Chapter 5: Amusements

When Jing Hu entered the room, Ke Mingbi stood up and asked, “Third Sister, what brings you here today?”

Jing Hu was the third daughter in the family. Her two older half-sisters had already married, leaving her as the only girl remaining in the Yongning Prince’s residence.

Jing Hu smiled sweetly. “My mother asked me to bring some pastries to Sister-in-law. These are lotus seed pastries from Sanqin Zhai. Mother knows Sister-in-law likes them, so she specially sent someone to buy them.”

Usually, she treated Ke Mingbi politely but without much warmth. After all, as a little county lady who dared to command even a princess in the palace, Ke Mingbi couldn’t easily look down on her.

But today, seeing her suddenly so cordial made Ke Mingbi feel a little unsettled.

She motioned to the maid beside her to take the food box and smiled. “This is my brother. Come to think of it, this should be your first time meeting.”

Jing Hu smiled back at Ke Mingxu. “Sister-in-law is mistaken. It’s not my first time meeting Brother Ke. On the day Brother Ke rode through the streets, I happened to be at the Zhengyang Gate.”

Ke Mingxu merely returned her smile.

“Oh?” Ke Mingbi chuckled. “Is that so? Too bad I didn’t see Brother on that day. Enough talk—try this lotus seed pastry.”

Jing Hu sat down beside Ke Mingxu and casually picked up a lotus seed pastry to taste it.

She rarely ate pastries from Sanqin Zhai. Although the pastries were praised throughout Yanjing City, to her they were rather ordinary.

Her favorite were the rose cakes made by the imperial kitchen in the palace. Every few days, the palace would specially prepare pastries for her to enjoy.

Her family all knew this well. So seeing her unreservedly tasting this pastry today surprised Ke Mingbi greatly, though she showed no reaction.

As Jing Hu nibbled on the pastry, she glanced at Ke Mingxu. Today he wore a sapphire blue robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns. He seemed not to like wearing a crown, instead using a simple green jade hairpin with bamboo engravings to fasten his hair.

Compared to their last meeting, he looked unchanged today—only his expression was colder. She wondered if something had happened.

When she first sat down, watching Ke Mingxu while chewing the sweet pastry, a strange sweetness filled her heart. Yet seeing him, even the lotus seed pastry lost its flavor.

Indeed, nothing compared to the palace chef’s delicacies.

Noticing Ke Mingxu showed no interest in tasting the pastry, she asked, “Brother Ke, do you not like lotus seed pastries?”

Ke Mingxu nodded without smiling. “I don’t eat sweet pastries at all.”

“I see.” Jing Hu put down the pastry. “Then what kind of snacks do you like?”

Ke Mingxu shook his head. “I seldom eat snacks. Three proper meals a day suffice.”

Jing Hu sensed that Ke Mingxu seemed somewhat downcast today. After some thought, she decided not to press further.

With her presence, the siblings didn’t speak much. After a while, Ke Mingxu stood. “Since there’s nothing else, Sister Bi, please rest well. I will take my leave.”

As he stood, Jing Hu also rose abruptly. Realizing her movement was a bit too sudden, she covered it up awkwardly. “Then, Sister-in-law, I must go as well. Mother is waiting for my reply. I won’t disturb you any longer.”

Ke Mingbi naturally didn’t ask her to stay. “Brother and Third Sister, walk safely. When you return home, please convey my regards to Mother and Grandfather.”

Ke Mingxu simply nodded coldly and left with Jing Hu. Though she was his sister, his demeanor toward her felt strangely distant.

Once outside the Hejing Hall, Jing Hu let go of her doubts and became lively again. “Brother Ke, were you examining Sister-in-law just now? Do you know medicine?”

As a child, Jing Hu was curious about everything and asked many questions. Ke Mingxu smiled at her warmly, like the gentle sun in spring.

“When I was younger, I studied some medicine with Grandfather. I’ve read a bit about healing arts—not an expert, just some knowledge.”

Ke Mingxu was the top scholar at twenty-two, mastering the Four Books and Five Classics and also versed in medicine. How did he find time for so much?

Jing Hu couldn’t help but stare at him again.

Noticing her gaze, Ke Mingxu smiled. “Does the little county lady not believe me?”

Jing Hu smiled back. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, Brother Ke. You are naturally talented.” She extended her wrist. “Could you take a look? Lately, I’ve felt restless in my heart for no reason.”

She gently lifted her hand, her wide sleeve slipping down, revealing a wrist as fair as frost or snow.

Ke Mingxu, focused purely as a healer, seemed to notice nothing else. He stopped, took out a handkerchief to cover her wrist, and placed his hand over it.

His hand was indeed as it should be—long fingers, well-defined joints, no less elegant than Jing Hu’s.

Seeing his handkerchief, Jing Hu quickly recalled the one he had lent her before. It was still in her pouch, though she suddenly didn’t want to return it just yet.

Perhaps she could use returning the handkerchief as an excuse to meet him again?

He soon withdrew his hand and neatly folded the handkerchief.

Then he smiled at Jing Hu. “The little county lady’s restlessness isn’t due to any physical ailment. In my opinion, it’s because you haven’t been able to go out these days.”

“You even know I haven’t been able to leave the house recently?” Jing Hu was surprised but felt a strange sweetness in her heart. Did he care about her that much?

But the next moment she was disappointed. “Sister-in-law mentioned it casually just now. I see you think the little county lady is lively by nature, and being confined would naturally cause some restlessness.”

He was right—Jing Hu was certainly restless. Before, she had always been occupied playing bone dominoes with others, and when the itch came, she could always summon her trusted maids Doulu, Kanqing, and Bao to keep her company.

But this time was different. No matter how much she played with her mother-of-pearl bone dominoes, the itch in her heart could not be soothed.

Seeing Jing Hu suddenly fall silent and gloomy, Ke Mingxu felt puzzled but wasn’t concerned. Children’s moods were always changeable.

He smiled again. “The coral hairpin in your bun is blood-red and striking. Coral is a treasure of the East Sea. The prince who gave you your name must cherish you dearly.”

“Though you can’t go out, little county lady can find more amusements at home. If you devote yourself, you won’t feel bored.”

Since childhood, she had been confined many times for mischief. She was experienced in passing the time.

Before, she only worried about herself and, as he said, when she focused, she could find joy in anything—playing bone dominoes, doing embroidery, or even doodling on paper when inspiration struck.

Jing Hu looked up at Ke Mingxu. Now confined at home herself, she too wanted to find some pleasure today.