Chapter 16 Cherry Lips. Just half an inch off.

Jing Ning had little interest in meeting Lu Songyuan; she frowned almost imperceptibly.

"If you want your sister to see him, then let him in."

If Lu Songyuan were Jing Hui's beloved, Jing Hui would naturally be overjoyed to let him in.

After all, introducing your sweetheart to your family is an exciting idea no matter how you look at it.

But he wasn't.

Judging from Jing Ning's appearance, she probably doesn't know that Lu Songyuan shot an arrow at her in the Imperial Garden.

If they found out, they would probably risk their lives to get out of bed and kill Lu Songyuan.

Thinking of this, Jing Hui was puzzled.

Jing Ao told Jing Ning about what happened in the deep mountains, but strangely, he didn't mention what happened in the Imperial Garden.

However, Jing Ao's pig-like mind is unpredictable, and humans can't understand a pig's thoughts.

My eyes were momentarily dazzled by the light reflected off the floor. As I was talking, the time flew by, and before I knew it, it was dusk.

See you again sometime.

Jing Hui put Jing Ning's hand back under the covers and said, "Sister must be tired today, so please rest early."

Jing Ning nodded.

"Then I'll head back home now. I'll come see you again next time, sister."

Jing Hui stood up and said, "Sister, remember what I said."

Jing Ning smiled and said, "Okay."

After she finished speaking, Jing Hui stood up, gave her a few more instructions, and then reluctantly walked out.

The sunset glow outside leaped in, draped over her shoulders, and made every strand of her hair shine.

“Ah Zhu”.

Jing Ning blinked her dry eyes and called out to Jing Hui's retreating figure.

"Um?"

Jing turned around and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Jingning was dazzled by her. "You haven't really encountered any difficulties lately, have you?"

Jing Hui pretended to think, "Really, no."

"good."

Jing Ning raised the corner of her lips slightly and said, "Go back early, it's getting cold, wear more clothes."

"good."

Jing Hui waved, "See you next time, sister."

As Jing Hui walked out of the hall and stepped over the threshold, she saw Lu Songyuan and Lu Qingyue waiting in the courtyard.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She stopped and asked the maid who was seeing her off, "Did you hear what Jing Ao said to my sister?"

The maid said, "The Second Prince forbade anyone to stay in the room, but I dared not go far. I vaguely heard that they were talking about Your Highness's injury. After the Second Prince left, the princess was sad for a long time."

Jing Hui sighed, a hint of anger rising on his face.

"Tomorrow I will assign two people to serve you, sister. If any of them dare to bother you again, stop them and tell them to go to the general's mansion to find me."

"Yes, Your Highness, this servant will obey your orders."

After the group left the Lotus Jade Palace, Jing Hui sent someone to greet Emperor Jingwen before heading out of the palace.

On the way, Jing Hui was not as excited as she had been on the way there; she was so quiet that even Lu Songyuan couldn't help but glance at her.

He glanced at Jing Hui a few times and asked, "What happened?"

Jing Hui was lost in thought when he heard this and subconsciously replied, "It's nothing."

She answered so quickly that both of them were taken aback.

A palace maid carrying a food box passed by and greeted him. Jing Hui smelled the aroma of food, pointed, and said, "I'm hungry."

Lu Songyuan withdrew his gaze. "Someone just came to the manor and said that dinner has been prepared."

"good."

Just as the two finished speaking, they saw the palace gate ahead and a person walking towards them from afar.

"Is my royal sister going back? Won't she stay for a meal?"

The newcomer was handsome and tall, his greyish-blue robe with gold thread sleeves giving him a refined and scholarly air. His lips were full and well-defined, making him appear honest and kind, while his eyes were sharp and upturned phoenix eyes.

His servants were empty-handed, but he carried a sheepskin painting tube that was half the height of a person as he walked up to Jing Hui.

This person is none other than the Fourth Prince, Jingyan.

"Fourth Imperial Brother."

Jing Hui greeted him and said, "I've already had lunch."

In Jing Hui's eyes, the princes in the palace were roughly divided into two categories: those he disliked and those he was indifferent to.

This is probably because Jingyan not only appeared to be a refined and upright person, but also had a pure heart, was frank, devoted himself to calligraphy and painting, did not get close to women, and was very filial to Emperor Jingwen.

Therefore, Jingyan showed a rare degree of goodwill towards Jinghui.

"In that case, I went out of the palace today to find a painter to get the painting, and I returned late."

Jingyan glanced at Lu Songyuan and asked the two of them, "I heard that my sister and General Lu were seriously injured by assassins that night. Are you alright now?"

Jing replied, "I'm much better now, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

"good."

Jingyan said, "After Father Emperor fell seriously ill, I often served him and heard him murmur your name when he was in a coma. Even though you are married, you should come back to the palace to visit him more often in the future, so as not to make Father Emperor worry too much and worsen his condition."

Lu Songyuan raised an eyebrow and looked at Jing Hui.

Jing Hui was still concerned about Jing Ning's wrongdoing, so he said with a slightly perfunctory expression, "Alright, thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty."

"It's not hard work. Of all the people in the palace, I'm the only one who's free."

Jingyan glanced at the sky, stepped back to make way, and said, "It's getting late, Your Highness and the General should hurry back."

"good."

When we arrived at the general's mansion, the full moon was already hanging overhead.

Jing Hui dismounted from the carriage and walked into the mansion first. After silently having a meal with Lu Songyuan, Jing Hui went to his study.

Her study and Lu Songyuan's study were separate; they sat on opposite sides of the backyard, facing the door.

Seeing that there was nothing important in the study, he went to the washroom to wash up and then went to bed early to think about Jingning.

From childhood to adulthood, Jing Hui has always been straightforward in dealing with things, either doing it directly or asking questions directly. But with Jing Ning, neither of these approaches works.

Since becoming seriously ill, Jing Ning, who used to be carefree, has become sensitive and prone to overthinking. She no longer tells Jing Hui directly about things, and usually Jing Hui has to guess.

Just like today, Jing Hui deeply felt that what Jing Ao and Jing Ning said was not as simple as just her being injured.

After thinking for a long time, Jing Hui still had no clue. She hugged the quilt, rolled inside once, and then rolled outside again.

Jing Hui's knee hit something hard, and he instinctively kicked it.

Before he could kick anything, his ankle was grabbed.

Jing Hui pulled back the covers to look up. "When did you come up?"

The roughness of his palms belonged to Lu Songyuan.

"A long time ago, you were thinking too much."

Lu Songyuan only let go of Jing Hui's hand when he saw that Jing Hui's foot was no longer moving.

Before letting go, he inexplicably rubbed against Jing Hui's sole, causing Jing Hui to scream in surprise.

"Lu Songyuan!"

Jing Hui's calf went numb for a moment. She quickly withdrew her foot and kicked Lu Songyuan in the waist. "How dare you!"

Lu Songyuan looked at his hands and was stunned for a moment.

He pursed his lips and lay down in the blankets.

The servants came and turned off the lights. In the dim tent, the hand that had just touched Jing Hui rubbed unconsciously by his side. He turned his head to look aside and said, "I've heard this countless times since we got married."

"snort!"

Jing Hui kicked Lu Songyuan again before turning her back to him and wrapping the blanket around herself. "You deserve it."

If they weren't already married, his behavior just now would have been frivolous.

Lu Songyuan pinched his fingertips and looked at the canopy above his head.

As the tent quieted down and Jing was about to fall asleep, she remembered that there was only one quilt on the bed.

It's getting colder and colder; you'll definitely catch a cold if you don't cover yourself with a blanket.

In her daze, she pulled the blanket back and spread half of it over Lu Songyuan.

Just as Jing Hui adjusted the blankets and was about to drift off to sleep, someone leaned in from behind and hugged her.

It was that same uncomfortable position again, with his arms across his waist.

Jing Hui was furious. She immediately opened her eyes, spun around in Lu Songyuan's arms, faced him, and placed her hands on his chest.

"I caught you! You moved first. Let go of me!"

Even after being caught red-handed, Lu Songyuan remained calm. He not only didn't let go, but also moved Jing Hui's arm under her body, and with his other hand, he put his palm on her back and patted her, holding her even more tightly than before.

Sure enough, as long as there was a hand pressing or patting on Jing Hui's back, she would soften.

Jing Hui's struggles gradually loosened, and she stubbornly said, "Don't hug me."

Lu Songyuan's eyes were darker than the night sky, and he said in a hoarse voice, "I'm afraid you'll roll off the bed at night, so go to sleep."

With him blocking the way, even if I don't hug him, I can't roll off.

Jing Hui was too lazy to argue with him. Anyway, he was warm, and holding him would prevent him from catching a cold.

"You are not allowed to move."

"Um."

The breathing in her arms gradually slowed down, as if she were holding a jasmine flower soaking in warm water.

Lu Songyuan looked down at Jing Hui.

Under the moonlight, Jing Hui's face seemed to be veiled in a shimmering gauze. Her pert nose twitched slightly, and her cherry lips glistened with moisture, as if waiting to be plucked.

Lu Songyuan swallowed hard, staring at the approaching figure. When Jing Hui's breath hit his face, he suddenly stopped.

It was only half an inch off.

And then it was pasted on.

Lu Songyuan closed his eyes tightly, released his grip on Jing Hui, and lay back.

His chest heaved a few times, and only after everything calmed down did he fall asleep.

The hand that was placed under Jing Hui's waist never let go.

The next day, Jing Hui woke up rubbing her back.

The next day, Jing Hui woke up again, rubbing her lower back.

For several days in a row, Jing Hui woke up rubbing his back.

Although it doesn't hurt, my lower back is really uncomfortable.

Ayu stood by the bed, looking anxiously at Jing Hui, "Princess, are you alright?"

"Good, good my foot!"

Jing Hui gritted her teeth, "Keep Lu Songyuan out of the door tonight, don't let him in!"

"yes!"

Looking at Jing Hui's expression, A Yu hesitated for a long time, but ultimately did not mention the recent rumors circulating in the manor.

After washing up and having breakfast, Jing Hui got up and went to the study.

Apart from the monthly grand court assembly, Jing Hui did not attend court on ordinary days, only reading memorials and occasionally meeting with ministers.

The memorials were delivered to the palace and to her and the prime minister's residences every day, and if she didn't look at them for a day, they would pile up like mountains.

Stepping out of the house, a cold wind immediately greeted me. Most of the leaves on the trees in the courtyard had turned yellow, and they were swirling and falling to the ground in the north wind, only to be swept away by the servants.

The falling leaves herald autumn, but Jing Hui dislikes this bleak season.

Not seeing Lu Songyuan in the mansion, Jing Hui tightened her cloak and casually asked, "Where is he?"

"I didn't know. The general has been leaving early these past few days."

Ah Yu followed Jing Hui and walked together towards the backyard.

"Um."

Jing responded, then thought for a moment and said, "Find a few people to stay with him and report back immediately if anything happens."

"yes."

As you walk around the corridor and approach the study door, two people carrying tea stand with their backs to you, seemingly saying something to each other.

As they got closer, Jing Hui heard one of them say, "I told you so. So many people saw it with their own eyes, so it must be true."

"that is."

Another person chimed in, "I heard that when the princess was in the brocade palace, although she did not attend court, she never neglected her studies. Now that she is married, it has been four or five days, and the princess comes to the study later and later each time."

"visible……"

"The general did not fail to perform the action."

"And it works great!"

"Um!"

Ayu's lips twitched. After listening, she turned to look at Jing Hui.

As expected, Jing Hui's red lips curled up, and her eyes flashed with a cold light, a sign that she was about to explode.

Ah Yu quickly stepped forward and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

The two men trembled with fright upon seeing Jing Hui and immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, "Your Highness, please forgive us!"

Those words sound so familiar.

This scene looks so familiar.

Jing Hui was so angry he laughed.

She said, "You two stand at the door of Lu Songyuan's study and repeat what you just said a hundred times. When Lu Songyuan comes back, follow behind him and say it a thousand times."

"Yes, yes!"

The two men said, "Thank you, Princess, for sparing our lives."

Seeking revenge for every little thing—that's the behavior of a petty person!

Jing Hui sat at his desk, angrily drank a cup of tea, and slammed the cup down.

Ayu stepped forward, poured a cup of tea, placed it beside Jing Hui, and said, "Your Highness, please calm down. Important matters are at hand."

"I don't have time to waste on his nonsense," Jing Hui said, his chest heaving a few times. "What's going on in the palace?"

Ah Yu said, "News has come from the palace that His Majesty fainted again last night, and the Empress Dowager presided over the morning court session this morning."

Jing Hui put down his teacup and sighed deeply.

She touched the folded document on the table and instructed, "Lianzhu should already be on his way back to the capital. Have Ayan send a few people to find him and ask if he knows where the divine physician of the Southern Frontier is, and see if we can find him."

"yes."

After speaking, Jing Hui began to read the memorial.

Regarding the matter deep in the mountains, Ayan and the others from the Prime Minister's residence have been investigating, but no new information has come in today.

After glancing through a few more unimportant greetings, Jing Hui reached for her teacup.

The teacup was clearly on the table, but Jing Hui couldn't reach it after several attempts. Just as he turned his head to look, a crisp sound rang out.

The teacup is broken.

"Princess."

Ah Yu, who was grinding ink nearby, rushed over upon hearing the sound, "Are you injured?"

"It's nothing."

Looking at the shattered teacup, Jing Hui felt a bad premonition. She asked, "Has anyone come back from the people sent to my sister's place?"

"No..."

Before Ayu could finish speaking, Ayan hurriedly walked in from outside the door.

With an anxious expression, she knelt before Jing Hui, holding the imperial edict, and said, "Your Highness, something has happened at Lianyu Palace."

A note from the author:

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I still want to say that this isn't a purely romance story; there will be a plot. The author can't write purely romantic stories, so please feel free to point out any major plot holes. [Pleading][Let me see]