Reciprocity

Upon hearing the words, Princess Royal quickly said, “Please come in.”

Xie Wan stepped into the room and knelt down, bowing to the Princess Royal, “Your humble servant, Xie Wan, greets the Princess Royal.”

The Princess Royal glanced at Xie Wan and her eyes immediately lit up. Although they had already met briefly in the morning, seeing her again at this moment still amazed her.

Her delicate fingers were slender and fair, her skin as smooth as jade. Her beautiful neck resembled that of a swan, and her forehead and eyebrows were elegantly shaped. Especially her slender waist, barely enough to hold, and the rarest thing was that despite her stunning appearance, her temperament was ethereal.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, both enchanting and extraordinary.

Perhaps due to growing up in a Taoist temple, she gave off a sense of elegance and tranquility, calming the hearts of those who looked at her.

The Princess Royal stood up and came forward, extending her hand to help her up. Under the smooth and soft jade hand, she unexpectedly felt two calloused areas.

Forget about the legitimate daughters of the marquisate, even ordinary wealthy women would not have a callous on their hands!

The Princess Royal instantly felt even more disgusted with Old Madam Zhang. She said in a gentle voice to Xie Wan, “Good child, you have suffered.”

Upon hearing these words, tears welled up in Xie Wan’s eyes. She quickly lowered her head and choked, “This humble servant thanks Princess Royal for her assistance.”

The Princess Royal held her hand and patted it gently, sighing softly, “There’s no need to thank me. This incident happened in my palace, so it’s my responsibility. Rest assured, Wang Deshui’s career is finished for the rest of his life. No word of this incident will leak outside today!”

Xie Wan, upon hearing this, quickly bowed again, “Great kindness from the Princess Royal. This humble servant will never forget.”

Seeing her tears, Princess Royal personally took a handkerchief and gently wiped them away, saying softly, “Don’t cry. It’s not good if your makeup smears and others notice. Sit down and talk with me for a while to calm your mood. When the banquet is about to start, I will take you out.”

Saying that, Princess Royal held Xie Wan’s hand and led her to sit down.

Palace Attendant Li hurriedly had someone bring tea and personally handed the teacup to Xie Wan, saying, “Miss Xie, drink some hot tea to calm your mind.”

Xie Wan received the teacup with both hands, holding it in her palms. She looked up with moist eyes at Palace Attendant Li and said, “Thank you, Palace Attendant Li.”

Palace Attendant Li looked at her cautious appearance and her heart softened, “Miss Xie, you don’t need to be so polite with this old servant.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Wan smiled at her.

Watching their interaction, Princess Royal couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. She turned to Palace Attendant Li and said, “Bring me the set of ruby headpiece.”

The ruby headpiece was a beloved possession of the Princess Royal and she rarely wore it herself.

Palace Attendant Li, knowing that Xie Wan had truly won the favor of the Princess Royal, quickly brought the headpiece over.

Princess Royal had Palace Attendant Li hand the headpiece to Xie Wan and said in a soft voice, “I am giving you this headpiece, not to appease you for today’s ordeal, but because I sincerely feel a connection with you.”

Xie Wan quickly expressed her gratitude and then took off a jade bracelet from her wrist, respectfully offering it with both hands.

She looked at Princess Royal with a somewhat embarrassed smile, “This item may not be to the princess’s liking, but it is the best jade bracelet I have. I rarely wear it, but I specifically put it on today for the banquet. I offer this item to the princess and hope she won’t dislike it.”

Seeing this exquisitely crafted yet not particularly rare jade bracelet, the Princess Royal was somewhat surprised, “Why give it to me?”

“Reciprocity.”

A blush appeared on Xie Wan’s cheeks as she shyly explained, “The princess has helped this humble servant a lot. I should have prepared another gift in return. However, this humble servant understands that our identities are different, and we may not have the fortune to meet again in the future. Moreover...”

Xie Wan smiled awkwardly, “This item is indeed the best thing I have to offer.”

Hearing her words and seeing her embarrassed and shy expression, Princess Royal was momentarily stunned.

She had never seen a woman who was so straightforward about her modest means, understanding the concept of reciprocity in such a way.

This kind of expression and understanding didn’t make people feel repulsed; instead, it was more like an innocent girl who didn’t know much about the world, with a sincere heart carefully offering her best things to someone she liked.

Xie Wan had been sent to a Taoist temple shortly after she was born. Wasn’t she just an inexperienced girl?

The key was that although she was inexperienced, she understood etiquette and knew how to advance and retreat. It truly made people feel a fondness for her.

The Princess Royal quickly reached out and, without hesitation, put on the jade bracelet. She looked at it and smiled at Xie Wan, “It’s beautiful, I really like it.”

Upon hearing this, a joyful smile appeared on Xie Wan’s face, “If the princess likes it, then it’s good.”

Taking a glance at the ruby headpiece beside her, Princess Royal turned to Palace Attendant Li and said, “She didn’t bring any maidservants with her, and it’s not convenient for her to carry it herself. When she leaves later, you bring someone to escort her back home.”

Palace Attendant Li was somewhat surprised to hear this. After all, giving a gift in person and sending it to the residence had different meanings. It seemed that Princess Royal truly liked Xie Wan and wanted to show her favor.

Xie Wan quickly stood up and expressed her gratitude. The Princess Royal reached out and helped her up, saying, “I feel a strong connection with you. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come and find me.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Xie Wan smiled at her, “You are the first person to show kindness to me after my return to the capital.”

The Princess Royal chuckled at her innocent expression, “That’s not entirely accurate. The first person to show you kindness should be Prince Ning.”

Seeing Xie Wan looking puzzled, Princess Royal didn’t elaborate further and just said with a smile, “Remember what I said.”

Just then, a palace maid came in to report that the banquet was ready, and everyone had taken their seats.

The Princess Royal stood up, holding Xie Wan’s hand, “Let’s go, let’s go out together.”

Xie Wan nodded and supported the Princess Royal as they walked out. After the palace maid’s announcement, they entered the courtyard where the feast was set.

Upon seeing Xie Wan supporting Princess Royal, Old Madam Zhang frowned immediately.

Why is this girl here? Where is Master Wang?!

She felt a sudden panic. Could it be that the Princess Royal had discovered something? Xie Wan had even changed her clothes and hairstyle; it was apparent that Princess Royal had found out.

Old Madam Zhang started to feel flustered.

Kong Yueru, sitting at another table, also furrowed her brows. She naturally noticed that Xie Wan had changed her attire and hairstyle. With a soft snort, she whispered, “I knew it; this cunning girl is good at flattering others. Sitting there, using her pretty face to her advantage.”

Sitting beside her, a girl who was on good terms with Kong Yueru nodded and whispered back, “You’re right. She’s just relying on her good looks.”

When the Princess Royal arrived, everyone stood up and bowed.

The Princess Royal waved her hand, telling them to be at ease and take their seats. She then sat on the main seat.

A special stool was placed next to her for Xie Wan to sit beside her.