The high courtyard walls blocked the strong winds from outside, leaving only a cool, refreshing night breeze that gently caressed the fox fur on the gray squirrel fur hood. The long, flowing, silvery-white fox fur made Wei Shuwan's small, delicate face appear even more beautiful.
One was a dashing and distinguished gentleman, exuding an air of refined elegance. The other was a beautiful and serene young woman, unadorned and graceful. The two of them standing there together created a breathtakingly beautiful picture.
Wei Shuwan tried her best to appear calm, but the hand that was tightly gripping her fur coat betrayed her, letting Li Qingchen see how nervous she was inside.
Are you afraid to see me?
Li Qingchen didn't seem annoyed when he asked the question; his voice even seemed to contain a hint of teasing. However, when Wei Shuwan heard these words, they were like a small hammer gently tapping her ears.
She quickly denied it: "No!"
Her slightly widened peach blossom eyes, revealing a mixture of sincerity and fear, made Li Qingchen chuckle softly.
Li Qingchen strolled towards her, and Wei Shuwan seemed even more nervous. Her knuckles turned slightly white as she gripped the light sword with even more force. However, her eyes were fixed on Li Qingchen, and she was completely unaware of this.
As Li Qingchen gradually approached her, Wei Shuwan's mind flashed back to the scene in the prison where she tried to escape but was cornered and pressed forward by him. Instinctively, she wanted to take a half step back. But then she remembered that she had already agreed to marry Li Qingchen. As his fiancée, how could she show weakness at this moment?
In the end, reason prevailed. Wei Shuwan obediently stood still, not moving an inch, and forced herself to remain calm as she waited for Li Qingchen to approach her.
Li Qingchen stopped half a step away from her. Because they were so close, he had to lower his eyes to meet her gaze. He slightly curled the corners of his lips, his tone neither too strong nor too weak: "Extend your hand."
Wei Shuwan was taken aback at first, then realized that she was tightly gripping Qingxi's hand and quickly let go. However, this action was entirely out of guilt for having her thoughts exposed. She did not understand why Li Qingchen wanted her to extend her hand, and couldn't help but show a few doubts.
Li Qingchen pulled out a wooden stick about the size of a ruler from his waistband and urged again, "Stretch out your hand."
"What...what are you going to do?"
Wei Shuwan blinked nervously a few times, wondering if the Prince of Qiaochuan's mansion had some strict family rules, where female members would be punished like students in the academy if they lied or made mistakes.
Li Qingchen was unaware that she had thought of such a remote place, and simply explained calmly, "That kind of place is full of resentment. According to our Qiaochuan custom, after coming out, we should tap our palms three times with a sandalwood board to drive away all the unclean things we have encountered these days."
So that's how it is. Wei Shuwan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and obediently stretched out her hand, spreading it between the two of them.
He even said very politely, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Your Highness."
Li Qingchen held her hand with one hand and gently tapped her palm with the sandalwood board in the other.
"One knock will avert disaster."
"Knock twice to remove evil spirits."
"Three knocks dispel troubles, and all things are put aside."
After the three taps, Wei Shuwan felt no pain at all. Instead, she felt a slight itch in her palm, as if Li Qingchen had lightly tickled her with a feather. She awkwardly withdrew her hand, secretly rubbing it behind her back until the itching sensation subsided.
Li Qingchen also put away the sandalwood board and clipped it to his waist like a flute. In the instant his crane cloak was opened, Wei Shuwan inadvertently noticed that he had added a sachet embroidered with a cluster of green bamboo to his waist.
Wei Shuwan's eyes widened again. To her shock, the sachet's design, besides a clump of green bamboo, also featured a bright moon. And that moon was replaced by a single pearl from the East, a pearl that looked strangely familiar to her…
"Yes, it's the one you gave me."
Before Wei Shuwan could discern the answer, Li Qingchen's voice gently floated down above her slightly lowered head, giving her the answer.
Wei Shuwan's thoughts froze like ink, and a sudden surge of heat from somewhere instantly burned her cheeks red. She lowered her head even further, not daring to raise it.
The inexplicable sense of shame that Wei Shuwan felt when someone brazenly wore the beads on her own silk shoes was something she had never experienced before in her life.
But Li Qingchen didn't seem to understand her reaction. From his perspective, seeing Wei Shuwan with her head down and her ears bright red, he wondered if she was feeling unwell or if he had just hit her with the sandalwood board...
After all, he possessed internal strength. Sometimes, even without realizing he was using any force, he would still inadvertently hurt others.
"What's wrong?"
With a hint of worry in his eyes, Li Qingchen reached out and grabbed Wei Shuwan's chin, gently lifting it to force her to meet his gaze.
The moment she was forced to raise her head, Wei Shuwan felt her face burning even hotter, like a small stove!
"No...nothing," she explained nervously, her voice slightly unsteady.
Her long eyelashes veiled her eyes, and she lowered her eyelids, not daring to meet Li Qingchen's gaze. This was her last act of avoidance.
Li Qingchen stared at her intently for a moment, and then he knew she wasn't lying. She wasn't in pain; she was just shy.
A smile played on his lips, and tenderness filled his eyes. Li Qingchen withdrew his hand, no longer making things difficult for the seemingly stubborn yet incredibly thin-skinned young woman before him.
But he still quietly explained to himself, "Since it's a token, it should be worn at all times. Besides, I'm a man, I can't very well follow your example and have the bead set in my boot."
Yes, he couldn't mount it on his boots, so he could only wear it at his waist.
Wei Shuwan expressed her understanding of this action, but understanding is one thing, feeling embarrassed is another.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
