Chen Anzhi spent the entire day outside, playing and walking quite a bit, causing the injuries on his hips and legs to start aching again. He rubbed them gently and looked up at the Yunxiao Courtyard ahead.
Hearing that Princess Que was ill, he disregarded his injuries and hurried over. Now standing in front of the Yunxiao Courtyard, he suddenly felt hesitant to enter.
Since bringing back Princess Que, he had never dared to step into the Yunxiao Courtyard. Initially, he thought it was because of his injuries, feeling too disheveled and ungraceful. He wanted to appear before the princess in a refined manner once he was healed. But now, standing here, he realized the injuries were just an excuse, a self-deception. It was actually due to his timidity.
The goddess he had been infatuated with in his heart was now his concubine, giving Chen Anzhi a peculiar feeling of desecration. How would the princess view him? Would she despise him for taking advantage of her misfortune?
He even despised himself, hating that he couldn’t provide the princess with better and dared to make the noble princess a concubine.
A concubine, such a lowly position.
Chen Anzhi stood in the chilly wind at the courtyard gate of Yunxiao Courtyard for a long time before gathering the courage to smooth his clothes, tidy his hair, and walk forward with his chest out and head held high, as if heading to court.
Upon hearing that Chen Anzhi had arrived, You Yuji furrowed her brows lightly.
Hearing Chen Anzhi’s voice asking Liufeng questions as he ascended the stairs, You Yuji looked around hopelessly, realizing there was no side door for a quick escape. She really didn’t want to see Chen Anzhi, especially here. She feared he would find some unimaginable reason to trouble her upon seeing her at the princess’s place.
Facing him was inevitable, so You Yuji was about to get up to greet him when Si Que suddenly said, “Get up here.”
You Yuji looked at him in surprise, clearly not understanding his meaning.
Si Que looked towards the door and said, “He won’t come closer.”
You Yuji stared at Si Que with wide eyes, clearly both astonished and hesitant. She rarely showed such a surprised look, and Si Que glanced at her slightly rounded eyes.
As Chen Anzhi’s shadow appeared on the door, Si Que grabbed You Yuji’s hand and pulled her onto the bed. You Yuji was still in a daze as she was pulled to the inside of the bed.
Si Que looked over and whispered, “Lie down.”
At that moment, Chen Anzhi’s voice came from outside the door: “Princess, I heard you were ill. Anzhi has been very concerned and hurried to see you. Are you feeling better?”
You Yuji’s body stiffened and she looked at Si Que beside her, thinking that hiding was impossible. Yet Si Que’s clear eyes made her feel a bit dazed, and she faintly believed his words. She glanced towards the door, holding onto a glimmer of hope, and followed Si Que’s instructions, lying down. She wondered if Si Que, lying on the outer side of the bed, could hide her. She tried to lie as flat as possible, even pressing her toes down. She anxiously looked at her toes but her view was blocked by her chest, making it impossible to see her toes.
You Yuji frowned slightly and habitually pressed her hand to her chest.
Si Que’s gaze, which had been about to move away, paused at her small movement. His eyes lingered a moment longer on You Yuji’s face. The sky was dark, and the light inside the bed curtains was warm and soft.
Si Que propped himself up against the bedhead, casually threw the quilt over You Yuji, covering her body and leaving only her eyes visible. But You Yuji still felt uneasy and slid further down, hiding completely under the quilt.
Chen Anzhi waited outside the door for a long time but received no response. He didn’t grow impatient, instead softening his voice and asking again, “Your Highness, may I… may I come in to see you?”
You Yuji, hiding under the quilt, listened to Chen Anzhi’s humble and flattering tone, feeling a mix of emotions. She had never seen this side of Chen Anzhi before. She had always thought he was an arrogant and domineering second-generation rich kid. It turned out that in front of the woman he liked, he could be this humble and self-effacing.
“Just… just a glance…” Chen Anzhi’s voice lowered even more. He raised his hand, gently placing it on the door. If he just pushed this door open, he would be able to see the person he had been longing for over the past two years. But he didn’t dare, nor could he. He must not disturb the princess, and he didn’t want her to despise or hate him.
Another silence ensued.
Chen Anzhi’s eyes gradually dimmed.
His once hopeful heart began to sink into a mire of disappointment. He lowered his head, and his shoulders slumped. Yet he forced a smile, speaking in his usual gentle tone, “Then the princess should rest. Anzhi will visit you another day.”
You Yuji immediately breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that she had escaped so easily. The next moment, she was shocked to hear Si Que say—
“Come in.”
Chen Anzhi outside the door was equally astonished. He raised his head sharply, his face first showing disbelief, then wild joy. Overwhelmed, he carefully pushed the door open, as if it were a precious treasure.
Stepping over the threshold, he finally saw Princess Que. Every bit of his disappointment turned into a blooming flower of joy. He cautiously closed the door behind him and looked at the princess reclining on the bed, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
Si Que didn’t look at Chen Anzhi. He turned his head and noticed a bracelet on the small table by the bed, picking it up and examining it closely.
This was You Yuji’s bracelet. She had taken it off and placed it aside while tending to Si Que with cooling pads.
The slender jade bracelet, with jade of decent quality but not extraordinarily valuable, was now being played with and examined by Si Que.
Chen Anzhi stood at the door, not daring to come closer, and watched the princess from a distance. He had hidden this infatuation in his heart for two years, with its bittersweet feelings known only to himself.
Now the princess was by his side, nominally his woman. For a moment, Chen Anzhi felt like crying. He had once thought he would be content to die if he could see the princess just once more. Now, not only had he seen her again, but she had also become his…
His heart pounded faster and faster, waves of emotion surging within him.
He stared at the princess in a daze, unable to help but move forward.
Si Que suddenly raised his eyes and looked over.
Chen Anzhi snapped back to reality instantly, stopping in his tracks and even taking an unconscious step back. He hurriedly explained, “Princess, don’t be afraid. Anzhi has no intention of offending you!”
As soon as he spoke, images of him and the princess in intimate moments flashed through his mind. These images made his face burn with shame and plunged him into a self-recriminating inferno.
No, he absolutely must not wrong the princess!
Si Que lowered his eyes, his gaze returning to the bracelet in his hand.
Chen Anzhi stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move forward. He carefully chose his words before speaking again: “Making the princess a concubine is indeed an insult to you. But Anzhi had no intention of belittling you; it was a forced decision due to the circumstances! Princess, rest assured, as long as I, Chen Anzhi, am alive, I will not allow you to suffer even the slightest grievance. Although you must bear the title of a concubine for now, no one in the entire palace dares to treat you as such!”
After a long speech, Chen Anzhi waited and waited, until he finally heard a soft “hmm” from the princess. The flower that had bloomed in his heart from the mire of disappointment blossomed even more brightly.
A single response from the princess was enough to make him smile with satisfaction.
“Is the princess accustomed to living here? How did you catch a cold… is it because the silver charcoal is insufficient? Or are you uncomfortable here? If you lack anything or need something, just let me know. If it’s inconvenient for you to see me, you can send a maid to inform me…”
Si Que slipped the bracelet onto his own wrist, though it was a bit small for him. He looked at the bracelet and asked in a flat, emotionless tone, “Are there any interesting events in the capital?”
Interesting events?
Chen Anzhi was initially taken aback but quickly became overjoyed. The princess didn’t seem to dislike him! She even asked him a question! He racked his brain and remembered a few things.
“The Empress Dowager of Zhao, who resides in another palace, is surprisingly pregnant! This news is spreading like wildfire, yet no one knows who the father is. And the brave old General Li, who suddenly wanted to eat tofu one day. His family hastily prepared it for him, but he choked to death after just one bite…”
Chen Anzhi recounted several recent stories in detail, using his best storytelling skills to entertain the princess. He was more nervous and serious than the first time his grandfather, the emperor, asked him about his studies.
However, Si Que listened indifferently, showing neither annoyance nor any expression.
You Yuji, hidden under the quilt, saw nothing but darkness. Initially, she regretted foolishly following Si Que’s advice to hide on the bed, fearing that if Chen Anzhi discovered her, it would cause more trouble. The tension of hiding accompanied her.
But as she listened to Chen Anzhi’s flattering words, one after another, in the darkness, her nervousness disappeared, replaced by an indescribable feeling.
This man, humbly trying to please the woman he loved, was her husband.
The husband she was supposed to spend her life with.
When she was young, her father told her that a husband and wife are two unrelated people who form an alliance, supporting and loving each other until old age.
Would she be entangled with Chen Anzhi for the rest of her life? Even though she had resolved not to care about his antics or pay attention to him, just living her own peaceful life. But at this moment, in this warm darkness, You Yuji wavered for the first time.
Suddenly, she felt a soft sensation around her waist and realized it was the little black cat, Baisui. Still very young, it ate and slept every day. Having just woken up, it crawled slowly under the quilt to You Yuji’s side.
You Yuji gently stroked its head, over and over.
Liufeng had stoked the fire in the room well, making it as warm as spring.
When Chen Anzhi arrived, You Yuji had just woken up, still drowsy. Now, lying in the dark quilt for a long time, sleepiness overcame her again.
Her gentle strokes on Baisui’s head gradually slowed down, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
After a while, You Yuji’s hand fell limply, touching Si Que’s lower back. Si Que raised his eyes and looked at Chen Anzhi, who was still talking animatedly, and said, “I am tired.”
Chen Anzhi, in the middle of an animated story, immediately swallowed his words upon hearing this. He quickly and softly replied, “It’s very late, the princess should rest. I will come back another day to keep you company…”
His last words were spoken with utmost caution.
Reluctantly, Chen Anzhi walked out. Standing outside the door, he still had a smile on his face. He happily made his way downstairs, no longer carrying the imposing demeanor he had when facing Si Que, but rather hobbling and holding onto the stair railing for support.
He had spent more than half an hour talking animatedly in Si Que’s room, standing straight and tall. In reality, his injuries on his hips and legs were constantly tormenting him.
However, the joy of being able to talk to the princess so much outweighed all the physical pain.
On his way there, he had wondered why You Yuji was at the princess’s place. But upon seeing Si Que, he had completely forgotten about You Yuji.
After Chen Anzhi left, Si Que turned around, lifted the quilt, and was met with Baisui’s curious cat eyes.
Si Que pinched the back of Baisui’s neck, lifting it aside, and looked at You Yuji, who was sleeping soundly.
Si Que had initially been playful, wanting to see You Yuji’s reaction to witnessing Chen Anzhi’s humble flattery towards another woman. But her reaction was to fall asleep?
Si Que gazed at the peacefully sleeping You Yuji.
Although he had shared a bed with her before when he had to force out poison from her body, she had been unconscious and under his control at that time. And it wasn’t for the entire night; he had left after treating her.
Liufeng added more coal to the fire, quietly exited, and walked lightly. But as soon as she reached downstairs, she immediately started running to find Tingyun. Upon seeing Tingyun, Liufeng almost jumped, exclaiming, “They’re sleeping together again!”
