Chapter 57: Consolation — “Shouldn’t You Comfort Me?”
Liu Hexiao looked directly into Liu Hening’s eyes and said, “Elder Sister, please don’t ask anymore.”
Liu Hening’s expression showed a trace of unease.
Liu Hexiao continued, “When you return, make sure to tell him that I will never see eye to eye with Father. It’s impossible for me to let him manipulate me.”
It seemed that Liu Hening had realized something, and her brows furrowed deeply. “Ah-Xiao, he’s ruthless and calculating. Elder Sister is worried—”
Liu Hexiao interrupted her, “Elder Sister… shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself instead?”
As he spoke, his gaze fell briefly on Liu Hening’s wrist.
On her pale, slender wrist, faint traces of bruises were visible.
Liu Hening recoiled as if shocked by electricity, pulling her hand back quickly. Her face turned pale, and she murmured softly, “When did… you notice this?”
Liu Hexiao’s eyes held a tinge of pain as he looked at her. “I planted people in your palace to ensure your safety… I didn’t expect…”
Liu Hening turned her head away, tears shimmering in her eyes, her expression filled with humiliation.
Outwardly, she was the daughter of Prince Qi, an esteemed noble and an Imperial Consort personally conferred by the Emperor. In less than four years in the palace, she had even given birth to a royal prince, earning the envy of many.
But in truth, every time Emperor Li Ze got drunk, he would vent his frustrations on her—sometimes verbally abusing her, other times physically assaulting her.
Particularly after arguments with Prince Qi and the military commanders, Liu Hening became his punching bag.
Fearing that her father’s disagreements with the Emperor might deepen, she endured in silence. Little did she know that Liu Hexiao’s spies had uncovered the truth.
Liu Hexiao’s expression was calm, but his knuckles turned white as his fingers tightened slightly.
“When I first received the report, I didn’t believe it. But seeing you today… it has only solidified my resolve.”
Liu Hening’s face turned melancholic, and her voice trembled as she said, “But Ah-Xiao, if he discovers you’re pretending to be loyal—”
Liu Hexiao cut her off, “That has nothing to do with Prince Qi Manor. After all, I’ve already been expelled from the family.”
—
Meanwhile, Yihuan and Ah-Miao reached the end of Changming Street, only to find several intimidating figures standing outside the dessert shop.
Yihuan approached, confused, noticing that a few of the individuals carried sharp blades, clearly not ordinary citizens.
Inside the shop, Qing Nu sat cautiously, stiff as a board, too afraid to move.
Yihuan walked up to the shop’s entrance but was stopped by a burly man holding a blade. “Who goes there!?” he barked.
Yihuan froze for a moment and replied, “I’m the manager of Shengjing Dessert Shop. May I ask who you are, sir?”
The man was momentarily surprised. After exchanging a glance with his companion and sizing Yihuan up, he said, “Go in.”
Yihuan found the situation odd but decided not to provoke the men, who clearly looked like trouble.
She grabbed Ah-Miao’s hand and entered the shop. Qing Nu immediately came forward to greet her.
“Miss Yihuan, you’re finally back!” Qing Nu let out a long sigh of relief.
Yihuan frowned slightly. “Who are these people outside? Why are they guarding our shop?”
Qing Nu lowered his voice. “I’m not sure who they are… but they’re here for the Shizi.” He gestured toward the back of the shop. “Not only are they guarding the entrance, but there are also people in the backyard. It seems like someone… very important has arrived.”
Yihuan nodded slightly. “Did you get a look at who it was?”
Qing Nu thought for a moment and replied, “Not really… The lady was completely veiled. Judging by her figure, though, she should be a young beauty.”
Hearing this, Qing Nu’s face turned slightly awkward, recalling how he had been scolded earlier for peeking at the mysterious lady.
Yihuan’s expression changed subtly. A young… beauty?
Ah-Miao blurted out without thinking, “Could it be some noble lady, here to rescue the Shizi after hearing he’s fallen on hard times?”
Yihuan’s lips twitched, and she forced out a terse reply, “Let him do as he pleases, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our business.”
Qing Nu noticed her displeasure and quickly shot Ah-Miao a warning glance.
Ah-Miao immediately fell silent.
Yihuan kept a stiff expression as she walked behind the counter and busied herself tidying up the dishes.
Grabbing a cleaning cloth, she glanced at it and asked, “Qing Nu, why haven’t you washed this cloth?”
Qing Nu froze, then quickly said, “I’ll wash it right away!”
Yihuan opened the cupboard and examined the milk tea. “Ah-Miao, did you get the proportions wrong today? Why does it look so thick?”
Ah-Miao looked puzzled. “Didn’t you say yesterday that the milk tea should be brewed thicker? The customers seemed to like it better that way.”
Yihuan’s face stiffened. “Today is hotter than yesterday. If it’s too thick, it won’t be refreshing enough to drink.”
“Oh!” Ah-Miao quickly grabbed the pot of milk tea and took it away to make adjustments.
Feeling restless, Yihuan noticed that the dishes were stacked unevenly. Irritated, she began sorting them by size, aligning them neatly one by one.
Ah-Miao, standing nearby, observed silently. She leaned toward Qing Nu and whispered, “What’s wrong with Miss? She seems… different.”
Miss Yihuan was usually cheerful and always greeted everyone with a smile. She had been fine just earlier on their way back, but now it seemed as though nothing could please her.
Qing Nu chuckled and replied, “A woman’s heart is as unfathomable as the depths of the ocean.”
Ah-Miao tilted her head in confusion. “What does that mean?”
Qing Nu glanced at her, thinking to himself how adorably naïve this girl was.
He simply dropped a cryptic remark: “Miss Yihuan is probably just like you—she doesn’t know what she wants either.”
Leaving Ah-Miao puzzled, Qing Nu turned away to wipe down the tables.
A quarter of an hour later, the burly guards stationed at the front of the dessert shop finally began to move, gathering around the luxurious carriage parked outside.
Curious, Ah-Miao crept closer for a better look. But as soon as one of the guards turned back and glared at her, she jumped in fright and retreated hurriedly.
Yihuan noticed Ah-Miao returning with her head hanging low. She asked casually, “What did you see?”
Ah-Miao shook her head and replied, “I only caught a glimpse of a hem of a skirt.”
Yihuan fell silent for a moment. Then, raising her eyes, she watched as the ornate carriage slowly rolled out of the alley.
When it passed Shengjing Dessert Shop, a pale, slender hand reached out from inside the carriage and gently lifted the curtain. Half of a radiant face was revealed within.
Yihuan froze at the sight.
Liu Hening’s expression was complicated as she glanced at Yihuan. Then, she lowered the curtain and softly commanded, “Let’s go.”
The carriage left Changming Street at a slow pace, vanishing into the distance before long.
Yihuan stood motionless, her thoughts unsettled. Without a word, she went upstairs by herself.
In the small kitchen on the second floor, the air was stuffy. Yihuan silently sat by the window.
From the window, she could see Lin Yiran playing alone in the backyard.
For some reason, her heart felt inexplicably sour and bitter.
Whenever she was upset, her favorite thing to do was make food.
Yihuan stood up and rummaged around the small kitchen. She found a few passion fruits.
She ran her fingers lightly over the rough outer skin of the fruits before rinsing them carefully under the water.
Taking a knife, she cut the passion fruits in half. Each fruit, unsuspecting of its fate, was swiftly split into hemispheres.
Using a small spoon, Yihuan scooped out the translucent, yellow pulp and seeds, letting the sticky juice drip into a water jug below.
The pulp was soft and slippery, with a rich and tangy scent that filled the air.
Once she had processed all the passion fruits, she decided it wasn’t enough. She grabbed two small limes, sliced them open, and squeezed them firmly with her fingers.
The tart lime juice joined the passion fruit pulp in the jug, blending together seamlessly.
The tangy mixture smelled overwhelmingly sour, so Yihuan grabbed a handful of rock sugar and melted it into syrup over the fire. Once ready, she poured the syrup into the jug as well.
Pausing for a moment, Yihuan found herself unsure of what she was doing. Her eyes fell on a tin of green tea leaves nearby.
This green tea was Liu Hexiao’s favorite. Ever since he had left his family estate, he often lamented that the teas here weren’t good enough—except for this particular green tea, which he reluctantly found acceptable.
Feeling a flicker of irritation, Yihuan opened the tin, scooped out a generous handful of tea leaves, and tossed them into a pot.
Her experiment was beginning to resemble a passion fruit tea drink. Deciding to commit to the idea, she dug out a few jasmine and osmanthus blossoms, dried from her previous wine-brewing attempts, and added them to the pot of boiling tea.
The jasmine flowers softened the tea’s initial bitterness, and Yihuan stirred the brew with a spoon.
After a while, the fragrance of jasmine began to dominate, masking the green tea’s bitterness. She tasted a spoonful and nodded in satisfaction—finally, it had the flavor of a proper jasmine green tea.
She poured the tea into a teapot and let it cool in a basin of water.
The tea was still slightly warm, so she retrieved some crushed ice from the ice cellar and placed it into the basin. Under the assault of the icy water, the tea quickly cooled.
Finally, Yihuan poured the chilled jasmine tea into the jug with the passion fruit mixture. As the tea flowed in, it churned the previously still passion fruit pulp and syrup into motion.
The black passion fruit seeds floated in the tea, lively and animated. The syrup, which had been clinging to the pulp, dispersed and blended with the jasmine tea’s slight bitterness.
Picking up the jug, Yihuan shook it with effort, causing the ingredients to tumble around cheerfully inside.
After checking the lid, she gave it another shake.
The jug was large and cumbersome, unlike the modern cocktail shakers she had used before. It took both hands to grip it firmly, and shaking it evenly was hard work.
Soon, beads of sweat formed on Yihuan’s forehead, and her cheeks flushed from the effort.
She set the jug down and sighed softly, only to hear a light chuckle from behind her.
Startled, she turned around.
Leaning against the doorframe, Liu Hexiao stood there in his jade-colored robes, exuding elegance and charm.
Watching her struggle, his eyes curved into a teasing smile. “Do you need my help?”
Yihuan turned her face away. “No.”
Liu Hexiao raised an eyebrow at her cold demeanor, puzzled. “What’s wrong? Who upset you?”
Yihuan glanced at him briefly but said nothing, her expression remaining indifferent.
Liu Hexiao’s brows furrowed slightly as realization dawned on him. “Wait a minute… don’t tell me I’m the one who upset you?”
Yihuan continued focusing on her drink, ignoring him entirely.
Seeing this, Liu Hexiao sighed and stepped closer. “My dear Miss Yihuan, shouldn’t I be the one sulking here? After what you did to me last night…”
Yihuan’s lips tightened slightly, but she still said nothing.
Leaning in closer, Liu Hexiao gazed at her with a soft smile. His voice lowered as he said, “I’m feeling so heartbroken… shouldn’t you comfort me?”
Translator’s Note:- Next chapters will be uploaded day after tomorrow. Enjoy!!
Passion fruit drink :
