Сhарtеr 9: Want to Hоld Zhаozhaо and Sleер
Реi Yаn mоunted his hоrsе, his hаndsоme and аloof posturе rеsembling а bluе сrаnе on а snоwу mountain, tаking flight аnd leаving behind a trail оf icу, freezing frost.
Оncе he wаs fаr awaу, the frost meltеd withоut а trаce, untоuсhаblе by anуonе.
Princеss Chang’s еyes wеre filled with unwillingness. Неr nаils, pаintеd with rouge and сinnabаr, dug fiеrcelу into her рalms—shе hаd thоught Grand Тutor Pеi was truly а sаint! Мen and women were all the sаmе in his eyes, devоid оf emotions аnd untоuched by worldly desires.
Who would have thought that Grand Tutor Pei actually had a fiancée!
“Someone!” Princess Chang said angrily. “Tell the Duke’s Manor to immediately break off Grand Tutor Pei’s engagement!”
Inside the Grand Tutor’s Manor.
Yun Zhaozhao inexplicably shivered. Madam Yun noticed and immediately opened her arms to hug her. “Zhaozhao, are you cold? Auntie will warm you up.”
“Thank you, Auntie. I’m not cold. Auntie, this is the fabric Cousin bought for you. It’s enough to make four or five new outfits!”
Madam Yun covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sharp and perceptive. “Zhaozhao, do you think I don’t understand Yan’er? Him buying for me? Don’t make me laugh! It must be Zhaozhao who’s good, Zhaozhao who bought it for Auntie!”
Yun Zhaozhao blinked her eyes, still sweetly speaking up for her cousin. “Auntie, Cousin gave the money.”
Madam Yun snorted. “His money is Zhaozhao’s money! Zhaozhao, your cousin’s salary is substantial, and he has imperial rewards too. Two warehouses aren’t enough to hold them all! Spend as much as you want, no need to save for your cousin!”
【Yan’er is so detached and ascetic, his heart is entirely devoted to the court!】
【As his mother, all I can do is help him keep Zhaozhao happy! Who else would want him without Zhaozhao?】
Yun Zhaozhao blinked her bright, sparkling almond-shaped eyes, really wanting to tell her aunt—you’ve been fooled by Cousin!
Cousin’s heart isn’t pure, and his desires aren’t few.
He just has the heart of a thief but not the courage, secretly thinking of her but not daring to touch her.
He’s not even as bold as she is!
Today, she drank from Cousin’s cup and even deliberately pounced on him! Cousin must have been scared by her～
System 009【…You’ll regret it.】
“Why did you suddenly speak up? You scared me!” Yun Zhaozhao patted her chest, quickly made an excuse to her aunt, and slipped out to hide in a corner.
“Little monster, what did you just say? What will I regret?”
【Don’t stir up trouble. You won’t be able to handle it.】
After saying this, System 009, afraid she would ask for details, proactively changed the subject. 【Princess Chang has her eyes on you. You have one month left to live.】
“Wait! Didn’t I have a year left?”
【In the book, Princess Chang only found out about you on the day of your wedding with Pei Yan. Now it’s earlier… You shouldn’t have gone out.】
Yun Zhaozhao was clever and immediately understood.
If it weren’t for the little monster, she wouldn’t have known Cousin’s inner thoughts. She would have continued to fear him, avoided him, and certainly wouldn’t have gone shopping with him.
System 009 continued. 【You now have two choices! First, break off the engagement to save your life. Second, hide in the Grand Tutor’s Manor and never leave Pei Yan’s sight. He will protect you.】
“I don’t want either!”
Yun Zhaozhao puffed up her cheeks angrily and raised her delicate, adorable little fist! With one punch, a dent was left in the wall.
“Marrying Cousin is my parents’ last wish! Auntie’s wish! Why should I hide? I’m not afraid of her!”
System 009 couldn’t help it. 【At first, you didn’t say that.】
“Bang!”
Yun Zhaozhao punched again, leaving another dent in the wall—symmetrical, neat, and satisfying!Yun Zhaozhao raised her chin proudly and arrogantly, waving her pink little fist. “Times have changed. With one punch, I could smash her head in. Why should I be afraid of her?”
[Killing a princess results in the execution of one’s entire clan.]
Yun Zhaozhao’s grand ambitions instantly withered.
She had her aunt and her cousin. Impulsiveness was the devil!
[You have another choice: tell Pei Yan and work together to bring down Princess Chang.]
“Little monster, without any evidence, how could my cousin possibly go against the noble Princess Chang for my sake?”
[He will. Three years after your death, he exterminated the entire Princess’s Manor.]
Huh???
Yun Zhaozhao’s almond-shaped eyes widened, her mouth agape.
“Did Princess Chang die in the end? Isn’t she the protagonist of the storybook?”
System 009’s tone carried immense resentment. [She isn’t! She’s a thief!]
“A thief?” Yun Zhaozhao blinked, lost in thought. “Then who is the protagonist? My cousin?”
System 009 refused to say another word.
No matter how much Yun Zhaozhao pressed, it only replied, [Insufficient energy… Warning! Do not leave Pei Yan!] before disappearing again.
Baffled, Yun Zhaozhao returned to her courtyard.
“Young Miss, you’re finally back!”
The maid Bi Zhu came out with others to greet her. Yun Zhaozhao looked up and noticed Liu Qing was also there.
Thud! Liu Qing knelt before her. “This servant thanks the Young Miss for your kindness! Madam has instructed this servant to serve you from now on. I will repay your grace with my life!”
[Through fire and water! At the Young Miss’s command, Liu Qing will not hesitate!]
Yun Zhaozhao quickly helped her up.
All the maids and servants around her had been brought from the old estate in Jiangnan. Although Liu Qing was a senior hairdressing maid, she was a local, born and raised here, and knew far more about the people and affairs of the capital than Yun Zhaozhao did.
Yun Zhaozhao needed someone exactly like her!
“Liu Qing, your treatment here will be the same as it was with my aunt. You only need to do my hair; you don’t have to handle anything else.”
“This servant thanks the Young Miss for your grace!”
Tears welled up in Liu Qing’s eyes. [The Young Miss is truly kind!]
Late at night.
Pei Yan had just left the palace. He had ridden there but returned by carriage, massaging his temples wearily. The emperor was only fifteen this year and couldn’t handle state affairs alone, relying on Pei Yan for everything and frequently summoning him to the palace.
Pei Yan was growing impatient.
If he remained this busy, Zhaozhao might grow distant from him.
At the thought of Zhaozhao, Pei Yan recalled the events of the day. His breathing quickened, and his cold gaze turned deep and unfathomable. Eager to return, he pushed open the carriage window and urged, “Faster!”
They sped back at full gallop.
Upon returning to the Grand Tutor’s Manor, Pei Yan didn’t pause, heading straight to the unoccupied courtyard next to Yun Zhaozhao’s.
His slender, jade-like fingers gripped a vase and twisted it. With a muffled click of the mechanism, a door cracked open in the wall.
Without needing a candle, Pei Yan slipped through the door and followed the dark passage to a wall. He reached out and rotated a moon-shaped opening, revealing a small hole that faced a carved phoenix golden sandalwood canopy bed.
Yun Zhaozhao was already asleep.
Click!
A small door opened in the wall, and Pei Yan strode straight in, his movements fluid and natural.
Yun Zhaozhao disliked having anyone watch over her while she slept, which worked to Pei Yan’s advantage. Countless times, he had quietly come to gaze at Zhaozhao’s sleeping face, tuck her in, and leave without a trace.
[Kicking off the covers again…]
[Only after marrying her… holding her down to sleep… will she behave a little better.]Pei Yan leaned down, reaching out to pull up the butterfly-and-flower embroidered brocade quilt that Yun Zhaozhao had kicked to the corner of the bed. Slowly, he covered her snow-white jade-like feet, her legs, her slender waist…
Yun Zhaozhao’s sleeping posture was truly poor. The collar of her inner garment was wide open, revealing a stretch of fair, pinkish shoulder and a vast expanse of skin as smooth as mutton-fat jade. Beneath it, a soft, full curve seemed almost ready to spill forth!
Pei Yan couldn’t tear his eyes away, his heartbeat growing faster with each passing moment.
Even the temptation of the late emperor entrusting him with the imperial seal on his deathbed paled in comparison to this glimpse of snowy skin…