The Tale Of Mei Xiang

第十二章 (Chapter 12)

第十二章

We didn't talk after he had placed the hairpin into my hair.

I didn't take it off either and I actually liked it a lot. The embroidery competition took place right after the award giving ceremony and I was led away from him. 4th Prince went back to his original place, his eyes never leaving me.

Since I had not bring my own equipments, it wasn't a surprise that I didn't win. It was actually extremely lucky that I had won the needle threading competition. Gorolo Lan Ni did not participate in the embroidery competition and she was nowhere to be seen.

The winner for the embroidery competition was surprisingly someone I knew. Ying yue had won by embroidering a stunning image of the meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl. The girl who took second had embroidered a surreal image of a butterfly seated on a sunflower.

I had embroidered a pair of mandarin ducks which looked just average. Embroidery was never a strong skill of mine. I had to wait for the 4th Prince to finish handing out the awards to winner before we could leave.

The awards for the embroidery competition was different. While I won a set of jewelry, Ying Yue won 3 bolts of fine Jiangnan silk that had intricate designs.

For some reason, I felt slightly uncomfortable watching the 4th Prince hand over the bolts of silk to Ying Yue. It irked me to see how he looked her in the eyes and smiled softly at her. I quickly turned away, shifting my attention to the night sky, attempting to spot any constellations in the sky.

I got lost in counting the stars and did not notice the presence by my side.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? How the stars accompany the moon in background, not over shadowing yet not hidden. Unlike the sun who covers everything with its light, not allowing others to shine with it," the 4th Prince commented and from the corner of my eyes I saw him looking towards the sky as well.

"Yes, it is indeed an magnificent view. Just seeing how the stars work together connect to provide an image to guide us in the dark. It is really one of a kind," I commented as well.

"I wish to be like the moon and have others look up without it being painful to look at," he said softly, with a hint of melancholy. "To have others accompany me on such a high pedestal."

"Alas, the light it gives is not its own and it still relies on the sun. The light it provides is under the control of the sun making some nights completely surrounded in darkness. In the end, it is just a powerless being and a mere puppet," he lamented, his choice of words containing a hidden message. "It is still better to be the Sun, completely in control of the sky."

I stopped looking at the stars and looked at him from the corner of my eyes. He still had his gaze focused on the sky, his face relaxed and his breathing slow. In that moment, I realised the loneliness that was coming from him. In a family where love is just a facade, where you have to fight to live every day, it is truly exhausting.

Slowly, he turned his face to me and a soft smile replaced his solemn look. "Its late. Would you like go home?"

A part of me wanted to stay here just a little longer, to comfort him or try to cheer him up. But another part of me was protesting in hunger. My stomach growled loudly and it caught his attention, attracting a small chuckle from him.