The next morning, Xiao Ruyi woke up earlier than usual. With Madam Su's help, the woman dressed herself as beautifully as possible.
"Aiya, Your Highness ... You're so beautiful. The Prince will surely be moved," Madam Su praised her endlessly. The older woman kept smiling at Xiao Ruyi with warm, motherly affection.
Xiao Ruyi merely gave a faint smile in response to Madam Su's flood of praise. After spending so much time just getting ready, Xiao Ruyi was finally prepared.
Xiao Ruyi hurried toward Qin Wujing's residence, with Madam Su following closely behind.
When she arrived, Xiao Ruyi walked straight in without asking whether she had permission. She entered with a bright smile that complemented the blue of her hanfu.
"Your Highness, Ruyi pays her respects." Xiao Ruyi bowed, then immediately straightened when she saw Qin Wujing nod.
Xiao Ruyi looked at the three servants busy washing Qin Wujing's feet. Gu Sinjie noticed this and quickly cleared his throat before saying, "You may all stop and leave, but leave the bucket and wet cloth behind."
The three female servants immediately stopped their work. Gu Sinjie also left with them and closed Qin Wujing's bedroom door tightly.
Xiao Ruyi walked closer, then sat on the small stool near Qin Wujing's feet. She picked up the cloth and dipped it into the bucket of warm water. After wringing it out, Xiao Ruyi gently began washing both of Qin Wujing's feet.
"Your Highness, have you had breakfast this morning?"
"Not yet."
"Not yet? How could the kitchen be late delivering your food?" Xiao Ruyi furrowed her brow, surprised that Qin Wujing had not eaten breakfast.
"No. It simply isn't time yet." Qin Wujing continued answering indifferently, but his eyes remained fixed on Xiao Ruyi as she washed his feet.
Xiao Ruyi nodded. "Ruyi understands. You have the same habit as the late Emperor."
"You were close to Father?" Qin Wujing asked with a frown.
Xiao Ruyi nodded, then lifted her head to look at Qin Wujing. "Of course. Aunt often invited Ruyi to the Imperial Palace." Hearing this, Qin Wujing merely answered with a brief, "Oh." After that, he said nothing more, making the atmosphere awkward.
"There, Your Highness. Ruyi has finished washing your feet. Oh, right ... speaking of which, what do you like most about the Imperial Palace?" Xiao Ruyi asked, trying to ease the tension.
"Nothing. I love my own princely residence," Qin Wujing replied, making Xiao Ruyi's smile grow even more strained.
Just as Xiao Ruyi was about to speak again, a servant suddenly came in and said, "Your Highness, your breakfast is ready."
Hearing that, Xiao Ruyi hurried to her feet and exclaimed, "Let me help Your Highness."
"Your Highness." Xiao Ruyi bowed slightly to ask for permission, then carefully took hold of Qin Wujing's arm. Using her own strength and effort, Xiao Ruyi transferred Qin Wujing into his wheelchair.
The servants who saw Xiao Ruyi sincerely serving their Prince could not help smiling. Their dislike of Xiao Ruyi gradually faded after they heard the gossip that all the accusations against her were untrue. Who knew where they had learned it from? Perhaps they had overheard her conversation with Qin Wujing the night before.
Xiao Ruyi pushed Qin Wujing's wheelchair to the dining table. Then, just as she was about to pick up the chopsticks, Qin Wujing stopped her hand. "I can eat by myself."
Hearing this, Xiao Ruyi smiled broadly, realizing that she had been far too eager.
"All right ...."
Xiao Ruyi handed the wooden chopsticks to Qin Wujing, then turned to pour warm tea into a cup. When she realized it was green tea, Xiao Ruyi was slightly startled. It seemed she had developed a trauma related to green tea.
Qin Wujing noticed Xiao Ruyi's surprise as she poured his tea. He did not ask anything, merely watching her.
Xiao Ruyi tried to calm herself, then placed the expensive porcelain teapot back on the table.
To distract herself, Xiao Ruyi looked back at Qin Wujing, who was now busy chewing his breakfast.
"Do you like steamed buns?" Xiao Ruyi asked.
Qin Wujing shook his head when he heard this. "No."
Xiao Ruyi sighed, then leaned her back slightly against the chair. "Your Highness is lying."
"I've forgotten what they taste like," Qin Wujing replied.
Hearing this, Xiao Ruyi nodded. "All right, then how about I make some for you? You can remember the taste again."
"Whatever."
Qin Wujing's indifferent and irritating answer did nothing to dampen Xiao Ruyi's enthusiasm. Xiao Ruyi stood up and said, "Your Highness, Ruyi will return with steamed buns for you."
Qin Wujing merely gave a brief nod, not paying much attention to Xiao Ruyi.
After Xiao Ruyi left, Gu Sinjie entered and bowed. "Your Highness."
"Well?" Qin Wujing asked, continuing to eat his breakfast.
"The Princess Consort is innocent, Your Highness. She was sent here by the Imperial Palace without any ulterior motives. And ... the rumor that she tried to seduce the Emperor is false. Xiao Liyue, her own older sister, slandered her," Gu Sinjie replied, delivering his complete report.
Qin Wujing gave a brief nod and did not ask anything else. However, the conversation did not end there, because Gu Sinjie spoke again. "The Princess Consort can be called remarkable. She managed to escape an assassin's attack. And it seems your assumption that the Princess Consort would kill herself was wrong. In fact, the opposite is true now. Your Highness, wouldn't it be better if--"
"Your report is enough, Sinjie. Now return to military headquarters and do your work as usual." Qin Wujing cut Gu Sinjie off, making Gu Sinjie snort softly.
"Very well, Your Highness. This subordinate will take his leave."
Meanwhile, the entire kitchen was thrown into chaos by Xiao Ruyi's sudden arrival.
"Your Highness, you can leave this rough work to us. There's no need to dirty your hands or your clothes," one of the servants pleaded with Xiao Ruyi.
Xiao Ruyi shook her head. "I want to make steamed buns personally for the Prince. Although I'm not very good at cooking, you'll help me, right?"
Madam Su, one of the servants trying to stop Xiao Ruyi, nodded. "Of course, Your Highness. But perhaps you shouldn't--"
"I'm perfectly fine doing this, and the Prince already gave me permission!" Xiao Ruyi frowned irritably. Come on ... she only wanted to cook. Her skills could not be called exceptional, but they were not too bad either. When she was little, Xiao Ruyi had often watched the kitchen servants at the Xiao Estate because she was always going back and forth to ask for snacks.
"I'll make the dough, but ... could you help me light the fire? I don't really know how. Please teach me," Xiao Ruyi said once the kitchen had calmed down.
Xiao Ruyi stayed busy cooking in the kitchen for Qin Wujing until two hours had passed. The steamed buns she made with the servants turned out perfectly. A smile spread across Xiao Ruyi's lips, and the other servants smiled as well.
Xiao Ruyi placed the steamed buns in a container, then handed it to Madam Su. "Madam Su, let's go back to the residence for a moment so I can tidy myself up. After that, we'll return to see the Prince."
"All right!" Madam Su exclaimed, looking extremely happy.
Xiao Ruyi quickly cleaned herself up until she was neat again, just as she had been before entering the kitchen. Once she was ready, the woman walked back toward Qin Wujing's residence.
When she arrived, Xiao Ruyi saw that Qin Wujing had already changed his clothes. His hair was still wet, and he held a book in his right hand. Xiao Ruyi did not care what kind of book it was.
"Your Highness." Xiao Ruyi smiled brightly at Qin Wujing, making him shift his gaze to her for a moment before returning it to his book.
"Look, the steamed buns Ruyi made herself are ready. You have to try them." Xiao Ruyi lifted the lid off her container of steamed buns and held it out toward Qin Wujing.
Qin Wujing studied the steamed buns Xiao Ruyi had made, then picked up one. The man did not eat it right away, examining it first instead.
"How much chaos did you cause in the kitchen to make these?" Qin Wujing said, making Xiao Ruyi roll her eyes lazily. She had thought he was going to praise her.
Xiao Ruyi stood up, walked to one of the tables in Qin Wujing's room, and picked up a comb. She walked back toward Qin Wujing, but this time stopped directly behind his wheelchair.
"The important thing is that it wasn't enough to bring down the Empire's capital," Xiao Ruyi replied.
"Your hair hasn't been combed properly," Xiao Ruyi added, then gently began combing Qin Wujing's hair.