Chapter 18: "No, sister-in-law."
That night, Yun Sheng fell asleep in Xiao Xu's arms as usual.
Even before they went to sleep, a vague sense of strangeness still lingered between them, but there was no concrete evidence to prove that something was amiss.
Half-asleep, Yun Sheng seemed to feel her lips being enveloped by some unknown, wet, soft substance.
But she was too tired to open her eyes to look, and her mind was not clear at all. She only slightly parted her lips, indulging in the rampant wetness.
The next morning, when Yun Sheng woke up, she saw that Xiao Xu was already dressed and ready to go out.
Hearing the commotion on the bed, Xiao Xu turned around.
Seeing her staring at him blankly with her almond-shaped eyes, he took the initiative to explain, "I have official business to attend to today."
Yun Sheng instantly snapped out of her daze and sat up from the bed: "Are you going out?"
Although she looked stunned, her voice rose at the end, making her sound less like she was reluctant to part and more like she was pleasantly surprised.
Xiao Xu narrowed his eyes slightly and walked closer to the bed: "It won't be long. I'll be back before noon to have lunch with you."
"What time is it now?"
"Just past the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)."
Yun Sheng breathed a sigh of relief without making it obvious.
At this moment, Xiao Xu had already come to the bedside and sat down on his side.
The man blocked most of the light in front of her. Yun Sheng blinked at him and said gently, "Then you should go quickly. Why are you still sitting down?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Xiao Xu pinched her chin with two fingers, forcing her gaze to be fixed on his face, and asked in a low voice, "Why did you breathe a sigh of relief?"
"What?" Yun Sheng's breath hitched slightly. No matter how many times she spoke to him face to face so close, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
It's also possible that we haven't done it enough times.
Moreover, why did he ask so directly? How was she supposed to answer?
"I didn't." There was no answer, only denial.
Xiao Xu stared at her intently, as if trying to see right through her.
Yun Sheng couldn't stand him staring at her so closely, so she lowered her eyelashes and avoided his gaze: "Didn't you come back at noon? Official business is important, I'm fine."
Xiao Xu watched as her black hair swayed slightly at her neck as she spoke, but he wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying. His attention was drawn to the sight of her dark hair and fair skin intertwined.
Xiao Xu hummed in agreement, his gaze shifting to her lips: "Don't forget what we need to do before I leave."
Yun Sheng looked up in surprise: "What is it?"
After asking the question, she noticed where Xiao Xu's gaze lingered and subconsciously pursed her lips.
Xiao Xu moved his thumb, which was pressed on her chin, upwards, directly to the corner of her lips.
He pressed his thumb firmly against the corner of her lips, opening them from her tight lip.
"Step by step, have you forgotten?"
Before Yun Sheng could even think of what to say, the thumb pressed inward along the most pert part of her lips.
"Hmm..."
She let out a soft gasp, her mouth remaining slightly open, unable to speak. If she were to make a sound, her lips would open and close, causing him to put his finger into her mouth.
Yun Sheng stiffened her neck and looked at him helplessly.
Xiao Xu said slowly and deliberately, "Sheng Sheng, I'm going to kiss you."
Yun Sheng's eyelashes trembled, and she closed her eyes impatiently, as if in tacit consent, but more so in a sense of resignation.
It would have been better if Xiao Xu hadn't said anything; a warm, wet kiss between husband and wife in their bedroom in the early morning seemed like a normal occurrence.
But he insisted on speaking so bluntly, bringing her unspeakable emotions to the surface, making them impossible to hide.
After closing her eyes for a moment, Yun Sheng still didn't feel a kiss fall on her.
Suddenly, as she opened her eyes, Xiao Xu withdrew his hand.
She caught a glimpse of a glistening droplet on the pad of his thumb.
Xiao Xu said, "I forgot. It's your turn today."
Yun Sheng raised her small face slightly: "Huh?"
"Yesterday I kissed you, today we'll take it step by step, it's your turn."
He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, without batting an eye.
After saying that, she quickly added, "Sheng Sheng, come and kiss me."
Yun Sheng sat on the bed with her legs turned to the side, a little distance between her and Xiao Xu.
If Xiao Xu were to bend down and lower his head, he could easily kiss her.
But Yun Sheng couldn't reach it.
She hesitated for only a moment, thinking to herself that this was no kind of gradual approach, but her gaze quickly swept over those beautifully shaped thin lips before she half-knelt up and moved closer to Xiao Xu.
She herself couldn't see it, but Xiao Xu could see it clearly: the silk quilt in front of her had slipped down, and beneath her were her disheveled nightgowns after a night's sleep.
As she knelt, her clothes parted, revealing a section of fair skin on her legs, which she hadn't worn trousers for the summer heat.
It was so white it seemed to be glowing, so smooth and flawless, it was dazzling to the eye.
It instantly evoked the alluring and tender memories of last night.
He kissed her passionately in the darkness, and the sleeping girl offered no resistance.
The suffocating heat and humidity overwhelmed her, and in her moment of unbearable discomfort, her delicate, smooth legs wrapped themselves around him.
It was incredibly soft, seemingly slender, yet impossible to control with one hand; instead, one would sink into the soft flesh where one could not feel the bones.
What was unseen then is now fully visible.
Xiao Xu lowered his eyes, and a warm touch came to his lips.
Her kiss was still incredibly awkward; she only managed to open her mouth and briefly touch his lips, without even protruding her tongue, before her body went limp and she tried to pull away.
Just before she was about to fall back onto the bed, Xiao Xu forcefully grabbed her waist, almost lifting her into the air, and quickly placed her on his lap, eagerly deepening the kiss.
Unlike yesterday in the carriage, this time Xiao Xu kissed her much more passionately.
He seemed to be gnawing at her, swirling and devouring her tongue.
His hand was on her leg, and Yun Sheng then realized that her nightgown had been lifted up at some point.
But it was too late to cover up, and Xiao Xuqing couldn't help but squeeze her thigh tightly.
Her skin appeared incredibly fragile under his palm; with the slightest pressure, the edges of her skin quickly lost all color, turning a pitifully pale white.
When you release it again, the area that was touched develops a bright red mark that is different from the rest, taking away the little bit of pity you felt, and then the cycle repeats itself.
It seemed as if spring water was watering her again.
how so.
It was just a kiss.
Yun Sheng had never imagined that kissing someone would feel like this. She hadn't even expected that Xiao Xu's kiss would be so... domineering and forceful.
This was completely different from his usual calm, dignified and proper demeanor.
Is this what he calls gradual progress?
He gradually reveals another side of himself beneath his aloof and ascetic exterior.
A tingling sensation spread where he pressed his fingertip.
The unfamiliar touch of the man's hand sent a shiver down my spine.
Her lower lip was suddenly bitten; it didn't hurt but itched, causing her eyelashes to flutter.
A hoarse whisper pressed against her lips: "Sheng Sheng, focus."
Yun Sheng couldn't take it anymore and pushed him away with all her might, turning her head to avoid him: "No, don't kiss me anymore..."
Xiao Xu's lips were forced apart from hers, seemingly unwilling, but he did not press on.
Yun Sheng whispered again, "We've been kissing for a long time now."
The way she spoke softly, slightly out of breath, made Xiao Xu want to pinch her chin and kiss her again.
But he just held her quietly without making any further moves.
It wasn't until Yun Sheng realized what was happening that she tried to calmly get off Xiao Xu's lap, but her leap back onto the bed still revealed a hint of panic.
During the movement, it seemed that his calf bumped into something strange.
She scurried back into bed and looked back. She saw that Xiao Xu's ear tips were slightly red, but his expression was somewhat somber.
He frowned, then slowly relaxed his brow.
Xiao Xu said, "It's still early, you can sleep a little longer."
Yun Sheng was still preoccupied with the strange sensation she had just felt, so she nodded perfunctorily and said, "Okay, you can go do your thing."
Xiao Xu gave her a deep look before setting off.
However, he did not leave immediately, but went to the bathhouse first.
Yun Sheng leaned against the bed and heard the faint sound of water coming from the bathroom. He wondered why he had gone to the bathroom to use water again after he had already washed up.
Xiao Xu didn't stay in the bathing room for long. When he came out, there were a few drops of water on his forehead that he hadn't wiped off, but his expression had returned to calm.
"Sheng Sheng, I'm leaving."
Yun Sheng, hiding behind the bed curtains, softly hummed in agreement.
She sat up abruptly from the couch after the door opened and closed again.
"Cuizhu, come in."
Yun Sheng's urgent voice caused Cui Zhu to enter the room in a similarly hurried manner.
Thinking something had happened inside, Yun Sheng got out of bed as soon as she entered the room: "Quickly, I need to wash up and change, don't delay the time."
Cui Zhu continued her work, asking slowly, "Why is the Crown Princess in such a hurry?"
"Changyu went out to work today. He said he would be back around noon."
Cuizhu recalled their conversation in the bathhouse last night and understood: "Yes, Your Highness, I will bring out your paper, ink, brush and inkstone in a moment. Would you like to get a few more embroidery patterns for reference?"
Yun Sheng's eyes widened: "What embroidery pattern? I want to see that one, that one!"
Cui Zhu: "...?"
He said urgently in a low voice, "Go and get all the booklets you found for me right away."
*
Just after 7 a.m., there was a knock on the door of the private room on the top floor of Wanhe Tower.
As soon as the knocking sounded, a joyful voice came from inside the private room: "Changyu, I've finally waited for you."
Xiao Xu paused slightly as he knocked on the door, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I've come in."
After he finished speaking, he pushed open the door.
Xiao Xu pushed open the door and entered. The private room was filled with a fragrant aroma, a mixture of sweet tea scents and the faint scent of ambergris emanating from the small stove on the table.
Crown Prince Li Yuan was placing a half-eaten lotus-shaped pastry onto a plate, then wiping his hands before hurriedly saying, "Changyu, do you know what I have been through these past four days?"
Xiao Xu remained silent, his gaze sweeping coldly across the table.
Four dishes of eight kinds of imperial delicacies were already laid out on the small table, and wisps of tea smoke rose from the side of the table.
Li Yuan knew what he was looking at; it was all because he had been invited here.
Xiao Xu was on his wedding leave and it was inconvenient for him to enter the palace. He had no other choice but to send someone to the Prince Zhao's residence last night to tell him to come and meet him this morning.
Although he was not in the Crown Prince's Palace, he still showed off all his usual pleasure-seeking habits.
Li Yuan dismissed his attendants and personally poured Xiao Xu a cup of tea.
"On the day of your wedding, that old fox in the Ministry of Works submitted a secret report on embezzlement of funds for the construction of the official road. The Vice Minister Liu involved in the case was a protégé of the Grand Secretary Zhang. He said that the 200,000 taels of silver allocated last year did not match the accounts. The accounts recorded that 100,000 cubic meters of bluestone were purchased, but after the officials checked, they found that less than 30,000 cubic meters were actually delivered. The other part of the funds was changed from the purchase of building materials to routine maintenance."
Xiao Xu took the teacup with both hands and listened quietly.
"I tried to teach him the method you taught me, but he didn't even flinch and brought out the 'Road Maintenance Regulations,' saying that the regulations stipulated that funds could be used for emergency repairs if the roadbed became loose and water accumulated during the rainy season. He also presented a stack of documents from various counties requesting maintenance, and confidently stated that the money was used in accordance with regulations and was not embezzled. As for the missing 70,000 cubic meters of bluestone, he claimed that it was all used for emergency road repairs."
After listening to his explanation, Xiao Xu simply said indifferently, "Your Highness, I should have already explained the ins and outs of auditing the accounts."
"But I also have concerns. If what Vice Minister Liu said is true, and I used force to convict him, how will I explain myself when the truth comes out? Yesterday, Chief Minister Zhang was still implying at the court meeting that I had not handled things properly."
"Changyu, you have to help me make a decision about this matter."
Li Yuan was young and had not yet come of age; among the princes, his abilities were not particularly outstanding.
Over the years, Xiao Xu has been helping him.
However, there should be limits to how much one can assist others. It seems that Li Yuan has become overly reliant on the decisions of his ministers.
Xiao Xu picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "Precisely because Your Highness has concerns, you should make your own decision."
"Today it's the accounts in Qing Shi, tomorrow it might be military reports from the border. Does Your Highness intend to forever wait for others to hand you the knife and lose your own judgment?"
"What if the blade had been aimed at His Highness?"
Li Yuan's heart tightened, and his face immediately turned ugly, but he couldn't even utter a word of "insolence".
For some reason, he felt that Xiao Xu was acting strangely today.
Xiao Xu would never have been so aggressive before, not even when Li Yuan himself was ashamed of his own incompetence.
Not only that, but he also seemed to be in a bad mood, unusually revealing his displeasure and annoyance.
Was it because of his unhappy marriage?
Li Yuan pondered for a moment: "Alright, I will make a decision on this matter myself after careful consideration."
Then he added, “I know that you have been troubled by this sudden marriage lately, and you are unwilling and extremely annoyed. Now that the first three days of the wedding have passed, I will decide that you should take a break here and sit for a while, so that you won’t feel embarrassed in front of your younger brother and sister-in-law when you go home.”
Xiao Xu's expression hardened, and he didn't say a word, but it made Li Yuan shudder inexplicably.
"W-What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Xiao Xu said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, Lady Yun is my lawfully wedded wife."
"No, sister-in-law."
Seeing Li Yuan's surprised expression, Xiao Xu completely lost the will to offer advice.
"I am still on my wedding leave. If Your Highness has nothing else to say, I will take my leave now."
Only after Xiao Xu's chilling figure disappeared behind the door did Li Yuan relax and breathe a sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, no one witnessed it, but Xiao Xu is acting very strangely today.
He didn't say it himself before, it wasn't his intention, he had no choice but to do it out of necessity, so how come he's suddenly accused of saying something wrong?
————————!!————————
So Mu Shan came to see me once about Xiao Ling and once about the Crown Prince.
Xiao Xu: I don't care, I'll put all the jealousy on Xiao Ling!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com