Rumor has it that when Fourth Master arrived, Li Chenjiao was massaging the back of her neck. She hadn't felt it when she was making the amulet, but now she felt a great soreness in her neck and eyes.
Upon hearing that the Fourth Master had arrived, Li Chenjiao was momentarily stunned: "The Master is here?"
Is the Fourth Master here because he has found out something or because he hasn't found anything at all? In any case, the Fourth Master's mood is probably not very good.
Li Chenjiao rubbed her face, feeling exhausted, but Fourth Master was probably even more tired than her.
She slipped on her shoes and quickened her pace slightly as she went outside to greet the Fourth Master.
However, she did not expect to see the Fourth Master drunk.
Su Peisheng supported the Fourth Master, said nothing, and simply bowed to Li Chenjiao.
Even if he were bold, he wouldn't dare to make decisions for his master. He had asked his master's opinion before entering the backyard.
"My lord, there are still candles lit in Master Li's room in the east courtyard. Would you like to come and sit down?"
“…Go.” After a long silence, Fourth Master gave a deep, resonant reply.
Only then did Su Peisheng dare to help Fourth Master towards the East Courtyard.
Li Chenjiao stepped forward to support Fourth Master. She glanced at his face and, with some difficulty, helped him into the inner room. At the same time, she turned back and instructed, "Tell the kitchen to prepare a hangover soup. Also, boil some hot water."
Su Peisheng spoke up at the right moment: "Consort, the master has not yet had his dinner."
Upon hearing this, her clear, bright eyes narrowed slightly.
He drank alcohol before even having dinner, which meant he was in a really bad mood.
Qiu Hu lifted the beaded curtain, and Li Chenjiao was helping the Fourth Master walk around the screen when she suddenly heard the Fourth Master's hoarse voice.
"Ah Jiao, where's Hongming?"
Fourth Master rarely called Li Chenjiao by her maiden name. When she heard the name "Ajiao," Li Chenjiao didn't realize that Fourth Master was calling her.
When she came to her senses, she paused in her steps, suddenly unsure how to answer Fourth Master.
Just a few seconds after Li Chenjiao hesitated, Fourth Master also stopped in his tracks.
Li Chenjiao struggled to support Fourth Master with both hands. Through the flickering candlelight in the room, Li Chenjiao looked up and saw Fourth Master's calm and indifferent face.
She suddenly remembered the year Song gave birth to the frail eldest princess. When she was invited to the front yard to see the dying eldest princess, the Fourth Prince had the same expression on his face.
Her heart suddenly pounded, and she instinctively tried to comfort the Fourth Prince: "Your Highness, the First Prince is gone."
"I know."
Fourth Master frowned impatiently, interrupted Jin Li Chenjiao, and simply stopped walking.
"I'm asking, where is Hongming?"
Li Chenjiao suddenly realized that Fourth Master was heartbroken.
She hesitated for a moment, then helped the Fourth Prince toward the small couch in front of him. She spoke quickly, her tone very certain: "It's already late, Your Highness. Prince Hongming has already settled down to rest."
As she spoke, she took Fourth Master's hand again. While Fourth Master was still pondering what she had just said, she finally obediently allowed Li Chenjiao to help her sit down on the soft couch in front of her.
Li Chenjiao patted Fourth Master's shoulder, squatted down like she was coaxing a child, and looked him in the eye: "Would you like a cup of honey water?"
Since Fourth Master didn't respond, Li Chenjiao straightened up and poured a cup of honey water on the small table. She took a sip herself, and it had gotten a little cold after a while.
She fed the Fourth Master a cup of wine, but he stopped halfway through and asked again.
"What about the eldest prince?"
The Fourth Prince was truly drunk and confused; neither the First Prince nor Hongming could understand him.
Before Li Chenjiao could answer, the Fourth Master had already shaken her off and staggered out.
Fourth Master's drunken state this time was quite different, and Li Chenjiao quickly chased after him.
The Fourth Master suddenly turned back halfway through, and Li Chenjiao almost bumped into him. The next second, the Fourth Master grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the inner room.
"Take me to find the First Prince." The Fourth Prince's voice sounded aggrieved, as if he was upset because he couldn't find the First Prince.
There was no candlelight in the room; it was pitch black, and Li Chenjiao was genuinely worried that the Fourth Master might bump into something.
But last time, when Fourth Master carried her at night, it was also pitch black, and he walked quite steadily, didn't he? Although Fourth Master is drunk this time.
Li Chenjiao was comforting herself when a new problem arose.
One second Li Chenjiao heard the sound of someone falling, and the next second she fell into a wall of flesh.
Li Chenjiao dared not exert any force, and everything went black. She called out "Fourth Master" several times, but no one answered.
She managed to pull herself up to sit down on the blanket beside her. She was so tired that she simply stretched out and lay down. Following the smell of alcohol, she knew that Fourth Master was lying next to her.
She looked up at the ceiling, where the candlelight outside flickered enchantingly. Li Chenjiao called out again, "Master..."
Fourth Master still did not agree.
Li Chenjiao waited a few seconds, feeling the Fourth Master's steady breathing, then suddenly held her breath, her eyelashes trembling, and boldly shouted out that cry.
"Yinzhen".
Fourth Master finally moved, his voice trembling as he spoke: "Insolence!"
Li Chenjiao stretched out her arms: "I'll have a drink with you."
Her slightly raised arm offended and rudely touched the Fourth Master's shoulder. He looked up and remained silent.
Li Chenjiao seemed a little impatient. She suddenly straightened up and nudged Fourth Master, her voice muffled: "Want to drink or not?"
"I'm drinking wine, and you're drinking tea?"
Fourth Master straightened up, taking Li Chenjiao's arm, and suddenly buried himself in Li Chenjiao's arms.
The inner room was pitch black, while the outer room was still bright. Separated by a screen and gauze curtains, two people, a prince and a concubine, sat on the floor without any manners or decorum.
At this moment, only Li Chenjiao could see Fourth Master's vulnerability.
Li Chenjiao hugged the Fourth Prince back, and she sang a lullaby in a very soft voice, the kind she would only sing to lull the Second Princess to sleep, slowly and gently.
After a long while, Fourth Master finally released his grip on Li Chenjiao's shoulders: "Are you tired?"
Li Chenjiao did not answer the question, but helped Fourth Master up: "You should rest now."
Fourth Master was helped to sit down in front of the bed, and Li Chenjiao personally lit candles to illuminate the room, finally making it bright.
If Fourth Master were to take a bath now, he would probably fall asleep again. Li Chenjiao called out and asked Qiu Hu to bring in hot water in a copper basin.
She personally helped the Fourth Master change into his nightgown, and when Qiu Hu brought in the copper basin, she washed his face until he lay down on the bed.
Li Chenjiao was worried, so she didn't get into bed. After tucking the blankets around Fourth Master, she stayed by his side.
As the moonlight outside the window gradually deepened, and time passed until Li Chenjiao thought that the Fourth Master had finally fallen into a deep sleep, she suddenly heard the Fourth Master call out "Ajiao".
Half-asleep, Fourth Master heard a faint rustling sound of clothes, and soon Li Chenjiao's voice came over. He heard Li Chenjiao whisper...
"I'm here."
Fourth Master hummed in agreement, feeling immediately at ease.
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