Chapter 4: Something went wrong? ...
"No, why are you here?"
Song Youning frowned and stared at Li Funing
"Suppress the bandits..."
Song Youning was confused. "Why did you come to Lingnan to suppress the bandits?"
"A bandit who specializes in stealing princesses' hearts." Li Funing replied
“…”
She suddenly raised her eyebrows, as if she remembered something, and glanced at him with a half-smile:
"Master Li, didn't you say we were going to suppress the bandits? Why did you end up in the lychee orchard? Could it be that the bandits are hiding among the lychees?"
Li Funing raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at the princess in front of him with a sly smile, and a playful arc appeared at the corner of his lips:
"Of course, the bandits are as cunning as foxes. I've been chasing them all the way and somehow ended up in this lychee orchard..."
"oh?"
She casually picked a lychee and peeled it slowly. "So, what did Lord Li find out?"
His eyes fell on her pink lips, which were bright red from being soaked in juice. His Adam's apple moved slightly, and he quickly looked away: "Not yet."
"Why don't you take a break first?"
She handed over the lychees, smiling broadly, "Lychees from Lingnan are the sweetest. Would you like to try some, Lord Li?"
He stared at her provocative eyes, was silent for a moment, and suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.
Her eyes were flustered, and her fingertips lightly touched his chest, keeping a little distance: "Master Li, you are so presumptuous, aren't you afraid that this princess will report you to my father?"
Li Funing chuckled softly. Instead of retreating, he took a step closer, trapping her between himself and the lychee tree. "Go ahead and sue her."
His voice was filled with a hint of grievance, "Go tell His Majesty... The noble families of my age have three children, and I'm still single..."
He lowered his head and leaned close to her ear, his hot breath burning the tip of her ear red: "Let's see whether Your Majesty is scolding me or Your Highness..."
His breath was close at hand, with a faint scent of grass mixed with the sweetness of lychee, lingering at the tip of her nose.
Her heart was beating like a drum, but she refused to show weakness on her face: "Master Li, how dare you offend your superiors?"
Li Funing remained silent
He lowered his eyes to look at her, with a dark color in his eyes, his earlobes were red as if dripping with blood, and his eyes were staring straight at Song Youning's rosy lips.
Song Youning's breathing stagnated, and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but he pretended to be calm: "... Lord Li, you are here to suppress the bandits..."
He chuckled: "Suppressing bandits is not as important as the princess."
He raised his hand and stroked her cheek. "But after many days of investigation, I found that this bandit leader specializes in stealing one thing..."
"W...what?" Her voice was weak.
"Heart."
He suddenly took her lips in his mouth and bit them gently, "The dirty stuff is here, and there are witnesses and evidence."
He intensified the kiss and deepened it until she softly grasped his collar and let go:
"Now, should I be sentenced to life imprisonment? Princess, please go and complain to His Majesty."
Song Youning quickly jumped away, covered his lips, and took a few steps back. "No, I don't know what you are talking about, you... stinky hooligan,"
Song Youning felt her cheeks burning and she didn't know how to respond. She simply lifted up the hem of her skirt and turned to run away, but she couldn't help but look back.
Li Funing was seen leaning against the lychee tree, watching Song Youning running away in panic, holding up her skirt.
There was a mixture of three parts of smile and seven parts of amusement in her eyes, and she was so startled that she almost tripped over her own skirt.
Song Youning immediately ran back to her carriage. She buried her hot face in her palms, but his low voice kept echoing in her ears, and her face turned red for a moment.
She shyly covered her blushing face, but when she turned over, she smelled the fragrance on her sleeves. It was like Li Funing, which wrapped around her domineeringly and could not be shaken off. Her face was so red that it seemed like blood was dripping out.
She had never seen him like this before. He used to be so honest, always sitting next to her with a tattered book, muttering to her all day long, about things like men and women shouldn't touch each other, and not talking while eating or sleeping. She'd heard it so many times that her ears were almost callused. But now he was like a completely different person. ...It was quite...interesting...
As the night deepened, the hustle and bustle of Lingnan gradually died down, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the inn.
Song Youning paced back and forth in the corridor, but couldn't help but glance at the closed door next door.
Chuntao said that there will be a temple fair in Lingnan tomorrow.
She had made a promise to him.
She remembered that it was Li Funing's twelfth birthday, and she asked him if he had any wishes. The boy was silent for a moment, his eyes misty like distant mountains. He said his mother was from Lingnan, and that she had once caught a fleeting glimpse of her father at a temple fair lit by lanterns.
Therefore, my greatest wish in this life is to visit Lingnan and see the ancient temple fair that brought my parents together.
Song Youning hesitated for a long time and finally stood in front of the door.
Now they happened to be in Lingnan. She didn't come here to invite him on purpose. She just came to fulfill a promise from her childhood... Yes... That's all...
Her heartbeat quickened slightly as she faced the door, and the warmth of her lips from three days ago still seemed to remain.
She bit her lower lip, secretly annoyed that she was disturbed by a light kiss.
She stood outside Li Funing's door, her fingertips suspended in the air again, hesitating for the third time whether to knock on the door.
The door opened by itself with a creaky sound.
Li Funing was leaning against the door, wearing only an undershirt with the collar slightly open, and water was dripping from the ends of his hair, obviously he had just taken a shower.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly: "Princess, you circled around my door three times. Are you planning to keep watch for me?"
When Song Youning saw Li Funing with his collarbone half exposed, her ears felt hot. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "I'm just passing by," then turned around and walked towards her room.
"oh?"
He glanced at the temple fair route map in her hand, "You're passing by with a temple fair map?"
She paused and hurriedly hid the map in her sleeve, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the room.
As her eyes met his and the door closed behind her, her heart beat so fast that it almost jumped out.
"Go ahead."
Li Funing turned around and sat on the chair. The fragrance mixed with warm water vapor enveloped him, lingering in the house and raising the indoor temperature.
A charming voice came to her ears, and the ambiguous atmosphere made her ears turn red.
"What?"
Song Youning lowered his head to look at Li Funing sitting on the stool, swallowed, and his eyes followed the water droplets on his face, sliding down to his collar involuntarily: "There is a temple fair in the western suburbs tomorrow, and I thought if you are okay..."
"Let's go together..."
"Princess, would you like me to go on a trip with you?"
His voice caused his collarbone to tremble slightly, and Song Youning's ears became hotter.
He looked up and chuckled, "Princess, just say it directly."
"Who invited you?"
Having her thoughts exposed, Song Youning became furious and angrily retorted, "This princess is afraid that you will delay the bandit suppression!"
Li Funing suddenly stopped smiling and looked into her eyes seriously. "Suppressing the bandits is for the sake of our country, and accompanying the princess... is for the sake of my life..."
"As someone who hasn't yet started a family, lifelong events are naturally more important..."
Song Youning blushed and hesitated, "Then, then tomorrow at twilight hour..."
"Yes, sir."
"Well, Princess, now that we've finished our business..." He lowered his voice deliberately, "Could you help me with something else?"
"W-what?" She looked at him warily.
Li Funing suddenly stood up and leaned towards her. "I've long heard that Your Highness the Princess is well versed in elegance and refinement. I'm new to Lingnan, and this long night is truly boring..."
"...I wonder if I might have the honor... to invite Your Highness to share this beautiful moment with me? Together..."
The warm breath brushed past her ears, just like a feather passing over her heart.
Song Youning instantly jumped up from the door panel, and in a panic, he grabbed his outer robe that was draped over the screen and threw it over: "Put on your clothes!"
As she rushed out of the room, she heard someone casually add, "Appreciating the moon..."
Song Youning: ...
She didn't know what had happened, but the man whose ears would turn red when he spoke to her had become so...dissolute... today. She was a little uncomfortable with it.
It’s true… boys change a lot when they grow up (Li Funing: He’s already 24…)
The next morning
Before dawn, Song Youning urged Chuntao to wash and dress her.
When had her young lady ever been so attentive? She usually loved to walk around in the clothes of a waiter. That was why she couldn't be found in the entire Dagan area. Who would have thought that the most noble princess of Dagan would usually love to walk around in tattered linen clothes...
Today, not only did she wash up properly, she even tried several different lip balms. If you didn't know, you would think she had changed her personality...
Chun Tao: “There’s something fishy going on.”
"Chun Tao, which do you think is better, this light yellow sheer dress or that turquoise round-neck Confucian dress?"
Song Youning took two dresses and gestured with them, then asked Chuntao for her opinion, "Or... the smoky-colored tube top that the Queen Mother gave me?"
"It's bad. He's not in the palace right now..."
Song Youning suddenly realized and patted his head: "I forgot"
Chun Tao looked at the princess struggling in front of her and jokingly said, "The princess said she doesn't care about Lord Li, but I think I care about him more than anyone else..."
"nonsense……"
Song Youning's expression tensed, and she hurriedly explained, "That...it's for the temple fair, so of course it has to be grand. What do you know, little girl?"
"Okay, okay, I don't understand, as long as Master Li understands."
Chun Tao patted Song Youning's shoulder and motioned her to sit down. "Then I will help the princess clean up. I know that the princess wants to see her sweetheart..."
"Chun Tao!"
Song Youning blushed and scolded, "You are getting bolder and bolder. You even dare to tease this princess."
"What kind of hairstyle would you like today, Princess?"
After being teased by Chuntao, Song Youning suddenly realized that he cared so much about Li Funing.
The bronze mirror reflected a slightly flushed face. The spring light outside the window was bright, but not as bright as the throbbing in her heart.
"How about I do a stunning bun for you? I guarantee that Master Li will be unable to take his eyes off you."
"Chun Tao!"
Song Youning interrupted hurriedly, but saw his eyes moving in the mirror, clearly showing some joy.
She quickly suppressed her expression and pretended to be calm, saying, "It's just a normal reception. Just comb your hair into a simple bun."
"Just keep it simple..."
She paused and lowered her voice: "Keep it simple." She didn't want to appear too contrived. Since she had put so much thought into her clothes, she could just keep her hairstyle simple.
Chuntao covered her mouth and laughed secretly behind him, sighing in her heart: The princess said on the surface that she hated Lord Li the most, but she still cared about him in her heart.
Song Youning looked at herself in the mirror, with her small face, cherry lips and beautiful nose.
She was wearing a turquoise round-necked Confucian skirt. Although her hair was in a simple bun, she looked like a lotus emerging from the water, cool and lively.
She raised her chin slightly, stared at herself in the bronze mirror, and after a long while, she couldn't help but sigh:
"This princess is truly a beauty!!!" (Proud)
"The princess was in a daze for a long time. What was she thinking about?"
A familiar voice was heard, which was seven parts gentle and three parts teasing. Song Youning was so startled that her hands trembled and she almost knocked over the objects on the dressing table.
Li Funing
Song Youning pulled her hand away and turned around, seeing him leaning on the windowsill, "You, you you..."
Song Youning's eyebrows shot up, "What's wrong with him? He's actually trying to imitate that street scoundrel and climb through windows and doors!!!"
She was so angry that she laughed: "You usually say don't look at anything indecent, don't listen to anything indecent, but now you've read so much that it's like a dog's stomach?"
Li Funing was wearing a light-colored robe today, and a light green patterned headband, which made his eyebrows and eyes look even more picturesque.
He sat so leisurely and contentedly leaning against the window sill of the room, the fading light of the sky scattered on his light-colored robe, his belt half-tied and hanging in the air, a cool yet playful look...
He lowered his eyes to look at him, his eyes were clearly full of passion, but he tilted his head with a cynical look: "Your humble servant thought that the princess must have missed you, so he came here on his own initiative..."
Song Youning: “…”
"Princess, are you spying on me?" Li Funing changed the subject.
"?"
He jumped out of the window and suddenly leaned over, his nose almost touching her face. "Princess, why are you wearing the same clothes as me today?"
"What nonsense!"
She took a half step back in panic, and a warm big hand firmly supported her lower back. Similar light-colored robes fluttered in the wind. "It's just... a coincidence..."
Song Youning's voice became smaller and smaller, and his fingertips unconsciously tightened his sleeves.
"Oh? What a coincidence?" Li Funing murmured.
He leaned closer to her, an inexplicable smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, and whispered to her, "Princess, are you serious?"
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