The Sixth Prince's quarters felt different after that almost-kiss in Zihao's study. The change was quiet, like a soft breeze you barely notice. Zihao was still the same, often lost in thought, sitting in his favorite chair or staring out a window. But Lu Hua started to see small signs, little gestures that made her heart skip.
One morning, a book appeared on the table by her favorite window seat. It wasn't just any book it was filled with colorful paintings of birds, the kind she had once sighed over while talking to a maid. No note, no explanation, just the book sitting there, waiting for her. Another day, a small dish of candied plums her favorite treat, mentioned in passing weeks ago sat beside her afternoon tea. Once, when a cold draft crept through the hallway, she found a soft, warm shawl draped over her chair the next morning.
These tiny acts warmed Lu Hua's heart. She'd pick up the book, her fingers tracing the bright feathers of a painted sparrow, or pop a sweet-tart plum into her mouth, and a soft glow would spread through her chest. She'd glance at Zihao reading quietly or gazing out at the garden and wonder what he was thinking. Was he thinking of her? The thought made her cheeks warm, and she'd smile to herself, a little giddy.
But that warmth always came with a shiver of fear. The memory of the servant boy's terrifying obsession lingered. Dexiu's drunken threats echoed in her mind. And Lei Jun's strange, hovering presence made her uneasy. Could Zihao's kindness be different? Or was it the start of something else, another man who might one day want to own her completely?
One afternoon, Lu Hua sat curled up with the bird book, stealing glances at Zihao as he studied a map. Sunlight spilled across his face, highlighting the focused lines of his brow. He looked calm, steady, peaceful. A sudden wish hit her like a tiny lightning bolt: she wanted him to love her. Not for her beauty, now unmasked, not out of pity or regret, but just for her. Truly her.
Could she trust this prince? She hugged the book tighter, the painted birds suddenly feeling as fragile as her hope.
---
Meanwhile, Lei Jun felt his orderly life unraveling. Seeing Lu Hua again, so vibrant, so breathtakingly beautiful after he'd rejected her so coldly, it haunted him. Her calm grace during that awkward examination, the way she didn't even acknowledge their past, gnawed at his heart. Regret twisted inside him, mixed with a fascination he couldn't shake. He kept picturing her face, not the masked figure he had dismissed, but the woman whose gaze could stop a man in his tracks.
He started finding excuses to visit the palace. A sudden worry about her health after her kidnapping. A rare medicinal tea he claimed might help her recover. He would show up at the palace gates, his face serious, his voice polite, offering his "services."
Most times, he didn't even see Lu Hua. A servant boy would meet him, or a maid would take the herbs with a quick thank you. But sometimes, as he walked the palace corridors, he'd catch a glimpse. Her dark hair disappearing around a corner. Her laugh floating from a garden. Once, he saw her hurrying across a courtyard, Jiang Chen trailing a few steps behind. Even that brief sight sent a jolt through him. It was never enough, and the need to see her, to speak to her, to undo his past mistake, grew stronger each day.
Jiang Chen noticed. As Lu Hua's guard, it was his job to notice everything about her safety. Lei Jun's visits were too frequent, too convenient. Jiang Chen watched him with cold eyes. He saw how the physician's gaze darted down corridors, searching for something or someone. He saw the tension in Lei Jun's shoulders when he spotted Lu Hua.
One afternoon, Lei Jun arrived with another weak excuse, a special tonic for Lu Hua's health. Jiang Chen stood near the entrance to her receiving room, his broad frame filling the doorway. Lei Jun's eyes flicked past him, clearly hoping to see Lu Hua inside.
"The Princess is resting," Jiang Chen said, his voice flat and cold. "She cannot be disturbed." He stepped forward slightly, blocking the doorway completely.
Lei Jun froze, caught off guard. "I… I only wished to deliver this tonic myself," he stammered, holding up a small bottle. "To ensure its quality."
"Her attendants will take it," Jiang Chen replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. He held out his hand, not for the bottle, but as a clear barrier.
Frustration flashed across Lei Jun's face, breaking his usual calm. He met Jiang Chen's eyes. The air between them crackled with tension. Lei Jun wasn't used to being stopped, and a surge of anger rose in him. This guard, standing so close to his Lu Hua. The thought startled him. Jiang Chen saw it, the glint of resentment in the scholar's eyes, and it confirmed his suspicions.
Lei Jun finally handed the bottle to a maid who appeared silently. He gave Jiang Chen one last, hard look before turning and stalking away, his steps quick with barely hidden agitation.
Jiang Chen watched him go, his hand resting lightly near his sword. He didn't trust the physician. Not one bit. The quiet bond growing between Lu Hua and Prince Zihao was one thing. But this scholar, lingering with regret and excuses, was something else. Something dangerous. Jiang Chen made a note to increase patrols near the Sixth Prince's quarters and to keep a close eye on Lei Jun.
---
Lu Hua's fragile peace felt thinner every day. Zihao's gifts warmed her heart, but Lei Jun's hovering presence left her uneasy. And then there was Lin Daiyu.
Daiyu, Rong Xianzong's sharp-tongued cousin, couldn't stand Lu Hua. She watched Xianzong pine after his former wife, his smug confidence replaced by desperate regret, and it infuriated her. Lu Hua, once mocked as ugly and abandoned, was now the beautiful center of attention, married to a prince, and still holding Xianzong's heart. Daiyu decided it was time to knock her down.
Her attacks started small, meant to sting. At a tea gathering in the palace gardens, Daiyu "accidentally" tripped near Lu Hua's seat. A cup of hot, dark tea tipped over, splashing across Lu Hua's pale blue silk gown. Gasps rose from the other ladies. Daiyu clasped her hands, her eyes wide with fake concern. "Oh, Princess Lu Hua! I'm so sorry! How clumsy of me!"
Lu Hua looked at the brown stain spreading across her dress, then up at Daiyu. A small, cold smile curved her lips. "No harm done," she said calmly. She stood, reaching for the large teapot warming on the brazier nearby. As she lifted it, her foot seemed to catch on Daiyu's cushion. Lu Hua stumbled forward, and the entire pot of scalding tea poured out, soaking Daiyu's brand-new, peony-pink dress from shoulder to hip.
The gasps this time were louder. Daiyu shrieked, leaping back as the hot liquid seeped through her gown. Lu Hua steadied herself, her face a picture of innocent surprise. "Oh, dear! How clumsy of me!" she said sweetly. "My sincerest apologies, Miss Daiyu. That silk looks… quite ruined." The stain on Lu Hua's dress seemed small compared to the disaster on Daiyu's.
Daiyu didn't give up. She tried a new tactic: whispers. Rumors began to spread through the palace halls. "Princess Lu Hua can't let go. She still pines for her old husbands. She speaks of Dexiu at night. She seeks out Physician Lei." The message was clear: Lu Hua, despite her new marriage, was obsessed with her past.
Daiyu's next move was sneakier. She knew Lu Hua cherished a simple jade hairpin Zihao had given her. One afternoon, while Lu Hua was in the library with the other ladies, Daiyu made an excuse to go to the bathroom, instead, she secretly slipped into Lu Hua's chambers. She spotted the hairpin on the dressing table and snatched it, a petty thrill rushing through her. Let Lu Hua search for her precious gift.
Lu Hua noticed the pin was gone almost immediately. She didn't cry or shout. Instead, she walked into the busy central courtyard later that day, where nobles and servants mingled. Her voice rang out, clear and loud. "Has anyone seen my jade hairpin? The one Prince Zihao gave me? It seems to have vanished from my room this afternoon." She paused, letting the words sink in. "How strange. One doesn't expect thieves in the palace." Her eyes swept the crowd.
Daiyu panicked. Theft was a serious charge. Being caught with the pin would ruin her. That evening, the hairpin reappeared, clumsily tucked under a vase near Lu Hua's door.
---
Rong Xianzong watched Daiyu's petty schemes with growing disgust. Each event made him look worse by association. His cousin was acting like a jealous child, embarrassing herself and worse, embarrassing him in front of Lu Hua. He needed her to stop.
He cornered Daiyu in a quiet hallway near the western apartments, far from prying eyes. Grabbing her wrist tightly, he pulled her to face him. His voice was a low, angry hiss. "What are you doing, Daiyu? These stupid tricks? Spreading lies and stealing trinkets? You're making a fool of yourself! And you're making me look like a fool!"
Daiyu yanked her arm, but his grip held firm. Her own anger, simmering since the tea incident, burst out. "Me? A fool?" she snapped, her voice shaking. "You're the fool, Xianzong! Chasing after Lu Hua like a lost dog! She despises you! She laughs at you! Everyone sees it! You're humiliating yourself every time you look at her!"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Xianzong growled, shaking her arm. "Just stop your pathetic games! Stay away from her!"
"Why? So you can keep making a spectacle of yourself?" Daiyu shot back, her voice rising. "She was your wife, and you threw her away! Now she's with someone better, and you can't stand it! You're pathetic!"
They didn't notice the two young maids who had paused around the corner, clutching linens, their eyes wide. They heard every heated word, the accusations, the insults, the raw anger. Before Xianzong or Daiyu realized they had an audience, the maids hurried away, the juiciest palace gossip already on their lips.
By morning, the whispers had shifted. No longer about Lu Hua's supposed longing for her exes, they now buzzed about the explosive fight between Rong Xianzong and Lin Daiyu. After the incident, Lin Daiyu was banned from entering the palace ever again.
Lu Hua heard the news while sitting by her window, watching sparrows dart outside. A smile spread across Lu Hua's face. She sipped her tea, the warmth spreading through her, and felt a small victory.