The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Osmanthus Cake

The sunlight in autumn didn’t warm people up like it did in spring.
Pei Lingyi leaned against the half-open window, resting on a couch, and could see the entire small courtyard from her vantage point.
In front of her was an unfinished game of Go, where the black and white stones seemed to be in opposition, but in reality, the white stones had already surrounded the black ones, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
As she gazed out the window, Pei Lingyi’s thoughts began to wander.

The empress in the palace didn’t have any sons, only a eldest princess, Zhaoren, who had married three years ago. The crown prince’s birth mother was Imperial Concubine Hui, Imperial Concubine Hui was weak and not favored by the emperor. She passed away a few years after giving birth to the crown prince.
Later, the crown prince was raised by the empress. In the 20th year of the Jiawu reign, the emperor formally appointed the second prince as the crown prince, and he took up his residence in the East Palace.

Since the Pei family didn’t have any female relatives in the palace, it was difficult for her to get close to the crown prince. Therefore, everything had to be done slowly and carefully. And County Lord Changle was her only way to approach the crown prince.
The door was pushed open, and Luoxu walked in respectfully. “Miss, the tasks you assigned to us have been completed.”

“Good, you can go now,” Pei Lingyi took a sip of tea, which was the finest Yunwu tea, a rare and precious tribute tea that only the Pei family could use because of their favor in the imperial court.

She had asked Luoxu to send the wine brewed in the past few days and the freshly steamed osmanthus cakes to the princess’s mansion. She had casually mentioned the crown prince to Changle before, and then pretended to be discovered, which made it seem like she was a boudoir lady who admired the crown prince.
Changle, thinking she had discovered her friend’s secret, took it upon herself to help her, gathering detailed information about the crown prince’s daily preferences.

The crown prince loved sweets, so she put a lot of effort into making delicious treats.
In spring, there were peach blossom pastries; in summer, there were lychee drinks; in autumn, there were osmanthus cakes; and in winter, there were pear soups.

Only Changle could deliver these treats to the crown prince’s hands.
She used Changle as a means to get close to the crown prince, but she didn’t reveal her true identity. She pretended that the treats were made for Changle, and it was none of her business who Changle wanted to give them to.
As time went on, she and the crown prince had more interactions, and they gradually developed a habit. Every day, she would attach a note with a few poetic words to the food box she sent to the crown prince.
Over time, they maintained a balanced relationship.
In Changle’s eyes, Pei Lingyi was her best friend. If Pei Lingyi became her sister-in-law, she would be happy.

As for what the crown prince thought, whether he saw her as a sister like Changle or a potential wife, it didn’t matter.
What mattered was that he had Pei Lingyi in his heart.

After all, among the current princes, except for the eldest prince who was already married, the others didn’t have official consorts. The crown prince valued filial piety, and if he didn’t have a preference for a particular lady, his marriage would naturally be decided by the empress.

On the other side, in the East Palace.
A palace servant knocked on the door of the study with a food box: “Crown Prince, County Lord Changle sent some food.”
“Come in,” a gentle and refined voice replied, like a modest gentleman. The servant pushed open the door, and the room was quiet and deep, with a faint scent of ink.

The bookshelves were filled with neatly arranged books, and behind the desk sat a handsome man, dressed in simple white robes that shone in the sunlight. The writing desk was tidy, with pens, ink, and paper neatly arranged.
“You shouldn’t overwork, Crown Prince. Why don’t you eat something first?”
County Lord Changle would often send food, so the servants weren’t surprised.

Xiao Huaijin rubbed his temples: “I know, you can go now.”
After the servant left, he opened the food box, which contained a small plate of osmanthus cake and a jar of chrysanthemum wine.

Xiao Huaijin didn’t eat immediately. Instead, he carefully lifted the osmanthus cake and found a paper note at the bottom of the box. The note read: “July’s fiery heat, gifted to you with autumn’s window.”
The handwriting was elegant and clearly written by a woman.
Xiao Huaijin carefully removed the note and placed it in a book on the shelf. The book already had many similar notes, covering a small portion of the pages.

After placing the note, he took a bite of the osmanthus cake, and the sweet aroma filled his mouth. The cake was sweet and delicious, with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers.

It still tasted the same as before.
After being adopted by the empress, his status rose rapidly. Princess Zhaoren treated him like a younger brother, and County Lord Changle, who was still a child at the time, would always cling to him.
Among the many brothers and sisters in the palace, he treated everyone with kindness and warmth.

Although Princess Rouan was also lively and active, she was still a princess, and it was said that Li Zhaoyi, her mother, intended to discipline her. Gradually, she stopped being clingy to him.
But County Lord Changle didn’t need to compete for attention. As the only daughter of the Eldest Princess, she was pampered and doted upon from a young age. She didn’t need to vie for affection like Princess Rouan, so she got along well with her brothers and sisters in the palace.

One day, she secretly handed him a food box, saying that the contents were definitely delicious and unforgettable.
At first, he thought that the princess’s mansion had hired a new chef and was sending him food to try.
However, as time passed, the pastries in the food box were never repeated, and they were all exquisitely made. He knew County Lord Changle well enough to know that she wouldn’t have the patience to do such things.

So he asked her directly, but she hesitated and refused to say, only mentioning that it was a lady who admired him. Indeed, he had suspected as much. As the crown prince, he knew his boundaries, and such behavior was improper.
He didn’t investigate the lady’s identity. Instead, he wrote a note the next time the food box was sent, asking her to stop sending food. But the lady didn’t give up. She sent another food box with a note attached, sharing the origins of the food and sometimes writing about her recent mood or favorite quotes from books.

Although he refused several times, he couldn’t resist her efforts. He would receive the notes and keep them.
However, he wasn’t someone who would take without giving back. Whenever he received rewards from the palace, such as tea, fruit, or other good things, he would put them in the food box, preparing two portions: one for County Lord Changle and one for her.

He never investigated her identity or asked County Lord Changle about it, not wanting to put her in a difficult position.
Besides Pei’s Mansion Miss, he couldn’t think of anyone else who she would willingly help.
Thus, they maintained a platonic relationship, never taking it further.

Although Xiao Huaijin was the crown prince, he never had an air of superiority. He was gentle, refined, and kind to others. Naturally, he cherished food and never wasted it.
He finished the small plate of osmanthus cake without leaving a single crumb. However, the sweet taste couldn’t dispel the worry in his heart.

He thought about the previous day’s court meeting, where several officials requested that his father, the emperor, appoint his Crown Princess as soon as possible.

He also thought about his Empress mother’s recent efforts to introduce him to noble ladies. He knew that his marriage was never solely his decision.
Thinking of this, Xiao Huaijin lowered his gaze, and his long eyelashes veiled the emotions in his eyes. All his thoughts eventually turned into a sigh.