand was indeed warm.

“Sister, why are you so nervous? I’m not going to eat you.”

Seeing her tense up and even break out in a cold sweat, Song Yushu didn’t seem surprised. Instead, he appeared a bit excited, holding her hand firmly yet gently, not letting her struggle free.

“In the Song Kingdom, there was a divine monk who had the skill to bless a pile of messy things.

He suddenly changed the topic, leaving Cheng Nanyu momentarily confused. She looked up at him, puzzled, and listened intently.

Before she could respond, she felt something warm and smooth sliding down her hand. Looking down slightly, she saw a string of light pink jade beads, clear and smooth, glowing brightly under the moonlight.

“It suits you well, sister.”

The beads, which were meant to be worn by Song Yushu, were now gently placed on Cheng Nanyu’s wrist as he held her hand. The delicate pink color seemed to be made just for her.

“I don’t believe in such things, but others say that the old Taoist priest is quite effective. Brother, know that sister has trouble in her heart; brother is giving sister this string of beads.”

He spoke softly, his words calm and collected, but they shocked Cheng Nanyu deeply. Her troubles were something no one should have known about. The matter concerned her father’s life, and she hadn’t even told her closest confidante, Qingluan. Only she and her mother, Princess Qingyang, knew about it, and it couldn’t have been her mother who told him.

Her mind was in turmoil, but Song Yushu seemed unfazed. He looked down at her hand, seemingly admiring the bracelet now on her wrist, and then released her hand.

“It’s getting late. sister should rest.”

Cheng Nanyu obediently nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, not saying another word.

Song Yushu, seeing her sitting quietly, turned to leave. As she watched him move towards the window, she noticed how familiar he seemed with the room, as if he had been there many times before.

The wind from outside blew his hair slightly. He turned back to look at her.

“Master Jiarong will return to Beichan Temple in three days. Perhaps he can help with what worries you.”

With that, he jumped out of the window. Cheng Nanyu hurried to the window, but when she looked out, there was no one there.

She stared at the rustling leaves outside, growing more confused. What exactly did Song Yushu know?

Lost in thought, she didn’t even notice when Qingluan entered the room until the light from a candle brought her back to her senses.

“Princess, it’s getting late and chilly.”

Qingluan stood beside her, draped in an outer robe, holding a candle that she had brought in from outside. Her sudden appearance startled Cheng Nanyu.

She felt her courage wane, wondering how she had become so timid.

“Qingluan…”

Qingluan softly responded and placed the candle on the table beside the bed. She then retrieved an outer robe from the bedpost and draped it over Cheng Nanyu.

“Qingluan, how did you get in here?”

Cheng Nanyu adjusted the robe and moved towards the bed. Qingluan closed the open window before following her.

Sitting on the bed, Cheng Nanyu watched Qingluan approach, feeling a bit nervous. It was unusual for Qingluan to enter at night unless something had happened.

“I heard the princess’s door creaking and thought you forgot to close the window, so I came to check. Who knew you’d be standing by the window in the middle of the night? It’s too cold for that.”

Qingluan didn’t find anything unusual. She glanced at the bed, noticing the fallen canopy, and looked at Cheng Nanyu in confusion.

Cheng Nanyu followed her gaze and remembered that she had pulled the canopy down in her panic. Feeling a bit flustered, she handed the canopy to Qingluan.

“This bed canopy has been here for a long time. I just pulled it down accidentally. Tomorrow, please take this side down as well and buy a new one.”

After speaking, Cheng Nanyu removed the outer robe and hung it on the stand herself before turning around and lying down on the bed.

Seeing her mistress lie down, Qingluan thought that since it was already late, there was no need to ask more questions. She helped tuck the blanket around her mistress.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

Cheng Nanyu nodded and slowly closed her eyes, thinking that Qingluan probably didn’t hear any unusual sounds.

“Qingluan, you—”

Qingluan, carrying the candle, had only taken a few steps when she heard Cheng Nanyu call her name and quickly turned back.

“Yes, Princess?”

“Did you hear any sounds outside just now?”

With her eyes closed, Cheng Nanyu didn’t look at Qingluan. Qingluan felt that Cheng Nanyu was acting strangely today but answered truthfully.

“Replying to the Princess, I only heard the wooden door creaking.”

Cheng Nanyu nodded and turned over gently, and Qingluan, seeing this, turned and left with the candle.

She heard the sound of the wooden door closing and then turned back, lying flat on the bed. She raised her hand slightly, looking at the bright jade bracelet, and thought of her brother’s words before he left, making it even harder for her to fall asleep.