Chapter Fifty-One: The Jade Hairpin of Betrothal

Yu Yang gave a faint smile. “No need, I think this hairpin is quite nice.”

With that, she prepared to reach into her purse for silver, but the Crown Prince, swift as ever, quickly paid the vendor before she could move. He picked up the jade hairpin and handed it to Yu Yang.

Yu Yang was startled. She couldn’t help but look up at the man before her. His face bore a gentle, spring-like smile, and, paying no mind to her surprise, he deftly placed the jade hairpin in her hair.

Indeed, her taste was unique.

The emerald-green hairpin nestled among her jet-black hair looked as though a sprig of green bamboo had taken root upon her head, enhancing her ethereal and frosty grace.

Wei Chu smiled softly. “It’s beautiful. It suits you very well.”

Yu Yang found herself momentarily dazed. This was the first time a man had given her a gift, personally pinned it in her hair, and praised her as “beautiful.”

Suddenly, the jade hairpin at her temple felt almost scalding. Meeting the man’s tender, attentive gaze, she hurriedly lowered her eyes and murmured a thank you.

Thankfully, she wore a veil—otherwise, she was certain her blush would be plain for all to see.

How strange, she thought. She hadn’t expected herself capable of blushing.

It seemed her resistance to “masculine charm” was truly weak.

Gu Li, who had been watching for a while, couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. She grumbled softly, “Brother, I want a jade hairpin too.”

The Crown Prince, absorbed in his romantic overtures, didn’t notice his sister’s plaintive call.

Lie Chang’an, who had been quietly observing Gu Li, stepped over to her side and asked in a low voice, “Which one do you like?”

Gu Li pointed to the rightmost one in the first row.

Lie Chang’an glanced over. It was a white jade hairpin, gleaming and translucent, with faint streaks of milky white hidden within the jade, and tassels dangling from the end.

This hairpin was clearly of finer quality than the one Yu Yang had chosen earlier, and, in Lie Chang’an’s eyes, it suited Gu Li perfectly.

He asked the price, then unhesitatingly pulled out silver and handed it to the vendor. Taking the white jade hairpin, he mimicked the Crown Prince’s gesture and pinned it in Gu Li’s hair, nodding with satisfaction and a smile. “It’s truly beautiful.”

Gu Li hadn’t expected Lie Chang’an to gift her a jade hairpin, nor to fasten it for her with such gentle intimacy.

Her cheeks grew burning hot, and she couldn’t help but lower her head, burying her flushed face deeper, exposing a slender, ivory-white neck. As she bowed, the tassels of the white jade hairpin swayed and chimed crisply in the breeze, accentuating her delicate beauty.

Lie Chang’an found himself lost in the sight, his heart pounding and his throat tightening. He quickly averted his eyes, afraid that if he stared any longer, he’d be too far gone—especially since he’d be sharing a room with the Crown Prince tonight. No mishaps could be allowed.

“Thank you.”

Gu Li knew this longing was greedy and wrong. The man before her was her elder sister Jian’an’s beloved, not someone she ought to covet.

She could only suppress her racing heart. When she looked up again, her expression was calm and composed.

Lie Chang’an smiled. “As long as you like it, that’s all that matters.”

As long as she was happy, nothing else mattered.

After strolling for several hours, the four of them made their way back to the inn.

Just before reaching the inn’s entrance, Gu Li spotted someone hawking candied hawthorn skewers. Her appetite was instantly piqued, and she was about to pester the Crown Prince to buy her one, but he shot her a sidelong glance. “No. You’ve already eaten enough.”

Gu Li pouted and huffed in protest, but dared not argue. He wasn’t wrong—she had eaten plenty already. Still, those candied hawthorns looked so sweet and tempting, and she’d never tasted them before. She truly wanted just one bite.

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince ignored her pleading eyes and strode straight into the inn.

With a sigh, Gu Li could only follow him inside.

Sure enough, at supper that evening, Gu Li barely finished half a bowl of rice—she was still full from the afternoon, and her mind lingered on those candied hawthorns.

After dinner, she returned to her room to rest and prepare for her bath. Just as she was about to open the door, a voice called, “Princess.”

Gu Li turned to see Lie Chang’an standing not far away, holding a skewer of the candied hawthorns she had been yearning for.

She froze, rooted to the spot.

Lie Chang’an approached, handed her the candied hawthorns without a word, gave her a gentle smile, and then returned to his own room.

Gu Li stared at the candied hawthorns in her hand, then at the deep-blue figure receding down the corridor. Suddenly, her nose tingled and her eyes filled with tears.

Why was he so good to her—and why did he always let her know it?