The Crown Prince asked, "Did Nanny Yan style your hair like this too?"
Yun Kui nodded. "What does Your Highness think?"
Under the warm sunlight, the young girl's grape-like eyes were clear and bright, her flawless cheeks tinged with a faint pink, like blooming crabapple flowers on a spring branch. A smile played on her lips, revealing shallow dimples, while the hair rings at her ears swayed gently with her movements. The rest of her dark tresses cascaded over her chest, adding to her lively and charming demeanor.
The Crown Prince studied her quietly for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "This hairstyle is common enough. Must I comment every time I see it?"
Yun Kui: "..."
Does he not like it?
She felt a flicker of doubt and disappointment, as if a tiny flame in her heart had been snuffed out. Her smile slowly faded.
Hearing her thoughts, the Crown Prince felt a faint displeasure.
He didn’t want her to be like those women who schemed to climb into his bed, guessing his preferences and dressing in ways they assumed he would favor.
That evening, as usual, it was time for the meal tasting.
Yun Kui, still sulking, had lost her usual hearty appetite and only took a few bites of each dish before standing aside to wait.
I hate the Crown Prince!
The usually quiet girl suddenly cursed him in her mind, making the Crown Prince frown and glance at her.
Yun Kui kept her head lowered, her lips drooping like the hair rings at her ears, unaware of his gaze as she continued grumbling inwardly.
Kisses and hugs, then acts like nothing happened! What’s so hard about saying something nice? His mouth is harder than a duck’s and more poisonous than arsenic!
No more kisses for him!
And no more letting him nibble on my flesh!
Go away! Wicked Highness!
Before she could finish her mental tirade, the Crown Prince abruptly stood, his tall figure looming over her and blocking all light.
A chill even seemed to creep up her back.
She shivered, her rabbit-ear-like hair ornaments trembling along with her. "Y-Your Highness?"
What’s gotten into him now?
The Crown Prince stared at her with a dark expression before storming off to his study with a stiff face.
Cao Yuanlu even came to ask her, "What happened to His Highness?" He had barely touched his dinner.
Yun Kui was just as confused. She had merely worn a new hairstyle and behaved properly—nothing out of the ordinary. Yet the atmosphere had turned strange.
But the Crown Prince had always been unpredictable, so she wasn’t too surprised.
She guessed, "Could His Highness be suffering from a headache?"
Cao Yuanlu shook his head. "Unlikely."
She didn’t yet know that she could ease the Crown Prince’s headaches. If he were in pain, he wouldn’t have left—he would have demanded her presence instead.
Since he had gone to his study in such a cold mood, it must have been something else that angered him.
The little girl had unknowingly provoked His Highness.
However, the Crown Prince had forbidden any discussion of his headaches—the fewer who knew, the safer she would be. Cao Yuanlu couldn’t explain this, so after a moment’s thought, he said, "His Highness ate very little tonight, but yesterday he enjoyed the pastries you made. Perhaps you could prepare some more?"
Yun Kui recalled the Crown Prince’s icy glare and hesitated. "The palace chefs are far more skilled than I am. If His Highness won’t eat their food, why would he want mine?"
She didn’t want to make him pastries!
Cao Yuanlu had no choice but to coax her gently. "What you make is special."
Reluctantly, Yun Kui went to the kitchen.
Luckily, baking was therapeutic—especially when she imagined the dough as the infuriating Crown Prince, kneading and shaping it to her will. The thought lifted her spirits.
She rolled the dough into small, fist-sized balls, pressed lines along the sides with the back of a knife, and shaped them into peaches. She brushed the tips with a thin layer of rose jam, then used green dough dyed with wild vegetable juice to craft tiny leaves as accents. The adorable peach-shaped buns were ready to steam, emerging as a basket of piping-hot fairy peaches.
Though not as refined as the palace chefs’ creations, she thought they were cute—at least they looked like peaches and weren’t misshapen.
She didn’t make them just for the Crown Prince, though. She ate two, saved two, and arranged the remaining five on a plate for Cao Yuanlu.
When Cao Yuanlu saw the pink fairy peaches, his expression turned complicated.
Yun Kui blinked. "Eunuch Cao, is there a problem? These aren’t longevity peaches—they can be eaten anytime. Or… does His Highness dislike buns?"
"...No."
Cao Yuanlu hesitated, wondering if there was a hidden meaning behind her choice of pastry. He decided to take them straight to the study.
The Crown Prince was reviewing reports from his spies when Cao Yuanlu approached. "Your Highness ate very little tonight. Would you care for some snacks?"
Without looking up, the Crown Prince said, "No. Take them away."
Cao Yuanlu tightened his grip on the tray but still placed the basket of fairy peaches where the Crown Prince might glimpse them.
Look over here, look over here, please look over here…
The Crown Prince rarely heard Cao Yuanlu’s thoughts so noisily. Annoyed, he snapped, "I said take it—"
Before he could finish, the basket of pink fairy peaches caught his eye.
His pupils contracted slightly, caught off guard.
But he quickly realized—this had to be the work of that foolish girl.
Was she trying to please him?
Or… was she hinting at something?
The Crown Prince closed his eyes, trying to refocus, but his mind was already distracted. The words on the reports blurred, impossible to read.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and asked in a low voice, "Did she make these?"
Cao Yuanlu hurriedly replied, "Yes."
The Crown Prince’s gaze lingered on the pink peach tips before he finally picked one up, unsure where to take the first bite.
In the end, he nibbled the very tip.
Fairy peach buns with rose jam—only she would think of that.
Surprisingly, they weren’t bad—soft, subtly sweet, with a delicate rose fragrance lingering on his lips. The texture was so plush that he couldn’t resist giving it a squeeze.
But the moment he did, the yielding softness under his fingers reminded him of those forbidden nights.
Especially the peach-like shape…
His eyes darkened, veins standing out on his pale hand as his thoughts wandered.
If this was indeed a hint, it was far too vulgar!
Did she take him for some lust-driven degenerate?
A moment later, the Crown Prince closed the reports and strode out of the study with a stormy expression.
He would see for himself what she was playing at!
After steaming the buns, Yun Kui returned to her chamber to rest. The Crown Prince was still in his study with Cao Yuanlu—he didn’t need her right now.
Maybe his sudden anger meant she wouldn’t have to attend him tonight.
Yun Kui lay on her bed, nibbling a fairy peach bun while flipping through an erotic manual hidden beneath her mattress.
After all, things were different now. The Crown Prince had been kissing and embracing her—who knew when he might decide to take things further?
After several previous experiences, she realized that while her theoretical knowledge was impeccable, her practical skills were lacking—she surrendered too easily. Just as the Crown Prince had said, she was like a weak-legged crab... If a mere kiss could reduce her to this state, what would happen later? Wouldn’t she be completely at his mercy? She couldn’t afford to be so pathetic!
In any case, there was no harm in learning more!
Yet, the moment she flipped to the second page, the peach-shaped bun in Yun Kui’s mouth suddenly lost its flavor.
This... this...
The woman in the illustration had a pair of soft, jade-like peaks that looked exactly like the peach buns in her hand!
They were uncannily similar. Even the next page showed the same resemblance.
She hadn’t even considered it while making them! In fact, she’d thought her craftsmanship had improved.
Yun Kui felt blood rushing to her head, her entire body burning with embarrassment.
Would... would His Highness notice?
If he saw that plate of peach buns, what would he think? Would his imagination run wild? Would he assume she was trying to seduce him?
Yun Kui found herself utterly unable to calm down, squirming on the bed in distress.
Ahhhhhhh!
Her emotions were indescribable—a mix of overwhelming awkwardness, a hint of shyness, and even a faint anticipation of how the Crown Prince might react.
Would he be angry? Would he bite her again, like he had that morning?
Yun Kui traced the small red mark below her collarbone, remembering the cool press of his lips, the scorching heat of his breath, the sharp sting of his teeth sinking in—that intoxicating blend of pain and pleasure that made her heart thunder and blood boil.
Burying her face in the blanket, she let out two muffled screams.
Before she could fully compose herself, Deshun knocked on the door. "Miss, are you asleep? His Highness the Crown Prince is asking for you! Please freshen up and go to him at once."
A vein throbbed at Yun Kui’s temple as she bolted upright.
After a hasty wash, she hesitated over her hairstyle. Taking it down and redoing it would be troublesome, and she quite liked how it looked—adorable with its dangling loops. Maybe she could leave it as is? If the Crown Prince was angry, it probably wouldn’t be because of this. She’d trust Nanny Yan’s advice one more time.
The Crown Prince flipped through a book on the couch when the girl crept in, still wearing those ridiculous loops, her head bowed meekly as she curtsied.
He scoffed coldly, his gaze icy.
Earlier, upon returning to his chambers, he’d discovered she’d already taken the liberty of leaving. First, she’d made those suggestive peach buns to lure him in, then deliberately disappeared—such a clumsy attempt at playing hard to get.
"Who taught you to make these?" His tone was frigid.
Yun Kui peeked up cautiously, her peripheral vision catching the two remaining peach buns on the porcelain plate.
「Why two...? He definitely noticed!」
The Crown Prince’s expression darkened further. So, she had done it on purpose!
Playing dumb, Yun Kui replied, "This servant made them herself. How did Your Highness find the taste?"
「They must’ve been decent, or he wouldn’t have eaten almost all of them...」
The Crown Prince: "..."
「Oh no, if he’s already so full, will he even have room for mine?」
Clenching his fists, the Crown Prince stood abruptly, his glare sharp enough to freeze blood. Yun Kui stumbled back, wide-eyed and trembling.
「The big bad wolf is about to devour the little white rabbit! Wuwu!」
Gritting his teeth, the Crown Prince glared at her. With someone like her, pinning her down and teaching her a harsh lesson would only play right into her hands.
He twisted the candlestick beside him, and a hidden door slid open behind the folding screen.
Grabbing her wrist, he dragged her inside.
Yun Kui’s eyes widened in disbelief—she never knew the Crown Prince’s chambers had secret mechanisms and a hidden room!
Inside, the space revealed an entirely different world.
Dim lighting, a cold interrogation bed, gleaming chains, whips, and countless instruments of punishment she’d never seen before.
This was a meticulously designed torture chamber!
Noticing her palm slick with cold sweat, the Crown Prince smirked inwardly. "Reflect on your actions here tonight."
Yun Kui was both shocked and terrified.
She hadn’t done anything wrong! Why was she being locked in a dark room?!
Crown Prince (fierce, cold, triumphant): A dark room—scared? Beg for mercy, and I might consider letting you go.
Yun Kui: It’s a dark room! How thrilling!
