Chapter 35: Deep Among the Lotus

Chapter 35: Deep in the Lotus Blossoms

"Y-Your Highness knows how to row?"

Liu Yun asked with a sheepish smile, not exactly eager to go over.

Who knew what trouble she'd be getting into by boarding the crown prince's ship.

Xiao Hang's faintly smiling eyes swept across the girl's flustered face as he said with a light chuckle: "Naturally. I've competed in dragon boat races before. A little boat like this is nothing."

Take this year's Dragon Boat Festival, for example—Xiao Hang had originally planned to compete in the dragon boat race, but the person he'd been waiting for never came, and he lost interest and just watched from the sidelines instead.

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, Xiao Hang toyed with the jade pendant at his waist, then stepped onto the small boat with his hands clasped behind his back.

With the real, solid weight of a person now on the boat, the hull swayed a few times, sending ripples spreading across the water, startling the mayflies resting on the water, sending them skittering and leaving tiny ripples in their wake.

"Get on."

Strangely enough, the crown prince's tone wasn't cold or harsh—it even carried a hint of patience—but Liu Yun felt she couldn't refuse, as if she were facing an authoritative command.

Every time this happened, Liu Yun would obey instinctively, and this time was no different.

Her hand had just barely touched the boat when, before she could even be shy about it, she was pulled aboard by a tremendous force.

The boat was small to begin with, and with her added weight and all that sudden movement, it started rocking violently.

With her footing unsteady and never having been stable in the first place, Liu Yun panicked and grabbed onto whatever she could to steady herself.

That something being the crown prince's waist.

It was hard to imagine—the crown prince had such a broad chest, yet his waist was so slender.

The moment she grabbed hold, Liu Yun was full of awe.

It looked slim, but felt firm and resilient—solid and straight.

Realizing what she'd done and what she was thinking, Liu Yun's face burned. She silently cursed herself and let go.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I lost my footing just now—how improper of me."

Once she'd steadied herself on the boat, Liu Yun pretended to be calm, but as she spoke, she couldn't help sneaking a peek at his reaction.

But as luck would have it, the crown prince caught her.

Mortified, Liu Yun quickly lowered her head and played dumb, as if nothing had happened.

Xiao Hang was amused and smoothed down the rumpled robes at his waist, guiding Liu Yun to sit down on the boat.

Since the boat was small, Liu Yun ended up sitting so close to the crown prince that their clothes were practically piled on top of each other.

Watching the crown prince row with such skill, Liu Yun still couldn't help being amazed.

He really did know how to row. He hadn't been fooling her.

The boat glided gently through a sea of pink and green, the sound of water rippling away from the hull was so light and pleasant.

The kind of sound that'd be nice to fall asleep to, Liu Yun thought.

Maybe it was the feng shui of the Eastern Palace, but even the lotus leaves grew taller and sturdier than anywhere else. If someone lay down on the boat, they'd be completely hidden by the leaves.

The boat carried Liu Yun deep into the lotus thicket, surrounded by pink and green on all sides—nothing but emerald leaves swaying in the breeze.

And a heady fragrance filled her nose.

The boat gradually came to a stop, the sound of water faded, and the world fell utterly silent.

Liu Yun looked at the crown prince, puzzled, wondering why he'd suddenly stopped.

Setting the oar at the stern, Xiao Hang lay back, arms behind his head, and said lazily: "I'm tired. I'm going to rest for a bit."

Liu Yun figured that made sense—rowing for so long must be tiring. He deserved a rest.

But the boat was only so big, and with the crown prince lying down like that, his body pressed right up against hers, leaving her no room to avoid it.

Liu Yun was about to shift her position to ease her embarrassment when, the moment she moved, the crown prince—who'd been pretending to sleep—grabbed her waist and pulled her down onto the boat with him.

With his arm and body cushioning her, Liu Yun didn't feel any pain when she lay down, but she couldn't accept their current position.

The lotus fragrance was replaced by another crisp, clean scent that gradually seeped into her, making her feel lightheaded.

"Lie down with me. It's quite nice this way."

Every year when the lotuses were in full bloom, Xiao Hang would row a small boat into the pond, lie back casually, and enjoy the tranquil peace.

Sometimes he'd doze off, and every time he woke, the sky had already darkened.

Xiao Hang wanted to share this pleasure with her—so that in the future, whenever the lotuses bloomed, the two of them could enjoy it together.

But the person in his arms was being uncooperative, as if he were some kind of monster that would shorten your life just by touching him.

"Don't move. I can't swim. Careful—if the boat tips, we'll both go in the water."

Xiao Hang could swim. As a mischievous kid, he'd even sneak into the palace ponds to catch crabs when his father wasn't looking.

But he was later told there were no crabs in the palace ponds, so he stopped trying.

But to scare her now, he spouted lie after lie, completely unruffled.

Liu Yun believed him and immediately froze.

The boat looked like it'd tip over easily, and she really didn't want to fall in the water.

And so, things went Xiao Hang's way. He held her in his arms and closed his eyes, his mind at peace.

Liu Yun was practically lying on the crown prince's chest, her ears filled with the steady thump of his heartbeat.

Maybe it was that rhythmic heartbeat, or maybe it was the serene, fragrant surroundings, but Liu Yun found herself getting sleepy and drifted off before she knew it.

She had another dream—but this time, it was a peaceful, auspicious one.

She'd turned into a koi fish, swimming freely through the lotus pond. The water was so clear she could see every lotus petal, even the dewdrops trembling on the emerald leaves.

Every ripple was so gentle, and the lotus fragrance soaked into the water, letting even a fish like her enjoy it.

Liu Yun was lost in this magical dream, reluctant to wake up.

Outside the dream, Xiao Hang opened his eyes, his gaze clear and lucid.

He looked down at the girl's peaceful sleeping face, his gaze gradually softening as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Actually, there were more places he wanted to kiss, but limited by his current position, he had to make do with what he could reach.

He'd just wait until she woke up—then he could do whatever he wanted.

Another gentle breeze swept by, making the emerald water ripple, and stirring ripples in Xiao Hang's eyes.

Rippling out in rings, layer after layer, drifting back into the past.

The grass was as fine as silk along the Wei River's banks, alive with the songs of orioles and swallows.

It was spring outing season again, and he was sixteen that year.

With nothing to do in the Eastern Palace, his cousin Wen and Li Yan ganged up on him, urging him to go to the Wei River to enjoy the spring.

Xiao Hang wasn't particularly interested, but he couldn't fend off both of them nagging him to get some fresh air.

Good thing he went—otherwise, who knows when he'd ever have run into Yunniang.

Sixteen wasn't that old, but he'd already passed the age for the coming-of-age ceremony, and he was old enough to start talking marriage.

As the Crown Prince, and not bad-looking either, he drew the eyes of plenty of young ladies the moment he arrived at the Wei River.

Many ladies were looking at him, and Xiao Hang knew it.

But he'd always been a late bloomer when it came to matters of the heart; at this age, he still didn't get what young love was all about, and those stares just annoyed him.

He was the Crown Prince—who gave them permission to stare at him so brazenly?

Xiao Hang thought, annoyed.

But just as he was about to turn away and leave, Xiao Hang spotted a young lady.

She looked a bit younger than him, with a little baby fat on her cheeks—innocent and naive.

Dressed in plain clothes, she was completely unremarkable among the crowd of young ladies.

Her looks weren't anything special either—at best fair-skinned and delicate, easy to overlook.

But Xiao Hang spotted her right away.

No matter where she stood, Xiao Hang could zero in on her with astonishing speed.

After asking around, he found out she was the daughter of a fifth-rank official, named Liu Yun.

Her name was just as ordinary—the kind you'd have to hear a few times before it stuck.

The capital was full of girls like her.

Xiao Hang had no idea why she caught his eye.

After coming back from the Wei River, Xiao Hang kept picturing that delicate, plain little face—especially at night.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he didn't obsess over Liu Jiayunniang, and went right back to his daily grind of learning how to be a proper emperor.

He was busy learning the art of imperial rule from his father—how to command officials, govern the realm, and balance the court. He had very little free time.

But whenever she showed up, Xiao Hang couldn't help but look at her, etching that face deeper into his memory.

By seventeen, he'd grown another year older and come to understand a lot more.

For instance, that scoundrel Li Yan had gotten him to read some dirty books, and he picked up a thing or two about the birds and the bees.

Xiao Hang figured this was something he'd need to know eventually—after all, as the Crown Prince, he'd one day pass the throne of Great Yan to his heirs, so kids were a must.

But at this age, he hadn't given such things much thought, and with his impossibly picky standards, no one measured up.

At the Mid-Autumn banquet, Xiao Hang spotted Liu Jiayunniang again.

She'd also aged a year, her baby fat had melted away a little, and she was taller, but her temperament seemed just the same.

While most of the young ladies were sneaking glances at him, she just chatted with her friends, eyes crinkling into crescents as she smiled, barely giving him a look.

Was there really a girl out there who didn't want to be Crown Princess?

Xiao Hang couldn't wrap his head around it and kept watching her.

Maybe his stare was too obvious and she sensed something, but for whatever reason, she never once suspected it was him.

It was also at seventeen that Xiao Hang first felt the stirrings of manhood.

He had a wild, wanton dream where she was as alluring as she'd been that night—pitiful and endearing all at once.

In the dream, he did what the pictures in that book showed, flipping her this way and that, over and over, until the girl couldn't smile anymore, just sobbing her heart out.

After waking up, Xiao Hang even went to burn incense and chant sutras, trying to settle his mind.

By the third year, watching his cousin Wen and his wife so devoted to each other, Xiao Hang suddenly had a revelation.

So that's what his feelings for Liu Jiayunniang really were?

From that point on, Xiao Hang started making his move.

A stronger gust of wind swept past, and a single drop of water landed right between his brows.

It also snapped Xiao Hang out of his hazy thoughts.

Shaking off the distant memories, Xiao Hang turned to look at the girl still fast asleep, his gaze lingering on her soft, rosy lips for a few breaths before he lowered his eyes, tamping down his urges for now.

He'd just wait until she woke up.

After who knows how long, Liu Yun, who had been swimming in the water, finally woke naturally.

Upon waking, she was always dazed and slow for a moment. Liu Yun, still groggy, thought she was in her own bed, and reached out to hug whatever was nearby, even wrapping her legs around it, letting out a couple of soft whimpers.

"Why is this bed so narrow today?"

"So cramped."

After muttering absentmindedly, Liu Yun realized something was off.

She didn't seem to be at home.

Pulling her memories back bit by bit, Liu Yun remembered where she was.

Her gaze flickered wildly, not daring to look up at all, and she sheepishly tried to withdraw her hand, but Xiao Hang, who had been watching closely, grabbed it firmly.

"Look up."

He smiled, staring straight at Liu Yun as he spoke.

Liu Yun timidly raised her head as instructed, but froze, utterly captivated by the sight.

The Crown Prince was cold and proud by nature, rarely smiling, and even when he did, it was often a smile that was hard to read, tinged with mockery, making people tremble.

But this smile was different—no sarcasm or mockery, just a pure, joyful smile.

He was already blessed with looks that could make gods and men alike jealous, and now with this smile, it was even more extraordinary.

Liu Yun was just an ordinary young woman, unable to rise above such worldly allure, so naturally she was mesmerized.

Just like at the age of fifteen, when she first saw the Crown Prince's face on the day of the spring outing, she was lost in a daze.

It was pure surrender to beauty.

Xiao Hang noticed this change, quietly sized it up, and finally figured it out.

And so, he let his smile grow even more brazen.

Then, using the edge his looks had earned him, he slowly leaned in, and before Liu Yun could snap out of the spell of his charm, he successfully captured those full, plush lips.

Licking, nibbling, tracing...

Liu Yun had only one brief moment of clarity before quickly sinking into the intoxicating confusion the Crown Prince had thrown her into.

This kiss was so gentle that her limbs lost all strength, and she found herself wishing to linger forever in the depths of the lotus blooms.

After who knows how long, movement finally stirred among the pink and green leaves, lotus leaves parted one by one, and the small boat was rocked out.

One pair of lips had faded in color, while the other looked as vivid as if painted with rouge.

Author's note:

Update.

Gotta pick up the pace—time to tie the knot soon.