Chapter 019

Chapter 019

It sounded like he really disliked it.

But he kept kissing her, back and forth, lingering as if he couldn't get enough. How could that seem like dislike?

He must be saying the opposite of what he feels again.

Chu Yin found it amusing internally, but her lips and tongue couldn't bear it; he was too forceful today, kissing her painfully, more intensely than she had asked for. Pressed against the carriage wall, she could only gently push back.

His solid chest was immovable. He cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss, leaving her no room to even breathe.

Chu Yin began to panic, feeling as if she might be kissed to death, and couldn't help but pinch his arm.

He didn't stop.

Desperate, Chu Yin struggled, barely managing to utter, "Your Highness... uh, it hurts."

He finally let go of her.

She gasped for air.

Her lips, flushed red like cherries washed in rainwater, were even more vibrant than before. His restlessness inside only intensified.

Undoubtedly, it was because of Chu Yin's provocations.

Her bold, increasingly intense coquettish behavior, her uninhibited actions, were like… he couldn’t quite pinpoint what, but certainly not appropriate. He said sternly, "Have you forgotten that you are the Crown Princess?"

What did he mean by that?

Chu Yin paused, then recalling his earlier words "Don't talk like that again," she understood and retorted, "What's wrong with being the Crown Princess? I don’t act like this in front of others, only with Your Highness."

In the eyes of others, she was surely a dignified and composed Crown Princess, never acting out of line.

She was coquettish with Lu Jingzhe to elicit a response.

Hearing her soft, sweet voice, Lu Jingzhe's expression grew even darker, and he suddenly lifted her chin, "You could try that again."

“……”

She dared not.

She had already been kissed painfully; she couldn't bear it a second time. Chu Yin pouted her lips, conceding for the moment, "If not this way, then not this way."

“……”

Why did her voice still sound so tender? Lu Jingzhe closed his eyes briefly, then released her.

It seemed she was beyond help.

The carriage had now stopped at the entrance of the Eastern Palace.

Lu Jingzhe carried the two children out, and Xiao Dou and Qi Niang quickly took them into their arms.

Chu Yin, watching his tall and straight figure from behind, frowned slightly. What did his actions just now mean? Did he like her coquettishness, or not? If he disliked it, he shouldn't have kissed her, yet his stern attitude suggested otherwise.

It was really puzzling.

Chu Yin pondered this as she entered the palace.

Having only struggled a bit under his control, she was slightly sweaty and needed to wash up first.

Lengdong hurried to prepare the bathwater.

Lianqiao instructed the other maids to bring some ice to put in the ice mirror.

The room instantly became cooler.

After bathing, Chu Yin leaned against the headboard, not feeling sleepy yet, and started thinking about what to prepare for the next couple of days.

Half a month actually passes quickly. Her previous life of twenty-four years had flown by in an instant; it was only time apart from Lu Jingzhe that felt long.

If only this blockhead...

As she was silently complaining, she saw Lu Jingzhe walk in.

He had obviously just bathed too, wearing clean clothes and emanating a cool, refreshing scent from afar.

Chu Yin was about to call out "Your Highness," but then closed her mouth.

If she wasn’t supposed to act coquettishly, then she didn't feel like speaking now.

Lu Jingzhe didn’t say anything either; he simply came over and pressed her down, kissing her.

As she felt the pain at the tip of her tongue, she pushed him away, saying, "It hurts, stop..." He had been too forceful with his kisses just before.

He paused briefly, then stopped and moved his kisses elsewhere.

It was yet another damp and humid night.

Chu Yin thought to herself, regardless of whether he liked her coquettish behavior or not, his love for the children was genuine!

The servants at the Marquis of Xuanning's residence were particularly busy these past two days.

Princess Baocheng, accompanying the Emperor to Wen Shu Temple for the summer retreat, required a grand entourage, packing six carriages full of items.

Her husband, Jiang Xian, wasn't upset; rather, he was extremely accommodating to the Princess, fully aware that his title as the Marquis was due to his wife's influence.

As he massaged her shoulders, he joked, "Just say what you need, even if it means emptying the house… Without you, this home feels empty and meaningless."

When his brother was only a king, their marital relationship was average. But now, with her husband's attentive care, Princess Baocheng understood why. Having spent most of their lives together, she knew him well and didn't bother finding someone else, as long as he maintained this attitude.

"That’s enough, any more and people might gossip. Though most of it is for my brother, I don’t need that much myself."

"You're truly devoted to the Emperor, a sister unmatched on earth. But have you considered bringing more people?" Jiang Xian added a bit more pressure to his fingers. "Like Jinrui and Wancha, wouldn’t it be nice to have them play music and sing for you?"

Princess Baocheng instantly understood his intent.

Jinrui and Wancha were talented singers in their household, both gifted and attractive. Jiang Xian probably wanted to present them to the Emperor as gifts, hoping that if the Emperor favored them, it would bode well for their Marquis household.

But Princess Baocheng didn’t agree with this idea.

First, it was risky—if her sister-in-law found out, she might become resentful. Second, can serving with beauty ensure a lasting position? Unless such a woman could bear a Crown Prince, but with Lu Jingzhe already twenty-four, how could she easily replace him?

"Why listen to songs? Going to Wen Shu Temple is about understanding Buddhist teachings from the abbot!"

Realizing she didn’t agree, Jiang Xian quickly changed the subject: "Yuyuan is still in the palace, don’t you plan to take her with you?"

"Of course, I’d like to, but she hasn’t fully recovered. There's a risk of her getting heatstroke again on the way, so it's better not to."

Jiang Xian shook his head, "It's a pity. She could have gone with you to broaden her horizons. Now... she never used to suffer from heatstroke. How come she couldn't bear it after going to the palace?"

"Maybe I've been too demanding lately, always sending her to meet young gentlemen. I think she's unwilling," sighed Princess Baocheng. "The child is conscious of her background, always afraid of being looked down upon."

"With an aunt like you, people would only envy her. Where's the disdain? I should talk to her next time!"

Inside the western side hall, Jiang Yuyuan sneezed.

She hadn’t left her room in days, except to feign illness while paying respects to Empress Jiang.

Unfortunately, she hadn't encountered Lu Jingzhe even once and wondered when he visited the Kunning Palace. Frustrated, Jiang Yuyuan fiddled with her hair.

Qingshuang came in with food: "Miss, this lotus seed porridge is cooling, perfect for you right now."

Feeling quite hungry, she sat down and started eating the porridge.

The table also held four dishes: sour fish, stir-fried amaranth, almond tofu, and shrimp rolls, all looking delicious but in small portions, probably because Empress Jiang knew of her heatstroke and intentionally ordered less – quite thrifty.

Jiang Yuyuan ate slowly, careful not to let Qingshuang catch on to her act, as Qingshuang was her aunt's maid.

Her aunt was great in every way but too controlling.

She dared not reveal her true thoughts.

Because she knew Princess Baocheng would not approve.

Sipping her porridge, Jiang Yuyuan thought, with Chu Yin leaving tomorrow, she needed to come up with a plan soon. She could only stay in Kunning Palace for a few more days, or else she would raise Empress Jiang’s suspicions.

Inside the Eastern Palace, Lianqiao and Lengdong were packing clothes.

Although Yan Mountain was cooler than the capital, they only needed a few extra garments or early autumn dresses. In total, Chu Yin was taking about thirty pieces, including embroidered shoes, rouge, jewelry, familiar utensils, and the children’s items, filling three carriages.

"Let's take some books," Chu Yin suggested, glancing at Lu Jingzhe, who had just returned. "Some storybooks, since I won’t be going out much there."

"Do you need music scores and flower guides?" asked Lengdong. "Should we bring the Four Treasures of the Study? You might want to write or paint in your leisure time."

"Right, there’s a beautiful and lofty Lingquan spring on Yan Mountain. You could paint it," Lianqiao smiled. "I’ll pack them for you."

"Okay." Chu Yin glanced again at Lu Jingzhe.

He seemed not to have heard, simply letting Dong Ling assist him in removing his boots and changing into light, breathable shoes.

Chu Yin couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed.

He had been like this yesterday too. She had deliberately discussed the preparations for Wen Shu Temple in front of him, but he seemed deaf to it, asking not a single question. At most, he would lift his head to glance at her, checking what she was doing.

But what did that mean?

She was leaving the capital; didn't he feel a bit of reluctance?

Or was he waiting for the very moment of parting?

But then, time would be so tight; how much could they really say?

Chu Yin was very puzzled.

At mealtime, she called the two children over.

"It'll be half a month before you see father again, so behave and have dinner with him."

Lu Zhen asked in surprise, "What's with father?"

"Father has to help the Emperor with work, so he can make time to take us to play. Understand?" Chu Yin explained.

Lu Zhen didn't quite grasp it.

Lu Xiu also wondered, "Father's really not going? Only mother?"

"Yes," Lu Jingzhe rubbed his little head, "half a month will pass in the blink of an eye."

"What does 'blink of an eye' mean?"

"…It means a very short time," Lu Jingzhe, finding talking with children exhausting, put two black fish balls into their bowls, "Eat up."

That effectively quieted the children.

Chu Yin: "…"

As they were leaving for Yan Mountain early the next morning, after dinner, Chu Yin inevitably reminded the eunuchs and maids again to take good care of Lu Jingzhe and to avoid any trouble. Naturally, everyone agreed.

Then she instructed Lianqiao and Lengdong to check the items they were bringing, especially the clothes for the next day, to ensure nothing was forgotten before going to rest.

But lying in bed, she couldn't fall asleep.

Even though she needed to wake up early the next day...

It must be because of Lu Jingzhe!

She stealthily turned over and saw that he had already closed his eyes.

It was even worse than yesterday.

Yesterday, despite the heat and his desire for children, at least they had been thoroughly intimate and loving. Tonight, on the eve of her departure to Yan Mountain, he showed no affection at all.

The more Chu Yin thought about it, the angrier she became. She sat up and moved closer to him, intending to say a few words.

But her mouth opened and then closed again.

He was asleep; should she wake him up? And what would she say? Call him a jerk?

The last time she acted coquettishly, he didn’t allow it. If she criticized him, she might really anger him.

As she felt helpless, Lu Jingzhe suddenly opened his eyes: "What are you up to now?"

He had already indulged her yesterday, and if they repeated it tonight, she certainly wouldn't be able to get up in the morning.

Seeing impatience in his eyes, Chu Yin felt even more aggrieved: "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"…" She had already said that dozens of times.

It was just a trip to Yan Mountain, just a separation of half a month. Was it such a big deal? Lu Jingzhe frowned, almost losing his temper.

However, seeing her kneeling beside him, her black hair cascading, eyelashes quivering, appearing so delicate and touching, he rubbed his forehead.

"You're more troublesome than Xiu'er and Zhen'er," he sat up, "What do you really want me to do?"

His voice suddenly softened, and Chu Yin's anger dissipated somewhat. She spoke softly, "I want Your Highness to hold me, just for a while."

“……”

This Crown Princess of his was truly hopeless.

Her coquettishness was ingrained in her bones.

After a moment of silence, Lu Jingzhe extended his arms and embraced her.