Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Furious, I flopped back onto the bed and saw that Rong Yi was still sleeping on the carpet just as he had been earlier.

The wind and snow raged outside. I still remembered my years in the cold palace, when those vicious palace servants had bullied me for being young and withheld my charcoal. I had nearly frozen to death in the dead of winter.

Rong Yi might be foolish, but he was at least obedient. Besides, I was a powerless princess from the cold palace, while he was the eldest legitimate son of a veteran statesman who had served three reigns.

Alas. I could not afford to offend him.

I shifted farther in and patted the space beside me.

“Hey, you. Come up here and sleep.”

At that, Rong Yi was not the least bit polite. He took off his shoes and climbed up, then immediately began undoing his belt. In the blink of an eye, he had stripped himself completely bare.

I cried out in fright. He-he was too… terrifying. Just looking made my lower abdomen start to ache!

“Don’t take them off!” I squeezed my eyes shut and barked, “Put them back on!”

“But Father said I had to sleep like this tonight.” Rong Yi sounded a little unwilling, but he obediently put his clothes back on, lay down, and pulled the blanket over himself.

I slept all the way on the inside, keeping my distance from him, and glanced at him from the corner of my eye. “Hey, why are you so obedient?”

The man beside me smiled happily. “Father said that sooner or later, he’ll go to heaven to find Mother, and my brothers and sisters won’t look after me forever. When that time comes, only my wife will stay with me and live out our days together. He told me that no matter whether my wife hits me or scolds me, I have to smile. Yuanyuan, I’ll listen to you, so don’t hit me, all right?”

I sighed inwardly. If Rong Yi’s mother were still alive and heard that, how heartbroken she would be.

Just then, I sensed the man edging closer. His breath brushed slowly against my neck, hot and ticklish.

“Yuanyuan, this bed is so big.”

I immediately went on guard. “What are you trying to do now?”

Rong Yi asked tentatively, “Since the bed is big, can Father sleep in the middle?”

“No!”

I did not sleep a wink that night.

Before dawn the next day, Mama Shi called me to get up, urging me and the Consort to quickly change and wash up. In a little while, we had to go serve tea to the Duke and his wife.

At a quarter to eight, Rong Yi and I headed to the eastern pavilion together.

As we passed through the garden, I saw a young man walking over from the covered corridor.

“Yuanyuan, that’s my second brother!”

Rong Yi tugged excitedly at my sleeve and waved at the man. “Brother, brother, come look at my wife! She isn’t ugly at all. She’s so pretty!”

I frowned.

So this was Rong Zhaonan, the Second Young Master of the Duke’s Mansion, who had looked down on me, ruined my reputation, and called me old and ugly.

What a… narrow road for enemies indeed.

Hearing his elder brother call him, Rong Zhaonan strode over with his head held high.

A few young servants followed behind him, leading two tusked mastiffs.

At the sight of strangers, the mastiffs reared up on their front paws and barked wildly, as if they were about to break free of their chains and pounce.

I was so frightened that I kept backing away.

Rong Zhaonan hurriedly called out, “Don’t be afraid. These dogs are very obedient. They don’t bite.”

I looked again. Rong Zhaonan had already stopped about ten feet away. He wore a fox-fur cloak and looked somewhat like Rong Yi-handsome and tall, his every movement full of arrogance.

Our eyes met.

He actually froze. The astonishment in his gaze was impossible to hide as he looked me over from head to toe in disbelief. “You… you’re the princess?”

My fists clenched, the anger in my chest on the verge of bursting out.

Suddenly, Rong Yi grabbed my wrist and yanked me right in front of Rong Zhaonan.

Rong Yi’s face was full of pride. “Brother, look! Isn’t Yuanyuan even prettier than the fairies in paintings?”

“Yes. Yes.” Bound by the propriety between a man and his elder brother’s wife, Rong Zhaonan kept averting his eyes, yet could not help looking at me. He asked gently, “Elder Brother, are you on your way to serve tea to Father and Mother?”

“Yes!” Rong Yi nodded hard, his eyes and brows full of smiles.

Just then, under everyone’s gaze, Rong Yi actually placed my hand into Rong Zhaonan’s.

He even wrapped both our hands tightly in his and said with great happiness,

“Father said brothers must live in harmony and love each other, and share with each other. So my wife is Brother’s wife too. She slept with me last night, so tonight it’s your turn!”

I was stunned.

I knew he was simple-minded, but I had never imagined he could be simple-minded to this extent.

I immediately pulled my hand back. Unexpectedly, the back of my hand brushed against Rong Zhaonan’s face, and my ring cut a bloody line along his jaw.

Sure enough, Rong Zhaonan cried out in pain and clutched his chin.

Almost on instinct, Rong Yi shoved my shoulder. “Yuanyuan, how could you bully my brother!”

He was very strong. I lost my footing and fell straight into the snow.

Seeing this, Rong Zhaonan quickly grabbed his brother. “I’m fine. The princess didn’t do it on purpose. She wasn’t bullying me.”

“Huh?” Rong Yi’s eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment. After thinking for a long while, he asked, “Then… I shouldn’t have pushed Yuanyuan?”

Rong Zhaonan nodded. “That’s right.”

Rong Yi looked at me and reached out. “Yuanyuan…”

“Don’t touch me.”

I avoided him, stood up, turned, and left.

Rong Yi hurried after me, sticking close to my side. He wanted to touch me, but did not dare.

“Yuanyuan, slow down. The snowy path is slippery.

“Yuanyuan, why aren’t you saying anything?

“Yuanyuan, are you angry?”