Chapter 45
Isn't that wrong?
Wei Luo's eyes were slightly upturned as he focused intently on the woman's rosy cheeks, as if pondering her words.
Hmm, having an affair doesn't seem right.
According to the etiquette of the dynasty, a woman is only considered a wife after a proper marriage with a formal ceremony. Any union without a ceremony is considered adultery. The person who married Shen Yao was Xu Xuan, not him!
Xu Xuan can touch her openly and honestly, but he can't!
Shen Yao's words were like a bucket of cold water poured directly over Wei Luo's head, extinguishing the passion in his heart. The nascent flame of love was mercilessly extinguished by the woman.
Sorrow welled up in Wei Luo's eyes. He was full of grievances and said pitifully, "But A Yao, I love you. I want to kiss you and be close to you. Since that day we parted, I have been thinking about you every night. I think about you so much that I am going crazy, I can't sleep at night, and I can't eat or sleep properly."
"I know this is wrong, but I can't control myself. The moment I see you, I want to hug you. Since my mother passed away, no one in this world has ever treated me as well as you have, made me as happy. Ayao, I love you, I can't live without you… Please don't be so cruel to me~"
Wei Luo's eyelashes trembled slightly, and as she finished speaking, she squeezed out a few tears, which streamed down her face in large drops.
Shen Yao: "..."
What should we do? He seems a bit pitiful.
Shen Yao bit her lip, beginning to doubt herself. Was she too heartless, causing the other person to cry in protest?
"You...you shouldn't cry."
Shen Yao felt a pang of sympathy and gently wiped away his tears, but the more she wiped, the more his tears flowed like pearls from a broken string. Shen Yao panicked and could only wrap her arms around his waist, burying her face in the crook of his neck, letting him hold her even tighter.
“Your Highness, I’m here.” She said softly.
"Um."
Wei Luo's voice was still trembling with sobs, but his face no longer showed any sign of grievance; instead, he revealed a sly smile.
He rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling her fragrance, then, unable to resist, turned his head to kiss her cheek and gently nibble her earlobe. Sensing the woman's body trembling, Wei Luo changed his nibble to a soft, lingering kiss, tender and affectionate.
Shen Yao did not resist anymore and let him do as he pleased.
Their breathing gradually became heavy, their eyes reflecting each other's passion and desire.
"Ah Yao, I feel so bad."
Wei Luo took her hand and let her feel his surging enthusiasm, saying, "It likes you so much."
Wei Luo is like a sticky rice cake, once he's on your hand you can't shake him off, especially when the temperature is high he becomes even more clingy, clinging and cuddling, which exhausts Shen Yao before she can finally make him feel comfortable.
Shen Yao wasn't stupid; she knew he was deliberately feigning misery to gain an advantage, but she was too soft-hearted and was easily seduced by him.
That man is absolutely wicked!
"Your Highness's acting skills are truly superb."
Shen Yao dried her hands, threw the dirty handkerchief at him, poured herself a glass of wine to soothe her throat, and ignored him.
Wei Luo stood up, straightened his clothes and hat, and felt extremely comfortable after tasting the sweetness again. He bent down and kissed Shen Yao on the cheek, then picked up the handkerchief and said with a smile, "Ah Yao is so good with her hands."
Shen Yao glanced at him sideways and saw him stuff the handkerchief into his bosom as if it were a treasure. Then he sat down, picked up a duck leg with his chopsticks, peeled off the skin, put it in his bowl, and muttered a bunch of words of gratitude and thanks.
Shen Yao raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "How did you know I don't eat the skin?"
“When I ate at Zhao Liang’s house, I saw you pick out all the chicken skin.”
Wei Luo looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Don't you eat chicken skin? Do you eat duck skin instead?"
"They won't eat it."
Shen Yao buried her head in eating a duck leg. Seeing her enjoying it, Wei Luo felt a surge of sweetness in his heart and peeled another one for her.
"Ah Yao, you actually like me too, right? If you don't want to, no matter how I force you, you won't do that kind of thing for me."
Wei Luo spoke softly, deliberately avoiding her eyes to give her and himself some breathing room.
If you can't see it, you have no fear, and you can say many things.
"You say we're having an affair, but... what if I said, 'If you divorce me in the future, I want to marry you!'"
Shen Yao paused in her chopsticks, then suddenly turned to look at him, and he bravely looked back at her.
"Ayao, I want to marry you."
This time, Wei Luo looked at her as he spoke, enunciating clearly and speaking with a firm tone.
"I don't want to be a secret couple with you. I want to hold your hand and walk openly in the sunlight. I will treat you well for the rest of my life, love you, cherish you, and never betray you."
Facing her, Wei Luo solemnly made a promise: this was his A Yao, the love of his life, and worth his efforts to win her heart.
So, will you marry me?
Shen Yao had never seen him speak so gently before. It was like a feather gently brushing against her heart, making her feel itchy and a little sour.
She thought that she probably didn't dislike him, and even liked him a little, and admired him!
He is a future emperor with great potential. Women all admire strength, and she is no exception. Moreover, the lives of the entire Shen family are in his hands.
However, they had no connection whatsoever. His future favorite concubine was Yang Wan'er; while she was someone registered in the Book of Misfortune by Death, struggling to survive, let alone enjoying love.
"I...I can't."
Shen Yao lowered her eyelashes, avoiding his burning gaze. "You may like me now and say all sorts of nice things, but in the future... love is just a momentary impulse, Your Highness, please don't say such things."
Only when the two act as ruler and subject, discussing only interests and not feelings, can the relationship last.
Shen Yao secretly resolved to dispel his unrealistic ideas and also to prevent herself from falling for him.
A gust of wind blew through the window, bringing a chill, and the two of them couldn't help but shiver. Wei Luo kept looking at her, watching her refusal with hesitation and reluctance.
She still liked him, and that was enough. He would take care of the rest!
Wei Luo smiled and took Shen Yao's hand, pressing it tightly against his heart so she could feel his heart pounding there.
"I give you this heart today; and one day I will take yours too." Wei Luo kissed her palm. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Wei Luo's initiative and persistence, and his sincere love, melted Shen Yao's heart into a lump of soft mud. One moment she was swearing to stay away from him, and the next she was nestled in his arms, letting him kiss her and do whatever he wanted.
In the end, Shen Yao couldn't take it anymore and pushed him away, panting and repeatedly saying "it hurts," before Wei Luo finally gave up.
After finishing their meal and tidying their clothes, the two walked out of the private room one after the other, keeping some distance between them.
As dusk approached and the evening breeze carried a chill, Wei Luo brought up the "tiger's wedding" incident, asking Shen Yao if she knew anything about it. Shen Yao quickly shook her head.
Where did you hear that from?
Shen Yao was unaware of this strange event in Dashilan, so she asked out of curiosity.
Wei Luo then told Shen Yao about joining the club.
Shen Yao felt that Wei Luo had probably been deceived. Who would dare to bring a tiger, such a ferocious beast, into the capital and even play with it in the street? They probably thought he had too long to live.
However, since Wei Luo wanted to read, Shen Yao didn't stop him. She led Wei Luo to the Scholar's Study and told him to sit there and wait. Wei Luo couldn't stay still, so he didn't sit down after entering. Instead, he wandered around and casually flipped through the books.
At this moment, there were no customers in the bookstore. Shen Yao sent the staff home early and stayed at the counter to check the accounts.
"Shopkeeper, do you sell 'The Tale of Ruyi Jun'?"
Suddenly a man's voice came from behind. Shen Yao looked up, and Wei Luo looked over as well.
He was a slightly overweight young man, more like a scholar, exuding a strong air of refinement. However, the book he wanted to buy was a bit awkward, especially with Wei Luo present.
Selling banned books openly in front of him, Shen Yao hesitated, but the man spoke again, saying, "I'll order three hundred copies and send them to the Red Powder Beauty Society tomorrow."
He gave the shop's address, took out a bag of silver, and placed it on the counter.
Shen Yao looked at Wei Luo, who sized up the man. After a few moments, he stepped in and smiled, "Brother, are you a member of the gang?"
Wei Luo took out his club badge, and the man immediately smiled and said repeatedly, "Yes, that's me."
Since the two were club members, Wei Luo asked what the books were for. The man replied, "The club president ordered them. Each member should have a copy. As for their purpose, they'll definitely be for fun!"
Wei Luo nodded, allowing Shen Yao to take the order.
Shen Yao was overjoyed. She bought the shop because she had a large number of banned books in the cellar that she was worried about selling. Now that she had a big customer, she could clear them all out at once.
Shen Yao used her abacus to calculate the amount of silver, wrote out a receipt, and handed it to the man.
After the man left, Wei Luo put down the book he was holding, went to Shen Yao, looked her up and down, and asked with a frown, "Do you know that selling banned books privately is illegal?"
"Of course I know, but the previous manager insisted on bundling it with other products, so I couldn't do anything about it." Shen Yao said aggrievedly, "Besides, every bookstore in Dashilan sells them."
The implication is that the law does not punish the masses, and she cannot be blamed for this.
Wei Luo sighed and asked Shen Yao to bring the book over; he wanted to take a look.
Shen Yao went to the cellar, brought back a stack of books, and Wei Luo took one in his hand, lit a lamp, and sat down to read it.
He watched intently, the warm yellow candlelight illuminating his face with a soft, delicate glow, highlighting the allure of his handsome appearance.
Shen Yao, being so close, couldn't resist the temptation and wanted to gently stroke his cheek. However, as she reached out, she suddenly saw Liu Heng there and abruptly changed direction, taking the candlestick next to him to add oil.
Wei Luo looked up at her back, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. Her actions just now clearly indicated that she wanted to get close to him, but she stopped herself because of the other people around.
Therefore, Wei Luo's gaze toward Liu Heng became critical.
"Liu Heng, go out and keep watch," Wei Luo ordered him.
"Your Highness, I cannot leave you."
"Get out," Wei Luo insisted.
When Shen Yao returned, she saw that there was only one person left in the house, and Wei Luo was waiting for her.
Where is Liu Heng?
"I kicked him out."
The intense heat in his eyes instantly burned Shen Yao from afar, causing her face to flush red.
Does Wei Luo's action mean that he noticed her little trick just now?
Shen Yao didn't dare to go over and stood there blankly. Wei Luo got up, took her hand, and pressed her down into the chair he was sitting on.
His warmth still lingered on the chair, and Shen Yao's heart raced.
Wei Luo then brought over another armchair from elsewhere, sat down next to her, and brought the candlelight closer. Wei Luo then led her to read a book together.
"Ayao, have you read 'The Story of Ruyi Jun'?"
"No."
The book was written in traditional Chinese characters and had no punctuation, which she found tiring to read, so she never opened it.
Shen Yao asked again, "Has Your Highness read it?"
"No, these things are never allowed to be read in the Eastern Palace."
Wei Luo looked at her, reached out and gently pinched the tip of her nose, and smiled, "Shall I read it with you?"
Shen Yao: "...That's not a good idea, after all, it's a banned book."
"Close the door, it'll be fine."
Wei Luo turned to a page, pointed to a passage, and showed it to her.
As expected of a banned book, Shen Yao blushed as soon as she saw it.
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