Chapter 13: Disdain

Chapter 13 Reluctance

Though she had mentally prepared herself, Pei Yun was still somewhat surprised upon hearing those words. After all, compared to her past life, the timing of their intimacy had come several days earlier this time.

She couldn’t fathom why the Crown Prince had suddenly taken the initiative, choosing precisely New Year’s Eve for this. But since she had never been able to decipher this man’s thoughts, she ultimately just bowed slightly and replied softly, "Yes."

With the Crown Prince planning to stay overnight in the Linglong Hall, preparations were inevitable. By the time Pei Yun returned to the Eastern Palace, the palace maids inside and outside the hall were already busy preparing.

Shu Yan and Shu Mo helped Pei Yun bathe and dress, assisting her into a set of sleeping attire. Pei Yun then sat on the daybed in the inner chamber, leaning against a pillow as she casually leafed through a book.

A servant announced from outside a short while later, prompting her to bow in greeting as she rose leisurely.

Li Zhangye entered the hall but did not sit. After exchanging a few words with Pei Yun, he went directly to the bathhouse.

Shu Yan and Shu Mo had always served closely. Although it had been a year since their mistress last shared the Crown Prince’s bed, they hadn’t forgotten the procedures.

They deftly put out most of the candles throughout the hall, leaving only two in the outer chamber and a single small lamp by the bedside in the inner chamber. They also set a bell on the round stool near the bed—used afterward to summon water.

The entire Linglong Hall grew dim at once, and Pei Yun slowly moved from the daybed to sit at the edge of the bed.

She had initially remained composed, as this was not her first time. But perhaps because it had been so long since she’d been in such a situation, a flicker of nervousness rose in her, and she unconsciously crumpled the hem of her skirt in her hands.

After all, in her previous life, before her drowning incident, they had already gone nearly a year and a half without any intimate contact.

Moreover, in both lifetimes, even after seven years of marriage, these moments had been rare.

And almost every time, the experience had been unpleasant for Pei Yun.

As she mused, she suddenly heard a curt order, "All of you, leave." This was followed by scattered footsteps and the sound of the partition door closing.

In the dim candlelight, Pei Yun lifted her gaze. Through the layers of drawn bed curtains, his tall, looming figure was faintly visible.

As he strode toward the inner chamber, Pei Yun’s heart skipped a beat when his large hand pushed aside the gauzy drapes.

Free of his formal robes, the Crown Prince now stood before her in a thin, plain sleeping robe, fully revealing his powerful, muscular build.

Though he appeared refined, Li Zhangye had never neglected martial training. Regardless of the season, he practiced swordplay every morning without fail and would set aside several days each month for horseback riding and archery in the outskirts of the capital.

This regimen had not only given him a physique stronger than most but also exceptional endurance—which Pei Yun dreaded most.

As the Crown Prince approached the bed, Pei Yun began to rise, only to hear him say indifferently, "Let’s retire." Taking his hint, she complied and obediently moved to the inner side of the bed.

Li Zhangye, however, was in no hurry to join her. Instead, he glanced at the small lamp burning by the bedside. Just as he leaned closer to extinguish it, a timid voice murmured beside him.

"Your Highness..."

He turned his head to see his Crown Princess speaking cautiously in a gentle, melodious tone. "Might Your Highness leave the lamp lit? Chen’er has been sleeping with me lately, and for convenience during nighttime visits, we’ve kept a light on. I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to it..."

Pei Yun wasn’t sure if such an excuse would persuade the Crown Prince. Aside from their wedding night, their intimate moments had always been in darkness, with the bedside lamp extinguished.

Her heart raced nervously, but the man merely gave her a deep look before calmly agreeing, "Very well," and then joined her in bed.

As he lifted the quilt, a draft of cold air slipped in, making Pei Yun shiver slightly.

Once he lay down beside her, she followed suit, settling onto the bed.

After the rustling of bedding subsided, the hall fell into dead silence.

As usual, neither spoke. Pei Yun stared at the embroidered crabapple blossoms on the canopy, waiting with a nervous heart, uncertain of the Crown Prince’s intentions for the night.

Just as she turned her gaze slightly to investigate, a faint creak from the bed reached her ears, and a shadow suddenly enveloped her.

Pei Yun’s breath caught.

The man’s intensely dominant presence pressed close, carrying a faint trace of moisture lingering from his recent bath.

Under the candlelight, his handsome features were half in light, half in shadow, his dark eyes scrutinizing her like bottomless depths.

Li Changye rarely observed his wife under such illuminated circumstances. On their wedding night, perhaps out of shyness, she had timidly asked him to extinguish the lamp. Knowing how delicate a young woman’s modesty could be, he had since taken the initiative to snuff out the candles without her needing to ask.

Yet tonight, unexpectedly, she had requested the light remain.

The warm glow filtered softly through the gauzy bed curtains. Now, lying flat on the bed, her raven-black hair fanned across the pillow, accentuating her snow-white skin. Her shimmering almond eyes trembled slightly, flickering with panic at his sudden movement, while her heaving chest rose and fell rapidly. As if to mask her unease, her white teeth nibbled her red lips, deepening their rosy hue.

Li Changye narrowed his eyes, his throat going dry.

Beneath the quilt, their skin pressed together, warmth mingling, his body heavy atop hers. It was impossible for Pei Yun to ignore.

When she noticed the anomaly, she was taken aback. Whether it was due to the long interval or something else, he’d gotten aroused quicker tonight than ever before.

The moment his calloused, scorching palm settled on her waist, Pei Yun averted her gaze. Though she had insisted on keeping the lamp lit, seeing him so clearly was deeply uncomfortable.

Dreading what came next, her body stiffened, her slender fingers gripping the sheets tightly.

Nearing midnight, the storm raged louder outside, the howling wind battering against the windowpanes with relentless thuds.

The clamor of the world outside drowned out the stifled gasp that soon escaped within the chamber.

He stopped abruptly. Li Changye’s breath faltered as he looked down to find Pei Yun’s fine brows furrowed, her face contorted in pain, tears glistening at the corners of her reddened eyes.

He frowned. Apart from their wedding night, this was the first time he had seen her expression so clearly when he entered her.

He knew women might feel discomfort, but he hadn’t expected her to appear so distressed—especially since she’d stayed silent during their previous couplings.

Could it be that the long gap had left her unused to it?

Lost in thought, he deliberately paused before slowly resuming.

As the aching familiarity enveloped her again, Pei Yun’s eyes widened slightly. She hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to continue.

Tonight, she had deliberately left the lamp lit, recalling their final union in her past life—when she had lost their child. Overwhelmed by despair, she had shown every sign of reluctance and misery, and after that, he had never touched her again.

She had thought to replicate the same outcome this time.

After all, in the past, she had requested the lights extinguished precisely to hide her suffering from him, lest it spoil his mood.

Now, however, she needed him to see.

Yet who could have guessed it wouldn’t work?

Had her performance not been convincing enough?

Fisting the sheets under her, Pei Yun endured the merciless thrusts in agony, even thought of shoving him off the bed. Swallowing her resentment, she couldn’t help but purse her lips in frustration.

But the next moment, his movements stopped abruptly.

Bewildered, Pei Yun lifted her gaze—only for her heart to lurch. Li Changye’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his eyes cold as steel.

He watched her silently for a few breaths, then yanked the sleeping robe from beside the bed, threw it on, and withdrew.

Pei Yun wasn't blind—she could clearly see the Crown Prince's displeasure.

No doubt he'd seen her impatient look earlier.

Another woman might have panicked in such a situation, but Pei Yun remained unruffled. She sat up slowly, clutching the quilt. She had already prepared an excuse, though she hadn’t intended to provoke him.

"Your Highness, forgive me. Your servant thought that after giving birth to Chen'er, my body had fully recovered. But now, it seems..."

Li Changye sat on the edge of the bed with his back to Pei Yun. Hearing her fearful and apologetic words, he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his voice carried a cold, gravelly tone. "If you are unwell, Crown Princess, you may rest."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Pei Yun relaxed, only to see the Crown Prince reach for the rattle placed on the round stool—only to withdraw his hand halfway and stride out to the outer hall instead.

Of course. Calling someone in so soon afterward would only invite suspicion about some hidden ailment, damaging his dignity as Crown Prince.

Pei Yun gave a long yawn. Since he had permitted her to rest, she no longer needed to hold back. Straightening her disheveled sleeping robe, she lay down and drifted off to sleep.

In the outer hall, Li Changye sat at the rosewood desk, idly flipping through a book of sages' teachings. After half an incense stick’s worth of time, his pent-up frustration finally eased.

He glanced toward the inner chamber—all was silent. After a moment’s thought, he set the book aside and returned to the bed.

Pulling aside the bed curtains, he saw the quilt outlining the graceful curve of a figure lying on her side. The steady, even rhythm of her breathing suggested she was already deep in slumber.

Li Changye’s expression darkened further.

Earlier, in the throes of intimacy, he had seen it clearly—her sheer irritation.

Patient as he was, he was still a man with inviolable pride. How could he tolerate the woman beneath him showing such disdain during their union?

Yet, Pei Shi appeared completely unfazed by having angered him—not a trace of fear in her.

He was no fool. Her excuse had been clearly fabricated, nothing more than a perfunctory dismissal.

And after brushing him off so casually, she dared sleep so soundly.

Li Changye couldn’t understand. Given Pei Shi’s usual adherence to propriety, she had never dared to sleep before him, much less turn her back to him.

A strange, stifling feeling settled in his chest—not quite anger, but something he couldn’t name.

Burdened by these thoughts, he hardly slept at all the entire night.

Outside Linglong Hall, Chang Lu and a few palace attendants waited until nearly the fourth night watch. When no movement or summons came, they assumed their masters had retired for the night. He ordered two to keep watch while the rest went to rest.

After barely an hour of sleep, Chang Lu was roused by a young eunuch, who informed him that the Prince was up. He scrambled to attend, only to find Li Changye already dressed in silence, preparing to attend the New Year’s court ceremony at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Having served for so many years, Chang Lu immediately noticed his master’s subdued mood.

What could have happened in just one night?

Puzzled but unwilling to jump to conclusions, he chose his words and actions with extra caution.

As they walked along the palace path, leaving Linglong Hall behind, Chang Lu avoided mentioning the Crown Princess. Instead, he sought to lift his master’s spirits with news he might find interesting.

"Your Highness," he began, "it is said that after returning last night, His Majesty suddenly took a notion and issued an edict overnight, betrothing Princess Wulan."

Distracted, Li Changye turned to him. "To whom?"

"It’s His Highness Prince Yong."

Li Zhangye looked briefly surprised, but soon found it all quite reasonable.

Prince Yong was his father's half-brother. Though he usually addressed him as "Sixteenth Uncle," the prince was only three years older than him. Skilled in martial arts, Prince Yong suffered severe injuries on the battlefield at nineteen, leaving him with impaired mobility. For years, he had scarcely stepped beyond the gates of his own residence.

"Since the passing of Princess Consort of Yong, His Highness has never remarried. Having Princess Wulan by his side to care for him now—in my humble opinion—is a good thing," Chang Lu ventured, emboldened by his master’s evident interest in the matter. "Moreover, with Princess Wulan’s marriage settled, it will put an end to all the gossip circulating."

Li Zhangye understood Chang Lu’s implication. His father’s words the previous night about letting Princess Wulan choose were not entirely drunken talk.

Ever since Princess Wulan arrived in the capital, rumors about her marriage had swirled endlessly—with the most prevalent being that she would become a secondary consort in the Eastern Palace.

At this thought, Li Zhangye’s steps slowed slightly, as if something had occurred to him.

Could it be that Pei Shi’s unusual behavior last night was also because of Princess Wulan?

Unlike Princess Consort Yu or Princess Consort Cheng, though she maintained a composed exterior, perhaps she too was deeply unsettled, her worries festering until she could no longer suppress them, leading her to lash out at him like that.

Li Zhangye’s confusion seemed to dissolve in an instant, his displeasure vanishing like smoke.

Unconsciously, he smirked faintly.

So even someone as aloof as Pei Shi was capable of jealousy.