Only after a while did Long Xiyue's gentle, mellow voice come from the study. "Let him in."
Zijuan answered, gave Hu Xiaotian a meaningful look, then whispered, "The princess is kind and generous. She treats us very well, so you needn't worry."
Hu Xiaotian laughed inwardly. What do I have to worry about? Princess Anping treats me better than you could possibly know. "Thank you, Sister Zijuan," he whispered, then pushed open the door and entered.
Long Xiyue had been painting at her desk. Hearing the door, she gently set her brush on its rest.
Hu Xiaotian entered and closed the door behind him. "Your servant Hu Xiaotian pays his respects to Your Highness! May Your Highness live a thousand, thousand years! Your servant kowtows before you!" His voice thundered, but he made no move whatsoever. His smiling eyes rested on Long Xiyue, overflowing with tender affection. The pavilion nearest the water caught the moonlight first; at last, his opportunity had arrived.
Under his gaze, Long Xiyue's lovely face flushed, and warmth filled her heart. Her long, dark lashes lowered, trembling faintly like butterfly wings. "Rise," she said softly, though Hu Xiaotian had never knelt in the first place.
Hu Xiaotian placed the basket of fruit on the tea table and glanced at her painting. It was a landscape, and on closer inspection, it seemed to depict the Jade Pool and Ethereal Mountain within the Imperial Palace. "Your Highness paints beautifully."
Long Xiyue smiled demurely. "I was bored and merely dabbling. Please don't laugh at me, Eunuch Hu."
Hu Xiaotian recalled what Yutong had told him: for his sake, Long Xiyue had swallowed her pride and used the painting Wen Boyuan had given her to threaten Wen Chenghuan. A wave of gratitude stirred within him. "Thank you for all the