Chapter 20: Let's take off the warm bed.

Memories come to an end as the night scenery outside the corridor changes.

Ayu tapped the wooden door with her fingers, and a clear, pleasant voice responded from inside, "Come in."

Ayu pushed open the door and entered, but stopped at the doorway.

Inside the room, only a candlestick burned beside the bed, its half-burnt body streaked with tears. A warm yellow glow painted the bed, the bed curtains half-drawn. Yue Yining sat on the bed.

Ayu moved her lips, seemingly hesitant.

".......Miss?"

Yue Yining responded, and said with a smile, "Ayu, you're here."

"Close the door, then come to the bedside."

"yes."

Ayu turned and closed the door. Xiu Bai's knuckles protruded slightly as he exerted force with his fingers.

After closing the door, he did as instructed and walked to the edge of the bed, getting closer and closer to Yue Yining.

The tip of my nose seemed to catch a faint, unfamiliar scent. It was no longer the sweet, soothing fragrance of angelica and calamus, but rather a slightly pungent floral aroma...

Ayu thought for a moment. It smelled like the fragrance of a datura flower.

"ah."

The sudden sound made Ayu stop in her tracks.

Yue Yining sat in the center of the bed, her shadow, blurred by a layer of gauze curtain, seemed to be smiling: "Take off your clothes too."

"It's fine to hang it on the screen." Perhaps it was because of the quiet of the night, but her voice was softer than during the day. "The bed isn't big to begin with, and if you put clothes on it, how can anyone sleep?"

Because the rooms were close together, Ayu did not wear a cloak when she arrived; she only wore an undergarment and two layers of cotton robes.

Ayu came to the bedside. The person inside the bed curtains seemed to be sitting closer to the edge of the bed, their soft shadow swaying gently.

Ayu stared at that spot, seemingly lost and bewildered. His lips moved slightly, "Miss, I..."

A fair, pinkish hand lifted the gauze curtain in front of the bed.

Only then did Ayu get a clear look at Yue Yining. She was wearing only a single layer of clothing, the collar of which was open, revealing her snow-white collarbones like two brocade mountains. Her long black hair, which had been tied up during the day, cascaded down her cold, white, and slender shoulders, like a waterfall at the foot of a snow-capped mountain.

Her eyes shimmered, and her fingers loosened the bed curtains to grasp his wrist, the place where her fingertips brushed against him burning with desire.

Yue Yining asked softly, "Hmm? What's wrong?"

For some reason, the wrist she was holding froze and didn't move.

Yue Yining ignored her and urged with a smile, "Ayu, come up quickly."

Inside the room, the atmosphere had become as sweet as honey.

Ayu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and the next moment, he used his other hand to pry open Yue Yining's five fingers one by one.

Without a word, Ayu knelt before the bed, her voice clear and resonant, like shattered jade striking the wind:

“Ayu cannot do it, please rescind your order, Miss.”

Upon hearing this, Yue Yining's flawless smile instantly cracked.

Yue Yining was shocked, stiffened, and dried up.

She stammered, "W-what did you say?"

Kneeling on the ground, Ayu lowered her eyes and did not look directly at her. Her tone was as gentle and reserved as ever: "Please retract your order, Miss. Ayu is unable to serve you."

"As a lowly person, it is already a blessing from my past life that I can serve you as a servant. I dare not presume to lay a finger on you. I only wish to stay by your side for all eternity and be at your beck and call. I am already deeply grateful for this."

It sounds nice, but it's actually a very direct rejection.

Yue Yining felt a long-lost sense of shame, and quickly tied up the thin shirt that had been pulled down to her shoulders, and got off the ground to help him up.

Her inner garment was thin, and the candlelight shone through her from behind, clearly outlining her exquisite figure. As she got out of bed, her toes landed precisely on the floor tiles in front of Ayu.

Yue Yining closed her eyes almost immediately upon seeing Ayu.

Yue Yining: "......."

Yue Yining felt her earlobes burning, then turned around and picked up the outer robe draped over the foot of the couch. She quickly put it on before bending down to help him.

Yue Yining, who had just seduced someone into sleeping in the same bed, remained unmoved, but now she blushed slightly, perhaps because of the candlelight.

"No... Ayu, get up first."

As Yue Yining got closer, he noticed that Ayu's eyelashes were also trembling, revealing his unsettled state of mind.

Realizing this, she reached out and grasped his wrist, her fingers circling around it once more.

Ayu did not struggle and obediently stood up with her strength, but still kept her eyes closed.

"Open your eyes," Yue Yining said, straightening her clothes and clearing her throat, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'm already dressed."

When Yue Yining met those clear, watery eyes again, she turned her head slightly to avoid their gaze: "It's so late. Calling you here without informing you beforehand could easily lead to misunderstandings. It was my oversight."

“But I didn’t mean that. I just asked you to take off your clothes and come to the bed because I wanted you to… help me warm the bed.”

Yue Yining felt guilty and didn't dare to look at anyone. "You know, I'm very afraid of the cold. The weather gets colder and colder after winter sets in, and it takes me a long time to warm up in bed. Actually, I was a little embarrassed to say it, which is why I didn't tell you when I called you..."

The candlelight flickered in the breeze wafting from the bed curtains, its warm orange-red glow reflected on the dark wooden wall, swaying and dancing like the beating organs in a heart.

Ayu remained silent for a long time. Yue Yining looked up and saw that he had relaxed his brows and was looking at her with great tenderness.

He laughed and said, "I see, I misunderstood you, Miss."

Yue Yining's eyelids twitched.

She didn't expect that he would believe such an outrageous explanation without hesitation.

Yue Yining felt a surge of helplessness and amazement.

Suddenly, Ayu hooked her fingers on the sash and gently pulled, and the outermost cotton robe on her body slipped off and fell into his arms.

Yue Yining stared in disbelief: "What are you doing?!"

Ayu's movements slowed, a look of confusion crossing her face: "Weren't you supposed to warm the bed for Miss? I'll take off my outer garment now..."

"No need!"

Yue Yining quickly interrupted him, shoving him towards the door before rushing back to the bed and wrapping herself in the blankets. Curled up in the blankets, Yue Yining said dryly, "Actually, I suddenly felt a little sleepy. Ayu, you should go back tonight; you don't need to serve me anymore."

Ayu was a little dazed when he was suddenly pushed to the door, but he obeyed Yue Yining's orders and put his clothes back on after taking them off halfway.

The rustling outside the curtain gradually ceased. The man's clear and gentle voice came: "Then Ayu may leave."

"Sweet dreams, Miss."

His last lingering voice was like a drop of rain falling into a calm lotus pond, yet it rippled across the entire pond.

Even though the door was closed and Ayu's footsteps were fading away, she still felt those ripples transform into shallow waves, slowly and repeatedly flowing through her heart.

Yue Yining remained huddled in the bed curtains, sitting silently for a long while before finally making a move.

She reached under her pillow, pulled out a small, delicate paper packet, and threw it onto the small table by her bedside in a huff.

The paper package was folded carelessly, and it tore open when it bumped against the table. Instantly, a fragrance of exotic flowers and herbs wafted out, and a few strands of powder fell, dripping onto the ground like dust swept by the wind. Just then, a small insect crawled by, pecked at some of the scattered powder, and then, it shuddered, its limbs stiffened, and it collapsed to the ground, no longer moving.

Yue Yining glanced at it and sighed.

......

I turn off the lights as dawn breaks, embracing my shadow, unable to sleep.

The next morning, Yue Yining, with dark circles under her eyes, opened the door with a "whoosh".

That's natural. She reassured herself.

No one could sleep well after experiencing something as embarrassing as last night that made them want to dig up their ancestors' graves.

The thought had barely crossed Yue Yining's mind when he saw Ayu carrying a basin of water walking towards him from not far away. The gray bamboo forest and courtyard were like a landscape painting behind him, while he alone stood out with his red lips, snow-white skin, and beautiful appearance.

Ayu saw her too, and smiled with her eyes crinkling: "Why did you wake up so early today, Miss?"

What happened to the rule that no one can sleep well?!

Why is he still so energetic and radiant?!

For the first time, Yue Yining felt that her plan was so foolish. Everyone else was unharmed, but she was the only one who got herself into trouble.

She felt she had lost all her means and strength, and could only numbly reply, "Yes, early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy."

She was testing him. After all, Ayu's attitude towards her was quite unusual. At first, she thought he had ulterior motives, but he had always appeared loyal. If he wanted money or life, he had had countless opportunities in the past few months; there was no reason for him to remain subservient to someone else until now.

After eliminating the other possibilities, only the last one remains.

Seeking color.

Yue Yining had already planned that if he dared to sleep with her, she would smear the powder on his face. But to her utter surprise, Ayu rejected her, and rejected her so decisively.

Now, things have become even more unpredictable.

After Yue Yining finished washing up, before her face was even dry, she heard Fu Yao's shouts coming from the courtyard, growing louder and louder:

"Miss! Miss, are you awake?!"

"Get up." Yue Yining called out in response. She had just finished wiping her face when she saw Fu Yao running towards her from the other end of the corridor.

Yue Yining narrowed her eyes; this scene looked somewhat familiar.

Just as that inexplicable, strong premonition was about to surface, Fu Yao shouted, "Another stranger has come looking for Miss! I told him to wait outside the door, and that our Miss hasn't gotten up yet."

"Miss, Miss, should we let him in now?"

really.

Yue Yining was completely calm and at peace.

She felt she didn't even have the strength to sigh, perhaps because she hadn't slept well, or perhaps because she was truly exhausted.

She gestured to Fu Yao, "Call the people in. I'll be entertaining guests in the courtyard."

When Fu Yao led the people into the courtyard, Yue Yining was supporting herself on the tea table, and Ayu was kneeling beside her, pouring water and brewing tea for her.

The bamboo and trees were sparse and quiet. Even after the person had come up to her, Yue Yining was too lazy to even look up until he sat down opposite her, at which point she finally raised her eyes to look over.

He was a handsome young man, with his hair tied up in a jade crown, wearing a plain apricot-yellow robe, and his attire was simple and unassuming.

It's a pity that summer clothes can easily hide poverty, but winter clothes can hardly conceal wealth. The splendid fur coat he wore, which reached his heels, was smooth and shiny, perfectly natural, without a single stitch.

The Jiguang fur coat remains dry in water and does not ignite in fire, making it a treasure trove of precious metals. This single, warm fur coat alone reveals the wearer's extraordinary status and wealth.

Yue Yining looked at his face and smiled wryly.

Although they were not born from the same mother, this third prince looks extremely similar to Wei Yihua and Wei Jing—if the three of them stood together, it would be hard not to think they were blood relatives.

The young man, no, it should be said that it was the Third Prince Wei Ye, bowed very respectfully to Yue Yining: "I came in a hurry and have disturbed Master Yue."

Yue Yining smiled and said, "No need for formalities, young master, why don't you tell me why you've come?"

The three adult direct descendants of the Dongxi royal family who are still alive—Princess Wei Yihua, the fourth prince Wei Jing, and the third prince Wei Ye—all came to visit her small, dilapidated residence one after another.

Interesting. Yue Yining thought.