Chapter 199: Chapter 199: 199: Prince Longevity (29)

“Lv Zhu sister, have the Prince and Princess Consort awakened yet?”

Standing outside the room, Lv Zhu glanced at the door and whispered, “Not yet, prepare everything for now, and wait until the Prince and Miss awaken to use them.”

“Alright.”

The servants went down to prepare, and their movements could be heard in the room.

The room was in disarray, Yan Gui pressed his lips against Chuzheng’s brow, and with lips slightly pursed, Chuzheng remained silent, her clear cold eyes filled with a faint mist.

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting the interlaced shadows of the two on the bed curtains.

Finally, the youth hummed gently, his body pressing down, holding Chuzheng tight.

Moments later he started kissing Chuzheng again.

Chuzheng lifted her hand to tuck a stray lock of the youth’s hair behind his ear, “That’s enough, stop it now.”

The girl’s voice carried a measure of restraint, unlike her previous coldness.

The youth’s voice was hoarse, “I’m not messing around.”

Last night she clearly took the lead, and this morning it was only once.

And he could tell, it seemed like she was still not fully awake and didn’t want to move…

Yan Gui felt that in the future, he might only be able to take the lead when she didn’t want to move.

But thinking of what transpired last night, Yan Gui’s throat suddenly felt parched.

Noticing the changes in his body, Chuzheng hurriedly spoke up, “You made such a fuss last night, and you started again this morning. Mind your health.”

“But when I’m with you, time seems to fly so fast, I really wish time could stop right here.”

Yan Gui spoke suggestively, nipping at her earlobe.

Embracing him, Chuzheng said indifferently, “Time won’t stop.”

“…” He obviously knew it wouldn’t.

The youth moved again, and by then Chuzheng had woken from her drowsiness and was not willing to let the youth take the initiative any longer.

The positions were reversed.

The youth let out a soft cry, “I think…”

Chuzheng leaned in, her voice low and suppressed, “Think what? Hmm?”

“…”

The youth pouted in frustration, and soon his thoughts drifted away to nothing.

Yan Gui had always been frail, and Chuzheng truly feared any mishap, so she did not delay too long.

Chuzheng pushed the youth away, got out of bed, put on her clothes, and then let someone bring in water after letting down the bed curtains.

The hot water had been prepared early and was brought into the room swiftly.

With cautious eyes, Lv Zhu gauged Chuzheng’s complexion, “Miss, do you need Lv Zhu’s assistance?”

“No need, you may leave.”

Lv Zhu glanced at the bed curtains and respectfully left the room.

Chuzheng parted the bed curtains.

The youth lay curled up on the bed like an infant, his long hair damp with sweat clinging to his body.

He lifted his moist eyes, like a fawn in the mist of a forest dawn.

Chuzheng bent over to kiss him, then picked him up and placed him into the hot water.

“Don’t hold me like this,” Yan Gui protested.

This was the way one held a girl, and every time, she held him just so.

She was not particularly muscular, yet she possessed so much strength.

Taking his opinion seriously, Chuzheng inquired, “Then how should I hold you?”

“…”

Yan Gui was choked up.

After a while, he asserted, “I am a man; in any case, don’t hold me like that, I can walk on my own…”

“Oh.”

After washing his body, Chuzheng carried him back to bed horizontally.

“…”

By the time the two were dressed and ready, it was almost noon. The youth seemed in good spirits, and there was a spring in his step.

He no longer seemed lethargic; overnight, he appeared to have gained vigor.

“The Prince seems a bit different…” Xiao Guizi mumbled to himself.

Passing by, Lv Zhu hummed softly and under her breath, “Of course, he’s different.”

The Miss treated him so well, and yet he remained the same as before, how could he deserve the Miss?

Xiao Guizi: “…”

–

“Get out!”

Cheng Xiao shattered porcelain all over the floor and dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs.

The wedding of Chuzheng and Prince Jin, when word of it spread in the palace, was an object of envy to all.

And her?

When she entered the palace, she didn’t even have the protocols that a normal consort would have upon her admission.

Why should that woman enjoy such fine treatment, the ten-mile bridal procession…

The ten-mile bridal procession!

The talk of the town, envied by everyone!

She could’ve had a ten-mile bridal procession marrying Ye Yang as well…

But now here she was, flattering a temperamental tyrant.

They were both daughters of the Prince Cheng Residence.

Why had the other been entitled to better things from birth than her?

“I am now Consort Chen,” Cheng Xiao suddenly cooled down. “The most favored lady in the harem. What is Cheng Chuzheng?”

“Someone come!” Cheng Xiao raised her voice.

The awaiting palace maids and eunuchs immediately entered and knelt down.

Cheng Xiao had by then calmed down and regained her elegant and knowledgeable demeanor as Consort Chen.

“Clean this up.”

The great hall was quickly restored to normal.

Cheng Xiao beckoned her personal palace maid and handed her a letter.

–

Three days after the wedding of Prince Cheng’s daughter and Prince Jin, the fervor had not subsided.

The city’s blossoming begonias and the gold leaf and golden beans strewn about the wedding were enough to sustain such zeal.

Some even said that the begonias Chuzheng planted were for Prince Jin.

Otherwise, why did all the begonias in the city bloom just on their wedding day?

Chuzheng: “…”

I’m just squandering the family fortune.

As for why the begonias bloomed on the day of the wedding, it was entirely accidental.

“People outside are saying that you planted those begonias for me,” Yan Gui, who appeared from nowhere, asked with curiosity, “Is it true?”

Chuzheng: “…”

Chuzheng weighed her options and nodded.

Yan Gui’s eyes slightly brightened: “You fancied me even then?”

“…”

She had been eyeing the Good Person Card for a while and, rounding up, that probably counted, right?

So Chuzheng nodded very composedly: “Hmm.”

As long as the Good Person Card was happy.

Yan Gui squinted and smiled, the usually serene youth now beaming, radiating the most magnificent colors of the world.

He knew that those begonias certainly weren’t planted for him.

But since she was willing to indulge him, Yan Gui felt happy.

However, Yan Gui hadn’t expected that once the begonias’ blooming season was over, Chuzheng would spend a huge sum to replace all the city’s begonias with crape myrtles.

These were truly planted for him.

Every tree was etched with his name.

Once the crape myrtles’ blooming season ended, they were replaced with osmanthus.

By winter, she had people plant wintersweets.

Against the pristine snow, the city bloomed with red wintersweets, their elegance unabashed by wind and snow, their fragrance pervading the Imperial City.

“Last year there were no red wintersweets in the Imperial City, how come there are so many this year?”

People new to the Imperial City were taken aback.

“That you don’t know. These are planted by our Princess Consort Jin.”

“Princess Consort Jin? When did we have a Prince Jin?” those out of the loop asked, even more perplexed.

“Prince Six, he was conferred Prince Jin.” Someone explained, “He married the young miss of Prince Cheng’s household half a year ago. Ever since then, flowers in the Imperial City have been changed four times.”

“All these are planted by Princess Consort Jin to please Prince Jin.”

“…Isn’t it usually the man who pleases the woman?”

“Hahaha, our Princess Consort Jin is wealthy!” They were still amazed that the Prince Cheng Residence hadn’t been squandered away yet.

The late Emperor once gave the entire national treasury to Prince Cheng, didn’t he?

“Princess Consort Jin dotes on Prince Jin that much?”

“That she does, Prince Jin is now the man most envied in the Imperial City.”