A Stolen Romance - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Clothes

Even though she didn’t know what kind of scheme the Crown Prince was cooking up, Shi Yuning decisively chose to seek out Xie Zhaoran rather than be pestered by Prince Yu.

Outside Xie Zhaoran’s tent, besides the two guards she had seen before, Qiangdi was also standing by the entrance.

When she saw Shi Yuning, she looked quite puzzled.

“Is Miss Shi here to see the Crown Princess?”

Shi Yuning nodded. “Did I come too early? Is the Crown Princess not ready yet?”

“What? Ready for what? The Crown Princess just went to rest. If you have a matter—”

Before Qiangdi could finish, she was interrupted by Xie Zhaoran’s voice from inside the tent.

“Please let Miss Shi come in.”

Shi Yuning heard Qiangdi say that Xie Zhaoran had just gone to rest and originally didn’t want to enter, but Qiangdi simply lifted the curtain for her.

She had no choice but to walk in. After rounding the screen, she saw Xie Zhaoran sitting on the edge of the bed in a moon-white nightgown.

Her hair was loosely done up, falling naturally. Perhaps because she had just woken up, her nightgown was also a bit loose, revealing a pair of beautifully shaped shoulder blades.

“My apologies, Crown Princess. The Crown Prince asked me to accompany you on the hunt, but he didn’t specify a time. I must have arrived too early. I’ll go back and wait for you.”

Shi Yuning felt extremely awkward. She regretted not asking more questions earlier.

“There’s no need. I’m well-rested and was just about to get up.”

Xie Zhaoran tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and asked Shi Yuning to sit nearby for a while before calling Qiangdi to help her get ready.

Everything was so natural, as if this was all meant to happen.

Qiangdi herself was a bit confused, wondering if she had misremembered. Was the Crown Princess not just about to rest, but already well-rested?

She followed Xie Zhaoran to the dressing table and picked up a comb. She looked at Xie Zhaoran in the mirror, who let out a small yawn, looking weary.

Sure enough, she hadn’t been mistaken. Xie Zhaoran was just about to lie down.

Shi Yuning waited on the side, bored, and glanced around the tent. Although Xie Zhaoran’s tent was much larger than theirs, it was very simple.

Aside from the necessary furniture, there were no other decorations. It was so plain that it hardly looked like a girl’s tent.

The dressing process was quick. In less than fifteen minutes, she was all ready.

Shi Yuning looked up. Xie Zhaoran had her black hair tied up high, just like in the morning, without any adornments. She wore no makeup on her slender face, and with no loose strands of hair on her forehead, her features looked even more defined.

“Miss Shi, which outfit do you think is suitable?” Xie Zhaoran asked suddenly.

Shi Yuning saw Qiangdi lay a few sets of clothes on the bed, and Xie Zhaoran seemed to be troubled, unable to decide.

“I don’t really know much about dressing up. This outfit I’m wearing was put together by my mother. I’m afraid I don’t have any good suggestions.”

As Shi Yuning spoke, she suddenly remembered the dashing figure on the platform in the morning and added, “The Crown Princess looks good in red.”

Qiangdi’s hands, which were tidying the skirts, paused. She looked at the three light-colored outfits on the bed and thought that Miss Shi probably didn’t know that Xie Zhaoran disliked red clothing.

The outfit from the morning had been specially made for the celebration, just like Xie Zhaoran’s red festive gowns for the Crown Princess, which she only wore when she had no other choice.

Xie Zhaoran pursed her lips, looked at the three light-colored options on the bed, and asked Qiangdi, “What about the one from this morning?”

Qiangdi was surprised but quickly recovered. “That riding outfit has some stains on it…” it wouldn’t be proper to wear it again.

Xie Zhaoran nodded and turned to look at Shi Yuning.

Shi Yuning quickly pointed to the ginger-white riding outfit in the middle of the bed. “The Crown Princess also looks beautiful in white.”

Xie Zhaoran pursed her lips, nodded, and looked at Qiangdi. “That one it is.”

Qiangdi acknowledged the order and quickly took the clothes to help Xie Zhaoran get dressed.

Shi Yuning watched as Xie Zhaoran tied a leather belt around her waist, put on bracers on her forearms, and slipped on a pair of comfortable deerskin boots. She looked very spirited.

She truly looked like she was ready to show off her skills.

Shi Yuning looked at her lithe and well-proportioned figure, feeling a pang of envy.

Xie Zhaoran was truly remarkable. She looked elegant and proper in a dress, and heroic in a riding outfit. No matter what she wore, she appeared so graceful and outstanding.

The climate of the capital must really be nurturing, Shi Yuning thought.

As she looked at Xie Zhaoran, who was a head taller than her and now standing in front of her, Shi Yuning wondered for the first time if the air in her hometown of Linzhou was not nourishing.

She had never seen a girl so tall in Linzhou.

“What are you thinking about?”

Xie Zhaoran had walked to within an arm’s length of Shi Yuning and saw her staring blankly ahead, lost in thought again.

“I’m wondering why you’re so tall,” Shi Yuning said truthfully, her tone filled with envy.

Hearing this answer, Xie Zhaoran’s heart was filled with surprise. “Do you really want to be taller?”

Shi Yuning’s eyes widened. “Of course! Who wouldn’t want to be taller? If I could grow taller, who would want to be a little potato?”

What a shame, she thought, I really do look like a little potato next to Xie Zhaoran. She quietly, and without anyone noticing, secretly lifted her heels to make herself look a little taller.

Xie Zhaoran saw her little movements, pursed her lips, and turned away.

Where Shi Yuning couldn’t see, she fought back a smile, the corners of her lips turning up.

Qiangdi saw it all clearly. She was astonished. It was a rarity for her mistress to have to hold back a laugh. She would have to tell the other personal maids when they got back. They would be just as surprised as she was.

“Qiangdi, have the horses prepared.”

Hearing Xie Zhaoran’s command, and seeing her lowered eyes and brows, Qiangdi quickly fled the tent.

With her gone, only Shi Yuning and Xie Zhaoran were left in the tent.

Perhaps the conversation just now had eased Shi Yuning’s awkwardness. She felt that Xie Zhaoran was quite easy to talk to. She was an inherently warm person, and when someone was kind to her, she would go along with it.

“Crown Princess, do you want to wear another layer of clothes? My mother said that in the spring, it’s cold in the mornings and evenings. The wind, too, may look gentle, but it can be quite chilling if it blows for a long time.”

As she spoke, Shi Yuning suddenly recalled a time she had met Xie Zhaoran at a festival. It was during the New Year’s celebrations, and Xie Zhaoran was in the palace.

She herself was wrapped up like a fluffy dumpling by her mother. When she went to the Empress’s palace, she saw Xie Zhaoran in a festive Crown Princess gown, but without a neck warmer or a hand warmer.

The Empress had asked her if she was cold.

What did Xie Zhaoran say then? Shi Yuning thought hard. Ah, yes, she had said that you just get used to it.

Shi Yuning didn’t understand why anyone would want to get used to the cold, especially when there were ways to keep warm.

While Shi Yuning was lost in thought, Xie Zhaoran had already retrieved a small jacket.

“How does this one look?”

Shi Yuning came to and looked at the jacket, which was lined with thin wool. “I think it looks quite warm.”

Xie Zhaoran didn’t call for anyone to serve her again and put it on herself.

When she put it on, Shi Yuning realized the issue. With the jacket on, Xie Zhaoran looked as if she had been dressed by the same mother as her.

Both of them were wearing riding outfits with a sleeveless jacket over them, and even the colors were similar.

Shi Yuning wore a pear-blossom white riding outfit with a light pink jacket, while Xie Zhaoran wore a ginger-white riding outfit with a peach-pink jacket.

From a distance, they looked like sisters.

“Isn’t this too similar?” Shi Yuning hesitated. The women of the capital feared nothing more than being compared to someone else in the same outfit.

“Does it bother you?” Xie Zhaoran looked down at their similar outfits, a hint of a smile deep in her eyes.

Shi Yuning shook her head. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Then let’s go.” Xie Zhaoran took the lead and walked out of the tent.

Outside, Qiangdi had already prepared the horses. When she saw figures emerge, she immediately stepped forward. “Miss—”

The word ‘Shi’ was swallowed back when she saw that the person who came out was Xie Zhaoran.

“Crown Princess…” Qiangdi then saw Shi Yuning following behind Xie Zhaoran.

The two of them… their clothes were too similar.

“Bring A-lí over.” Xie Zhaoran commanded.

Qiangdi quickly suppressed her surprise and went to lead the horse over.

Xie Zhaoran turned to Shi Yuning. “You’ll ride A-lí. Come here, I’ll help you mount.”

Shi Yuning looked at A-lí, a horse with a smooth coat, a strong build, and bright, spirited eyes.

Everyone in the capital knew that during the Crown Princess’s wedding, besides the one hundred and eight chests of dowry, the Duke of Xie had also gifted Xie Zhaoran a rare, precious horse from the Northern Deserts.

Because of its pure white coat, the Crown Princess had named it ‘A-lí’, saying it was like a blooming pear blossom.

Shi Yuning carefully took two steps forward and gently stroked A-lí’s head. A-lí, like a very human-like kitten, raised its head and rubbed against her palm.

“Ah, it’s rubbing against me!” Shi Yuning turned her head, a look of joyful surprise on her face, toward Xie Zhaoran.

Her lips were stretched in a wide smile, her eyes curved, and the small dimples by her mouth seemed to ripple with light.

“Can I really ride it?” Shi Yuning felt that the surprise was too great, too sudden.

Xie Zhaoran didn’t say anything. As Shi Yuning slowly stroked A-lí, she had walked up beside her. “Do you know how to mount a horse?”

Shi Yuning nodded, then shook her head. “I know how to with a normal horse.”

Xie Zhaoran gave a light laugh, and Qiangdi also couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Miss Shi, that’s an amusing thing to say. Although A-lí isn’t a normal horse, the way you mount it is still the same.”

Shi Yuning didn’t feel there was anything wrong with what she said. This was A-lí. Would it not be disrespectful to this rare and precious horse to simply mount it?

She had heard that the Duke of Xie himself had ventured deep into the Northern Desert’s snowy mountains and spent three days and three nights to bring it back.

“I’ll help you.”

Xie Zhaoran’s voice, with a hint of a smile, came from above. Immediately, Shi Yuning’s side felt warm. She quickly looked at her waist, and then another warmth came from her ankle.

When she looked down, Xie Zhaoran’s slender fingers had already clasped her ankle and gently slipped her foot into the stirrup.

Shi Yuning was shocked, thinking this was completely unacceptable. How could she let the Crown Princess help her mount a horse? But before she could refuse, she was safely lifted onto the horse by Xie Zhaoran.

She could only quickly thank her.

The commotion around them was not small, and wherever Xie Zhaoran went, she was always the center of attention. Everyone around them saw what had just happened and was completely shocked by it. Soon, the crowd began to whisper excitedly.

“The Crown Princess personally helped Miss Shi mount her horse! Did they have a friendship before?”

“No, I don’t think so. I even heard that the Crown Princess never even looked at Miss Shi properly before.”

“Exactly! How did they suddenly become so close? Could it be because of Prince Yu?”

Everyone’s thoughts turned to Prince Yu’s provocation toward the Crown Princess that morning, and his very public pursuit of Shi Yuning lately.

They speculated that maybe the Crown Princess didn’t want Shi Yuning to marry Prince Yu and was perhaps truly trying to take Shi Yuning in as a concubine for the Crown Prince.

Their whispers were not quiet and were carried by the wind to the Crown Prince’s tent.

The tent flap was lifted halfway, and the Crown Prince, smiling, looked at the figures of Xie Zhaoran and Shi Yuning as they rode off into the distance, as if he found it all very entertaining.

Eunuch Xiao Lin, who was helping the Crown Prince, was also a bit curious. “This servant is also a little curious. What is Your Highness’s intention in all of this?” He wondered if the Crown Prince really had taken a fancy to Miss Shi.

The Crown Prince was in a great mood. He told the eunuch to lower the curtain and, with his help, walked deeper into the tent. He didn’t directly answer the eunuch’s question but instead began to talk about something else.

“Zhaoran always thinks before she acts. But some things cannot be planned.”

The Crown Prince thought to himself that feelings, for example, are sometimes most precious when they are naive, clumsy, and artless.

Seeing the bewildered look on Xiao Lin’s face, the Crown Prince smiled. He told Xiao Lin to grind ink for him. He had to tell his Imperial Sister about his discovery today. The two of them had been trying to guess for a long time who was in Zhaoran’s heart.

He never thought the answer would be right under their noses. How interesting, truly interesting.

While the Crown Prince was in high spirits, Prince Yu’s side was as quiet as the calm before a storm.

“Are all the men in position?”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. They’re all hidden in the woods, just waiting for them to pass.”

“Good. Remember this: I want Shi Yuning alive. Everyone else, their lives don’t matter.”

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