"The spring flowers are about to bloom...it's a pity that you can't see them clearly at night."
"I can see it because the moon tonight... is very bright..."
"Yeah?"
Lu Fusu turned around and nodded.
"...Yes, the moonlight is extremely bright today, and I can see your face clearly."
"mine……"
Under Lu Fusu's gaze, Shui Xinyuan shrank his shoulders and looked at the ground.
She knew her cheeks were so hot.
After a moment of silence, Lu Fusu whispered: "Sure enough, after three years, women will change."
"Huh?"
Shui Xinyu thought nothing had changed, but in Lu Fusu's eyes, had she changed?
Her nervousness suddenly turned into uneasiness, and she couldn't help but look up at Lu Fusu with her eyes wide open.
Lu Fusu's smile remained unchanged and he lowered his head to look at Shui Xinyuan.
"Three years ago, I was just a cute little girl, but now I have become so beautiful."
"Speaking of which, I was still a child three years ago..."
...has become beautiful?
...becoming beautiful!
"Eh...Ehhhhh?"
After screaming loudly, Shui Xinyuan quickly covered his mouth with both hands and took a few steps back.
"Water girl?"
"No, it can't be..."
What couldn't help but blurt out were Shui Xinyuan's true words.
At that time, he thought that this little girl from the country was adorable, which was quite unexpected. Now he said that she had become more beautiful... Did he hear what he just said wrong?
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Because...because...I, I look like...a raccoon cat."
"tanuki?"
This time it was Lu Fusu who was stunned, and then laughed again.
"Ah, so to speak, I remember you mentioned it before."
"Everyone still calls me that, so..."
"How does it look like a civet cat? I don't know who called you that. It seems that you are surrounded by some blind people."
Not only among the people around her, among all the people Shui Xinyuan knew, Lu Fusu was the only one who didn't think she looked like a little civet cat.
Lu Fusu smiled bitterly and stretched out his hand towards Shui Xinyuan, who was frozen in place with his eyes wide open.
"You're here specially, so don't stand here talking, come in!"
"Go in...inside?"
"There's tea in the room."
"..."
Shui Xinyuan was speechless again. He originally thought they would stand in the garden chatting like before.
Lu Fusu took Shui Xinyuan's hand and pulled her hard.
"Fu, His Highness Fusu..."
"I've said it before, don't be so distant."
"..."
… Being so alienated makes me feel lonely.
Shui Xinyuan remembered that Lu Fusu had indeed said that.
After taking a deep breath quietly, she made up her mind and walked towards Lu Fusu.
Lu Fusu also showed a reassuring smile and gently held Shui Xinyuan's hand again, this time relaxing his hold on her.
Shui Xinyuan's heartbeat resounded in his skull.
His hand was bigger and more powerful than he remembered, and the blood seemed to be poured directly into his body from the place where his hand touched. Whether that was his own heat or Lu Fusu's, Shui Xinyuan didn't know.
Taking step after step, Shui Xinyuan finally took steps and inhaled stiffly, smelling the smell of new grass and wet soil.
This path feels so long that it would make you faint, but in fact if you walk quickly, you can quickly reach the stairs leading to the house at the end of the path.
After barely climbing the stairs with trembling knees, I came to the room facing the garden. The room was lit with lights, and tables and chairs could be seen from outside the room.
"...Is this His Highness Fusu's room?"
"Yes, I usually meet customers in the building opposite. When I am alone, I am here."
...In other words, this can be said to be Lu Fusu's private space?
"Can I...can go in?"
"certainly."
Even though the owner of the house said so, Shui Xinyuan still stepped into the house tremblingly, as if he was sneaking in secretly.
The room is quite spacious, and there are no luxuries in sight. There are only tables, shelves with many books, and the only hanging scroll hanging on the wall to decorate the room.
Shui Xinyuan thought to himself that the rooms of court ladies who came from official and merchant families would be much more ornately decorated than here.
"I'll make tea, please sit down..."
Lu Fusu interrupted unnaturally mid-sentence.
"...His Royal Highness Fusu?"
"No, it's nothing..."
Shui Xinyuan looked at him and saw Lu Fusu sitting in front of the tea set as if he didn't know where to start.
ah……
According to general logic, it is impossible for the prince to make tea by himself! Even the palace servants drink tea brewed by Shui Xinyuan.
"Let me do it!"
"..."
Shui Xinyuan couldn't help but smile at Lu Fusu who turned away in embarrassment.
"My tea is delicious!"
"Sorry, I also said I wanted to have a bath..."
"It doesn't matter...my little girl has gone too far."
Shui Xinyuan opened the tea box in sequence and picked out two packages of drunk tea leaves.
"Wangjiangnan and Huilong tea, I only know these two types here..."
"I don't have any objection to any kind of tea. In fact, I can't even remember the name of the tea. I probably only have a vague impression... I volunteered to make tea, which is really reckless..."
Lu Fusu wrote to himself and Shui Xinyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then, I'm going to visit Jiangnan. Please wait a moment."
"good……"
For Shui Xinyuan, this was just a common occurrence, but Lu Fusu watched with admiration as she skillfully set up the tea set and scooped out a ladle of hot water.
Neatly but more carefully than usual, she made tea for two people, and sat across the small table from Lu Fusu.
"I see... you are also very good at tea ceremony."
After taking a sip of tea, Lu Fusu said.
Shui Xinyuan finally relaxed his shoulders.
"Fortunately I didn't make the wrong tea."
"It seems that I have never drunk tea carefully before."
"I didn't learn how to make tea until I came here. Everyone brought a lot of tea. It would be bad if we make a mistake..."
Lu Fusu suddenly raised his head from the tea cup.
"I didn't know until I met you that palace concubines have different origins. The nobles and their daughters are more arrogant. It must be very hard to stay with them!"
"Won't……"
Shui Xinyuan slowly shook his head.
"It was really hard before I got used to it, but I am different from everyone else. I am a country girl who knows nothing, and everyone comes from a good family... Thanks to you all teaching me a lot, I can learn all kinds of things."
"..."
"I feel that I am very lucky. If my life is difficult, it is destined, but now I can wear such beautiful clothes, and because of the money from selling my body, I can support my family and send my younger brother to a private school. Although it is not a lot,
But at least I can get a salary."
……correct.
If we can meet, there is something we must talk about.
Shui Xinyuan raised his head and looked directly at Lu Fusu.
"I have always wanted to express my gratitude to His Highness Fusu."