Chapter 7.2

In the adjacent room, just a wall away, Ah Ji and the other maids, Huamei and the others, stayed there at first, unsure if they would need to assist the prince later.

As guests gradually left the front yard, the entire Hui Prince’s residence fell into silence. Amid the quiet, a soft cry suddenly came from the inner chamber, the princess’s voice.

Ah Ji instinctively stepped forward.

Huamei grabbed her wrist and whispered sharply, “Do you dare to ruin the prince’s good intentions?”

Ah Ji had been warned by her mistress about what might happen tonight, so she didn’t rush in unless she could be sure that the princess was enduring inhuman torment.

Fortunately, the princess’s crying only lasted for the time it took to brew a cup of tea. By the time another sound emerged from the chamber, the tone was enough to make anyone feel hot and restless.

Ah Ji reached out and ushered Huamei and the others outside. “I’ll stay here and keep watch. You all go wait in the courtyard.”

She was the closest to the princess, so the princess would surely not mind her eavesdropping. As for whether Huamei and the others could stay, that was up to the princess.

Huamei shot her a glare but didn’t insist on staying.

Ah Ji ended up keeping watch for a full quarter of an hour, and the princess’s voice became hoarser with each passing moment!

“I’m here!”

Yao Huang recognized the urgency in Ah Ji’s voice but wasn’t sure what had her so flustered. She had even forgotten to lower her voice. Would she disturb the prince in the middle of the night?

Looking back, Yao Huang saw that the figure inside the curtains hadn’t moved. She instructed, “Have the water room send two buckets of hot water.”

Footsteps could be heard from outside. Yao Huang, feeling relieved for the moment, tried to retrieve her small garment. After confirming it hadn’t slipped off again, she immediately tossed it into the laundry basket.

Her legs were still weak, so Yao Huang sat down in front of the small vanity on the floor, looking into the mirror. Her hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed.

Yao Huang tried to recreate the passionate expression she had earlier when she was calling out and pleading, but it looked somewhat strange. Fortunately, it wasn’t ugly—otherwise, with the prince watching her the whole time, would he be disappointed?

Lost in thought, the maid from the water room brought the water, and Ah Ji and Huamei each took a bucket, heading into the inner room.

With Prince Hui present, Huamei followed the rules and didn’t dare lift her gaze, while Ah Ji, concerned for the princess, peeked inside as she entered.

Yao Huang subtly reminded her with a glance to follow the rules. Watching as the two placed the buckets next to the washing stand, Yao Huang said, “Ah Ji will keep watch tonight. The rest of you can go back to your rooms.”

Huamei left first.

Prince Hui had already expressed his preference for peace and quiet, so Yao Huang instructed Ah Ji to leave as well.

Once the door to the inner room was closed again, Prince Hui spoke, “Wet a towel, wring it out so it’s not dripping, and pass it to me.”

Yao Huang followed his instructions, taking the towel to the curtains. A hand reached out from inside, and he said, “I’ll do it myself. You go clean up.”

Yao Huang reacted quickly, handing him the towel and saying, “Yes, I’ll go to the washroom. If you need anything, call me.”

“Mm.”

Yao Huang then carried a bucket of water to the farthest washroom.

The prince’s chambers were truly grand. Even the washroom was more spacious and pristine than the boudoir at Yao Huang’s family home, with a faint, elegant fragrance in the air.

Yao Huang half-closed the door, undressed, and repeatedly wetted the towel to thoroughly cleanse herself. After drying off, she felt a bit cold and hurriedly put her clothes back on.

When she returned to the inner room, the curtains were still hanging low, but the red silk trousers that had been draped over the wheelchair were no longer there.

Yao Huang had no idea how Prince Hui had managed to remove or put on his pants, and clearly, he didn’t want her to see.

She called Ah Ji to take away the two buckets of hot water. Now, she could truly rest for the night.

The quilt was large, and there was plenty of space on both sides for the prince and princess to share.

After lying down, Yao Huang didn’t dare move. She silently listened to Prince Hui’s breathing, her mind repeatedly replaying the scenes from earlier that night.

Compared to the intensity of that moment, now the quiet inside the curtains made her feel uneasy.

Now that they were married, they should try to grow closer. Since the prince’s movements were limited, she should be the one to take more initiative.

With this thought, Yao Huang acted as if it were natural and turned toward Prince Hui. A slight shift brought her shoulder to his, and she gently wrapped her left arm around him, her face pressed against his shoulder. “Your Highness, are you tired?”

Zhao Sui: “…Is there something?”

Yao Huang: “No, I’m just a little excited since it’s my first night here. If you’re not tired, shall we talk for a bit?”

Zhao Sui: “What do you want to talk about?”

Yao Huang thought for a moment, then looked at his side profile and asked, “Your Highness, you’re handsome, so I wanted to marry you. But how did you decide to choose me as your princess? My father is a rough martial artist, and many of my manners aren’t as refined as other girls. You probably don’t know that, do you?”

She pointed out her own shortcomings first, so that Prince Hui wouldn’t have too high of expectations regarding her manners.

Zhao Sui: “I’ve said before, among the show girls, you were the one I found most to my liking.”

Yao Huang smiled. “So, in other words, we both liked each other from the start. That’s nice.”

Zhao Sui’s attention was fully on his left arm, where the sensation he felt was too soft.

Yao Huang: “By the way, the Emperor bestowed a thousand taels of silver to our family, and the two silver notes you gave me weren’t used. I brought them back. I’ll give them to you tomorrow morning.”