Cui Yu glanced down at the slender, soft, fair hands that were clutching his palm tightly. The moment his fingertips stirred slightly, Shen Yanshui noticed his gaze. She quickly pulled her hands back, smiling brightly and saying, "Your subject wife got carried away by joy just now and lost my manners. I hope Your Highness will not hold it against me~"
Cui Yu gently curled his palm into a fist, as if the soft warmth from a moment ago still lingered on both the inside and outside of his hand.
He glanced around the room, then finally turned his eyes back to her and asked, "What do you usually do on a daily basis?"
Shen Yanshui did not catch his subtle little gesture. At his question, she proceeded to recount all her daily routines in detail.
To sum it up, she would get up in the morning, have meals, practice Baduanjin twice to stretch her body, (do her cultivation), and wander around the garden, and just like that, the whole morning would be gone.
After that, she would take a siesta, have lunch, read books and listen to storytellers' scripts, tend to the flowers and plants in her courtyard, think about what delicious food to have next, finish her dinner, and the whole afternoon would slip by too. Then she would take a walk to aid digestion, (do her cultivation), and go to bed.
She told him everything truthfully except for the part about cultivation.
And that was the perfect end to her day.
Cui Yu paused for a moment after listening to her account, and said, "So every day... you are quite 'busy'."
Her simple, straightforward description gave off a sense of leisurely coziness, making it feel like she took each day unhurriedly, living her own little life earnestly.
That said, Baduanjin was indeed quite effective in warding off illnesses and keeping fit. If she had practiced it for years, and added activities like cuju and horse polo to that mix, it would hardly be strange that she had such a healthy body.
Shen Yanshui had intentionally mentioned Baduanjin because she knew this form of exercise already existed in the Great Yong Dynasty.
At his words, she pretended to ponder for a moment, then nodded at him seriously, "Yes, I really am quite busy."
Busy cultivating, busy planting flowers and melons, busy sleeping, busy eating good food, and busy enjoying this little life where she had no worries about food or drink, and no one pointing fingers or ordering her around.
All of a sudden, Cui Yu lifted his hand and tapped her forehead with his knuckle, saying in a faint, calm tone, "I think you are just far too idle."
Shen Yanshui covered her forehead with one hand, her tone full of feigned grievance, "That hurt~"
The attendants waiting on them inside the room were very observant, and quietly moved far away to give them space.
When Shen Yanshui lowered her hand, Cui Yu saw a small red mark on her originally fair, glossy forehead. He could not help but be slightly stunned for a second. He had not used any force at all, who would have thought her skin was so delicate. Hmm... it was not just her forehead either. It seemed every part of her was always so fragile, that the lightest touch could leave a patch of red...
His gaze deepened for a brief moment, before he pulled his eyes away from her. He casually picked up a book that had been left on the soft couch, his voice lowering slightly, "What book is this?" The moment the words left his mouth, a little colorful object slipped out from between the pages.
Cui Yu picked it up, turned to look at her, and said, "This is... a luck braid? For me?" His voice sounded perfectly even, giving no hint of what he was thinking.
Shen Yanshui was only stunned for a split second, before she nodded with a perfectly natural expression, "That's right! The Dragon Boat Festival is in a few days. I wove this specially for Your Highness. This colorful silk braid can ward off evil spirits, and bless you with smooth, safe days. I just never expected you would stumble across it today."
She did not mention at all that this had originally been something she had been practicing her weaving on, which was why it was a little wider and larger than usual, as she was still clumsy when she first started.
Chunping, who was standing by the room door, lowered her head even further the moment she heard those words.
Cui Yu eyed the intricately woven concentric-pattern sash before him, crafted from multicolored silk threads and about a finger's width wide. He set it casually on the side table, not seeming to pay it much mind at all.
Shen Yanshui did not take offense. After all, it was just a little trinket she had made as a beginner for fun—how could something so crude catch the eye of a man who had seen countless fine treasures in his life?
The two chatted idly for a while before stepping out to take a stroll to aid digestion. Cui Yu had assumed Shen Yanshui would bring up the trip to Jinling Pool on the Dragon Boat Festival, either directly or subtly, but much to his surprise, she did not mention a single word about it the entire walk.
After they had bathed and changed into fresh robes, all the attendants withdrew, leaving only a single candle by the bedside, its flame flickering gently in the night breeze.
That night, Shen Yanshui was unusually passionate.
Hadn't he called her too idle? Well, here she was, pulling a "night shift" even now—though she did not mind this particular shift at all. But how dare he say she had nothing better to do?
Looking at the strong, sturdy form hovering over her, Shen Yanshui did not hold back—there was no need to. She reached out to run her hands over him, and watching the shifting expressions in his eyes, she grew even bolder in her teasing.
Cui Yu's gaze darkened abruptly. The next moment, Shen Yanshui was jolted so hard that her head nearly slammed into the bedpost, only to be tugged back into his arms just in time.
Though she had plenty of stamina, staying in one position for too long grew uncomfortable...
When her head sank once more into the soft propped-up pillow at the head of the bed, her breath came in uneven little gasps. Her voice trembled softly, sounding as if she were pouting in gentle grievance. "Your Highness, my head hurts from all the bumps..."
Cui Yu's movements came to a brief halt.
He shifted his hands from where they rested on her body, curling his fingers around her ankles. Shen Yanshui lifted her leg, the rounded tip of her foot pressing lightly against his solid shoulder, her tone laced with faint reproach. "My back is sore too, from all the rubbing."
Cui Yu paused again. His gaze grew heavy, his voice tight, low, and hoarse. "...Spoiled thing."
Before she could say another word, he swept her up into his arms, holding her entire body against his chest.
Startled, Shen Yanshui instinctively wrapped her legs around his lean, powerful waist, her slender, graceful arms clinging tight around his neck.
Cui Yu's breath caught sharply, his face suddenly sinking into the soft, yielding warmth of her skin.
Shen Yanshui: "..." Her fair, jade-like cheeks flushed bright red in an instant.
Outside the chamber, Chunping stood rooted to the spot, her face burning bright red as she listened to the faint, muffled rustlings coming from inside the room, punctuated by the occasional soft creaking sound that made her worry for a good long while.
But after a while, the little creaks died away. The room fell almost quiet, yet no one called out for water, which left her quite confused.
Shen Yanshui soon discovered that beneath the Crown Prince's cold, dignified, and gentle exterior, his arm strength was far greater than she had expected. He could carry her while moving so vigorously without showing the slightest sign of strain.
It was a pleasure unlike any other...
The next morning, when Shen Yanshui woke up, the first thing she saw was a strikingly handsome, elegant face, sharp-featured and fair.
She thought for a moment, and then remembered—wasn't today a day off from official duties?
But why was she in his bed? Every time before, after they finished, they would clean up quickly and sleep under their own separate quilts. She had always thought that arrangement was perfect, nothing beat the comfort of having your own quilt to yourself. But now... there was a large, warm hand resting on her chest. No wonder she had felt a heavy weight there all night.
She tried to shift her position, but the moment she moved, Cui Yu opened his eyes.
His palm shifted unconsciously, and a soft, alluring little hum brushed past his ear. That was when Cui Yu finally woke up completely.
Shen Yanshui fixed her pair of peach blossom eyes on him, her tone soft and lingering as she said, "Your Highness, you were holding my hand far too tight..." Seeing the faint, unseemly flicker of discomfort cross his face, Shen Yanshui could not help but chuckle inwardly. Before he could utter a single word in response, she added, "Your Highness, this concubine is feeling a little hungry."
Cui Yu calmly and unflappably withdrew his hand as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He gave a low grunt of acknowledgement, then lifted the quilt, got out of bed, and walked around the screen to call Zheng Yuande in to attend to him.
Through the faintly translucent screen, Shen Yanshui watched him from behind. The sunlight streaming through the window lattice gilded half of his back, and under the soft pale golden glow, the defined lines of his arms stood out all the more sharply.
As he moved to get dressed, the muscles along his back shifted in smooth, flowing undulations. The only difference was that his otherwise elegant back now bore several faint, thin red marks that looked as if they had been left accidentally by fingernails, lending him a strangely disheveled, alluring charm.
The next moment, he pulled on his white undershirt to cover his body. Only then did Shen Yanshui rise, throw on a loose outer robe, casually tie a sash around her waist, and step forward of her own accord. With a soft, smiling voice, she said, "Your Highness, allow this concubine to help you dress."
Zheng Yuande quickly ducked his head, presented the Crown Prince's outer robe, and stepped a respectful distance away.
Cui Yu lowered his gaze slightly, looking at her half-done attire without saying a word for a moment.
Shen Yanshui's mind raced back to the dressing procedures the nannies had taught her in the Palace of Elegant Virtue, and she followed each step slowly to dress him properly. The leather belt around his waist proved a little tricky to fasten, but she bent over, lowered her head, and eventually managed to tie it neatly, if a little clumsily.
No one rushed her the whole time, which was a relief.
She felt a small swell of satisfaction at the task done. "There we go," she said with a bright smile, and as she lifted her head, she saw the Crown Prince turn his head to stare intently at the bamboo branch on the incense table, as if a full bloom had sprouted right out of the twig.
Cui Yu kept a stern, straight face, only uttering a curt "Mm" before he turned and stepped out of the room.
Shen Yanshui watched his departing back, and by chance, her gaze landed on the tips of his ears, which were bright crimson. She paused for a moment in confusion, then suddenly glanced down at her own clothes.
Since she had tied her sash in a rush, the lapels of her robe had fallen loosely open, and she had not even put on her inner chemise beneath it... But thinking back to how he had acted just now, she felt a strange mix of amusement and surprise well up in her chest.
The Crown Prince... could it be that just a glance at that was enough to fluster him so much his ears turned red?
It was not as if his own hands had been anything but unruly earlier, right after they woke up.
Even so, she could not help but think that this version of the Crown Prince, all stony-faced with bright red ears, was unexpectedly quite endearing.
