Chapter 45: Don't want me to take responsibility? Li Funing frowned, on guard...
Li Funing frowned and glanced at Song Youning warily: "Your Highness, what do you want me to ask you?"
Song Youning retracted her neck, and took out a pear from somewhere. She lowered her eyes to look at her complicated palace dress, which was too expensive. She tilted her head to look at Li Funing's white outer robe, smiled, and walked over.
"I don't want to hear what Lord Li asks. What do I want to hear what Lord Li says?"
She hooked Li Funing's white robe over to him. Li Funing wanted to take out a handkerchief from his sleeve, but she refused.
I watched her grab her clothes and wipe the pear in her hand.
Song Youning took a bite, finding it sweet and juicy. She looked up at Li Funing with hope in her eyes, "Lord Li, are you willing to tell me?"
Li Funing looked at her in silence, his face turning slightly red behind his ears. "What can I say?"
Seeing that he was still stubborn, Song Youning remained silent. She wanted to sit down at a corner of the stone table, but suddenly she remembered that she was a princess now, not the lazy young master outside the palace.
She sat obediently on the stone bench, biting a pear and saying, "Why did Lord Li suddenly leave the banquet yesterday? And why did Lord Li lock himself in the study this morning? When he left the study, his face was ashen, as if I owed you money, and he didn't even see me?"
"Master Li, please tell me."
Originally, it was fine to talk about what happened this morning, but when Song Youning mentioned what happened last night, Li Funing's face instantly turned red, and the tips of his ears began to burn. He stammered, "Your humble servant..."
"...your humble servant..."
"Your humble servant... suddenly felt unwell last night, so I left early. Your Highness is overthinking it!"
Song Youning didn't believe it, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Really? This morning too?"
She smiled and said, "Master Li, are you angry with me?"
Her almond-shaped eyes glanced at Li Funing, and she said thoughtfully, "I don't like to think too much, and I don't want to think too much... If Lord Li tells me the truth... If I'm wrong, I will apologize to Lord Li..."
"If Lord Li doesn't speak directly, then I have no choice but to let it go... Lord Li, would you mind thinking about it and tell me?"
She pretended to stand up, patted the petals that had fallen from her palace dress, and added, "If Lord Li has made up his mind, please come and see me? Okay?"
The more Li Funing listened to this, the more puzzled he felt. Was she secretly threatening him?
But then I thought, it was indeed because of this kind of thing that I always sat alone in the study and sulked. Why not take this opportunity to talk it out?
Li Funing said nothing, but just raised his eyes and glanced at the maids around him, then stared straight at Song Youning, as if he wanted to say something but stopped.
Song Youning looked at Li Funing, whose eyes were wandering, and said, "Chuntao, you all should leave! I have something to discuss with Lord Li!"
"yes!"
After Chuntao finished her greeting, all the servants and maids tactfully followed her out of the backyard.
Seeing the group of people retreating far away, Song Youning spoke calmly: "Master Li? Can you tell me now?"
Seeing that everyone had left, Li Funing strode towards Song Youning. When he reached Song Youning, he paused and looked down at her condescendingly. Song Youning didn't understand why.
He suddenly turned around and sat down on the stone bench beside her.
Song Youning looked at his resentful expression and sighed, "If Lord Li has any dissatisfaction with me, you can tell me directly. I am not an unreasonable person!"
He sat on the stone bench without moving.
Song Youning persuaded with rare patience: "Lord Li, could you please talk to me?"
He pursed his lips tightly for a long time before finally whispering, "Your Highness, have you been very busy lately?"
Song Youning was stunned, thought for a moment, and replied: "It's okay, it's just that the weather has been hot recently, and I feel a little tired..."
The backyard was silent for a moment, with only the occasional chirping of cicadas.
After a long moment, he finally let out a low breath, his voice slightly hoarse: "...What does Your Highness want to hear?"
Song Youning blinked and smiled, "That depends on what Master Li wants to say!"
Li Funing said nothing, looked into her eyes quietly, and then suddenly lowered his head.
After a long moment, he suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze heavy, like a long-calm lake suddenly rippled with green waves, and accused her: "I don't want to see Your Highness being nice to others!"
Song Youning was startled, and the smile on her lips deepened. The dimples on her lips were as sweet as honey. She jokingly said, "Oh? For example?"
Li Funing tugged at his sleeves and muttered softly, "Prince Xiao asked Your Highness to escape the marriage, and Your Highness did; His Majesty asked Your Highness to add a candidate for the Imperial Consort, and Your Highness agreed; and Your Highness also wanted to take the handsome young man selling sugar paintings at the street corner into the palace..."
"Finally, after all the effort of coming to the Prime Minister's Residence, he was only busy chatting with Miss Lin! He didn't even take me seriously!"
With each sentence he spoke, his tone grew heavier. At the end, he almost gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty...is jealous!"
Song Youning had been listening to him obediently, but in the end, she couldn't help but laugh out loud. She covered her lips with her sleeve, her eyes full of triumphant cunning. "If Master Li had been so honest earlier, would he have stayed in the study alone and sulked?"
Li Funing's cheeks were completely red, his head was lowered, and his body was tightly pressed together, like a steamed red shrimp.
Song Youning, enjoying the fun, leaned over and looked at him with a smile. Her fingertips hooked onto his sleeve and shook it gently, "Master Li... why are you ignoring me?"
Li Funing's ears turned red, and he turned his face away proudly, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "...I have already said it."
"What did you say? I didn't hear clearly, please say it again..." She deliberately moved closer, her almond eyes full of cunning.
Li Funing's breathing was slightly stagnant. He was forced to shrink back twice by her face, but he had no way to retreat. He could only whisper: "Your Majesty... is jealous."
"Oh..." Song Youning deliberately dragged out the tone, the smile in his eyes even more intense, "So Lord Li, a banished immortal, can also be jealous? It would be fine if it was a man, but Lord Li is jealous of Miss Lin..."
Li Funing pursed his lips and said nothing. His usually cold eyes and brows now revealed a hint of embarrassment, and even his neck was stained with a thin layer of red.
Song Youning pressed the issue further, poking his chest lightly with her fingertips. "Then, Lord Li, will you still dare to keep it to yourself in the future?"
He grabbed her rebellious fingers and said helplessly, "Your Highness... enough is enough!"
"Hmm?" Song Youning tilted his head, looking innocent.
He took a deep breath, then suddenly pulled her close, rested his head against her forehead, and whispered, "...I know I was wrong."
A warm breath brushed past his ears, and Song Youning was startled, his cheeks suddenly burning.
“Gu——”
Song Youning's stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment. Li Funing raised his head and shifted his gaze to her stomach: "Your Highness, I will accompany you for dinner!"
She tilted her head and looked at him: "Hasn't Lord Li had his meal yet?"
Li Funing looked down at his deflated belly and said, "I didn't eat enough just now. Your Highness said that you have prepared a lot of delicacies, so of course I have to enjoy them!" Then he pulled her towards the front hall.
Zuixianlou 3rd Floor
In Song Youning's exclusive private room, all the food has been served. The two of them sat on one side, and Li Funing attentively helped her serve the dishes.
"Your Highness, sour plum drink!" Chuntao came in from outside the private room holding a pot of iced sour plum drink.
While eating, Song Youning looked around his Zuixianlou. This building was indeed nice, but the decoration was a bit simple.
If she wanted to attract people, she couldn't just rely on her reputation as the Golden Branch Prince, she also had to renovate it properly.
"Give it to me!"
Seeing that her eyes were wandering and she was looking at Zuixianlou thoughtfully, Li Funing knew that her mind had wandered again. He raised his hand to take the iced sour plum drink from Chuntao's hand and filled her cup.
Attracted by the sound of flowing water, Song Youning finally came back to her senses and turned her head to look at Li Funing who was helping her pour water.
His eyes were completely occupied by the handsome face in front of him. The delicate and elegant facial features, with a bony jaw, gave him the elegance of a gentleman as refined as jade, and the coolness of winter bamboo. The sunlight outside the window shone on him, giving him the aura of a banished immortal.
"Your Highness, sour plum drink!" Li Funing pushed the glass cup forward and reminded her.
Song Youning quickly avoided his gaze to avoid being noticed.
She looked down at the drink in the cup and said, "This is what I asked Chuntao to prepare for Lord Li. Lord Li, please try it."
Li Funing was puzzled and looked at the ice-cold plum juice in the cup.
Song Youning took two sips to moisten her throat, then glanced at him sideways: "I thought... Lord Li ignored me this morning because it was really because of the heat..."
"So I planned to finish my chat with Miss Lin and go see Lord Li, but as soon as I got there, I heard Jingwen say that Lord Li was closed to visitors..."
"This sour plum drink is prepared for Lord Li. Lord Li, please drink more."
"And..." Song Youning hesitated to speak.
Li Funing looked up, his long eyelashes blinking like a fan, looking at her sincerely.
"That is... I have already consummated my marriage with you."
Song Youning's cheeks actually flushed slightly, and she stroked the glass cup in her hand, "I should give you a status..."
She stole a glance at Li Funing and saw him staring at her with his peach blossom eyes wide open, with a serious look she had never seen before.
Startled, she quickly turned her gaze away and said, "I've discussed this with my father. After our victory in the northern war, the ceremony for my enthronement as the Crown Princess will be arranged together with my marriage to Lord Li. Is Lord Li willing?"
"Bang!"
Before Song Youning finished speaking, he was startled by the glass cup that suddenly fell to the ground.
She looked up at Li Funing, who was standing there in a daze, at a loss as to what to do.
"Your Majesty..." He stammered and couldn't utter a word.
Song Youning raised an eyebrow: "Master Li...is it that he is unwilling...or does Master Li not want me to take responsibility?"
He shook his head quickly, his face flushed: "I am not, I just..."
"I'm a little flattered..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
