Chapter 12: "To make you happy, so you don't go to sleep feeling unhappy."
Yun Sheng was unable to answer for a long time.
Xiao Xu's words made sense, but his tone was too serious, making it impossible for her to gloss over them, and she felt awkward enough not to respond immediately.
After all, for the past two years, she had regarded Xiao Xu as her future brother-in-law and Xiao Min as her second brother, and it would be difficult for her to switch identities so easily in a short period of time.
She still couldn't quite bring herself to call Xiao Min "Second Brother," and she and Liu Xian had agreed to call each other by their given names.
Regarding Xiao Ling...
Yun Sheng paused for a moment, then responded softly, "Yes, I know."
They remained silent for the rest of the journey.
After returning to her room, Yun Sheng first called for servants to prepare water for her bath.
Before entering the study, she caught a glimpse of Xiao Xu reading at his desk.
Cuizhu followed her in and helped her undress.
After removing her clothes, Cuizhu squatted by the bath tub and whispered, "Your Highness, I have found the storybook you requested and put it in the cabinet in the corner along with the booklet that the Princess sent."
Yun Sheng recalled the large bundle that Cui Zhu was holding in her arms back then, and said in an even lower voice, "Where did you find so many? There must be more than a dozen of them, right?"
Cuizhu used a ladle to pour water to muffle her voice: "I thought that since this is your first time encountering this kind of storybook, you don't know your preferences yet, so I found some from all kinds, not just a dozen, but nearly thirty."
"There are so many, how long will it take me to see them all?"
Cuizhu smiled and said, "If the Crown Princess likes it, she won't deliberately think about it as a way to consummate the marriage. She'll just treat it as a way to pass the time. In the future, she'll only feel that this isn't enough to watch. There's no end to what she can watch."
Yun Sheng thought for a moment, nodded and murmured, "That makes sense. Let's take it out and look at it when we have some free time."
After taking a bath, Yun Sheng changed into a plain white silk nightgown. Cui Zhu stayed in the bathhouse with the window open to tidy up, and then she walked back to her bedroom.
The room was spacious, and unless you were looking for someone, you would hardly notice their presence.
Yun Sheng knew where Xiao Xu was, and as she passed by, her gaze unconsciously drifted towards that direction.
Just then, Xiao Xu looked up.
They haven't spoken since their conversation, as if they were a couple having a fight and giving each other the silent treatment.
Upon making eye contact, Yun Sheng instinctively wanted to look away.
But Xiao Xu acted first, getting up and walking towards her.
Before he even got close, he spoke: "Sheng Sheng, are you going to rest?"
Yun Sheng didn't look at him again, and gave a soft "hmm".
Xiao Xu said, "Then I'll go take a bath. You can go to the bed first."
Yun Sheng gave another dry "oh".
Xiao Xu watched the petite figure slowly walk towards the bed, and only after a long while did he turn away and go to the bathing room.
Yun Sheng lay down on the bed, feeling even more agitated than before. She closed her eyes, suppressing her emotions, and soon heard footsteps.
She opened her eyes again with her back to the bed, and the light in her vision gradually dimmed.
Xiao Xu extinguished the lamp; there was no need to keep the wedding candles burning tonight, and the room quickly fell into complete darkness.
He walked toward the bed and saw only a quiet outline.
Xiao Xu straightened the bedding by the bed. The movement was small, but it could be clearly felt nearby. However, the person on the bed did not react at all, as if he was asleep.
As he moved to lie down next to Yun Sheng, he immediately saw a pair of almond-shaped eyes that were quietly open.
Yun Sheng was startled, annoyed that she had forgotten to close her eyes, and that even with her back to him, he had discovered that she was still awake.
But she still ignored him and didn't move an inch.
Soon, he disappeared from her sight, leaving only the rustling sounds behind her and the intense warmth of his body spreading through the blankets.
"Sheng Sheng," Xiao Xu called softly, "You haven't spoken to me since earlier. Are you unhappy?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng raised her eyebrows in disbelief. How could this person turn the tables on her?
"You didn't speak to me either."
Yun Sheng's voice wasn't loud, and with her back to him, Xiao Xu couldn't see her expression, but he could hear the annoyance in her tone. He chuckled to himself that this was the first time he'd ever seen someone so soft and gentle when they were angry.
He shifted slightly, his clean, warm breath brushing against her neck.
Before he could get completely close, the person in front of him suddenly turned around as if guarding against a thief, staring at him with a pair of bright eyes in surprise.
Xiao Xu and the others were nearby, and thus they easily made eye contact with her.
After a moment, he said slowly and deliberately in a calm voice, "Sheng Sheng, I just spoke to you a cup of tea ago."
Yun Sheng was furious when she recalled the two sentences he had said when he inexplicably came over earlier.
What kind of talk was that? Those two sentences only made her more upset.
Yun Sheng smiled and said, "Then I will agree. I won't refuse to talk to you."
The night enveloped her delicate skin, and her parted lips, though their vibrant color was obscured, were inexplicably alluring.
Xiao Xu kept his gaze level, suppressing the desire in his eyes and not revealing too much.
But a slight lingering feeling still made him move closer to her: "But I sense you're not in a good mood."
Is it because of me?
The warm breath brushed against her neck again, though there was no actual contact, Yun Sheng suddenly recalled the sensation of being kissed there earlier that day.
She trembled slightly, instinctively trying to dodge, but a large hand pressed down on her waist, rendering her unable to move. The words "It's not you" were swallowed back down.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Xiao Xu asked again, "Were you satisfied with today's family dinner?"
Yun Sheng blinked, recalling Shen Yuewan's high regard for her and her pleasant conversation with Liu Xian. Her annoyance dissipated considerably, and she replied, "My father and mother treat me well, and my sisters-in-law get along well with me. I have no complaints."
"It seems I'm the only one who has displeased you," Xiao Xu said, suddenly tightening his grip on her arm.
The atmosphere at night was so quiet that even the slightest movement on the bed was crystal clear.
Yun Sheng was pulled into Xiao Xu's arms, and her cheek was unexpectedly pressed against the fullness she had glimpsed several times.
Body temperature and heartbeat simultaneously invaded the tightly sealed space.
"What are you doing..." Yun Sheng reached out to push him, but she couldn't exert any force in the narrow space. Her palm just softly touched his chest.
Xiao Xu looked down at her and thought she looked so adorable. He couldn't help but put his other arm around her neck and pinch her earlobe.
"I want to cheer you up, so you don't go to sleep feeling unhappy."
Yun Sheng's ears tingled, and the heat that had been rising within her instantly spread throughout her body. Forget about falling asleep; she could hardly even find the source of her displeasure.
Xiao Xu's voice came from above: "This is also my first time interacting with a woman. If I do anything wrong, you can tell me."
Yun Sheng was so embarrassed by the whispers nearby that her thoughts were completely in disarray. Being held in his arms like this made her even more confused, and she couldn't think of anything to say to him.
She pushed him again: "Then let go of me first."
"This won't work."
Yun Sheng suddenly raised her head from his chest.
If the light were bright, one could see that his eyes held an undeniable possessiveness that had been added at that moment.
But the darkness concealed him, allowing the desire in his eyes to grow and spread unchecked.
Xiao Xu looked down at the little face raised in his arms and said in a sanctimonious manner, "What you meant by 'gradual progress' should have been a hug before a kiss, but you've already kissed me."
"Now I'm just completing the previous steps."
Yun Sheng was embarrassed and annoyed for a moment, but couldn't find any words to refute him, and was persuaded by him just like that.
She thought to herself that the gradual approach she had envisioned was not like this at all; something had been wrong ever since he kissed her neck.
But now that she's been embraced, there seems to be no need to refuse.
Yun Sheng silently savored the moment.
Although it was expected, she still sighed inwardly, not disliking Xiao Xu's embrace.
She relaxed and lay on his full chest. Her inexplicable little emotions had vanished without a trace, and her mind wandered to random thoughts. She had thought it was hard, but when she leaned closer, she found it was actually very soft.
She didn't know where to put her hands; it felt like she was touching something if she slightly spread her fingers, but she wondered what it would feel like to touch it.
Suddenly, Yun Sheng thought of something and looked up to see that Xiao Xu still had his eyes open.
She asked, "Changyu, are you really incapable of doing that?"
Which one?
Yun Sheng frowned slightly, looking at his calm and composed expression, but felt that he was deliberately asking a question.
Instead of answering, she asked, "Will your mother send someone to teach you later?"
Yun Sheng was wondering if Shen Yuewan had mentioned this to her before, and whether she thought that the eldest son in the family should know everything by this age and therefore did not need to learn anything more.
Little did they know, Xiao Xu, despite his advanced age, was a hothead.
As soon as he finished speaking, the naive young man chuckled softly.
"Didn't you say you had already learned it?"
Yun Sheng was bewildered: "...What?"
"Could you please teach me step by step, Ms.?"
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They kissed and hugged, so how far away can consummating their marriage be? [dog head with rose in mouth]
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