Chapter 43 "Princess, what's broken?"...
Since that day, Yan Jiarou had largely given up hope and no longer thought about curing the strange illness. After all, even experienced mute doctors were helpless, so no one else could do anything.
What could she do?
Anyway, with Xiao Che's blood keeping him alive, he'll be there whenever he's called, so he won't die.
Xiao Che did indeed become her medicine, just as he said.
He never hesitated to let her take blood.
Inside the artificial hill, in the abandoned side hall, behind the secluded and deserted pavilion... in all sorts of quiet corners, he made her draw blood.
Every few days, she would have her blood drawn. With the nourishment of Xiao Che's blood, her strange illness never recurred. Every day, she had plenty of energy and blood, and could be described as radiant and full of spirit. Even Xiao Zhen'er said that she had become more beautiful than before.
Everything seemed to be back on track, and logically, she should be happy.
But she still had other worries.
—It seems she owes Xiao Che more and more.
She had to pay a fee for each blood donation, which she refused to do, so her debt kept piling up until she couldn't even remember how much she owed anymore.
If Xiao Che wanted to settle accounts with her now, he could kiss her for three days and three nights straight, kissing her to death.
Originally, I planned to renege on my debt after I recovered from the illness, but now it seems that when I will recover is a long way off.
Now she can only hope that Xiao Che will settle accounts with her later.
We can at least delay it for as long as possible.
In addition, she and Xiao Che became entangled in the matter of blood collection, and their behavior became increasingly intimate.
She had even gotten used to being with Xiao Che. After the blood was drawn, she would feel lightheaded for a while, almost unable to stand. At this time, she would lean on his chest and ramble on and on about things that she herself couldn't understand.
But Xiao Che would play with her fingers while patiently listening to her babbling over and over again.
When she was sober, she would look up at her and ask, "Don't you find me annoying?"
“No,” Xiao Che raised her hand and gently kissed the back of it. “Little Rabbit is adorable no matter what.”
—Since she fell ill, he stopped arguing with her. She has always been someone who responds better to gentleness than force, and now that she relies on his blood to maintain her dignity, she naturally doesn't dare to throw tantrums at him like she used to.
She was delicate and soft-spoken, with fair and soft skin. When she wasn't angry, she was like an obedient little rabbit.
Because she often needs to have her blood drawn, she has to meet with him, which adds to her clingy nature.
Faced with such a soft, obedient, and very clingy little rabbit, Xiao Che naturally couldn't bring himself to be mean.
Except for the occasional time when she's so cute I can't resist wanting to kiss her.
This creates a virtuous cycle.
Their relationship progressed rapidly, to the point where it could be described as cloyingly affectionate.
She naturally noticed the change in the two of them.
Although she always comforted herself that they were nominally siblings and it was okay to be a little close, since most close siblings were like that, the strange feeling in her heart could never be shaken off.
Habit is a terrible thing, and she had become more and more accustomed to interacting with Xiao Che this way.
Is this really the right thing to do?
Is it just self-deception to repeatedly comfort oneself that it's merely brotherly and sisterly affection?
Especially from the way Xiao Che looked at her, she naturally knew that Xiao Che wouldn't have any other intentions towards her. Perhaps at first he just wanted to bully and tease her, but it had evolved into what it is now, probably because of her change in attitude, so he was forced to make up with her.
"She's already like this, he can't possibly bully her anymore."
But after all, he was at the age where he was full of vigor and passion. In addition, she later learned that since the people of Lanling were exceptionally gifted in bed, they were naturally very lustful. As far as she knew, there were no palace maids in Xiao Che's palace who would serve him in bed.
Sometimes when they were playing too much, she could clearly see that the edges of his pupils were getting darker, and even intricate patterns were faintly appearing. This was a sign that the Lanling man was aroused. Even his body would easily become... so big and so hot, it was really frightening. Whenever she noticed his changes, she dared not move around anymore.
Although they are nominally siblings, what kind of brother would treat his sister like this...?
Also, a person's energy is limited after all. She has been busy dealing with Xiao Che lately, so she has had less contact with Xiao Jue. She can clearly feel Xiao Jue's dissatisfaction.
Although she swore and made oaths, claiming that she had been having many nightmares lately and was really lacking in energy, which was why she hadn't been visiting his palace as frequently as before, and that it wasn't because she didn't like him anymore, she managed to appease him.
Having many dreams at night is not really an excuse.
She still frequently dreams of Xiao Che, and the dreams are becoming increasingly explicit. In particular, the day she accidentally touched Xiao Che's private parts, he groaned and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Royal sister, don't move."
That night she had a related dream, and at the end she woke up crying, saying, "No, no...it will break..."
But Yingxue, looking completely bewildered, asked her, "Princess, what broke?"
Yan Jiarou was furious and embarrassed: "How dare you! How could you eavesdrop on someone's sleep talking? What do you mean 'broken'? You're the one who's broken! Are you out of your mind?!"
"What is this?" Yingxue muttered softly, "It was clearly you, Princess, who was shouting so loudly..."
Yan Jiarou: "…………"
She thought she might as well just die, sob sob sob.
On the other hand, her interactions with Xiao Che have become increasingly frequent. She fears that the truth will eventually come out and Xiao Jue will find out. What will she do then?
If you list them all out, there's more than one problem.
But she was helpless and could only take it one step at a time.
——
Yan Jiarou has never been able to endure hardship since she was a child. The medicines prescribed by the mute doctor were extremely bitter, and Xiao Che had to coax her for a long time before she could drink them.
She couldn't take it anymore after drinking a few cups and begged Xiao Che, "Xiao Wenqi, can I stop drinking...?"
The little girl wrinkled her nose and grumbled, "It's too bitter, it really tastes awful..."
"But the mute doctor said that drinking this medicine can delay your discomfort."
"But I don't feel unwell at all. As long as you're here feeding me blood, I'm perfectly fine. Why do I need to drink this? It won't cure me anyway, so why make myself suffer?" She grabbed his hand, fiddling with his fingers one by one, and said coquettishly, "Third Brother..."
Xiao Che gently rubbed the top of her head, a smile playing on his lips, a mixture of helplessness and doting affection in his expression. He couldn't bear to refuse her, so he said, "Then let's not drink for now. I'll ask Yan Xiao later and then we'll make a decision."
When he went to ask Yan Xiao, Yan Xiao looked at him with a strange expression: "She... really doesn't want to drink anymore?"
"Yes, Yan Yan is delicate. The medicine is too bitter for her to drink."
Yan Xiao laughed and said, "If she doesn't want to drink, it's none of your business. Just let her be."
Xiao Che: "Won't there be any problems with that?"
"What could be wrong with it? It'll just speed things up... I mean, you'll have to nourish her more."
"Do you want my blood? What's the big deal? She only has such a small appetite, I can afford it. In that case, there's no need for her to drink the medicine. She's suffering from it, and I can't bear to see her like that. I can just feed her my blood a few more times."
Yan Xiao looked a little awkward. He coughed twice and muttered under his breath, "...Be careful not to get drained by her."
Xiao Che frowned: "What did you say?"
"No...nothing..." Yan Xiao looked up and smiled meaningfully: "The Third Prince has abundant essence and blood, so he is naturally not afraid of being fed essence and blood. In that case, why bother with that damn medicine? Let's just grant the little princess's wish. Perhaps she would like to drink something else."
Just as Xiao Che was about to leave, he called out to him from behind, "Hey, Xiao Wenqi, you two are getting married, don't forget to invite me to sit at the head table."
Xiao Che frowned. Although he felt that Yan Xiao was acting strangely today, he didn't ask any further questions. He simply said "inexplicable" and left.
——
Since Yan Jiarou stopped taking that medicine, she vaguely felt that she was seeing Xiao Che more and more frequently, and the intervals between her visits were getting shorter and shorter. However, she didn't take it to heart. Anyway, she still felt very comfortable and satisfied after drinking Xiao Che's blood. Apart from the increased frequency, nothing else seemed to be different.
Since that was the case, she naturally didn't pay much attention to it.
It wasn't until a family dinner two weeks later that the negative consequences of "increasing frequency" finally became apparent.
It was on a whim that the Empress Dowager decided to admire the lotus flowers near Taiye Pond, and she invited several close princesses and princes to accompany her.
It was the height of summer, and the lotus leaves in Taiye Pond swayed and tilted, displaying a myriad of graceful postures. Accompanied by red and white lotus flowers and scattered duckweed,① it was a truly enchanting scene.
Yan Jiarou had just tasted Xiao Che's blood that morning, and its effects were still intact, so she was in a good mood, enjoying the beautiful scenery and delicious food.
The delicacy is lotus flower yam cake. After steaming the yam, it is mashed, lotus flower juice is squeezed in, and it is pressed into a lotus flower shape using a lotus flower mold. The red and green colors are quite fitting for the season.
This lotus flower yam cake is not only beautiful, but also tastes great. It melts in your mouth and leaves a refreshing fragrance.
Yan Jiarou loved these sweet but not greasy pastries the most. She was young and had never tasted any other unforgettable flavors. She only craved this little bit of food. So she buried her head and ate all the pastries in front of her.
There were only three pieces in the dish, and she still felt it wasn't enough after finishing them. When she looked up, she saw Xiao Che across from her, propping his cheek up with one hand, a smile on his lips, watching her leisurely.
She was with him, and he was looking at her almost all the time.
If she eats, he watches her like he does now.
This caused Yan Jiarou to have a momentary illusion that it was just the two of them alone.
So she stretched out her hand and said to him in a very matter-of-fact tone, "Xiao Che, give me your pastries."
When the two of them were alone, Xiao Che always granted her every request.
He would give her whatever she wanted.
Besides, these were three pastries that he barely touched—since he hadn't touched them, he probably didn't like them.
That's perfect, I'll give it to her.
As soon as she said that, everyone present turned their heads and looked at her with great surprise.
Even the little palace maid who was fanning the Empress Dowager was so shocked that she forgot to fan herself.
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised, and slowly sat up straight, looking at her with interest.
He mouthed the words to her silently, "Royal sister, do you want to go public with our relationship?"
Coming to her senses, Yan Jiarou exclaimed: "!!!"
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