On this side, Chen Tingfeng led his men to Zhuqing Courtyard. When Fu Zhen saw him, she rolled her eyes and sat there in the room sipping tea, ignoring him.
He wasn't annoyed at all. He naturally sat down beside her, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip and said, "What a fragrant tea."
How pretentious.
Fu Zhen forced a smile and said, "What brings you here, Young Master?"
"Here," Chen Tingfeng raised his hand. Two maidservants stepped forward, each holding a set of clothes. He said, "I've brought you new clothes. Aren't you happy?"
"If you're bringing clothes for me, what's yours doing here?" Fu Zhen took a couple of glances and quickly noticed that the clothes the maid on the right was holding were men's clothes. After a brief thought, she guessed that Chen Tingfeng must have come from the main courtyard.
Chen Tingfeng put down his teacup and said unhurriedly, "Since they're new clothes, I should let my cousin take a look first. Only after my cousin approves can I accept them."
"Are you asking me to check the goods for you?" Fu Zhen said with a half - smile, too lazy to expose his little scheme.
These two sets of clothes were similar in color, clearly implying that they were meant to be worn together.
"I'm right here," he said. "I'll check them with you."
As he said this, he told the servants to unfold the clothes and let Fu Zhen examine them one by one.
Madam Bai was very meticulous. She knew what kind of clothes the two children liked, so there were naturally no flaws in the fabric or patterns. After taking a couple of glances, Fu Zhen told the servants to put the things away.
After the servants had all left the room, she looked at Chen Tingfeng. After a moment of hesitation, she asked him, "You went to the palace for the New Year last year, right?"
"Yeah. So what?" Chen Tingfeng turned to look at her. His black hair cascaded down his left shoulder as he moved, which involuntarily made Fu Zhen recall the night when he had pinned her down and kissed her.
Fu Zhen averted her gaze awkwardly and pursed her lips. "Are you going again this year?"
Chen Tingfeng suddenly realized what she meant and laughed. "I see. My cousin will miss me?"
Fu Zhen's ears turned red. "Who will miss you!"
He raised his eyebrows and looked at her teasingly. "You really won't miss me?"
Fu Zhen pushed away his handsome face that was leaning towards her and snorted. "Go if you want. I don't care whether you live or die."
Since there was no one around, Chen Tingfeng simply grabbed her hand and gently tugged. Fu Zhen was startled, and the next second, she was sitting on his lap.
"If you don't care whether I live or die, who else's life and death do you care about?" He pinched Fu Zhen's nose, narrowed his eyes, and asked threateningly, "Xie Yan? Or that weak and useless Wei Yuan?"
Fu Zhen slapped his hand away and tried to get off his lap, but he firmly held her in his arms. If she moved again, Chen Tingfeng would hook his arm around her neck, as if warning her that if she moved again, he would kiss her.
She was helpless. "What do they have to do with this? Stop being so unreasonable!"
"I'm asking you something serious. Hurry up and answer!" She grabbed Chen Tingfeng's long hair and said seriously.
But Chen Tingfeng still looked nonchalant. "Does my cousin want me to go?"
He looked up at her with his eyes, his expression looking both serious and joking. "Whether I go or not is up to you. If you want me to go, I'll go. If you don't want me to go, I'll stay at home with you."
"Do I have that much power to even control the actions of the Young Master?" Fu Zhen played with his black hair and evaded the question.
Chen Tingfeng seemed to see through her thoughts. He reached out and pinched her chin, turning her face back. His eyes were as cold as a deep pool. His expression when he wasn't smiling always made people a little scared.
"If you're willing, you can control everything I have," he looked down at her, his tone completely serious. "Including me."
Fu Zhen stared at him for a few seconds. Then she suddenly smiled and removed his hand. She brushed his handsome face with his black hair. "It's such an important occasion as the palace banquet. Cousin should go. It won't look right if you don't go."
Chen Tingfeng stared at her for a while before saying, "Okay, then I'll go."
Fu Zhen smiled and got off his lap. This time, she wasn't stopped at all and smoothly sat back in her original seat. "Then I'll be waiting for cousin to come back."
"Okay." Chen Tingfeng replied indifferently.
For some reason, although the scene was the same as before, the current atmosphere somehow felt a bit oppressive.
The two of them sat there, but neither of them said a word.
After a while, Chen Tingfeng stood up. "Mother has asked someone to make Laba Congee for dinner. I'll ask Yuanbao to bring it to you. Remember to drink it, cousin."
After saying that, without waiting for Fu Zhen's reaction, he walked out first.
The word "Okay" was on the tip of Fu Zhen's tongue, but she just couldn't say it.
She pursed her lips and stared at his back until he disappeared from sight.
As the New Year approached, the days passed quickly, and it got colder day by day.
On New Year's Eve, there was a rare heavy snowfall. The snowflakes kept falling, as if they wouldn't stop until the whole world was covered in white.
Madam Bai had originally wanted to go out for a stroll with Fu Zhen, but she had to give up the idea. She stood by the window, looking at the bright and clean snow illuminated by the red lanterns outside, and couldn't help but murmur, "The weather is so bad this year. There might be a snow disaster."
Even the wealthy and powerful families could still enjoy a reunion dinner on such a night and regard the wind and snow outside as a beautiful view. But for those poor peasants who depended on the weather for a living, they might have put on all the cotton - padded clothes in their homes, but still felt the bone - chilling cold.
Nanny Li accompanied her and comforted her, "Maybe it's a sign of a good harvest?"
Madam Bai just smiled, but there was no trace of happiness on her face. "With such heavy snow, the people in the Central Plains can hardly survive. What about the Xiongnu people who already suffer from a shortage of food? How can they live?"
The wind and snow howled past like a hurricane, blowing out several candles in the palace hall. The eunuchs quickly took out their fire starters to light them up again. They carefully closed the windows and doors, then put their hands into their sleeves and looked at the steaming singing and dancing on the stage.
Xie Guang held a wine cup and toasted the ministers with a smile. The ministers also smiled from ear to ear, tilted their heads and drank the wine boldly. Then, with the heat in the hall, their not - so - handsome faces turned red.
While the emperor and his ministers were having a harmonious time here, Xie Yan was quite troubled by Chen Tingfeng's cold face.
He carried a wine pot and sat down beside him, nudging him to make room. "Why do you look so gloomy on this New Year's Eve? Who has offended you?"
Chen Tingfeng always looked calm in front of others, so people were used to his cold - tempered nature and didn't think it was strange when he didn't smile. Only Xie Yan, who had grown up with him since childhood, knew that his current mood was probably so bad that he could draw his sword and cut down all the plum trees in the plum garden.
Chen Tingfeng glanced at him. Seeing that he was offering him wine, he leaned back and frowned. "Keep it away."
He rarely drank alcohol, especially the wine at this kind of palace banquet.
Xie Yan knew his personality well. He waved his hand casually and asked someone to bring him a pot of tea. He drank the wine himself. After drinking, he smacked his lips. "This is the newly - offered grape wine. Others don't even have it. I specifically took it out for the New Year, but you don't appreciate it."