Lin Qing nodded slightly. Seeing that the two were standing upright, safe and sound, the uneasiness between his clean-cut eyebrows and eyes slowly disappeared. Lin Feilu had heard rumors about this prince before. Everyone praised him for his model behavior: gentle, courteous, humble, modest and studious — it was no wonder he was greatly favored by Emperor Lin.
Looking at him in person now, it would seem that the rumors were true. Although he was the crown prince and carried himself with an air of nobility, his gestures were very elegant and courteous. There was no arrogance in his eyes, unlike the way most nobles do when they look down on those beneath their stature. However, as he looked at others, she could feel his eyes were a little too intense. It was as if he was hiding many thoughts in them, while maintaining a composure that did not fit his age.
Lin Feilu copied Xi Xingjiang’s movements and obediently bowed before him as well. She spoke in a clear voice, “Fifth Sister greets His Royal Highness.”
(T/N: Lin Feilu is referring to herself in third-person here. This is a common way to refer to oneself while appealing as a harmless junior to the other party. However, this usually only works in favour of children, as referring to yourself in third-person is seen as childish.)
Just as Lin Feilu had studied Lin Qing’s appearance, so did he. This little girl was fair-skinned, with rosy red cheeks, healthy pink lips and pearly white teeth. Her eyes were twinkling with enthusiasm. When she smiled, dimples would faintly appear on her face. Overall, she was a lovely child.
Seeing that Lin Feilu was brought by Xi Xingjiang, he could not help but to ask, “Xingjiang, is this your sister?”
Xi Xingjiang looked at him like he had seen a ghost, “What? Your Highness doesn’t even recognize your own sister?”
Lin Qing was taken aback, then he looked back at Lin Feilu. He went quiet as if he was thinking deeply, then shook his head and smiled, “You do look somewhat familiar, are you my Fifth Imperial Sister?”
Lin Feilu obediently responded, “That’s right.”
Xi Xingjiang crossed his arms and stood beside him as he sneered, “Your Highness has such a cute little sister, yet you did not know about her until now. I’m so envious. If I had such a sister, I would definitely hug and play ‘catch’ with her every day.”
(T/N: By ‘catch’, he literally wanted to toss her up and down in the air, just like how adults would do to a baby.)
Lin Feilu: “…”
Lin Qing: “…”
This guy is so obnoxious.
Fortunately, he did not continue this topic. Instead, he turned his head to look at the target board with many arrows stuck to it. He asked Lin Qing, “It’s so cold outside today. Why did Your Highness come here alone to practice horseback archery?”
Lin Qing smiled slightly, “The weather may be cold, but I dare not to neglect my training.”
Xi Xingjiang grinned, “I bet you just want to secretly hone your skills and place first in the upcoming spring hunt. Isn’t that right?”
Lin Qing’s eyes were frigid for a moment, then they quickly returned to normal. He looked down and smiled, “Xingjiang, you make such funny jokes.”
Lin Feilu suddenly felt that if Lin Qing became the ruler and Xi Xingjiang became one of his vassals, it was highly likely that it would not take very long for Lin Qing to decide to chop off his head.
It looked like Xi Xingjiang had more to say, so Lin Feilu receded inside her cloak and sneezed a little, which interrupted their conversation. Looking at her, Lin Qing asked, “Fifth Sister, did you catch a cold?” He could not help but to ask Xi Xingjiang, “The weather is cold, why did you bring her here? This place is windier than the other parts of the palace.”
Xi Xingjiang replied, “I brought her here to see my horse. Also to teach her horseback riding and archery.”