"Zhixue!"
A woman leaned in, standing beneath a cluster of crape myrtle blossoms, her face radiant with a gentle smile.
"Wan'er!"
Xie Zhixue was overjoyed. She hurriedly set aside the items she was holding, rushed over, and gripped Shen Wan'er’s hand, overcome with excitement.
"Wan'er, I never imagined I’d be able to see you here."
As her voice trailed off, Xie Zhixue’s eyes brimmed with tears. Years ago, before she had left her family home, she and Shen Wan'er had been the closest of friends. They had seen each other constantly, their bond deep and sincere. But when the catastrophe struck, Xie Zhixue hadn't even had the chance to let Shen Wan'er know before she was forced to flee the Xie Family. After spending three years living under an assumed name on a remote estate, she had never returned home. Having left behind a trail of forced deception and a faked death, she had never dared to think she would see Shen Wan'er again.
"Wan'er, how have you been lately?" Xie Zhixue was laughing and crying at once, her words tumbling out in a incoherent jumble. "I haven't seen you in years, and I’ve missed you so much. But I never had the chance to visit, and I didn't know how you were faring. Seeing you looking so radiant and healthy now, I can only assume you’ve been doing well, which sets my mind at ease."
Before she could finish, Xie Zhixue was sobbing.
Shen Wan'er squeezed her hand in return and chuckled softly. "Look at you. It’s a happy occasion to be reunited, so why these sad words? You’re making it hard for me to comfort you. If someone were to see this, they’d think I was the one who made you cry. Wouldn't that be a terrible injustice to me?"
"You're right, Wan'er." Xie Zhixue hurriedly wiped her eyes and forced a smile, failing to notice the flash of disdain and contempt in the depths of Shen Wan'er’s eyes.
When they had grasped hands, Shen Wan'er had clearly felt the thick calluses on Xie Zhixue’s palms—the certain mark of years of hard, manual labor. While she didn't know exactly what Xie Zhixue had been through, seeing her face lack its former delicacy and her hands turn so rough, she could see just how much she had suffered. A woman weathered by such hardships, now burdened with a bastard child—how could she possibly be worthy of the Crown Prince? How could she ever be the first woman to occupy this private villa?
The more Shen Wan'er thought about it, the more resentful she became, though she kept her expression composed as she followed Xie Zhixue to the stone table in the courtyard.
"Wan'er, why did you appear here today?"
Shen Wan'er cast her a feigned, playful glare. "That is the question I should be asking you! Zhixue, didn't everyone say you were dead? Why are you in the Crown Prince's Estate?"
"When I saw you outside just now, I thought I’d mistaken you for someone else! You truly gave me such a fright."
At this, Xie Zhixue lowered her head, looking embarrassed. Shen Wan'er, however, would not let it go. "Zhixue, what on earth has happened to you over these years? About four years ago, I went to the Xie Family to look for you, but your parents told me you were no longer there. I was deeply suspicious at the time and kept pressing for answers, but no one could explain anything to me. All these years, I’ve worried about you so much, always hoping to see you again so I could ask what really happened. Now that I finally have you, you must not hide anything from me."
This, at least, was the truth. Shen Wan'er truly wanted to know how Xie Zhixue had ended up with Yuwenzhang; it was simply unfathomable.
Xie Zhixue’s tears, which had just stopped, began to flow again, though they hung in her lashes. She looked cautiously toward the gate, and, satisfied that no one was eavesdropping, she said, "Do you remember when I went to the temple to pray for my father four years ago?"
"Of course I remember," Shen Wan'er nodded. "It was strange—only a month after you returned, you disappeared. I never knew where you went."
Xie Zhixue sighed, her misty eyes fixed on the sky, trembling slightly. Though four years had passed, the memory remained a recurring nightmare she could not escape.
"Mother!"
A small, youthful voice rang out as Ping'an came running over on his short legs, throwing himself into Xie Zhixue's arms.
Shen Wan'er stood up, feigning surprise. "Is this your son?" Although she knew everything, she had to play her part well.
Xie Zhixue did not hide it and nodded. "Yes, Ping'an is my son. He and I live together here in this villa."
"What?!" Shen Wan'er was genuinely shocked, and rage began to boil within her. What was Yuwenzhang thinking? As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, he was actually raising another man’s wife! A woman so tarnished, a cast-off, would be barely acceptable as a minor concubine, let alone being kept at the Crown Prince’s Estate. Even if Xie Zhixue were to become a mere servant or a bed warmer for Yuwenzhang, Shen Wan'er felt it was already far too generous.
Shen Wan'er’s lips twitched, but before she could speak, Xie Zhixue continued: "It was on that day I went to pray for my father. When I was coming down the mountain, I was seized by a brute and lost my innocence. Later, when I felt unwell, the physician discovered I was pregnant. My parents, fearing for my life, took it upon themselves to send me away from the Xie Family to a remote estate. I stayed there for four years, got through the pregnancy, and gave birth to Ping'an. For the last three years, it’s just been the two of us, keeping each other company."
Xie Zhixue believed that her relationship with Shen Wan'er remained as close as ever—that they were still friends who shared everything. Even after years of separation, she felt no stranger to her. Thus, she spilled it all, needing someone to listen to her poured-out sorrows, hoping it might make her heart feel a little lighter, even if the other person could offer no help.
Shen Wan'er’s fist, hidden in her sleeve, tightened. She was so furious her teeth were chattering, yet her face remained like a blooming flower, showing no trace of anger, only concern and confusion.
"Then how did you manage to enter the Crown Prince's Estate? The Crown Prince must know about this, surely? How could he be willing to keep you in this villa? Don't you realize what people will say about him if this news gets out? This is a stain on his reputation!"
"I know," Xie Zhixue said, her face filled with shame. "But, Wan'er, the circumstances are not something I can explain in a few words."
She took Shen Wan'er’s hand again, her expression sorrowful. "Wan'er, I only have one request. Please, never repeat a word of this to anyone. Not a soul, including your brother, all right?"
"This..." Shen Wan'er shot her a quick glance, pretending to be troubled. "I don't think this is good for you. What does it even mean, staying at the Crown Prince’s Estate with no title and no status? When the Crown Prince eventually marries and takes an official wife, and the Eastern Palace has a mistress, how could she tolerate you? You can only stay here for a time, not a lifetime. My advice is that you should leave the Crown Prince's Estate as soon as possible. It would end everything once and for all, and you wouldn't have to worry about the future. Wouldn't that be better?"