Looking at the steaming tea, Shen Yunjiao felt that drinking tea alone on such a joyous day was rather dull.
She suddenly remembered that the text seemed to have mentioned that Prince Pei had buried several jars of fine pear blossom wine under the trees at his villa.
Why not drink it if you're going to miss out!
"Young master, shall we have a drink?" Shen Yunjiao blinked her eyelashes and asked expectantly.
"Drinking?" Xiao Huaijin asked in surprise.
"Yes, celebrate your return to the light of day and your ability to live a normal life as before."
Before Xiao Huaijin could answer, Shen Yunjiao found a hoe in the corner of the yard and, with great effort, carried it to the tree.
"etc."
Before she knew it, Xiao Huaijin had already stood up and was standing behind her. He pressed down on Shen Yunjiao's hand, which was barely able to grip the hoe stick, and said in a voice as clear and gentle as cool spring water, "I'll help you."
This posture resembles Xiao Huaijin embracing Shen Yunjiao from behind.
They were somewhat intimate.
Shen Yunjiao felt a little uncomfortable. She coughed lightly and said, "You've only just recovered from your illness, so let me do it."
Xiao Huaijin's breath brushed against her neck, causing a strange itch, while the pressure on his hand increased. "If Miss Shen continues to compete with me, neither of us will get to drink this fine wine."
"Uh, okay!"
Shen Yunjiao released the hoe and silently retreated behind Xiao Huaijin, watching him wield the hoe as lightly as if it were cotton.
Moreover, Xiao Huaijin hoeing the ground was completely out of character for him, creating a strange sense of incongruity.
Fortunately, Xiao Huaijin dug around for a few minutes and found the wine jar hidden underground.
Shen Yunjiao silently counted; there were five jars in total.
"Should we take them all out?" Xiao Huaijin asked.
“Yes, we’ll drink it all tonight!” Shen Yunjiao patted her chest heartily. “I can hold my liquor pretty well.”
Xiao Huaijin smiled and said okay. In the bright moonlight, he could clearly see the fine down on Shen Yunjiao's beautiful face.
It turns out that a woman's beauty can be so natural.
-
In the April nights, the sound of cicadas has already quietly begun.
Shen Yunjiao drank the wine, her face flushed, and her voice was as sweet as honey, "This wine tastes sweet when you drink it, but I didn't expect it to be so intoxicating."
She was already dizzy after only drinking one jar.
The handsome young man before me seemed to have multiplied from one to two.
Xiao Huaijin gazed at her intently. Unlike most people who throw tantrums when drunk, Shen Yunjiao was obedient and made people want to cherish her.
"You... how come you've drunk more than me?" Shen Yunjiao started slurring her words, her eyes becoming unfocused. She raised her hand and counted, "One, two, three, you've already drunk three jars! Aren't you drunk yet?"
Xiao Huaijin smiled and shook his head.
Shen Yunjiao rested her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xiao Huaijin: "You're so handsome! What did you eat to grow up like this?"
Handsome? What does that mean?
Xiao Huaijin was taken aback for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Miss Chen, you're drunk."
Shen Yunjiao shook her head vigorously, "I'm not drunk. I'm going to finish the last jar and make Pei Zhixuan furious."
After saying that, she chuckled foolishly twice.
Xiao Huaijin's expression subtly changed, and his voice became very low: "When you're drunk, are you still thinking about him?"
Shen Yunjiao was already drunk when she saw Xiao Huaijin, who was sitting opposite her, appear silently in front of her.
Xiao Huaijin leaned down slightly and said softly, as if talking to himself, "Is Prince Pei really that good? That you can't forget him?"
Upon hearing the name "Prince Pei," even the drunk Shen Yunjiao instinctively reacted.
She reached out, hooked her hand around Xiao Huaijin's collar, pulled him close, and after a moment of eye contact, slowly said, "Don't mention Pei Zhixuan, that scoundrel of a prince, I hate him the most!"
With Shen Yunjiao's pull, the distance between them suddenly shortened.
Xiao Huaijin's eyes darkened, and his gaze slowly moved from those watery eyes to Shen Yunjiao's rosy lips.
Almost uncontrollably, his body leaned forward unconsciously.
Shen Yunjiao's mind went blank for a moment. She suddenly realized what was happening and jumped back in fright, avoiding the kiss.
By the time Xiao Huaijin realized what was happening, Shen Yunjiao had already pushed him away and stood up.
She seemed a little embarrassed and angry.
Her face turned bright red, spreading all the way to her ears, and even the tips of her ears looked like they were dripping blood.
Shen Yunjiao frowned, pointed to herself and then to the man opposite her.
"You, me, you can't do this."
"Why not?" Xiao Huaijin's gentle voice was low now, tinged with doubt and resentment. "Would it be okay if it were someone else?"
Others? Shen Yunjiao couldn't understand. Her mind was completely blank, like mush, and she couldn't think straight.
Her remaining rationality told Shen Yunjiao that Xiao Huaijin seemed to have wanted to kiss her just now.
No, she has to go back; otherwise, her situation might become dangerous.
Although Xiao Huaijin is very handsome, under other circumstances, Shen Yunjiao might be willing to try it with him, cough cough cough the kind that involves physical intimacy.
But she is now the Crown Princess, and a married woman.
If she didn't want to die so quickly, Shen Yunjiao should keep her distance from Xiao Huaijin.
"Um, it's getting late, I have to go back." Shen Yunjiao stammered, almost unable to finish her sentence.
She endured her dizziness and passed by Xiao Huaijin, but dared not even glance at him out of the corner of her eye.
Shen Yunjiao moved slowly toward the courtyard gate like a tortoise.
But after taking only a few steps, she turned back again, still worried, and said, "Now that you've recovered, young master, you should go to the capital as soon as possible to prepare for the imperial examination."
Xiao Huaijin sensed that she meant to drive the customer away.
His eyes dimmed. "I understand, Miss Shen. I will leave here tomorrow."
Don't rush things, or she'll be frightened.
Xiao Huaijin repeated this sentence in his heart.
But as he watched Shen Yunjiao's figure recede further and further away from him, Xiao Huaijin felt as if his heart was being squeezed tightly.
The effects of the alcohol were starting to take hold.
He couldn't help but stride up behind her.
"Miss Chen, please wait." Xiao Huaijin's voice was short and urgent.
Shen Yunjiao stopped in her tracks.
In that instant, she felt Xiao Huaijin had walked up behind her, his warm breath brushing against her neck.
Xiao Huaijin gently pulled her close with his hand, and Shen Yunjiao smelled his scent—a faint, fresh, and slightly astringent pine scent.
"I'm sorry, I was too reckless just now." Xiao Huaijin's deep voice came from behind.
"Don't hate me."
Shen Yunjiao was stunned for a moment, then belatedly realized something.
Was Xiao Huaijin hugging her?
She froze, and the alcohol seemed to have mostly worn off.
Fortunately, Xiao Huaijin only gave him a perfunctory hug before reluctantly withdrawing his hand.
The atmosphere was too ambiguous. No matter how oblivious Shen Yunjiao was, she knew what Xiao Huaijin's actions meant.
Shen Yunjiao felt a little flustered and was about to step out the door.
But after thinking for a moment, she turned back to Xiao Huaijin and said seriously, "You're drunk, so I'll pretend today's events never happened."
"Besides, I am already married, and I am devoted to my husband. Young master, please do not have any other thoughts."
After making her point clear, Shen Yunjiao pushed open the courtyard gate and left without even glancing back at Xiao Huaijin.
Xiao Huaijin stood alone under the moonlight, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
His tightly pursed lips betrayed his current agitated state of mind.
Just as Zhu Ye, who was secretly observing from the rooftop, was about to whisper something to Nan Feng, he heard his master call out expressionlessly, "Come down."
"Master, cough cough—" Nanfeng and Zhuye were a little embarrassed. They wanted to comfort their master but were afraid that he would find out that they were eavesdropping.
"Help me investigate. I need to know everything about Pei Zhixuan, the heir of the Duke of Dingguo," Xiao Huaijin said coldly.
He wanted to see what kind of magic Pei Zhixuan possessed that could make Shen Yunjiao so infatuated with him.
"Also, when Miss Shen and I are alone together in the future, you should stay away from each other!"
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