unreasonable

He suddenly got up and left the bedroom, seemingly lost in thought. Shen Yao ignored him and went straight to sleep. When he returned, he was carrying a new quilt, his body radiating coldness, and the scent of pear blossoms had faded considerably.

The summer in Xiliang is hot and dry, and the sudden appearance of such a human-shaped ice block with a suitable temperature by the bedside made Shen Yao feel exceptionally comfortable.

There was only one pillow in the bedroom, but luckily it was quite large, perhaps the size was calculated to fit two people perfectly.

After Lan Yunyi made the bed, she groped her way to lie down next to Shen Yao.

Summer blankets are thin and light, so even if two people don't sleep under the same blanket, the feeling of someone sleeping next to you is still very strong.

It's said that one shouldn't allow others to sleep soundly beside one's bed, but Shen Yao felt the scene before her was incredibly intimate. She could feel Lan Yunyi's breath whenever she turned her head slightly. Lan Yunyi glanced at Shen Yao, then turned her head back to the ceiling.

Shen Yao stared at that handsome face, and the words of her former best friend began to echo endlessly in her ears.

Just go for it!

We're rich women, we earn so much money just to enjoy life.

Don't worry, the men won't feel like they're losing out; they all feel like they've gotten a great deal, haha!

Shen Yao gritted her teeth, suddenly turned around, and reached out to grab Lan Yunyi's right hand.

Lan Yunyi's body stiffened.

As Shen Yao committed her evil deeds, she condemned herself. After all, as a princess, how could she bully an ordinary, innocent, and vulnerable prince consort like this?

To avoid having to serve him in bed, he even perfumed himself with strong incense.

I really went too far.

Bullying others by abusing one's power!

Shen Yao grabbed Lan Yunyi's hand and brought it to her eyes, touching the back of her hand in the darkness, and said gently, "Why did you take off the gauze I wrapped for you?"

Lan Yunyi said, "The injury has healed..."

Shen Yao: "Even after the injury heals, you still need to take care of yourself."

Lan Yunyi gave a soft "hmm" and then squeezed Chen Yao's palm with her other hand.

Shen Yao asked again, "What were you doing just now? Why are your hands so cold?"

After a moment of silence, Lan Yunyi said, "...Sister, you know perfectly well, so please don't tease me." After saying that, he turned around and moved closer to Shen Yao, saying in an ambiguous tone, "If you keep playing around like this, there will be no room for regret if something happens."

Shen Yao: "Oh?"

Lan Yunyi: "I am not some kind of gentleman."

Shen Yao laughed: "Now that we're married, who would believe it if nothing happened?"

Lan Yunyi raised an eyebrow.

Shen Yao: "I am not a gentleman, I only want to maximize my interests. The consort is right here, I should at least get a taste of what's good for him."

Shen Yao felt the hand holding hers tighten suddenly.

For some reason, even though she was being so proactive, Lan Yunyi seemed angry, glaring at her with a cold and displeased expression.

Shen Yao inexplicably felt that he was more endearing when he was angry than when he was just smiling, so she laughed heartily.

Lan Yunyi replied, "The princess is of noble status, and the rules are meaningless to you. What you do... is entirely at your own discretion."

Shen Yao had no idea what was wrong with him. She had never seen such a talkative pretty boy before, flirting with him one minute and then playing hard to get the next.

Shen Yao withdrew her hand and said, "I don't like to force things. If the consort doesn't like it, then so be it."

Lan Yunyi froze again, her face full of regret for missing the opportunity.

Shen Yao turned her back, and Lan Yunyi pressed herself against her again, placing her hand on Shen Yao's shoulder and leaning her head to gently rub her hair.

"I don't understand these things," Lan Yunyi said. "Unlike some people who clearly use their looks to please others and are good at using mystification to attract your attention, I am clumsy and incompetent. I hope you won't find me unworthy."

Shen Yao didn't know what he was talking about, but before she could think about it, Lan Yunyi's kiss landed on her cheek again.

"I'm sorry."

After she finished speaking, Shen Yao heard the rustling sound of Lan Yunyi's clothes. She turned around, and spent the rest of the night in a daze, not knowing what was going on.

*

After a wild night, Shen Yao woke up refreshed the next morning.

In her past life, she dared not try it lightly, fearing that she would lose her judgment due to lust. But the situation is different now. As she said last night, now that she is married, she should make the most of this marriage and enjoy everything she can. That would be enough.

Having learned from last night's experience, Shen Yao became bolder, and subconsciously touched the other person's presence when she woke up in the morning.

She thought Lan Yunyi was still asleep, but in her daze, she felt the skin under her hand suddenly tense up because of her touch.

Shen Yao opened her eyes, and Lan Yunyi turned around and leaned in to look at her expressionlessly.

After another night of debauchery, Lan Yunyi had dark circles under her eyes, looked listless, and appeared to have spent the entire night without sleep.

Shen Yao stared at him for a while, then smiled perfectly, stroked his face, and said softly, "Things have come to this, and the Prince Consort has no room for regret."

Lan Yunyi bit her lip, leaned closer, and whispered, "No..."

Shen Yao: "What?"

Lan Yunyi: "I will be leaving the pass the day after tomorrow."

Shen Yao: "Out of seclusion?"

Lan Yunyi nodded and buried her face in her hands: "Leaving the seclusion. It was decided long ago, there's no room for discussion."

It was something that had been decided before the wedding. The fact that he was to marry by imperial decree was an unexpected turn of events. After receiving the decree in haste, he rushed back to Xiliang and hurriedly prepared for the wedding ceremony. Everything happened so suddenly that he couldn't possibly linger in the city for too long.

Shen Yao suddenly realized that her husband was mostly away from the city. Yet, it was precisely this man who held sway over the various forces within Xiliang City, making him quite a handful even for the original novel's male protagonist.

Lan Yunyi's eyes dimmed, revealing his utter disappointment. Shen Yao patted his shoulder and said, "I will see you off then."

Lan Yunyi said in a muffled voice, "Before we return, I want to spend more time with my sister."

The emperor's inability to respond promptly meant that the thorn in their hearts remained unresolved. However, this did not diminish Lan Yunyi's clingy nature, nor did it affect Shen Yao's wicked and indulgent nature.

Lan Yunyi must have had a great time last night, because Shen Yao could still feel his efforts while she was asleep.

Being young is great.

Shen Yao sighed inwardly, but soon sensed Lan Yunyi's high spirits. She chuckled dryly, then tried to help Lan Yunyi sit up.

Lan Yunyi's face darkened, and she wiped the drool from her mouth as she asked, "Why is Sister in such a hurry to go to Prince Jing's residence? What good is it to see Prince Jing, with his old face..."

Shen Yao ignored her and went to the bathroom alone after getting dressed. A little while later, Lan Yunyi opened the door and came in. After asking respectfully, she went behind the screen and soaked in the pool with her.

...

The carriage slowly drove into Prince Jing's residence.

Shen Yao, dressed in a magnificent robe, stepped out of the carriage and was carefully helped down by Lan Yunyi, who was dressed simply.

The carriage had many cushions, so the journey wasn't too arduous. But Lan Yunyi was always meticulous, insisting on serving people in every way until they were completely satisfied.

As soon as Shen Yao got out of the car, Prince Jing and his wife surrounded her. Her cousin Shen Zan followed behind Princess Jing, looking at Shen Yao with bright eyes, and whispered, "Cousin."

Shen Yao smiled at her, then looked at Prince Jing and his wife. The two families greeted each other, and then the two were escorted into Prince Jing's residence.

Upon entering the Prince's residence, Shen Yao listened with lowered eyes to Princess Jing's casual conversation when she suddenly heard the sharp sound of a tree branch snapping in the distance. For some reason, Shen Yao was drawn to the sound, only to find herself face-to-face with someone she never wanted to see again.

Shen Yao's heart skipped a beat.

She quickly looked away, but she could no longer hear what Princess Jing had said.

At this moment, Shen Zan suddenly tugged at his mother's sleeve and said, "Mother, I want to go back to my room first."

Princess Jing showed disapproval and said, "Your cousin, the princess, is still here. Why are you going back instead of serving her?"

Shen Zan shrank his shoulders, not daring to look at Shen Yao even once.

Shen Yao felt inexplicably soft-hearted, thinking of her past life when she was forced to face the powerful elders in her family.

Even Prince Jing and his wife felt considerable pressure in front of Shen Yao, let alone a well-behaved and obedient girl like Shen Zan. Shen Yao understood and smiled, "Go back if you want... but stay in your room and don't wander around. I'll call you for lunch."

Shen Zan's eyes lit up. He hurriedly nodded, glanced at Shen Yao vaguely, and then quickly looked away. In the blink of an eye, he had run far away.

At this moment, Lan Yunyi, who was beside her, suddenly called out to her: "Princess, Prince Jing and I will go ahead first."

Shen Yao looked over and, without thinking, hummed in agreement. Lan Yunyi paused, then chuckled softly, "What was the princess looking at so intently just now?"

Shen Yao: "Really?"

Lan Yunyi: "A little."

Shen Yao: "Nonsense. If you have something to do, go quickly." After saying that, she pushed Lan Yunyi.

After Shen Yao entered, she was only focused on talking to the princess, and apart from accidentally seeing Zhao Chong, she had no other thoughts. Unless Lan Yunyi was watching her closely, she wouldn't have noticed her fleeting glance with Zhao Chong.

Moreover, Zhao Chong was too far away from her; she couldn't even get a full view of him from a distance, let alone have any other thoughts about him.

"Whether I'm being unreasonable or not, the princess knows best," Lan Yunyi said softly, her gaze dark as she looked at her.

"How dare you!" Shen Yao was already a little guilty, and after he pointed it out, she broke down a bit. So she muttered a curse under her breath, and then turned and left with Princess Jing.

Watching Shen Yao's resolute and determined figure in bright red, Lan Yunyi let out a light laugh behind her.

"...General Lan and the princess are truly a harmonious and loving couple," Prince Jing said with a smile.

Lan Yunyi smiled and said, "It is my good fortune to be favored by the princess."

Prince Jing chuckled dryly a few times, his eyes gleaming, lost in thought. Lan Yunyi said, "Didn't Prince Jing request a piece of calligraphy by Master Chengxin to have me examine?"

Prince Jing snapped out of his daze, nodded hurriedly, and then turned to lead Lan Yunyi to the study.

After arriving at the back garden, Shen Yao and Princess Jing admired the potted flowers that Princess Jing had cultivated.

The princess introduced ninety-nine ways to care for flowers to Shen Yao. Although Shen Yao didn't understand and wasn't interested, she listened patiently and occasionally responded with a few words.

Just then, a servant from the Prince's residence suddenly entered the courtyard and said to the Princess, "Madam, the Prince asked me to pass on a message that Princess Zhao Fen might like your newly grown potted plant, and that a carriage will be sent to her later..."