"I'm too full, I need to go for a walk to digest!" After finishing three large bowls of chicken noodle soup, Fourth Master felt so full that his stomach was starting to feel uncomfortable.
"I told you to stop eating, but I just can't stop." Lanqin looked at Fourth Master with amusement. When did this man, who always had extremely strong self-control, start to show his willful and uncontrollable side in front of her?
"Qin'er's meals are too good. So you still have to accompany me to digest." Fourth Master said domineeringly.
Lanqin rolled her eyes at him and said, "Your robber logic is shameless!"
Fourth Master wouldn't allow Lanqin to refuse. As soon as he got off the bed, he grabbed Lanqin's hand and led her into the study.
Oh, damn it, more calligraphy practice!
Lanqin knew that this man's favorite way to digest food was to practice calligraphy. Couldn't he do something else, like play cards or mahjong?
"Your ink painting last time was quite good. How about we paint one together today? You start by splashing the ink, and I'll paint on top of that." Fourth Master saw Lanqin's distressed little face and knew she didn't want to write.
"My lord, I've been out all day and I'm feeling a bit tired. How about we do something that doesn't require much brainpower?" Lanqin wasn't in the mood for "painting" either.
The Fourth Prince stared at Lanqin, but his gaze suddenly turned strange. He said in a low voice, "An activity that doesn't require much brainpower? Then there's only one. If the Consort wants it, I'll reluctantly do another one." After saying that, he reached out and pinched Lanqin's waist.
Lanqin was so frightened that she quickly jumped away, naturally knowing that what Fourth Master meant by going to bed to do physical labor!
"Let me accompany you while you paint, sir," Lanqin quickly said, cursing the Fourth Master in her heart once again. The physical labor she had endured during the day had made our Comrade Lanqin a little afraid of the Fourth Master's ruthlessness.
Fourth Master chuckled and pulled Lanqin to the desk, where several storybooks were still placed.
"The people have all been sent to you. If you want to listen to opera or music, they can all do it. If you want to adapt a play, just have them do it your way. I'm looking forward to seeing your adapted play!" Fourth Master said, holding Lanqin in his arms. He knew that leaving Lanqin in this villa meant he couldn't visit her often, and she would definitely be bored, so he tried his best to let her live her life the way she wanted.
"I will change myself, but I don't really know how to properly train these girls," Lanqin said, leaning against Fourth Master's chest.
Outside the window, the bright moon hung high in the sky, its gentle light slanting quietly across the courtyard, bathing every blade of grass, every stone, and every step in a cool, silvery hue. Fourth Master, holding Qin'er in his arms, watched everything outside through the wooden window of the Four Friends of Winter (a type of ancient Chinese house).
"Master, do you still want to paint?" Lanqin asked when she saw that the Fourth Master remained silent.
"Let's just stand here for a while. Since Qin'er doesn't want to, let's go along with it and not do anything that requires too much thought," Fourth Master said gently on Lanqin's head.
How could this man have become so gentle! He's completely different from the ferocious fellow he was during the day. Lanqin couldn't help but think to herself, but she was enjoying the moment, nestled together with Fourth Master, quietly appreciating the spring night. He'd be leaving again tomorrow, wouldn't he? Sigh, had she become a resentful woman confined to her boudoir in spring?
"Do you want to go back? That way it will be easier for me to see you," Fourth Master said.
Lanqin's heart skipped a beat. Remembering that Madam Nian was in the inner quarters, she said, "Aren't you afraid of unrest in the inner quarters, Master?"
Fourth Master tightened his grip on her arm, lowered his head and breathed into Lanqin's ear, murmuring, "I will protect you."
The only lingering doubt in Lanqin's heart melted away silently in the face of those words.
"My lord, Lanqin will be happy every day, so you don't need to worry about me. I'll just stay here; it's quite free. I can ride a horse whenever I want, eat whatever I want, and sleep as long as I want. Why would I want to go back? The only downside is that I can't see you whenever I want. I think you'll be in the palace for at least a year or two, so I'll stay here until you return home," Lanqin said. Why should she go head-to-head with that Lady Nian for favor? It's better to stay here in peace and quiet. As long as the lord's heart is here, whether she sees him often or not isn't really the key.
"Alright, my Qin'er is very sensible. You can think of anything you want, as long as I can get it for you, I will get it for you. However, you can't go out, you can't run around, that's my bottom line." Fourth Master said affectionately, he was also afraid that Lanqin would be almost kidnapped last time she went out.
"Your Majesty, I will obey. I will wait here obediently for your arrival," Lanqin said coquettishly.
The Fourth Prince's heart softened. He turned Lanqin around, stared at her, and said, "Give me a few more children. One Wuxiha isn't enough. Xichen isn't your biological son after all, and when he grows up, he'll still have to be sent away. The royal bloodline cannot be confused."
Lanqin nodded and said, "Find a good family to raise him when the time comes, and don't mistreat the child. If you're going to send him away, you should do it sooner rather than later. Xichen is almost two years old. When he gets older, he'll recognize people. Sending him away later might hurt the child even more."
She knew that the royal family valued bloodlines above all else, and a child like Xichen couldn't be raised in such an ambiguous way; otherwise, how could he be rewarded later? Although she was reluctant, sending Xichen to a normal family was the best arrangement for him to avoid future troubles.
"I will handle it. You don't need to worry. Xichen will be a wealthy young master, with no worries about making a living, and will live a peaceful life." Fourth Master knew that Lanqin had raised this child for more than a year, so there must be some motherly affection between them.
"Alright. Then Xichen will call him Master. We must find him a loving mother and father." Lanqin threw herself into Fourth Master's arms, still feeling a little reluctant.
"Shall we go have a baby now?" Fourth Master said with a wicked smile.
Lanqin shyly buried her head in Fourth Master's chest. Although the physical exertion during the day had left her a little frightened, her heart was filled with tenderness for Fourth Master, so she naturally wouldn't refuse.
Fourth Master stopped Lanqin from returning to her bedroom. He ordered water, and the two of them washed up with the help of the maids, then took off their clothes and went to bed.
The Fourth Prince, ultimately tender towards the young woman, only held Lanqin gently for a moment before embracing her and falling asleep. He didn't ask about Lady Nian, and the Fourth Prince grew even more fond of the young woman in his arms.
"My lord, when you leave tomorrow, please do so before I wake up, otherwise I will miss you." Lanqin tightened her grip on the Fourth Prince's hand and muttered.
"Sleep well, sweetie. I'll come whenever I have time. I won't stop until you've given birth to three or four." Fourth Master chuckled to himself in the darkness.
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