A Rebirth: Joined As One - Chapter 14

That evening, when Jing Ya went over to the Princess Royal’s side for dinner, she unexpectedly saw Xue Chan, whom she had not seen in a long while. Xue Chan had not changed much. The moment she saw Jing Ya, she smiled and gave a salute. “Greetings, Miss Jing.”

Jing Ya gave a slight nod and returned the courtesy.

Once dinner was laid out, the palace attendants withdrew. Only the Princess Royal, Jing Ya, and Xue Chan, who had suddenly returned, remained in the room.

Jing Ya lowered her head and ate her own meal. When the Princess Royal and Xue Chan spoke, they did not seem to have any intention of avoiding her. Of course, the Princess Royal was not speaking of anything secret or important either.

But after spending these days together, Jing Ya felt that being able to receive such an attitude from the Princess Royal was already quite good.

As long as the Princess Royal lowered her guard toward her and could trust her even the tiniest bit, then Jing Ya would be confident she could gain the Princess Royal’s complete trust in the future.

But this matter could not be rushed. It still had to be taken slowly, one step at a time.

Now, during this period in the palace school, she and the Princess Royal could be considered to eat together, live together, arrive together, and leave together. And ever since the matter of copying the texts, everyone in Lingyun Pavilion had already become convinced that the Princess Royal treated her differently.

That was not a bad thing either…

Jing Ya finished her meal silently at the side. Over there, Xue Chan had also finished reporting matters to the Princess Royal, and after speaking, she showed no intention of staying. She saluted the Princess Royal and Jing Ya, then directly took her leave.

Jing Ya likewise only nodded in response.

After Xue Chan left, Jing Ya thought for a moment and felt that she ought to show at least a sentence of concern, so she asked, “Is Miss Xue Chan leaving the palace now to return to the residence?”

Jing Ya had not really expected the Princess Royal to answer her, but unexpectedly, the Princess Royal did not give her even the slightest perfunctory response. She replied seriously, “She is returning to the residence, but after going back, she still needs to go out again.”

As for where she was going and what she would do, the Princess Royal did not continue, and Jing Ya did not ask further either. She only nodded slightly to show that she understood.

After waiting until the Princess Royal also finished dinner, Jing Ya prepared to take her leave and return to the side hall.

But before she could speak, the Princess Royal asked first, “Do you know about the spring hunt?”

Jing Ya nodded. “I know.”

The Princess Royal continued asking, “Then do you want to go?”

Jing Ya did not answer. Instead, she asked in return, “Is the Princess Royal going?”

As a result, the Princess Royal did not answer either. “I am asking you, yet you are asking me instead.”

So Jing Ya stopped asking and only said, “Then I will follow the Princess Royal’s arrangements.”

The Princess Royal looked at Jing Ya, and Jing Ya simply let her look. A moment later, the Princess Royal laughed, though the meaning was unclear. “All right. I understand. You may go back.”

Jing Ya rose, took her leave, and returned to the side hall.

After returning, Jing Ya habitually sat before the desk and casually opened a book, flipping through it twice. Yet without realizing it, her gaze was drawn toward the peach blossom branch placed in a vase beside the desk—the very branch the Princess Royal had pinned beside her hair bun.

The peach blossoms under the candlelight seemed even prettier than they had been in daylight.

Jing Ya reached out and gently stroked the petals. Her fingertips felt the delicate, tender softness of the petals, and for some reason, her heart, which had been tense all along, suddenly relaxed.

Withdrawing her hand, Jing Ya looked at the flowers for a while longer, then smiled. She closed the book and put it back in its original place. After gathering away the tangled thoughts in her heart, she did not think any further. Once she had washed up, she went straight to bed and lay down to sleep.

Since she had already planned tomorrow’s matters today, the matters of the day after tomorrow could be left for tomorrow.

The next morning, Jing Ya went with the Princess Royal to Lingyun Pavilion. When they passed that peach grove again, Jing Ya even specially glanced at the Princess Royal. The Princess Royal seemed to sense it and looked back at her as well. Before their eyes could meet, Jing Ya withdrew her gaze first.

The Princess Royal laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t make you wear peach blossoms today.”

Jing Ya pressed her lips together faintly, her expression calm. “I had no such thought.”

Hearing this, the Princess Royal moved her brows slightly and lifted one corner of her mouth, but she did not respond to Jing Ya’s words again. She turned her head back and walked ahead first.

Jing Ya let out a breath in her heart, then followed at an unhurried pace.

The two sat down in their seats, one in front and one behind. Jing Ya had just been about to open her book when she saw the Princess Royal turn around and gesture at her, telling her to look behind her.

Not understanding why, Jing Ya turned around and saw the peach blossoms pinned in Commandery Princess Qingyang’s hair. “…”

What did this mean?

The Princess Royal leaned closer and whispered with a smile, “She’s imitating you.”

Jing Ya looked elsewhere and, sure enough, saw that several girls all had more or fewer peach blossoms pinned in their hair. That Xie Ruyi was even bold enough to have a whole armful of peach blossoms placed before him. He was picking through them one branch at a time, and whenever he found a pretty one, he would offer it to Commandery Princess Qingyang like a treasure, making her so happy that her face flushed from smiling.

Jing Ya felt speechless and turned back to glance at the Princess Royal.

When the Princess Royal saw Jing Ya staring at her, she unconsciously laughed softly. She even reached out to touch Jing Ya’s cheek. Although Jing Ya dodged quickly, the Princess Royal still brushed against it.

Jing Ya’s brows drew together slightly. She looked at the Princess Royal’s hand, clearly not very pleased.

How had she never known that the Princess Royal actually had such a habit of touching people?

The Princess Royal paused and drew that hand back into her sleeve. Her fingertips rubbed against each other, as though the smooth, soft sensation she had touched just now still lingered there.

Pushing aside that strange little feeling that had risen in her heart, the Princess Royal gave a dry cough. Then, keeping her voice low, she smiled and said, “It is like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi.”

Jing Ya did not agree. “Commandery Princess Qingyang’s appearance is above mine.”

The Princess Royal also did not agree. “Different flowers suit different eyes. That boy from the Duke of Anguo’s family thinks Qingyang is good, but I think you are better than Qingyang.”

Jing Ya had nothing left to say and could only reply, “Many thanks for the Princess Royal’s favor.”

When the Princess Royal heard her say this, she suddenly remembered the scene at the teahouse on Lantern Festival night, the first time they had met after each of them returned.

A little girl of only fifteen, yet inside that shell lived a little mouse that had cultivated into a spirit.

Not only clever, but bold too. She had actually dared to use Changshou to test the Princess Royal…

Speaking of Changshou, the Princess Royal had to remember this matter. When autumn came this year, she needed to carry out the entire act properly, so that little mouse would believe that she was still the same Princess Royal as before. Otherwise, that little mouse might very well be frightened away.

Her courage was both great and small. She really was impossible to figure out.

The moment class began, the lecturer entered right on time. Everyone hurriedly tidied themselves up, put everything beneath their desks, and pretended properly as they saluted the lecturer before sitting down to listen.

Jing Ya listened to the lesson and looked at the still-empty desk at the very front. Her thoughts drifted slightly.

Palace school had already been in session for almost a month. Logically speaking, even if the young Crown Prince’s cold had been severe, he should have recovered and come to class by now. Yet he had not.

If someone said the Princess Royal had no hand in this matter, Jing Ya absolutely would not believe it.

Jing Ya looked again at the Princess Royal sitting in front of her, yet her heart held some doubt and confusion. Why was the Princess Royal not letting the young Crown Prince come to Lingyun Pavilion?

In her previous life, the young Crown Prince had never been a match for the Princess Royal. If not for Jing Ya and the Jing family doing everything in their power to support him from behind, it would have been difficult to arrive at the final outcome of bringing down the Princess Royal.

Now that Jing Ya had returned to start again, the young Crown Prince had lost the Jing family’s assistance. In the future, he likely would no longer have the strength to contend with the Princess Royal…

It was just that she still did not know whether the present Princess Royal still held the same lofty ambitions she had back then…

Perhaps Jing Ya should find a time to try asking…

Jing Ya withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to look at her book, gathering away and concealing the thoughts in her heart. She would not let anyone see even the smallest trace of them.

The author has something to say:

The Princess Royal is leading the fashion trend, haha.