Rong Zhou lowered his gaze and let out a low, husky chuckle.
His eyelashes dipped slightly as he noticed the little Princess Consort’s snow-white skin smudged with ink like a kitten. He reached out and gently rubbed the marks with his fingertip.
Yun Li also realized her face was stained with ink.
She lowered her head in annoyance, rubbing at the ink stains with her fingers. “Why do you walk without making any sound…”
Just like a little cat.
“You were too lost in thought.” Rong Zhou bent down and wrapped his arms around her soft waist. “What were you thinking about just now?”
Yun Li didn’t intend to hide it from him.
She lifted her delicate face slightly. “I was preparing to write letters to Father and Brother. Those two rough men would definitely rush back to tear you into pieces if they knew you had forcibly taken me to the Regent’s Mansion.”
Upon hearing this, Rong Zhou chuckled softly.
He lowered his chin to rest in the crook of Yun Li’s neck, rubbing against her in an extremely tantalizing manner. His husky voice carried a hint of grievance. “Then what should we do now?”
“Already snatched you away.” Rong Zhou turned his head to gently kiss her cheek, his laughter rolling from his throat utterly captivating. “Even being drawn and quartered wouldn’t make me let go.”
Yun Li pushed him away in disgust.
“Don’t eat the ink on my face.” She hadn’t had time to wash her face yet.
But Rong Zhou didn’t seem to mind at all.
Seeing Yun Li pick up the brush again, he waved his wide sleeve. “Your husband will grind ink for you.”
Yun Li lifted her face with a charming smile.
She blinked her eyes. “How dare I let the majestic War God Regent Prince personally do such things?”
“This prince is willing.” Rong Zhou’s tone was calm and unhurried.
As if condescending to grind ink for his beloved wife was as simple as eating or drinking to him.
Rong Zhou gathered his wide sleeves and bent down to grind the ink.
Yun Li lifted her brush, the ink flowing smoothly across the paper. Elegant, delicate characters settled on the page like light clouds, but she paused her brush tip after writing just two characters. “No.”
After pondering for a moment, she replaced it with a new letter paper.
She blinked her eyes cleverly. “I need to write uglier characters so that rough Father can recognize them.”
After all, when she was young and wilding out in the border deserts and lonely mountains with her father and brother, she had been completely ignorant of refined arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She hadn’t possessed such beautiful handwriting back then.
These were skills she had specifically refined after crossing over to the modern era.
Rong Zhou’s gaze calmly lowered. When his eyes fell upon the paper again, he saw wildly scrawled, arrogant characters crookedly sprawled across the letter paper—
To my Honorable Father and Brother:
Your daughter is unfilial, having arranged her marriage without permission. I have now married the Regent Prince as his wife, neither coerced nor forced, completely of my own will. I earnestly hope Father and Brother will congratulate me on my new marriage, bless my happy occasion, and prioritize the greater situation of the world. Please do not return to the capital without an imperial summons. I look forward to Father and Brother bringing northern border fragrant pears when you return during the Mid-Autumn season (adding a greedy little expression at the end).
Wishing you peace.
Personally written by A-Li.
“Done.” Yun Li put down her brush.
She admired with satisfaction this handwriting that truly didn’t suit a young lady of noble birth, even proudly presenting it to Rong Zhou seeking praise. “My handwriting is beautiful, right?”
A faint smile bloomed in Rong Zhou’s eyes.
He put down the inkstone and lightly tapped the greedy little figure she had drawn at the end of her letter—
(ˉ﹃ˉ)
Then he raised the corner of his eyes slightly. “This part is the most beautiful.”
Yun Li was also quite satisfied with the little expression she had drawn, though she wasn’t sure if her father and brother would understand it.
She knew her rough father all too well.
Such distinctively ugly handwriting would prove it was personally written by her better than anything else, not to mention that northern border fragrant pears were their secret code.No matter how urgently her father wished to return to the capital, the thought of being unable to bring back her beloved fragrant pears if he came back early would make him obediently wait in the Northern Frontier until the pears ripened.
“Wen Nan.” Rong Zhou’s voice was steady.
Wen Nan, who was guarding outside the hall, entered upon hearing his call and bowed.
Rong Zhou handed him a letter. “Have this family letter delivered to the Northern Frontier by fast horse. It must be personally opened by General Yun.”
“Yes.” Wen Nan accepted the letter and withdrew.
With this important matter resolved, Yun Li felt a weight lift from her heart. She lazily stretched her arms and was about to yawn…
When suddenly her waist was pulled into the man’s embrace.
Before Yun Li could react, she found herself sitting on Rong Zhou’s lap. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and looked down into his deep, tranquil eyes.
“A Li…” his voice was hoarse and drawn out.
His slender, distinct fingers entwined with her cascading black hair. His warm, lingering breath sprayed against her ear, making Yun Li’s slender waist soften slightly.
Rong Zhou closed his eyes and gently kissed her jade-like neck, lingering as he moved upward along her neckline.
Yun Li trembled with each kiss.
She clutched the man’s sleeve tightly. Although they had already consummated their marriage, in her previous life it was almost always under his coercion, and in this life, that time had been when she was drunk…
Now facing this situation soberly, Yun Li’s heart raced like a startled deer, feeling somewhat nervous.
Just as Rong Zhou was about to undo her waistband.
Yun Li suddenly picked up a brush and flicked ink onto Rong Zhou’s forehead—
The man abruptly opened his eyes to look at her.
Yun Li smiled with curved eyes. Though it was an act of desperation, seeing her handsome husband with ink on his forehead suddenly sparked her interest. She immediately changed brushes and dipped one in red ink.
“Don’t move.” She tugged at Rong Zhou’s sleeve.
The young Princess Consort suddenly leaned close to him, so near that he could hear her soft breathing. However, this intimacy wasn’t for affection.
Yun Li lifted his chin with one hand.
Soon, she painted a small red flower on his forehead, then dipped white pigment to adorn the stamen.
Then, with her fingertip against his chin, she turned his head to admire her work. “Beautiful!”
Rong Zhou furrowed his brows deeply.
He was about to fetch a bronze mirror to look, but suddenly turned his gaze to Yun Li’s forehead…
“Stay here, I’ll get the mirror for you.” Yun Li laughed and tried to jump up from his lap.
A calm voice responded, “No need.”
Before Yun Li could rise, Rong Zhou suddenly circled her willow-like waist with one arm, lifted her face with his other hand, then lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers, transferring the flower imprint.
Yun Li:!
Her beautiful eyes widened as she stared at him.
Yun Li hurriedly raised her hand to wipe it, but Rong Zhou caught her wrist. “Didn’t you want me to see what it looks like?”
He released her hand, then lightly raised his fingertips.
His cool fingertip landed on her forehead, carefully tracing around the edges of the flower without touching it.
“Now I’ve seen it.” Rong Zhou’s eyes slightly lifted at the corners. “The Princess Consort truly has masterful brushwork, quite original.”
Yun Li: “…”
Bearing this “originality” on her forehead, she angrily turned and returned to her bedroom, immediately calling for Lian Qiao to help her wash her face.
Rong Zhou wasn’t in a hurry to remove the mark.
He even left the hall and deliberately strolled through areas with more servants, walking around twice.
Wen Nan noticed his forehead. “Your Highness, you…”
“Does it look good?” Rong Zhou slightly lifted his chin.
Wen Nan looked at him with a complicated expression, momentarily unsure whether to praise against his conscience or defy him.But before he could give any answer, he saw Rong Zhou clasp his hands behind his back and say, “This was painted for me by the Princess Consort. It’s a private amusement between spouses—something you unmarried men wouldn’t understand.”
Wen Nan: “…”
Thanks, I appreciate that.