t
Even the smartest person would have their own worries, such as Han Yunxi. It was clear that Long Feiye wasn’t drunk, so she could just say as much, but she grew conflicted instead. Why was he asking such a question? He had to have some other meaning in mind. Otherwise, why would he ask when he knew the answer himself?
If that was the case, she couldn’t reply carelessly, because then she’d fall to his pace. As she grew silent, Long Feiye waited patiently while continuing to wash her hands. Unlike her own perfunctory motions from the banquet, he was quite thorough and detailed when cleaning her fingers. After washing each and every one of her ten fingers, he even made sure the nails were clean. He scrubbed them lightly, almost like massage. The sensation was very comfortable. Then he went to the palms and scribbld against them, almost like scratching them or drawing a picture.
Her hands weren’t dirty at all, so why did she need such care? And this wasn’t washing at all, but massaging and waiting on her. Han Yunxi used to disdain people being waited on for such small things, but after experiencing it herself, she realized it was actually quite comfortable. She relaxed her hands before the rest of her body followed suit, wishing that Long Feiye could go on forever. It looked like she needed a servant girl by her side after all. Why was she so foolish in the past? Han Yunxi felt that Long Feiye had spoiled her rotten yet again to give her such thoughts.
He wiped her hands dry before circling his hands around her waist, his tone as light and soft as before. “Do you think I’m drunk?” he asked again.
Han Yunxi turned back and raised a finger. “How much is this?”
“One,” Long Feiye replied honestly.
Han Yunxi stuck up another finger. “How many are these?”
“Two,” Long Feiye answered next.
“Then what’s one plus one?” Han Yunxi asked as she raised a third finger.
Long Feiye didn’t react immediately, but stared at her finger and declared, “Three!”
Han Yunxi immediately burst into laughter. It was fun to tease people with little things like this! Long Feiye actually fell for her ploy!
“One plus one is three? You’re drunk!” Han Yunxi laughed!
Long Feiye shook his head helplessly. She was the only person who could trick him so easily because he had no guard against her!
“I’m not drunk!” he said seriously.
“It’s clear that you’re drunk!” Han Yunxi quibbled. Although she had the mischievous thought of seeing him drunk someday, she didn’t know how many jugs of wine that would take.
“Fine! I’m drunk?” Long Feiye suddenly picked her up princess style and turned to head towards the inner room. Han Yunxi panicked because she’d only been joking with him! There were still matters she wanted to discuss, but if they didn’t talk tonight, who knew when they’d get another chance?
“Long Feiye, I have something to say to you.”
“This crown prince is drunk, so we can’t talk,” Long Feiye answered.
“You’re clearly not drunk!” Han Yunxi grew impatient. “Long Feiye, be a little more serious, will you? I’m really--”
But they passed through the curtains before she finished, leaving her startled as all of her words stopped on the tip of her tongue. She saw…
She saw that the space inside was filled with golden, glittering sunflowers. The entire floor was littered with fist-sized blossoms, while the tables and cabinet were covered in huge vases and basins blooming with more sunflowers. Next to the tatami mats were two especially huge vases with only two or three plants, but their flowers were so big that they were the size of cooking pot lids. It was inhumanly beautiful.
Han Yunxi’s favorite flower was sunflowers! When did Long Feiye find out? She had never seen sunflowers this big, much less so many in bloom so brilliantly this late at night.
Is Long Feiye...is Long Feiye gifting me flowers?
Last time, he’d given her a whole sea of them. This time, he was giving her a flower house? Han Yunxi had already forgotten that this was the exact same technique she’d taught Tang Li for winning over his wife. Looking at the dazzling scene before her, she was so moved she didn’t know what to say.
“Do you like it?” Long Feiye was standing right behind her.
Han Yunxi turned back and suddenly kissed him on the face as she exclaimed, “I do!”
Long Feiye was easily pleased as he laughed out loud. “It’s good that you do.”
He took out a small, round brocade box from his sleeve and gave it to Han Yunxi, who opened it to see a ring. It was shaped in an exquisite, tiny sunflower. Despite its small size, it was finely done and very realistic. The colors of the flower petals were done remarkably true to life and looked like a real sunflower at a glance! Han Yunxi was still admiring the care that had gone into this gift when Long Feiye’s words made her heart stop.
“Han Yunxi,” he said, “No matter what happens in the future, marry me again as long as we’re both alive, alright?”
How could someone like him exist? How could he say something like that?
Marry him again?
Who marries their husband twice?!
They were probably the only ones! Han Yunxi looked at Long Feiye with pursed lips, her heart filled with feelings as she sought for something to say. After a while, she finally opened her mouth. “Long Feiye, are you really not drunk?”
“Will you marry me?” Long Feiye asked again. It wasn’t clear whether he was panicking, but there was a warning tone in his voice.
“If you don’t help me put this on, then I won’t marry you!” Han Yunxi smiled as she set her terms. But Long Feiye actually agreed.
“Keep it safe. If both of us survive, then I’ll help you put it on.”
Han Yunxi’s heart gave a heavy lurch. She had stayed less than a month at the barracks, but her days had been so joyful that she would have forgotten that they were destined to meet on the battlefield one day without his reminder.
“Alright, I promise you!” she replied seriously before carefully putting the proposal ring away. On the night of Qiqiao, her husband, her man, and her archenemy had asked for her hand in marriage. This was a life and death contract!”
“Does Baili Yuanlong know everything?” she asked.
“Mm,” He pulled her to sit on the bed in an embrace while leaning against the armrest. He was quite content and didn’t do anything beyond holding her close. “What do you think of the crowd’s jeering?”
Han Yunxi gave a start before she understood. Just then, the soldiers had been calling for Baili Mingxiang to pair up with Long Feiye. Of course she’d heard them, but she didn’t pay it much attention. First off, none of the soldiers knew the true reason that Baili Mingxiang was following Long Feiye around, so they’d naturally jeer. Secondly, it’d be strange if Baili Mingxiang didn’t like Long Feiye. Faced with such a man, who could resist? Even when he gave herself the cold shoulder, she’d accepted the abuse anyways and grew dazed at the mere sight of his face.
Leaving aside Baili Mingxiang, any random servant girl of the Duke of Qin’s estate liked Long Feiye to death. She wasn’t that petty. After all, Baili Mingxiang was different from Duanmu Yao. She had never done anything excessive, but always kept to her boundaries. She could coax Baili Mingxiang to leave and stop wronging herself by being a servant girl, but she couldn’t chase her off just because she adored Long Feiye.
Everyone had a right to their own feelings and little secrets. If she exposed Baili Mingxiang’s carefully hidden love, it’d be no different from shaming her outright. Of course, if Baili Mingxiang ever went beyond “simply admiring,” then she wouldn’t show her any mercy either!
Han Yunxi arched her brow at Long Feiye with a grin. “Long Feiye, what do you want me to think?”
Long Feiye knitted his brows and stared at her for a long time without a word. Finally, he pushed her down and started to tickle her. “You woman!”
He was looking forward to her objections, her jealousy, but she only ended up laughing at him.
But Han Yunxi was afraid of being tickled, ah!
“Don’t! I was wrong, I was wrong!”
“Alright, I’m angry! Is that enough?” But she couldn’t laugh after those words. “Long Feiye, you...you...you’re so childish!”
Long Feiye’s hands stopped at that, causing Han Yunxi to cease laughing and struggling to stare at him doubtfully. She watched his expression turn so stern that it hardly looked childish at all.
She...might have said the wrong thing.
Without a word, he stared at her until she smoothed out her lips and carefully pushed him. Unfortunately, it didn’t push him aside. Her lips thinned as she said resentfully, “Long Feiye, I...I’m really angry! And jealous!”
Before she could laugh, he lost it first in a chortle of laughter. No matter how fierce he looked, she wasn’t scared of him! She was the only one who dared to pluck the hairs off the tiger’s head. As he laughed, he drew closer and began to pepper her in slow, gentle kisses. This was the way to bring her under control! But this time, Han Yunxi shoved him aside with all her might and asked, “Long Feiye, was that lead dancer pretty?”
Long Feiye only smiled without a word.
“You stared at her for so long, was it enough for you?” Han Yunxi asked next.
Long Feiye was still grinning, so Han Yunxi pinched him. “Say something! Was she pretty?”
When she recalled that dancer exposing herself, Han Yunxi felt goosebumps on her skin. She didn’t feel comfortable imagining Long Feiye noticing such things.
She had objections!
“Speak!” Now she was really a little mad.
“I’m not sure,” Long Feiye replied honestly. Before Han Yunxi could press him, he added, “I’m really not sure. I had my eye on the green-clad dancer the entire time because she had the strongest martial arts skills.”
“Really?” Han Yunxi was already convinced. Long Feiye was probably the only one present who had noticed the green-clad dancer as the true assassin aiming for Baili Mingxiang. She wanted to ask more questions, but Long Feiye suddenly lowered her voice to speak.
“She definitely wouldn’t be prettier than you.” So speaking, he lowered his head to continue his kisses. Han Yunxi’s hands had been trapped sometime during their conversation, leaving her unable to resist him…
Before she lost her senses completely, she thought of a question. Which of us loves the other more, me or Long Feiye? But before she could think up an answer, she fell intoxicated to his rough, bold advances, then fell into wave after wave of unbearable pleasure under his lead…
--
When Han Yunxi woke up, she was already lying on the bed. The lamps in the tent were still burning, so she couldn’t tell whether it was light out yet. Long Feiye was sleeping beside her, his arm draped over her body. As soon as she rose, he pushed her back down. Then he flipped over to hug her properly. “Be good, sleep…”
She docilely nestled back into his arms, but how could she really sleep? Looking at the mess of clothing on the floor, she secretly peeked inside the covers before her face flushed and she smiled. Just like that, Han Yunxi remained nestled in Long Feiye’s arms while waiting for him to wake up. Occasionally, she would brush her fingers against his high nose, or touch his long eyebrows.
When is he going to wake up? I have actual business to ask him about!