As Yi Junhao watched his receding figure, his fists clenched tightly. His usually gentle and slender peach blossom eyes, which were like a spring breeze, now seemed capable of unleashing swords.
That night, the Qin Prince's mansion, decorated with festive yet dignified and solemn decorations, was unusually quiet inside and out.
Although the masters had all gone to the palace, the servants in the mansion continued to perform their duties diligently as usual, without daring to slack off in the slightest.
At this moment, Lu Tianjiao ate New Year's Eve dinner alone for the first time in his life. Although it was all delicious food that Mei Xiyuan had specially instructed and arranged in advance, it was indeed some of the dishes that Lu Tianjiao had almost never heard of or seen before in his life.
Yet, she ultimately found the food tasteless. It lacked the warmth and liveliness of previous years at Xiqin Academy, where a group of senior and junior students would eagerly vie for a meal together. But for Xuan Yuanhan, and for the long-cherished wish she had held dear since childhood, she resolutely chose this path of no return, a path where honor and disgrace were intertwined, truly 'to succeed or to die for one's cause.'
Lu Xian was already busy with academy management and research, so he didn't say much about the news she sent back to the academy that she was going to stay at the Prince Qin's residence to take care of and accompany the Princess Qin for a few days.
On the contrary, her brother Lu Tianlin once again patiently and earnestly advised her, "The situation is already set. When it's time to turn back, you should turn back. If you continue to linger and get entangled, you will only ruin your life."
Clearly, Lu Tianlin knew his sister, whose name reflected her arrogant and spoiled nature, was not the type to willingly serve someone else without reason. She must still be harboring feelings for Xuan Yuanhan and was probably planning something else...
It has to be said that Lu Tianlin has really changed; he is no longer the纨绔子弟 (spoiled brat) who wasted his time.
Lu Tianjiao was actually burdened with many worries. From a young age, she was proud and arrogant, disdaining to confide in or confide in anyone, not even her closest relatives, her father and brother. As a result, she developed a seemingly gentle and refined personality, but in reality, hidden within that delicate body was a person who was extremely prone to anger and extremely scheming.
Now, alone in her room, thinking about all of this, she felt a deep sadness and a tightness in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Looking out the window, I was suddenly drawn to the snowflakes drifting silently down from the night sky. So I leisurely walked out of the room and strolled alone in the corridor, admiring the snow.
Before she knew it, she found herself near Lin Yuexuan, Xuan Yuanhan's sleeping quarters. She decided to stop and rest by the corridor not far from Lin Yuexuan.
Although Xuanyuan Han and Mei Xiyuan entered the palace together tonight to attend the royal family's New Year's Eve banquet, they were not at home.
However, following old customs, the ever-burning lamps that every household must keep lit on New Year's Eve were still lit in Lin Yuexuan. Therefore, Lin Yuexuan was not like usual tonight, as the master of the bedchamber was not in the room and it was pitch black.
The warm candlelight before him gave Lu Tianjiao the illusion that Xuan Yuanhan was sitting in a corner of the hall, his handsome face, revered as a god, seriously handling official business, or perhaps he was engrossed in studying an ancient book on governance with an extremely gentle and refined expression...
As she pondered, a dreamy smile appeared on Lu Tianjiao's beautiful face. It was as if all the worries that had been buried deep in her heart for years, and had just surged up again, had vanished in an instant.
She couldn't help but softly murmur, "Brother Han, do you know how much I've missed you all these years? Tonight, I really want to say to you in person... Happy New Year..."
But suddenly she felt that the distance was not close enough, and she wanted to get closer to the ground. But when she came to her senses and looked around, she realized that she was already at the edge of the restricted area.
Because every part of the Prince's mansion was guarded by several secret guards, she could no longer go forward. So, she slowly knelt down on the edge of the corridor at her feet.
She gazed wistfully at the bedchamber of the man who haunted her dreams, lost in reverie, murmuring to herself, "With Brother Han's noble status, what would his bedchamber be like? What kind of captivating aura would it exude?..."
As she pondered, she found herself unconsciously closing her large eyes, wanting to fully experience everything around her.
Being here made her feel that even the smell that filled the air around her was the smell of Xuan Yuanhan alone.
The faint fragrance of Xuan Yuanhan's body, lingering on the branches as he casually brushed past, the way he might have stood at the entrance of Lin Yuexuan, gazing longingly at the pavilions, waterside terraces, and rockeries in the garden—everything about this place filled her with daydreams, utter fascination, and ecstatic joy…
Sometimes she would open her eyes, filled with tenderness, to carefully observe every scene and object in the courtyard; other times she would close her eyes and concentrate, fully immersing herself in the beautiful atmosphere that someone had left behind here over the years…
Suddenly, she seemed to sense a figure rushing past her. Lu Tianjiao opened her eyes and saw that the person was walking quickly, as if heading straight for Lin Yuexuan's bedroom.
"It's Brother Han!" Her intuition told her that only Xuan Yuanhan could enter Lin Yuexuan so smoothly; otherwise, the hidden guards in the Qin Prince's mansion would have come out to intercept him long ago.
So she quickly got up, and with the help of the strong light shining from the opening of the Lin Yuexuan Palace door, she finally saw the figure entering the bedchamber clearly. It was none other than her beloved brother Han, Xuan Yuanhan, whom she was thinking about all the time.
But then, she murmured in confusion, "The New Year's Eve family banquet in the palace ended so quickly? He was... he seemed to be holding a woman... was it Sister Mei? They've returned from the palace? That's wonderful..."
So, she turned around with a smile and hurriedly headed towards Shaohua Pavilion.
As soon as Xuan Yuanhan entered Lin Yuexuan's bedroom, he gently reached out and removed the red cloak from Yi Shangyun's body. Then he gently lifted her up and placed her on his luxurious, spacious, and comfortable bed. He carefully covered her with a bright yellow brocade quilt before walking over and tearing off his own black cloak, which was now covered with a layer of snowflakes.
When he returned, Yi Shangyun was lying quietly in his usual spot, with his beautiful eyes tightly closed, where his presence filled the air.
Xuanyuan Han stood there gazing at her in a daze for a long time before finally sitting down beside the couch. He then tenderly helped her gather her hair with one hand and held her smooth, jade-like hand tightly with the other.
Finally, he greedily placed his large, bony hand on her side bangs, stroking it gently again and again.
As he stroked her, he looked at her with what seemed to be the gentlest eyes in the world, his mind filled with the intense kisses they had shared at the foot of the mountain in the suburbs.
He had been holding back his feelings for her for a long time, even though he knew she probably already had someone she loved, and that person was likely Wei Mingxuan. But tonight, in the midst of his passionate infatuation, when she softly uttered that name again, it only confirmed his suspicions that it was indeed Wei Mingxuan.
Even so, he finally couldn't hold back any longer.
It was also because Yi Junhao repeatedly provoked her, always trying to get close to her intentionally or unintentionally, which almost moved her time and time again.
Most importantly, my feelings for her have unknowingly reached this level.
And so, tonight, something happened that even he never expected to happen so quickly. He almost completely lost control; he never knew he could be so crazy. However, the only object of his madness was her.
As he was thinking, he suddenly reached out and slowly pulled off the pure white veil covering Yi Shangyun's face, instantly revealing a round red birthmark at the corner of her eye.
But he didn't feel uncomfortable; on the contrary, he felt happy.
As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In his eyes, all her flaws, along with her virtues, had become his lifelong desire. How could he possibly dislike her?
He reached out and gently stroked the red birthmark, over and over again, as if he could melt it away.
Then, he began to gently stroke her cheeks, ears, delicate earlobes, and her jade-like neck...
Soon, the kiss mark—the only mark he left on her after this passionate encounter, and also the first mark he left on her—was clearly visible under the candlelight.
He encircled half of her neck with his right palm, his thumb tracing the mark again and again, recalling how she had been like a docile little rabbit in his arms, and how she had finally boldly and passionately responded to his kiss.
As she thought about it, a playful smile crept onto her lips, her eyes filled with nothing but doting affection.
Inside Shaohua Pavilion, the lights were on.
"Have Sister Mei and Granny Zhao returned from the palace yet?" Lu Tianjiao asked the maid guarding the entrance of Shaohua Pavilion as soon as she arrived.
"Reporting to Miss Lu, the Empress Dowager just sent word that the Princess Consort will stay at the Empress Dowager's Yong'an Palace tonight to keep vigil for the New Year, and will return to her residence tomorrow," the maid replied respectfully after bowing.
"What?" Lu Tianjiao's eyes widened in surprise.
Then, changing her mind, she asked, "And what about His Highness the Prince of Qin? Is he staying in the palace tonight as well?"
The maid guarding the gate was somewhat puzzled as to why she was so surprised, and said, "The palace only said that the Princess Consort was kept there, and did not mention His Highness Prince Qin. This servant does not know either."
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao froze completely. After a long while, he turned around and slowly walked away. The maid beside him was completely baffled and looked puzzled.
After turning around, Lu Tianjiao walked back to where she had just been, her mind elsewhere, muttering to herself as she analyzed, "It wasn't Sister Mei, but the person who entered Lin Yuexuan was clearly Brother Han. The Qin Prince's mansion is heavily guarded and protected; only he could freely enter and leave this mansion. There's absolutely no way a stranger could have broken into Chenghua Hall and Lin Yuexuan. It could only be Brother Han, it must be Brother Han, so the woman he's holding is... Yi Shangyun?"
Lu Tianjiao was walking on the corridor when he suddenly stopped, looked up at the front, and exclaimed in surprise.
So she quickened her pace and headed towards Lin Yuexuan.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com