Chapter 59 Her Thoughts
Chapter 56
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows within the bed curtains.
Shen Panyan's jet-black hair was spread out on the bed, clutching the blankets, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears.
It was highly likely that the bed curtains had already been lifted, and she actually felt a sense of calm as if something was about to happen.
Lin Xiao was right beside her, his body pressed tightly against hers, burning hot.
"I'm fine, you can go out now, Zhuzhi."
Zhu Zhi secretly looked the bed up and down, and finding nothing amiss, she was relieved.
"I'm glad you're alright."
However, she was also a little puzzled, "Princess, why are your cheeks so red?"
Is it hot tonight?
Chen Panyan: "..."
Her heart pounded like a drum, and Lin Xiao's breath fell softly on her skin. Her fingers, hidden under the covers, tightened more and more.
"Yes, there are some. Bamboo branch, go open the window a little, I need to rest."
After saying that, she closed her eyes. No one knew how much her body trembled beneath the covers, except for him.
Seeing that the princess was safe and sound, Zhuzhi didn't think much of it. This was the princess's residence, a princess's residence with guards. How could a thief enter the princess's residence without making a sound, and even hide in the quilt to coerce the princess?
She was definitely overthinking it.
Zhu Zhi lowered the bed curtains. "Yes."
Fearing that Zhuzhi might launch a surprise attack, Shen Panyan kept her eyes closed and pretended to be asleep until the door closed, not daring to lift the covers. However, this time Lin Xiao took the initiative to lift the covers and get out of bed.
“Your Highness…” His dark eyes were fixed on her, but Shen Panyan lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.
Because she suddenly remembered something: Lin Xiao was extremely skilled. His appearance and disappearance were both silent. Not to mention that Zhu Zhi hadn't even entered yet, even the moment she pushed open the door, Lin Xiao could instantly disappear from her room.
In her panic, she came up with this terrible idea: to hide him in her bedding.
"You...you...came to see me tonight, is there something you need?" Shen Panyan's mind was a complete mess, she had no idea what she was saying.
"Just now, just now I didn't think of it, I didn't do it on purpose..."
Lin Xiao looked at her, his eyes sparkling, and smiled, "Your Highness, there's no need to explain. I understand."
He looked at the girl before him, her waist as slender as a willow, her hair as black as lacquer, her skin as white as snow. Suddenly, he was back in the bed, her soft skin, having just been bathed, had a faint fragrance lingering in his nose, making his throat dry.
What just happened was agonizing for her, and it was no less so for him.
Later on, he even began to regret that he had been so compliant.
He had many ways to hide, but when he saw the prince's flustered face, which showed concern for him, he stopped.
He wanted to see what His Highness would do.
However, he never expected that His Highness would tuck him into his own bedding and use himself to cover his body.
Her trembling body from fear, her flustered yet feigned calm tone—all these things relentlessly pounded at his heart.
His Highness cared for him deeply and had not forgotten him.
He has found the answer to his question for her tonight.
"Would Your Highness like to go out and have some fun?"
Hearing his words, Shen Panyan snapped out of her daze, looked up, and blinked blankly, "What?"
Going out for fun?
He changed the subject so quickly that she didn't know what to say for a moment. After stammering for a while, she asked incredulously, "You came to find me tonight just to ask me to go out and have fun?"
Doesn't he have any questions for himself?
Lin Xiao nodded. "Mm."
He approached her, his voice calm, but Shen Panyan detected a hint of accusation in his voice, "Your Highness said you were coming to find me, but instead you went boating on the lake with the young master of the Rongguo Mansion."
Shen Panyan was embarrassed: "..."
"I...I didn't mean to...he just kept bothering me, I..."
Lin Xiao: "Then I would also like to take you out for fun, is that alright?"
He gazed at her quietly, his handsome features softening, filled with pleading, as if even if she didn't agree, he would still cling to her like Gu Jinyan.
Shen Panyan couldn't stand him looking at her like that, so she turned her face away, bit her lip, and said, "I... I promise you."
"You, you shouldn't look at me like that."
Lin Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, a smile playing on his lips. "Okay."
"Your Highness, I will help you with your hair and makeup."
*
The curfew in the capital city is very late, and the nights are very lively.
Walking into Chang'an Avenue, the entire street is lined with shops selling delicious food and fun things, the air is filled with aromas, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys, and shouts of vendors fill the air.
For the first time, Lin Xiao did not conceal his appearance when he came out with her.
Shen Panyan was initially worried that others might discover his true appearance, but Lin Xiao said that he had been wearing a mask since he was eight years old, and no one except her had ever seen his real face, so she put her worries aside.
However, Shen Panyan soon realized that she had put her mind at ease too early.
Lin Xiao was handsome, she had always known that. Especially when he was dressed in black, with his slender waist and long legs, his sharp and cold aura blended with his somewhat bewitching appearance, creating a fatal attraction that made the women passing by on the street turn their heads to look.
"Second sister, look! That young master is so handsome! If only I had one..."
"He's with a girl, so keep your voice down and don't make him misunderstand."
Shen Panyan glanced at Lin Xiao, who looked completely oblivious beside her, and then at the whispering girls passing by. She felt a surge of frustration.
Is Lin Xiao an idiot? Didn't he notice that so many people were watching him?
Shen Panyan looked around, her gaze suddenly landing on a mask stall nearby. She paused for a moment, then quickly walked over.
How much is this mask?
Shen Panyan pointed to an exquisite fox mask on the stall.
The stall owner enthusiastically introduced, "Young lady, you have a good eye. This mask is my best-selling item. It's not expensive, only fifty coins."
Lin Xiao thought His Highness liked it and instinctively wanted to pay, but Shen Panyan stopped him.
"I brought some money with me." She was no longer a poor princess. Shen Panyan took out some money from her purse and handed it to the stall owner. "Give me two."
"Alright!" The mask vendor deftly took two fox masks and gave them to her.
Shen Panyan reached out and took the fox mask, holding it close. She looked at Lin Xiao, whose face was filled with confusion, and lowered her eyes guiltily. She knew her thoughts were wrong, but she just didn't like him being looked at like that by others. So, after a moment of hesitation, she mustered her courage and handed him the mask. "Put it on quickly!"
After saying that, she ignored him and put it on herself as well.
If she only let him wear the mask, it would make her intentions too obvious, so she bought two.
Shen Panyan didn't explain why she suddenly bought a mask and even gave one to her. She put on the mask and turned her back. Lin Xiao looked at her, then at the mask in his hand, blinked, and his eyebrows suddenly curved down. He then put on the mask.
"yes."
As expected, not many people were watching them anymore.
Lin Xiao bought her a string of rabbit-shaped sugar paintings. "Your Highness, sugar paintings."
He still remembered the sugar painting that broke in her hand when the horse was startled last time.
Shen Panyan looked at the string of rabbit sugar paintings but did not reach out to take them.
He's always like this; every time they go out, he only buys things for her, never for himself. The first two times it was because she didn't have any money with her, but she definitely won't allow him to do that again this time.
Shen Panyan immediately bought another string of sugar paintings and gave it to him, while reaching out to take the one from his hand, saying, "I'll accept yours, but you must accept mine too."
Lin Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
He held the sugar painting in his hand, lowered his eyes, and looked at the girl wearing a fox mask in front of him, his knuckles unconsciously clenching.
His Highness is always like this, very good to him.
They were so close that he no longer recognized his own identity.
*
The rock sugar dumplings on Chang'an Street were delicious, as were the glutinous rice cakes, and the shadow puppet shows were also very entertaining. Shen Panyan had a great time. Under the moonlight, amidst the bustling crowd, he took her wherever she liked. Sometimes, when there were too many onlookers, Lin Xiao would find a quiet spot and take her to the rooftop to watch.
At first, Shen Panyan was a little scared and held tightly to his arm. But gradually, she became more and more relaxed and even dared to walk on the thin roof ridge while holding his arm, because she knew that Lin Xiao would not let her fall.
Seeing something that interested her, she happily patted his arm and pointed, "Lin Xiao, Lin Xiao, I want to go there and take a look!!"
"Okay." He smiled.
Lin Xiao's lightness skill is truly exceptional; with a single leap, he can take her wherever she wants to go.
As the moonlight deepened and drowsiness crept in, Shen Panyan's enthusiasm waned. "Lin Xiao, I'm a little sleepy. Let's go back."
He bent down and picked her up. "Okay."
He leaped forward and said gently, "Your Highness, you can rest here for a while. We'll be back in a bit."
"Mmm." Shen Panyan hugged his neck and responded softly, yawning and resting her head softly against his chest. After a while, her light breathing could be heard.
When she returned to the princess's residence, she was already fast asleep.
Lin Xiao gently placed her on the bed, took off her exquisite embroidered shoes, and then looked at her clothes with a puzzled expression.
It must be uncomfortable for Your Highness to sleep in your outer garments. Moreover, the maid will come to wake Your Highness tomorrow, and if she finds that Your Highness is wearing your outer garments, it may cause trouble.
Lin Xiao stood there hesitating for a long time... before finally making up his mind and reaching out to untie the sash around her waist.
He quickly removed her dress, leaving her only in her snow-white undergarment, then tucked her in, restoring everything to the way it had been before His Highness had never left, before quietly departing from the princess's residence.
The moon was bright and the stars were few; I slept without a dream.
The smoke from the smoky pond was awakened by the bamboo branches.
"Princess! Princess!"
Shen Panyan played for a long time last night and was so sleepy that she didn't want to move at all. She stayed in bed until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.
She looked at her snow-white undergarment, her mind still a little blank.
As Zhuzhi was doing her hair and makeup, she told her about the situation outside, "Princess, Young Master Gu has arrived. He heard that you haven't gotten up yet and has been waiting in the front hall."
Chen Panyan: "..."
The words "Young Master Gu" instantly snapped her out of her daze. She rubbed her temples, her head aching.
"Why is he here again?"
Faced with the persistent Gu Jinyan, Shen Panyan truly didn't know what to do with him.
She made herself so clear yesterday, so why did he still come to her door as before?
Zhu Zhi covered her mouth and chuckled, "This servant has already seen through Young Master Gu's thoughts, surely the princess hasn't figured it out yet?"
It's precisely because I've figured it out that I find it troublesome.
Shen Panyan sighed, "Let's go see him."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
