Early the next morning, just as Yun Xi closed her eyes, Yu Zhu came to wake her up.
"Yu Zhu, just let me sleep a little longer. Anyway, there's no need to practice martial arts today," Yun Xi mumbled and turned over in bed. Just as she was about to continue catching up on sleep, Yu Zhu wrapped her arms around Yun Xi's neck and pulled her to sit up in bed.
"Who said you don't need to practice martial arts, Miss? Just now, the prince sent someone to call for you. He said the courtyard will still be moved, and the martial - arts practice will go on as usual. Not a single day can be missed!" Yu Zhu said as she pushed Yun Xi in front of the dressing mirror, her face beaming with joy.
She just knew that the prince couldn't just ignore Miss!
"What?!" Yun Xi suddenly opened her sleepy eyes wide, looking utterly incredulous.
"He was in that state yesterday. How can he still have the mood to call me to practice martial arts today? Doesn't he need to rest?!" Yun Xi slumped her shoulders listlessly, her eyes full of resentment.
"What happened to the prince?" Hearing Yun Xi's words, Yu Zhu couldn't help but ask.
Looking at Yu Zhu, Yun Xi was just about to explain, but then suddenly remembered Qi Rong's words from last night. She quickly changed her tune:
"It's nothing. I'll go! I even suspect that he's deliberately trying to torture me!" Yun Xi said as she snatched the hairbrush from Yu Zhu's hand and quickly combed her hair. Her impatient look made Yu Zhu shake her head.
Yu Zhu helped Yun Xi tie her braids. Looking at Yun Xi in the mirror, she sighed and said,
"Miss, when will you stop saying one thing but meaning another?"
Yun Xi frowned and turned to glare at Yu Zhu.
"Yu Zhu, I find that you've had a problem with me since last night. When have I ever said one thing but meant another? Can you be more explicit?"
Seeing that Yun Xi was clearly eager to see Qi Rong but didn't want to admit it, Yu Zhu showed her no mercy.
"Right now! Even if I don't say it, Miss knows it best in your own heart."
Even if she said it, her miss wouldn't admit it!
Seeing Yu Zhu's serious face, Yun Xi pouted. After finishing her dressing, she yawned and walked all the way to the martial - arts training ground.
However, when she arrived at the training ground and looked around, she didn't see Qi Rong's tall figure. As soon as Oriole saw her, she walked up slowly.
"Madam, from today on, I'll replace the prince and practice martial arts with you."
Looking at Oriole's amiable face, a sudden sense of disappointment flashed through Yun Xi's heart. Then she shook her head and threw it out of her mind.
She opened her mouth, about to ask if Qi Rong's condition had worsened last night. But the words on the tip of her tongue changed at the last moment.
"Oriole, you'd better call me Yun Xi. I'm not used to hearing you call me 'Madam'."
In response to Yun Xi's words, Oriole smiled and said,
"The address for you was personally ordered by the prince. As long as you're in the Prince Xian's Mansion, you must follow the prince's wishes."
Seeing Oriole smiling, Yun Xi couldn't help but ask,
"Oriole, don't you ever feel resentful?"
From Hong Luo, she learned that Oriole might be a confidant of the former crown prince. But now, Oriole's status was the same as hers, a concubine of Qi Rong. And Qi Rong always used to arrange Oriole by his side, which showed his trust in Oriole.
Maybe Qi Rong trusted Oriole more than he trusted her!
"What's there to feel resentful about? It's all the prince's own choice, isn't it?"
Oriole's simple words made Yun Xi suddenly feel ashamed.
If Oriole was like Wushuang, always at odds with her, maybe she wouldn't have any concerns about Oriole. But since the other party treated her sincerely, how could she, out of her own selfishness, make Oriole lose her place to stay?
Compared with Qi Rong's strictness, Oriole only required physical training from her, which made Yun Xi very grateful.
Although she wasn't sure if daily training like this could really change her constitution, the feeling of chest tightness had indeed decreased recently.
Did this mean that she could look forward to more?
After the training, Yun Xi was exhausted and felt completely drained. Subconsciously, she wanted to go to Qi Rong's courtyard. But just as she walked out of an archway, she suddenly remembered that from today on, she was going to move to the South Courtyard.
Looking at Yun Xi standing stiffly not far away, as if not knowing what to do next, Oriole understood. She stepped forward with a smile and said,
"Why don't you go and see the prince, Madam?"
Feeling that her thoughts had been seen through, Yun Xi crossed her arms awkwardly and said stubbornly,
"What for? Maybe he doesn't even want to see me now."
She admitted that leaving with Jing Yao like that yesterday had really embarrassed him. But his sarcasm last night had also cut her deeply.
Moreover, his coldness made her can't help but think that maybe he was already tired of her.
Looking at this usually smart little girl hesitating when it came to matters of the heart, Oriole shook her head with a smile.
"Madam, haven't you ever thought that the prince's arrangements might be for your own good?"
The mansion might seem calm on the surface, but in fact, it was fraught with dangers.
The prince always wanted to shoulder everything alone and protect Yun Xi perfectly, not wanting her to be hurt at all.
However, the prince didn't understand women's minds after all. The less he explained, the more likely the other person was to misunderstand. Over time, the two of them would only drift further apart.
Even if the prince managed to eliminate all the threats, maybe it would be too late to win back Yun Xi's heart!
"For my own good?" Yun Xi frowned, not understanding Oriole's words.
Meeting Yun Xi's confused gaze, due to Qi Rong's repeated orders, Oriole didn't dare to be too explicit.
She deliberately glanced around, then stared directly into Yun Xi's eyes and whispered,
"The prince was seriously injured this time. Don't you find it strange?"
Hearing the implication in Oriole's words, Yun Xi's pupils suddenly shrank. She said seriously,
"Do you mean he was poisoned?!"
Oriole didn't answer, but when Yun Xi saw her making a shushing gesture, she understood everything.
She could hardly imagine that a calculating person like Qi Rong, who always outwitted others, could also be outsmarted. No wonder he didn't let her call the imperial physician last night. He must have been afraid of making this matter public.
And he had lied to her, saying that he was poisoned by the arrow on the training ground!
Naturally, she didn't want to be kept in the dark like a fool. But she could also roughly guess why Qi Rong had done this.
Thinking that Oriole knew more about the truth than she did, Yun Xi felt a twinge of pain in her heart. She couldn't help but get angry and didn't want to visit Qi Rong at all.
"Since he doesn't trust me so much, why should I offer my enthusiasm to someone who's cold to me?"
The more Yun Xi thought about it, the angrier she got. But she also reluctantly found that she felt sorry for him. Her eyes were slightly red, and she desperately tried to hold back the mist in her eyes.
Gritting her teeth, she turned around and walked towards the South Courtyard.