nucmednet Chapter 411 Ayina's Unsuccessful Confession
Chapter 411 Ayina's Unsuccessful Confession
The candlelight in the banquet hall gradually died down, the wax dripping from the gilded candlesticks forming winding amber patterns. Most people had left, leaving only a few to chat for a while. Ayina clutched the hem of her silver-embroidered skirt, listening to the sounds of maids clearing away cups and saucers outside the corridor, her nails digging into her palms. At the banquet, she had specially changed into her most magnificent peacock feather-patterned gown, adorned with thirty-six pearls that tinkled softly as they spun, yet she had failed to attract Gu Wenlin's attention.
Nazai from Brunei merely danced casually. Even though she was Brunei's most beautiful woman, her casual dance still drew frequent nods from the Prince of Da Xia Lin. Ayina bit her lower lip, recalling how her skirt had brushed against Gu Wenlin's desk as she twirled on the dance floor, causing the wind to stir the Xuan paper beside him, yet he hadn't even looked up.
Only after the last palace lantern was taken down by the guards did Ayina abruptly lift her skirt and rush out of the palace gate. The night wind, carrying desert sand, stung her face, but she was oblivious. Her eyes frantically searched the corridors for that dark figure; he had just been talking to his brother, Ouyang Lie. Finally, he finished speaking and was about to leave. Catching a glimpse of Gu Wenlin's back at the moon gate, she almost stumbled over, her slender fingers gripping his wide sleeve tightly: "Prince Lin!"
Gu Wenlin paused, the jade pendants at his waist clinking together. As he turned, Ayina saw that the warm fragrance of the banquet hall still lingered on his brows, but the corners of his eyes were covered with the frost unique to the desert. This youngest prince of the Great Xia Dynasty wore a dark-patterned python robe, the gold-embroidered sea and cliff patterns gleaming coldly in the moonlight, which complemented his aloof expression.
Ayina hurriedly asked, "Was my dance not good?"
“Princess Ayina is like a fluttering butterfly, naturally she dances very well!” Gu Wenlin’s voice was like jade scorched by the desert, warm yet carrying an undeniable sense of distance. He lowered his head slightly, gesturing to the sleeve that was being tugged, but Ayina gripped it even tighter, the golden bells in her hair jingling with the movement.
"Then why don't you even look at me?" Ayina tilted her head back, the moonlight gilding her silhouette with a silvery edge. She remembered how she had practiced the Sogdian Whirlwind Dance for three whole years in search of a suitable husband, spinning under the scorching sun until she was dizzy, her ankles bleeding from the copper bells, yet she never stopped. Now, she feared no one could dance it better than her. At this moment, her heart was filled with resentment, which transformed into a stubborn question, and even her eyes welled up with tears.
Gu Wenlin's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at the crooked peacock hairpin in Ayina's hair. He suddenly recalled how, in the dance floor earlier, the girl's toes lightly touched the glazed tiles, and the way her skirt billowed out did indeed resemble a blue butterfly flitting across a desert oasis. But at that time, he was thinking about something, which forced him to divert his attention.
"I watched it, I watched the whole thing, it was amazing." Gu Wenlin subtly pulled his sleeve back, raising his hand to support Ayina as if afraid she might fall from the effort. This gesture, however, was misunderstood by Ayina. She took a half step back, her almond-shaped eyes wide: "You're lying! Didn't you see it with your own eyes!"
The night breeze stirred the gauze curtains under the eaves, casting dappled shadows between the two. Gu Wenlin gazed at Ayina's flushed cheeks and suddenly felt that this princess, raised on the grasslands, resembled a lion cub whose prey had been stolen. He sighed softly, "Princess, you misunderstand. I was just thinking about something, a little lost in thought."
"So in your eyes, those boring things are more important than living people?" Ayina's voice was trembling with tears. She remembered that at the banquet, every glance and every turn of her body was meant to convey her feelings to Gu Wenlin, but he seemed to be separated from her by a layer of mist, and he never came close.
Gu Wenlin remained silent for a moment, his gaze somewhat indifferent. Romantic love was, to him, nothing more than unimportant matters. "The princess's dance was the most graceful I've ever seen." He paused, "but..."
"But what?" Ayina suddenly burst into laughter through her tears. She took a step forward, the pearls on her skirt brushing against Gu Wenlin's python-patterned boots. "Does Prince Lin think I have only dance skills but no literary talent?" Before the other party could answer, she had already pulled out a roll of plain silk from her sleeve. "This is a poem I wrote last night, using the rules of your Great Xia."
Under the moonlight, the handwriting on the plain silk was delicate yet carried the free spirit of the people of the grasslands. Gu Wenlin took it and examined it closely. The opening lines were, "A lone plume of smoke rises straight from the desert, a Hu woman comes treading on the moon." He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly. Seeing his surprised expression, Ayina was secretly delighted and continued, "I can also calculate celestial phenomena and recite the 'Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art.' If you don't believe me, I can prove it to you right now!"
Seeing the girl's earnest expression, Gu Wenlin felt a surge of emotion, his throat tightening as if something was blocking it. He couldn't help but recall the noblewomen of the Great Xia Dynasty, who were always reserved and gentle, their words and actions revealing a restrained elegance. Never before had anyone so openly displayed their affection and resentment as Ayina.
However, Gu Wenlin was very clear about his true identity. Although he was respectfully addressed as "Prince" by everyone in the Prince's Mansion, he was not actually of royal blood, but merely an adopted son of the royal family. Despite his high status and the respect he received from everyone in the Prince's Mansion, compared to those true members of the royal family, he would always be an outsider.
Faced with Ayina's ardent affection, Gu Wenlin felt extremely conflicted and helpless. He knew that there was an insurmountable gap between him and Ayina, and that they could never be together. Therefore, he could only suppress his inner pain and say to Ayina in as calm a tone as possible, "Princess, you are exceptionally talented and beautiful. You will surely find a more suitable husband for you in the future."
After saying this, Gu Wenlin took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice from trembling. Then, he carefully placed the plain silk handkerchief back into Ayina's hands, as if it were an incomparably precious treasure. Next, he slowly took half a step back and bowed to Ayina in a standard salute, "It's getting late, Princess, please rest early and take care of yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Wenlin turned and left without hesitation. His steps were unusually heavy, as if he were carrying a thousand-pound burden. The moonlight, like silver, shone on his dark robe. As he walked further and further away, the color of the robe gradually blended into the night, leaving only a blurry silhouette that disappeared from Ayina's sight.
Ayina clutched the plain silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, standing motionless as if all her strength had been drained. Her gaze remained fixed on the direction where Gu Wenlin had disappeared, lingering there for a long time. Only when the dew began to dampen her skirt did she snap out of her daze.
Suddenly, Ayina seemed to make a decision. She abruptly tossed the plain silk handkerchief in her hand high into the air. The scroll filled with her heartfelt poems danced in the moonlight, like a butterfly with broken wings, gently landing on the sand. The night breeze gently swept by, swirling the scroll and carrying it slowly into the endless night, as if it had never existed.