Jiang Xuerong lowered her almond-shaped eyes, gradually becoming more awake, as a sense of unease continued to bubble up within her.
Attend the bedchamber…
Although Jiang Xuerong didn’t have a complete understanding of what attending the bedchamber entailed, Concubine Mother Zou occasionally mentioned some intimate matters with her father, so she had a rough idea.
She had heard that a woman’s first time would be very painful. Thinking about this, Jiang Xuerong grew fearful.
She didn’t know how painful it would be…
Since childhood, she had always been afraid of pain, finding even minor bumps and scrapes unbearable.
She hoped it wouldn’t be too painful.
Jiang Xuerong adjusted her breathing, trying hard to calm herself, and began to undo Xiao Mingche’s clothes. Perhaps due to nervousness, she couldn’t seem to unfasten them no matter how hard she tried.
The situation was somewhat awkward.
Xiao Mingche lowered his gaze slightly, his vision filled with the woman’s cascading black hair, which fell over her shoulders and swayed gently with her subtle movements.
“Why are you so clumsy?” Xiao Mingche frowned slightly as he spoke.
The moment his words fell, Jiang Xuerong finally managed to undo Xiao Mingche’s belt. She let out a sigh of relief, exhaling softly. A thin layer of sweat had formed on her temples from the tension, glimmering faintly under the lamplight.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I am a bit clumsy,” Jiang Xuerong said apologetically.
Fortunately, the rest of the clothes were easier to remove, and there were no more such awkward moments. Jiang Xuerong smoothly took off Xiao Mingche’s outer robe, leaving only a snow-white inner garment.
Jiang Xuerong sighed in relief but felt somewhat troubled. Was it enough to undress him this far? If she went any further, they would have to face each other bare…
Wouldn’t that be awkward?
As for baring themselves to each other, surely they couldn’t just start standing there. Shouldn’t they at least go to the bed before doing so?
That was what Jiang Xuerong thought, so she stopped and blinked, signaling to Xiao Mingche.
This was Jiang Xuerong’s first time attending the bedchamber, and it was also Xiao Mingche’s first time summoning someone to do so. Xiao Mingche had never been particularly interested in such matters, so he wasn’t entirely sure of the specifics either.
But he had a general idea.
He turned and walked toward the bed.
Jiang Xuerong followed behind him, slowly making her way to the bed.
Earlier, Yin Chan had taken the opportunity to tidy the bedding, so there was no trace of Jiang Xuerong having just slept there. Xiao Mingche lifted a corner of the soft quilt and lay down.
Jiang Xuerong stood in place, hesitating for a moment before climbing into the bed curtains from the other side.
Her somewhat comical crawling motion caught Xiao Mingche’s eye, leaving him with mixed feelings.
As Jiang Xuerong crawled in, her foot accidentally caught on the bed curtain, causing the sheer gauze to slip from its golden hook. Instantly, it enclosed a small, intimate space within the bedchamber, making the air feel thinner.
Jiang Xuerong lay beside Xiao Mingche, her breathing somewhat hurried and her heart beating faster.
Xiao Mingche remained still, waiting for Jiang Xuerong to take the initiative.
In his mind, since he had summoned her to attend the bedchamber, it was her duty to serve him, so she should be the one to act.
Jiang Xuerong also remained still, waiting for Xiao Mingche to take the lead. After all, she only knew the general idea and assumed Xiao Mingche would know the full process, so it should be up to him.
And so, the two lay quietly, neither speaking a word.
Within the confined space, only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
After a while, Xiao Mingche finally lost patience and turned to look at Jiang Xuerong.
He gazed at her.
Jiang Xuerong noticed Xiao Mingche’s gaze and grew nervous. Was… was it about to begin?
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the soft quilt, crumpling it into a ball, her eyelashes fluttering lightly.
Xiao Mingche noticed her small movement—was she nervous and afraid? Never mind.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned sideways and reached out to pull Jiang Xuerong into his embrace.
Feeling Xiao Mingche’s breath draw near, Jiang Xuerong grew even more tense, clutching the soft quilt even tighter and slowing her breathing. She stared motionlessly at Xiao Mingche, their eyes meeting.
Xiao Mingche could even hear the thunderous beating of her heart.
Not long after, the two faced each other in complete vulnerability.
Though Xiao Mingche appeared refined and fair-skinned, he was far from frail. On the contrary, he was quite robust, having cultivated both literary and martial arts since childhood—adept at composing poetry and skilled in archery.
The impact of such a grown man was utterly unfamiliar to Jiang Xuerong. Her eyelashes fluttered incessantly, and for a moment, she didn’t know where to direct her gaze.
Xiao Mingche felt the same.
Like flowing milk, it instantly filled his vision, bringing an indescribable, peculiar sense of pressure. This feeling was entirely foreign to Xiao Mingche. Since childhood, he had been clever and diligent, excelling at everything he attempted, so most things in his life had come easily to him. Rarely had he experienced such a moment of helplessness.
For a fleeting moment, he even felt dizzy and disoriented.
It was an uncomfortable sensation, further reinforcing Xiao Mingche’s belief that matters between men and women held no appeal.
The two exchanged a glance and, as if by mutual agreement, averted their eyes, avoiding each other’s gaze.
Jiang Xuerong belatedly felt a wave of shyness, her fair cheeks flushing pink, and a thin layer of sweat reappeared at her temples, trickling down her cheeks to her neck.
That drop of sweat caught Xiao Mingche’s eye. He paused for a moment, instinctively lifting his gaze to trace its source, only to see Jiang Xuerong’s appearance at that moment.
He rarely observed a woman’s face so closely. Regardless of their beauty or plainness, women were like passing clouds to him, unworthy of attention.
But now, a thought suddenly sprang to his mind: This woman is exceptionally beautiful.
Xiao Mingche was startled by his own thought and shifted his gaze away again, refusing to dwell on it further.
The night was quiet, the candlelight glowing.
Jiang Xuerong sensed something and grew tense once more. She stammered as she spoke, “Your Highness, could you… be a little gentler…”
Xiao Mingche responded with a faint “Mm,” acknowledging her request.
But this did little to ease Jiang Xuerong’s nervousness, for she felt Xiao Mingche prodding at her thigh. The sensation reminded her of watching her concubine mother prepare fish for cooking—she was the fish on the chopping board, awaiting the final blow.
It was an agonizing feeling.
More beads of sweat formed on Jiang Xuerong’s body.
Xiao Mingche was also growing impatient. He had always considered himself clever, capable of mastering anything with ease. But now, it seemed he had encountered a challenge.
Tormented beyond endurance, Jiang Xuerong felt her legs turning red and her heart pounding as if it might leap out of her throat. All she wanted was a swift resolution.
She cautiously ventured, “Your Highness, perhaps you could… aim a little better…”
Xiao Mingche glanced up at her, and Jiang Xuerong fell silent again.
Xiao Mingche was also growing anxious, but how could he possibly look down at that moment? It would be too humiliating. He refused to accept such disgrace.
Jiang Xuerong had no choice but to endure the torment a while longer.
After some time, Xiao Mingche finally found his mark, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
But immediately after, Jiang Xuerong grew tense again.
She felt herself being invaded, and it was unsettling.
The glaring discomfort made Jiang Xuerong’s delicate brows furrow tightly. She let out a soft hiss, then couldn’t help but feel her eyes grow moist.
It really hurt…
She thought.
She should probably endure it a little. She’d heard all women went through this once. Jiang Xuerong gritted her teeth.
Xiao Mingche naturally heard her sharp intake of breath and caught a glimpse of her pained expression from the corner of his eye. But he wasn’t feeling too comfortable himself either.
Xiao Mingche tried again, and Jiang Xuerong felt even more pain, unable to hold back a sob.
Xiao Mingche paused and stopped.
“Forget it. Let’s leave it at that,” Xiao Mingche said, lying back down, thoroughly frustrated.
He had thought this should be a simple matter, as easy as eating or drinking, but it seemed not to be the case.
Why was she crying?
Xiao Mingche couldn’t understand it.
Jiang Xuerong hadn’t expected Xiao Mingche to give up halfway either. She looked at his back, afraid he was angry.
She wiped her tears and spoke up, “Perhaps… you could try again… I’ll endure it…”
Xiao Mingche said, “No need. Let’s sleep.”
Jiang Xuerong felt he must be angry. She didn’t know if the consequences of The Crown Prince’s anger would be severe…
Would he never want to see her again?
Well, that wouldn’t be a big deal either. She had already prepared herself for a lifetime without favor.
Never mind.
Sleepiness seemed to wash over her again. Jiang Xuerong’s eyelids grew heavy and drooped. She decided not to think too much anymore, at least not tonight. She should just sleep.
She was truly tired.
Xiao Mingche couldn’t sleep. He was brooding over tonight’s failure. In his nearly perfect life, his tolerance for the word “failure” was very low. He let out a sigh, turned over, and then realized the person beside him had already fallen asleep at some point.
Xiao Mingche felt inexplicably annoyed. How could she fall asleep so quickly?
She should bear a great deal of responsibility for his failure tonight, yet she was sleeping so peacefully?
Xiao Mingche cast a cold glance at that face, but the person in her dreams was, of course, completely unaware, even going so far as to rest her leg on Xiao Mingche’s leg.
Xiao Mingche grew even more irritated. He shook her leg off, moved an inch away himself, and then closed his eyes.
That night, Xiao Mingche did not sleep well and woke up early.
That night, Jiang Xuerong slept extremely well and even had a pleasant dream, dreaming that her concubine mother was stewing fish soup for her.
When Jiang Xuerong woke up, there was no one beside her. Her thoughts were muddled, and she hesitated for a long time. She remembered that The Crown Prince seemed to have come last night…
Yin Chan and Lu Rui, hearing her movements as she got up, pushed the door open and entered, both wearing teasing expressions.
Thinking that Jiang Xuerong must be tired from attending the bedchamber last night, they had deliberately let her sleep in a little longer today and hadn’t disturbed her.
“Congratulations, Chenghui,” Yin Chan said with a smile. She hadn’t expected her young lady to have such great fortune. Perhaps it was true that fools had their own luck.
From their reactions, Jiang Xuerong confirmed that The Crown Prince had indeed come last night and had probably left early. That made sense; he must still be angry.
Jiang Xuerong stretched. If he was angry, so be it. He wouldn’t drive her out of the palace anyway.
A blessing in disguise—she had slept soundly this morning.
She got out of bed to wash up and do her makeup.
For some there was joy, for others sorrow. By morning, the entire Eastern Palace knew that The Crown Prince had favored someone last night. Luo Huier was so furious she smashed a cup in her palace.
"Why her? What does the Crown Prince see in her?" Luo Huier said indignantly.
The maids by her side dared not answer, all bowing their heads in silence.
Luo Huier gritted her teeth and said, "To Mingyu Xuan. I want to see for myself what makes her so special?"