The farther south they traveled, the less snow they encountered, but the rain became more frequent. By the afternoon, it began to drizzle lightly and continued into the evening without pause.
Meals were typically taken separately in their rooms. After serving Murong Jing He his meal, Qing Yan returned to his room and found it already occupied. As he opened the door, he immediately noticed a steaming hot pot on the table, accompanied by several plates of common side dishes.
"Finally, the head steward is back!" Yue Qin's cheerful voice rang out first, and then his face appeared as he grabbed Qing Yan and pulled him toward the table. "Come on, I'm starving!" he exclaimed, kicking the door shut without looking back.
Mei Lin was smiling as she set out bowls and chopsticks for everyone, while Corpse Ghost, who had been serving rice, froze when he saw Qing Yan. He seemed nervous and unsure, fearing he might be scolded for entering Qing Yan's room without permission.
Qing Yan had never expected anyone to be waiting for him when he returned. The room was usually cold and empty, a solitude he had grown accustomed to. But now, an unfamiliar warmth seemed to spread through his chest, making his nose tingle slightly.
Noticing Qing Yan's unusual expression, Corpse Ghost fumbled awkwardly, setting down the rice and hesitantly stepping forward, yet too afraid to approach.
"It feels so lonely eating alone," Yue Qin said, oblivious to the tension between the others as he enthusiastically explained. He was initially quite afraid of Qing Yan, who usually kept his emotions hidden and often looked down on people with a haughty gaze. But due to his relationship with Mei Lin, Yue Qin had grown more comfortable around him. "I love it when there's a crowd. The more, the merrier! Please don't be angry, big brother steward. It was my idea, and I dragged Corpse Ghost here too." Yue Qin had first gone to find Mei Lin to eat together, and she had suggested that since Qing Yan's food might be cold by the time he returned, they should all share a hot pot. Yue Qin had then roped Corpse Ghost into joining them.
The sternness on Qing Yan's face faded, replaced by a faint smile. "This is quite nice. It's been years since I've had a meal with others." He said, sitting down next to Mei Lin and taking the chopsticks she handed him, then placing a few pieces of tofu into the pot.
Seeing this, Corpse Ghost relaxed as well. He served the rice with both hands, offering it to Qing Yan respectfully.
Qing Yan accepted the rice and, after a moment of thought, said, "You're not one of my subordinates. There's no need to be so formal."
"That's right, big brother Ghost! If you act so stiff, the food won't taste as good," Yue Qin teased, grinning.
Corpse Ghost blushed, murmuring a few words before relaxing a bit, though not as much as at the start. Mei Lin, noticing the slight blush on Qing Yan's ears, couldn't help but smile inwardly. She didn’t fully understand how these two had come to be close, but if they were sincere, then it was a good thing.
Yue Qin was an orphan. After Corpse Ghost delivered the message to the prince's residence, Qing Yan had sent people to investigate his background and discovered that his parents were dead and his wife had remarried long ago. In a way, all four of them were lonely souls with different backgrounds and statuses, but gathered together now, they felt no sense of dissonance.
Mei Lin couldn’t speak, Qing Yan had long developed the habit of remaining silent during meals, and Corpse Ghost was naturally quiet and reserved. So it was just Yue Qin who kept chattering away, filling the room with lively conversation.
They were in the midst of enjoying their meal when there was a sudden knock on the door. The next moment, it was pushed open.
"Qing Yan..." Murong Jing He called out, but he stopped abruptly upon seeing the scene inside the room.
At that moment, Mei Lin was serving fish to Qing Yan, while Yue Qin was piling meat onto Corpse Ghost's plate, who was trying to avoid the food without seeming rude. All of them froze when they saw Murong Jing He.
Qing Yan was the first to recover, hurriedly setting down his chopsticks and standing up, subtly positioning himself to shield Mei Lin.
"Your Highness," he said, a bit puzzled. This was his mealtime, and he wondered what could be so urgent that it required the prince to personally come looking for him. Even so, he prepared to leave without hesitation.
However, Murong Jing He stepped further into the room.
"Finish your meal first," he said, walking over to sit on Qing Yan's bed. There were no extra chairs in the room, so the bed was the only place to sit.
The others finally snapped out of their daze and quickly stood up.
Murong Jing He gestured for them to continue and not to mind him. But how could they remain at ease with such a presence in the room? The atmosphere grew tense, even Yue Qin fell silent, only occasionally adding food to the increasingly uneasy Corpse Ghost's bowl while quickly finishing his own meal.
Mei Lin, sitting with her back to the bed, felt the tension most acutely. It was as if she were being roasted by flames, unable to sit still or swallow her food.
After a while, Qing Yan could no longer stand the strain. He set down his chopsticks and, ignoring the puzzled looks from the others, turned to Murong Jing He, who was leisurely sipping tea and watching them.
"I'm finished. The rest of you can finish up and go rest. Leave the cleanup," he said softly to Mei Lin, his voice filled with reassurance. Then he stood up and said, "Your Highness, shall we speak outside?"
"No need, we can talk here just the same," Murong Jing He replied, remaining seated with no intention of moving, his eyes flashing with a hint of anger.
Qing Yan realized that his earlier actions had displeased the prince, but he couldn't deny that he had done it on purpose. He glanced at Mei Lin, who had been avoiding eye contact and had not smiled since the prince entered, and sighed inwardly, feeling helpless. He could only stand in front of her to block Murong Jing He's gaze.
Murong Jing He let out a faint, mocking smile. He understood Qing Yan's intention perfectly but chose not to comment. Instead, he said coolly, "Starting tomorrow, you will all eat in the main hall. I won't have anyone saying that I neglect my servants."
Qing Yan nodded in acknowledgment, wondering if the prince had really come all this way just to say that. He thought to himself, Your Highness, aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill?
Yue Qin, looking at Mei Lin’s tense expression and Corpse Ghost’s awkward demeanor, couldn’t resist speaking up, despite his usual tendency to talk too much. "Your Highness, does that mean we’ll be dining with you?" He had learned some etiquette in the past few days, but his upbringing in the wild meant that his sense of hierarchy wasn’t as ingrained. He admired and respected Murong Jing He more than he feared him.
Qing Yan frowned slightly, ready to scold Yue Qin for his lack of decorum, but to his surprise, Murong Jing He laughed.
"Why not? Starting tomorrow, you can all dine with me."
Yue Qin was stunned. Seeing Mei Lin’s tightly pressed lips, he felt a wave of regret, wishing he could slap himself. But it was too late to take back his words now.
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