Chapter 74

She was loosely wrapped in a nightgown, with kiss marks from her neck to her chest. Tears shimmered under her dark lashes, and her eyes were red at the corners, tears staining her cheeks, her soft satin nightdress highlighting her snow-like skin.

She really loved to cry, she would cry no matter what.

At first, Xieyun didn’t like her crying because he couldn’t help but be moved by her.

But now, on the bed, he wickedly wanted her to cry more.

Xieyun’s hands unconsciously tightened. He had thoughts of taking advantage of the situation again.

He hesitated between going for a cold shower and using her hand again.

Sangyao didn’t have as many strange thoughts as him. She was still immersed in sadness and slapped his hand away with a snap, saying, “Next time… you’re not allowed to do that again!”

Xieyun was stunned, but not angry. He suppressed his desires, skillfully pulled her into his arms, made a perfunctory sound, and then said, “Not allowed to do what?”

Sangyao buried her head in his chest, in self-abandonment, “You’re not allowed to suck on me, or lick me, you can’t kiss me there!”

Xieyun’s hand landed on her back, giving her no face. He deliberately said, “But you seemed to enjoy it just now.”

Sangyao quieted down, quietly pinching Xieyun’s sleeve. She pinched so hard that her knuckles turned white.

She didn’t deny it, but she was too ashamed to recall the moment just now. It was really scary. Why were there so many ways between people? She didn’t understand why her body would uncontrollably produce strange feelings.

After a while, with teary eyes, she proposed to Xieyun, “Next time you do it again, do you have to get my consent first?” At least wait until she has bathed.

Xieyun wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with his thumb, then said, “Why should I promise you?”

“Just now, I said, this is a reward, and rewards are not given every day.”

Sangyao’s expression changed. This was an angle she hadn’t thought of. So much so that she was successfully led astray by Xieyun at this moment and began to be unwilling.

She sat up straight, saying to him:

“But I touched you yesterday, and I didn’t say that was a reward.” Xieyun was silent for a moment.

Sangyao thought he was speechless because of what she said, and couldn’t help but be delighted. She regained some confidence and said, “If you have to put it that way, then we’re even.”

But after she finished speaking, she found that Xieyun was still frowning and thinking.

Sangyao comforted him, “It’s okay, in general, I shouldn’t let you help me…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Xieyun reached out his hand in front of her, his well-defined masculine hand stretched out between them. Sangyao stared at his hand, his skin was fair, just like his hand, with a bit of callus on the fingertips, his fingers long and jade-like.

“You’re right,” he said.

Sangyao’s lips slightly parted, puzzled and made a sound of “Ah”.

Xieyun said, “If I want to even things out with you, I should also use my hand.”

Sangyao’s face turned a bit pale. She suddenly didn’t know why she was discussing these things with Xieyun. Xieyun added, “Don’t worry, I think using my hand should be more flexible.”

She backed away a bit, looking shocked. Then she wrapped herself tighter in the blanket and said firmly, “Stop thinking about it, you have no shame.”

Xieyun sat on the edge of the bed, indifferent to her anger. But he was very dissatisfied with Sangyao running away from his arms. He reached out and pulled her back.

Sangyao lightly struggled, complaining, “Can’t you hug me lightly? It’s hot in summer.”

Xieyun was clearly not hot, and he really wanted to take Sangyao with him wherever he went, but this idea was not feasible and could only be realized in the room.

Xieyun said without changing his expression, “Other couples are like this, don’t move.

As soon as the words fell, Xieyun cupped her face and kissed her.

★

Xieyun’s marriage leave was supposed to be nine days, but after the fifth day, he seemed to be busier.

Although he didn’t have to attend court on weekdays, there were always various people looking for him in the mansion, and his office was no longer limited to the long table in the room.

Because Sangyao had been with him these days, they would play together whether or not there was anything to do, which made her a little scared. So it was better for him to be busy.

Xieyun’s study was also in Xiyuan, not far from their bedroom. After having breakfast together with Sangyao, Xieyun stayed in the study.

It was not yet midday, and outside the huge latticed window was a dense green bamboo forest.

When the breeze blew gently, there would be the rustling sound of bamboo leaves. Because it was secluded, the light in the study was not strong.

Lu Li sat in the rosewood chair beside Xieyun. He said, “The plan has been almost completed, but ever since Lord Lu was released last time, he has become much more restrained. When do you think it would be appropriate to take action?”

As Lord Lu had said at the beginning, it was impossible to completely defeat him with just corruption, and indeed it was.

So after nearly half a year of neglect, the emperor’s attitude softened again, intending to give him another chance.

But this was part of Xie Yun’s plan.

What could truly make an emperor unable to bear it any longer, and be able to kill his own son, was not some minor corruption, but treason.

“I will follow your plan and also bring Rong Yan in.” Xieyun made a sound of agreement, without further comment.

Lu Li pursed his lips, his expression somewhat serious. He hesitated for a long time before saying, “If the emperor becomes suspicious, what should we do?”

It might be relatively easy for Xieyun to eliminate a prince who was in the limelight. But this matter, if it was Lu Li who did it, would only be brothers fighting each other within the royal family.

If he did it, it would be a slap in the face to the royal family. So, several months ago, this matter was handed over to Lu Li.

He would only give guidance, not participate. In fact, Xieyun was helping him in this way.

Lu Li had been disgusted with Lu Ting for a long time, but he hadn’t found an opportunity to act yet.

Now, Xieyun had given him a start, and it would be easier for him.

For the past two years, Xieyun had not paid much attention to him. Lu Li hoped that Xieyun would continue to do so, but he also feared that he would, because he didn’t trust himself but believed in Xieyun.

And at this moment, Xieyun, as usual, was draped in a dark outer robe, leaning lazily against the back of the chair.

His fair fingers fell on the table, lightly tapping from time to time.

Lu Li continued, “In these days, the emperor has already become suspicious of Lord Lu, and several times he even asked me what I thought about this matter. I just fumbled through it. What do you think, Xie Yun?”

But after speaking for so long by himself, there was no response.

Lu Li lifted his head and looked over. The man with cold features was slightly lowering his eyes, quietly looking at something.

Following his gaze, Lu Li saw a sandalwood bookcase piled with books, scrolls, and various letters. Among them, there was something that seemed out of place next to the inkstone.

Lu Li took a closer look.

… It was a rabbit made of straw?

The straw had turned yellow, and the little rabbit was facing Xie Yun.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Xie Yun?”

Xie Yun finally moved his gaze away and looked at him.

Lu Li’s heart tightened. “What’s the mystery behind this rabbit?”

Xie Yun did not answer but quietly said, “Your Highness, I think you can figure out these things on your own.” Lu Li fell silent and then said, “Xie Yun, I just want to be absolutely sure.”

Xie Yun said, “Your Highness, you are the crown prince. You should learn to make decisions on your own. There are times when I make mistakes too. Don’t rely on others too much.”

After a pause, he added, “I am very busy. Your Highness, please go back first.”

Lu Li’s face didn’t look good. It was already the sixth day of Xie Yun’s marriage leave, and he hadn’t seen him deal with any official business.

What was he so busy with?

Meanwhile, Sang Yao was in the small Buddha hall in the South Garden, transcribing scriptures with Yu Zhi.

She only realized after marrying into the Xie family that life here was not as precarious as she had imagined.

She didn’t need to worry about the household, and the Xie family did not have strict etiquette requirements. The Xie Mansion was much larger than she had imagined, and some relatives and friends were rarely seen.

Both the Lady Xie and her second sister-in-law seemed relaxed. Sang Yao had not seen many of the men in the mansion, but she knew that some were in business and some were in politics. Perhaps with the support of Elder Xie and Xie Yun, they were not so obsessed with promotion.

Surprisingly, the most discussed topics were local livelihoods.

The Xie family itself had many branches, and most of them were closely related to Xie Yun. She had not yet discovered any conflicts in the mansion.

Shen Miaoyi had only Xie Yun as the heir, and she had been grooming him as the heir since he was young.

Sang Yao occasionally went to the Moon Pavilion to sit with Shen Miaoyi and Yu Zhi. Yu Zhi’s temperament was somewhat similar to Sang Yao’s, both not competing with others.

However, in the past few days, Sang Yao found that the gentle Second Sister-in-law always quarreled with Xie Yan.

In the scorching summer, Sang Yao was helping Yu Zhi transcribe, while Yu Zhi was copying the scriptures and teaching Sang Yao:

“Yao Yao, if you are upset in the future, you can also come here to copy some scriptures. It doesn’t matter if your heart is sincere or not. After copying a few pages, you won’t be angry anymore.”

Sang Yao looked at Yu Zhi’s graceful handwriting and couldn’t help but whisper, “Is Second Sister-in-law upset?”

Yu Zhi’s face was calm and cold, “Not really, it’s not worth getting angry for others.”

Sang Yao thought, Xie Yan looked gentle and polite, she thought he and Second Sister-in-law must be harmonious, but why did they seem to quarrel every few days?

Conflict?

Sang Yao thought carefully, feeling that she had too many disagreements with Xie Yun. This man was always quick-witted, taking advantage of her every day.

He only came to coax her when she was angry. Especially on the bed, even if she was angry, he would not stop coaxing her.

The more Sang Yao thought about it, the more dissatisfied she became. She was about to say something to Yu Zhi when Yu Zhi said, “But I guess not.”

She sighed and said, “Ah Yun’s temperament

Muffled, I’ve liked you for so many years, and now that my wish has finally come true, I’m so happy I can’t even argue with you.

Sang Yao was truly baffled at this point, so much so that her grinding of the ink stopped for a moment. “So many years?” The booklet looked worn, but it seemed to be from the past two years. Where did all those years come from? Yu Zhi nodded and said, “Yao Yao, you still don’t know, do you? I heard it from Auntie.”

“She said that A Yun fell in love with you at first sight when he was young, which is why he never married. I didn’t expect A Yun, who seems so cold-hearted, to be so infatuated with you.”

Sang Yao recalled the past. The first thing that came to mind was when she was about to fall, and he discreetly moved back.

At that time, he seemed afraid that she would touch even a corner of his clothes, dodging so quickly. Was that called infatuation?

She hesitated, “Could it be… a mistake? I didn’t know about all this.”

Yu Zhi said, “Not knowing is normal. A Yun is a reserved person. You can’t tell anything just by looking at his face.” “Even if he likes you, he won’t say it. Besides, Auntie should know A Yun best, so her words should not be wrong.”

Sang Yao: “…”

It made some sense.

She only knew that Xie Yun liked her, but she didn’t know that Xie Yun liked her so much! But he was really good at pretending. He couldn’t wait to nibble on her without getting married.

As noon approached, Sang Yao left the small Buddha hall. On her way back to the West Courtyard, she thought of Xie Yun and asked, “Has Xie Yun returned to his room?”

The maid shook her head and said, “Back to the Young Madam, the Young Master is still in the study.” Sang Yao’s steps slowed down. Since their marriage, this was the first time Xie Yun had been away from her for so long.

She looked towards the door not far away and suddenly didn’t want to sit alone in the room waiting for Xie Yun to come back. She stopped in her tracks, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Let’s go find him.”

She thought happily, this way she could come back with Xie Yun. Passing through the drooping flower gate and walking through the bamboo forest path, Sang Yao approached the study and climbed the steps.

Because Sang Yao came from the west side, she first walked to the side of the study. Her pace was a bit fast, thinking that she must tell Xie Yun later that he must come back by noon himself. She couldn’t always come to find him.

But before she could take two steps, Sang Yao saw a maid in front of her holding a tray, standing there. The maid was facing sideways, so Sang Yao couldn’t see her face and could only judge from her figure that she was a beauty.

She placed the tray on the windowsill and stood there patting her chest, seemingly calming herself down.

Just as Sang Yao was about to ask her what was wrong, she saw the maid raise her hand and pull down the neckline of her dress, revealing a small area of fair skin.

Sang Yao was taken aback.

The maid was still muttering something quietly, and Sang Yao couldn’t hear it clearly. The maid behind her was about to reprimand her, but Sang Yao raised her hand to stop her and took a few steps forward.

The muttering of the maid became more audible.

“Master, this is horseshoe cake, sent over by Madam.” “I made it myself.”

“…No, sending a pastry also requires practicing what to say.”

After the maid finished speaking, she seemed dissatisfied and lowered her neckline again. Sang Yao could see her protruding chest even from a distance. It was already thin clothing for summer, and she seemed afraid that Xie Yun wouldn’t notice.

Sang Yao took two more steps forward, and the maid finally noticed her. She was about to say something when Sang Yao suddenly asked, “Has Xie Yun returned to his room?”

The maid shook her head, “Back to the Young Madam, the Young Master is still in the study.” Sang Yao’s steps slowed down. Since their marriage, this was the first time Xie Yun had been away from her for so long.

She looked towards the door not far away and suddenly didn’t want to sit alone in the room waiting for Xie Yun to come back. She stopped in her tracks, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Let’s go find him.”

Sang Yao’s face didn’t look good. She already had a bright face, so now she looked even more difficult to talk to. She said, “Do you want to go in and deliver the pastry?”

“It… it was Madam Xie who asked the maid to deliver it.”

Actually, Shen Miaoyi had only mentioned once that Xie Yun would sometimes forget to eat when he was busy, so she told the kitchen to pay attention. Today, she saw that there was no one attending to Xie Yun, so she took the initiative to come over, hoping to try her luck.

She thought Sang Yao must have heard it.

The maid tightly pursed her lips, showing a look of embarrassment, standing under Sang Yao’s gaze. She was afraid that Sang Yao would scold her. Seeing Sang Yao not speaking, she hesitated for a moment, but still stuttered, “The… the maid will leave now.”

Sang Yao looked at the innocent tray of horseshoe cakes and didn’t ask who sent it. She just said, “Let me deliver it for you.”

Sang Yao took the tray and walked to the study door. She had the maid knock on the door, and then she said, “Xie Yun.”

Soon, a clear voice came from inside, “Come in.”

Sang Yao approached with the tray. Xie Yun didn’t know what he was writing, but he put down his pen when Sang Yao came in.

“I told you to wait for me, didn’t I?” When Sang Yao approached, Xie Yun grabbed her and made her sit beside him.

The young girl was obviously unhappy. Xie Yun rubbed Sang Yao’s slightly pouted red lips with his thumb and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sang Yao couldn’t help but think of the maid pulling down her neckline earlier. If she hadn’t come, that person would have come in by now. She snorted and pointed to the pastries in front of her, saying, “Someone sent you pastries, or rather, she made them herself.”