Chapter 3 (Revised) He subtly bent his knee, concealing...
Cui Huai said there was nothing wrong, and Cui Lizhu believed him without a doubt.
After all, her brother had no reason to cover for Shen Yunzhi, nor could he be misled by her to the point of favoritism.
"Oh! I understand now!"
"She might be secretly thinking of other ways to harass the older brother."
Cui Lizhu followed Cui Huai out of the corridor, thinking about Shen Yunzhi's unusual behavior today. She had a thousand worries about her and couldn't help but ramble on about how Shen Yunzhi had deliberately approached Cui Huai in the past.
For a time, Cui Huai was surrounded by things related to Shen Yunzhi.
This was not the first time Cui Lizhu had said such things, but in the past, Cui Huai would just listen without any emotional fluctuation.
Today, however, he felt a little anxious.
Cui Huai attributed his seemingly inexplicable emotional outburst to the Chinese medicine.
He knew there was something wrong with the wine the moment he took his first sip at the family dinner.
It was truly audacious of them to drug him in the Prince's mansion.
Such a clumsy trick is not worth paying too much attention to, nor should it bother you.
That was Cui Huai's original thought.
But at this moment, he had lost the patience he had in the dining hall.
"Lizhu should go back and rest too." The courtyard where Cui Lizhu lived was not in the same direction as Qiyun Residence where Cui Huai lived. Cui Huai suppressed his impatience and spoke gently as Cui Lizhu followed him for a while.
Choi Yeo-joo did not notice anything amiss.
She took it as her brother's concern for her, and naturally appreciated it, smiling and saying, "Yes, brother, you should also get some rest."
Not long after, Cui Huai returned to Qiyun Residence.
Only two lamps were lit in the study, the dim light making it seem even more gloomy.
Cui Huai sat behind his desk, silently experiencing the loss of control over his body caused by the effects of the drug.
After an unknown amount of time, someone pushed the door open and entered.
It was still springtime, and the nights were still chilly. The other person was wearing an unusually thin dress, with the collar open and her shoulders half-exposed. Her gaze lingered on Cui Huai behind the desk for a moment, then she gracefully walked towards the desk.
"His Royal Highness..."
She called out sweetly, and seeing that Cui Huai did not move, she bent down and reached out her slender white arms, wanting to hug Cui Huai from behind.
But just as they were about to touch Cui Huai, they were suddenly detained.
She was startled, and the next moment she was forced to kneel a few steps away from Cui Huai.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Please, Your Highness, have pity on me... I can't bear the loneliness of sleeping alone in the cold quilt every night..."
The woman forced to kneel on the ground spoke even softer.
She looked at Cui Huai with a sorrowful expression, her eyes glistening with tears, making her appear even more pitiful.
Cui Huai's face was hidden in the dim light. He raised his eyes slightly, his tone completely flat except for a slightly hoarse voice: "Father will return to the capital in a few days, so Aunt Ye could have just waited a little longer."
The person addressed as "Aunt Ye" stood there, stunned.
It was unclear whether it was because the King of Chu had returned to the capital, or because of Cui Huai's indifferent and unresponsive demeanor.
But Cui Huai didn't give her any more chances to speak.
The next moment, Aunt Ye was gagged and dragged away.
The study returned to its tranquility.
As the drug's effects intensified, Cui Huai frowned slightly, closed his eyes, and slowly unbuttoned his collar.
"Your Highness, the imperial physician has arrived," Lin Yue reported in a low voice as he approached the desk.
Cui Huai suppressed his breathing, his voice low and hoarse: "Let him in."
The wine was laced with a potent drug.
Even if you drink only a small amount, the effect is stronger than that of ordinary medicine.
After taking the antidote pills left by the imperial physician, Cui Huai soaked in a bathtub filled with cold water. He rested his arms on the edge of the tub, tilted his head back slightly, and water droplets slid down his neck and dripped back into the water.
He got out of the bathtub only after the burning desire had subsided.
Only a slight red stain at the corner of the eye remained as a clue.
Cui Huai wiped the water droplets off his body with a dry towel, and as he reached for his nightgown, a handkerchief suddenly floated down.
He caught it in mid-air, and at the same moment recalled the origin of the embroidered begonia handkerchief.
The servants of Qiyun Residence are always well-behaved.
He never dared to dispose of anything without special instructions.
Silently, a faint fragrance wafted into my nose.
It's a sweet scent unique to young girls.
Suddenly, the image of a slender, graceful young woman appeared before my eyes.
He seemed to see her walking shyly and timidly towards him, her cheeks slightly flushed, calling him "Cousin, Your Highness" in a coquettish and timid manner.
Cui Huai wondered if it was because Cui Lizhu had been talking about Shen Yunzhi in his ear for too long tonight that he could easily remember her now. The faint fragrance of her handkerchief kept wafting over him, like a phoenix feather brushing against his heart, enticing the lurking beast called desire to break free from its restraints. The evil fire that had just been suppressed instantly surged back, even more fiercely than before.
The body's reactions cannot be ignored.
Cui Huai stared at the handkerchief in his hand, his gaze darkening. As if driven by some instinct, he no longer suppressed his emotions and covered the handkerchief with it.
...
Shen Yunzhi heard that there had been no unusual activity at the Chu Prince's residence last night.
Therefore, she slept relatively soundly in the second half of the night and felt quite refreshed when she woke up in the morning.
Today, Shen Yunzhi is going to meet Zhou Jia Liulang.
After breakfast, she asked Qiuyue to help her dress up carefully, and she changed into a lilac-colored spring dress that had been tailored a few days ago before heading to the main courtyard.
The Queen of Chu looked her radiant niece up and down and said with a smile, "What young man wouldn't be interested in such a beautiful young lady?"
He then let Shen Yunzhi leave, not wanting to keep her any longer, so as not to delay important matters.
The social atmosphere in this dynasty is relatively open.
It's not unusual for young men and women to ride horses, enjoy the spring scenery, and admire flowers together. As long as their behavior is within acceptable limits, they won't attract unwanted attention.
Princess Chu and Madam Zhou discussed it and decided to set the meeting place between Shen Yunzhi and Zhou Jia Liulang at Jianchun Pavilion. Jianchun Pavilion faces a lake on one side, with willows swaying along the shore, and a ten-mile peach forest on the other side, with the flowers in full bloom, making it a perfect place for a spring outing.
Shen Yunzhi traveled by carriage from the Chu Prince's residence to keep the appointment, which would take about half an hour.
She took this meeting very seriously.
Regardless of the outcome, what matters to her is a new beginning.
Unexpectedly, an accident occurred halfway there.
The carriage, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly lurched a few times. Fortunately, Qiu Yue protected her, and Shen Yunzhi did not crash into the carriage wall.
When the carriage stopped, the two dazed and disoriented masters and servants disregarded everything else and quickly got off.
The coachman, Uncle Li, pointed to the broken section of the carriage shaft and said worriedly, "Miss, this is not good."
Shen Yunzhi frowned.
She asked, "Can it be fixed? How long will it take?"
"This..." Uncle Li smiled wryly, "I'm afraid it won't be able to be repaired in a short time, Miss, please forgive me."
He then asked, "How about this old servant goes back and rents another carriage?"
Just as Shen Yunzhi was about to agree, a carriage bearing the insignia of the Prince of Chu's residence arrived and finally stopped in front of them. Upon seeing Cui Huai's personal attendant, Lin Yue, Shen Yunzhi's brow twitched, and a sense of foreboding rose in her heart.
Lin Yue jumped off the carriage and asked, "Uncle Li, what's going on?"
Uncle Li immediately explained the situation.
Lin Yue then asked, "Where is Miss Biao heading?"
Seeing that Shen Yunzhi did not intend to speak, Qiuyue answered for her, "Miss has something to discuss with Chunting."
Lin Yue nodded, and at that moment, the carriage curtain was lifted, and the next instant, Cui Huai's flawless face appeared behind the curtain. Lin Yue's previous words with Uncle Li and Qiu Yue were accurately transmitted into the carriage, and now Cui Huai only said to Shen Yunzhi in a gentle voice, "Come on up."
Shen Yunzhi was reluctant to be with Cui Huai and was unwilling, but she tried her best to keep her tone calm.
"It's alright, Uncle Li can just go and rent a carriage."
Cui Huai could still clearly sense Shen Yunzhi's resistance.
His gaze finally fell on her.
Seeing Shen Yunzhi's tightly pursed lips and lowered eyes, Cui Huai recalled the events of last night and twirled the jade ring on his finger, a subtle unease rising in his heart.
Looking again at her rosy cheeks and fair face, her hair swaying and her clothes fragrant, I remembered that when she went to see Chunting, it must have been to meet Zhou's sixth son.
Cui Huai removed the jade thumb ring from his finger and reminded him, "If we miss the appointed time, the Zhou family will probably be displeased."
After saying that, the carriage curtain was lowered again.
Shen Yunzhi raised her eyes in surprise.
Does he know what she's going to do today?
Lin Yue smiled and said, "Miss, please get into the carriage first."
As soon as he finished speaking, the stool was already placed in place.
Knowing she couldn't be too disrespectful to Cui Huai, Shen Yunzhi gritted her teeth and stepped onto the stool to get into Cui Huai's carriage.
She sat down near the carriage door.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Shen Yunzhi thanked him, and Cui Huai responded with a nod. They then remained silent.
A faint and cool fragrance of pine and cypress permeated the carriage.
Shen Yunzhi sniffed lightly, then turned her face slightly, her fingers tightening around the hem of her dress.
The familiar scent made her feel as if she were back in the past.
In her past life, through countless unbearable days and nights, she always smelled this cool, refreshing scent of pine and cypress.
Feeling a tightness in her chest, Shen Yunzhi turned to the side and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, using the sweet floral and fruity scent on the handkerchief to dispel the cold fragrance. Cui Huai glanced at the handkerchief in her hand, but felt a sweet fragrance quietly enter his nose. His jaw tightened, and he subtly bent his leg to conceal the unusual feeling beneath his robes.
The medicine last night was indeed very potent.
Almost imperceptibly, Cui Huai frowned slightly as he turned the pages of the book in his hand, the sweet fragrance lingering around his nose.
"What kind of fragrance does Miss Shen usually use?"
Cui Huai's voice suddenly rang in her ears, and his words seemed to come out of nowhere. At first, Shen Yunzhi didn't even realize that he was talking to her. After a moment of stunned silence, she realized that there was no third person, and she answered truthfully, "Most of the seasonal flower and fruit fragrances were mixed by the maids."
"It's getting a bit cloying," Cui Huai said.
Shen Yunzhi was taken aback, and responded softly, not understanding why.
I never heard him mention it in my past life; it turns out he didn't like this fragrance.
In the past, she would definitely have switched to a different fragrance, but now she would not do such a thing.
So what if I don't like it?
His dislike might not be a bad thing for her.
Two quarters of an hour later, the carriage from the Chu Prince's residence arrived at Jianchun Pavilion. After the carriage came to a steady stop, Shen Yunzhi, who had endured so much hardship, ignored Cui Huai, got off the carriage first, politely thanked him, and left with Qiuyue.
The tightly closed carriage windows were finally opened at this moment.
Cui Huai looked up at Shen Yunzhi's back, but then instructed Lin Yue to return home.
Lin Yue asked in confusion, "What about Young Master Liang's agreement...?"
"It's alright." Cui Huai's tone was so calm that it was impossible to discern his emotions.
Lin Yue then said no more.
He immediately ordered the coachman to turn the carriage around and return to the Chu King's residence.
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