Late spring willow catkins clung to the moon gate of the Marquis's Mansion like a dusting of light snow. Jiang Wan stood under a pear tree, clutching a round silk fan, watching Zhao Er limp toward her, leaning on his cane. Grass clippings, still wet with morning dew, clung to his hem—the man had indeed gone to the West City Bamboo Grove at dawn, just as she had expected.
"Miss Jiang." As Zhao Er looked up, his face wore a look of perfectly calibrated distress. "The doctor said yesterday that if my leg is to heal completely, I require a month of quiet recuperation..."
"Are you hoping to stay at the Marquis's Mansion to recover?" Jiang Wan interrupted, her fingertips gently fiddling with the jade bead on her fan’s tassel. The bead was a gift from the Crown Prince; she let it catch the sunlight, making sure Zhao Er saw it clearly.
Chapter 65