Han Rong's Inner Turmoil

From afar, Han Rong wished to clearly see her face. But the distance was too great for her to discern it. Zi Lin, on this side, pulled her hand towards the table, teasing her as they walked:
"Little Princess! Next time, enter through the main gate. Call out to me, and I will welcome you. Why go through such trouble?"
Shi Yi, annoyed, thumped him repeatedly:
"Whose fault is it that I'm in such a state? I couldn't enter through the main gate, so I had to climb over the wall. Who told you to build such a high wall?"
"Alright, alright, next time I'll tear it down and rebuild it so you can climb in easily."
The two chatted from the garden all the way to the table. Han Rong now clearly saw her appearance. She gasped in surprise, blurting out, "It's her!?"
The maid beside her quickly interjected, "My Young Lady holds a noble status; how could she know someone as ill-mannered as you? And to climb over a wall, truly disgraceful!"
As she spoke, she shot Shi Yi a sidelong glance, her eyes filled with disdain.
"Do not be rude!" Han Rong cut her off.

Shi Yi didn't think much of it; her entire body was in pain. The Eighth Prince quickly poured her a cup of water, asking with concern, "Drink some water to quench your thirst."
"Thank you!"
She took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, rubbing her chest and panting. There was still a bit of flour on her face.
"Oh, there's something on your face...!"
Zi Lin gently wiped her face with his hand, his gesture extremely tender. Before she could feel touched, he teased her:
"Are you even a woman? Look at your appearance now; it's truly beyond words."
Zi Lin shook his head in exasperation. As soon as he finished speaking, he was immediately met with a painful kick to his right leg.
"Aaaah, that hurts! You woman, you truly are fierce. Be careful, or you won't find a husband later."
Shi Yi was not to be outdone and immediately retorted, "Don't I still have you? If no one takes me, you will. You even said you wanted to marry me before. Don't tell me you regret it now?"
Han Rong was astonished to hear these words. How could the beautiful woman before her utter such things? As a woman, if it were her, even with ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare say such a thing.
"How utterly outrageous! Truly ill-mannered. How could a noble Prince marry someone as crude as you? If he were to marry anyone, it should be my Young Lady!"
The maid beside her again interjected. Zi Lin seemed to pay no mind to her words and calmly replied, "Of course, I don't regret it. If you agree, This Prince will immediately bring you into my manor."
Were these words a joke or serious? The Eighth Prince had always been elegant, every word he spoke was carefully considered. He always exuded an extraordinary demeanor. Yet today, he could joke so casually, even disregarding propriety. This appearance was truly rare! No! It was to say that only when he was with her did he display such an appearance.

Han Rong sat there, suddenly lost in thought: "Indeed, there is a vast difference between me and that young lady. He has never smiled so brightly at me."
The Eighth Prince noticed Han Rong seemed a bit quiet today and, remembering what he had said, turned to her:
"Young Lady Han! Allow me to introduce you, this is Shi Yi, a good friend of mine. She is also the person This Prince just mentioned."
Then he turned to Shi Yi and said, "This is Han Rong, the daughter of Grand Tutor Han."
The two bowed to each other:
"Young Lady Shi, greetings to you!"
"Young Lady Han! I have long heard that Young Lady Han is refined and dignified. Both beautiful and intelligent, skilled in all four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Today, I am truly fortunate to meet you!"
Han Rong merely smiled, offering no further reply. Indeed, she had heard this compliment so many times it had become tiresome.

Suddenly, Shi Yi saw the unfinished painting and exclaimed in admiration, "Huh!? Isn't this me? It looks pretty good!"
"Do you like it? When I finish painting it, I will definitely give it to you!"
"No need. If you have free time to sit here and doodle, why not go to the Imperial Palace and assist His Imperial Majesty with state affairs, like An Wang?"
"Don't compare me to An Wang. His Highness is resourceful and strategically brilliant. How could I compare? I still prefer sitting here, enjoying tea and painting!"

Seeing the two get along so well, Han Rong was immediately cast aside. She simply sat there silently, watching the man she loved and that unfamiliar woman laugh and chat happily. Her emotions at this moment were a mix of sadness, jealousy, and admiration. If only he could show her that gentleness, care, and thoughtfulness, even just a little…

Unable to watch any longer, Han Rong stood up, maintaining a calm expression, and said, "Your Highness, that is enough for today. This humble one has some matters to attend to and requests to take her leave."
Having said that, she bowed respectfully, smiled, and turned to depart. Zi Lin also stood up, returned the bow, and bid her farewell:
"If so, This Prince shall not see you off. Young Lady, please take care on your way back."
As she turned, her forced smile vanished. It was replaced by a dazed, hopeless gaze into the void. Her emotions, barely suppressed, seemed on the verge of overflowing. Han Rong tried to hold back her tears, forcing them back inside. Today, she understood that he truly did not belong to her: "Eighth Prince… my heart has followed you for over a decade, yet it cannot compare to a friend you've known for mere days?"
The question stirred a lingering, profound sadness.

Her maid Ming Xiang suddenly spoke up, pouting as she commented, "Young Lady, that Young Lady Shi Yi is truly disgraceful. Her speech is impudent, and her appearance unkempt. She is clearly a common, uneducated, and very casual person. How can she compare to Young Lady, who is beautiful, intelligent, talented, noble, polite, and well-mannered? I cannot see anything good about her! The Eighth Prince will definitely not like her."
Han Rong gave a cold laugh, "No… it is I who cannot compare to that young lady. I see it clearly now, and I understand. In his eyes, I simply do not exist…"