The next day.
Because today was the Crown Prince's consort selection, all the Lotus Garden maids had to help move flowers from the flower house, leaving only Ivy Shen behind to check the pond for any withered lotuses. Ivy had to sit in the boat and inspect them.
And since there was no one else around today, Ivy could freely set up her arrangements in the Lotus Garden. Everyone said the Crown Prince visited daily, but with so much going on during the day, he definitely wouldn’t have time—so her only chance was at night!
Sitting in the boat, surrounded by blooming lotuses, Ivy decided to just lie down and close her eyes for a nap. There was still a ton to do later, so since no one was around, why not sneak in a proper rest?
After a while—
Ivy had never slept so deeply in her life. Ever since entering the palace, she'd stayed on high alert, but the faint floral scent in the Lotus Garden was so soothing that she actually slept until now.
She sat up, estimated the time, and realized it was probably around five or six in the afternoon—so she started setting up her layout.
After a while—
Once everything was in place, Ivy joined the others for a communal meal. During dinner, she discreetly slipped something special into Luna’s bowl—the maid scheduled for night duty tonight.
“Ow, it hurts!” For the third time, Luna couldn’t help but dash off to the latrine.
Seeing this, everyone looked at her with concern. Since Lotus Garden work was pretty simple, there were only three regular maids in charge of the lotuses, plus Sherry—the total was just four.
Usually, the daytime work needed all three, but at night there wasn’t much to do except check on the lotuses, so one person was enough.
“Luna, you’re feeling so awful tonight—how about I take your shift?” Sherry looked at Luna, who was clutching her stomach.
Luna hesitated, sitting down and saying, “But... but you’ve worked all day already! If you have to do the night shift too, won’t you be exhausted?” She was used to sleeping during the day since she always worked nights.
“No worries! I’ve got plenty of stamina. You just rest up!” Sherry replied generously.
The other two maids chimed in, “Sherry is so kind and hardworking! Hardly anyone ever agrees to switch shifts here—especially since you’re doing two in a row!” Swapping shifts sounded easy, but night duty meant you couldn’t sleep at all, and if you messed up the next day, the consequences weren’t something they could bear.
“Sherry...” Luna looked at her, choked up and not knowing what to say.
“It’s fine, really! You all take your time eating—I’m already full, so I’ll head to the Lotus Garden. Eat well and get some rest!” With that, she grabbed an extra layer and headed out. It was summer, but the temperature by the pond was still pretty cool.
The three maids exchanged looks, all deeply touched—they couldn’t believe such a warm-hearted person had joined their team!
At night, Sherry was the only maid at the Lotus Garden. Occasionally, a few guards would patrol outside, but since this wasn’t a special security spot, Song Zhijue didn’t bother to station many people here.
At this point, Ivy stepped onto the little boat and slowly paddled toward the center. Earlier, she’d taken a detour to ask the guards if Song Zhijue was coming—she’d heard the Crown Prince was back and acted nervous, afraid she’d mess up and offend him.
The guard, having never seen such a beautiful maid before, smiled and told her the Crown Prince hadn’t arrived yet. She could relax—he usually just took a quick look and left, rarely lingering.
Ivy nodded her thanks and headed back in.
Just a brief stop?
Just a quick look and gone?
Heh. She let out a cold laugh. Song Zhijue, if you come tonight, I won’t let you leave so easily!
Now Ivy let her hair down, smoothing it out before securing it with a simple hairpin. She checked over all her earlier arrangements, and once she was sure everything was perfect, she settled in to wait for her prey.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Ivy heard the sound of carriage wheels—she knew he was here!
She gently cleared her throat and began singing in the Lotus Garden: “Cut a piece of time and let it slowly flow, drifting into the moonlight and gently rippling, play a tune of the little lotus’s faint scent, beautiful music falling right beside me. Fireflies light up the night’s starlight, who will dress me in a dream’s gown? Push open that window of my heart and gaze far away—who will pick yesterday’s sorrow for me?”
Ivy’s current body had an incredibly beautiful voice—like a golden oriole, like a greenfinch, or the heavenly music echoing from a mountain valley. Her melancholy song always resonated with people, stirring their hearts with emotion.
“That voice, Your Highness...” Gavin Wang, the guard pushing Song Zhijue’s wheelchair, frowned. The singing seemed to be coming from the Lotus Garden.
Song Zhijue also furrowed his brow. Such a unique melody, such unusual lyrics—it made him want to keep listening, almost against his will.
Seeing Song Zhijue silent, Gavin Wang said, “Your Highness, I’ll go find her!”
“No need!” Song Zhijue suddenly raised a hand to stop him, then motioned for Gavin Wang to push him forward.
Ivy’s sharp ears picked up that they were heading her way, so she raised her voice a bit: “Fireflies light up the night’s starlight, who will dress me in a dream’s gown? Push open that window of my heart and gaze far away—who will pick yesterday’s sorrow for me? I’m just a fish in your lotus pond, waiting with you for the moonlight to shine. Through all four seasons, the lotus still blooms, waiting for you in the heart of the water...”
As she sang, Ivy’s lips curled into a smile and she suddenly stood up, holding a delicate little lantern in her hand.
The two men stared in surprise at the girl who suddenly stood up in the Lotus Garden. Even though she was facing away, Song Zhijue found himself wanting to see her more clearly.
Ivy’s melodious song perfectly matched the scene: lotuses, little fish, fireflies—all reflected the beauty of the Lotus Garden. She bent down to sniff a lotus blossom, looking just like a figure in a painting.
“Who are you?” Seeing the girl stop singing, Gavin Wang couldn’t help but ask.
“Huh?” Startled by the question, Ivy pretended to be frightened and quickly turned her head.
Suddenly, a flurry of butterflies burst from the Lotus Garden, their colorful wings fluttering as they circled around her.
At that moment, Ivy’s eyes widened in shock, her small hand still holding the delicate lantern high. In the glow of moonlight and the soft lamp, her bright eyes shone with startled confusion. Her fair skin gleamed like jade, and her pink lips, revealing white teeth, bit gently with nervousness. Two wisps of hair brushed her cheeks in the breeze, adding to her allure, while the red teardrop mole at her eye brimmed with mystery. Surrounded by butterflies, she looked like a flawless lotus fairy—so pure, so otherworldly.
Song Zhijue stopped breathing for a moment. That breathtaking sight made his heart, frozen for over twenty years, tremble violently.
Gavin Wang, too, was stunned, unsure how to react. He’d seen plenty of beauties serving the Crown Prince, but never anyone so pure and fairy-like. Even from a distance, her ethereal aura deeply shook him.
“Ah—sorry, I’m so sorry! I deserve punishment—I didn’t know the Crown Prince was here!” Ivy hurriedly lowered her lantern, looking completely flustered.
“Your Highness... Your Highness...” Gavin Wang, though amazed, quickly composed himself as the Crown Prince’s personal guard. Yet his heart was still pounding—she was so beautiful, he forgot to breathe for a moment. But he knew his place, so he called out to the dazed Song Zhijue.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness—” Gavin Wang called out, each shout louder than the last.
“Ah...” At Gavin Wang’s urgent shouts, Song Zhijue finally snapped out of it, looking embarrassed. Gavin Wang quickly motioned toward the girl in the Lotus Garden.
Song Zhijue quickly looked at the flustered girl in the Lotus Garden. “Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you. Could you come here?” For the first time, meeting a girl who made his heart race, he didn’t want to scare her, so he spoke gently.
************ Divider ************
PS: Dear readers, Ivy is recruiting extras in the comment section—feel free to join in! Also, some readers say there’s too much setup, but it’s necessary! Things won’t stay calm for long; these chapters are crucial groundwork for the excitement to come. And soon, the seven husbands will make their grand entrance—how will they appear? (Ivy might just faint when she sees them, haha~)