Sun Momo stopped talking.
The windows had already been pasted over.
Looking out from inside the room, A’Wu could see that the bed’s warm enclosure was also covered with fine window gauze.
Sunlight fell on the gauze, casting shadows onto the carved panels of the door, where the images of grasshoppers, fish, shrimp, pomegranates, and persimmons appeared lifelike.
She had already guessed Sun Momo’s thoughts, but she did not want to dwell on them.
The food in the Crown Prince’s residence was excellent, and the Crown Prince doted on her.
Naturally, she lived comfortably and wished she could stay here forever.
Every extra day she could enjoy this life was a blessing.
But—
She was well aware that her identity could not be exposed.
She had no official status and relied solely on the Crown Prince’s fleeting affection.
Moreover, she had now angered the Emperor.
The Emperor was the Crown Prince’s father, the ruler of the land.
A mere glance from him could seal her fate.
Besides, the Crown Prince’s encounter with her at the estate had never been a coincidence.
Thinking back on the circumstances, A’Wu felt uneasy.
If this matter were ever uncovered, she had no idea how it would end.
Just as she was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
Sun Momo turned her head to look and, through the half-open warm window, saw the newcomers.
A’Wu saw them too—two well-dressed maids with stern and proud expressions.
She guessed they were from the Crown Princess’s side.
Sun Momo hurriedly got up and went outside, greeting them with a smile.
The two maids gave her some instructions in a low voice, and Sun Momo nodded repeatedly.
After the maids left, Sun Momo returned to the room.
A’Wu listened to the sound of her footsteps on the steps, patiently waiting.
As expected, when Sun Momo entered, she put on a serious expression and announced, “Hurry up and get ready. You’re going to pay respects to Her Highness.”
A’Wu remained calm.
“Understood.”
She had always been delicate and weak, rarely leaving her quarters.
Lately, she had been even lazier about grooming herself.
Now that she was going to meet the Crown Princess, she could not afford to be careless.
She instructed the maids to help her dress and style her hair carefully.
However, she did not want to appear overly adorned, so she instructed them, “Keep it simple.”
Beside her, Sun Momo leaned against the window, eating melon seeds.
Occasionally, she squinted at A’Wu.
The more she looked, the more uncomfortable she felt.
A’Wu was simply too beautiful.
She was only fifteen or sixteen, yet she was already strikingly graceful and alluring.
She wore a silver-threaded blouse paired with a gauze skirt embroidered with gold.
A narrow jade-green belt cinched her waist, making her slender figure appear even more delicate and enchanting.
Her skin was like freshly fallen snow—her wrists, the nape of her neck, and her cheeks were all flawlessly white, as if sculpted from ice and jade.
Her eyes, shimmering like autumn waters, seemed to hold unshed tears, making her look pitiful and endearing.
By the time she was fully dressed, her appearance remained simple—just two small hairpins in her dark, glossy hair, with a single flower placed at an angle.
Yet even with such restraint, she was still dazzlingly beautiful, drawing attention at first glance.
Sun Momo clicked her tongue, spat out a melon seed shell, took several gulps of white cardamom water, and finally said, “Let’s go.”
A’Wu ignored her, her mind focused on the upcoming meeting with the Crown Princess.
With her hair properly arranged, she followed Sun Momo out of Huancui Courtyard, walking east along the corridor.
They passed through an archway and two separate courtyards before arriving at their destination.
Looking ahead, A’Wu saw that the courtyard was spacious, adorned with scattered rock gardens and a winding corridor that led to an upper level.
The corridor extended into the back courtyard, where bamboo, flowers, and stones were arranged with meticulous care.
Before entering the Crown Prince’s household, A’Wu had also lived a life of luxury, so she was not entirely ignorant of grandeur.
But upon seeing this courtyard, she knew that while it appeared unassuming in size, every detail was crafted with care and extravagance.
She followed behind Sun Momo as they entered.
The courtyard contained two sets of three-roomed houses in the north and south, with curved roof eaves and solid ridges.
Seven or eight young maids, all dressed in identical water-green robes, stood silently at attention on the steps.
Despite the number of people present, the courtyard was eerily quiet.
Sun Momo stopped, and A’Wu followed suit.
Sun Momo glanced at her.
“You are new here. Do not be disrespectful in front of a noble. Kneel first.”
A’Wu knew better than to resist.
She obediently said, “Yes.”
With that, she knelt before the steps.
The square bricks beneath her knees were slightly uneven, and with her thin clothing, the hard surface dug painfully into her kneecaps.
She frowned but endured it.
Sun Momo gestured to a maid at the steps, her lips moving soundlessly.
The maid understood and signaled for her to wait before entering to make the report.
Throughout the entire exchange, not a single sound was made.
It was evident that the servants had long-established discipline and tacit understanding.
Although A’Wu had yet to meet the Crown Princess, she already felt the weight of her status and how insignificant she herself was.
She lowered her eyes and remained still, waiting submissively for this noblewoman’s verdict.
The courtyard remained deathly silent.
Occasionally, faint laughter and conversation drifted from inside, suggesting that the Crown Princess had guests.
A’Wu’s knees ached from kneeling, making the wait torturous.
But with so many eyes on her, she dared not move recklessly, only shifting slightly to ease the discomfort.
In her boredom, she noticed how the main house’s window lattice gleamed under the sunlight.
Curious, she looked closer and realized that the windows were embedded with translucent shell tiles.
Growing up by the sea, she knew what these “ming tiles” were.
A neighbor’s brother had once made a living crafting them.
Ming tiles were made from shells through an intricate and laborious process, carefully polished until they became smooth and translucent.
They were expensive, far beyond what ordinary households could afford.
To A’Wu, they had always been something to sell for money in order to survive.
Now, for the first time, she saw someone using them as window decorations.
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