The sugar coating clung to the corner of his lips. The Crown Prince reached out to push her face away, but failed as Yun Kui pressed another firm kiss to his mouth.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for remembering my lantern."
"Don’t forget my hairpin and silk flower too."
The Crown Prince chuckled lowly, his large hand cradling the back of her head as he leaned down to capture her soft, sweet lips.
The confined space lacked fresh air, leaving only their heated breaths entwined. By the end, the man had not only licked away the sugar from her lips but devoured every last trace of sweetness from her mouth.
By the time the carriage stopped outside Donghua Gate, Yun Kui was finally released, her eyes misty, cheeks flushed, and lips swollen from his relentless kisses. Her fingers clenched until they turned white, barely suppressing the sounds she dared not make inside the carriage.
"Wuwuwu, even the candied hawthorn in my hand doesn’t taste sweet anymore."
Fortunately, the palace path was dimly lit, and no one witnessed her disheveled state.
Upon returning to Chengguang Palace, Yun Kui collapsed onto the bed almost instantly. Exhausted from the day’s events, her mind was too hazy to even recall the faces of the officials she had seen earlier in the private chamber.
All she could think of was cherries, cherries, cherries…
The Crown Prince rubbed his temples, exasperated by the relentless stream of her thoughts, yet powerless to stop them. Even he found himself growing restless.
After an hour of attending to official matters, he returned to find the little fool already fast asleep.
He exhaled deeply and lay down beside her.
Yun Kui slept soundly—in more ways than one.
Too worn out from the day’s exertions, she dreamed not of anyone else but of that moment behind the green gauze curtains.
The memory of his rough, warm palm gliding over her skin, the cold touch of his jade ring sending shivers down her spine, the plump cherries nestled between soft mounds, slowly crushed until their juices spilled…
He had even placed one in her mouth, forbidding her to bite—lest she face punishment—leaving her struggling to even swallow her own saliva…
When Yun Kui awoke, tear stains lingered in the corners of her eyes, her cheeks still dusted pink.
Sensing her stirring, the Crown Prince slowly opened his eyes. Their gazes met, and she immediately ducked her head in embarrassment, murmuring, "Last night, I didn’t dream of those officials…"
The Crown Prince sighed deeply, his eyes faintly bloodshot.
Sharing a bed meant that whatever she dreamed, if she lingered on it in her mind, he would hear it all.
Dawn had barely broken. With another sigh, he rasped, "It’s fine if you don’t dream of them. Just calm your mind and sleep a little longer."
Yun Kui nodded earnestly. "This time, I’ll really try."
The Crown Prince patted her head. Once she drifted off again, he rose and took a cold bath.
But to his dismay, in the days that followed, Yun Kui remained trapped in her cherry-filled dreams.
In fact, she grew bolder with each passing night—far more daring than she ever was in reality.
Around him, she usually restrained herself, mindful of his status and authority. But in her dreams, she was a vision of seductive boldness: feeding him cherries with her lips, sharing wine mouth-to-mouth, clinging to him with kisses and playful nips, and the moment she closed her eyes, she was back to squeezing cherry juice for him…
Finally, he could take no more and punished her harshly, hoping to banish cherries from her mind. Yet her dreams merely shifted to scenes of him turning her over relentlessly through the night.
The Crown Prince suffered by her pillow, sleepless for days, his eyes increasingly bloodshot.
At court the next morning, officials whispered behind his back.
"Has His Highness fallen ill again?"
"It looks like another headache attack."
"Could his previous injuries still be unhealed? He’d only just recovered—now it seems he’s worsening."
Even Cao Yuanlu grew anxious, summoning He Bailing to examine him that very day.
He Bailing took one look and understood immediately. "Your Highness suffers from excessive internal heat and restless agitation. Shall I prescribe a cooling tonic to soothe your spirit, or… would you prefer to find your own way to release it?"
The Crown Prince had no choice but to accept the prescription.
As for "release," it was a vicious cycle.
The more he took from her, the more vivid her dreams became—and soon, his own nights were filled with visions of their entangled bodies. Then she would invade his dreams in turn, leaving him no respite.
When the Crown Prince returned from court with a darkened expression, Yun Kui assumed he had encountered difficulties in political matters—compounded by her lack of progress in dreaming of the officials.
She could only wait on him carefully, straining to recall the faces from Zuihua Tower. But the moment he lay beside her, their breaths mingling and skin touching, her mind refused to conjure anyone else. Only him.
Left with no choice, the Crown Prince sought distraction elsewhere.
Coincidentally, his spies had uncovered evidence that Lin Cheng, the Surveillance Vice-Commissioner of Pingzhou’s military supplies, was embezzling funds. Lin Cheng had been personally promoted by Emperor Chunming, likely as a safeguard—should a coup arise, Pingzhou’s proximity to the capital meant Lin Cheng could swiftly mobilize reinforcements.
Thus, the Crown Prince decided to leave the capital secretly to investigate.
Cao Yuanlu, unaware of the underlying reasons, fretted. "Your Highness, with your headaches so unpredictable, it would be safer to bring Yun Kui along."
The Crown Prince frowned. "This is an official investigation. Bringing her is inappropriate."
The whole point of leaving was to give her—and himself—a reprieve. Seeing each other day and night was torture for them both.
But such matters could not be explained.
You took her to Zuihua Tower and even brought her to the lantern festival after that major incident—what’s inappropriate now?
Though Cao Yuanlu dared not voice his thoughts, he insisted, "This trip could take anywhere from three days to half a month. If your headaches strike, the consequences could be dire."
After all, there had been instances where the Crown Prince had faltered mid-battle due to his condition—like the poisoned arrows that struck him at year’s end when his guard was down.
Seeing his hesitation, Cao Yuanlu pressed further. "Let Qin the Guard take additional escorts to ensure Yun Kui’s safety. She won’t be placed in danger."
After a moment of contemplation, the Crown Prince reconsidered. Perhaps bringing her wasn’t so bad.
At lunch, Yun Kui received the news with barely contained astonishment. "Your Highness is taking me out of the capital?"
The Crown Prince replied, "Bring nothing. We depart after the meal."
Overjoyed, she grabbed his arm, eyes sparkling. "Where are we going? No spare clothes? How long will we be gone? Where will we sleep? What about bathing and changing—"
Her questions spilled out in a rush until the Crown Prince calmly extracted his arm from her grip. "This is a covert visit. No fanfare."
Yun Kui wolfed down her meal and hurried to pack a small bundle in her chamber.
This was her first time leaving the capital since entering the palace!
In the past, she wouldn’t have dared imagine such an opportunity.
Though the Crown Prince remained tight-lipped about their destination, simply leaving the capital meant they wouldn’t return within a day—perhaps even spending ten days or more outside!
Yun Kui was brimming with excitement, wishing she could pack all her beautiful dresses for the trip. But fearing she might delay the Crown Prince’s official duties, she hastily settled on just two outfits. Worried about the long journey being dull, she also picked two storybooks to pass the time.
She couldn’t leave her gold behind either—she had so many things to buy! Storing it in the side hall felt unsafe, yet carrying too much gold risked poor security. After some internal struggle, she took only two small gold ingots and some loose silver, locking the rest away in the warm chamber of Chengguang Palace.
After all, who would dare steal from the Crown Prince’s private quarters?
In the end, she packed this and that, filling an entire basket.
The Crown Prince, seeing her dawdle and lug around so many unnecessary items, simply snatched the bundle and tossed it to Deshun. “I told you, there’s no need to bring anything,” he said, pulling her toward Donghua Gate.
No matter how much Yun Kui struggled, she couldn’t retrieve her belongings.
Outside Donghua Gate, she spotted two carriages waiting on the palace road.
The Crown Prince gestured to the one with blue curtains. “You take the second carriage.”
Yun Kui blinked. “Aren’t I riding with Your Highness?”
The Crown Prince fixed her with a heavy stare. “You tell me why.”
Yun Kui: “……”
"Afraid I’ll get handsy with you in the carriage?"
"But you seemed to enjoy it just fine!"
The Crown Prince gritted his teeth. “...I have official matters to attend to.”
Yun Kui nodded quickly. “Then this servant won’t disturb Your Highness!”
Hiking up her skirt, she hurried to the second carriage. When she lifted the curtain, she found it fully stocked—tea, snacks, storybooks, even two spare dresses. And then… her eye twitched at the sight of cherries on the table.
"Is His Highness... hinting at something?"
Little did she know, these were all Cao Yuanlu’s doing.
Though Pingzhou Prefecture was only half a day’s journey from the capital, Cao Yuanlu worried something might happen. He couldn’t risk a repeat of the Lantern Festival, where the Crown Prince had carried her out wrapped in his cloak.
Before boarding, the Crown Prince overheard Cao Yuanlu’s concerns and shot him a cold glare, sending a chill down the man’s spine.
Meanwhile, Yun Kui lounged in the second carriage. The couch was far more spacious and comfortable than the shared bed she used to sleep on. After polishing off half a bowl of cherries and flipping through a storybook, she decided to nap.
Last night’s dreams had featured the Crown Prince “tiring her out” multiple times.
Even in her dreams, His Highness was relentless, leaving her utterly spent—especially after she’d boldly teased him. No wonder she woke up exhausted.
The carriage rocked gently, lulling her to sleep.
By the time she stirred, night had fallen, and the streets were aglow with lanterns.
Pingzhou Prefecture was both a military stronghold and a bustling trade hub, its streets thronged with merchants and travelers day and night.
The group stopped outside a private estate.
The Crown Prince summoned Yun Kui.
Well-rested and free of travel fatigue, she assumed they’d be staying at Song Manor—until the Crown Prince handed her an embroidered box.
Suspicious, she opened it and gasped at the stack of silver notes inside. “Your Highness, this is…?”
The Crown Prince replied coolly, “Three thousand taels. Tonight, my men will accompany you to the market. Stay away from brothels and gambling dens—spend the rest however you like. Don’t return until it’s gone.”
Yun Kui: !!!
"Who am I? Where am I? This must be a dream…"
Frowning, the Crown Prince flicked her forehead. “Understood?”
Overwhelmed, Yun Kui nearly burst into tears. Unable to contain her joy, she rose onto her toes, flung her arms around his neck, and planted a quick kiss on his chin. “Your Highness, I’m not dreaming!”
Her face radiated exhilaration, her eyes shining like a field of sunflowers in full bloom.
“I’m going now! Don’t you dare take it back!”
The corner of the Crown Prince’s mouth lifted faintly.
His bedchamber maid had two weaknesses: lust and greed. To scrub her mind clean of those indecent thoughts, this was the only way—distract her with something else.
Sure enough, the girl could hardly wait, itching to dash off with her windfall.
As he watched her skip away in delight, his smile slowly faded.
