Chapter 24 Are you willing?

Yan Xue walked over and sat down on the couch. Her deep, clear voice interrupted her thoughts, "What is Your Highness looking at?"

Chi Ying hurriedly looked away, "I..."

Before she could answer, Yan Xue Cui suddenly asked, "Are you reading a book?"

So that's what he meant.

Chi Ying secretly breathed a sigh of relief and poured him tea. "Yes, it's a book I bought at the study today."

Yan Xuecui had already smelled the aroma of pre-Qingming Longjing tea, and since that night, Shuyuzhai had been preparing this tea for him.

Chi Ying saw him take a small sip of hot tea, and his already crimson lips seemed even more vibrant.

Yan Xuecui put down his teacup and said casually, "I've heard that the Princess Consort is skilled at playing the zither, but I've never seen you play it before."

Chi Ying's face paled slightly, and she unconsciously clenched her sleeves.

From agreeing to marry in place of another to the day of her wedding, only a few months passed. She could barely learn the etiquette and manners of a well-bred young lady, but the arts of playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting were not something that could be mastered overnight. In such a short time, how could she compare to Chi Yingyue's years of experience?

Fortunately, she had thought of her answer beforehand, and she carefully replied, "I am not afraid of Your Highness's ridicule. In the past, I practiced the zither diligently only to keep up with others and to gain a good reputation. In truth, the zither is not what I like."

"I see," Yan Xuecui couldn't help but smile. "Since you don't like the zither, does Your Highness have any other hobbies?"

Chi Ying thought for a moment and said, "Cooking, needlework, occasionally gardening, and reading miscellaneous books."

Yan Xuecui agreed, saying, "While the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are certainly elegant, the art of food and drink is also a part of everyday life. This is very good."

Whether he was sincere or just being perfunctory, Chi Ying found it all very pleasing; of course, that was all she knew.

Although I was exposed to music, chess, calligraphy and painting when I was young, I had to put everything aside after I went to Zhuangzi.

Needlework and cooking were her hobbies, but also things she was forced to do because of life. At first, her mother taught her, and later she figured it out herself. She slowly started making sachets and handkerchiefs to exchange for money. Cooking was a skill she had honed over the years in front of the stove. Although life in the village was hard, she could still make delicious dishes from mushrooms and wild vegetables.

While a hobby like cooking might not align with the expectations of a noble family for raising a young lady, Chi Ying, having a rare opportunity to express her true feelings, spoke frankly. She told King Zhao that if he was willing, he would no longer test or make things difficult for her with music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

When she was caught off guard by such a sudden probing, she broke out in a cold sweat.

Hearing the sound of her fingertips brushing against the pages of a book, Yan Xuecui couldn't help but become interested: "What book is Your Highness reading?"

Chi Ying: "It is Cheng Mengchuang's 'Mengzhai Notes'."

She went to the study merely as a formality, casually picking up two books of essays by famous writers and flipping through a couple of pages. They seemed to be about the elegant and interesting stories of literati. Thinking that she would inevitably have some interaction with those royal relatives at the flower viewing banquet in the future, she figured it wouldn't hurt to take a look, so she bought them on a whim.

But when she saw him smile as she finished speaking, she couldn't help but feel uneasy: "Your Highness has read it? Or is there something wrong with the book?"

Yan Xuecui shook her head and smiled, "What are you talking about? Read it to me."

"These are probably Cheng Mengchuang's notes on his social interactions in the capital," Chi Ying flipped to the front to look at the entries, reading them line by line, "Burning incense and playing the zither, drinking wine under the moon, playing chess and sipping tea, having a beautiful woman add fragrance to the scene, styling hair and drawing eyebrows, lying on the couch..."

As he read on, he finally realized something was amiss. This wasn't some refined literary pursuit, but rather...

Her cheeks flushed, and she was too shy to continue reading, but King Zhao pointed it out directly: "I remember this was Cheng Mengchuang's record of his intimate moments with his wife. It seems I was right."

Chi Ying: "..."

He knew perfectly well what was going on, yet he still made her read it aloud, which was embarrassing!

Chi Ying's cheeks flushed red, as if she had exposed her lack of knowledge and skills, and felt both ashamed and indignant at being teased by him.

Yan Xue raised an eyebrow slightly, "So the Princess really didn't know. I thought the Princess bought it on purpose to discuss the pleasures of married life with me."

Chi Ying lowered her head, clutching the corner of the book in embarrassment.

Yan Xuecui sighed softly, "It's a pity that I'm blind and can't paint your eyebrows and forehead for the Princess, or accompany you to admire the flowers and scenery."

Chi Ying was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw the smile on his lips, and a bittersweet feeling welled up in her heart.

He wanted to say something, but felt that all words of comfort would be pale and powerless, so he could only say, "Physician Lin's medical skills are superb. Given time, Your Highness will surely recover completely."

Yan Xuecui put down her teacup, smiled, and suddenly reached out her hand to her, "Come here."

Chi Ying's breath hitched, and she hesitated for a moment before getting up.

She didn't know what he was going to do, and slowly shuffled over. Her fingertips barely touched his palm when, unexpectedly, the man wrapped his arms around her waist, and she braced her hands against his broad, hard chest, barely managing to keep her balance.

A large, calloused hand covered her lower back, its scalding heat seeping into her clothes. They were so close that their breaths mingled, and the crisp scent of kalanchoe mixed with a faint aroma of tea wafted past their noses. Chi Ying's face flushed red, and a thin layer of sweat seeped from her back.

She tilted her head slightly, trying to adjust her posture, but as soon as she moved, she was immediately pulled even tighter.

With their lips only a finger's width apart, Chi Ying's heart pounded, and a blush rose from her ears to her neck.

Sensing that his thin lips seemed to be drawing closer, she clenched her fingers and blurted out in a panic, "Your Highness, I... my lips are a little swollen..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she regretted it.

If it hadn't been said, it would have been fine; both sides could have pretended nothing had happened. But these words undoubtedly exposed the unspoken secrets hidden in the darkness.

The man's slightly amused breath touched her lips, and he gently stroked them with his fingertips. "Swelled up?"

Chi Ying immediately pursed her lips and held her breath.

Yan Xuecui said, "It was my fault for not kissing you well, I'm sorry."

Chi Ying didn't know how to respond. He always said sorry, but his attitude was not one of remorse. Those two words were like a disclaimer, which allowed him to do whatever he wanted after saying them.

She lowered her head and asked in a muffled voice, "Why did Your Highness tempt me to drink that night?" Yan Xuecui sneered, "Tempted? I just didn't expect you to be such a poor drinker, passing out after just three cups."

Chi Ying cautiously glanced at him and saw that he looked calm and slightly mischievous. She figured he hadn't managed to get anything out of her, otherwise she would be a prisoner by now.

She had barely breathed a sigh of relief when she heard him say, "I admit I didn't kiss you well, but you bit my tongue, so we're even, okay?"

Chi Ying was stunned: "You..."

She couldn't believe she would be so rude after drinking; it was clearly him who did all that misbehavior after they went to bed every night.

Yan Xuecui: "Don't believe me? Want me to show you?"

Chi Ying almost stammered, "No, no need."

But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. He's a prince, so if she said she bit him, then it can only be her fault.

Chi Ying had no choice but to bite the bullet and apologize: "If it really was me who bit Your Highness, I apologize to you."

Yan Xuecui chuckled lightly: "I should apologize, I'm still in pain."

Chi Ying's fingertips went numb. She lowered her head, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Even though she knew he couldn't see, she always felt that with his keen perception, all her embarrassment and panic would be exposed to him.

Sensing her subtle concession, Yan Xue tightened his grip, pulling her closer. The scent of orange blossoms filled his nostrils, gently enveloping all his senses. He closed his eyes and affectionately nuzzled her delicate, soft cheek.

Chi Ying pressed her face against his in a daze, their breaths mingling, their body temperatures touching, and she could even feel the clear pulse beating beneath their skin.

His heartbeat seemed to be no slower than hers.

Yan Xuecui nuzzled her cheek, and a gentle kiss landed on her lips. Chi Ying's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she subconsciously clenched her sleeves, feeling an uncontrollable tension in her heart.

He paused for a moment, then sucked on it again, his tone so casual, as if he were only checking the extent of the swelling, “It is indeed a little swollen.”

Chi Ying nodded hurriedly, "Yes."

But then she heard his slightly hoarse voice: "Then let's kiss somewhere else today, shall we?"

A buzzing sound filled Chi Ying's mind, as if all his thoughts had been sucked away. He didn't know how a blind man could do it. When his consciousness returned, he had already placed the person on the bed.

The back of my neck was supported by a warm palm, and the cool thumb ring brushed lightly across the side of my neck.

Chi Ying's body stiffened, and she felt that everything around her became blurry, except for the touch that was infinitely magnified wherever the man's thin lips touched.

He was very close, his body almost pressed against hers. A gentle yet irresistible kiss landed on her forehead, slowly moving down, lingering and caressing her. His high, straight nose brushed against her nose, slowly sweeping across her cheeks, and then against her neck. Wherever he went, it was like a wildfire. Chi Ying felt a surge of heat throughout her body, and her back was already soaked with sweat.

He kissed her neck, paused slightly as he moved lower, and asked, "Would you like it if I did this?"

Chi Ying tilted her head back and breathed softly. Things had come to this point, and she no longer wanted to struggle. But he always asked her opinion at these crucial moments, and she was really... ashamed to answer.

“I…” she bit her lip, “I will obey Your Highness.”

Yan Xuecui: "That's good."

He stroked the slender knuckles beneath his fingertips, then suddenly chuckled softly, “Your Highness, you don’t need to be so tense, relax a little.”

Chi Ying was extremely embarrassed; her heart was pounding uncontrollably, and she could only try her best to keep her breathing steady.

She was so nervous that her already slender collarbones were deeply sunken, like two delicate jade bridges. Even if you couldn't see them with your own eyes, you could feel that the lines were smooth and beautiful, yet pitifully fragile.

Yan Xuecui suddenly thought that if she poured in pear blossom wine, she could probably fill a whole cup.

He stroked the back of her neck, speaking to her as if to comfort her: "What color nightgown are you wearing today?"

Chi Ying lowered her head, understanding his blindness, and still obediently replied, "Begonia Red."

Yan Xue kissed open her clothes, "Begonia red, it should be very beautiful."

As the weather warmed up, the nightgowns sent from the embroidery workshop became increasingly thin, and the collar was easily lifted. The man's hot breath sprayed onto the skin below her collarbone, and his thin lips kissed her. Chi Ying gripped the bedsheets tightly, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Yan Xuecui slowly kissed along the delicate, hot flesh, feeling the soft, tender texture of the skin as smooth and juicy as a peeled lychee with his lips and teeth, kissing her disordered heartbeat, kissing her uncontrollably trembling body.

The scalding breath landed on her skin, and the voice seemed to come from her heart, "What color is this...?"

Chi Ying turned her face away, biting her lip, unwilling to answer, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would make an unbearably shameful sound.

Yan Xuecui sighed softly: "Your Highness, you know I can't see, and all my perception of you comes from my voice and touch, so please give me some response, okay?"

How am I supposed to respond to this...?

Chi Ying watched him speak these words so openly, yet do such despicable and shameful things, and a deep sense of shame, indignation, and helplessness welled up in her heart.

She lacked the vocabulary to describe it, and after a long while, she managed to stammer out, "It's... kind of like a nightgown."

Yan Xuecui kissed her with satisfaction, "That must be very pretty too."

Chi Ying's face turned as red as blood, and her toes curled up.

Yan Xue gently stroked that spot and said softly, "So whether it hurts too much, itches too much, or feels too good, you have to tell me. If you don't say a word, and I'm blind, what if the princess next to me changes in the future? I won't know, will I?"

-----------------------

Author's note: Damn it, don't scare Yingbao anymore!

The red envelope giveaway continues in the comments section, please keep supporting us, everyone! [Please][Please]