Di Shengyue had anticipated many reactions from Xiao Yinxue, but she never expected Xiao Yinxue to get angry over this matter.
The thought of Xiao Yinxue being angry because she was worried about her filled Di Shengyue’s heart with warmth.
How could she not love a Xiao Yinxue like this?
“Princess,” Di Shengyue called out softly, turning her hand to tightly grasp Xiao Yinxue’s palm, intending to pull her into her embrace.
“Hmph, it’s because I’ve indulged you too much lately that you’ve become so bold, always doing things that make me angry.” Xiao Yinxue glared at Di Shengyue, preparing to pull her hand back.
As if she had accidentally brushed against the wound on Di Shengyue’s hand, Di Shengyue let out a soft “hiss,” her brows furrowing even tighter.
The seriousness on Xiao Yinxue’s face immediately broke. She anxiously grabbed Di Shengyue’s wrist, looking distressedly at the injury on her hand: “Did I hurt you?”
The corners of Di Shengyue’s mouth subtly curved up. She had fought in battles and suffered wounds far more severe than this; a few mere scratches were nothing to her.
However, playing the pitiful card proved exceptionally effective on Xiao Yinxue.
Although the cuts on Di Shengyue’s fingers were tiny, they were quite deep, and beads of blood kept oozing out.
Xiao Yinxue naturally knew how difficult the thin thread of the pearl bracelet was to break.
Di Shengyue had forcefully ripped the thread apart using her bare fingers.
Xiao Yinxue dared not touch the small cuts with force anymore. She could only lower her head and gently blow on the wounds.
“Does it hurt?” Xiao Yinxue lovingly caressed the wounds, using a silk handkerchief to lightly wipe away the blood beads.
Xiao Yinxue’s gentle words were like a small stone dropped into Di Shengyue’s heart, stirring up ripples.
She had spent many years on the battlefield, always tending to her own wounds; no one had ever cared whether she was in pain.
With Xiao Yinxue’s words, Di Shengyue felt as if her heart was tightly wrapped in warm sunlight.
Di Shengyue lowered her head slightly and could see Xiao Yinxue’s long, fluttering eyelashes.
The soft pads of her fingers brushed across Di Shengyue’s fingertips, bringing a subtle, itching sensation.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Di Shengyue said, reaching out her other hand to embrace Xiao Yinxue’s shoulder, pulling her completely into her arms. Inhaling her faint, fresh scent, Di Shengyue said, “Princess, for you, I am willing.”
Her words were filled with boundless tenderness.
Hearing this, Xiao Yinxue’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“My… my mother’s palace has wound medicine. I’ll take you to apply it.” Xiao Yinxue led Di Shengyue by the hand towards the Fengxi Palace, where the Empress Dowager resided.
Fengxi Palace was very quiet, with few palace servants coming and going.
After the Empress’s passing, the Emperor, wanting to show outsiders how highly he regarded her, did not bestow Fengxi Palace upon anyone else. Instead, he allowed Xiao Yinxue to continue living there, served by the old nanny who had attended to the Empress since childhood.
After Xiao Yinxue married and had her own Princess’s Residence, she took most of the palace staff with her, leaving behind only a few cleaning servants.
Xiao Yinxue led Di Shengyue straight to the late Empress’s sleeping chamber, pulling out a small porcelain bottle and a small round box from a casket.
She uncorked the porcelain bottle, dipped her index finger into a bit of the powdered medicine, and gently rubbed it onto the cuts on Di Shengyue’s fingers.
The powder on the wounds caused a stinging pain.
Di Shengyue instinctively trembled her hand slightly, but she quickly suppressed the reaction.
Xiao Yinxue keenly noticed this subtle movement from Di Shengyue.
Her movements became even lighter and slower as she gently massaged around the wounds and said softly, “Bear with it for a moment. This medicine is the most effective. When I was very young and accidentally fell and hurt myself, the old nanny serving in the palace applied this powder, and the pain stopped right away.”
Di Shengyue wanted to say she wasn’t afraid of pain, but seeing Xiao Yinxue’s earnest expression, her multitude of words stopped at her mouth, finally turning into a soft “Mm.”
After tending to the wounds on her hand, Xiao Yinxue looked up at the scratch on Di Shengyue’s cheek.
The cut on Di Shengyue’s cheek was very shallow and had already clotted by now, but the long line spoiled her beautiful features.
Xiao Yinxue reached out to lightly stroke the wound, feeling the uneven texture under her fingertips, and complained, “You really are something. With martial arts as strong as yours, why couldn’t you dodge it?”
“If I hadn’t used a little trick of self-harm, how could I have blown the matter up?” Di Shengyue took Xiao Yinxue’s hand and said, “Those people are not kind-hearted individuals. Since they set a trap, they wouldn’t let you get away so easily.”
Xiao Yinxue knew this was true, but seeing the wounds on Di Shengyue’s body, her heart ached nonetheless.
Xiao Yinxue lowered her head, twisted open the lid of the Jade Snow Balm, and dug out a blob of transparent grease with her fingertip, meticulously rubbing the ointment into Di Shengyue’s cheek: “This Jade Snow Balm is the best for removing scars.”
The grease felt faintly cool and very comfortable when applied to the cheek.
The feeling of being cherished and cared for was truly wonderful.
“Princess, if I can always be cared for by you like this, any amount of injury would be worth it,” Di Shengyue said.
Hearing this, Xiao Yinxue’s eyes flashed with a hint of annoyance.
Her slender index finger traced from Di Shengyue’s cheek to her nose, and Xiao Yinxue lightly tapped the tip of Di Shengyue’s nose, saying, “I haven’t settled the score with you yet! You are not allowed to hurt yourself again, do you hear me!”
“Your wish is my command, my Princess,” Di Shengyue said, her eyes full of deep affection.
Xiao Yinxue’s cheeks flushed crimson from the gaze. She lowered her head and put the lid back on the Jade Snow Balm.
She spoke in a very quiet voice, “Thank you for what you did today.”
If it hadn’t been for Di Shengyue today, she would likely have been saddled with the wicked reputation of bullying her siblings again.
Although she didn’t care about these things, seeing someone willing to go to such lengths for her still made Xiao Yinxue very happy inside.
Di Shengyue reached out and covered Xiao Yinxue’s mouth, saying, “You are not allowed to say thank you. Protecting one’s wife is only right and proper.”
Xiao Yinxue’s cheeks flushed even more, even her earlobes were burning red.
She grasped Di Shengyue’s hand, her eyes, filled with shyness, feigned annoyance as she looked at her and said, “You are becoming more and more presumptuous, daring to even command me.”
“Princess, I am only presumptuous with you,” Di Shengyue said, reversing her grip on Xiao Yinxue’s hand and leaning closer to her.
She was extremely close to Xiao Yinxue, her nose brushing against Xiao Yinxue’s nose, and her hot breath fanning Xiao Yinxue’s cheek.
Di Shengyue’s gaze towards her was so intense that Xiao Yinxue’s heart rate immediately became erratic.
She wanted to escape, but she couldn’t bring herself to.
Xiao Yinxue’s completely red face was like a ripe red apple, tempting one to take a bite.
Di Shengyue genuinely did just that.
Her lips gently brushed Xiao Yinxue’s cheek, and her moist tongue lightly licked that ripe apple, making it even more succulent.
Di Shengyue slightly parted her mouth, gently bit into it, and savored the sweetness.
“Princess, you are so sweet,” Di Shengyue said, licking her lower lip and speaking in a low voice.
The blush on Xiao Yinxue’s face grew more vivid.
This Di Shengyue was simply too presumptuous.