Chapter 40

On the day of the Crown Prince’s wedding, Yin Jiuyi asked if I wanted to go. I refused.

I didn’t want to see Yin Jiuqing again, nor did I want to see Zhang Jincan. I had no desire to attend such an event.

I had never been to the Crown Prince’s Mansion, and now there was truly no need to go.

Night fell early. The orange-yellow light in the stone lanterns was hazy. I sat on the swing in the garden.

Before long, snow began to fall from the sky. Tiny, crystalline snowflakes landed in my palm and quickly melted away.

Looking up, I saw more and more little white flowers in the sky, falling thicker and thicker. Soon, a thin layer of snow had accumulated on the ground.

I swung higher and higher, listening to the creaking sound, letting the snow pile up on my shoulders.

“Zhuzhu, what are you doing? It’s dark and snowing-aren’t you done playing yet?” Lu Yurong, arm in arm with Fang Henyu, stood by the moon gate not far away, laughing. “We specially bought Roasted Sweet Potato from Tianxiang Tower. It’s still hot-come to my courtyard.”

“Didn’t you go to the Crown Prince’s Mansion?” I jumped off the swing and ran over.

“Look at all that snow on you.” Fang Henyu brushed the white snow from my hair, frowning. “You really are like a child.”

“On snowy days, you have to eat Roasted Sweet Potato and Copper Pot Hot Pot! We didn’t dare eat much at the banquet, just waited to come back and have a proper meal.” Lu Yurong tossed the Roasted Sweet Potato to me. “Here, warm your hands.”

“Where’s the Prince?” I looked around into the distance. “Where did he go? Hasn’t he come back?”

Lu Yurong and Fang Henyu exchanged a glance, then raised an eyebrow and smiled teasingly. “What, you miss him after just a while apart?”

“No, I’m just asking!” I clenched my fists, annoyed. “I really am just asking!”

“All right, all right.” The two of them kept laughing, tugging each other as they ran off.

I chased after them, hugging the Roasted Sweet Potato. The sweet aroma lingered at the tip of my nose. I stopped, unwrapped the paper, and took a sniff. My mouth started to water uncontrollably.

“Zhuzhu, you little rascal, you want to sneak a bite!” Lu Yurong hurried back, snatched the Roasted Sweet Potato from me, and ran off again.

When I reached Lu Yurong’s courtyard and opened the door, I bumped right into Yin Jiuyi’s solid chest with a thud.

Yin Jiuyi reached out to rub my forehead, lowered his head, and smiled. “Why are you running so fast? You bumped into me first, so you can’t blame me.”

I covered my forehead and glared at him, eyes blazing. “It was clearly you.”

“All right, all right, it was me who bumped into you.” He smiled, bent down to lift the curtain, and made a gesture of invitation. “Then you go in first, please.”

“Weren’t you going out?”

“I went out to look for you.”

I rubbed his chest haphazardly. “Then let me rub you, too.”

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist. Yin Jiuyi’s gaze was deep as he said in a low voice, “Don’t touch. I’m a man.”

A flush quickly spread across my cheeks. The way he said it, it was as if I had taken liberties with him. But clearly, he was the one who touched me first.

“Shy again?” He leaned in slightly, squatting to be at my height. As he spoke, his warm breath fell on my neck. “Is your Prince handsome?”

“You’re crazy!” I pushed him away with both hands, stiffening my neck and bluffing, “Don’t touch me. You’re a man, and I’m still a woman!”

While we were eating hot pot, Yin Jiuyi sat beside me as if nothing had happened, boldly as ever, and even picked food for me as usual. “The lamb is good-eat more.”

“Cousin, why don’t you pick food for me?” Lu Yurong’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

Yin Jiuyi looked up, thoughtful. “It’s fine if you eat less. Your face looks even rounder.”

We had a few drinks with the hot pot, and I was a little tipsy, lying on the table in a daze. With blurry eyes, I thought, today really is a day worth remembering.

Fang Henyu, sitting across from me, was clearly drunk too. A rosy flush crept up her fair cheeks as she slumped softly onto Lu Yurong.

Her rosy lips were slightly parted, her gaze dreamy and unfocused. The usual cold and spotless look had completely faded away.

She wrapped her arms around Lu Yurong’s waist and gradually closed her eyes, hugging her tighter and tighter as she murmured, “Yurong, my father wants to arrange a marriage for me. What should I do? I want to be with you forever. I don’t like anyone else.”

A faint blush appeared on Lu Yurong’s face. She bent down and pressed her cheek to Fang Henyu’s. “Silly, aren’t we always together?”

She seemed drunk, yet also sober. Hugging Fang Henyu’s waist, she lifted her up in her arms and said in a muffled voice to Yin Jiuqing, “Cousin, we’re sleepy. You take Zhuzhu back.”

I watched the two of them giggling. Lu Yurong really is worthy of being General Lu’s daughter-she’s so strong.

A strong hand gripped my waist, and I was lifted up. He smelled faintly of soapberry-a fresh, clean scent.

The snow was still falling. Goose-feather snowflakes landed on my face, and the sudden chill made me shiver. I simply buried my face in Yin Jiuyi’s arms.

Yin Jiuyi’s body stiffened, then he hugged me tighter.

After a while, I remembered something. With bleary eyes and a thick tongue, I tried to tell him my discovery. “Prince, their relationship is so good-it’s like they’re lovers.”

“Silly, you’re just realizing that now?”

I chuckled twice, slowly closing my eyes. “Since coming to the Prince’s Mansion, you all keep saying I’m a child, and that I’m silly, but I’m not…”