Chapter 11 Why is she so shy?
Moonlight filtered through the gossamer gauze, casting a soft glow on the white ink-patterned robe of the person on the couch.
The intermittent sound of water penetrating the door of the washroom was almost clearly lingering in his ears, sometimes like pearls falling on a jade plate, sometimes like a deep, surging current. He could even tell what she was doing at that moment from these subtle sounds, imagining the warm water flowing over her soft skin, turning her snow-white complexion flushed...
Yan Xuecui gripped the teacup tighter and tighter until the tea was completely cooled. He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
But the strange and burning restlessness inside him did not subside. He pressed his temples, and the rationality he had maintained for many years was almost shattered by the faint sound of water.
...
Chi Ying lingered in the washroom for a long time. Aunt Fangchun assumed it was her first time sharing a room and she wanted to wash herself thoroughly. She jokingly said, "If Your Highness keeps washing like this, you'll scrub your skin raw."
Chi Ying's fair cheeks flushed red from the steam. She pursed her lips and finally stood up, saying, "Help me change my clothes and cut my hair."
She had specially chosen a nightgown made of thicker fabric. Since she had just taken a bath, her whole body was still hot, and the heat on her face could not be dissipated. She looked like a crabapple in full bloom, with water droplets still dripping from the ends of her hair, wetting her fair skin. Just like a crabapple after the rain, a branch of red flowers with dew and fragrance.
Aunt Fangchun scrutinized her closely, her heart filled with emotion. If His Highness could see such a princess, he would surely be amazed.
When Chi Ying returned to her bedroom, she learned that King Zhao had gone to another clean room to bathe. She could not go to bed without King Zhao's presence, which was against the rules. Just as she was thinking of taking out the unfinished sachet to embroider a few more stitches, she saw Aunt Fangchun come in with a picture book in her hands.
Chi Ying's cheeks flushed red. "I haven't even used the fire-avoidance diagram I saw last time. How could I possibly learn so much..."
Aunt Fangchun smiled and said, "These books are not commonly seen on the market. I had someone secretly go through many places to buy them. Would Your Highness like to take another look?"
Chi Ying had no choice but to reach out and take it.
She had only turned two pages when the vivid and sensual images made her pupils dilate slightly, and she finally understood why Aunt Fangchun had said that this picture book was hard to come by—the man in the picture book was also blindfolded.
However, he was not blind despite being blindfolded; rather, he sought out various ways to enjoy sexual pleasure, reveling in the ultimate experience of physical intimacy even with his eyes closed.
Chi Ying stared at the spot where the tongue was teasing her, and suddenly felt a surge of heat rush from her spine to her head. Her cheeks instantly burned, and a thin layer of sweat seeped out from her forehead.
Perhaps my pajamas were too thick.
Fangchun hadn't expected that she would choose this nightgown tonight. It was made of the same material she wore in the dead of winter, and now that the weather was warming up, this silk garment should have been put away.
"Or, how about we change into that crimson nightgown?"
Chi Ying put on the nightgown, which was made of the finest fabric presented as tribute from Nanchong. It was soft, thin, and fit her body perfectly, revealing the curves of her waist and hips.
How is this any different from stripping naked in front of King Zhao...?
Although King Zhao could not see it, he could feel it.
Chi Ying didn't dare to think about it further, shook her head, and refused.
Aunt Fangchun could actually tell that beneath her shyness lay genuine resistance. This was understandable; His Highness's reputation had indeed suffered in recent years, and the young ladies of the capital avoided the Zhao Prince's residence like the plague.
Over the years, although the court seemed calm on the surface, the infighting and scheming among the princes never stopped. Prince Xuan, Prince Qing, and Prince Rui were all formidable figures. Prince Ding, such a virtuous and upright person, was murdered by treacherous people. Prince Zhao also lost his eyesight and was completely ineligible for the throne. In fact, everyone in the Prince's mansion was holding their breath. How could they not hate him?
But they were just women confined to their homes, unable to interfere in important court affairs, let alone avenge Prince Ding.
Now that Consort Zhuang has only this one son left, they naturally serve her faithfully and are willing to die for her. Now that His Highness has finally married, they are eagerly anticipating the birth of their little master. This is the best comfort for Consort Zhuang and for all of them.
Aunt Fangchun sighed and said, "Prince Ding passed away early and left no children. Prince Zhao has a heavy burden on his shoulders. Consort Zhuang has been hoping for him to marry and have children for a long time. From now on, we can only trouble the Princess Consort to work hard in her room so that she can have a child as soon as possible. That would surely bring her comfort..."
Chi Ying didn't know how to respond. The death of Prince Ding was a devastating blow to the entire Prince Zhao's residence. If it didn't concern her, she would certainly want Consort Zhuang to enjoy the happiness of having children and grandchildren. However, she was using someone else's identity and had already committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. If she were to deceive Prince Zhao into having a child, and the matter were to be exposed in the future, Lady Yin would surely pin all the blame on her. She dared not imagine what the consequences would be...
However, when faced with Aunt Fangchun's expectant gaze, she had no choice but to suppress her worries for the time being and softly reply with an "Mm".
Aunt Fangchun was overjoyed to hear this from her. "I will be outside tonight. If Your Highness has any orders, please just summon me."
Hearing this, Chi Ying breathed a sigh of relief.
She was initially worried that King Zhao would reveal his true colors during their intimate moments, but with Aunt Fangchun outside, she felt somewhat at ease.
Aunt Fangchun chatted with her for a while longer, then went to wait under the eaves.
Chi Ying wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that King Zhao's bathing time was too long, so long that she was getting sleepy. She simply sat on the couch, closed her eyes, and rested for a while.
As soon as the faint sound of a bamboo cane clicking in the air reached her ears, which seemed like the beat of a timer, Chi Ying opened her eyes almost abruptly and saw a man in a plain white robe with dark patterns slowly entering the room.
He had just emerged from the clean room, his body still seemingly enveloped in a warm, damp mist. His robe was slightly open, revealing his well-defined collarbones with a faint, cold sheen. His belt was loosely tied around his waist, further emphasizing his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and tall, elegant figure.
"Thank you for keeping me waiting, Your Highness."
The man slowly walked up to her. His fragrance of galangal was clear and pure. When he spoke, his voice was slightly hoarse, which scratched at her heart like a hook.
Chi Ying's throat felt a little itchy. She swallowed before saying, "No, I didn't keep you waiting. Does Your Highness wish to retire for the night?"
"Hmm." Yan Xue handed her the bamboo cane, and Chi Ying quickly placed it on the bedside table. Then she saw him stretch out his arm, which meant he wanted her to help him.
It seems that his rush to help her up at Shouchun Hall during the day did not offend him.
Chi Ying took a deep breath and stepped forward to take his arm.
The moment I steadied him, I seemed to hear a barely audible sigh from him.
Before she could figure out what he meant, she heard him ask, "We only consummated our marriage today. Does the Princess resent me?"
Chi Ying dared not do so. If she could avoid consummating the marriage, she would be even more delighted. However, she could only keep these thoughts to herself. She spoke in a gentle and respectful tone: "Your Highness was seriously injured and had not yet recovered. I was afraid of disturbing you, so how could I dare to complain? On the contrary, it was my cold that dragged on for so long. I hope Your Highness will not blame me."
Yan Xuecui said, "We are husband and wife, there's no need to be so polite."
The two walked to the rosewood bed covered with a bright red wedding quilt. Yan Xuecui suddenly bent down and gently stroked the quilt embroidered with a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons with her fingertips, as if she were checking the pattern of the quilt.
Chi Ying's cheeks flushed slightly. She inexplicably felt that King Zhao could tell by touch that although the stitches were fine and precise, they were still slightly uneven compared to smooth brocade. He was used to looking at bamboo slips with inscriptions, so he must know what was embroidered on the bed sheet.
Soon, Chi Ying saw the corners of his lips slightly upturned, as if on purpose, to remind her that tonight's wedding night was of great importance, concerning the matter of having offspring, and was no ordinary occasion.
Chi Ying said somewhat awkwardly, "Aunt Fangchun is so kind, she went to so much trouble to make all the arrangements, but..."
She paused slightly, and then King Zhao asked, "But what?"
Chi Ying glanced at his hand, which was still wrapped in gauze, and stammered, "I think that Your Highness's burns on your hand have just scabbed over, so it is probably not advisable... not advisable to exert too much force. Why not wait until Your Highness has fully recovered before we consummate our marriage?"
She had mustered all her courage to say those few words. After all, it was a serious matter of consummating their marriage, and she was unwilling to give up her virginity and have a physical relationship with King Zhao so easily. If she could delay for a few more days, perhaps she still had hope of leaving...
Chi Ying waited anxiously for his answer.
Yan Xuecui smiled and said, "I believe that Aunt Fangchun must have taught you. I am blind, so I naturally have methods that do not require me to exert too much effort, don't I?"
Chi Ying's cheeks flushed instantly, unsure how to answer. Indeed, those picture books depicted women on top, without him needing to support himself with his hands on the mattress…
The man then sat down nonchalantly, saying, "However, what the princess said makes sense. In the heat of the moment, even I cannot guarantee that I won't have to use my hands."
Chi Ying: "..."
What are you saying... teasing her like that?
Chi Ying suddenly recalled the image of the man in the picture kneading with his hands, and a surge of excitement rushed up her spine, making her face turn bright red.
Yan Xuecui could hear her disordered breathing and even feel the heat emanating from her body.
Why is she so shy?
He found it rather amusing and casually said, "Since the princess is thinking of me, then let's leave it at that for today."
Just as Chi Ying was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard him ask again, "Does the Princess prefer to sleep on the inside or the outside?"
Chi Ying pursed her lips and looked at the large bed. She wanted to sleep on the outer side so that if she noticed anything amiss with King Zhao, she could escape and call for help in time.
So she came up with an excuse and said, "I will sleep on the outside, so it will be more convenient for me to serve Your Highness when you need to drink water or get up at night."
Yan Xuecui saw through her thoughts and said, "I don't need anyone to serve me at night. Your Highness, please sleep on the inside so as not to disturb you when I get out of bed."
Chi Ying sighed helplessly: "..."
Since he already had an idea, why bother asking her again?
On the gilded candlesticks, dragon and phoenix candles burned brightly, casting warm, bright yellow light on the gilded curtains.
According to the custom of the wedding night, the wedding candles should burn all night. King Zhao is blind and probably cannot feel the light, so it doesn't matter to her whether it is bright or dim. She simply ignores it and quietly goes to the bed, where the two settle down.
Chi Ying tried to move as far in as possible, almost touching the wall, keeping a relatively safe distance between them.
But since it was her first time sharing a bed with a man, how could she not be nervous? She looked at the colorful and beautiful embroidered brocade on the ceiling and tried her best to keep her breathing as light as possible.
Since he said "that's enough," he probably won't go back on his word.
Chi Ying waited for a long time and, after confirming that King Zhao had no intention of consummating the marriage, she finally felt a little relieved. The restlessness in her body subsided, and she gradually became sleepy.
She had only closed her eyes for a short while when she heard the man's slightly rapid breathing, as if he was trying his best to suppress something, even his breathing sounded trembling with suppressed emotion.
Chi Ying hurriedly opened her eyes and saw that the man's forehead was covered with a layer of fine beads of sweat, the veins on his neck were bulging, and his hands were tightly gripping the brocade bedding as he tried to calm himself down, but his breathing became heavier and heavier.
Chi Ying had never seen such a scene before. She was filled with fear and didn't know what to do. She reached out to check if his forehead was hot, but the man suddenly grabbed her wrist.
A note from the author:
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Here it comes, here it comes, he finally couldn't resist anymore [glasses]
30 random red envelopes to come! [heart emoji] [heart emoji] [heart emoji]
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