Chapter 105 Birthday Gift
The night was as dark as ink, quietly enveloping the Jinwang Mansion.
Inside the main courtyard, only a few glass lamps under the eaves emitted a soft glow, echoing the sparse stars in the sky.
Ye Xunyang slowly woke up in his bedchamber. The headache from the alcohol had subsided, and although his body was still a little sore and languid, his mind was exceptionally clear.
He turned his head and found that Lou Jin was not beside him, and he could vaguely hear the sound of water coming from outside.
He sat up, rubbed his temples, and the aftereffects of the fruit wine he drank at the Prince's mansion, as well as the fragments of memories that happened after he returned to the mansion, gradually came back to him, and his face couldn't help but feel hot.
He looked down at his clean nightgown, which Lou Jin had clearly cleaned for him afterward.
Just as he was pondering, the sound of water outside stopped, and Lou Jin walked in wearing a dark-colored nightgown. His hair was still slightly damp, which made his face look even more handsome.
"Awake?" Lou Jin sat down by the bedside, brushing a stray hair from his cheek with his fingertips, his eyes gentle. "Does your head still hurt?"
Ye Xunyang shook his head and took his hand: "It doesn't hurt anymore. This afternoon, did I...?" He hesitated to speak.
Lou Jin chuckled softly, leaned down and lightly pecked his lips, teasingly saying, "Your Highness is so passionate after drinking that I almost couldn't handle it."
Ye Xunyang's ears turned even redder, and she glared at him reproachfully, only to be met with an even deeper smile from Lou Jin.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore." Lou Jin said seriously, pulling him out of bed.
“Now that you’re awake, get up. Dinner is ready. And…” He paused, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes, “Doesn’t Your Highness have a gift to give me?”
The outer flower hall has been rearranged.
The original tables and chairs were moved away, and a thick Persian carpet was laid in the center. On the carpet was a low table with several exquisite dishes and a pot of wine, with two white jade wine cups placed opposite each other.
Not many candles were lit around the area; only the lamps in the corners and the wall lamps on the walls emitted warm yellow flames, creating a hazy and ambiguous light.
After the two had dinner, Lou Jin couldn't wait to see Ye Xunyang's gift.
Ye Xunyang nodded: "Okay, then wait for me for a moment."
After saying that, he turned and went into the inner room, where he fumbled under the bed beside his pillow to take out the carefully wrapped items.
He carefully opened it, and the white jade pendant shimmered with a warm luster under the candlelight.
My fingertips gently caressed the two hidden engravings on the inside of the ring, my heart filled with solemnity.
He put the jade pendant back into the prepared box, hid it in his sleeve, straightened his robes, and then walked out into the outer room.
Lou Jin sat on the soft cushion on the carpet. When he saw him come out, he smiled and reached out his hand to him.
Ye Xunyang walked over, sat down on the cushion opposite him, and placed the item from his sleeve on the low table.
"My husband," Ye Xunyang said, looking at Lou Jin, "may you have a peaceful and healthy birthday."
He pushed the box toward Lou Jin.
Lou Jin's gaze fell on the seal, which read "Peace and safety year after year," and his eyes were filled with undisguised anticipation.
He reached out and gently unsealed the box.
The double-ringed mutton-fat jade pendant lay quietly on the dark silk cloth. The jade was lustrous and flawless, and the design was simple and elegant. In the dim light, it seemed to glow on its own.
Lou Jin carefully picked up the jade pendant, feeling the warmth and delicacy of the jade with his fingertips, as well as the tactile sensation left by the hand-polishing.
He examined it carefully, his gaze lingering on the inside of the double rings.
By the flickering candlelight, he could make out the characters “烬” (jin, meaning ashes) and “阳” (yang, meaning sun), which were cleverly hidden in the jade patterns, just like the deep affection between the two of them.
A tremendous surge of warmth and emotion instantly swept over Lou Jin.
He raised his eyes and looked deeply into Ye Xunyang's eyes. "Thank you, my beloved concubine. I like it very much."
Ye Xunyang was a little embarrassed, "My skills are rough and can't compare to the craftsmen in the palace. Your Highness, please don't mind."
"Dislike it?" Lou Jin retorted almost immediately, clutching the jade pendant tightly in his hand and pressing it to his heart. "This is the best gift I've ever received."
He walked around the low table, sat down next to Ye Xunyang, and pulled him into his arms without saying a word.
“Xunyang…” he whispered in his ear, his warm breath brushing against his sensitive earlobe, “Thank you… I like it very much, really, I like it very much.”
Ye Xunyang's heart finally settled down. She turned around and hugged him back, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
After a long while, Lou Jin loosened his grip slightly, but still held his hand.
He held the love charm up to the two of them, his gaze intense: "Would you like me to put it on?"
Ye Xunyang took the jade pendant, his fingers trembling slightly as he unbuttoned Lou Jin's nightgown and gently pinned the jade pendant to his chest.
The warm, white jade against his honey-colored skin made it appear even more lustrous, and the interlocking double rings seemed to symbolize their closely intertwined fates.
Lou Jin looked down at the jade pendant on his chest, then looked up at Ye Xunyang, his eyes brimming with affection.
“It’s only right to reciprocate.” Lou Jin suddenly spoke, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"Since the Princess has given me such a generous gift, I have naturally prepared a special return gift as well."
Ye Xunyang was slightly taken aback. Before he could react, he saw Lou Jin clap his hands lightly.
The sound of a mechanism turning could be heard from behind a screen on one side of the sleeping quarters.
Immediately afterwards, a hidden door slid open silently on the wall near the bed.
Behind the hidden door was not the secret room one might imagine, but a hot spring pool cleverly incorporated into the interior.
The pool was filled with white steam, and colorful petals and herbs floated on the surface. A moist aroma, a mixture of sulfur and the fragrance of herbs, filled the air, making one feel intoxicated.
The poolside is paved with smooth pebbles and dotted with a few luminous pearls embedded in the wall. The soft light reflects the rising water vapor, creating a dreamlike scene.
Ye Xunyang's eyes widened in surprise; he had no idea that such a place was hidden inside the main courtyard's sleeping quarters.
“This is…” He turned to look at Lou Jin.
"This was secretly renovated by my people. The water was drawn from the hot spring in the villa on the outskirts of Beijing, and Yu Beichen specially mixed herbs to relax muscles and tendons and relieve fatigue."
Lou Jin took his hand and led him to the hot spring, his voice coaxing, "We are both a little tired today, so let's use this to wash away our weariness. It's also a way for me to express my feelings."
As they spoke, the two had already reached the edge of the pool.
The warm, humid air, carrying the fragrance of herbs, makes one unconsciously relax.
Lou Jin turned around to face Ye Xunyang, his fingers deftly untying the ties of his nightgown.
Her robes slipped down, revealing her beautifully shaped body.
Under the soft light of the luminous pearl, the skin seemed to be coated with a layer of lustrous sheen.
Ye Xunyang's cheeks flushed slightly, but he did not resist and let Lou Jin do as he pleased.
Then, Lou Jin also took off his nightgown, and the newly worn love charm on his firm chest swayed slightly with his movements.
He took Ye Xunyang's hand and walked step by step into the warm pool.
The water temperature was just right, enveloping my skin and soothing the fatigue and soreness left over from the day.
The aroma of herbs rises with the steam, refreshing and delightful.
Lou Jin pulled Ye Xunyang into his arms, letting his back rest against his chest, and the two of them immersed themselves in the warm spring water.
He lowered his head, his lips brushing against Ye Xunyang's earlobe, his voice deep and magnetic, carrying an undeniable tenderness and possessiveness:
"Such a beautiful time and scenery should not be wasted."
"The time that follows... will be entirely ours."
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