Chapter 139 Fulfilling the Promise

Shen Changhe walked around the screen and looked at the girl who was eating the cake with her back to her and her head down like a squirrel, and said softly.

"Master Lin said that Miss Lin was in a bad mood and refused to eat, so he asked me to come and talk her out."

Lin Yurou's back stiffened for a moment, and she slowly turned her head, with some pastry crumbs still on the corner of her lips.

Her face immediately turned red, happiness and embarrassment alternating on her pretty little face, which was very interesting.

She wanted to rush over, but she maintained her reserve. The base of her neck was red and blood was dripping from her earlobes. "I...I was just trying to scare them. Why are you here?"

Shen Changhe did not answer, but walked over, bent down in front of her and wiped the residue from the corner of her mouth.

Lin Yurou couldn't help but think of how reckless they were last night, and couldn't help but shake her head and rub his fingertips.

What surprised her was that Shen Changhe didn't hide, but stroked her still slightly red cheeks, and said in a low voice, "Your eldest brother is outside."

What he meant was that he couldn't act recklessly. If he did something like last night, he would be beaten today.

——

Shen Anan did not wait for news from Shen Changhe.

He was very busy these past two days and was basically not at home. She had no chance to ask about the progress, but Xiao Yuan was kind enough to visit her room at night and bring her the news.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at the tall figure that suddenly appeared in the room. After a long while, her pounding heart slowly calmed down.

Mo Xiang was so scared that she almost screamed, but Shen Anan gave her a look, and she quickly covered her mouth and retreated.

"It's the dead of night. Is there something wrong, Prince?"

Xiao Yuan pointed to the table beside him and said, "I'm here to deliver the wedding dress, and to report to Madam on my brother's progress over the past two days."

"......"

Shen Anan frowned, and turned her head slightly away because of his awkward words "Madam".

"Let the servants do these things tomorrow. Why bother you to come here in person?"

How could she not know that he actually had the habit of visiting other people's boudoirs at night? Shen Anan was only wearing a nightgown and pulled the quilt up hard to wrap her whole body.

Xiao Yuan's arrival really caught her off guard.

"This will make it more sincere." When Shen Anan frowned and looked at him, Xiao Yuan added, "It's all because of what Big Brother taught by example. He taught well."

Shen Anan was simply unbelievable, "You mean, my eldest brother visited Miss Lin's boudoir at night?"

"Want to know?" Xiao Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly. "It's so cold standing here. I don't even know where to start."

"......"

If she remembered correctly, he always slept in a cold bed with a thin quilt on snowy days, and the window frames of his study were never closed. There was still a charcoal fire burning in her room, and he actually said he was cold?

She looked around the room. Apart from the quilt on the couch, there was only her cloak hanging on the couch to keep out the cold.

She pointed at the clothes and said, "If the Fourth Prince is cold, put it on."

Xiao Yuan's face was slightly stiff, and he regretted not asking Shen Changhe for advice in advance. How did he get the lip balm around his jaw that night?

Maybe it's because of his thick skin. After all, he has already shamelessly climbed over someone else's wall, so it's normal to do other things.

But this woman is not the gentle and quiet girl from the Lin family. If he did that, she would definitely slap him in the face.

He began to weigh the pros and cons of whether or not he should get the slap tonight.

Shen Anan looked at him and suddenly frowned and stopped talking. She also frowned and sat up straight, "What's wrong with you?"

Xiao Yuan shook his head, walked over and sat down beside Shen Anan's bed, startling Shen Anan and causing her to step back.

A shadow of frustration immediately fell on his face.

"My eldest brother has been very busy these days. He has to deal with military affairs in East City during the day and meet beautiful women at night. I thought he might not have time to talk to you and I was afraid that you would worry, so I came here in person."

What else could Shen Anan say after hearing this? "Thank you..."

"The Fourth Prince is too distant. If others hear it, they will think that you and I are not on good terms."

Shen Anan choked and called out after a while, "Xiao Yuan."

He seemed satisfied and did not correct anything.

Shen Anan has always been afraid of the cold, and after sitting for a while, her body was trembling slightly. Without saying a word, Xiao Yuan reached out and pulled her and the quilt into his arms. Shen Anan was startled and resisted subconsciously.

"Don't you want to hear about big brother? Be good and don't move. I'll tell you."

His arms were tightly clenched, and Shen Anan couldn't move even if she wanted to, and she didn't want to spoil his fun.

They are going to get married the day after tomorrow, so this little bit of intimacy doesn't matter. If she wants to be a good consort of the Fourth Prince, she must learn to obey his wishes.

Xiao Yuan curled his lips in satisfaction and told her everything that had happened in the past two days, including the lip balm on Shen Changhe's face, which shocked Shen Anan.

Is this something her elder brother would do?

She suddenly turned her head to look at Xiao Yuan, who was also looking at her. The atmosphere quietly became stagnant, and the breathing of the two people was almost entangled together, although they were only a few feet apart.

"Do you still remember the condition you promised me?" Xiao Yuan tilted his head slightly, his deep eyes staring at her red lips.

"I keep my word, and you have to keep your word too."

His voice was very low, only audible to the two of them, and it was accompanied by heavy breathing, causing a white mist to rise between them.

Shen Anan wanted to say something, but Xiao Yuan moved faster, and his warm lips seemed to be scalding hot. She immediately wanted to dodge, but he suddenly grabbed the back of her head and her body could not move. He did not even leave her room to struggle.

Shen Anan looked at the face so close to her, her clear almond eyes were filled with complexity, and finally slowly closed.

She counted the time silently in her heart, until she forgot how much time had passed.

If you ask her how she feels, she will say that her mouth is dry and her lips are sore from the rubbing.

As soon as Xiao Yuan let go of her hand, she immediately stepped back, put her hand on her lips, and was very quiet.

Accustomed to her domineering attitude, Xiao Yuan was a little uncomfortable for a moment, "What's wrong?"

Shen Anan shook her head and said nothing, her innocent little face still somewhat red.

Xiao Yuan approached her, held her wrist and took it away from her lips. When he saw the redness, swelling and broken skin, he immediately blamed himself, "This is my first time and I have no experience. I will practice hard after we get married..."

Shen Anan didn't know that he was so thick-skinned that she couldn't help but glare at him and pulled her wrist free.

She gave him a good look, and he couldn't help but want to push for more, "I have made such a great contribution, shouldn't you reward me again, so that I will have more strength to work hard for the lady next time?"

"Get lost."

She was a girl after all, how could she withstand his shameless teasing?

Xiao Yuan touched his nose and decided to quit while he was ahead. "I will definitely go find big brother to ask for advice later."

Before they got married, he always called her "big brother" and Shen Anan felt helpless and confused. How should she get along with him like this?

After countless days and nights, is it really possible to remain indifferent?

——

Finally the wedding day arrived.

As soon as the cock crowed, the entire Shen Mansion became bright as day. From several streets away, one could see the fireworks blooming in the sky above the Fourth Prince's Mansion, which exploded loudly and created beautiful arcs in the night sky.

That night, several powerful families living near the Fourth Prince's Palace hardly rested. Fireworks exploded all night, often waking them up from their dozes. Later, they simply sat on the edge of the couch, looking up in the direction of the Fourth Prince's Palace until dawn.

The commotion even alarmed the palace. The emperor sent people to the prince's residence, hoping that he would restrain himself. However, the eunuch who came did not want to see Xiao Yuan.

Ling Chenyi was so busy that he naturally had no time to pay attention to him. Li Huaiyan only said a few perfunctory words to him symbolically and sent him away.

There were people standing at the gate of the mansion. Red silk flowers were hung high on the eaves and corners of the corridors. Everywhere was decorated with red silk, and red brocade carpets were spread out to the point where one could not see the end.

The bridal sedan stopped on the red carpet, with orderly gongs and drums on both sides, resounding throughout the sky. Several people from nearby families who came to watch the fun all had dark circles under their eyes, which formed a sharp contrast with Xiao Yuan, who was dressed in a bright red wedding dress and looked very high-spirited.

"It's time to pick up the bride."

Amid the matchmaker's auspicious words, Xiao Yuan mounted his horse, and the team meandered through several streets toward the Shen residence.