NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: When Did You Develop This Habit?
Chapter 15: When Did You Develop This Habit?
Qiao Nian was startled. Even the palace maid looked up in surprise, glancing quickly at Qiao Nian and Xiao Heng before responding, “Yes.”
Soon, the palace maid left on her own.
Xiao Heng casually gestured to Qiao Nian, “Miss Qiao, please.”
With no choice, Qiao Nian reluctantly walked alongside Xiao Heng towards the palace gates.
However, the path out of the palace seemed unusually long today. Qiao Nian kept looking ahead, but the massive palace gates remained out of sight.
Neither of them spoke.
The silence between them was broken only by the soft sound of their shoes against the ground.
This kind of situation was rare in the past.
In Xiao Heng’s memory, she had been an extremely talkative girl, constantly chattering without pause.
So the current silence made him uncomfortable.
He finally broke the silence, “I heard about your brother’s incident. The Emperor was indeed displeased, but it’s not too serious of an issue. You needn’t worry.”
Qiao Nian hadn’t expected Xiao Heng to say such things. What was this?
Consolation?
But she had never been worried.
She kept her eyes on her feet as she walked forward, not intending to respond.
After waiting a moment and seeing she had no intention of speaking, Xiao Heng continued, “Noble Consort De’s actions were for the good of the Marquis’s household. If you feel wronged, just think of the Old Madam.”
Qiao Nian thought she understood this logic well enough. Xiao Heng really didn’t need to explain these things to her. After all, she hadn’t felt particularly wronged yesterday.
Compared to the previous three years, this small grievance was truly insignificant.
As she was thinking this, Xiao Heng’s voice came from behind her.
“Nian Nian.”
Qiao Nian’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected that even after three years, hearing Xiao Heng call her childhood name would still cause her heart to flutter.
But she quickly suppressed this feeling.
She knew Xiao Heng was about to become her sister’s husband in name. No matter what, she shouldn’t have such feelings.
Turning around to look at Xiao Heng, who had stopped walking at some point, Qiao Nian’s eyes were calm and unreadable.
But Xiao Heng’s brows were tightly furrowed, like a knot that couldn’t be untied.
“When did you develop this habit of not speaking?”
Clearly, Xiao Heng very much disliked this habit of hers.
The former Qiao Nian had always had a response for everything, but today, apart from her greeting, she hadn’t made a sound.
Qiao Nian was a bit stunned by his question, seemingly only now realizing she hadn’t been speaking.
She frowned as well, thinking carefully. It must have been a habit developed in the laundry bureau.
She had no friends there, so naturally she spoke less.
Additionally, after the palace maids bullied her, they would go complain to the matron, and the matron wouldn’t listen to her explanations. So she spoke even less.
But even if she had spoken more, what difference would it have made?
Back then, in front of the Empress and Princess, she had repeatedly said it wasn’t her who broke the bowl. What had changed as a result?
No one listened even when she spoke more, so she simply stopped speaking.
These past two days she had spoken quite a bit with the Lin siblings, but it was mostly like talking to a wall.
Thinking of this, Qiao Nian shook her head slightly.
Xiao Heng’s eyes suddenly tightened, looking at her small figure standing there, in stark contrast to the tall palace walls on either side.
It seemed as if she might be crushed at any moment.
He felt a bit regretful.
Where else could she have developed this habit of not speaking?
His question had been unnecessary!
However, he really wasn’t used to her being quiet and not speaking, so he took a deep breath and changed the subject, “There will be a fireworks banquet at the Drunk Fragrance Pavilion tonight. It’s at the usual place. Remember to come with your brother.”
A fireworks banquet at the Drunk Fragrance Pavilion?
Qiao Nian looked at Xiao Heng with slight surprise, finally remembering that she had been brought back to the Marquis’s mansion on the 28th, and today was the 30th.
The Drunk Fragrance Pavilion held a fireworks banquet every year on New Year’s Eve, from 9:45 PM until midnight.
The fireworks were brilliant and dazzling. To get the best viewing spots, young gentlemen from the capital would reserve private rooms early.
Lin Ye and Xiao Heng were no exception.
Every year, they would reserve the largest and brightest private room at the Drunk Fragrance Pavilion. They would sit together drinking and chatting from 7 PM, only returning to their respective mansions after watching the fireworks display.
And in the past, Qiao Nian, as Lin Ye and Xiao Heng’s tag-along, naturally went with them.
But…
Xiao Heng watched as a light appeared in Qiao Nian’s eyes, then quickly dimmed.
He didn’t know what Qiao Nian was thinking, but he felt that if she was still interested in the fireworks banquet, there was still room to improve their relationship.
His tone softened, and he smiled slightly at Qiao Nian, “I’ve already ordered your favorite plum wine.”
He deliberately mentioned another thing she used to like, hoping to see something more in her eyes.
But Qiao Nian only lowered her gaze and responded faintly, “Thank you, General.”
Still polite and distant, but at least she had responded, right?
Xiao Heng’s tense eyes finally relaxed a bit. He continued walking towards the palace gates, with Qiao Nian following, her eyes still lowered.
Xiao Heng wasn’t naturally talkative either, so the rest of the journey passed in silence.
Finally, they reached the palace gates.
When she saw the Marquis’s carriage, Qiao Nian breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, when she heard Xiao Heng say he would escort her back to the mansion, she had been worried for quite a while.
She bowed slightly to Xiao Heng, then walked towards the Marquis’s carriage.
However, before she could get in, Xiao Heng’s voice came again, “Take this back with you.”
Xiao Heng was holding a box of pastries.
It looked like the box from the carriage two days ago.
Qiao Nian was a bit surprised, but still accepted it.
Sitting back in the carriage, Qiao Nian looked at the pastries in her hand. The pain she had forcefully suppressed finally began to spread bit by bit…
Returning to the Marquis’s mansion, Qiao Nian had a servant take the pastries to Luomei Courtyard, while she went to the Old Madam’s quarters.
The Old Madam was in good spirits today. When she saw Qiao Nian, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, “Just back from the palace?”
Qiao Nian sat down beside the Old Madam, gently massaging her legs, and softly responded, “Mm.”
Seeming to think of something, she added, “Noble Consort De didn’t give me a hard time.”
Hearing this, the Old Madam couldn’t help but gently pat Qiao Nian’s head, “It’s good that you don’t hold a grudge. I heard you fell into the water, are you alright?”
Qiao Nian shook her head repeatedly, “Granddaughter is fine. Ning Shuang gave me ginger soup to drink and had me soak in hot water to ward off the cold.”
Perhaps it was also because she was already accustomed to cold water, so she hadn’t fallen ill.
Of course, she didn’t dare tell the Old Madam the latter part, to avoid worrying her.
Then she heard the Old Madam ask, “So, will you be going to the fireworks banquet tonight?”