Chapter 12 Night Talk (Revised) "Contraceptive Soup"
A gentle evening breeze stirred, and the warm, soft moonlight streamed into the room, scattering across the lychee grove outside the window. A few fireflies hovered around the window, while the sounds of frogs croaking and cicadas chirping mingled together in the courtyard.
After a night of passionate lovemaking, both were exhausted, tears streaming down their faces as the candles burned low.
In the latter half of the night, Ning Xian grabbed Ruan Yang and tried several more times until he gradually became more skilled before he was willing to stop.
The storm subsided, but Ning Xian hugged Ruan Yang from behind and refused to let go. He noticed that she was trembling slightly, so he sincerely wiped away the tears on the girl's cheeks with his palm.
Then, without saying a word, he fell into a deep sleep next to Ruan Yang.
Ruan Yang didn't know whether it was right or wrong to entrust her life to a "stranger" man, but even though she lost her memory, she seemed unable to resist falling for him again.
With the aphrodisiac decoction just dispelled, Ruan Yang had no energy to think about anything else, only hoping that the morning sun would shine in soon so that she could wash away her disheveled state.
She hesitated for a moment, then quietly grasped Ning Xian's hand that was resting on her lower abdomen, and tears bloomed like flowers on the soft pillow.
...
At dawn, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Ruan Yang woke up with a feeling of tightness in her chest. She moved her aching arms, wanting to leave Ning Xian's embrace, but found that the man was still hiding inside, unwilling to leave.
At this moment, a maid was waiting outside the door to help her wash up. Ruan Yang pulled away from Ning Xian and got up unsteadily, but touched something wet under her palm.
Ning Xian chuckled as he watched her cautious movements. He moved his head to Ruan Yang's lap, wrapped his arms around the girl's soft waist, and nuzzled her: "You don't need to move, just stay on the couch. The servants will take care of things here."
Ruan Yang noticed that he was acting strangely today. In the past, Ning Xian would never have been so clingy to her. Not only that, but he always looked like he owed her money.
Ruan Yang deliberately muttered, "Your head is so big and heavy, it's making my legs so sore."
Upon hearing this, Ning Xian's secretly upturned smile froze.
He snorted coldly, and like lion cubs playing together, he looked up retaliatoryly and bit the girl's lower abdomen through her clothes: "I've raised you for so long, and you haven't gained much weight, but you've gotten quite bold. If you dare to complain about me and run off with someone else, I won't let you off the hook."
Ruan Yang was speechless, and touched his forehead to comfort him, saying, "...I didn't mean that."
"Then you're not allowed to talk nonsense. I'll let it go this time, but I'll definitely teach you a lesson next time."
Ruan Yang recalled the "hardship" she had endured a few hours earlier, and her eyes welled up with tears of anger. Not only did he not comfort or coax her, but he also ordered her around in a fierce manner and bullied her.
She grabbed Ning Xian's hair, trying to move him away in a fit of anger, but the man was like glue stuck to him, as sticky as cardboard used to catch rats and mosquitoes, and she couldn't get rid of him no matter what she did!
Ruan Yang said helplessly, "Are you a bully? Only my dog bites like that."
"I know that with your terrible nature, you must have been spoiled by your parents at home. Plus, you're rich and have a bit of influence. You must have bullied quite a few people over the past ten years, right?"
Ning Xian lay flat, not angry after hearing this, but staring at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, she lazily said, "That's right, I'm the little tyrant of the family. Everyone has to kowtow and kneel down to me. My parents get headaches when they see me, and my brothers and sisters are so scared that they wet their pants when they see me."
After saying that, Ning Xian fell into a long recollection. He closed his eyes and smiled, "It was better when I was a kid. It was easier to do bad things. I did things like pulling my beard and burning my precious account books."
Ruan Yang: "..."
How dare you say that?
Seeing that Ruan Yang had stopped talking, Ning Xian felt the atmosphere become a bit cold. He guessed that his image had probably been shattered into pieces in the young girl's heart.
He hatched another wicked plan, and said with a coquettish tone, "You're an unlucky guy too. Since you've run into me in this life, I guess I'll just have to bully you too."
"How exactly are you bullying me?"
Ruan Yang shifted her gaze from the mottled bloodstains, stared at him intently, and said seriously, "After you've had your fun with me, are you going to abandon me?"
“I come from humble origins and have no special talents. As for my appearance, I am afraid I cannot compare to the beauty beside you. Perhaps you feel deep down that I am not good enough for you.”
Upon hearing this, Ning Xian felt a sudden jolt in her heart.
"What's wrong?"
Ning Xian joked, "Are you worried that I'll just pull up my pants and leave after I'm done, and never care about you again?"
Ruan Yang glared at Ning Xian and sighed, "Yes, who can blame me when my husband is so handsome and learned? He must be the heartthrob of countless young women and married women."
Ning Xian was taken aback. He realized that in his nearly twenty years of life, very few girls had ever confessed their feelings to him.
He took everything Ruan Yang said as flattery.
But that's not actually the case.
In the eyes of the palace maids and noble ladies, Crown Prince Ning Xian, despite his good birth and good looks, with his father being the emperor and his mother being the legitimate daughter of the illustrious King of Changsha, has always been second only to the emperor since childhood.
But he was arrogant, didn't talk much, had a strange temper, and ignored his admirers. Over time, no one had any hope for him anymore.
So far, apart from Ji Changhuan, everyone else is in a state of "only admiring from afar, not daring to touch or provoke".
Our Crown Prince is quite lonely.
Ning Xian snapped out of her daze, frowned, and said seriously, "Nobody's pursuing me."
"You are my first woman."
"So you have to treat me well."
Ruan Yang raised an eyebrow. This guy's performance last night certainly didn't seem like that of someone who had been through countless battles: "Really? Then will I have a formal title?"
Ning Xian was silent for a moment, then said lazily, "Isn't this a title? You live a life of luxury by my side, with no worries about food or clothing, and the servants take good care of you. You'll stay with me for the rest of your life. Isn't that good?"
Upon hearing this, Ruan Yang forced a smile. Even though she had known this would be the outcome, she couldn't help feeling disappointed.
The air was completely silent. Ruan Yang came back to her senses and smiled, "How much longer are we going to stay here?"
"The people here don't like me, and I don't like it here either."
Another difficult problem, Ning Xian couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
He initially brought Ruan Yang here intending to use her as a hostage to put Lu Wenjin in a stronger position, but now that the plan has changed, it won't work.
Although Ruan Yang has Ruan family blood and is an insignificant mistress, the other party has touched every inch of his skin and had close contact with him. Therefore, Ruan Yang is his person for life, whether he lives or dies.
He would never willingly hand over his things to someone else.
Ning Xian said, "It will take at least ten days, and at most a month or two."
Ruan Yang took a deep breath and finally said, "By the way, if you are tired of me and kick me out of the house, I only want some money and a few small shops as compensation. Can you do that?"
“Of course.” Ning Xian replied decisively.
His family is wealthy and powerful; these riches and houses are nothing to him. Even if they were to separate, what difficulty would it be for Ruan Yang to want them now?
Ning Xian raised an eyebrow: "It can be done now. I will have my people take care of everything you want. Just wait for good news in a few days."
Ruan Yang: "There's one more thing."
"What?"
Disheartened, Ruan Yang said, "I want a contraceptive potion."
Ning Xian frowned. Although he hadn't thought about becoming a father, he wasn't particularly opposed to it either. But seeing Ruan Yang's unwilling expression, he was a little unhappy.
"Why?"
Ruan Yang coldly replied, "I don't want to give others cause for gossip."
Ning Xian asked, puzzled, "Gossip? Who would dare to say that about you? You are my mistress, it's only natural that you gave birth to my child, what's so strange about that?"
Tears welled up in Ruan Yang's eyes, and she gritted her teeth and said, "I don't want my child to be called a bastard in the future."
Seeing that her attitude had suddenly become resolute, and all the tenderness and patience she had shown him last night had vanished, Ning Xian didn't press the matter: "Okay, I promise you. You get some rest. I have important things to do, so I'll go take care of them now."
After taking a bath and dressing herself properly, Ning Xian left without looking back.
Ruan Yang wanted to say something more, but looking at the man's increasingly blurry figure, she swallowed her words.
This final conversation ended unhappily.
...
Ning Xian was out for quite a while before Lan Rong and the others caught up.
The next day was a bright sunny day, with a gentle breeze and flowers in full bloom.
In April at the Marquis's residence, how deep is spring?
The lush, evergreen bamboo on both sides is vibrant and verdant, and occasionally a sparrow flies by, gently shaking off a few drops of morning dew from the new leaves.
Inside the Marquis's mansion, the water flowed gently, and the sounds of string and wind instruments even reached this place, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere, as if the danger of the previous night had never occurred.
Lan Rong walked to Ning Xian's side and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Your Highness."
Ning Xian froze, then realized what she meant: "Congratulations for what? Why are you making fun of me too...?"
Lan Rong lowered her head and remained silent, only smiling quietly.
"By the way, prepare the contraceptive soup."
Lan Rong nodded, then sighed, "Your Highness, every medicine has some toxicity. The contraceptive soup is extremely cold in nature. Drinking it once or twice is fine, but if you drink it for six or two years, it might damage your health and make it difficult to conceive again. Your Highness was just playing along with Miss Ruan, causing her to truly harm her health in the future..."
Ning Xian was still angry: "She wanted to drink it herself, I didn't force her."
"Did Miss Ruan say that herself?" Lan Rong was taken aback. It was common for men to give their concubines contraceptive soup, but no concubine or mistress had ever asked for it.
"So be it. If she doesn't want it, then so be it. I have spared her life and protected her, which is more than enough. If she doesn't know what's good for her, then let her be."
“She is a member of the Ruan family and is not worthy of having a child with me. Even if she happens to be pregnant one day, I will find a good mother of noble status for that child. Let’s proceed with it.”
Lan Rong: "Yes..."
Seeing that she was about to leave, Ning Xian called out to her.
"Is there anything else Your Highness wishing to instruct?"
Ning Xian sighed, "While I'm away, I'm entrusting Ruan Yang to you. She's soft-hearted and doesn't remember anything. She's all alone and helpless. Please take good care of her and don't let anyone bully her."
Outside the west wing, an old apricot tree leans against the pink wall, its petals drifting into the inkstone.
He continued, "I don't know what the future holds. If something unforeseen happens, remember to take good care of her. If Ruan Yang is willing, find her a good family to marry into and make her a proper wife."
A note from the author:
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