Do you like Chapter 33?
"this……"
Although Qingyang had not seen the painting, he had just heard Yingqi describe the situation inside the room.
If this painting were presented to the eldest son, it would likely be like stabbing him in the heart again.
It's hard to say whether the eldest son, who was on the verge of death, will survive.
Qingyang pondered to himself, but dared not say anything more. He went into the inner room, took the scroll, and glanced at the fruit scattered on the ground.
Just now, when he entered the courtyard, he almost bumped into Xue Lanyi, who was rushing out.
Auntie is not someone who doesn't know what's good for her, so why did she quarrel with the young master so fiercely this time?
Qingyang was at a loss for words. "Should I go and find my aunt?"
"No need."
Wei Zhang really didn't want to see Xue Lanyi looking so distracted.
Let her have some peace and quiet, and think about how to act in a way that will please the audience.
Wei Zhang's face darkened, and he went straight to the private room to take a bath.
On the other side, after Xue Lanyi ran out of the dormitory, she was met with an endless expanse of darkness.
The heavens and earth were vast, and all she could see were the four walls surrounding the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
She doesn't even have a decent identity, and her beloved is imprisoned in another cage on the other side of the mountain. Where can she go?
She stood alone in the darkness, looking around at the towering blue brick walls that seemed to reach the clouds.
Ultimately, they found themselves with no way out.
She lowered her eyelashes listlessly, and in the end, she could only drag her weary steps toward the well.
The clear pool water reflected the full moon in the sky, and also her long, flowing hair and her sugar-covered body.
She didn't even have a handkerchief at hand, so she had to tear off the hem of her clothes to wipe the dirt off her face.
She carefully wiped away the sugar stains, but the pale pink at the corners of her eyes, the shifting gaze in her eyes, and the upturned eyebrows could not be wiped away.
Like the people Wei Zhang painted, that ingratiating and flattering charm was etched into her very bones.
This was honed day by day through two years in the Imperial Academy and three years by Wei Zhang's side.
Even though the sixteen-year-old Princess Zhaoyang still lives in her heart, she can never go back to how she was back then.
Xue Lanyi disliked her current alluring appearance at all, and closed her eyes slightly to breathe quietly.
"Auntie."
Before he could catch his breath, Shadow Seven's voice rang out behind him again.
Xue Lanyi stiffened and suddenly opened her eyes.
Shadow Seven's reflection in the water blocked the moonlight, making it appear as a dark mass.
The Crown Prince said: If the concubine is unwell, she should go to a side room and need not stay by the Crown Prince's side.
Xue Lanyi looked at the tall figure reflected in the paper window of the main room.
Wei Zhang, with his long hair disheveled, was pacing back to his inner room, seemingly preparing to go to sleep.
After causing such a commotion tonight, will he be kind enough to let her off the hook?
Obviously not; he was trying to warn her that she was lingering outside for too long.
If Xue Lanyi actually believed him and went to the side room, who knows how furious he would be.
She finally managed to get Ah Yin to deliver a message to Qutan Temple today, and if all goes well, good news should come tomorrow.
We can't afford to cause any unforeseen complications at this critical juncture.
Xue Lanyi sniffed, swallowing back her grievances. "I...I prepared ginseng tea for the young master. Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."
She still had to shamelessly go back and coax him.
Xue Lanyi felt helpless and self-deprecating, but put on a smile again and went to the kitchen.
After brewing the ginseng tea and calming herself down, she recounted how she ran out and how she returned.
As she turned the corner of the corridor, Xue Lanyi caught a glimpse of Qingyang leaving Chong'an Hall under the cover of night, holding a silkworm cocoon paper with a water ripple pattern in his hand, which was clearly the portrait that Wei Zhang had drawn for her.
And the direction he went...
Xue Lanyi's head buzzed, and she froze.
South...
Wei Zhang intended to present that romantic painting to Ah Xuan!
What exactly did Wei Zhang mean?
He saw through Xue Lanyi's feelings for Wei Xuan, so he used this as a warning to Xue Lanyi to behave herself.
Or perhaps Xue Lanyi angered him, so he deliberately humiliated Wei Xuan?
Regardless of the reason, what Xue Lanyi least wanted was for that painting to appear before Wei Xuan's eyes.
Her body felt half-cool, her mind was in turmoil, and she subconsciously took a step towards Qingyang.
The elongated shadow on the bedroom window shifted slightly, revealing Wei Zhang sitting upright inside, pouring tea.
The tea was slowly poured into the cup, the sound muffled.
The scalding hot tea seemed to slowly pour over Xue Lanyi's heart, enveloping her.
She dared not make any more rash moves.
Regardless of Wei Zhang's intentions, she couldn't afford to upset him anymore.
If he really wanted to vent his anger on Ah Xuan, he had plenty of ways and means.
Ah Xuan's body couldn't withstand his abuse.
Xue Lanyi couldn't let her impulsiveness hurt Ah Xuan.
She forced a relatively gentle smile and lifted the curtain to enter the inner room.
Wei Zhang changed into loose sleeping clothes and sat upright in front of the round nanmu table, his slender, jade-like hands holding a celadon lid and skimming the foam from the cup.
The swaying beaded curtain reflected dappled light, half-bright and half-dim, making it impossible to discern the expression on his face.
Even without looking closely, Xue Lanyi knew that he was extremely annoyed at that moment.
He hates nothing more than being disobeyed by others.
Xue Lanyi steeled herself and approached, handing the tea to Wei Zhang, saying, "Your Highness, please change your cup and drink some ginseng tea to nourish your body."
Wei Zhang didn't even glance at it, continuing to leisurely sip the tea in his hand.
Xue Lanyi's ginseng tea was freshly brewed, and the scalding heat of the boiling water quickly passed through the saucer to her fingertips.
Scalding hot, she curled her fingers and said, "I was rude just now, please forgive me, Your Highness."
Wei Zhang, having heard her sweet talk so often, remained unmoved, only slightly slowing down his shaving.
Xue Lanyi felt that he was observing her expression through the water, and he should appreciate her proactive attitude in admitting her mistake.
Although Xue Lanyi did not feel sorry for him in any way.
At this moment, all he could do was lower his head and put on a pained expression.
"I have never painted such erotic pictures before. It is inevitable that I am shy and apprehensive when I try it for the first time, which is why I lost my composure."
"so what?"
"so……"
Xue Lanyi's two explanations clearly did not satisfy Wei Zhang.
He values practical actions.
“So…” Xue Lanyi pulled his hand that was playing with the teacup: “I am willing to use myself to help the Crown Prince soothe his heart.”
Her slender, white fingers slipped between his thumb and forefinger, and only then did Wei Zhang lift his eyes.
She stood in the moonlight streaming through the window crack, dressed in a white veil, her hair ornaments removed.
The lipstick and cheek rouge had been washed away, and her slightly damp hair clung to her fair skin. Her lips were a pale pink, pure and flawless.
A person with a bright and cheerful appearance doesn't need to adorn themselves too much. As long as their eyebrows and eyes are relaxed and free of sorrow, they are like the moonlight shining on them at this moment, so bright and clean that it's hard to look away.
Wei Zhang was stunned for a moment.
Xue Lanyi put down the ginseng tea, took one of his large hands in hers and shook it gently: "If I can please you tonight, can we let bygones be bygones?"
She then started to act coquettishly.
Wei Zhang rolled his eyes at her, but did not pull his hand away.
Xue Lanyi took it as an agreement and asked, "Then may Your Highness dismiss all attendants?"
There are always people keeping watch outside the dormitory at night.
The masters were still awake, the bedroom door was wide open, and the servants were yawning and keeping watch outside.
“What can’t be done openly and honestly?” Wei Zhang asked.
"I've learned some new tricks that Your Highness has never seen before, and I don't want outsiders to see them," Xue Lanyi said, looking at him with embarrassment.
She took a few more graceful steps closer to him, her skirt almost brushing against his knees.
The faint scent of sandalwood returned to Wei Zhang's nostrils, mingling with the crisp, cold pine scent emanating from his body.
The blended fragrance is like orchids and musk, similar to the scents that often waft through the curtains.
Wei Zhang's throat felt inexplicably dry, and he scoffed coldly: "A crooked and deviant approach, is this how you admit your mistakes?"
Even so, the servant received a glance, tactfully withdrew, and gently closed the door.
Only two people remained in the dormitory, facing each other.
Wei Zhang remained unmoved, gazing at her.
Xue Lanyi blushed, biting her lip as if she were shy, timid, and embarrassed.
After a long while, she took his hand and led him to her, her voice soft and sweet: "I have displeased Your Highness today and have no way to make amends. After thinking it over, I realized that Your Highness likes little white rabbits the most."
"I would like to offer these white rabbits as compensation." She pulled his hand to her chest, and as she spoke, Wei Zhang's fingertips lightly brushed against her nightgown, and he could vaguely feel the silky fabric beneath.
Wei Zhang's pupils contracted slightly, but she took another step closer to him, her slender figure suddenly coming into view.
Her face was extremely sincere: "Please, Your Highness, take a look and see if you are satisfied. If you are not satisfied, I can make improvements until Your Highness likes it."
How was this item modified?
This item can also be changed according to people's preferences?
Wei Zhang was incredulous, yet his breath caught in his throat. "What nonsense are you talking about? You're already very..."
A pair of steaming hot buns were placed in Wei Zhang's palm.
The rabbits were not arranged neatly, and two were stacked together.
Xue Lanyi quickly turned the two buns around, their rabbit faces showing their big front teeth now facing Wei Zhang.
His face had a simple, honest look.
Wei Zhang's words caught in his throat. He glanced at the rabbit with its slanted eyes in surprise, then looked at Xue Lanyi.
She was very sincere, "Your Highness, please try it and see if you like it."
"..."
Wei Zhang: "This is the rabbit you were talking about?"
"Yes!" Xue Lanyi nodded. "The rabbit-shaped buns I made this morning were not even glanced at by Your Highness. I knew Your Highness didn't like them, so I specially tried to improve them today, adding eyes and a nose to the rabbits with carrots. Does Your Highness still not like them?"
Wei Zhang was speechless for a moment. "When did I ever say I liked rabbits?"
"Your eyes were clearly full of anticipation just now."
"..." Wei Zhang frowned. "Are you here to admit your mistake, or are you deliberately here to annoy me?"
"I put my heart into it!"
Xue Lanyi could tell that he had no interest in the bun's design, and there was even a hint of disappointment flashing across his face.
But she had no other ideas at the moment, so she hurriedly fed him the rabbit-shaped bun, saying, "I've improved the filling of the bun, Your Highness might like it."
Wei Zhang had no interest in eating such strange things and turned his head away.
But as the overflowing sugar filling from the bun slid across his lips, Wei Zhang still tasted a sweetness, a sweetness unlike anything he'd ever tasted before.
He couldn't help but take another look.
The filling flowing from the rabbit's mouth wasn't red bean paste, but candied dates and longan.
"I've been making red bean paste for the young master a lot lately, and even if he likes it, he gets tired of it after a while. So I prepared some jujube and longan paste instead, so it'll be a change. I hope you like it. I made several baskets of them." Xue Lanyi introduced her steamed buns in a very enthusiastic manner.
So, the longan and jujubes she peeled today are for making steamed buns.
The longan and jujubes used for the filling naturally need to be peeled and pitted; they weren't specifically peeled for Wei Xuan to use in his medicine.
That makes sense, after all. Who would have the leisure to peel candied dates and travel a long distance to deliver them to the mansion to be used for medicine?
However, Wei Zhang was indecisive in his judgment.
Wei Zhang shook his head almost imperceptibly.
"The young master smiled!" Xue Lanyi caught the fleeting smile on his face. "Can we wipe the slate clean of what happened before?"
"When did I laugh?" Wei Zhang asked with a stern face.
But Xue Lanyi clearly saw it!
She didn't know why he was smiling, but Xue Lanyi couldn't be mistaken for that fleeting, relieved smile.
Perhaps people are happy when they eat candy, so they couldn't help but laugh?
Thinking this to herself, Xue Lanyi picked up a rabbit leg and held it to his mouth, saying, "Try it again, it's very sweet."
He promised that as long as it pleased him, the past would be forgotten.
Therefore, Xue Lanyi worked exceptionally hard.
"Ah!" She opened her mouth as if coaxing a child to eat, while pinching his waist.
He has ticklish spots on his waist, which he's had since he was a child.
When Xue Lanyi scratched him, his guard indeed loosened, and his lips parted slightly.
Xue Lanyi then put the steamed bun with the syrupy filling into his mouth, where the syrup melted.
Wei Zhang couldn't spit it out at all, and with his head tilted back, he had no choice but to chew the sugar packet.
"Is it sweet?" The girl's bright voice rang out, her crescent-shaped smile right in front of me.
Because of the commotion she had just caused, she unconsciously knelt down on Wei Zhang's lap, her arms supporting her against his chest.
The tiny creature weighed down entirely on Wei Zhang.
Looking at the lively girl in his arms, he was overcome with a desire for revenge and pinched her buttocks.
"You!" Xue Lanyi wasn't ticklish, but she was shy. Her face turned red, and she made a face at him like a rabbit baring its teeth.
Wei Zhang was finally amused by her and a slight smile appeared on his face, but he tried his best to keep a straight face and said, "You're being cunning and sly."
Xue Lanyi knew, of course, that she was taking a shortcut.
No matter how she explained her disobedience tonight, or what she did, it would be useless, so she deliberately tried to make jokes to gloss over the matter.
Unexpectedly, he really liked rabbits, and the two rabbit buns really won him over.
Xue Lanyi wrinkled her nose and tilted her head, saying, "Anyway, I made the young master laugh, so what the young master says can stand?"
When did I ever promise you anything?
Wei Zhang never said anything about wiping the slate clean; it was all Xue Lanyi's doing.
Xue Lanyi choked, let out a dejected sigh, and the stray hairs on her forehead were blown up and down by the wind.
From Wei Zhang's angle, he could see her fair cheeks puffing out like a rabbit's.
Rabbits need to be tamed to learn to behave properly.
But if you tame them until they become stupid, it won't be fun anymore.
Wei Zhang lifted her chin, his expression slightly stern. "You should know how I manage my subordinates."
Wei Zhang always only tolerated one option, never two.
If you make a minor mistake, you may still have a chance to correct it and start anew.
But if he makes the same mistake a second time, he will show no mercy.
Xue Lanyi had witnessed how he severed the meridians of his trusted confidant who had followed him for ten years, causing him to bleed to death.
She knew he was warning her, that she could be forgiven this once, but if she disobeyed him again, she would be doomed.
He always kept his word, so Xue Lanyi was naturally afraid of him.
But then he thought that she would probably leave him soon, so what was the point of talking about disobeying or not?
As long as we appease him for now, that's fine.
"Okay."
Xue Lanyi feigned intimacy, cupping his face in her hands. "I will heed Your Highness's teachings. If I offend again, you may deal with me as you see fit. I will not utter a single word of dissent, hmm?"
Wei Zhang's brow relaxed slightly.
Xue Lanyi breathed a sigh of relief and got off the ground. "The young master hasn't eaten dinner yet, I'll go get some more sugar packets."
As soon as she left, the lively aura on Wei Zhang's body vanished instantly, and his entire demeanor became somewhat somber.
"That's enough, let's rest."
We've been making a ruckus long enough today.
It was already past midnight. When he had no official duties, he always went to bed at 3 AM and got up at 5 AM for the morning court session.
Nothing has changed in the past five years, but recently I've been delayed quite a bit because of her.
Wei Zhang frowned slightly and went to bed.
Xue Lanyi was also exhausted, both physically and mentally. Since he had let her go, she followed him to the bed, turned off the light, and slept on the inside.
The two stood back to back, each lost in their own thoughts in the darkness.
Once Xue Lanyi calmed down, her mind was filled with thoughts of Wei Xuan, and thinking of the suffering Ah Xuan, she unconsciously moved her body to the inside of the bed, away from Wei Zhang, almost pressed against the wall.
In recent years, Wei Zhang has gotten into the habit of not allowing anyone to get close to him while he sleeps, but Xue Lanyi always tries her best to move her body and get as close to him as possible within the distance he allows.
Tonight, she is at the furthest distance from him.
Wei Zhang, as usual, slept close to the edge of the bed, but tonight he couldn't fall asleep.
The gap between the blankets was too big, and their backs felt empty and chilly.
He tossed and turned several times, still unable to sleep soundly.
In the darkness, I gazed at his slender back, which was more than an arm's length away.
He felt an impulse surge within him, and ultimately, driven by instinct, he wrapped his arms around Xue Lanyi's waist and pulled her into his embrace.
The sudden intense body heat startled Xue Lanyi, who instinctively stepped back.
She pressed her elbow against his chest, but dared not voice her true thoughts.
"Your Highness... it's too hot to hold you like this, don't let it cause you to get a heat rash."
It's really quite muggy tonight.
But Xue Lanyi exuded a cool aura, which Wei Zhang found acceptable. "I didn't mean to hug you... You haven't applied your medicine yet today, have you?"
"I……"
Xue Lanyi frowned quietly in the darkness, "No need, Your Highness has to attend court tomorrow, rest. Skipping a day of medicine won't make a difference."
"You don't want to raise it properly?"
"I didn't!" Xue Lanyi quickly denied.
She didn't want one problem to be solved only to be followed by another.
That's enough.
"Go ahead." Xue Lanyi relaxed her legs as much as possible, and emphasized, "Only apply the medicine."
Wei Zhang grunted in response.
Although he felt inexplicably anxious, he knew very well that he did not have that need at the moment.
He applied the medicine himself, but stopped when he touched Xue Lanyi.
"Do it yourself." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath washing over her.
Xue Lanyi frowned even more deeply.
Xue Lanyi already found the fact that he wanted to apply medicine to her every day very objectionable, and now he wanted her to take the initiative, which was too shameful.
"I...I can't."
"I'll teach you."
"..."
Before Xue Lanyi could refuse again, a large hand took her hand and guided her, saying, "Remember, apply the medicine yourself like this tomorrow."
Xue Lanyi was numb, her body was stiff, and she remembered nothing.
Despite the thorn in their hearts, their bodies reacted uncontrollably, their breaths mingling seamlessly.
A muffled groan came from behind.
"The doctor said we can't indulge in such behavior anymore!" Xue Lanyi blurted out as she felt the man move slightly, then softened her voice, afraid of displeasing him, "If the uterus is damaged, it may be difficult to conceive in the future..."
Xue Lanyi knew he didn't care whether she could have children, but at least he didn't want her to ruin her health now.
Upon hearing this, the person behind him subtly shifted his gaze.
He didn't do anything else, only gently stroked her lower abdomen with his hand, "Do you like it?"
This was the third time he had asked her today if she liked it.
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