On the servants’ quarters side, Eunuch Cao occupied a small courtyard by himself.

When the wheelchair arrived outside the courtyard and encountered the first threshold, Yao Huang stopped covering Prince Hui’s eyes and halted the wheelchair. Fei Quan quickly retrieved a four-layered wooden board hidden in the narrow cabinet, unfolding it as he walked toward the threshold.

The unfolded board was about six feet wide, with the middle crafted by Master Deng into an arched groove resembling a bridge. The groove was sufficient to fit over the widest palace gate threshold, and when placed over ordinary thresholds, though there was empty space on both sides within the groove, it remained quite stable.

Zhao Sui silently watched Fei Quan’s every movement, observing how a small arched bridge convenient for wheelchair passage appeared at the threshold in the blink of an eye.

Eunuch Cao, who had been feigning illness, ran out from inside and knelt down, saying: “This old servant deceived Your Highness, please punish me, Your Highness!”

He knelt firmly, looking genuinely worried that the prince might become angry. This suddenly made Yao Huang uncertain as well. She hurriedly moved to the front of the wheelchair and looked anxiously at Prince Hui, whose pleasure or displeasure was unclear: “Your Highness, it was I who ordered Eunuch Cao to feign illness. If you must punish someone, punish me.”

Zhao Sui: “So you tricked me into coming here just for this?”

Yao Huang: “Yes, Your Highness… do you like it?”

Zhao Sui: “Where did this come from?”

Eunuch Cao eagerly interjected: “On the evening of the second day, the princess consort had no appetite for food or tea. She ordered this old servant to summon Master Carpenter Deng to the manor. After meeting Master Deng, the princess consort mentioned that Your Highness’s wheelchair had difficulty passing over thresholds and asked Master Deng if he could craft such a set of foldable, easy-to-carry wooden boards. Master Deng returned home and made several attempts, delivering this set of boards today.”

Yao Huang: “…”

She hadn’t lost her appetite at all—she had gone to see Master Deng only after finishing dinner.

Seeing the prince looking over, Yao Huang said quietly: “Your Highness, please say something. If you truly don’t like it, I’ll… I’ll also kneel down for you.”

Zhao Sui: “…Let’s first test whether it works well or not.”

Hearing this, Fei Quan was just about to push the wheelchair when he received a look from the prince, and his feet immediately froze in place.

Since he didn’t move, Qing Ai hadn’t arrived, and Eunuch Cao was still kneeling, Yao Huang had no choice but to push the wheelchair forward herself. Master Deng’s craftsmanship was indeed excellent. When the wheelchair’s two front wheels touched the bridge board, they only hesitated slightly. Yao Huang applied some force and pushed the wheelchair up onto the bridge board. The only shortcoming was that Prince Hui’s wheelchair was too elaborate and too long—the front of the wheelchair had already passed over the threshold, yet Yao Huang still hadn’t stepped onto the bridge board on this end.

But the bridge board couldn’t be made too long either. The longer it was, the heavier it would be, and when folded, it would be taller, unable to fit in the wheelchair’s narrow cabinet.

Yao Huang thought to herself that she should have Master Deng make a simpler wheelchair. When just moving about their own manor, there was no need for such grand display—light and comfortable would be best.

Having crossed the bridge without incident, Yao Huang turned the wheelchair around, letting the prince examine the bridge board more carefully.

Zhao Sui: “Keep it. Eunuch Cao, you may rise.”

Eunuch Cao stood up happily.

Watching his heartfelt smile, Yao Huang felt that her gift had touched Eunuch Cao’s heart, but for the prince, it seemed dispensable.

“Return to Ming’an Hall.”

Leaving the servants’ quarters with Fei Quan following behind, Yao Huang slowly pushed the wheelchair forward and asked curiously: “Your Highness isn’t returning to the Bamboo Courtyard—are you going to accompany me for lunch?”

Zhao Sui: “Yes. After our afternoon rest, I’ll also give you a gift.”

Yao Huang stopped walking and moved to the side of the wheelchair, looking down at Prince Hui: “So Your Highness likes this gift of mine?”

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang pouted: “If you like it, why has Your Highness kept such a stern face all this time? You made me think the boards didn’t suit your taste, and I worried for so long in vain.”

Zhao Sui: “…I said to keep it.”

Yao Huang: “That doesn’t necessarily mean you like it. It only shows that Your Highness acknowledges the boards are useful. You should smile like Eunuch Cao did—that’s what liking something looks like. Of course, I’m not asking Your Highness to smile that brilliantly, even just a slight upturn at the corners of your mouth would do.”

She unconsciously stared at the corners of Prince Hui’s mouth.

The more she did this, the less Zhao Sui could smile.

Yao Huang huffed and continued pushing the wheelchair. After walking for a bit, she remembered the main point: “What is Your Highness planning to give me?”

Zhao Sui: “A painting. Or is there something else you want?”

For a moment, Yao Huang truly couldn’t think of anything she wanted. As for a painting, remembering the awkwardness of maintaining eye contact in the peony garden last time, Yao Huang muttered: “A painting is fine, but maintaining one position without moving is too uncomfortable. I can’t bear it.”

Zhao Sui: “You can sit on the arhat couch and read a book, choosing your most comfortable position.”

Yao Huang: “Actually read the book, or hold a book in my hands while my eyes must look at Your Highness?”

Zhao Sui: “Just read the book.”

Yao Huang suddenly felt anticipation.

After the meal and afternoon rest, when Yao Huang had slept enough, Zhao Sui had also long since finished his afternoon massage in the front courtyard, and Qing Ai and Fei Quan had prepared the easel and paints.

The low table on the arhat couch could be removed. At this moment, only a long sleeping pillow and a large silk-faced welcoming pillow were placed at the western end.

On the eastern side of the arhat couch stood a large floor vase with several emerald green bamboo stalks inserted in it. On the right side was a flower stand with a pastel vase holding several fresh and delicate peony branches.

Yao Huang had also prepared the book in advance—a storybook suitable for people of all ages and genders.

After Fei Quan and the others who had helped with preparations withdrew, Yao Huang, wearing a white upper garment and water-green chest-high long skirt, removed the light jade-colored satin soft-soled slippers that Bai Ling had matched for her and sat on the arhat couch. Just as she was about to arrange her pose, Prince Hui suddenly said: “The embroidered shoes don’t need to be arranged so neatly—it’s too deliberate.”

Yao Huang leaned over to look at the floor and, thinking about it, agreed. At least when she took off her shoes at home, she wouldn’t specifically arrange them neatly.

Making one embroidered shoe slightly crooked, Yao Huang lay facing inward toward the peony flowers, her head and shoulders resting against the large welcoming pillow, her left elbow propped on the sleeping pillow below, holding the book in her hand.

The person was beautiful, but this position was somewhat inelegant.

Zhao Sui thought for a moment and said: “You can pretend to have fallen asleep while reading. Push the welcoming pillow further in, place your right hand in front of your body, hold the book in your left hand, and rest the open book against your garment.”

Yao Huang arranged herself according to his instructions, then laughed after finishing: “I should have called you to paint during my afternoon rest earlier—would have saved staging this scene.”

Zhao Sui looked at her smiling eyes.

After gazing at each other for a moment, Yao Huang closed her eyes, a blush rising on her cheeks.

Nearly four days had passed since their last conjugal relations. Zhao Sui’s self-control was still sufficient. Dismissing distracting thoughts, he concentrated on painting.

When the sound of brush tips scraping came from the easel, Yao Huang would open her eyes to look. Once the prince glanced over, she would immediately “fall asleep” again.

The sunlight outside the window gradually shifted. Because the room was too quiet, Yao Huang actually fell asleep for a while. When she woke, she mustered her energy and continued to endure until dusk, when the prince set down his brush and said: “Just a bit more left. We’ll continue after dinner.”

Yao Huang was nearly numb from lying down. She sat up and rubbed her shoulders, then put on her shoes and walked around to the front of the easel. This time there was finally a person on the rice paper, but it gave Yao Huang quite a fright. She stepped back two paces and said: “Where’s my head?”

In the painting, a woman with a graceful figure who appeared to be a stunning beauty lay on the arhat couch, but this beauty had no head above her neck, which was quite frightening!

Zhao Sui explained: “Clothing and skirts easily become disordered with changes in movement, so I paint this part first, then paint the head and face later.”

Yao Huang still felt uncomfortable. Tilting her head, she said: “Then I’ll wait until Your Highness has finished painting before looking.”

Zhao Sui: “Alright. Push me out.”

Before the meal, they first toured the garden for a while. After dinner, Zhao Sui needed to remain in the front courtyard, agreeing to come find her again in half an hour.

A’Ji and the four senior maids attended to the princess consort’s bathing and dressing. Seizing opportunities, they all gathered before the easel to watch the excitement—now praising how well the skirt’s folds were painted, now praising how the princess consort’s fingers and wrist looked just like the real thing, now praising how lifelike the peonies and emerald bamboo on both sides were. Only Yao Huang still refused to look at her “headless” self.

After drying her hair, Yao Huang’s hairstyle was arranged the same as in the afternoon, but her clothing was changed to a set of peach-colored silk inner garments.

Chest-high skirts looked good when worn, but the waist was tied quite tightly, which wasn’t suitable for reclining positions, especially for someone with Yao Huang’s full figure.

In any case, it was almost dark. After finishing the painting, she could go straight to sleep.

A’Ji and Bai Ling moved two lotus candle stands over. Hearing the prince arriving outside, the two women withdrew promptly.

Prince Hui in his wheelchair also wore only white inner garments. After entering, he didn’t look for the princess consort when he didn’t see her, nor did he search around. After Qing Ai went out, Zhao Sui proceeded to examine the several types of paint before the easel. Hearing footsteps, he saw the princess consort, wearing only thin inner garments, lift the canopy curtain of the step bed and walk out.

But Prince Hui merely gave a simple glance before concentrating again on mixing paints.

Yao Huang lay down according to the afternoon’s position and looked at him, asking: “How much longer will the painting take?”

Zhao Sui looked at the two ornaments among her thick black hair and said: “Half an hour.”

Yao Huang: “That’s acceptable. Any longer and I might really fall asleep.”

Zhao Sui, addressing the rice paper, said: “If you’re sleepy, just sleep. No need to force yourself to stay awake.”

Yao Huang thought to herself, if she really fell asleep, who would push His Highness’s wheelchair to the bedside?

The soft sound of the brush scraping against rice paper came again. The gentle candlelight draped a layer of delicate luminosity over the princess consort feigning sleep on the arhat couch.

Zhao Sui nearly selected the wrong color, but ultimately still imitated the afternoon light as he painted her face, white with a hint of pink.

Prince Hui painted very carefully. Though he had said half an hour, he actually painted until the second watch. Bai Ling, keeping night watch in the side room, had nearly fallen dead asleep.

Setting down his brush, Zhao Sui looked at the princess consort five steps away, who had long since unconsciously changed to lying flat and sleeping.

A tall stand was placed beside the wheelchair with tea and water on it, convenient for him to drink when thirsty while painting.

Zhao Sui placed the tea and water on the paint table shelf, positioned the tall stand in front of him, then forcefully pushed against it to make himself upright. At this moment, he looked at the princess consort, leaning forward against the tall stand, using his chest to maintain balance, and reached back with his hands to push the wheelchair forward before the tall stand.

Zhao Sui’s movements were slow and steady. After three rotations, his hands finally reached the arhat couch.

Lying flat beside the princess consort, Zhao Sui closed his eyes, waiting for his breathing to calm.

Though he tried to suppress it, Yao Huang still heard the heavy breathing, right beside her ear…

Yao Huang suddenly woke with a start. Turning her head to look, it was indeed the prince.

Looking outside the bed, a wheelchair and a tall stand stood one before the other, mapping out the route the prince had taken to move over.

At this moment, an arm reached over and pulled her into an embrace.

His chest no longer rose and fell so dramatically, but Yao Huang felt a warm aura unique to the prince, hotter than when he lay still—clearly he had just exerted considerable effort.

“Why didn’t Your Highness call me?” Yao Huang felt somewhat distressed and also somewhat annoyed with herself for sleeping so deeply.

Zhao Sui pointed behind her at the carved decorative window: “Close it.”

Yao Huang knelt up, supporting herself on the windowsill with one hand as she closed the two nearby windows one after another. Just as she was about to turn around, an arm suddenly appeared around her waist. With a forceful pull, Yao Huang tumbled into the lap of Prince Hui, who had sat up at some unknown moment.

A large hand appeared over her thin silk inner garment, while simultaneously, hot lips descended on her exposed shoulder.

Yao Huang stared in shock at the two windows opposite her, finally understanding why the prince had struggled so hard to move over.

She bit her lip: “Is it worth wanting it this much?”

Prince Hui: “…It’s because you’re wearing too little.”