By the time the two finished eating, the stall was already sparsely filled with people.
On their way back to where the carriage was parked, Li Wanran’s steps were halted by a vendor selling puppies. She couldn’t help but stop and watch them for a long while.
The old man selling the dogs had skin darkened by the sun. He wore a straw hat and clothes that were faded from washing, covered in several patches. His hands were thick with calluses, marking him clearly as a farmer.
In the cage before him were three puppies, all common local breeds. One was entirely black, one entirely yellow, and the last was white with two yellow, triangular ears. They sat obediently in a row, wagging their tails and looking quite happy. Seeing Li Wanran standing before them, they showed no fear; instead, they wagged their tails even more vigorously.
The sight was enough to melt anyone’s heart, making one want to pack them all up and take them home. The aesthetic peak of these local dogs was undoubtedly during their puppyhood. Looking at their moist, puppy-dog eyes, Li Wanran’s heart was instantly struck.
Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be quite as cute once they grew up. Thinking of their adult forms, she looked at the three well-behaved puppies with a hint of regret. She suddenly recalled a buck-toothed local dog she had seen on the roadside during a part-time job in her previous life and couldn’t help but let out a snicker.
Seeing her laugh so happily, the old man assumed she wanted to buy. Noting her expensive attire, which suggested she came from a wealthy family, he smiled cautiously. “If the Lady likes them, why not take one back? They can guard your home and courtyard when they grow up.”
Li Wanran didn’t say whether she would buy them or not. She simply leaned down, her eyes full of anticipation as she reached out a slender, fair finger, wanting to touch a puppy. The pups seemed to sense her affection; they scrambled to the front of the cage, yapping and barking playfully.
Just as she was about to touch them, Yinzhen, standing beside her, suddenly reached out and pulled her back a bit. “Be careful.”
Su Peisheng also looked worried. “It’s better to keep your distance, Lady. These pups haven’t been trained; what if they bite you?”
In his opinion, if Li Gege really wanted to raise a dog, she should wait until they returned to the palace and have someone pick one from the Imperial Cat and Dog Room. Not only would they be gentle-tempered, but their appearance would also be far superior to these pups.
The old man, hoping to make a sale, saw their misunderstanding and hurriedly waved his hands in explanation. “No, no, these puppies are very well-behaved. They are very friendly and never bite.”
He could tell these people were of noble status. The lady who seemed interested in the puppies also looked very kind-hearted. Regardless of which one they bought, they would surely treat it well. That way, the puppy would have a good home, and he could rest easy while earning some money to help his family.
He had raised the mother of these puppies since she was small. To be honest, in his heart, these pups were no different from his own grandchildren. If it weren’t for the fact that his wife was sick and they had no money for medicine, he would never have had the heart to bring them out to sell. The old man lowered his head silently, sighing secretly as he looked at the oblivious puppies in the cage, a touch of reluctance in his eyes.
Although Li Wanran was tempted, she grew quiet as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her heart when she realized her small courtyard didn’t have enough space for a dog to run around. Furthermore, the Primary Fujin would be moving in soon. There was no need for her to do anything too conspicuous and risk offending her superior as soon as she arrived.
Yinzhen, who had been watching her, didn’t miss the change in her expression. He thought she was hesitating because his previous warning made her think he disapproved. His gaze fell on the chubby, silly-looking puppies. His long eyelashes flickered slightly as he spoke nonchalantly, “If you like them, you can pick one to take back.”
Hearing this, Li Wanran’s surprise turned into joy, but she voiced her concern: “But dogs like to run around freely. If I take one back, it won’t have any place to run.”
More importantly, she didn’t want to cause trouble. However, she looked at the puppies with great reluctance. Though the owner seemed to care for them, one could never know a person’s heart. What if he couldn’t sell them and ended up selling them to a restaurant instead? Even if she was overthinking it, there was always a “what if.”
Seeing the situation, Su Peisheng reached for the purse on his person, standing quietly by to pay. He knew that even if Li Gege hesitated, the Fourth Master would surely buy them for her. He mused to himself: The Prince’s Quarters are huge; a little dog could run for three days and nights without seeing it all. Forget three—ten wouldn’t be a problem!
Yinzhen and Su Peisheng were on the same wavelength. Seeing the troubled and reluctant look on Li Wanran’s face, he slowly fingered his prayer beads and offered a solution. His deep, cool voice sounded like celestial music to her ears: “In that case, why not buy them and keep them at the manor first?”
That way, they could run freely, and she could visit them when she had time. If she still wanted them later, she could bring them to his private residence once he moved out of the palace in a few years.
Li Wanran’s eyes lit up. She had been foolish; Yinzhen naturally owned several manors. Seeing that he wasn’t joking, she happily waved her hand and bought all three puppies, then had Su Peisheng arrange for someone to take them to the manor.
As they watched the old man—who was thanking them repeatedly—and the puppies disappear into the distance, Li Wanran and Yinzhen continued their walk back. Behind them, Su Peisheng shrugged; he knew it.
On the third floor of a tavern to their left, two men leaned against a window, having witnessed the entire scene.
Watching Yinzhen’s back, the Third Prince tapped his fan against the windowsill and teased, “Old Fourth usually looks so serious and upright, but it turns out he has his romantic moments with a beauty in private.”
He remembered a time he and Old Fourth had gone on an official mission. Local officials had offered them beauties, not asking for anything specific but simply wanting to establish a connection. He had been happily ready to accept, but Old Fourth had not only righteously refused on the spot but also scolded the official severely. This made the Third Prince too embarrassed to accept any either, and he had to grit his teeth and send them back.
He had thought Old Fourth truly didn’t care for feminine charms, the Third Prince thought with a playful smirk. It turned out he simply already had a charming beauty by his side, so it was no wonder he looked down on those common women.
The Eldest Prince, having finished watching the spectacle, turned back to the table and smiled. “No matter what, he’s still a man.” Not to mention the woman beside Old Fourth; though her face wasn’t clear, her silhouette from a distance was enough to tell she was a beauty. Even he felt a bit stirred by that slender, graceful figure. He tilted his head back and drained his cup. Old Fourth is quite lucky with women.
He hadn’t expected to run into this scene while inviting the Third Prince out for a drink today. After his brief observation, the Eldest Prince pushed the matter to the back of his mind; he didn’t care about Old Fourth’s private life. He turned and impatiently urged the Third Prince, “They’re long gone. What are you still looking at, Third? Get back here; the wine isn’t finished yet.”
“Next time I see Old Fourth, I must tease him about this. I want to see if he can keep that cold face then,” the Third Prince said as he sat back down, his eyes full of anticipation.
As the day grew later, the orange glow of twilight gradually faded into darkness. Once inside the carriage, Li Wanran sat with her eyes half-closed, leaning on Yinzhen’s shoulder to rest as they prepared to return to the palace.
However, when she stepped out of the carriage, she didn’t see the familiar palace walls of the Forbidden City. Instead, she saw a lake with many lanterns floating on its surface, and a wooden boat moored by the shore. The cool moonlight shone down, and the shimmering lake surface reflected the light onto them.
She turned to Yinzhen in surprise. “Where is this? Master Fourth, aren’t we going back to the palace?” It was late; if they didn’t return soon, they might miss the palace curfew.
Using the darkness as cover, Yinzhen took Li Wanran’s hand and led her onto the boat. “It won’t be too late to go back in a while.”
Under the starry night, the small boat swayed gently in the middle of the lake, surrounded only by the flickering candlelight of the floating lanterns. Only Li Wanran and Yinzhen were on the boat, along with an oarsman. Su Peisheng had disappeared since Li Wanran stepped out of the carriage.
The two sat at the bow. Li Wanran extended her fair, jade-like arm over the side, trying to reach the nearest lantern. Her movements sent ripples across the cool water. “All these lanterns… did you have someone prepare them?” she asked playfully while splashing the water.
She couldn’t think of any special occasion today. No, wait—it was her birthday. That was a special day, at least for her. To her surprise, Yinzhen actually admitted it. He sat across from her with his knees bent, nodding casually. His tone was nonchalant, as if he were simply remarking on the weather. “Yes. A birthday gift.”
Li Wanran’s hand froze in the water. She slowly withdrew her arm, looked at the lanterns on the surface, and then at Yinzhen, still finding it hard to believe. “For me?”
Yinzhen looked up at her steadily. Just as he was about to speak, the faint sound of a whistle came from the shore. Hearing it, the corners of his mouth curled into a slight arc, and his eyes filled with a smile. “Look up.”
A cool breeze blew through their hair at just the right moment. Their eyes met, and it felt as though an eternity had passed in a few seconds. Following his words, Li Wanran subconsciously looked up in confusion. At that exact moment, with a whish, flowers of various colors suddenly exploded in the sky that had previously held only the moon and stars. Her clear eyes were instantly lit with color.
On the shore, passersby drawn by the sound of the fireworks looked at the sky in amazement, wondering which wealthy young master had spent such a fortune.
On the boat, the continuous sound of fireworks filled Li Wanran’s ears, and it felt as though her heart was being filled as well. Yinzhen stood and came before her, gently caressing her cheek. “Do you like what you see?” he asked softly.
He had instructed Su Peisheng to arrange all of this tonight. He wanted to give the Li girl a memorable birthday. There was no specific reason; he simply wanted to do it, and so he had given the order.
Li Wanran was dazed by the fireworks. With teary eyes, she looked at Yinzhen and then suddenly kissed him on the cheek. The warmth of her skin touched him for only a brief second before she pulled away. This was her answer.
Yinzhen’s gaze darkened, but he said nothing, simply staying with her at the bow to watch the rest of the display in silence. As the fireworks faded, Yinzhen led her into the boat cabin.
The moment they entered, Li Wanran met Yinzhen’s intense, inscrutable gaze. She bit her lip, closed her eyes, and leaned in to suck on his thin lips. In this moment, she wanted to indulge her emotions briefly and stop reminding herself to stay rational.
At first, Yinzhen was stunned. Wasn’t this what he was supposed to do? But he quickly took the lead, pressing her down onto the wooden floorboards.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Wanran’s hair was disheveled and her shoulders were partially bared. Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her eyes were misty and shimmering. Her moist red lips were stained, and when Yinzhen pulled away, she subconsciously opened her mouth slightly to follow him. She unintentionally exuded a seductive aura, looking very much like a fox-spirit capable of easily enchanting men’s hearts.
Yinzhen took a deep breath and slowly sat up. He used his cool fingers to gently wipe the sweat from her forehead, then helped her sit up and began to fasten her messy clothes one by one.
“Master Fourth?” Li Wanran didn’t understand why he had suddenly stopped. Her eyes surreptitiously glanced at his lower body. Is something wrong? Well, she didn’t notice anything. But that… seemed even more suspicious.
Sensing her gaze, Yinzhen discreetly shifted his position and reached out to turn her head away. In a husky voice, he said, “Tidy your hair. It’s time to return to the palace.”
Hearing this, Li Wanran had no time for idle thoughts. She looked at the sky outside and hurried to fix her hair. By then, the boat had reached the shore. Su Peisheng was already waiting, holding two cloaks. He quickly draped them over the couple as soon as he saw them. “The night dew is heavy, Master; you must be careful not to catch a cold.”
By the time they returned to the Prince’s Quarters, the night was late. As soon as they arrived, Yinzhen had urgent business to attend to in his study. Before leaving, he touched Li Wanran’s hair and told her he would return shortly.
Banxia, seeing her return, immediately prepared hot water for her bath. She asked if she was hungry or wanted anything to eat, bustling about busily.
After Li Wanran lay down in bed, the maid asked softly, “Gege, aren’t you going to wait for the Fourth Master?” At the door, she had heard him say he would be back. The Master seemed to like her mistress more and more, Banxia thought with a smile. Especially after today, when he had taken her out for her birthday—that was something even the most favored consorts in the inner palace didn’t get. Thinking of this, the Emperor… Realizing she was thinking of something she shouldn’t, Banxia shook her head, not daring to continue that train of thought. Banxia, you are getting bolder and bolder.
Li Wanran, closing her eyes to invite sleep, had no idea what startling things her maid was imagining. She mumbled, “It’s so late; he’ll likely just sleep in the study.”
Back in the palace, she had switched back to her old state of mind, not placing too much expectation on him. She then told Banxia to go to sleep as well. “It’s late; you go sleep too. Don’t worry about me.” Banxia thought Li Wanran might be right and, with a soft reply, quietly exited the room.
In the middle of the night, while Li Wanran was half-asleep, a warm body suddenly pressed against her. She struggled slightly. “Why have you come so late?”
“Did I not say I would return when I left? I wouldn’t break my word to you on your birthday,” Yinzhen whispered, pulling her into his arms.