Lin Feilu’s righteous appearance amused Song Jinglan as he stretched out his palm and gently patted the top of her head, “Okay, I see.”
Tiandong heard the commotion and turned around only to see two people sitting on the wall.
He picked up the chopped firewood and walked to the side, muttering as he walked, “Finding a new spot every time you want to eat some popsicles; with the amount you eat, this yard won’t be enough to accommodate you guys.”
Lin Feilu threw the finished popsicle stick towards him as a dart, “I heard that!”
Tiandong ran away in a hurry.
She snorted and grabbed the corner of Song Jinglan’s clothes to wipe her hands, but to no avail— she found them still very sticky even after she tried to wipe them off. Seeing her little face full of displeasure, Song Jinglan jumped off the wall, wet the handkerchief with some water, and brought it over to wipe her hands.
Lin Feilu was satisfied with that.
She asked him, “Your Highness, when will you return to your country?”
He couldn’t stay here forever.
Song Jinglan squinted as he looked at the bamboo forest. With an inexplicable smile audible from his tone, he spoke, “It’s about time.”
Lin Feilu nodded.
She didn’t know anything about the procedures that would be required for him to return to his country. If Emperor Lin wouldn’t let him go, she would have to find a way to help him.
Due to the Crown Prince’s wedding preparations, this year’s summer trip to the palace was canceled. Lin Feilu couldn’t stand the heat, so she heard that there was a manor outside the palace dedicated to those who wanted to escape the summer heat. It was only open to dignitaries and royals, so she often slipped out to play as she stayed there for a day.
The summer resort was called Purple Jade Forest. The floor was paved with jade, and the courtyard was full of purple bamboo, which gave it a luxurious vibe. Lin Feilu went there a few times and found that the cooling air from the courtyard was emitting from under the jade ground. After inquiring about it, she found out that the entire courtyard was built on an ice cellar, similar to the principle of heated floors.
No wonder it felt so refreshingly cool.
After hearing this, Lin Feilu had only one thought in mind: the wealthy people in ancient times really did whatever they wanted.
At first, the owner of the courtyard didn’t know about her identity and merely thought she was just a daughter of a wealthy family. Although she was politely entertained, the owner didn’t take her too seriously either. It wasn’t until Lin Feilu bumped into Ran Ye, the son of the Imperial Clerk who was also spending his summer vacation there, that her identity became known.
Ran Ye also studied in the Imperial School for a while. Naturally, he recognized the Fifth Princess, so he greeted her. One by one, his group of friends he hung out with also followed his example and greeted Lin Feilu. After that, the owner of the courtyard found out that this frequent visitor was actually a Princess of the royal family, so she hurriedly used the best room in the garden for Lin Feilu’s exclusive use and treated her with the utmost respect.
Ran Ye knew that the Fifth Princess often came here to escape the summer heat, so every time he went to the Purple Jade Forest, he would always find her just to give her his greetings. Lin Feilu would always idle around whenever she was there. Sometimes, Ran Ye would ask her if she wanted to play with him and his friends, which she would usually accept.
She just arrived at the Purple Jade Forest and sat down to eat a bunch of iced grapes when she heard Ran Ye’s voice echoing from outside, “Fifth Princess, a few days ago, the others got a parrot that knows more than ten words. Would you like to come and see it?”
Lin Feilu said, “Okay.”