Chapter 22 Hot This is really hot.
After dinner, Yue Yining was about to leave when Fu Yao called her back.
Fu Yao looked at her expectantly: "I feel like Miss has been looking very tired lately... Miss, you're not secretly doing something without telling me, are you?"
Yue Yining paused, remembering that it was three days before the beginning of winter. After Ayu and Fu Yao returned to their rooms, she performed a second tortoise shell divination in her own room.
Divination using tortoise shells not only shortens one's lifespan, but also consumes a great deal of mental and physical energy. Coupled with a poor night's sleep yesterday, this might explain why Fu Yao felt she looked so tired.
Fu Yao looked at Yue Yining in front of her, only to see her young lady suddenly smile and reach out to hug her.
Yue Yining smiled and said, "Are you so worried about me?"
She ruffled Fu Yao's hair. Fu Yao blushed a little from being hugged and patted on the head, but she still mumbled, "Of course I'm worried about you, Miss. You're my only family."
"I don't care who the emperor is, I only hope that Miss is healthy and lives a long life."
Yue Yining had intended to laugh it off, but she hadn't expected Fu Yao to say that. Her gaze was unusually serious. For some reason, Yue Yining's hand, which was still pinching Fu Yao's cheek, suddenly stopped moving.
Yue Yining lowered her eyes, her emotions a jumbled mess, and her smile faded slightly.
"Of course."
Fu Yao blinked and said softly, "...I made a plate of honey cake when I was preparing dinner just now, and I put it on the stove."
"Miss, let's eat together."
Yue Yining smiled and took her hand, saying, "Okay."
"My Yao Yao's cooking is the best! I have to eat it all, not a single bite!"
Evening breeze stirs plum blossoms in the courtyard, pale clouds drift by and the moon shines faintly.
After the two finished eating, Fu Yao noticed that Yue Yining looked a little tired, so she urged Yue Yining to go back to her room to rest.
When Fu Yao, who stayed behind to clean, picked up the plate with the last piece of honey cake, she suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Ah! I forgot to leave one for Ayu."
Even though there's only one piece left, it's better than nothing.
After she finishes cleaning the stove, she should take the last piece of honey cake to him.
Yue Yining was really sleepy.
The courtyard was completely dark, the trees becoming dark shadows. She didn't light a lamp after entering the house, but hung her outer garment on the screen, leaving only her inner garment underneath. She sat on the edge of the bed, lifted the covers, and lay down.
She bumped into a warm embrace.
Yue Yining froze for a moment, then looked up and met the eyes of the astonished Ayu.
The two stared at each other for a moment in the blankets before A-Yu spoke first. His eyelashes fluttered, and a warm, humid scent wafted over him: "...Miss?"
Yue Yining sat up abruptly, pointing at him, her voice trembling: "You...you...how could you be here...!"
As the blankets were pulled back and her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Yue Yining finally saw that Ayu was not wearing any clothes.
Her body, dazzlingly white, was not thin, but rather possessed a well-proportioned and shapely figure. The subtle undulations in her skin, like the marks of jade carving, remained striking even in the night, running from her chest and abdomen downwards…
With a "smack," Yue Yining slapped herself and forced her eyes closed.
A burning pain in her eyelids blended into the silent darkness. Ayu's soft, yet slightly flustered voice came through: "Yesterday, Miss said I should come and warm your bed from now on. I've been remembering that all day, and I just took off my clothes and lay down when Miss came in..."
At that moment, Yue Yining damn well remembered the sensation she had felt in her panic.
My palms immediately felt hot.
She quickly put her hand behind her back, but forgot that she had just retreated to the edge of the bed. Her hand missed its target, and she swayed and was about to fall off the bed. Ayu quickly grabbed her wrist, but the quilt that was still half-covering her body completely slipped down. Yue Yining saw this scene just as he pulled her back.
Yue Yining kept her eyes tightly shut, not daring to open them at all.
Ayu's worried and anxious voice rang in my ears: "Miss! Miss, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Yue Yining's face seemed to be burning.
She took a deep breath: "...I'm fine, let go first."
After Ayu let go, Yue Yining immediately groped for the quilt, spread it out, and wrapped the person in front of her completely inside.
After finishing these tasks, Yue Yining opened her eyes and was greeted by Ayu, who was wrapped up so that only her face was visible, staring blankly at her, seemingly not understanding what had happened.
Yue Yining's heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, which had been taut with tension, finally returned to their normal positions. Her expression instantly changed, her eyebrows shot up, and she snapped, "Are you stupid?! Who told you to warm the bed... no, who told you to take off your clothes to warm the bed? Don't you feel cold?!"
The beautiful woman, wrapped up in a ball, paused for a moment, then smiled gently, saying, "It's not cold. Your bed is very warm, Miss."
Yue Yining's heart began to tremble again.
The once invincible female celestial master conceded defeat. She exhaled with difficulty, trying to cool down, but her neck was still flushed red: "...I was just joking yesterday. You should get dressed and go home. You don't need to do this again."
Ayu was a little surprised and quickly asked, "Was there something I did wrong...?"
"No." Yue Yining calmed down and said with a wry smile, "You did nothing wrong, I brought this on myself."
If time could turn back, she really wanted to go back to three days ago and wake Yue Yining up before she was about to cause this whole mess!
Just then, a light knock came from outside the closed door, startling Yue Yining so much that she trembled three times.
It was Fu Yao's voice: "Miss, are you asleep?"
Ayu turned her head upon hearing the voice: "It's Aunt Fu..."
Yue Yining lunged forward and covered his mouth.
Fu Yao peeked through a layer of paper window. The bed curtains seemed to be drawn, and the room was dark with no candlelight.
There has been no response for quite some time; perhaps the young lady has already fallen asleep.
Fu Yao held a round, white porcelain plate with a piece of translucent honey cake on it. She scratched the back of her head, muttered, and walked away, "Ayu isn't in her room either. Could she have gone out? She didn't even tell anyone..."
The night was hazy like indigo mist, thin clouds shrouded the moon, and the moonlight shone like water.
With Ayu's lips covered, Yue Yining didn't realize that the two were already too close. She nervously watched Fu Yao's movements at the door, her breathing trembling slightly, as if unsteady.
His bare skin clung to the bedding the man usually slept in, its faint, familiar fragrance making him feel hot.
Ayu lowered her eyelashes, and the ink in her eyes deepened.
The person he had been thinking about day and night, the person who haunted his dreams, was now right beside him.
Yue Yining listened carefully to the footsteps and realized that Fu Yao had already gone far away before she breathed a sigh of relief.
"You should hurry up and leave. Yao Yao has probably gone to look for you." Yue Yining lifted the bed curtains and got off the bed, then lit the remaining candle on the bedside table. "If she asks, just say that I sent you out to take care of something. Don't tell her that you were in my room just now, understand?"
Illuminated by the candlelight, Ayu's eyes showed no darkness, but were as clear and gentle as a child's.
He replied, "Okay."
...
The next day, the sun shone brightly, and water dripped from the eaves.
As expected, Yue Yining didn't sleep well again.
Looking out at the pristine winter scenery, she sighed, rubbed her forehead, and got out of bed. What an eventful winter.
She was preoccupied with something, and after washing her face, she sat blankly in front of the dressing mirror. She didn't hear Ayu calling "Miss" several times, until the last time she was startled awake: "Huh? Did you call me?"
Today, Ayu wore a light blue cotton robe, and her black hair was half tied up in a knot at her waist.
As Yue Yining looked up, he happened to be bending over, and a strand of long, thin hair accidentally fell out and landed on her face.
Yue Yining blinked, and Ayu reached for a comb on the table in front of her. As she straightened up, the soft ends of her hair slid down her cheek as if they had never been there.
Ayu looked at Yue Yining in the bronze mirror as if nothing had happened, her dark eyebrows and eyes full of smiles: "What I just said was that I would help Miss comb her hair."
Yue Yining, who was touching her face, paused for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Isn't it unnecessary? It doesn't matter whether I comb my hair or not, so please don't trouble yourself..."
Ayu shook her head, picking up a strand of hair with her fingers: "Hair should be combed daily. The head is the meeting place of all yang, and hair is the surplus of blood. If it is well taken care of, it can relieve wind-itch, reduce hair loss, and also benefit longevity."
Longevity. Yue Yining was startled and looked at the bronze mirror in front of her. Ayu, who was combing her hair with her eyes lowered, had a faint smile on her lips. Her movements were gentle and meticulous. Every strand of long hair was soft and straight as it passed through his hands. There was no pain. Instead, it felt a little itchy and hot.
She pursed her lips, suddenly finding it difficult to say no.
Yue Yining decided to let him be: "Then do you know how to tie a woman's hair into a bun?"
"I asked Miss Fu for guidance a few days ago, and then practiced on my own for a while, and I understand a little bit now."
Yue Yining understood; this was her first time styling someone's hair. It seemed she needed to be mentally prepared.
Intertwined, secured. Scented balm moisturizes the hair, and the cloud-like tresses are initially formed.
At first, Yue Yining sat casually, but she gradually sat up straighter. After some time, Ayu finally lowered her hand and said, "Miss, that's enough."
Yue Yining looked in the mirror: "......."
Looking at herself in the mirror, Ayu said earnestly, "If there's anything you don't like, I'll re-stitch it for you, Miss."
"No, no need," Yue Yining said. "It's fine, really."
That's wonderful.
She almost didn't recognize herself, because she rarely wore such a complicated hairstyle.
Logically speaking, shouldn't a man be a little clumsy when tying his hair into this style for the first time?
Why did he tie it up so well?!
Yue Yining recalled the disheveled way she first tried to tie her hair up, and her temples throbbed uncontrollably.
Ayu smiled broadly and said, "If I could do your makeup again, Miss, I would be completely satisfied."
Yue Yining turned around and snatched the comb from his hand: "Don't even think about it." It wasn't anything serious; she didn't want to put on makeup!
......
Green tiles and red eaves, a magnificent palace.
Wei Jing returned to the palace that day to see his mother, Consort Li. He had just returned to his own palace to rest when someone came to his door again.
The newcomer was aggressive, his steps were hurried and his feet seemed to be on fire. He didn't even care about his appearance. His hairpins and ornaments clashed together, making a loud and deafening noise.
Wei Jing had just sat down in the hall when a maidservant approached him with a look of unease: "Your Highness, the Eldest Princess has arrived. She says she has something to discuss with you..."
Before she could finish speaking, a commotion arose outside the palace gates, and the figure of the eldest princess appeared, dressed in a Shu-style brocade robe, adorned with fragrant hairpins and earrings, with a face as beautiful as peach blossoms and plum blossoms, and an angry expression.
This was the first time Wei Yihua had been so angry since her rebirth; she was almost driven to the brink of madness.
"Wei Jing, what have you done?!"
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