“They’re just a few lousy fish. What do you want them for?”
“To brag, of course.” Cui Yunchu showed not the slightest embarrassment. “The noble ladies in the capital used to make fun of me all the time. Now that our relationship is known to everyone, I’m going to throw a grand banquet and win back all the face I lost before.”
“…”
“And those flowers too. Give me a few pots.”
Shen Xiabai forced a smile. “All right.”
“What?” Cui Yunchu shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re unwilling? Can’t bear to part with them?”
That wasn’t it. The main problem was that he had been bragging too.
“No, I’m willing. I’m willing.”
Cui Yunchu gave a huff.
The two leaned against each other, their silhouettes cast onto the window paper by the candlelight, looking deeply affectionate and intimate.
Beneath the courtyard wall, Yu Feng was practically frozen into an ice sculpture. He stood there shivering violently, his teeth chattering as he stared at the two figures behind the window.
They hugged, kissed, then hugged again. There wasn’t even a gap between them.
Poor Yu Feng—ice had formed on the ends of his hair, and every breath came out white. All he could do was tremble from head to toe, making little “brr, brr” sounds to ward off the bitter cold.
#
“How did you get in?”
“I jumped over the courtyard wall.”
Cui Yunchu tilted her head to look at him. “It was that high. You didn’t fall?”
Shen Xiabai discreetly drew his boots back and shook his head. “I’ve practiced martial arts since I was young. That height is nothing to me.”
“Oh.”
Cui Yunchu nodded and snuggled back into his arms.
He was warm, carrying the crisp, distinctive scent of a man.
“A Chu, you didn’t drink tonight.”
Cui Yunchu looked at him in confusion. Of course she hadn’t drunk. Then she heard him continue, “You can’t deny what you said tonight tomorrow.”
“What did I say?”
Shen Xiabai pushed her away and repeated, very seriously, “You’re going to deny it again?”
Cui Yunchu blinked her clear, limpid eyes. “I didn’t drink. You did. Isn’t it possible you misheard me?”
He caught her chin and pressed her downward. Cui Yunchu followed the force of his hand and lay back, and the two of them became entangled once more for quite some time.
Watching from outside the courtyard, Yu Feng’s eyes widened.
They weren’t even married yet!
More importantly, now that they had lain down to sleep, was he supposed to stand here all night?
No, he had to find somewhere warm, or he really would freeze to death.
Shen Xiabai, utterly lost in her beauty, had long since forgotten that he had a subordinate named Yu Feng. Cui Yunchu’s arm rested loosely over his shoulder, and the heat in his blood began to rise.
She was dressed in her inner robes. When she lifted her arm, the smooth fabric slipped downward, revealing half of her fair, jade-white arm. Under the candlelight, it seemed to gleam.
Shen Xiabai’s eyes deepened. He turned his head and kissed her arm.
“Shen the lover,” Cui Yunchu called softly.
“I’m not Shen the lover. I’m your husband.”
Cui Yunchu curled her lip. “The Old Man told me to go to Anshan Temple tomorrow to meet a prospective match.”
Shen Xiabai brushed aside the loose strands of hair on her forehead. “Mm. I know.”
“And then?”
“Go ahead.”
His generosity left Cui Yunchu momentarily stunned. After an “oh,” she said, “I hear Lord Wang is fair-skinned and youthful, and he has money too. Can I do this with him as well?”
Shen Xiabai glanced at her, then at the smooth, pale arm draped over his shoulder, and nodded. “You can.”
Cui Yunchu withdrew her arm and gave another “oh.” “It’s getting late. Aren’t you going back?”
Shen Xiabai leaned half against her side, one arm wrapped around her waist. “I’m not leaving.”
“Whoever heard of a secret lover staying the night?”
Shen Xiabai shot her a look. “Secret lovers don’t just kiss either.”
“…”
“A Chu, my face hurts.” Shen Xiabai leaned his face toward her. “Blow on it for me.”
Cui Yunchu turned her head away. “Don’t even think about it. There will be plenty more pain in the future. You’d better get used to it.”
“You mean that once we’re married, you’ll hit me every day?”
“You hit me whether we’re married or not.” Cui Yunchu arched her brows. “I’m not like ordinary refined ladies from prominent families. When I get angry, I like to hit people—especially in the face.”
Shen Xiabai nodded. “When you’re angry, you kick too. You’re harder to hold down than a pig about to be slaughtered.”
Though he said this, his gaze was incredibly tender. The haze of alcohol softened his eyes, which were filled with warmth as he gazed at Cui Yunchu without blinking.
“A Chu, did you put on powder tonight? Why do you look especially beautiful?”
Cui Yunchu was equally generous with her praise. “You’re handsome too.”
His brows and eyes held a smile, lending a touch of gentleness to his sharp, refined features. Especially when he looked at her with such deep affection, he seemed like an immortal banished from heaven.
Leaning there with his solid chest and broad, straight shoulders, he was truly enough to make a woman’s heart race.
Cui Yunchu was not only greedy for wealth but also fond of handsome men. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have fallen for him in her previous life.
Still, she asked for confirmation. “Lord Shen, if I drugged you and slept with you, what would you do?”
Shen Xiabai’s hazy eyes focused on her pretty face. “I’d take my clothes off myself. No need for A Chu to trouble herself.”
The two people who coveted each other’s beauty drew together uncontrollably, puckering their lips as they became entangled in a lingering kiss.
Shen Xiabai supported the back of her head with one hand and cradled her face with the other. Cui Yunchu pressed her palm against his chest, and they kissed without end.
“What are you planning to do about the emperor?”
Shen Xiabai said, “We’ll see for now. The most pressing matter is dealing with the person behind that palace maid.”
There was no need to investigate who was behind it; they both knew. Cui Yunchu knitted her brows. “First, she wants the emperor to learn about our relationship. Second, she wants to drive a wedge between us. If we’re talking about danger, the emperor is probably in even greater peril.”
Shen Xiabai kissed her forehead. “I know. She wouldn’t dare harm me, but Xiao Lan has always been ruthless. Her previous two fiancés both had someone else in their hearts, and the women those men loved died at her hands. She’s vicious. I’m worried about you.”
A Chu was kindhearted, far less ruthless than that woman.
“We’ll deal with her first. We can worry about everything else afterward.”
Warmth spread through Cui Yunchu’s heart. “You need to be careful too. Don’t let the emperor set a trap for you.”
Shen Xiabai nodded.
Their clothes had become somewhat disheveled. Shen Xiabai sat up and hooked a finger beneath the sash of Cui Yunchu’s inner robe, loosening it. Her body stiffened, but she did not stop him.
The next moment, however, Shen Xiabai merely retied the sash around her.
Cui Yunchu blinked. “Aren’t we going to make a baby?”
Shen Xiabai arched a brow, heat surging through him, and covered her mouth with his palm. “Behave yourself.”
He lay back down and gathered her into his arms, soothing her gently. “Go to sleep.”
Cui Yunchu asked, “Really not going to make one?”
Shen Xiabai closed his eyes. “Which kind? The legitimate eldest son of the Shen family, or an orphan I pick up halfway and raise?”
“The latter, of course.” Cui Yunchu now thought her plan to deceive everyone and get away with it was truly brilliant.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Their first child absolutely could not be born as someone who had to remain hidden from the world. He wanted the child to be born amid the eager anticipation of everyone in the Shen family and under the eyes of the entire world.
He tightened his arms around Cui Yunchu’s waist and turned to look at her. The fullness and happiness of this moment felt almost unreal. Again and again, he lowered his head to kiss her forehead.
“A Chu, when you wake up tomorrow, you won’t change your mind, will you?”
“I’ll try not to.”
“Don’t forget my fish and flowers.”
After a long while without hearing a reply, she opened her eyes, only to find Shen Xiabai with his eyes closed, apparently already asleep. Her brows drew together, and she kicked him.
“Don’t forget.”
Shen Xiabai: “……”
He gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
Only then did Cui Yunchu close her eyes in contentment.
She felt not the slightest trace of fear or unease. Even if the Old Man came and discovered them, so what? As long as she wasn’t the one who died of anger, that was enough.
She raised her hand, letting her fingertips fall upon the bridge of Shen Xiabai’s nose and slowly trace the contours of his features.
In the great hall, he had shielded her, forcing himself to acknowledge his feelings for her despite his frail condition. She thought she would never forget that moment for the rest of her life.
There were very few people who had ever treated her well. As for everyone else—how could they possibly be worth plotting against him?
Aside from herself, she would surely come to love him deeply in the days ahead.
The corners of her lips curved upward as she shifted closer to his side and closed her eyes, her heart filled with a joy and security too profound to put into words.
At last, she too had someone who loved her more than life itself. If her mother were still alive, she would certainly flaunt it before her.
I was born of lowly station, but I, too, have found happiness.
