In the end, of course, Ye Nanyuan slept in the bed, and the Fourth Prince slept on the floor.However, the Fourth Prince was destined not to sleep well that night—an unfamiliar environment, an unfamiliar person. Being cautious by nature, he couldn't possibly fall into a true slumber. Moreover, in the middle of the night, the young girl would rise from time to time.Sometimes, she would check whether his blanket was covering him properly; other times, she would examine his wounds.But she must have been afraid of waking him, for even when she moved, she did so with the utmost care, making not the slightest sound.The entire night, he did not relax his vigilance in the slightest, only closing his eyes to doze off briefly when the first light of dawn appeared.When the knocking sounded, the Fourth Prince was awake almost instantly.Banxia stood at the door, calling out with a fair amount of trepidation: "Miss, time to get up." Last night, afraid that Nanny Zhou would grow suspicious, she hadn't dared to linger and had returned to her room early.But she hadn't slept well either. Thinking of her young miss sharing a room with that strange man, she was overcome with panic.Why save that man at all? If he sullied the young miss's reputation, how would she ever marry in the future? Better to have left him outside to fend for himself.But recalling the icy look in that man's eyes, she ultimately didn't dare voice such thoughts."Miss." She bit her lip and knocked again in a lowered voice: "Miss, please get up now." Her young miss had always loved to sleep in; sometimes when Banxia couldn't wake her, Nanny Zhou would come over.Banxia tried her utmost to keep her voice low, terrified that Nanny Zhou might hear and come.Inside the room, Yinzhen stepped forward with hushed footsteps. The water-blue bed curtain beside the couch was let down, faintly revealing the quilt embroidered with lotus flowers and leaves within.Through a veil of plain gauze, the figure within seemed still to be asleep, hazy and indistinct."Miss, you can't sleep in any longer—please get up!"The maidservant outside continued to call. Yinzhen glanced at the bed—this young girl slept far too soundly. With all that commotion, she showed not the slightest reaction."Miss! If you don't get up, Nanny Zhou will be coming!"Judging by the maid's words, this young lady was clearly accustomed to sleeping in. Yinzhen found it both exasperating and amusing, but he couldn't afford to worry about propriety now. He went over to rouse her: "Time to get up."He reached out and gently pushed through the bed curtain.The person on the bed let out a soft whimper, coaxing: "Banxia, don't bother me. Just a moment—I'll sleep just a little longer." As she spoke, she pulled the quilt higher and rolled over, turning her back to him.The curtain was as thin as gauze. Even if he hadn't wished to look, being this close, he saw clearly. The plain thin blanket draped over her outlined a slender waist.Her white sleeping robe had ridden up as she slept, revealing a snow-white wrist.Yinzhen quickly lowered his head.Petulant, prone to little tantrums, and now a habitual late sleeper on top of it all. He felt that in just one day, he had seen through this person before him completely.She was a woman unlike any he had ever encountered—sincere, forthright, and endearing.He let out an involuntary chuckle. Fearing that someone outside might hear, he moved closer to call her, but as he neared the bedside, a rich fragrance of lotus blossoms surged into his nostrils.The scent was not unfamiliar in the least—it was like wandering into a lotus pond, clear and natural, as if someone had placed fresh lotus flowers right before your face.Yinzhen furrowed his brow and looked around. Though it was the sixth month, when lotus flowers bloomed at their fullest, there were no lotus flowers in this room. So where was this fragrance coming from?It was fresh—not a scent that could be produced by incense. And with mountains all around, how could lotus flowers exist in such a place?"Miss—" Banxia leaned against the doorframe, feeling as though she might cry.He quickly snapped back to attention, murmured an apology to the figure on the bed, then reached out and tickled the young girl's lower back.Though separated by the bed curtain, the fleeting sensation of touch was still unbelievably smooth. Yinzhen's outstretched hand recoiled, then he applied a bit more force."It tickles…" Ye Nanyuan knew she could no longer pretend to be asleep. She squirmed and whimpered: "It tickles… Nanny, I'm sorry, I'll get up right now."Her voice carried the accent of most Jiangnan women—too soft, too gentle—and combined with the groggy pleas of someone just waking, it was enough to make one's lower abdomen tighten.Yinzhen's gaze darkened. He quickly turned around and tossed out a few stiff words: "Get up now."On the bed, Ye Nanyuan looked at the rigid figure before her and let out a cold laugh. The Buddha Lotus mark within her body condensed a single drop of flower dew each day, which was absorbed into her being.Thus, every morning, the lotus fragrance permeating her body was at its most potent. When she moved, the scent seemed to come alive, burrowing straight into one's nostrils.Radiant and resplendent, alluring yet not seductive.But some men were, after all, creatures who thought with their lower halves. The more delicate and innocent you appeared, the more it peeled open the protective and possessive instincts buried within their hearts.So even the Fourth Prince, renowned in the outside world for keeping his distance from women, fell for this as well?She let out a soft laugh. Beneath her cold eyes, the corners of her crimson lips curved downward into a mocking smile.The bed had been silent for a long while. Yinzhen took a deep breath and looked over—the young girl was still lying on the bed, rubbing her eyes. He deliberately turned away, avoiding the lotus fragrance that stirred his heart.Lowering his voice, he said calmly, “Your maidservant has been calling for you for quite some time now. If you don’t get up soon, she’ll be in tears.”“My maidservant?” The young girl rubbed her eyes, clearly still lost in a dream. But a moment later, her hand froze mid-motion, and she abruptly lifted her head.The bed curtain was too thin, faintly translucent—even with just the corner of his eye, Yinzhen could see her face change color in an instant.“Wh-Why is it you?” Her cheeks flushed crimson. “Then… was it you who tickled me just now?” As she spoke, she covered her slender waist with her hand, her big, watery eyes filled with utter disbelief.Yinzhen coughed. He was rather innocent in this too. “I called for you but couldn’t wake you, so I had no choice but to take the liberty.”“You’re lying.”Ye Nanyuan had just woken up, her hair a mess, and the veil on her face was nowhere to be found. She tilted her chin up and argued in a soft, coquettish voice, “How could you not wake me up? It must be that your voice was too soft.”Just awakened, her righteous tone carried a hint of drowsy languor—not the least bit convincing.“Besides, if you couldn’t wake me, that’s certainly not my fault. It should be because you didn’t try hard enough. Otherwise, how could you fail to wake me?”There wasn’t a shred of logic in her words, yet she had the nerve to say them out loud. What thick skin!The Fourth Prince felt both amused and exasperated. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at her. The veil on her face was gone, and though he couldn’t make out her exact features through the bed curtain, he could see her silhouette clearly.She looked like a beauty in the making.He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are the red spots on your face gone?”On the bed, Ye Nanyuan seemed to just realize something. She hurriedly grabbed her veil and put it on. “No, they’re not gone at all! You must have seen wrong.”Her face was, of course, perfectly fine—with a drop of flower dew each day, there wasn’t even a trace of a mark, let alone a rash.But for now, she couldn’t let it show.The more suspicious she seemed, the more curious others would become.Yinzhen found this amusing. Even through the curtain, he could see her guilt—her eyes darting left and right, not knowing where to look.Yet clearly, he had seen just now that her face didn’t look like it had red spots as it did yesterday.Could there be some unspeakable secret? Or perhaps she was ugly and felt insecure?“The face is a reflection of the heart.” Thanks to this young girl’s help these past two days, Yinzhen couldn’t help but offer some words of comfort. “You don’t need to care too much about your appearance. Whether one is born beautiful or not is decided by heaven.”“Character is what matters most.”“Mm… so you’re saying you take me for an ugly woman?” She wore her veil, kneeling half-upright, her eyes full of liveliness. “Actually… let me tell you a secret, sir.”He turned to look at her.She lifted the bed curtain and looked up.Half of her body emerged from beneath the plain lotus-leaf patterned quilt, and she raised her eyes to meet his.“Actually, it’s because I’m too beautiful, and men are so easily swayed by looks. I was afraid that once you saw me, you’d fall too deeply for me—that’s why I wear this veil.” She tilted her head, her eyes mischievous and sparkling.If he hadn’t caught a glimpse of her face covered in red spots yesterday, he might have actually believed her.He shook his head, not taking it seriously, assuming she was just joking. “Alright, get up quickly. Your maidservant is about to jump out of her skin with worry.”She used the curtain to cover her body, blinked her eyes—the red mole at the corner of her eye strikingly alluring—and said, “Then I’ll trouble you, sir, to open the door for me. Nanyuan hasn’t washed up yet, so I’m too embarrassed to go down.”“Nanyuan.”As Yinzhen pulled open the door and walked back, the two syllables unconsciously lingered on his lips.
Banxia was attending to Ye Nanyuan’s washing. Through a screen, the sounds of water and conversation could be heard clearly.The maidservant lowered her voice, afraid someone might overhear: “Miss, you’ve already taken that man in for a day now. Today, you must make him leave.”“If the matron finds out, this servant’s life will be forfeit.”“I know, Banxia.” The young girl was surprisingly easygoing, her voice sweet, looking utterly unconcerned. “Once his wounds heal, I’ll naturally let him go. Don’t worry.”Her tone was soft and gentle, almost like she was coaxing.Banxia couldn’t hold out against that. She muttered a few words under her breath, then couldn’t help but ask, “Then… last night, how did the two of you sleep?”“What do you mean, how did we sleep?”The young girl let out a soft hum, her words slightly slurred as she murmured, “N-Naturally, I slept on the bed, and the gentleman slept on the floor.”“That’s more like it.” Banxia relaxed a little, then, as if remembering something, glanced behind her and lowered her voice further. “Men and women should keep their distance. Miss, don’t go falling for that man just because he’s handsome.”"I've never seen you treat any man this well before, Miss." In the past, when Ye Nanyuan had disguised herself as a man in Jiangnan, she was bold enough to storm the Spring Breeze Pavilion—unrestrained and carefree.Relying on her skill of turning flowers into floral dew, she had made the Bright Moon Pavilion thrive. The wine brewed there was worth more than gold, and the owner was harder to meet than ten thousand in gold. When had she ever held any man in regard?Now, this inexplicable man had appeared, and her mistress's attitude had changed drastically—of course she was worried.Banxia's voice was kept low, but the dissatisfaction and concern in her tone were still audible: "That man is only handsome, and besides, he's so old. Anyone can tell he has wives and concubines at home. Miss, you must not lose your head.""If it comes to that, even if you punish me, Miss, I'll still tell Nanny Zhou."No matter how soft the voices inside the room were, they couldn't escape Yinzhen's deliberate attention. He had been listening as if it were a joke, but after those words, the faint sound of water inside suddenly stopped.Thinking of something, he furrowed his brow and turned his head.It was a long while before sounds emerged from behind the screen again."Don't tell Nanny." The voice was even lower than before, so hushed it was barely more than a whisper: "Besides, I know he has a wife.""What do I like about him? Like him?"The young girl gave a light snort. "I just think he's pitiful. With that lame leg, if he were thrown out, he'd surely be torn apart by wolves. Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda—a good deed a day."The words were spoken with unusual firmness, without a hint of hesitation.Because he had trained in martial arts, his hearing was far sharper than most. Though her voice was low, he caught every word clearly.He felt relieved at first. This whole affair had been an accident, and the young girl was his savior. If she had developed feelings for him, he truly wouldn't have known how to handle it.But afterward, a faint displeasure crept into his heart. Hadn't the girl said last night that he was handsome? Then why shouldn't she like him?
Presumably to avoid suspicion, the young girl had gone out and not returned. Instead, it was her little maidservant who came to attend to his washing.Yinzhen had been accustomed to being waited on his entire life, so commanding someone else's servant girl didn't embarrass him in the slightest.The whole of yesterday had been chaos and tension, but after washing up now, he felt much more at ease—except that his clothes were still sticky."Where is your mistress?"It had been light for quite some time now. At this rate, the people searching for him should arrive soon.The young girl had saved him yesterday, and Yinzhen wanted to express his thanks in person before taking his leave.But the moment he spoke, the little maidservant looked at him with suspicion, as if afraid he harbored some ill intent. She gave him a thorough once-over before saying, "Our mistress is indisposed. If you have something to say, say it to me."For the first time, Yinzhen felt he was being treated like a thief. It was a rather novel sensation.He rubbed his brow in exasperation, too lazy to argue with the little maid. He waved the back of his hand outward and commanded, "Leave."Banxia was fuming with anger, but looking at that face, she dared not talk back. There was a pressure about the man that inspired fear from the depths of one's heart.She didn't dare disobey in the slightest. Picking up the basin, she stormed out in a huff: "Stay in the room. I'll close the door for you. Just don't come out."With a creak, the door was shut.Yinzhen surveyed the room. Seeing it in daylight was different from seeing it at night. Every ornament and arrangement appeared plain and simple, yet not a single piece was ordinary.He had grown up surrounded by treasures. Anything that caught his eye was certainly of the finest quality.Yesterday there had been too much going on for him to think deeply, but now that he considered it, the young girl's origins must be extraordinary to afford such treasures. He idly toyed with a small jade incense burner carved with auspicious patterns, then set it down and walked onward.The room was quite large. Past the screen, a crystal bead curtain divided the study from the inner chamber.No one was in the room. Feeling somewhat bored, he soon walked into the study.Compared to the inner chamber, the study was rather messy. Yinzhen's gaze swept over a white jade inkstone and a purple sable-hair brush. Recalling the young girl's handwriting from yesterday, he genuinely felt these treasures were wasted on her.He shook his head with a soft chuckle and prepared to find a book to pass the time.The young girl's bookshelf held few serious books. Instead, it was stocked with numerous play scripts—titles like The Village Widow, The Marquis's Daughter and the Poor Scholar, and The Scholar and the Fox Spirit."What nonsense is all this?" Yinzhen's fingers rifled through the books. Just as he bent down, his body froze.Through the gaps between the books, several paintings hung behind the bookshelf. One of them he recognized at a glance.It was Zhu Song's Twin Eagles on a Snowy Shore.His Imperial Father was fond of Zhu Song's paintings, so Yinzhen had secretly sent people searching for this piece for over half a year. Recently, he had heard it had appeared in Jiangnan. He had originally dispatched men to purchase it immediately as a birthday gift for his Imperial Father.Just as his men went over, the painting was already gone.The road to Jiangnan was long, and he couldn't very well track down whoever had snatched it out from under him. No matter how furious he was, he had to swallow it down—which was why he'd ended up sending an odd stone for the Emperor's birthday instead.Though it had been carefully prepared, it still wasn't as good as giving something that catered to his tastes.Not to mention, the gift had clashed with the Ninth Prince's—he'd sent the same thing and been outdone. Whether the Emperor leaving the capital and leaving only the Crown Prince and him behind had anything to do with this incident was still hard to say.Yinzhen circled around to the back of the bookshelf and examined it closely. He'd seen Zhu Song's paintings before. This one, in terms of brushwork and force, appeared to be genuine.But then why would this Pair of Eagles on a Snowy Beach be here? He turned the jade thumb ring on his finger and began to speculate. The last place this painting had appeared was Jiangnan.And this young girl was from Jiangnan too. Could it be such a coincidence that she was the one who'd bought it?His relaxed brow furrowed again.He didn't step out until he heard footsteps at the doorway. The moment he emerged, he ran straight into the young girl slipping in mysteriously. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up. "There you are.""Yes. I had nothing to do, so I was just wandering around." He raised the book in his hand as if to demonstrate.But the moment the young girl caught sight of the book in his hand, a flush of shyness immediately crept over her face. Yinzhen froze, glanced down, and felt a flicker of awkwardness.He'd grabbed it at random in his haste—who knew he'd happen to pick up Picking Up a Man to Be My Husband? No need to even open it; the title alone said everything about its contents."I just picked it at random." He set the book down without changing his expression.The young girl lowered her head and nodded, her ears quietly turning red. "It's fine," she murmured. Then, right in front of him, she pulled something out from her sleeve.She peeled back the handkerchief wrapped around it layer by layer, revealing a palm-sized white steamed bun inside."You must be hungry—you haven't eaten since last night." The bun was still warm. She held it out to him. "Breakfast won't be ready for a while. I just snuck this out of the kitchen for you. Have a bite to tide you over."She pressed the bun into his palm. Yinzhen brought it up to look at it, hesitating for a moment.But the young girl grew anxious at once. Seeing his expression, she thought he was afraid. "I already told you, it's not poisoned.""If you don't believe me, I'll take a bite to show you." As she spoke, before he could react, she rose onto her tiptoes, lifted the bottom edge of her veil, and took a bite of the bun he was holding up.A whiff of lotus fragrance drifted over. The lifted veil revealed a jade-like chin beneath.Pale and delicate, without a trace of the red marks from last night—instead, it was remarkably refined, beautiful, so white it dazzled the eyes, with a faint, almost jade-like quality.Yinzhen's brow arched slightly, his gaze fixed on her face. But the veil only lifted for a moment before quickly falling back down."Eat it." On the snow-white, round bun was a curved bite mark—small, crescent-shaped, like a moon missing a sliver.Yinzhen looked at the bun, then stared at Ye Nanyuan with a faint smile.The young girl swallowed the bun in her mouth. Seeing his expression, her face flushed so red it seemed to steam, even the red mole at the corner of her eye turning a bewitching crimson.Her eyes flickered, and she didn't dare glance his way at all. "I… I… I, I forgot.""Nur… nurse said that men and women should not touch. I… I'll go back and steal you a fresh one."She turned to leave, but Yinzhen called out from behind her."No need." As he spoke, he lowered his head.The bun was only palm-sized. He took a bite that consumed most of it in one go, right beside the mark she'd left—another crescent-shaped bite, mirroring hers.