Chapter 25
A few days later, the selection of the Crown Princess was finalized. The chosen one was Qi Mei, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Duke of Qi, and the wedding was set for the fifth day of the eleventh month.
That day, Yin Jiuqing came to see me. When I woke up from my afternoon nap, he was sitting by my bedside.
“Had a nightmare? You just called for Nanny Wang. Who is Nanny Wang?”
“Nanny Wang was my mother’s wet nurse. She was especially skilled at embroidery and making clothes. She taught me how to embroider. When I was little, she often made clothes for me. In the winter when I was eight, she caught a cold and passed away.”
Yin Jiuqing nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject: “The chosen one is Qi Mei, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Qi. The date is set for the fifth day of the eleventh month. I have already asked the Emperor for permission to marry you as my Concubine. If all goes smoothly, we should also be wed on that day.”
At this point, should I show something? Maybe hold his hand?
I smiled and, hesitating a bit, reached for his sleeve.
As soon as I touched the back of his hand, he gently took mine.
After that, it was as if Yin Jiuqing changed overnight.
He used to be indifferent toward me, but now he would deliberately come to see me.
Sometimes I felt a little dazed, as if we truly were a lovesick couple who understood each other’s hearts.
Thinking about it carefully, although Yin Jiuqing is strict and likes to lecture, he’s really a softhearted person beneath that tough exterior. Isn’t marrying him much better than any of the matches my father arranged for me? It’s already very good.
One day, Yin Jiuqing came to see me again during my afternoon nap, and we went to the small pavilion to admire the lotuses.
Maybe it was because of the cloudy weather, but I still felt sleepy even after waking up.
Resting my head on Yin Jiuqing’s shoulder, I began to think. Gradually, my hands became more mischievous, and in the end, I hugged him tightly with my eyes closed. “Crown Prince Brother, it’s so good that you’re marrying me. No one in the household dares to look at me sideways anymore, and I don’t have to become someone else’s stepmother. That time you said you admired me-I actually heard it. Whether it was true or not, since you said you like me, then I like you too.”
A long silence hung in the air.
I waited for quite a while, but he remained unmoved. Feeling a little embarrassed, I didn’t want to hug him anymore. Just as I let go, he suddenly reached out and pulled me into his arms.
I opened my eyes to look at him. There was nothing special in his expression, but his head was getting closer and closer, as if he wanted to kiss me.
I instinctively shrank back, but Yin Jiuqing didn’t insist. He straightened his head and stilled, his gaze drifting from my face to the lotuses in the pond.
How awkward, how awful…
Trying to make up for it, I held my breath and wrapped my arms around his neck. His lips drew closer and closer. I closed my eyes and pecked him, flustered, and said, “Crown Prince Brother, I-I like taking the initiative.”
As soon as the words left my lips, he changed my position, pulling me onto his lap and cupping the back of my head as he kissed me.
Old Swan, Yin Jiuqing can really be like this?
Old Swan, my heart is pounding so hard it’s about to leap out!
At that moment, I was genuinely thinking about our future together.
But afterward, things spun out of control.
Because at the beginning of August, I discovered that I might be pregnant.