Chapter 28: I can't understand why this is so vinegary.
After taking a bath at night, Yun Sheng, still warm all over, curled up on her side in bed, her bright almond-shaped eyes staring straight at the direction of the bedroom door.
Xiao Xu did not leave her bedroom; she was simply lying on the couch and unable to look towards the bathing room.
Not long after, Xiao Xu appeared from behind the screen.
He walked so silently that Yun Sheng didn't notice him at all until she saw him and he noticed her gaze.
"Waiting for me?"
Yun Sheng rolled over and lay flat, no longer looking at him, but moved a little further into the bed: "I'm just not sleepy yet."
Xiao Xu smiled but didn't say anything. He then walked to the table and extinguished the last candle in the room.
In the darkness, amidst soft rustling sounds, Yun Sheng was pulled into Xiao Xu's arms.
He was lying on his side facing her, so close that his breath would almost brush against her neck, so light yet so strong.
Yun Sheng, who was not particularly sleepy to begin with, was completely dispelled by this feeling.
She lay there for a while, but couldn't help turning over. Although she was now facing Xiao Xu, lying on her side allowed her to get a little further away from his breathing.
Turning around, I saw Xiao Xu with his eyes open.
Yun Sheng asked, "Why aren't you asleep?"
"I can't sleep."
Yun Sheng's pupils trembled slightly. Although she couldn't see any change in Xiao Xu's expression, in this posture and atmosphere, hearing his ambiguous deep voice, she still subconsciously wanted to retreat.
The kiss that had landed on her heart eventually moved to her lips. Xiao Xu held her chin and kissed her deeply.
Whether it was the lingering passion from the daytime encounter in the study or the atmosphere of the previous moment that aroused desire, the kiss gradually progressed from sitting side by side to being embraced.
The kisses deepened and surged like a tidal wave, and with his fondling and kneading, it almost got out of control.
Yun Sheng was suddenly grabbed at the lower back, and her retreat was stopped: "Where are you going? If you retreat any further, you'll be stuck to the wall."
Yun Sheng glanced back and murmured, "No, it's still so far away."
Xiao Xu pulled her back into his arms: "Don't do anything, don't stay so far away from me."
Yun Sheng pursed her lips and remained silent, without retreating any further.
She knew she wouldn't do anything; she was leaving for the Western Garden Palace tomorrow, and Xiao Xu's contraceptive medicine hadn't been prepared yet.
They tacitly avoided mentioning what would happen if they got pregnant from unprotected sex the previous two days.
Yun Sheng still held onto the idea, as taught in the book, that it was difficult to conceive in the seven days before menstruation. She didn't know what her mindset was regarding the remaining slight possibility; she knew it but ignored it.
She could hear Xiao Xu's heartbeat in her ear, but she didn't know what he was thinking.
She put aside these complicated feelings, her fingers accidentally hooking onto the tie of Xiao Xu's nightgown, and she played with it in her hand: "Chang Yu, you still haven't told me what time we're leaving tomorrow."
"It's Chen Shi (7-9 AM)," Xiao Xu asked. "If you didn't find it boring, why are you going this time?"
Hearing that he was making fun of her, Yun Sheng snorted: "I'm not a child anymore. Do you think I should only think about having fun when I'm traveling with you now?"
"It's fun, and my mother and second brother and sister-in-law will go with me."
"Then it will be even less boring."
As Yun Sheng spoke, her eyes darted around, and she suddenly asked, "Will that third-ranked scholar go?"
"..."
Instead of getting a reply, Yun Sheng cried out, "Why are you pinching my butt!"
He not only pinched her, he also wanted to hit her.
Xiao Xu tightened his fingers and rubbed them again, then said in a deep voice, "Go to sleep."
Yun Sheng choked. Just a moment ago she was saying she couldn't sleep, how come she's suddenly saying she's going to sleep?
Even if she were slow to notice, she should have realized it by now, and besides, she wasn't slow at all.
Xiao Xu seemed to be jealous.
Because he was the third-ranked scholar?
Yun Sheng frowned and explained, "I asked about the third-ranked scholar because of A-Zhi. I heard that Fifth Uncle intends to arrange a marriage for A-Zhi, but A-Zhi doesn't recognize the third-ranked scholar's face. I thought if the third-ranked scholar were here on this trip, I would secretly go and take a look for her... Ah!"
A crisp snap.
Xiao Xu raised his hand and slapped the tender flesh.
"You're still planning to go see it secretly?"
Xiao Xu peered at her from nearby, but the darkness made it impossible to see his hidden expression: "How could you be looking? Peeking from behind the rockery again?"
Yun Sheng's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widened, and for a moment she forgot to scold Xiao Xu for spanking her.
The hand that had spanked her came back to her and covered her eyes, whether to prevent her from seeing his expression or to help her fall asleep quickly, it was unclear.
With most of her face pressed under Xiao Xu's palm, Yun Sheng felt a wave of embarrassment, her cheeks burning.
Why did he mention the artificial hill? Did he know that she had secretly gone to see Xiao Ling behind the artificial hill?
But how could he know that he wasn't there at the time?
"sleep."
Xiao Xu clearly did not want to discuss this topic.
He closed his eyes and lowered his hand that was covering her eyes.
Yun Sheng looked at his expressionless face with suspicion, even the expression in his eyes was hidden behind his eyelids.
She pursed her lips, unable to say anything more, and gave a soft "hmm" before closing her eyes, her mind racing with wild guesses about who might have exposed her secret.
In fact, only naive girls keep this emotional moment a closely guarded secret.
When Yun Sheng returned home from the villa, she said to Xu Peilan with a shy yet happy expression, "The Third Young Master is very kind."
In this way, everyone would know that she saw Xiao Ling's face during her visit to the villa and fell in love with him. The marriage with Prince Zhao's family could then be discussed.
When the news reached the Prince Zhao's residence, Shen Yuewan was naturally overjoyed. First, she told Xiao Xu without any hesitation that Yun Sheng had taken a liking to Xiao Ling. Then, completely ignoring Xiao Xu's gloomy expression, she said even more without restraint that they were of similar age and a perfect match, and that the marriage would be arranged for Xiao Ling.
After all, when Xiao Xu returned from the Lotus Banquet, aside from the unusually calm response that Shen Yuewan had tricked him into attending the banquet, he only gave a cold reply: "Mother, you can handle this matter."
Anyone would think he was reluctant and not very interested.
The friendship between the Yun and Xiao families began many years ago when they shared similar political views and came together to promote new policies.
Although they did not become close friends, their families were of similar social standing and admired each other's upright family traditions and good household management. As their children grew up, both families spontaneously came up with the idea of becoming even closer through marriage.
However, the Yun family values their daughter's opinion, and the Prince Zhao's Mansion also expressed respect and understanding.
If Yun Sheng ultimately doesn't find any of them suitable, no matter how prestigious the Zhao Prince's mansion is, the Yun family will never consider bringing up this marriage.
Shen Yuewan originally thought that the eldest son was the most outstanding and had a noble and respectable status. She liked Yun Sheng and naturally wanted to give her the best, so she arranged for Xiao Xu to meet her first.
Little did she know that Yun Sheng hadn't even noticed Xiao Xu at the Lotus Banquet. She assumed that Yun Sheng hadn't taken a liking to him because he was too much older and she didn't like his dull personality.
Compared to Xiao Ling, she was indeed more suitable, so she shifted her focus without any hesitation.
Fortunately, Yun Sheng took a liking to Xiao Ling, and during the marriage negotiations, the Prince Zhao's residence mentioned this matter privately several times.
Shen Yuewan smiled happily: "Maybe she secretly saw him behind that rockery and fell in love at first sight. How wonderful!"
To avoid upsetting Xiao Ling, this was never mentioned in front of her, but Xiao Xu heard it every time.
His lack of outward expression at the time did not mean he was indifferent.
Now it's even more unbearable.
The artificial hill, secretly watching the man.
Not a single word was something he wanted to hear.
*
The next day, the morning light pierced through the clouds and quietly crept onto the eaves.
When Xiao Xu woke Yun Sheng, he was already dressed and it looked like he had been up for some time, not just getting dressed.
Yun Sheng thought she was late and hurriedly got up, only to hear Xiao Xu say, "I need to go to the palace first. You can leave after you've packed up."
"Okay." Yun Sheng replied, and Xiao Xu lowered his head and kissed her lips.
After he left, she immediately began washing up and getting ready.
After everything was ready, Yun Sheng went to the gate of the mansion and met Liu Xian on the way. The two exchanged pleasantries for a while.
"Erlang said he would leave later, which made Lan'er very anxious. She's making a fuss in the house right now. I'll go to the small kitchen to see if there's anything he likes to eat this morning."
Yun Sheng chuckled: "I have a few pine nut candies here. I wonder if Lan-ge'er would like them. Why don't you take them to him and let him try them?"
Liu Xian smiled and said, "Then I won't thank him on his behalf. When we meet later, let him come and thank your aunt himself."
Before leaving, Liu Xian moved her lips, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
"What's wrong, Ah Xian?"
Liu Xian shook her head: "It's nothing, you go first, we can sit down and chat later when we have time."
After saying goodbye to Liu Xian, Yun Sheng boarded the carriage for her journey.
It must have been specially arranged by Xiao Xu that the carriage we traveled in was quite spacious, making the journey much more comfortable and relaxing, even though it was quite a distance to the Xiyuan Palace.
In the center of the carriage was a small table with a pot of fragrant tea simmering in a warm place on it, and several soft and sweet pastries and a plate of freshly roasted dried fruit on the side.
Yun Sheng was in a good mood. She sat down and happily took out one by one the items she had prepared in advance to pass the time on the road from her small bag.
She had originally planned to start embroidering Xiao Xu's sachet on the way, but judging from his words this morning, it seemed that he was tied up with official business and could not travel with her.
Yun Sheng turned around and took her storybook with her. She figured she would be able to read to the end by now, and once she finished reading it, she would give it to Cui Zhu to hide. There was no way Xiao Xu would find it.
As the carriage began to move, Yun Sheng leaned back in the spacious seat, holding a storybook and reading it with great interest.
The bright sunlight and the occasional sounds of people from the street drifting into my ears as the carriage moved made the exciting storybook in my hand seem to be burning hot.
This should be somewhat embarrassing, but Yun Sheng felt that she had gone astray.
She wouldn't have been this bold before.
However, she attributed this to Xiao Xu leading her astray.
That man was far more shameless than her. He appeared refined and dignified on the surface, but he could spout lewd things without batting an eye. Last night, he said he wouldn't do anything, but he still pinched and slapped her buttocks.
Yun Sheng was so engrossed in watching that her little face was flushed the whole way.
After drinking a cup of tea, eating two pieces of pastry, and consuming most of the dried fruit, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
Yun Sheng initially thought there was some obstacle ahead that required waiting, so she didn't pay attention and remained focused on the text in the storybook.
Until they heard the servants outside bowing in greeting.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Xiao Xu responded and gave a brief instruction in a clear and pleasant voice.
Yun Sheng suddenly sat up straight from her seat. Before she could think about whether they had arrived at their destination or had run into Xiao Xu on the way, she hurriedly and frantically tried to hide the storybook.
She had just haphazardly stuffed the storybook into the drawer under the seat when the carriage curtain was lifted from the outside by several slender fingers.
Yun Sheng's eyelashes fluttered, and when she looked up, she saw Xiao Xu bending down and walking in.
The two looked at each other, and Xiao Xu saw that Yun Sheng's wide-open eyes were rather cute.
The spacious carriage was filled with all sorts of objects, neat and orderly, but as he stood bent over under the curtain, he could clearly see that there was no place for him to sit down.
Xiao Xu scoffed lightly, feeling both annoyed and amused.
Yun Sheng snapped out of her reverie at the sound, and the slight blush on her face from the storybook now looked like an embarrassed shyness.
She started tidying up her things and asked awkwardly, "Why are you here?"
Xiao Xu stepped into the carriage first, bowing as he helped her pack: "You mean, you want me to walk to the West Garden Palace by myself?"
“…That’s not what I meant.” Yun Sheng made room for Xiao Xu, then turned her head to look out the car window. “Where are we?”
"West Gate." Xiao Xu sat down, his gaze sweeping around the carriage. "What were you doing just now?"
Yun Sheng pursed her lips, not having time to think of an excuse to get away with it, when Xiao Xu asked again, "Are you doing something bad?"
"No way!" Yun Sheng immediately denied it. Her habitual action of tapping the cushion with her fingers when she felt guilty caused her to touch the sky-blue brocade that was stretched on the embroidery frame next to her.
Yun Sheng picked up the embroidery hoop: "I'm embroidering a sachet for you."
Xiao Xu glanced at the empty forging material, then slowly shifted his gaze back to Yun Sheng's face.
Yun Sheng put down the embroidery frame and explained softly, "I'm just still figuring out where to start."
Xiao Xu remained silent, reached out and picked up the sewing box that was placed on his side, with the clasp still fastened, and handed it to Yun Sheng.
"..."
Yun Sheng forced a thank you, but after taking the sewing box, she put it aside with a self-righteous air: "I won't embroider if you're here. I'll keep you company and talk to you."
Xiao Xu chuckled, shifted his position, leaned back in his chair, and relaxed.
Yun Sheng said, "So when you told me to leave first this morning, you meant to wait for me at the West Gate to meet you. You didn't make it clear. I thought we were going our separate ways."
If he had made it clear from the beginning, she wouldn't have been reading storybooks in the carriage.
"You look so sleepy, I'm afraid you wouldn't remember even if I told you."
"How could I not remember? I heard everything you said this morning clearly."
Yun Sheng asked again, "What time did you get up this morning?"
"At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM)".
"So early? Will this matter take many more days to resolve?"
Yun Sheng remembered that he had been in the palace even earlier the day before, before dawn.
She had never woken up this early before, except on her wedding day.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xu smiled in surprise.
It seems that the leisurely first few days of the wedding led Yun Sheng to have some misunderstandings about this.
"It's not because I'm busy with official duties; I'm always like this."
Yun Sheng asked in surprise, "You always get up at the hour of Yin?"
Although he knew she had misunderstood, Xiao Xu still found her surprised expression somewhat novel.
Over the years, his father had been strict with him, and he himself was also strict with himself. He would get up at dawn to practice martial arts, go to the yamen to handle government affairs at early morning, and return home at dusk. If he had nothing to do at night, he would read history at his desk until midnight before turning off the lights and settling down. If he had something to do, he would rest at an irregular time.
Over time, he came to realize that this was no longer surprising.
He replied to her, "Yes, it's been like this for years, I'm used to it."
"Aren't you tired from getting up so early?"
As Yun Sheng spoke, her hands were groping around elsewhere.
Xiao Xu watched quietly as she took out a small square pillow and a thin blanket with tassels from the pile of things she had laid out.
It was clearly a girl's item, pink and soft, which made Yun Sheng's face look even whiter and her appearance more delicate when she held it in her hand.
But Yun Sheng quickly placed the small pillow next to Xiao Xu's face so that he could lean against it, and then spread out a thin blanket and draped it over him.
Then, quite pleased, he said, "Since we're on the road today, we won't be able to take a proper afternoon rest. If you're tired, this will help you sleep more comfortably."
She seemed unaware that he had never taken a midday nap before.
However, Xiao Xu did not explain. He glanced at the pink and tender little square pillow out of the corner of his eye and suddenly reached out and took it away.
Under Yun Sheng's puzzled gaze, he placed the soft pillow closer to her before leaning against it.
Seeing this, Yun Sheng assumed that the original placement of the bed was making him uncomfortable.
Then she noticed that the sunlight outside the window was falling on the thin blanket, and she thought that there was no need to cover herself with a thin blanket when taking a nap in the summer, as it would only make her feel stuffy.
She then reached out to take the thin blanket.
The moment his finger touched her, Xiao Xu blocked it with his hand.
Yun Sheng said softly, "It's hot under the covers."
"It's not hot." Xiao Xu took her hand away, then casually smoothed out the wrinkles on the thin blanket, letting the rather mismatched light color cling to his dark robes, and closed his eyes. "It's just right to cover you up."
The atmosphere inside the carriage was quiet, with only the sound of the wheels rolling over the ground.
Yun Sheng obediently remained silent, her gaze occasionally drifting to the window, and sometimes stealing glances at the handsome face that was about to fall asleep beside her.
Xiao Xu was not sleepy at all. With a playful intention, he leaned against the soft pillow whose color and texture were extremely incongruous with him.
But when you close your eyes, your other senses become incredibly clear.
I caught a faint, sweet fragrance, but I couldn't tell if it was coming from her or from the soft pillow nearby.
It gently and slowly enveloped him, drawing him into the fragrance.
After a while, he heard a slight noise beside him. He opened his eyes and saw a pale, dark scene, like the dawn breaking.
Yun Sheng lay nearby, sleepily leaning in to place a warm kiss on his lips before it vanished in the dim light.
The scene shifts to his study late at night, where he is buried in a pile of official documents, when the door creaks open softly.
Yun Sheng walked in carrying a soup bowl. The candlelight gently illuminated her profile. She reached out to tidy his slightly disheveled dark hair, her fingertips brushing unintentionally against his ear.
As dawn broke, the sounds of laughter and playfulness drifted in from outside the window. He glanced down at the calligraphy practice on the table and felt a surge of irritation.
Suddenly the curtain moved slightly, and when he turned his head, he saw Yun Sheng sitting down next to him, her dress making a soft rustling sound.
He felt his hands being lifted up, and Yun Sheng smiled with her eyes crinkling, gently placing something into his palm.
He looked down, but everything was blurry. He couldn't see or feel anything clearly. He tried to clench his fist, but the object in his palm turned into wisps of smoke in an instant and slipped through his fingers.
As his thoughts returned to their source, Xiao Xu suddenly opened his eyes and found himself alone in the carriage.
The carriage stopped at some point, and he felt something was wrong in front of him. When he looked down, he realized that he was still covered with Yun Sheng's thin blanket.
Xiao Xu was slightly taken aback. He thought he was just taking a nap with his eyes closed, but he didn't expect to actually fall asleep. He didn't even notice when Yun Sheng left the carriage.
His pupils contracted slightly, as if the elusive dream was struggling to piece together a concrete form in his mind, until he lifted the curtain of the carriage and recognized the surrounding scenery—he was stopped at a post station.
Looking at the passersby around him, Xiao Xu lowered the carriage curtain, looked down, and chuckled to himself.
I used to dream of her because I couldn't have her.
Now that the person is right next to him, he still can't stop even when he has a spare moment.
Xiao Xu's gaze gradually focused, and he noticed the drawer at his feet.
When he first boarded the carriage, he noticed that the drawer under the seat had a gap that wasn't fully closed, and the outline of a book could be vaguely seen through the gap.
However, at this moment, the drawer was tightly closed.
It seems that someone wanted to open the drawer while he was asleep, but was blocked by his legs which he had carelessly placed there, so they gave up and closed it tightly again.
Xiao Xu bent down, reached out and pulled open the drawer. The book cover inside was facing up, and the title was clearly visible.
"One Wife, Three Husbands: Nightly Competition for Favor"
"..."
When the carriage curtain was lifted, the attendant who was standing in front of the carriage, lost in thought, was startled.
The servant looked up and was so frightened by Xiao Xu's gloomy face that he immediately lowered his head and stood up straight.
Where is the Crown Princess?
"Yes..." The servant turned to point, but in the blink of an eye, he saw that the place where the Crown Princess had been was now only occupied by her maid, Cuizhu. He immediately gasped, "I'll go find her right away."
Xiao Xu stepped down from the carriage, his gaze fixed on a large patch of reeds swaying in the wind outside the post station. He raised his hand to stop his attendant and strode towards it.
It was the height of summer, and the reeds had grown extremely tall, their long, bluish-gray stalks topped with dense ears of grass, stretching out like a green curtain, undulating in the wind.
Xiao Xu walked along the riverbank until he touched the edge of the green gauze, and after a few steps he disappeared into it.
Deep within the waves, a pale yellow figure crouches on the ground, appearing and disappearing with the swaying of the reeds.
She lowered her head slightly, her slender back outlining a soft curve, and was intently fiddling with something in front of her, completely unaware of the approaching movement in the distance.
Xiao Xu's figure appeared silently behind her, his tall frame casting a shadow that enveloped her.
“Sheng Sheng”.
He called out in a deep voice, and Yun Sheng turned around in surprise, instinctively hiding her hands behind her back.
Upon seeing him, the panic on her face instantly turned into a gentle smile. She stood up, her eyes crinkling, and asked, "You were looking for me?"
Xiao Xu's eyes were deep and turbulent, but his expression remained unchanged: "Yes, I woke up and found you weren't here."
Yun Sheng put her hands behind her back and said in a light tone, "Stretch out your hands."
Xiao Xu had already opened his palm as instructed before asking slowly, "What are you doing?"
"I've prepared a gift for you." Yun Sheng's smile deepened, tinged with a hint of pride.
She stepped forward and gently placed her slightly clenched fists into his open palms.
Xiao Xu's gaze did not fall on the palm, but was fixed on those bright eyes.
The reeds reflected in her bright eyes, shimmering with the light of summer, her smile captivatingly radiant.
Yun Sheng gently opened her hands.
Xiao Xu's Adam's apple bobbed, and a dense, itchy sensation spread across his palm before he lowered his eyes to look.
A delicate little rabbit woven from tender green reeds lay quietly in his palm.
"Look, isn't the little rabbit I made pretty?"
————————!!————————
Back in the carriage, Yun Sheng retrieved a straw rabbit and grumbled angrily: "My exciting storybook! [Angry][Angry][Angry]"
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