Chapter 2 Scarlet Heart

 FlamingoBees 

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Scarlet Heart 

 Chapter 2: 

I squirmed on the stool, feeling miserable in this outfit. Dinner time had long passed, but the Eighth Prince still hadn't arrived. The initial excitement gradually faded away, and I became increasingly restless. Standing up, I snatched the fan from the maid's hand and fanned vigorously. 

Jie Jie frowned and said, "Is it really that hot?" 

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Fanning myself, I replied, "If he doesn't come soon, I'm going back to change clothes. This is torture!" Before I could finish speaking, I saw the curtain being lifted, and the three of them entered in single file. Leading the way was a man in his early twenties, tall and slender, dressed in a pale blue robe with a jade belt tied around his waist, and a matching jade pendant hanging from his neck. His face was as beautiful as jade, and his eyes sparkled like bright stars. I silently praised his appearance; although the Eighth Prince seemed somewhat delicate, he was still a handsome man.

When he saw me, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes, quickly replaced by a composed expression. With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he averted his gaze and looked towards Jie Jie. By this time, all the maids and servants in the room had already bowed down, and I suddenly realized, hurriedly lowering myself as well. Ah, I seemed to still be unfamiliar with these formalities of bowing and saluting.

He smiled as he helped Jie Jie up, saying, "Please rise." Then, turning to Jie Jie, he said with a smile, "We were delayed by some matters. I had to discuss something with my Ninth and Tenth brothers, so we came together. It was a sudden decision, so I didn't inform you."

Jie Jie smiled and replied, "It's nothing urgent." 

After the Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, and Tenth Prince had all taken their seats, the maidservants attended to them, wiping their faces and hands. Jie Jie turned to leave, instructing the eunuch outside to bring in the food. Standing nearby, I couldn't help but think, Jie Jie, how could you forget about me? 

The Ninth Prince had a blank expression, while the Tenth Prince still had that rascally look on his face. Since entering, he kept glancing at me from time to time. The Eighth Prince, with a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, seemed a bit tired, squinting his eyes. 

When Jie Jie returned and smiled, saying, "You may dine now," the Eighth Prince nodded. Then he opened his eyes fully and looked at me with a smile, asking, "Is this Ruoxi? You weren't feeling well a few days ago. Are you feeling better now?" 

I replied, "I'm feeling much better now!" The Eighth Prince smiled again and said, "That's good to hear. You look fine. Don't stand, please, have a seat!" I glanced at Jie Jie, who showed no objection, so I sat down.

During the meal, the Eighth Prince occasionally exchanged a few words with Jie Jie, while the Ninth Prince ate silently. It was the Tenth Prince, however, who caught my attention. Perhaps because I happened to sit diagonally across from him, he ate with a smile, his appetite seemingly excellent. I already had little appetite due to the heat, and his constant glances made it even harder for me to swallow. I couldn't help but wonder, am I some kind of "appetizer"?

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Glancing around to ensure no one was paying attention, I immediately returned his gaze with a fierce stare. The Tenth Prince, caught off guard by my gaze, froze with his chopsticks still in his mouth, seemingly forgetting to remove them. After a few seconds of staring, I found his dumbfounded expression rather amusing. Suppressing a smile, I lowered my head to continue eating. However, as I glanced down, I noticed Jie Jie, the Eighth Prince, and the Ninth Prince all looking at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I dared not lift my head again. Hastily taking a few more bites, I suddenly choked. Leaning to the side, I coughed while gesturing to Jie Jie that I was fine. Hearing the Tenth Prince burst into laughter, I avoided looking at him, pretending everything was normal as I rinsed my mouth and resumed eating, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

•    •    •

Under the large tree not far from the lake, I leaned against it while reading Song Dynasty poetry. Yesterday, Jie Jie and I specifically requested some Song Dynasty poetry. I used to favor Song Dynasty poetry and had memorized quite a few, so reading them now allowed me to recognize many traditional characters.

Thinking about how I had diligently studied for sixteen years in the modern world, considering myself knowledgeable, it was disheartening to find myself half illiterate here. The other day, when the eunuch responsible for correspondence was absent, I volunteered to read Jie Jie's letters. However, as I read, I stumbled over quite a few characters I didn't recognize. Amid my uncertain attempts, Jie Jie laughed until she was weak, "I thought you had made some progress after all these years apart. But it turns out you've indeed made some progress, learning to substitute unknown characters." Her laughter was contagious, and it took her a while to finish speaking after just one sentence. I felt both embarrassed and frustrated, sitting there in silence, resolved to shed the label of illiteracy and become a knowledgeable woman!

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Reflecting on this, I chuckled at myself ironically. Thankfully, I'm inhabiting the body of a young lady here, with no worries about food and clothing. Otherwise, I might have starved to death, unable to lift a hand or bear a shoulder. As I glanced to the side, I noticed several ants in the rough undergrowth. Suddenly, memories of digging ant nests from my childhood flooded back, and I couldn't resist the urge to play. In this young body, I felt a bit like a child again. Using a small twig to block the ants' path, I refused to let them pass, pushing them back whenever they tried.

As I was chuckling to myself, I suddenly heard heavy breathing next to my ear. I turned and saw Tenth Prince squatting beside me, also observing the ants. I shot him a glare and then noticed a pair of boots beside him. Following the boots upward, I met Eighth Prince's eyes, which seemed to hold a half-smile. I quickly stood up to pay my respects. Tenth Prince stood up from the ground with an air of laziness, and remarked to Eighth Prince, "Seeing the girl's look, I thought she was some great thing! Seems I've overestimated her." I thought to myself, 'Being overestimated by you may not be an honor.'

Eighth Prince smiled and asked, "Reading Song Dynasty poetry?" I glanced at the book lying on the ground and replied, "Yes." 

Tenth Prince sneered and said, "Looks like you're just pretending to read while actually watching ants." He was around seventeen or eighteen but in front of me, he acted like an elder. I retorted, "Don't you know 'One flower, one world; one tree, one Bodhi'? I'm observing ants, but not just ants."

He seemed a bit stunned, unsure how to respond, and looked to Eighth Prince for guidance. Eighth Prince nodded with a smile, "Old Tenth, you better focus on your studies!" Then he turned to me and asked, "Do you read Buddhist scriptures?" 

I hurriedly replied, "I've only listened to my Jie Jie reciting them." He smiled and turned his gaze toward the lakeside, then after a moment remarked, "You've listened a lot!"

I pondered for a moment, seeing his smiling face, unable to discern his true intentions. I could only reply calmly, "I seek only peace of mind." He didn't say anything, just continued smiling at the lake.

Nearby, the Tenth Prince, having waited for a while and seemingly unable to join the conversation, felt bored. He picked up the book from the ground and asked, "Do you recognize all these characters?" 

Looking at his challenging gaze, I wanted to say I did, but the truth was evident. So I replied, "Rec-og-nize! They recognize me, I don't recognize them. But we're getting to know each other." He burst into laughter again. For some reason, whenever I see the Tenth Prince's roguish demeanor, I get a bit agitated and tend to speak without thinking.

The Eighth Prince smiled and asked, "So, how do you make yourself recognize them?" I thought for a moment and said, "I guess!" The Tenth Prince laughed loudly, "Is that so? Then we don't need tutors; we can just guess on our own."

The Eighth Prince sighed with a smile, shook his head, and said, "Let's go," leading the way. The Tenth Prince hurriedly threw the book back to me and ran after him. After a few steps, he turned back and asked, "We're going to the other courtyard to ride horses. Do you want to come?"

I was instantly tempted; I hadn't left the courtyard since arriving here! With a bit of flattery, I ran up to him and asked, "Can I go like this? And what about my Jie Jie?"

He replied, "Why wouldn't you be able to go? We'll find a gentle old horse for you, and a servant can lead it. As for your Jie Jie, what does that have to do with me?" Seeing him put on airs again, I wanted to retort, but the rare opportunity to go out was too tempting. So I decided to—endure.

He walked at a pace that wasn't fast, but I still had to jog to keep up. I pretended to suddenly come up with a good idea and said, "If Eighth Prince asks, Jie Jie will surely agree." He glanced at me and said, "Then you go and ask Eighth Prince." I felt like I could hear myself grinding my teeth. How could this Tenth Prince take advantage of the situation so easily? Annoyed, I said, "You're the one inviting me; you should take responsibility. Otherwise, I'm not going."

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

He gave me a sidelong glance, looking as if he didn't care whether I went or not. I turned and started to walk back. He quickly grabbed me and said, "Fine, fine! I'll ask. Is that alright?" Only then did I smile at him, shake off his hand, and follow him at a brisk pace.

When we reached the gate, the servants came up and said the carriage was ready. The Eighth Prince didn't say anything, leading the way onto the carriage. The Tenth Prince jumped up onto it as well. The young servant kneeling to serve as a step for me was no more than twelve or thirteen years old, his face still youthful. Staring at his back, I couldn't bring myself to step on it.

Tenth Prince shouted from inside the carriage, "What are you dawdling for?" Eighth Prince, sitting across from me, smiled and extended his hand. I sighed in relief, motioned for the young servant to step aside, and grabbed Eighth Prince's hand for support as I climbed into the carriage. Tenth Prince grumbled, "So troublesome!" and scooted over to make room for me to sit next to him.

I leaned against the window, constantly looking outside. The streets were bustling with people, shops lined both sides, and whenever our carriage approached, the crowd would automatically part to make way. Despite the throngs of people, the carriage moved at a decent pace. I noticed something and exclaimed, "Oh!" but then quickly understood and just shook my head.

Tenth Prince stuck his head out the window to look behind for a moment, then pulled back inside, puzzled. He asked, "What did you see just now?" I was caught off guard but then smiled and said, "I'm not telling you." I turned back to the window. He glared at me, annoyed but didn't pursue it further. After a while, his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked again, "What exactly did you see?"

I turned my head, staring straight ahead, ignoring him. Tenth Prince nudged me, and I said, "I'll tell you, but you'll have to give me something in return."

Tenth Prince exclaimed, "You want a reward just for telling me what you saw?" 

I responded, "It's not just any information—it's something interesting that I saw. Of course, if you want to hear it, you'll have to give me something in return. Would you listen to a storyteller without paying?" With that, I lifted the curtain and looked outside again. 

After a moment, I felt something in my hand. It was a silver note. Tenth Prince said, "Now will you tell me?" I tossed the note back at him with a huff. "What do you want then?" he asked, exasperated.

I started to laugh, thinking how fun it was to tease him. I suddenly recalled a scene from "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" and said, "I can't think of anything right now. How about this? In the future, you promise to grant me one favor. It won't be something impossible, and come on, what could be so difficult for a prince to grant a small request from a girl?" 

He looked reluctant but eventually smiled and said, "Fine! I promise." 

I clapped my hands and laughed, "Remember, I have a witness!" Eighth Prince, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and looked at Tenth Prince, then smiled at me and said, "Alright, I heard it. Now you can tell us."

I smiled and said, "I noticed that even though the street is bustling, people automatically make way for our carriage. It reminded me of the story of Moses parting the Red Sea."

"Mm, mm!" I cleared my throat and began, "There were a lot of people on the street, yet the carriage moved smoothly. I noticed that the passersby would step aside from a distance, even though we didn't show any sign indicating a prince was inside. I was puzzled by this at first, so I let out a 'hmm'."

"And why did you shake your head?" Tenth Prince asked.

I continued, "Then I realized that a carriage like this isn't something ordinary people can ride in. Being in the capital, even common folks are quite knowledgeable. So, even if they don't know exactly who's inside, they know it's best to make way. As for shaking my head, it was because I thought of myself as a fox."

"A fox?" Tenth Prince looked at me, confused, then turned to Eighth Prince. Eighth Prince, smiling, explained, "The fox assuming the tiger's might." Tenth Prince understood, about to laugh, but then stopped and exclaimed, "That's all? And I traded a favor for this?"

Seeing his frustrated expression, I couldn't help but laugh quietly. When I looked up, I noticed Eighth Prince was also laughing at Tenth Prince. But this time, his smile seemed different somehow. I stared at him, trying to figure out what it was. Eighth Prince glanced sideways and met my inquisitive gaze. We stared at each other for a while until I couldn't hold it anymore and looked down. I thought to myself, truly formidable—no wonder he's grown up playing mind games. Back in the day, no boy in my class dared to meet my eyes directly when I stared at them.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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