Underneath A Thousand Skies ✔️

4 Favoring Qie Over Wife (4)

This world was one of those worlds that would be inevitably destroyed if they let the vengeful reincarnator run freely. Song Jia had been assigned here to take care of things and settle trivial matters. It was almost a boring job. After all, all she have to do is to manage the inner courtyard of the third prince and treat this Bai Mei Lien well.

No wonder her salary was so low.

Song Jia blinked and shielded her eyes with her hand. People in the modern age had long since surrounded themselves with computers and immersed themselves in virtual reality. The feeling of warm sunshine on her skin, the scent of fresh air...how long had she been able to walk like this without encountering a single A.I. machine that would do everything for her?

She watched her maidservants as they hastily tailed after her shadow, bringing umbrellas and other things that she might need. Well, maybe her faithful A.I.s were just replaced by real people.

As Song Jia was almost near to the koi pond, they unexpectedly crossed paths with Zhao Cheng. He was walking together with his manservant, seemingly lost in thought.

Song Jia paused in her tracks and studied this husband of hers who was going to be the emperor in the future.

He looked young, only around seventeen years old or so. But despite his young age, his tall and straight posture gave him an aura of authority. He had a classically handsome face, with fine bone structure and dark eyes that held a deep somberness. He wore a black robe, his hair held in place by a jade coronet.

His extraordinary bearing and handsome appearance were very attractive to women, causing most of them to lose their minds over him. But Song Jia only wrinkled her nose and secretly wanted to ask the prince who died for such a heavy atmosphere of doom and gloom surrounding him.

As if feeling her gaze, Zhao Cheng glanced up and their eyes met. It was unknown what he was thinking when he suddenly took a step back in surprise before freezing in place and continuing his walk.

He stopped in front of Song Jia, and Song Jia tilted her lips in greeting. Her lowered head was just bent at the right angle, neither arrogant nor servile.

"Wang ye has matters to discuss with qie [1]?" she asked, pointing out the obvious. He would not come to her courtyard if he didn't need something from her. Song Jia wondered what could be so important that it needed his personal visit.

Zhao Cheng looked slightly awkward before nodding his head. "Wang fei has guessed right, there are some matters I wish to discuss with wang fei."

Song Jia raised an eyebrow. It was impressive that he used 'I' instead of 'ben wang'. This Li Jia was really an idiot. Her husband held such deep respect for her, but she had to throw it away because of a jealous tantrum. To Song Jia, having good food and a roof above her head was enough.

But it didn't escape her notice that there was a tinge of guilt in his expression. Her smile grew wider.

"It is naturally qie's honor to be accompanied by wang ye," she said softly. "Will wang ye be having his dinner with qie tonight?"

Zhao Cheng hesitated. But thinking of the decision he had to inevitably tell her, he swallowed his discomfort and forced a smile. "If it doesn't bother wang fei too much."

Song Jia waved her hand, "Wang ye is joking, how could wang ye's presence bring anything but happiness to qie?"

She instructed one of her maidservants to go and and inform the kitchen about their additional guest. Ruolan, the maidservant she ordered, struggled to hide the joy in her heart as she rushed forward to fulfill her task. Almost two months have passed, but wang ye had not visited wang fei even once.

It could not be helped that the servants in the wangfu would gossip about this, saying that wang fei was being disliked by wang ye. But now that wang ye had gone to visit wang fei, with wang fei's beauty and gentle personality, it would not be long before wang ye would be charmed by her. Ruolan smiled from ear to ear, thinking that wang fei's quiet suffering would be finally over!

Song Jia and Zhao Cheng walked side by side, neither of them speaking a word. They looked close, but their shoulders were actually two chi apart. If the mamas and the maidservants had not personally seen the state of the conjugal bed after their wedding night, they would have thought that the passionate couple from then and the one in front of them now were two different people!

After the two passed by the main hall and entered the sitting room, Zhao Cheng signalled with his eyes for everyone to withdraw.

The servants bowed and lowered their heads as they silently left.

Song Jia picked up her cup of tea with her lips still curved into a smile, waiting for Zhao Cheng to speak first.

"Wang fei," Zhao Cheng seemed to be struggling with himself before finding a minor topic to discuss, "Have you been well these past two months?"

Song Jia's voice was sweet as she replied, "Qie is healthy and well, thanking wang ye for his concern."

She had a slight idea of what he wanted to say, but she didn't want to help him. Although she thought that Li Jia was stupid, she could slightly understand where she was coming from. This Zhao Cheng was too inexperienced in dealing with women, and would likely offend them with his thoughtless words and actions. No wonder he didn't have any concubines.

Only showing his concern now after ignoring her for the past two months? Did he not think that his constant avoidance of his new wife would endanger her position in the wangfu?

[1] 'Qie' means I/this concubine. For those who are confused, the arc title means 'Favoring Concubine Over Wife', and Song Jia refers herself as 'qie' in front of Zhao Cheng because although she is the official wife, one must always speak to their husband in an illeism of someone with a lower status.