She didn’t mind having more — when it came to things that preserved one’s life, the more the better.
“Alright, hand the incense and antidote over to Ye Chen in a moment, and have him deliver them to Imperial Physician Wen.” Xuan Yanyu rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and gentle.
“Ahem, there’s one more thing.” Yan Yunning cleared her throat. “Could I… could I borrow a room… for a few more days?”
Father had suddenly taken leave from the Emperor and gone out with A’Niang Lu — no one knew when they’d be back.
When Chu Wantang woke up and found herself lying next to A’Fu, it didn’t take much thinking to know who was behind it, and there was no telling whether she’d come looking for payback.
What if she slept too deeply one night and ended up harmed?
If Xuan Yanyu refused, she’d go find A’Ci.
“You may.” The corners of Xuan Yanyu’s lips curved slightly upward.
……
The night outside the window had grown thick with darkness. Yan Yunning frowned as she looked at the man beside her, who lay on his side, one hand lazily propped beneath his head.
At dinner, he had promised to let her sleep on the bed — yet here he was, having climbed up himself.
The man seemed to have read her expression, and smiled as he said, “I said you could have the bed. I never said I’d go sleep on the cot.”
Yan Yunning pressed her lips together.
Xuan Yanyu suppressed a laugh and pulled her into his arms, dragging the brocade quilt over them both.
Yan Yunning buried her face in his chest, her cheeks burning hot. The man’s chest rose and fell with steady strength, and the faint, pleasant scent of him filled her nose. How was she supposed to sleep like this??
“This Palace has considered it — I cannot wrong myself for your sake. You’re the one borrowing a room; I can’t be the one banished to the cot.” The laughter in Xuan Yanyu’s eyes refused to stay hidden.
“……” Yan Yunning’s face was red as she murmured softly, “Then I’ll go.”
She couldn’t sleep like this.
The man patted her on the back, his voice low and slightly husky. “Tomorrow. It’s too late tonight — don’t go to all that trouble back and forth.”
Yan Yunning pouted. It wasn’t that late, was it? The sky had only just gone dark a little while ago.
Xuan Yanyu looked down at the girl in his arms, a thread of quiet pleasure rising in his gaze.
Outside the side chamber, Ye Jian watched as the light inside the room went out, and his brow twitched nervously. At this hour, His Highness usually read through documents — why had he retired so early tonight?
He scanned his surroundings. Ye Chen was nowhere to be seen either. Surely His Highness hadn’t run into trouble?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Ye Jian strode forward quickly and kicked open the chamber door.
“Your — Your Highness……” Ye Jian hurriedly lowered his head.
He saw His Highness holding a woman in his arms. It couldn’t be Second Miss Yan, could it?
Surely not — this was the Chancellor’s estate, there was no danger here, Second Miss Yan wouldn’t come running to His Highness’s chamber. Could it be Miss Pei??
“Get out.” Xuan Yanyu drew a deep breath, suppressing his fury.
Yan Yunning quietly burrowed deeper into his arms, hiding her face.
“Ah — oh — this subordinate — Your Highness will go out right away.” Ye Jian stumbled out, arms and legs all out of sync.
Xuan Yanyu: “……?”
Yan Yunning held back her laughter.
“Your Highness, this is bad, this is bad!” Ye Chen spotted the chamber door wide open and came running in.
Xuan Yanyu closed his eyes and wrestled down the urge to explode.
Ye Jian shot Ye Chen a pointed look. Ye Chen glanced at him and carried on regardless: “Chu Wantang and A’Fu spent the night together.”
Ye Jian’s expression froze.
This — this — this……
He hadn’t even sorted out who was in His Highness’s bed, and now another piece of news came along to shock him senseless.
“What did you say?” Yan Yunning shot upright.
A’Fu had that much nerve?
Then didn’t that mean her father was……
Ye Jian and Ye Chen’s eyes went wide. How was Second Miss Yan… how was she in His Highness’s bed??
“Does everyone in the household know?” Yan Yunning asked again.
Ye Chen recovered his senses and replied, “No.”
He knew only because they had their own people planted inside the estate — most things, large or small, were able to reach His Highness’s ears.
“Second Miss Yan, are you alright?” Ye Chen probed cautiously.
“What happened?” Xuan Yanyu’s voice went slightly cool.
“Your Highness — it was the Chancellor’s wife… she had… A’Fu… sent to Second Miss Yan’s chamber…” Ye Chen swallowed, not daring to continue. He saw His Highness’s expression shift dramatically, a killing intent rising in the depths of his eyes.
Ye Jian felt a pounding at his temples and hauled Ye Chen out of the chamber.
The door was pulled shut. Xuan Yanyu tightened his fist, the corners of his eyes faintly reddened.
So it was because of what had happened in her own room that she’d been frightened into coming to borrow a room here.
In the darkness, Yan Yunning hadn’t noticed the man’s expression. She rested her cheek on her hand and let out a sigh. “Xuan Xixi, you have no idea — if it hadn’t been for Sister Wen’s incense, I’d have been ruined.”
“A’Fu even told me to be obedient. If I listened, I’d suffer less.”
A devilish smile crossed the man’s face. Obedient, was it?
He would make every one of them obedient.
“But A’Ci beat him up.” Yan Yunning curved the corners of her mouth.
Xuan Yanyu pressed his lips tight and leaned down to hold her close. “Why didn’t you come find me?”
“You were too far away.”
“That won’t happen again.” The man’s voice was low and heavy.
He would not leave her side again.
“Xuan Xixi, remember to have Imperial Physician Wen make me more of that incense.” Yan Yunning reminded him.
“Mm.” Xuan Yanyu held the girl in his arms tighter.
“And make it smell nicer.”
“Mm.”
“Xuan Xixi, I can’t figure it out — why would Chu Wantang do something like this?” Yan Yunning twirled a strand of his dark hair around her fingertip.
Wasn’t it utterly senseless?
Xuan Yanyu was quiet for a moment. “The most likely explanation is that you’re not Chu Wantang’s biological child — you’re the Chancellor’s child by someone else.”
There was another possibility too — that something had happened, something that made Chu Wantang deeply despise Ningning, enough that she’d rather cast her away than keep her.
Because she despised her, she wanted to have her……
Yan Yunning leaned against his shoulder, frowning in vexed thought.
“Xuan Xixi, it was I who asked A’Ci to put Chu Wantang and A’Fu together. At the time I only wanted to embarrass her. I never thought A’Fu would have that much nerve — that he’d actually betray Father.”
Well, it served her right. If Chu Wantang hadn’t schemed against her, none of this would have happened to Chu Wantang.
Truly brought it upon herself.
“She deserved it.” The man tucked the soft pillow into place and lay down with her in his arms.
Yan Yunning tilted her head back to look at him, obediently. “Should I keep a distance from all of you now, so that when Chu Wantang wakes up and flies into a rage, she doesn’t drag you into it?”
Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow slightly. “Mm — keep your distance from A’Ci. Chu Wantang only knows he was brought back by Yan Shiyao, and doesn’t know the relationship between you and A’Ci. If she finds out it was A’Ci who arranged for her and A’Fu to be together, A’Ci could be in danger.”
Yan Yunning tugged at the quilt. “Understood.”
She couldn’t let A’Ci be put in danger again. Tomorrow she’d have A’Ci leave the estate and go to find their maternal grandfather and grandmother.
“You don’t need to keep your distance from me — she can’t touch me.” The man’s lips curved into a smile.
Yan Yunning’s clear eyes stared straight at him. The status of Crown Prince really was something wonderful.
Not afraid of anything.
“Sleep.” The man gently ruffled her hair.
Yan Yunning obediently shut her eyes. Two seconds later, she opened them again and asked, “Xuan Xixi, should we tell Father about this?”
“Do you want to?” Xuan Yanyu studied her carefully.
Every feature of her face was beautiful. Lucky him.