Consort Shu had nothing much to do in the palace each day, so it took only a short while before she finished making the cloaks.
The day Consort Shu finished the cloaks happened to be the day before Little New Year.
After dinner that evening, she sent someone to summon Jun Huailang, asking him to come to the main hall and try on the cloak.
When Jun Huailang arrived at Mingluan Palace, he saw Consort Shu and Jun Linghuan sitting together, surrounded by several young palace maids who were happily cutting paper window decorations.
The one at the head was a new face. Her features were not particularly striking, but she looked neat and clean, with exceptionally sharp lines to her cheeks.
The palace maid’s clothing was somewhat more refined than that of the others. She served at Consort Shu’s side, handing her scissors and passing her red paper.
She said nothing and did not smile much, but her movements were extremely nimble.
“Lang’er is here?” Seeing him enter, Consort Shu hurriedly told him to rise, then looked up and instructed the palace maid, “Go bring the Crown Prince’s cloak.”
The palace maid curtsied, then put down what she was holding and went into the inner room.
“This is—” Jun Huailang looked toward her retreating figure.
Consort Shu did not stop what she was doing. She leisurely cut the paper decorations while casually saying, “Ah, she is a palace maid the Directorate of Palace Affairs just sent over. Her name is Bai Ji. I originally said there was no need, but the Directorate insisted that my palace was short-handed and needed someone to fill the position. I was too lazy to argue with them, so I kept her.”
She looked thoroughly uninterested. Clearly, she had not yet recovered from the shadow of having been betrayed by her senior palace maid, and she did not have much goodwill toward this newly arrived maid in charge, either.
Jun Huailang looked up and saw that Bai Ji had already returned, carrying the cloak.
It was made of white fox fur, trimmed with a thick fur collar. The flowing cloak behind it was made of Jiangnan brocade, hanging heavily and looking exceptionally smooth and comfortable.
Jun Huailang smiled and thanked Bai Ji. “Thank you, Auntie Bai Ji.”
Bai Ji bowed to him, then shook out the cloak and helped him put it on. Perhaps it was only his imagination, but Jun Huailang always felt that her movements were unusually swift, carrying a trace of wind, almost like someone who practiced martial arts.
He took another look at Bai Ji, only to see her eyes lowered, her expression impassive and her movements meticulous. There was nothing unusual about her.
Of course. Palace maids spent all day serving their masters’ daily needs. How could one possibly know martial arts?
Jun Huailang put on the cloak and went to the mirror to look at himself.
With his figure, anything looked good on him. This white fur and brocade cloak in particular, embroidered with subtle patterns in gold thread, made him look especially aloof and noble from a distance.
“My aunt’s craftsmanship has always been first-rate.” Jun Huailang looked himself over in the mirror several times and smiled.
Consort Shu sat beside the table. Hearing this, she gave a soft snort.
“Do you really need to say that?”
Jun Huailang asked again, “Didn’t Aunt make two of them? Why don’t you call the Fifth Highness over to try his on as well?”
Consort Shu was stunned herself when she heard this.
She had never thought of it.
Xue Yan had only moved into her palace this winter, and there had originally been little interaction between them. Now, making him a cloak was already the absolute limit of what Consort Shu was willing to do. She had never been one to go out of her way to be kind to anyone. The fact that she had made Xue Yan a cloak was already something for which he ought to thank heaven and earth.
Consort Shu had originally planned to wait until tomorrow, then simply send someone to deliver it to Xue Yan.
The moment Jun Huailang saw her expression, he knew she had not thought of this at all.
He smiled brightly, turned his head toward Bai Ji, and said, “It seems Aunt simply forgot. I’ll trouble you to make a trip to the western side hall and invite the Fifth Highness over. Let him see whether his cloak fits.”
“Wait—” Consort Shu hurriedly stopped him.
Jun Huailang turned his head and saw that she looked somewhat uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and said, “Just send it over.”
That child did not talk much, and now he had become her own son. She had never known how to speak with him in the first place. Asking him to come over now just to try on clothes she had made herself made Consort Shu feel somewhat awkward.
It was as though she were truly acting as someone else’s mother.
Jun Huailang, however, smiled and said, “Aunt, I was the one who took His Highness’s measurements. We don’t even know whether it’s too big or too small. If you don’t have His Highness come and try it on, and the cloak doesn’t fit, His Highness might be too embarrassed to tell you.”
Hearing this, Consort Shu could only say, “Then go invite him.”
Bai Ji received the order, bowed, and withdrew.
Jun Huailang sat down beside Jun Linghuan and casually picked up some of the paper decorations the two of them had been cutting.
Consort Shu was not particularly nimble with her hands either, but she could at least manage simple patterns. The table was covered with all kinds of designs, spread out in a bright sea of red. They immediately gave the room the feeling of the coming New Year.
The situation beside Jun Linghuan’s hand, however, was rather disastrous.
She had only just learned how to use scissors and could not control the strength in her hands. The red paper was thin and fragile, and the slightest mistake would tear it.
At this moment, everything beside her was torn and mangled red paper, with scraps scattered everywhere in a complete mess. Even when Jun Huailang entered, she had no attention to spare for him. She merely pouted, completely absorbed in wrestling with the scissors in her hands.
Jun Huailang found her appearance so amusing that he could not help laughing. He sat beside her and watched her struggle with the crooked little rabbit she was trying to cut.
Thus, when Xue Yan walked in, the first thing he heard was Consort Shu’s teasing voice.
“You only know how to laugh at Linghuan. If you’re so capable, why don’t you cut one yourself? This thing looks easy, but it’s a completely different matter once you actually try doing it.”
Beside her, Jun Linghuan chimed in, “Brother, cut one!”
Unable to withstand the persistent coaxing of the older and younger girl, Jun Huailang was forcibly stuffed with a pair of scissors, red paper, and a pattern, until he had a handful of things.
“How would I know how? Aunt, don’t make things difficult for me!”
Under their urging, he was teased into laughing nonstop.
His normally clear and cool voice, when he laughed, took on a touch of lightness and gentleness, like a feather softly scratching at someone’s heart.
Xue Yan glanced at Bai Ji, who was silently leading the way ahead of him, and remembered what she had said when she came to him earlier.
“Consort Shu’s temperament is somewhat proud. It was Crown Prince Jun who repeatedly requested that Your Highness come along.”
At the time, although Xue Yan had coldly warned her and told her that now that she had been assigned to Consort Shu’s palace, she had only one master and was not permitted to reveal another word of information to him, hearing Jun Huailang’s voice now still made him involuntarily recall Bai Ji’s simple words.
He was trying so hard to blend himself into Jun Huailang’s family.
It even gave Xue Yan an illusion.
As though Jun Huailang wanted to divide his own family and give a portion of it to him.
As though he wanted the homeless Xue Yan to have somewhere he could call home, too.
Xue Yan paused, then followed Bai Ji all the way inside.
Seeing that Xue Yan had arrived, Consort Shu looked up and told him there was no need to bow. She had Bai Ji bring over the cloak for him to try on.
At this moment, Jun Huailang had both hands full and could not spare the attention to look up. Jun Linghuan was urging him to cut a paper window decoration according to the pattern in front of him.
Cutting paper window decorations required nimble hands and a careful heart. Jun Huailang had never done it before, so his movements were rather clumsy, and he still needed Jun Linghuan to direct him from the side.
Thus, he did not have the chance to look up at Xue Yan.
Only after he finally finished cutting the sheet of red paper in his hands did he let out a long breath and raise his head.
Then he saw Xue Yan standing with his back to him in front of the mirror.
He was tall, with broad shoulders. Consort Shu’s cloak had large patches of dark-red fox fur adorning the shoulders. On Xue Yan, the black brocade cloak behind him spread out and dragged along the floor.
He turned around.
The heavy cloak swept through the air, while the fox fur set off his sharp and exquisite features, giving him an especially noble appearance. Even his indifferent eyes seemed to carry a hint of aloofness, as though he stood above all others, with the bearing of one who ruled the world.
For a moment, Jun Huailang seemed to see the Xue Yan from his previous life.
Back then, beneath the corridor of Yonghe Palace, he had also worn a scarlet cloak of dark velvet, draped over his cold armor. He had hurried past Jun Huailang’s side, giving him a cold glance before turning his eyes away.
Just thinking of that one glance made Jun Huailang’s heart grow somewhat cold.
But immediately afterward, his eyes met those amber-colored ones.
Indifferent and quiet, still without much warmth, yet without the cold, violent, bloodthirsty aura of his previous life.
For some inexplicable reason, Jun Huailang’s heart settled again.
This was no longer that lifetime, he thought.
Just then, he heard Xue Yan ask, “Looks good?”
His voice was low and quiet, with little emotion in it.
His clothes were thick because of winter, and his hair concealed his ears, so Jun Huailang naturally did not notice that the tips of Xue Yan’s ears had already turned completely red.
Only then did Jun Huailang come back to himself, realizing that he had been staring at Xue Yan for quite some time.
He felt a little embarrassed. He smiled at Xue Yan and did not hesitate to offer his praise.
“It looks quite good.”
The tips of Xue Yan’s ears, hidden beneath his hair, turned another shade red.
Beside them, Consort Shu was also thoroughly pleased.
The child was already exceptionally handsome, with a fine figure as well. Such a magnificent, noble cloak did not look overwhelming on him in the slightest. Instead, it brought out all of its splendor.
Consort Shu had always liked beautiful things.
She nodded in satisfaction and, for once, gave him a rare compliment.
“It fits perfectly. It certainly hasn’t failed to live up to this palace’s craftsmanship.”
Jun Huailang smiled and praised her a couple more times.
Xue Yan took the cloak off again. Seeing that it was getting late, Consort Shu gathered up the pile of things and told the two of them to return to their respective quarters.
The pile of paper cuttings on the table all belonged to Consort Shu and Jun Linghuan. At this moment, the two of them were like a pair of children, dividing up all the paper cuttings cleanly between themselves.
Meanwhile, Xue Yan had already taken his leave and was walking outside with his cloak.
Jun Huailang looked at the bright sea of red on the table, then glanced up at Xue Yan’s quiet departing figure.
Suddenly, he remembered that Xue Yan did not have any paper window decorations to put up.
He was still holding the one he had just cut. He had not even unfolded it yet and had no idea what he had actually cut.
Jun Huailang did not have time to think about it. He said goodbye to Consort Shu, then hugged the cloak with one arm, held the paper decoration in his hand, and chased after Xue Yan.
The Mingluan Palace had been so lively today. Surely they could not let Xue Yan be the only one whose windows were empty tomorrow?
He chased him down half a long corridor before finally catching up with Xue Yan.
“Fifth Highness!” he called from behind.
Xue Yan stopped and turned around, only to see Jun Huailang running toward him from behind, holding the furry cloak in one arm.
The room had been warm just moments ago, and the sudden cold had flushed Jun Huailang’s cheeks red.
He caught up, slightly out of breath, yet his face was still smiling warmly, looking as bright and serene as a clear breeze beneath a moonlit sky.
“They were cutting paper window decorations at Aunt’s place just now.” As he spoke, Jun Huailang held out the one in his hand to Xue Yan. “I cut this one. I’m giving it to Your Highness. Little New Year is tomorrow. Put it on the window. It can be a good-luck charm and help ward off evil spirits.”
Under the lantern light, a neatly folded piece of paper rested between his clean, fair fingers.
Xue Yan reached out and took it.
Seeing that he had accepted it, Jun Huailang smiled.
“Then I’ll go back?”
Xue Yan nodded. Only after a moment did he finally say, “Thank you.”
Jun Huailang had given him the gift. He nodded at Xue Yan, then turned and went back.
Only after his figure had disappeared through the door of the eastern side hall did Xue Yan finally withdraw his gaze and lower his eyes to the paper cutting in his hand.
He carefully unfolded the red paper.
The dim, yellow palace lantern illuminated the red paper, revealing a crooked little rabbit.