Just a few days into July, it was already the Chinese Valentine's Day.

The maids in Yaoguang Palace became active the day before, preparing needles and thread and catching spiders.

Tao Ti was born late. By the time she was old enough to understand things, the Chinese Valentine's Day had already become a date day for young people. She knew nothing about the old customs, such as threading a needle to pray for dexterity, threading a needle under the moon, throwing a needle to test dexterity, and competing for dexterity at night.

When Linglong caught two spiders for her yesterday, she was still a little confused, but Linglong smiled and said, "The Crown Princess was so busy that she forgot to catch the spider Yingqiao."

Only then did Tao Ti know that there was a custom on the Chinese Valentine's Day called "Happy Spider Should Be Dexterous". On July 7th, a spider would be placed in a small box and the box would be opened at dawn the next day. If the spider web was dense and complete, it meant that the girl was dexterous; on the contrary, if the spider web was sparse and torn, it meant that the girl was clumsy.

Tao Ti thought this custom was quite interesting, so she took the small box that Linglong handed over to her and placed it next to her dressing table, planning to take a look at it on the morning of July 8th.

When the Chinese Valentine's Day came, the atmosphere in the entire palace, not just the Yaoguang Palace, became different from the past. There was a bit more festive joy and it was no longer as dull and solemn as before.

The maids could be released from the palace when they were 25 years old. Since they would get married in the future, they attached great importance to the Qixi Festival. Tao Ti did not restrict them and allowed them to make the arrangements.

The palace maids were grateful and cleaned the Yaoguang Hall quickly. They also set up a large table in front of the courtyard, on which were placed fruits, tea, wine, cakes and snacks, Qiqiao fruits, longans, red dates, peanuts, etc. On one side was a tray with colorful silk threads and silver needles, which were used for Qiqiao at night.

Taoti can use a spatula, but she can't thread a needle or embroider.

She did not join in the fun, but happily tasted the Qiqiao fruit sent from the kitchen.

This snack, which is made by kneading flour, sugar and honey and then deep-frying in oil, tastes average, but the chefs are deft and can carve patterns and make other shapes on it, turning the food into a work of art.

In order to allow the palace ladies to pray for wisdom with peace of mind, Tao Ti specially greeted Pei Yan and asked him to come later at night.

Last night, when Pei Yan heard her "unreasonable" request, he pretended to be unhappy. Tao Ti hurriedly hugged him and coaxed and kissed him, and he smiled slightly, reached out and touched her forehead, and agreed.

It was just getting dark here, and the palace ladies were like little birds out of their cages. They huddled together happily, looking up and waiting for the moon to come out.

Tao Ti moved a bamboo rocking chair and lay leisurely under the porch, eating honeydew melon and grapes while watching the live version of the "Qixi Folk Performance", she was so happy.

When the crescent moon appeared in the sky, the palace maids bowed devoutly towards the Weaver Star, and then took up colorful silk threads and silver needles to string them together.

Linglong smiled and said, "I don't know who can thread all seven needles the fastest."

Tao Ti wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and said with a smile, "Whoever wears it the fastest will get a hairpin as a prize!"

With the prize in hand, the maids became even more enthusiastic and vied with each other to put on the thread.

In the end, a little palace maid named Lan'er dressed the fastest. When Tao Ti gave her the prize, the little palace maid was so excited that she almost cried. If it were another stage, she would probably give a 500-word speech to thank her for the award.

After the Qiqiao ceremony was over, Tao Ti asked the palace maids to carry the table of food to the backyard to play with them.

Seeing that Linglong was still accompanying her dutifully, Taoti took off a crystal bracelet from her hand, put it on her wrist, and said with a smile, "You serve me every day, so go play with them today."

Linglong was flattered and lowered her head, "It is a blessing for me to serve the Crown Princess..."

"Alright, alright." Tao Ti interrupted her polite words and winked at her slyly, "You go play with them. When His Highness comes later, I can be alone with him."

This reason made it difficult for Linglong to refuse, but she knew in her heart that the Crown Princess said this so that she could go to the Qiqiao Fairy with peace of mind. After thanking her again, she went to the back hall.

The front hall suddenly became quiet, with only a few eunuchs guarding it.

Taoti lay back in the rocking chair, enjoying the night breeze. She took a sip of wine and ate a piece of honeydew melon. Although it was hot in the summer, there were many fruits. Soon, she would be able to eat lychees imported from the south. Just thinking about it made her feel that life was wonderful.

Just as Tao Ti was immersed in the fantasy of delicacies such as "lychee shrimp", "lychee sweet and sour pork" and "lychee wine", she heard footsteps.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw Pei Yan, dressed in a misty white robe, standing tall and graceful under the soft silver moonlight. His handsome face had a casual smile. He was truly a man of bright and clear character, unparalleled in the world.

Tao Ti: Ah, another day when I am struck by Pei Yan’s beauty.

Pei Yan saw that his little Crown Princess was dumbfounded again, and the smile on his lips deepened. He bent down slightly and waved his five slender fingers in front of her, "You are back to your senses."

Tao Ti blinked her eyes, her face flushed, and she quickly stood up from the rocking chair, her voice soft and gentle, "Your Highness, you are here."

Pei Yan hummed, glanced at the fruits and snacks on the table, and said, "Ati still knows how to enjoy herself."

Tao Ti smiled shyly and said, "This angle is great for viewing the stars! I'll ask them to bring you a chair so we can view the stars together."

"Don't bother." Pei Yan stretched out his hand and held her fair wrist. "This rocking chair is spacious enough. Let's sit together."

Without waiting for Tao Ti to react, he hooked his arms around her waist and sat down with her in his arms.

In this way, Tao Ti sat completely in his arms, with her little butt on his strong thighs. If she tilted her head slightly, she could see his face as warm as jade.

Taoti's cheeks were hot.

She had seen this posture in movies and TV dramas. Usually, it was a concubine seducing a tyrant emperor. She would always hold a grape in her hand, give him a seductive look, and whisper in a coquettish voice, "Your Majesty, I will feed you."

Thinking of that tone, Tao Ti couldn't help laughing out loud.

Pei Yan, "What's wrong?"

Tao Ti was startled and said quickly, "No, nothing."

After a pause, she added, "Your Highness, if you hold me like this for too long, your legs will get numb. Why don't you sit a little closer and let me sit in your arms."

Pei Yan listened to her and moved aside.

Tao Ti has a petite figure, and she leaned into his arms like a boneless person. One sat in front of him, and the other sat behind him. It was intimate and not tiring, and both of them were happy.

In the dark night, the stars are shining, and the two most dazzling ones are the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

The two of them hugged each other, looked at the stars, drank wine, and ate melon and chocolates. There was a sense of the quiet and good old days.

Pei Yan and Tao Ti talked about the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and lamented that they were separated from each other and could only see each other once a year, and they missed each other so much.

Taoti's little head moved in his arms, and she looked up at him and retorted, "If I were a weaver girl, I would never meet the cowherd."

Pei Yan raised his eyebrows and gently stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist, "What do you mean?"

"The cowherd believed the old cow's words and secretly took away the feathered garment of the weaving girl while she was bathing. This behavior was too despicable! What's even more despicable is that he used this as a bargaining chip to force the weaving girl to marry him! Later, he secretly hid the feathered garment and did not let the weaving girl go home..."

Tao Ti said angrily, "If I were a weaver, and a mortal man dared to peek at me bathing, steal my clothes, and not let me go home, I would definitely beat his dog to death... well, I mean, I would definitely teach him a lesson!"

Pei Yan was stunned. He had never looked at this story in this way before.

Tao Ti continued, "The story says that the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd were in love with each other, but I just can't understand, which woman would be in love with a thief who stole her clothes? The Weaver Girl is a fairy after all, and she has seen all kinds of handsome fairies in heaven. What is it about an ordinary, honest man in the mortal world that attracted her and made her willing to suffer with him, bear children for him, and even violate the laws of heaven?"

Isn’t it nice to be a beautiful little fairy?

After a moment of silence, Pei Yan pinched her little face and said, "It seems to make sense."

Tao Ti looked at Pei Yan with her bright eyes and said with a smile, "Unless that cowherd is like you, Your Highness, and more handsome than the gods in heaven."

Pei Yan laughed dumbly, his black eyes seemed to be filled with starlight, "You have never seen a fairy, how do you know that I am prettier than them."

Tao Ti almost said "I've seen it before", but fortunately she stopped herself in time and changed her words to "Well, I saw it in my dream!"

Pei Yan was amused by her and smiled with a smile on his face.

Tao Ti was stunned again, perhaps because of the wine. She happily wrapped her arms around Pei Yan's waist, buried her face in his arms, and sighed deeply, "Your Highness, how come you are so beautiful? I really like you."

This sudden and bold confession made Pei Yan's heart move.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the soft little girl buried in his arms. His long feather eyelashes trembled slightly. He ruffled her hair with his big hands and raised his thin lips, "Me too."

Every day he spent with her, he liked her more.

He wanted to kiss the little person in his arms, but she lay there motionless.

Pei Yan waited for a while and called "Ati" softly, but she only hummed lazily but did not move.

Is this sleeping?

Pei Yan smiled helplessly, brushing his fingers across her cheek, "Little lazy cat."

After sitting quietly for a while, he steadily carried Tao Ti back to the bedroom.

He bent down and laid her on the bed. He took off her shoes and socks, and then took off her coat.

She was not wearing much, just a long turquoise jacket, a lotus-colored gauze underneath, and a lilac-colored silk embroidered bellyband underneath. As she lay on her side, her graceful and round curves were clearly visible under her delicate collarbone.

Pei Yan's Adam's apple moved slightly, and his black eyes became darker.

A wave of heat surged through his body. He clenched his fingers and covered her with the thin blanket with a stern face.

Just as he was about to leave, his sleeve was suddenly pulled.

Pei Yan paused and turned back slowly, only to see Tao Ti with sleepy eyes, mumbling, "Don't go."

Pei Yan pursed his lips, bent down, and coaxed her in a low voice, "I'll go wash up and be back soon."

But Tao Ti half-closed her misty and wet eyes, as if she was forcing herself to be awake, or as if she was drunk, and said with a bit of coquettishness, "Then kiss me... Today is Chinese Valentine's Day, kiss me first, otherwise I'm afraid I'll fall asleep again later."

The darling little beauty is so coquettish that no man can resist her.

Pei Yan lifted her chin with his fingers and asked in a hoarse voice, "Girl, are you sure?"

Tao Ti blinked, confused.

"It's too late to be sure." Pei Yan leaned down and kissed her lips fiercely like a hungry beast biting its prey.

A passionate, affectionate, irresistible, deep kiss.

His hot chest pressed against her soft body, and his cold blood began to burn like a fire that was about to burn them both completely.

He pinched her waist with his hands. Without the obstruction of cloth, it felt smooth and tender to the touch, like very tender tofu. He was reluctant to use too much force for fear of leaving marks on her.

Almost at the same time, another dark and vicious voice emerged in his heart, making him want to pinch her waist hard and leave numerous marks on her body that belonged only to him.

Pei Yan felt that he might not be able to bear it anymore.

His kiss left her lips and rained down on her earlobes, neck, collarbone, rolling from side to side.

The tent was filled with charming fragrance. Pei Yan's body tensed up when he saw the little beauty with her clothes torn and her body almost naked.

He gently kissed and bit her earlobe, his voice was unusually hoarse, "Ati, give it to me."