Xiao Jinyan gently stroked her face; her fair, smooth skin felt exquisite to the touch.
Even under the faint moonlight, he could clearly see her skin glowing with radiance, and it felt like he was dreaming.
At this moment, taking advantage of her blindness, he easily let down his carefully maintained disguise of Hua Miaomiao, who was already fast asleep. She had no idea she had been discovered, and Xiao Jinyan, seizing the opportunity, shamelessly gazed at her sleeping face, reluctant to close his own eyes.
It had truly been an extraordinary day. Who would have thought his princess consort could be so beautiful? If the Empress knew that the daughter of the Hua family was such a stunning woman, she would probably regret forcing her to marry him!
Xiao Jinyan couldn’t help but think ironically about the Empress’s self-righteousness—only to realize it had ended up benefiting him.
Now that things had reached this point, he suspected the Empress herself never expected that her malicious schemes would actually work in his favor. With this thought, a small, satisfied smile curved across Xiao Jinyan’s lips.
The next morning, Xiao Jinyan was already awake. Before Hua Miaomiao stirred, he greedily looked at her face.
The glimpses of her from the previous night and the delicate gaze under the moonlight had each revealed a different kind of beauty, but now, in the full light of day, he could see her clearly and felt incredibly lucky.
Hua Miaomiao woke up groggily. Every time she woke, it took her a while to gather her bearings, until she realized she was still there and fully alert. Seeing her open her eyes, Xiao Jinyan immediately closed his own.
Hua Miaomiao discovered that she was lying in his arms.
For a moment, she didn’t feel shy at all. While he was still “asleep,” she quietly snuggled closer, taking the opportunity to playfully nudge him. Feeling her movements, Xiao Jinyan relaxed his body in response, and she cheekily pressed herself against him again.
A warmth spread through Xiao Jinyan’s heart, and he couldn’t help but feel secretly delighted. He never expected to receive such a morning blessing—having this little fairy actively throw herself into his arms made him feel overwhelmingly happy.
After taking a deep breath, Hua Miaomiao reluctantly got up. Joyful moments were always short-lived; it was time to rise. She tried to quietly slip out of his embrace, but her long hair caught and she accidentally fell backward—right into his arms again.
Seeing this, Xiao Jinyan could no longer pretend to sleep and feigned a dazed expression, asking, “What happened?” Yet his hands didn’t loosen around her at all.
Hua Miaomiao lifted her head and quickly said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry for waking you!” She tried to sit up in his arms.
“Princess, are you okay?” Xiao Jinyan asked before finally releasing his hold.
Knowing he couldn’t see her, she hurriedly explained, “I’m fine, I just accidentally got my hair caught.”
Honestly, she was still unaccustomed to having such long hair. Ever since she had joined the special forces, she had never grown it out. When she first arrived in this world, it felt particularly strange. Especially here, women’s hairstyles were elaborate. She simply couldn’t manage them herself.
She remembered on her wedding day, when Chunhua and Qiuyue helped style her hair, she had subtly asked about it. In this world, unmarried and married women wore distinct hairstyles, so one could tell a woman’s marital status just by her hair.
As a married woman, she was supposed to wear a “cloud bun,” which was incredibly complicated and required a professional. But during her first few days in the Prince’s mansion, she kept it simple.
Besides the Prince, she held the highest status in the household, so she merely pinned her hair up with a hairpin. More importantly, she felt that no hairstyle could match her beauty, so she didn’t bother.
Xiao Jinyan quietly watched her as she sat on the bed, quickly pinned up her long hair, and got out of bed. Her movements were graceful and decisive, without a trace of refined ladylike stiffness, yet they made his heart skip a beat. If he hadn’t remembered his disguise, he would have struggled to take his eyes off her.
Hua Miaomiao was changing clothes.
The complicated traditional attire was frustrating, layered from inside out.
Fortunately, the wardrobe contained complete matching sets, so she only needed to pick her preferred color and put them on in order.
These clothes were not practical for movement; she had to lift the skirts slightly to walk, otherwise they would drag. As she thought this, she lifted her skirt, executed a perfect side kick, and threw a couple of punches.
Satisfied, she put the sleeves and skirt down again.
Unbeknownst to her, her spirited display had deeply impressed Xiao Jinyan. In their dynasty, women practicing martial arts were rare. Yet the daughter of General Hua was truly formidable. That side kick was powerful, and the punches clearly showed training—most men probably couldn’t match her.
Thinking this, Xiao Jinyan felt a surge of relief. Initially, he had considered hiring two bodyguards for her safety, but now it seemed unnecessary; she could protect herself. Such a remarkable woman—capable of fighting and cooking—was a treasure.
Once Hua Miaomiao finished dressing, she returned to the bed with a gentle smile. “Prince, it’s time to get up. I’ll help you.”
Xiao Jinyan, maintaining his “blind” pretense, reached out his hand and smiled. “Alright.”
She helped him get dressed, taking the opportunity to brush her hands over his abs and give a playful hug while fastening his belt. Today’s “benefits” were fully enjoyed, and Xiao Jinyan could only laugh and shake his head at her little antics—but he secretly loved every one of them. How long could he resist, after all, with such a beauty in his arms, and this beauty being his princess consort? It was a delightful predicament.
Hua Miaomiao had promised to be his eyes. Every action she took was accompanied by her clear, detailed descriptions. Listening to her sweet, melodious voice, Xiao Jinyan felt that even if he were truly blind, having her by his side would make life far from unbearable.
He recalled the time when he was blind, the anger and hatred that had nearly extinguished his will to live. If not for his master’s guidance, he might have sought the most extreme revenge against his brother and mother.
Thinking of this, Xiao Jinyan realized how lucky he was to have encountered two pivotal people at such critical stages of his life.