Chapter 33 Breaking the Stalemate: My Drama Queen Roommate Li Shimin

"I'm sorry." Changsun Qingjing stopped urging him and just lowered his head to rub the peony hairpin, reluctant to throw it away.

She longed to lay bare all her tangled emotions before Li Shimin, so that he could see the chaos in her heart.

On the one hand, she worried that Li Shimin was only acting out of righteous indignation and couldn't bear to see Gao Shilian and Wuji have any worries, which was why he was searching for her everywhere; on the other hand, she suspected that he was only doing this chivalrous thing to avoid ruining his reputation and being ridiculed by others; his personality was indeed unconventional, like a strange mixture of innocence and straightforwardness and far-sightedness, which made her unable to figure him out.

If Li Shimin were to use his virtue to coerce her at this point, she would seem to have no choice but to obediently submit.

Changsun Qingjing lowered her eyes, tacitly agreeing. She was afraid that the light that had drawn her away from the darkness would suddenly abandon her, leaving her alone to face the illusion and pain that followed the awakening from her dream.

“Actually, I also feel like we’re two fangs locked in a cage, quite uncomfortable,” Li Shimin said with a sigh.

"Thank you for your kind words, I am truly honored. I also have some brilliant ideas in my head, would you like to know them?"

"I don't want to." She stopped his unrestrained, rambling expressions after drinking.

"I won't change," Li Shimin promised, as if suddenly enlightened. He moved the quilt closer to Qingjing, wanting to talk to her in detail. "In short, I will never break my promise to Mr. Gao and Wuji to take care of you..."

Suddenly, the sound of a maid and Lady Liu laughing and talking came from the corridor.

"Your clove drink is ready," Changsun Qingjing said, pointing to the window frame.

Having said that, he turned and left. Qingjing didn't have time to glare or figure out how to react before Li Shimin had already collapsed onto the couch, fully clothed.

When Lady Liu and A Cai returned to their bedroom, and Li Shimin lay on the couch snoring loudly, Changsun Qingjing finally understood the profound meaning of adapting to circumstances.

"Oh dear! This child was just clamoring for a hangover cure, how did he fall asleep so quickly?" Madam Liu was both helpless and heartbroken. She looked at the bride, Changsun Qingjing, who was left unattended, and then at the maids who should have gone into the room to serve the bride and groom, as if she were blaming them.

Changsun Qingjing rambled on, trying to make his story coherent, and continued his fabrication, "We agreed to go to Luoyang to see the Zhezhi and Huteng during the New Year. I also asked the young master what kind of delicacies his parents-in-law liked, so I could try making some when I cooked. He also asked if I usually accompanied my elders to watch song and dance performances and Hesheng... We were just getting into the conversation when the young master suddenly said he felt extremely dizzy. When he returned to his room, he only felt the floor tremble slightly, but when he opened his eyes, the world was spinning, and he couldn't hold on until the hangover medicine was brought over. I was just about to urge Acai to check if the clove drink was ready when the young master, after mentioning the matters concerning seeing his parents-in-law and visiting the temple, fell asleep fully clothed..."

Her words were logical, well-founded, and detailed, leaving Lady Liu no choice but to believe her.

As Lady Liu was worrying about how to tell Madam Dou the next day about the groom's drunken death on their wedding night, leaving the bride behind, Li Shimin's lips curled up slightly.

Changsun Qingjing caught the fleeting smile. While she was annoyed by his shamelessness in leaving her to finish the play alone halfway through, she couldn't help but chuckle at his desperate and quick-witted act.

"What should we do?" Madam Liu tried to shake the child she had raised since he was a baby, but no matter how much she called out and kneaded, how could she wake someone who was determined to pretend to be asleep?

Lady Liu sighed, turned around and glanced at Changsun Qingjing's face, which was covered in makeup and face cream, and gestured to Acai to help Lady Liu wash up and change.

Changsun Qingjing felt embarrassed, but dared not make any more excuses to resist, so he had no choice but to sit obediently in front of the mirror.

She suddenly caught a glimpse of her reflection in the bronze mirror: her face covered in mottled makeup and sparse whitish grease, indeed as Li Shimin had said, ugly and comical.

She chuckled to herself as she looked in the bronze mirror. Liu Niangzi nearly spilled her clove drink, and A Cai almost dropped the fish wash in her hand.

Qing Changsun Jing accepted the clove drink offered by Lady Liu, but found the taste to be stronger and more pungent than that prepared by Lady Xianyu, which was not to her liking. Nevertheless, she drank it all in one gulp and praised her, saying, "Auntie, you've gone to so much trouble."

Ah Cai folded a piece of kudzu cloth in half and placed it on a small table. She then placed the golden fish-shaped basin on the cloth, slightly wetted her hands, and rubbed the handles of the basin with her palms. Tiny water droplets then sprayed out evenly from the perimeter of the basin.

Changsun Qingjing bowed her head, warm water droplets wetting her face. She took the bath powder handed to her by Acai and washed away the oil and makeup residue from her face. Her peach-shaped face finally revealed its true appearance. She gently wiped her face with a handkerchief, the candlelight flickering, and the scattered water droplets on the fine white downy hairs on her cheeks reflected the faint light filtering through the starry sky.

Urged by Lady Liu, A Cai removed the blue leather belt, knee covering, wide belt, and blue robe from Changsun Qingjing's wedding attire, and dismantled the concentric bun hairstyle.

Her slightly wavy long hair fell over her shoulders like playful willow branches. Changsun Qingjing, dressed only in a white robe, sat somewhat blankly on the cushions, fiddling with the ends of her hair at a loss.

Liu Niangzi had overheard Li Yuan, Dou Shi, Si Niang, and others talking about this Changsun Niangzi in private. She learned that the girl had a tragic fate, having lost her father at a young age and been abandoned by her half-brother. Now, her adoptive father was involved in a rebellion and had been demoted to a nameless, desolate place.

Madam Dou praised her, saying that although she sometimes acted eccentrically, she still retained her benevolent and filial nature. Today, she personally witnessed her being dignified and poised at the wedding ceremony, and couldn't help but feel even more affection for her because of her love for Madam Dou.

She took a handkerchief and carefully wiped the wet hair from Qingjing's forehead and the water stains from her earlobes. She then draped a short jacket over Qingjing's shoulders, moved the hand warmer closer to her, and instructed the maids outside to add charcoal to the fire.

The three people in the room remained silent for a moment. Changsun Qingjing finally tried to speak: "Ana, Acai, you two have worked hard today, and the young master and I are very grateful. I imagine you two are exhausted today, so please settle down as soon as possible so that the young master and I can rest in peace."

"Young master is so kind-hearted that he doesn't care about his wet nurse like me," said Madam Liu casually, without a hint of complaint.

Ah Cai stole a glance at her husband, who was sprawled out on the couch. He pursed his lips, forcibly suppressing the upturned corners of his mouth.

"Lady Changsun, how about this: let Miss Acai help you remove the young master's auspicious robes. This way, I can rest in peace, and if Madam asks about it tomorrow, I can easily give her an answer." Lady Liu still cared for Li Shimin and didn't want him to sleep in such a heavy formal dress.

Changsun Qingjing paused for a moment, her hands unconsciously clasped together, and she answered awkwardly, "Yes, Auntie is absolutely right." After saying that, she pulled Acai along and hesitated as they walked to the bedside. Changsun Qingjing knelt down beside the bed, facing Acai.

She desperately tried to signal to A Cai with her eyes, but A Cai deliberately dawdled by tidying up the bedding and didn't offer to help. Helpless, Changsun Qingjing could only pretend to be calm, shyly approaching the pretending-to-sleep Li Shimin, and touched the hook with her eyes closed.

Li Shimin deliberately mumbled in his sleep, coughed, and turned over, frightening Changsun Qingjing into withdrawing his hands and backing away.

She bared her teeth at her husband behind Liu Niangzi's back. A Cai covered her mouth and chuckled. She flashed her bent five fingers at her gloating maid, making a show of force. A Cai then suppressed her laughter and stepped forward to untie the hook.

The two struggled for a long time, but the person on the bed remained unmoved, their actions filled with malice. Changsun Qingjing was extremely ashamed and angry, and pinched Li Shimin's waist hard.

"The performance is almost over, don't cause any trouble," Qingjing threatened in a low voice.

The other person changed their lying position. Qingjing took off the leather belt and handed it to Acai. Then she took off her knee covering, crimson skirt, wide belt, and blue robe. Finally, she covered her body with a mandarin duck brocade quilt.

Changsun Qingjing dared not act presumptuously in front of Lady Liu, deliberately cultivating an image of being understanding and considerate, tucking the blanket around her husband, which elicited a subconscious smile and nod from Lady Liu.

Lady Liu and A Cai blew out the wedding candles one after another, leaving only a tall lamp stand beside Changsun Qingjing. They lowered the red bridal curtains for the newlyweds and left only after confirming that everything was in order.

The candlelight flickered, creating a melancholic and ambiguous atmosphere. The incense wafted a deep, clear aroma, which gently drifted into Changsun Qingjing's nostrils.

Changsun Qingjing sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, for a long time. The charcoal fire in the drying jar could not withstand the chill of the approaching midwinter. She retreated back into her bedchamber.

The figures and sounds of the maids in the outer compartment also ceased.

Changsun Qingjing gently poked her husband, who was lying across the couch.

"Hey, everyone's gone, move aside."

"Stop pretending to be asleep, get up and move."

"It stinks! Don't let it get on my pillow!" Changsun Qingjing clasped his hands together and pretended to be devout in his thanks. "King Dhritarashtra, please have mercy on me. I know you've gone to great lengths for me. Now, could you please move your venerable body and go to the other side?"

She exhausted all her words, and finally, regardless of whether Li Shimin was pretending to be asleep or not, she directly lifted his brocade quilt and used all her strength to push him aside.

Changsun Qingjing wrapped herself in the mandarin duck quilt and lay down with her back to her husband.

Having changed locations and beds, Qingjing felt a strange mix of exhaustion and restlessness, making it difficult for her to fall asleep. Her thoughts drifted between clarity and confusion. Recalling the day's events—the welcoming of the groom, the groom's arrival, the urging of the bride's makeup, the blocking of the carriage, the arrival at the bridal chamber, the untying of the bed curtains, the exchanging of vows, the nuptial cup ceremony, and the removal of the fan—she felt as if she were floating on clouds, ultimately lacking the solid ground beneath her feet.

Changsun Qingjing's fingers suddenly touched something soft and smooth, like silk. Alarmed, she pulled the strange object from under the quilt. Bringing it close to the dying candlelight, she realized it was two strands of hair wrapped in red silk thread.

This must have fallen from Li Shimin's ceremonial robes.

She couldn't figure out when this carefree and unrestrained young man had carefully kept those two locks of hair.

Changsun Qingjing felt a mix of melancholy and gratitude. Regardless of her doubts, she ultimately felt that Li Shimin was someone she could rely on and entrust her with her affairs.

Regardless of how much moral choice, impulsiveness, or youthful recklessness were involved in his decision to marry, his sense of responsibility and expectations for the future are beyond question.

They were family members who chose each other in a state of independent consciousness. That's enough for now.

"Give me back my hair..." the boy lying on the pillow, shivering, suddenly muttered.

Changsun Qingjing was so frightened that he jumped up, unsure how to deal with the awkward situation of the two of them sleeping in the same bed while they were awake.

She shrank to the edge of the bed, watching her husband warily as his quilt was taken away.

"Give me back my hair bun, you little wicked girl..." Li Shimin mumbled incoherently.

Changsun Qingjing leaned over and, after confirming that he was just talking in his sleep, breathed a sigh of relief.

"You stingy little brat, you even spoke ill of me in your dreams!" She glared at Li Shimin's back, then gently pushed his hair into his pillow with her flat hand. Seeing that he was also hunched over in his dreams because of the cold, Changsun Qingjing suddenly felt apologetic, so she spread out the quilt and they each took half.

Outside the window, a biting wind howled; inside the tent, they slept side by side, their bodies awkwardly close. Though they slept back to back, they were quite far apart. After a while, Li Shimin warmed up, stretching out his body, his broad shoulders pressing against Qingjing's slender back. Qingjing initially resisted, pushing away this warm wall. But after a few rounds, the cold forced her to press her back against his. Warmth flowed through their robes to Qingjing's entire body.

The candles beside the couch burst forth with the most brilliant silver beads and jade fragments before going out, and the wax tears of sorrow fell, solidifying on the golden lampstand.

Changsun Qingjing then fell into a deep sleep.

Everything before my eyes wasn't bad, it was just too unfamiliar.

Author's Note: This is the story of the B side.

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