Chapter 30 "If the princess meets someone she falls for in the future..."
The flickering red candlelight illuminated the brocade-like room. Feng Mian sat upright on the rosewood canopy bed, with a silver-red satin quilt with lily patterns spread beneath her. She raised one hand to rub her neck, which ached from the pressure of her phoenix crown, and touched her rumbling stomach with the other.
She had been busy with the wedding ceremony all day and hadn't had a chance to eat a single grain of rice. The snacks that Wu Liu had prepared for her were also left outside. Now, she felt no nervousness or shyness about her recent wedding; she was just feeling incredibly hungry.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Feng Mian hurriedly waved, "Firefly? Or Willow Tree? Is there any food on the table? I'm so hungry."
As soon as she finished speaking, a steaming bowl of wontons was placed under her veil.
"Where did these wontons come from?" Feng Mian reached out to take them with delight, but the person in front of her wouldn't let go.
“It’s inconvenient to eat sitting on the edge of the bed, let’s eat at the table.” Baili Xunzhou’s clear and melodious voice suddenly rang out.
Feng Mian was startled, only then noticing that the hand holding the bowl had distinct bones, long and strong, and was not a woman's hand. Her fingertips were touching his finger bones, and she quickly withdrew her hand as if burned.
"Why has the young master come?"
Because of this misunderstanding these past two days, many guests didn't dare to attend the wedding banquet at first. Only after the ceremony was completed did guests who had heard the news start to arrive one after another. She thought that Baili Xunzhou would be entertaining guests in the front yard until very late today.
The red veil obscured most of Feng Mian's vision. With her eyes lowered, she could only see a glimpse of Baili Xunzhou's bright red robe, guessing that he had been taken away to change into auspicious clothes.
The hem of the robe quickly disappeared from sight, the footsteps faded into the distance, followed by the soft clinking of a porcelain bowl on the table.
As Baili Xunzhou placed the bowl of wontons on the table, he replied, "They're making too much noise. I've come here to have some peace and quiet."
“My mother said you probably haven’t eaten yet, so she asked me to bring you a bowl of wontons.”
It turned out that it was the princess who reminded her. She knew it; Baili Xunzhou wasn't that considerate.
Feng Mian was about to lift her veil and go eat wontons when Baili Xunzhou, seeing her sitting still for so long, remembered that she hadn't lifted her veil yet. He got up and rushed to the bed to lift it.
Their hands touched, and together they lifted the veil.
Feng Mian first saw a slender waist cinched by a jade belt, then looked up to see a face made even more handsome and radiant by the bright red wedding robe. His features were exquisite, his long, narrow eyes dark and deep, with slightly curved corners, carrying a youthful spirit and arrogance. A mole on his high, straight nose accentuated his features, making them appear even more defined and charming.
Baili Xunzhou's dark eyes also fell on Feng Mian's face. She was dressed up today, and the flickering candlelight reflected on her rosy cheeks, like a peach blossom just beginning to bloom. Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings, cast a faint shadow beneath her eyes, and her almond-shaped eyes were brimming with water, her dark pupils incredibly lively. Below her small, delicate nose, her full lips, painted with rouge, were as luscious as agate.
Her long, black hair was tied up with a phoenix crown, revealing her slender, jade-like neck. The bright red wedding dress made her skin appear even more delicate and porcelain-like.
Seeing a beautiful woman under the lamplight is enough to make one lose their senses. Before Baili Xunzhou could react, Feng Mian had already naturally lifted the veil with his help, and smiled sweetly at him, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Feng Mian was truly hungry, and she no longer cared about the proper etiquette of a noble lady. She ran a few steps with the tinkling of her jade pendants, sat down at the table, and first took a delicious sip of hot soup. She was so comfortable that her eyes narrowed, and she looked as soft and cute as a little animal.
The light across from her suddenly dimmed, and Baili Xunzhou sat down. Seeing her looking so engrossed in a simple bowl of wontons, he frowned. "Why didn't your two maids bring you any food? Aren't they worried you'll get sick from hunger?"
"I prepared some snacks, but you appeared so suddenly that I had to go to the gate of the Prince's mansion to greet you, so I forgot to bring them with me." Feng Mian took a small bite of wonton, chewed slowly, and swallowed it before answering Baili Xunzhou's question. Although she was extremely hungry, her long-standing habit still made her carefully watch over her stomach, and she didn't eat too much at once.
Speaking of this, Baili Xunzhou suddenly asked curiously, "If I hadn't returned, how would you have conducted the wedding ceremony?"
Feng Mian started eating his second wonton, and replied in between bites, "The princess said she could personally carry the rooster and perform the wedding ceremony on your behalf. In any case, this marriage is sure to happen."
Baili Xunzhou: "..."
She really is his good mother.
However, he had to admit that he understood very well why his mother liked the princess. Putting aside her charming and obedient appearance, her temperament was also exceptionally clever. She was intelligent, courageous, and decisive. No ordinary person would take such swift and decisive action based on a single nightmare, and she was able to persuade her mother to mobilize troops for reinforcements.
Thinking of this, Baili Xunzhou suddenly stood up and solemnly bowed to Feng Mian, "I haven't thanked you enough for sending people to save us, otherwise my father and I would probably not be safe. I owe you two lives. If you ever need any help in the future, just let me know."
Feng Mian ate a small bowl of wontons and was already quite full. Since eating until you're seven-tenths full is considered healthy for dinner, she put down her spoon, stood up, and helped Baili Xunzhou up. She smiled slyly, "We're husband and wife now, even if you didn't owe me two lives, I wouldn't be polite to you."
How could she say such a thing so easily?
Baili Xunzhou was stunned for a moment, forgetting what he was going to say next.
At that moment, Feng Mian's gaze swept over Baili Xunzhou. "By the way, when did the Luanyi Guards arrive? Are you injured? Have you had a doctor examine you?"
"Why call a doctor? The Imperial Guards arrived in time, and I am unharmed."
Baili Xunzhou spoke in a relaxed tone, but Feng Mian noticed his gaze flicker for a moment. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but said, "That's good then. Hmm, the candle seems a bit dim. Would you like to trim the wick?"
"good."
Baili Xunzhou was eager to do something so he wouldn't have to stand there so awkwardly, but as soon as he turned around, Feng Mian seized the opportunity and suddenly tiptoed and patted his shoulder.
Baili Xunzhou couldn't help but hiss in pain, and subconsciously grabbed Feng Mian's wrist. His brows furrowed in pain, and a flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes as he turned around.
Only when he realized that the person in front of him was Feng Mian did he slightly loosen his grip, his eyes filled with annoyance, "What are you doing?"
"Why are you being so stubborn?" Feng Mian saw the lingering wariness in his eyes, pursed her lips, and leaned closer, her nose almost touching Baili Xunzhou's shoulder. Sure enough, she smelled a very faint scent of blood. "If you're injured, then you're injured. Why won't you admit it?"
The two were extremely close at this moment, so close that Baili Xunzhou's warm breath brushed against her temples, and he could smell the faint, sweet fragrance of her hair.
The heat rises where the palm and wrist meet, and the pulse beats rhythmically in the palm.
The candlelight cast their shadows on the twelve sandalwood screens adorned with auspicious patterns. Feng Mian tilted his head slightly, his phoenix crown dangling with pearls.
She pulled away from him slightly, her almond-shaped eyes glaring at him. "It takes at least two days to get back from Eagle Falling Gorge, and you returned before dusk. Did you not rest at all along the way? Did your wound reopen? Did you reapply the medicine? No, did you even apply any medicine?"
Baili Xunzhou pursed his lips tightly and remained silent. He didn't want to show his vulnerability in front of a delicate and frail noblewoman like Feng Mian.
When the Imperial Guards arrived, he was almost completely exhausted, with countless wounds of all sizes on his body. But after repelling the ambush, he was thinking about the wedding time, so he entrusted the border people to Commander Lu, who was there to provide support, and rode back at top speed. His wounds reopened several times along the way, but he endured it all, afraid of missing the wedding.
Feng Mian looked around and saw a rosewood chaise lounge set up in front of the window, covered with a soft, brocade cushion woven with gold thread. He immediately grabbed Baili Xunzhou's wrist and pushed him onto the chaise lounge.
"Take off your clothes and lie down."
Baili Xunzhou was stunned: "What?"
"I'll apply the medicine for you. I haven't used much of the wound medicine you gave me last time." Seeing that he hadn't moved for a while, Feng Mian made a move to untie the belt around his waist. "If you're not going to do it yourself, do you want me to help you?"
Baili Xunzhou hurriedly covered his hands with his belt and tried to back away, but his legs were blocked by the rosewood chaise longue beneath him, leaving him nowhere to hide. He had never been so embarrassed in his life, and he couldn't run away at this moment. What would he say if his mother smelled it?
He told his mother that the princess wanted him to undress to heal his wounds, but he ran away? It's as if he was shy, not as frank as a woman like Feng Mian. It's really embarrassing.
"I can do it myself, I...you..." He wanted to ask Feng Mian to turn around, but when he met her round and clear eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Oh well, she'd want to see him applying the medicine anyway.
Baili Xunzhou turned around on his own, his slender fingers resting on the jade belt at his waist. With a click, the belt was undone, and the bright red outer robe slipped off. He then slowly untied the sash of his inner garment, and the layers of fabric fell away, revealing his upper body covered with thin skin. Two hideous wounds ran across his shoulders and back, the flesh torn and the wounds already partially ruptured, with blood slowly seeping out, winding in a glaring red on his pale skin.
The flickering candlelight revealed an even more shocking scene: several old, long-healed scars surrounded the bleeding wound, covering the shoulders, back, and waist, disappearing into the shadows at the waist.
Such a horrific wound must have been incredibly painful, yet his back remained ramrod straight, as if he had grown accustomed to hiding all his vulnerability beneath his scarred body.
Feng Mian's breath caught in his throat for a moment. His eyes stung from the wounds. He couldn't believe how Feng Mian could travel thousands of miles a day and arrive in Yunzhong County on time despite such injuries.
"Were you scared?" Baili Xunzhou asked, feigning nonchalance.
Feng Mian poked his shoulder with her index finger, gesturing for him to lie down. "Yes, you were frightened. Tomorrow I will tell the Princess that you suffered such a serious injury and still refused to apply medicine."
Baili Xunzhou obediently lay down on the couch, but suddenly realized that his behavior might cause some misunderstanding. He cleared his throat and said seriously, "The reason I rushed back is that I don't want the Prince's Mansion to be placed in a position of disloyalty and injustice. I am carrying out the Emperor's orders, which have nothing to do with romance. I hope the Princess will not misunderstand."
Feng Mian's hand, which was about to apply medicine, hovered over Baili Xunzhou's hideous wound. Suddenly, she poked the edge of the wound hard, causing Baili Xunzhou's shoulder to tremble in pain. "Oops, my mistake, my lord, please don't misunderstand."
"I understand what you mean. You're saying that although we're husband and wife in name, we won't have any feelings for each other."
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, dampening her eyelashes. Baili Xunzhou blinked uncomfortably, knowing that it was inappropriate for her to say such things at this moment, but she still replied, "That's right. If the princess meets someone she likes in the future, she can follow the example of Princess Yongning. I guarantee that no one will say a word against it."
Princess Yongning was Emperor Jiayu's elder sister. After her husband passed away, she traveled around in seclusion, and in the process, she had countless fleeting romances.
On their wedding night, the husband told his wife that she could freely have extramarital affairs and keep male lovers, truly a unique case in the Great Yong Dynasty.
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