Under the dim candlelight, I saw a man in a bright red wedding gown. He had a slender figure, a narrow waist and broad shoulders, and his black hair was fixed with a golden jade crown.

It was an extremely delicate face, with a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes under two thick eyebrows, clear and gentle, as if a pool of moonlight was rippling in his eyes. His nose was high, and the corners of his thin lips were raised with a gentle arc.

The only drawback is his bloodless, cold white skin, as fragile as glass, which makes people feel a strong desire to protect him.

This is the model face! The kind that Nuwa carefully molded when she created humans!

Tao Ti thought that she had seen many handsome men in her previous life, but none of them could compare to the man in front of her.

For a moment, my heartbeat quickened.

Pei Yan looked at the frightened woman in the house steadily, a faint light flashed in his dark eyes, and he coughed lightly and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you..."

This gentle and pleasant voice brought Tao Ti back to her senses from her shock.

She smiled awkwardly and lowered her voice unconsciously, "I, I'm not afraid."

They looked at each other in silence for a moment. Pei Yan pointed at the stool and said, "Sit down and talk."

Tao Ti suddenly remembered that he was not in good health, and hurriedly said, "Sit, sit, please sit down."

Pei Yan nodded slightly at her, sat down slowly, and Tao Ti followed suit.

After a while, the palace maid came in with a pot of hot water. She was surprised to see the prince coming, but she didn't dare to look at him any more. After respectfully pouring the tea, she quickly left.

Tao Ti picked up the cup and took a look. This time the water was clean and warm.

She was so thirsty that she picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. Ancient teacups were very small, not as big as modern mugs, and drinking from such a small cup was not enough.

She glanced at Pei Yan sitting opposite her secretly, hesitated for a moment, and said softly, "I, I'm a little thirsty, I'll pour another glass of water..."

Pei Yan saw her being so cautious, his black eyes moved slightly, and then he raised his hand to make a "please" gesture, and said softly, "As you please."

After getting the consent of the master of the East Palace, Tao Ti poured another glass of water...

The second cup, the third cup, the third cup... the tenth cup.

Pei Yan, "..."

Well, he believed she was really thirsty.

After she drank half of the pot of tea, Pei Yan asked, "Shall I ask them to bring in another pot of water?"

Tao Ti wasn't that thirsty at the moment, so she waved her hands in embarrassment when he asked her, "Don't bother."

Pei Yan said calmly, "It's just a jug of water, no trouble."

He paused, and seeing Tao Ti's expression, he suddenly realized something, and narrowed his eyes, "Did the palace maid neglect you?"

Tao Ti was stunned. She didn't expect him to be so sensitive. He actually guessed what happened without her saying anything. She shook her head and said, "Fortunately, fortunately, I didn't neglect him..."

Although she was quite upset by the attitude of the two palace maids just now, they didn't do anything against the law. In the costume dramas she watched, when palace maids made mistakes, they were either dragged down and chopped, or beaten with a few big boards until their skin was torn and flesh was torn... There was no need to make such a fuss.

"I'm glad you didn't neglect me." Pei Yan took in all the changes in her expression and gently stroked the wall of the cup with his slender fingers.

Tao Ti's eyelashes drooped slightly, thinking, from what we can see so far, the prince seems to be quite easy to talk to?

Well, a good communication should start with a correct attitude, so why don't you apologize to him first? Although the original owner was also a victim of feudal marriage, the prince is quite innocent in the current situation.

"Your Highness—"

"you……"

They both spoke at the same time, both of them were stunned.

Tao Ti said hurriedly, "You speak first, you speak first."

Pei Yan gazed at her gently and said seriously, "I know you don't want to marry into the Eastern Palace... But don't worry, I will give you a divorce letter and set you free before I die."

Tao Ti was stunned, and it took her a long while to find her voice, "Okay, okay."

Wow, what a kind-hearted little angel! I can do it!!

"I'm done." Pei Yan raised his eyes and looked at her, "What did you want to say just now?"

"Well, I want to apologize to you." Tao Ti lowered her head guiltily and said, "I have come back from the gates of hell and figured out some things. No matter how reluctant I am, I shouldn't have solved this marriage in such an impulsive way. Since Your Highness has agreed to give me a divorce letter, I will behave myself from now on and will never cause trouble for Your Highness again... Just pretend that I don't exist."

Pei Yan showed surprise on his face, his eyes fell on her soft profile, his dark pupils were filled with inquiry.

After a long pause, he said softly, "You are my Crown Princess. How can I pretend that you don't exist?"

When these words came out of his mouth, it was as if a layer of gentle filter was added, and Tao Ti only felt a tingling sensation in her ears.

Just as she was about to respond, Pei Yan suddenly started coughing, "Cough cough cough..."

Tao Ti was startled and looked at him worriedly, "Your Highness, are you okay?"

He quickly took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and covered his lips. His pale face had an unhealthy blush due to the coughing. "No... cough... I'm fine."

Seeing his thin body shaking violently, Taoti quickly added some warm water to his cup and said, "Drink some water."

"Thank you." Pei Yan picked up the teacup and took two sips. His coughing gradually stopped. He smiled at her apologetically, with a bit of guilt, "Did I scare you?"

"No, no, I'm not that easily scared." Tao Ti's little head shook like a rattle.

"My body has always been like this, I hope you don't mind..." Pei Yan's voice was light, his thick eyelashes drooped low, casting a shadow between his three-dimensional eyebrows.

The gentler a person is, the more sensitive his mind is.

Tao Ti said softly, "I don't mind you. Your poor health is not your choice. Don't feel inferior because of this. Although we have only met for a short time, I think you are a very good person."

Is he a very good person?

Pei Yan narrowed his black eyes slightly, raised his thin lips, and smiled warmly and harmlessly, "I'm glad you don't mind abandoning me."

The two sat quietly for a moment, and just as Tao Ti was thinking about what to say to break the silence, her stomach growled at an inopportune time.

Hearing her stomach growl, Pei Yan was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and asked softly, "Are you hungry?"

Tao Ti covered her stomach, too embarrassed to look up, and hummed softly.

"I was negligent." Pei Yan said this, and raised his voice to the outside, "Come in, bring some food in."

Not long after, the palace maids brought the meal.

The prince is in poor health and eats very light food.

A bowl of hot and thick wolfberry rice porridge, crisp and refreshing bamboo shoots and magnolia slices, tempting rouge goose breast, served with sweet sauce eight-treasure vegetables, sweet sauce coriander, and sweet sauce radish. The dessert is the sweet and delicious meatballs brewed in osmanthus wine, and there are three exquisite pastry platters: mung bean cake, pea yellow, and white sugar cake, and two kinds of candied fruits.

After smelling the aroma of the food, Tao Ti suddenly became very hungry. But with so many palace people present, she was too embarrassed to eat too much, so she had to sit at the table and stare at the dishes eagerly.

Pei Yan noticed her discomfort and told the palace servants in a low voice, "All of you please leave."

After the palace servants left, he turned to look at Tao Ti and said gently, "There's no one else here. Eat if you're hungry."

Tao Ti relaxed immediately and blinked at him with bright eyes, "Thank you, I won't be polite then."

Seeing her genuine smile, Pei Yan was slightly startled, then slowly lowered his eyes and hummed nonchalantly.

After all, it is food made by the Imperial Palace, so it tastes good. The wolfberry and glutinous rice porridge and winter bamboo shoots and magnolia slices are cooked to standard, restoring the authentic taste of the food. Several pickled vegetables are also pickled and flavorful.

The dish that stood out most was the Rouge Goose Breast. The perfect blend of mellow rice wine and honey made the goose extremely tender and soft. When you take a bite, the rich gravy spreads on your tongue, with a sweet and salty aroma that leaves a long aftertaste.

Tao Ti had tasted this dish once in a restaurant on Shantang Street in Suzhou, and it tasted very good. But the wine used in this dish was more mellow and refreshing, so the taste was richer.

Tao Ti was happily eating mouthful after mouthful of porridge. Seeing that Pei Yan only ate half a bowl of porridge and stopped eating, she took the initiative to take the responsibility of cleaning up the dishes in accordance with the belief that "wasting food is shameful" -

So, for the next incense stick of time, Pei Yan watched the petite girl eat up all the food on the table.

He couldn't help but think of the concubines and noble ladies he had met at banquets in the past. They always ate very little and could spend half an hour chewing on a small piece of cake... Could this be the real appetite of the noble ladies in private?

Seeing Tao Ti put down her chopsticks with a satisfied look on her face, Pei Yan handed her a clean handkerchief and asked, "Are you full?"

"Yeah, I'm full." Tao Ti took the handkerchief and subconsciously glanced at his bowl. He had only used half of the wolfberry and rice porridge. She asked, "Your Highness, don't you like porridge?"

"Don't eat too much at night, it will cause food accumulation."

Tao Ti suddenly realized, yes, he was a sickly person, his stomach and intestines were not as good as those of healthy people, and since he was sick, his appetite would naturally not be good.

For a moment, Tao Ti felt more and more sympathetic towards Pei Yanlai, and thought that if she had the chance, she would make some appetizers for him to try, to see if that would improve his appetite.

When the palace servants came in to clean up the leftovers, they saw that the whole table had been eaten up. They couldn't help but complain privately: The Crown Princess was so desperate at first, how come her appetite suddenly improved? It's a shame that she can still eat. She is really heartless!

———

After bathing and washing up, Taoti walked around the screen and returned to the inner room.

Pei Yan had already taken off his wedding gown and was sitting quietly beside the bed.

He was wearing a thin red nightgown, with his black hair hanging down like a waterfall. He must be tired. His head was leaning against the bedpost, his handsome face was shrouded in a faint look of fatigue, his eyes were closed, and he looked like a gorgeous jade mountain.

Tao Ti was afraid of disturbing this beautiful scene, and was about to tiptoe closer, when Pei Yan suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "Are you done bathing?"

Tao Ti's back stiffened, and she smiled awkwardly, "Well...are you tired? Why don't you go to bed early?"

His eyes were filled with a layer of misty light, and he nodded gently, "It's late at night, it's time to settle down."

Tao Ti's heart beat fast when he looked at her. Does he mean that she wants to sleep with him?