A Stolen Romance - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Pride

Xiao Liju was ravenously hungry, and with Shi Yuning eating so enthusiastically next to her, she unconsciously finished half a bowl of rice, picking at the vegetarian dishes. Her empty stomach felt much better.

She looked up at Xie Zhaoran, who was across from her, completely ignoring her existence. Xie Zhaoran’s chopsticks moved constantly, yet she ate very little herself, focusing on serving Shi Yuning. Xiao Liju saw her finally put her chopsticks down and thought she was done with the “servant work,” but then she saw her lightly roll up her sleeves. Xie Zhaoran took a small white porcelain bowl, ladled some thick stewed soup—Xiao Liju didn’t know what it was made of—and gently stirred it as if to let it cool. After stirring for a while, she smiled and handed it to Shi Yuning. “Drink some soup. It’s not hot anymore.”

Shi Yuning smiled as she took it, but before she could thank her, she heard a ‘clink and clang’ sound. Both she and Xie Zhaoran looked at Xiao Liju, the source of the noise. Xiao Liju let out a cold huff, pointed at the white jade bowl that had been thrown in front of Xie Zhaoran, and glared.

“Where’s my soup?”

Xie Zhaoran glanced at her. “Don’t you have hands?”

Xiao Liju scoffed and pointed at Shi Yuning. “Doesn’t she have hands?”

Neither of them liked to speak in full sentences, but Shi Yuning understood. She felt a bit embarrassed. Of course, she had hands and could serve herself, but Xie Zhaoran was always one step ahead of her. She felt bad about being so doted on.

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Shi Yuning said, rolling up her sleeves. Just as she was about to reach for an empty porcelain bowl, a slender hand intercepted it. Shi Yuning looked at Xie Zhaoran’s well-defined knuckles, puzzled.

Xie Zhaoran gave her a smile. “I’ll do it.” Then, she quickly served a bowl of yam and mustard stew and placed it in front of Xiao Liju. “Drink.”

Xiao Liju smirked and looked at Xie Zhaoran, her eyes seemingly saying, You’re finished. She pointed at a dish of shredded celery and tofu rolls and said to Shi Yuning, “Miss Shi, I don’t eat the celery in this. Can you pick it out for me?”

Shi Yuning swallowed a mouthful of soup and agreed without thinking. These girls, raised in luxury, all had their own quirky eating habits. Just as she was about to start picking out the vegetables, Xie Zhaoran pushed her hand away. “You eat. I’ll do it!” The final “I’ll do it” was directed at Xiao Liju, said through gritted teeth.

Shi Yuning watched Xie Zhaoran’s fake smile as she picked out the celery, and Xiao Liju’s fake smile as she watched her. The atmosphere felt strange. She quickly finished her food. With Xie Zhaoran being ordered around by Xiao Liju to serve food and pour soup, she couldn’t continue serving Shi Yuning. Shi Yuning finished her meal quickly. She swallowed her last bite and immediately stood up to leave.

Xie Zhaoran didn’t try to keep her. Xiao Liju seemed to have something to discuss with Xie Zhaoran, so she didn’t say much either. The two of them walked Shi Yuning out.

As she was leaving, Shi Yuning realized the genius of Xie Zhaoran’s courtyard. It had gates on all four corners. If the eastern gate was opened, it merged into the main, sprawling Duke’s estate; but when the gate was closed, it became a self-contained space. The western side gate, on the other hand, opened directly to the alley outside. Shi Yuning thought to herself that next time she came, it would be much easier to just climb over the western wall.

She smiled and bid Xie Zhaoran farewell, then climbed into the carriage Xie Zhaoran had arranged for her. Since she was full, she didn’t want to move. She planned to lie down on the way back and climb over the wall once they reached the Marquis’s residence.

After watching Shi Yuning’s carriage disappear down the alley, Xiao Liju glanced at the figures hiding on the rooftops along the alley. “You’ve arranged hidden guards for her?” Xiao Liju turned to Xie Zhaoran, her expression showing her disapproval. Hidden guards were rare and valuable; giving them to Shi Yuning seemed like a waste of talent.

Qiang Di, who had arranged the carriage and horse, turned around after the carriage had left and smiled at what he heard. “Princess, the hidden guards for Miss Shi were personally arranged by my sister, Qin Xiao.”

“The Heaven Camp has a team of ten hidden guards, with five shifts a day, secretly guarding the Shi family’s residence. The Earth Camp selected four of our most elite hidden guards to replace Miss Shi’s four maids for her personal protection.”

“In addition, two people were assigned to both Master Shi and Madam Shi. If they go out, a team of five hidden guards will follow them.”

Xiao Liju’s expression grew very complex as she listened. She looked at Xie Zhaoran with a hint of unfamiliarity. “Are you crazy?”

“It takes ten years to train just one of these hidden guards. The Duke gave them to you for your own protection, and you’ve given away more than half of them?” She found the whole thing preposterous and concluded, “I think you’ve gone mad!”

Xie Zhaoran kept her gaze fixed on the distance until she could no longer see the carriage or hear the sound of its wheels. When she heard Xiao Liju’s exclamation, she was unconcerned. She turned and went back to the courtyard.

Xiao Liju snapped out of her shock and followed Xie Zhaoran.

Back in the room, Xie Zhaoran asked directly, “Why did you come?”

Xiao Liju let out a cold huff. Now she wanted to ask? “I don’t feel like talking about it anymore.” She had come with good intentions to deliver a message, but she’d been ignored all night. The friendship they had since childhood couldn’t even compare to someone who had only appeared recently. It was truly heartbreaking. In all these years, she had never seen Xie Zhaoran show so much warmth and care to anyone. The soup she was given, for example, she hadn’t even been asked if it was too hot.

Xie Zhaoran looked Xiao Liju up and down. “Fine, you can leave. I’m going to bed.”

Xiao Liju’s hand shot out to strike her. Xie Zhaoran turned and casually pushed her away, and the two of them started to fight in the room. Xiao Liju had grown up roughhousing with Xie Zhaoran and knew her rules: she could fight, but she couldn’t break anything in her room. With her hands tied like that, fighting wasn’t fun. After a few moves, Xiao Liju backed off.

“Your skills haven’t regressed, but you’re only one person. No matter what, you only have one pair of hands. You should arrange more guards.”

Xie Zhaoran poured two cups of cooled tea, pushed one to Xiao Liju, and picked up the other to drink herself. “What happened in the palace?” Xie Zhaoran asked softly after wetting her throat with the tea.

Xiao Liju had come specifically to deliver a message. Seeing Xie Zhaoran get serious, she stopped joking around. “Mother listened to my uncle and is taking the royal ladies to Crane’s Call Temple to chant scriptures and pray for blessings. The date is set for the same day Father’s coffin is sent to the imperial mausoleum.”

“On that day, Prince Yu will be ordered to enter the mausoleum. If he’s unwilling to accept his fate, that day will be his last chance,” Xiao Liju said, looking at Xie Zhaoran with worry. “A cornered rabbit will bite, and a man in a dead end will also fight back like a madman.”

Xie Zhaoran nodded. “I understand.” A crisis was also an opportunity. If Prince Yu did something in plain sight, it would also be a boon to Xiao Liju’s future position.

“Protect yourself,” Xie Zhaoran instructed Xiao Liju.

Xiao Liju let out a cold snort. “Then why don’t you give me some of the hidden guards?”

Xie Zhaoran slanted a glance at her. “I’ve given you the entire Imperial Army. If you can still get yourself into danger, then you might as well die. It’s a disgrace to be alive.”

Xiao Liju hadn’t experienced Xie Zhaoran’s venomous tongue since she had been at the border. The woman’s ability to infuriate people had grown ever more skilled. “Do you talk to your sweetheart like that? Can she stand it?”

Xie Zhaoran looked at her as if she were an idiot. “Why would I talk to her like that? She’s not annoying.”

Xiao Liju took a deep breath. Excellent. She was being infuriated again. It was infuriating! Xie Zhaoran was saying she was annoying! How was she not more outstanding than Shi Yuning? It was infuriating!

Seeing the flush on her face, Xie Zhaoran remembered something and smiled, a very meaningful smile. “What good is my liking you for? I’m not the Little Princess of the Northern Frontier.”

Xiao Liju’s eyebrows shot up, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“What’s wrong? You don’t like the Seventh Princess of the Northern Frontier? If you didn’t, why did you leave your hidden guards with her?”

Xie Zhaoran laughed at Xiao Liju’s audacity in asking her why she hadn’t given her hidden guards. Back when Xiao Liju went to the border, the Xie family had given her half of their hidden guards. But she, so generous, had given all of them to the Little Princess of the Northern Frontier. “Aren’t you afraid of being caught and accused of colluding with foreign enemies?”

Xiao Liju hurriedly explained. “Nonsense! The Northern Frontier has always wanted to be on good terms with Great Yan. It’s the wicked officials in court who are stirring up trouble at the border.”

Xie Zhaoran raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you deny my first sentence?” She didn’t explain her feelings for the Northern Princess, but when Xie Zhaoran suggested the princess had ill intent, she got defensive.

Xiao Liju’s face stiffened. She held her neck high, unwilling to show weakness. “That’s too absurd. I couldn’t be bothered to explain.”

Xie Zhaoran nodded. “It’s good that you know it’s absurd. Look at the current situation and consider what is realistic. Don’t harbor too many fantasies.”

Xiao Liju frowned. “Don’t you think it’s ridiculous for you to say that? Did you ever consider what was realistic?”

Xie Zhaoran smiled, a confident and unrestrained smile. “That’s because I know I have the ability to change reality and make what I want a reality.”

Xiao Liju was unconvinced. “How do you know I don’t?”

Xie Zhaoran looked her up and down with a scrutinizing gaze, then gave a faint smile. “I know you do now. Keep it up. I’m going to sleep.”

Having grown up together, they understood each other completely. But Xiao Liju’s path was probably even harder than her own. But so what? The one thing their grandmother had told them most often since they were young was, “Knowing something is impossible, but doing it anyway.” Since Xiao Liju had made her decision, no matter how difficult the road, Xie Zhaoran would always cheer her on. That was all there was to it.

“I have to go to bed early. I was just told I looked haggard. I think she really likes my good looks and is always staring at me in a daze, so I must take good care of myself.”

Xiao Liju knew without a doubt that “she” was Shi Yuning. She looked at Xie Zhaoran, who seemed genuinely concerned about her appearance, and a wave of sarcasm washed over her. “She only likes your face, and you’re proud of it?”

Xie Zhaoran gave her a sidelong glance, a look of matter-of-factness on her face. “Of course I’m proud. Who else has it?” She even let out a couple of “tsks” as if it were a shame that Xiao Liju didn’t.

Xiao Liju took a deep breath. She really wanted to chop this pair of “dog-girls” to pieces! “I’m leaving. You be careful!”

Xiao Liju left the room without looking back, leaping over the wall. She missed the instant change in Xie Zhaoran’s expression after she turned around.

“Qiang Di, summon Qin Xiao.”

That night, the lights in a corner courtyard of the Duke’s estate burned throughout the night.

Support A Stolen Romance