Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part II - Cosmetics Goddess: 36. Mid-Autumn Moon

In the end, Cui Xi didn't get the chance to speak to Murong Yan and she was too embarrassed to see the Seventh Prince who excused himself from court for a few days to nurse the injury.

That Tiansheng's God of War had allowed himself to be injured to the point where he couldn't attend court caused an uproar. The officials were beside themselves, and sent multiple inquiries regarding his health, until he finally ordered that the front gate of his manor be shut to visitors so that he could convalesce in peace.

In truth, the matter that Murong Yan had returned to report on had to do with the Gao family and he used his health as an excuse to quietly look into everything connected to them.

The weeks went by, and although the prince recovered enough to go about his duties, he did not see Cui Xi.

Xiao Hei and Xiao Yu saw that Cui Xi's mood worsened as time went on and worried about her.

Murong Yan had assured his brother that the prince's injury was healing well and was quite minor in the scheme of things, but even this did nothing to improve Cui Xi's state. There were times when Xiao Hei and Xiao Yu found her staring at a wall in the mixing room or blindly shooting arrows into the targets with a stone face. Xiao Hei hid her bow after she almost skewered him.

At this rate, Su Qing feared that the Mistress would become unwell and went to make a secret report.

The following day, a letter arrived into Cui Xi's hand. Zhao Yu of Changping wrote to say that his sister, Zhao Ruyi, had arrived from the northern border to be together with him for the autumn festival. Since he could not leave the capital, they were planning to have a moon viewing and to have some guests over.

"I'm not going," she said, crumpling the letter in her fist before she'd even read the first two lines. She got up to walk away into the garden.

Xiao Hei and Su Qing followed, giving each other a glance. The Mistress's petulance was getting beyond what they could handle, and Xiao Hei knew this would be a good opportunity to bring the Mistress out of her funk, otherwise she would continue to turn the shooting targets into porcupines...

"Mistress, you've been in bad humour these last few weeks. Surely, it's a good distraction? And can you really afford to offend Lord Zhao Yu? He's the shop's benefactor," pointed out Su Qing.

Cui Xi sighed.

"Have you celebrated the mid-autumn festival in the capital? It is quite lively, and Lord Zhao Yu is a good host..." Su Qing cajoled. She took the letter from her Mistress, flapped it straight again and then exclaimed in surprise.

"What is it?" Cui Xi asked morosely, hunching her shoulders.

"Your Master has been invited...as well as his Highness, the Seventh Prince."

Cui Xi twitched, pressing her nails into her palms. Should she be shocked? After all Zhao Yu was a Royal Grandson...and he and Zhao Ling Xian were cousins. It should not have been usual and yet she felt like there was a roaring in her ears.