Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 935 - 910: Hairpin

Fang Chuning didn’t understand why Xie Jue was so stubborn, treating his jade crown and hairpin as treasures. He thought perhaps it was a crown and hairpin gifted by an elder when a man comes of age, so he tentatively asked, "Did Marquis give it to you?"

Xie Jue shook his head.

Fang Chuning took a deep breath, "Then why won’t you pawn it?"

"I don’t want to pawn it." Xie Jue’s answer was straightforward, almost making Fang Chuning angrily retort, fine, you want to be noble, you don’t want to pawn it, then go hungry. Anyway, he could eat the dry food, though he felt sorry seeing Xie Jue nibble on a dry bun for a long time, unable to eat even a piece of beef jerky, but that was none of his concern, right?

Yet after a moment.

"Mr. Xie, Young Master Xie, Prince Yan, if you pawn this hairpin, you can redeem it in the future."

"I don’t like others touching my things."

Fang Chuning, "..."

Fine, truly stubborn!

Starve then!

Xie Jue indeed couldn’t eat, he wanted to throw away a half-eaten bun, but Fang Chuning quickly snatched it away, he didn’t mind it was Xie Jue’s leftover, eating it within two or three bites, "Don’t waste food, maybe we’ll rely on dry food all the way, don’t be so extravagant!"

Xie Jue maintained the posture of having his bun snatched by Fang Chuning, unmoving for a long time, staring at Fang Chuning’s cheeks bulging from chewing. His Adam’s apple rolled a few times, avoiding eye contact, fearing Fang Chuning might feel it was rude. After all, they had no relationship now, Fang Chuning didn’t have any memories, he just didn’t expect Fang Chuning to eat his leftover dry bun so naturally.

He would never eat others’ leftovers, except Fang Chuning’s. Though Fang Chuning was carefree and unrestrained, he was still the eldest son raised by the clan, noble and naturally possessing the habits of a gentleman. Even when drinking merrily with brothers, at most they shared dishes but didn’t eat others’ leftovers, as it seemed overly intimate. This also brought back many past memories for Xie Jue.

Fang Chuning was oblivious.

It was already past noon, the sun was scorching, with no place to go, having no interest in Pingnan County. They sat under the shade for a while, Fang Chuning asked him to wait while he handled some affairs, Xie Jue closed his eyes for a nap. The street corner was a dead-end, both adjacent households had tightly closed doors with nobody home, no passersby to notice his plight and awkwardness. Xie Jue relaxed his posture, leaned against the carriage rail for a nap, then opened his eyes after a while.

So hungry!

His stomach growled with hunger, burning with emptiness, though he had gone hungry before, in recent years he lived a privileged life, hadn’t experienced those days again, inevitably it was easier to ascend from thriftiness but harder to return to simplicity from extravagance.

Xie Jue touched the hairpin on his head. This hairpin was Fang Chuning’s birthday gift to him, given when he returned to the capital that year. Since then, his jade crown always had this hairpin. Fang Chuning only considered it might be gifted by an elder, never imagining it was from himself. Giving hairpins held special meaning, inherently representing a binding promise of fidelity.

That year, after returning from Beiman, his birthday had passed, occupied with war affairs, they had no intent to discuss Beiman matters until the war ended and Beiman negotiated peace.

Before returning to the capital, Fang Chuning secretly gave him the hairpin as a birthday gift.

Between peers gifting hairpins, even among close brothers, was rare. In Beining, often it’s a token a man gives future wife after betrothal. If gifted by a man, usually it’s from an elder, representing parental high hopes.

Thus, when Fang Chuning gifted him, it was done secretly, not in his presence, fearing Xie Jue might reject it.

Xie Jue clearly remembered that year on Ningzhou Battlefield, Beiman negotiated peace, his birthday passed amidst war, only receiving a few blessings from his father and a bowl of longevity noodles cooked by elder brother. With frequent and urgent war affairs, no one cared about the Second Young Master’s birthday, he didn’t mind either. After Beiman negotiated peace, the whole camp was as joyous as celebrating New Year, everywhere filled with jubilance, some even set off firecrackers in the camp.

Xie Jue was happy too, back then they all felt Beiman negotiating peace meant Ningzhou’s war ended, bringing peace to the world, allowing reunion with family.

That day he accompanied Xie Zhang on a camp tour, only returned to the military tent at dawn, found a small, exquisite rectangular sandalwood box on his desk, that desk was where he read and handled military affairs. Xie Jue knew it was Fang Chuning supplementing his birthday gift, as Fang Chuning mentioned wanting to give a gift on his birthday, but due to urgent wartime, not timely. Fang Chuning promised to give after a while.

Beiman King was killed, Beiman negotiated peace, double joy sent this belated birthday gift to him.

Xie Jue didn’t expect it was a hairpin.

He knew why Fang Chuning didn’t hand it over in person, staring at the white jade hairpin, lost in thought. Sweet memories of Beiman surged through his mind, pressing against his heart, bittersweet, confused. They both pretended not knowing each other’s identity, pretending everything didn’t happen, Xie Jue initially considered Beiman was a dream, feeling fulfilled within the dream, even if never possessing this sincere affection again, he had no regrets. He didn’t plan to entangle with Fang Chuning after returning to Ningzhou.

He was Marquis Mansion’s son, Fang Chuning was the eldest son of a military marquis. If anyone overstepped, it would mean total destruction, the beginning of enmity between two families, many others’ nightmares, would also become theirs.

Yet Fang Chuning spoke no words, only gifting a hairpin, discreetly seeking a promise, fully aware the youthful them couldn’t bear the weight of commitment, still courageously sought it.

Xie Jue silently staring at the jade hairpin on the table, knew Fang Chuning was standing outside the tent waiting. Wearing the jade hairpin and stepping out meant mutually and tacitly promising each other.

Not wearing it meant refusal.

Ningzhou’s military tent was like a chasm, one side was affection, the other was family.

No matter whom he chose, Xie Jue knew it was an irreversible disaster.

Reflecting on father, mother, family honor, his future life plans after Beiman’s ceasefire, remembering the loving and trusting period in Beiman.

Sitting until sunset from dawn.

Eventually, Xie Jue wore the jade hairpin, upon exiting the camp, saw Fang Chuning standing ahead, bathed in moonlight. Seeing the jade hairpin on his crown, moonlight gradually lit up Fang Chuning’s originally dim eyes.

He smiled.

Fang Chuning said, "Ting Feng, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight!"

Indeed, the moonlight was beautiful, people fulfilled, reflecting their hottest and most fervent thoughts from their youth. Everything was left unsaid, from then on Fang Chuning never mentioned the hairpin.

Xie Jue kept silent too, yet always wore it on the crown. Even during years when he was in Ningzhou, Fang Chuning in Zhongzhou, with identities shifting to enemies, the hairpin never left him.

The promise from those days, remembered only by him, how could he bear to pawn it?