Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part IV - The Western Emerald: 75. Hair Elastic

After her release from the palace and almost as soon as she had stepped foot back into the manor, Cui Xi and the Seventh Prince argued.

He had not forgiven her for her reckless defiance over the issue of the rouge, while she had been infuriated by his highhandedness in assuming that she couldn't handle matters on her own. She agreed that it had been a close call, but she had passed the obstacle. However, the disagreement ended in an angry stalemate with both of them stomping off to their respective corners of the manor.

By decree, she was only grounded to the manor, but the gates to the Kingfisher courtyard also remained shut on the pretext that Cui Xi was recovering from her ordeal in the imperial prison. Meanwhile, the prince suddenly became busy with official matters.

The subsequent awkwardness between them caused a ripple effect throughout the entire household, and it also caused the steward, Cheng, a great deal of grief and worry as this was probably the first time that the prince and his beloved concubine had openly quarrelled since she had entered the manor.

Cheng repeatedly came to visit her with tasty little delicacies or tonics, trying to coax her into making up with the prince, invariably fretting and fussing over her dispiritedness. She wondered if he was also harassing the Prince with not so subtle hints on that end.

Cui Xi sighed at the remaining discolouration on her face, as she sat at her makeup table. She covered them up with what was left of her concealer and then let Su Rou helped her with her hair. Although her bruises and her resentment had faded, she was still avoiding the prince as much as possible and was in a foul mood this morning.

"Where's that brat, Xiao Hei?" she asked Su Qing, thinking that it might be a good idea to shoot something full of arrows on the practice ground.

Su Qing rolled her eyes.

"Snuck out to play at the Yang manor..." she sniffed, short sword clinking in disapproval as she shifted the scabbard against her shoulder.

Cui Xi tried not to laugh at Su Qing's tone, but it did make her a little lonely that both Xiao Hei and Xiao Yu were elsewhere. Although she was glad that the two of them were spending more time together as a couple, she missed the days when it had just been the three of them standing on the balcony of the Xinyue shop with the capital at their feet.

She sighed wistfully, poking at the half eaten sweet bun on the plate. Lately her appetite felt off and she wondered if it was due to the stress of the last few weeks.

Su Qing shifted restlessly, gauging her mistress's mood, and slanted a look at Su Rou who only shook her head.

"If you are done with breakfast, then I'll get some water for your hands, Mistress," said Su Rou, nudging Su Qing out.

Cui Xi nodded listlessly, only half listening.

"Looks like mistress and his Highness need a push..." Su Rou whispered to Su Qing. "You'd better tell him she's not eating..."