Li Rong slept groggily for a while. She unconsciously raised her hand to touch her face, then suddenly remembered something in her half-awake, half-dreaming state and sat up abruptly!

No, she hadn’t removed her makeup yet. If she slept like this, she would definitely break out in blemishes.

This realization jolted her completely awake. That brief nap had given her energy. She was preparing to get out of bed when she noticed someone sleeping beside her. Pei Wenxuan lay in the covers, sleeping soundly.

Li Rong was stunned. She never expected Pei Wenxuan would actually climb into her bed. Clearly, this person was truly exhausted. Otherwise, given his temperament, he would never do something so improper even if beaten to death.

Pei Wenxuan slept too comfortably. His steady breathing made Li Rong feel drowsy. She quickly slapped him awake: “Pei Wenxuan!”

Pei Wenxuan sat up abruptly, alarmed: “What is it?!”

Li Rong raised her hands to cup his face, turning it toward herself. Staring at Pei Wenxuan, she said, “We haven’t washed yet. There’s still water in the bathing room. Hurry and go take a bath.”

Pei Wenxuan was stunned. After a moment, he relaxed and said somewhat helplessly, “Your Highness, it’s so late. Let’s not make a fuss, shall we?”

Recently, Li Rong had been eating and sleeping well. Just that brief nap earlier had immediately restored her fighting spirit. But Pei Wenxuan hadn’t slept properly since parting with Li Rong at the water pavilion days ago. Today, he had finally resolved his worries and could sleep soundly. Being woken after just this little while felt worse than not sleeping at all.

But how could Li Rong care about that?

Her mind was full of thoughts about how they had worn ceremonial dress all day. Pei Wenxuan had also worn makeup today. If they didn’t wash, not only would they be covered in sweat, but they would also develop blemishes. Her flower-like beauty—how could it be ruined by such things? And Pei Wenxuan was someone she had to look at daily. If that divine face was ruined by a few blemishes, it would truly be a pity.

So she squeezed his face and stared at him: “Pei Wenxuan, are you a man or not?”

Hearing her ask this, Pei Wenxuan knew she was going to make him work. He immediately covered his face in pain and wailed as he fell sideways: “I’m not. Your Highness, send me to the palace tomorrow to be castrated. I want to sleep…”

Before he finished speaking, Li Rong gave him a mighty shove, and he rolled right off the bed.

Pei Wenxuan lay on the floor clutching his blanket. Li Rong descended from the bed and looked down at him: “Hurry to the bathing room and clean yourself up. If you’re not clean before I return, don’t blame me for dealing with you.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan curled up on the floor clutching his blanket, feeling quite wronged.

“Your Highness, the water is cold.”

“You’re warm.” Li Rong put on her outer robe and looked at him with disdain, as if looking at an idiot. “Can’t you just warm up the water with your body?”

With that, Li Rong lightly kicked him: “Hurry up.”

After speaking, Li Rong swept her hair back and opened the door to leave.

The maids guarding the door hurried forward with lanterns, respectfully saying, “Your Highness.”

“Have someone prepare. I’m going to the Imperial Hot Spring to bathe.”

Hearing this, the maids exchanged glances, seeming to understand something, and smiled with pressed lips: “Yes.”

The Princess Manor seemed to have prepared early for Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan waking in the middle of the night to bathe. The Princess Manor had a natural hot spring with a specially built bathhouse. When Li Rong entered, everyone had prepared everything. After helping Li Rong change clothes, they attended to her as she entered the pool.

Li Rong lay in the pool with closed eyes, resting. One attendant helped remove her makeup while another used soap beans to clean her hair, carefully massaging her scalp.

Li Rong lay there enjoying herself. Jing Mei, who was removing her makeup, smiled and asked, “How does Your Highness feel today?”

“What feeling?”

Li Rong didn’t react at first. The nearby attendants smiled secretly. Li Rong immediately understood. She felt somewhat helpless. These attendants around her, though none had married, certainly understood plenty.

But she couldn’t tell them the truth, so she could only respond vaguely: “Pretty good.”

“The Prince Consort must be very gentle, right?”

Jing Lan, who was massaging her scalp, suddenly said this. Li Rong found it rather strange: “Why are you all so concerned about this?”

At her question, everyone laughed again.

“Your Highness,” Jing Mei said with a smile, “we’ve been waiting this whole time. We thought the Prince Consort would be the one coming to the Imperial Hot Spring, but unexpectedly it was you who walked over, leaving the Prince Consort in the bathing room.”

Li Rong: “…”

Li Rong felt somewhat embarrassed. She didn’t know whether to say Pei Wenxuan’s body wasn’t good enough, or that her body was too good.

Fortunately, everyone here consisted of unmarried young women. She coughed lightly and said casually, “It’s not as exaggerated as you imagine. The water here is warmer. Don’t ask so much. Pass me that bath bean.”

Li Rong’s attempt to cover up made everyone laugh heartily, but no one said much more. They attended to Li Rong as she finished bathing, helped dry her hair after she rose, then escorted her back to her room.

When Li Rong returned to the room, Pei Wenxuan had already washed clean. He had someone change the water in the room, but because his bathing time was shorter, when Li Rong returned, he was sitting cross-legged on the bed drying his own hair.

Li Rong walked through the door. He glanced up, said nothing, then lowered his head to continue drying his hair.

The attendants closed the door behind her. Li Rong walked to the bedside. Pei Wenxuan’s movements became somewhat stiff. Li Rong gracefully sat on the bed’s edge. Pei Wenxuan quickly tried to get up and leave. Li Rong raised her hand and pressed it against the bedpost, directly blocking Pei Wenxuan’s escape route, saying lightly, “Sit down. I have something to discuss with you.”

“It’s late at night now…”

Seeing Li Rong’s expression wasn’t good, Pei Wenxuan forced a smile: “Why not sleep first?”

“Our hair isn’t dry yet.” Li Rong moved both legs onto the bed, her entire body blocking the bed’s edge. Leaning against the bed pillar, she blocked Pei Wenxuan’s path completely. Pei Wenxuan knelt back down and took a deep breath: “I can get off the bed to talk.”

“I want to talk with you on the bed.”

“That’s not…” Pei Wenxuan began stuttering, “not appropriate, is it?”

“You’re already sitting here. What’s appropriate or not? Why are you so nervous?” Li Rong looked him up and down and leaned closer. “Do you think you’ve done something guilty?”

As Li Rong leaned forward, a fresh fragrance wafted over. Pei Wenxuan was so frightened he leaned back sharply, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

Li Rong drew close to him, mere inches away. Li Rong stared at him while he looked back at Li Rong with feigned composure. After a moment, Li Rong smiled gently. That smile in the dim lamplight, reflected by the surrounding bright red colors, showed a certain allure. She gently raised her hand and brushed the hair stuck to his face back behind his ear: “Don’t be afraid,” she drawled. Her usually soft voice with a touch of coolness now seemed to carry hooks in Pei Wenxuan’s ears. Then her hand stopped on his face, and before Pei Wenxuan could lose his composure, she suddenly began lightly patting his face: “Confess and be treated leniently. This palace is very magnanimous.”

These pats sobered him somewhat. He quickly collected himself, sat up properly, and said calmly, “What does Your Highness want this servant to confess?”

“What’s the deal with Su Rongqing?” Li Rong stared at him. “At my wedding, you had him come greet me. Are you mocking me?”

“Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan kept his eyes forward, “could you move farther away to talk?”

“If I move farther, will you answer me?”

Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Li Rong took it as tacit agreement, so she straightened up and assumed a slightly more elegant posture, kneeling opposite Pei Wenxuan.

The husband and wife knelt facing each other across the bed, one at each end. Li Rong stared at Pei Wenxuan. Pei Wenxuan lowered his eyes. After hesitating a moment, he organized his words before saying, “I only hoped you could be happier.”

“At my wedding,” Li Rong tapped her fan on the bed board angrily, “you had Su Rongqing come greet me. Who are you humiliating?! And you want me to be happy?!”

“You and he simply had no fate,” Pei Wenxuan raised his head and looked at Li Rong earnestly. “In the previous life there was no suitable opportunity. This life, you can have one, can’t you?”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s words, Li Rong was somewhat shocked. After a long while, she felt as if she understood every word Pei Wenxuan said, yet still didn’t understand his meaning.

“Could you,” Li Rong frowned, “use language I can understand to tell me what you’re thinking?”

“I mean, in this lifetime, you can start over with Su Rongqing.”

“Why would I want to start over?” Li Rong reflexively asked.

“Because you love him.” Pei Wenxuan answered seriously.

“I… I love him?” Li Rong was shocked into stuttering. She gripped her fan and spoke in confusion, “I… how do I not know this?”

“You were with him for twenty-five years,” Pei Wenxuan lowered his eyes. “I saw it all. He treated you very well and protected you very well. When you were with him, you were very happy. Even in this life, when you see him, you’re different.”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s words, Li Rong felt a kind of bewilderment rising within her.

Pei Wenxuan looked up at her and said softly, “Li Rong, actually your greatest talent is self-deception. Every time, you not only deceive others, you also deceive yourself. When you were young, you deceived yourself by saying you didn’t like me. Now, you also deceive yourself by saying you don’t like Su Rongqing. But actually, it’s not that you don’t like him. You’re just afraid.”

“I… what am I afraid of?”

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s words, Li Rong felt somewhat nervous.

She vaguely felt Pei Wenxuan was right, yet also felt something wasn’t quite right. She only felt this conversation made her embarrassed and awkward, so awkward she even somewhat regretted why she had asked about this matter.

Yet she wanted to keep listening.

She wanted to know—in Pei Wenxuan’s eyes, what kind of person was she, and what did she think?

“You’re afraid he’ll be like before. You’re afraid the love he gives you in this lifetime will be like the previous life—his family more important than you, power and influence more important than you. Li Rong, you always say you understand Su Rongqing, you comprehend Su Rongqing’s choices, you don’t resent him. But if you don’t resent him, why did you give him up from the very beginning?”

Li Rong froze in place. Pei Wenxuan smiled: “You still resent him. Because he killed you and made you see clearly that he and you are similar people. But you know in your heart that a love that would abandon you without hesitation before family interests—you’d rather not have it. So even though you know this life has started over, even though you know the Su family’s fate will change, even though you have countless opportunities to be with him and could have a better life, from the very beginning, you chose to give up.”

“So after saying all this,” Li Rong smiled bitterly, “what exactly are you trying to say?”

“But Su Rongqing isn’t like that.” Pei Wenxuan’s words were full of sincerity. “You think that between wife and family, he would definitely choose family. You think he wouldn’t truly love anyone. But do you understand the twenty-year-old Su Rongqing? If you weren’t in his heart, if he were truly as rational as you say, if love didn’t occupy such an important place in his life, then that day at the water pavilion, he couldn’t have come.”

“Before the wedding, I asked him,” Pei Wenxuan’s face showed a smile. “I said if there was a conflict between wife and family, who would he choose? He told me that a wife is also family, and he chooses what’s right. He’s not as you imagine. He can give you the kind of love you want.”

“He can give it,” Li Rong felt somewhat helpless. “Why would I want it?”

“Because you want to live a very good life.” Pei Wenxuan looked into her eyes. “You don’t want to live like the previous life. You want the Crown Prince to have a good future. You want a beautiful family. You also want someone to love you and whom you love, want children around your knees, want in your old age to have someone to depend on mutually, to journey together to the Yellow Springs, don’t you?”

Li Rong couldn’t speak. Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath: “You want all this. He was the person you were most likely to fall in love with. You and he could have been good together. Starting over in this life, why not try to fight for it, to make an effort?”

“Don’t always think of yourself as old. You’re eighteen years old right now! You’re in the prime of your youth right now. Why are you blocking off all possibilities? Today when Su Rongqing came to greet you, didn’t you think for even a moment—if one day you two could marry, wouldn’t you be very happy?”

“I… I haven’t really thought about it…” Seeing Pei Wenxuan speak so passionately, Li Rong felt somewhat guilty, as if not thinking about anything in her mind was somehow failing Pei Wenxuan’s good intentions.

Moreover, what Pei Wenxuan said did make some sense. But sense was sense—somehow, she had no desire to immediately put it into practice.

Seeing Li Rong still resisting, Pei Wenxuan felt frustrated, as if disappointed in her lack of ambition. He immediately said, “Then think about it now. Imagine now—if you two married, wouldn’t you live better together?”

“I… I’m a bit sleepy.”

Li Rong felt this topic couldn’t continue. She hurriedly said, “There are things tomorrow. Let’s sleep first.”

“No,” Pei Wenxuan reached out to stop Li Rong from lying down to sleep and straightened her up. “I’ve finally had a proper heart-to-heart talk with you. We must discuss this issue clearly.”

“What issue?” Li Rong looked completely bewildered. Pei Wenxuan was entirely serious: “The issue of how you’ll marry Su Rongqing.”

“Let’s just sleep.”

Li Rong immediately tried to lie down again. Pei Wenxuan intercepted her midway again and straightened her up: “Don’t make trouble. Listen to me. Facing your feelings for Su Rongqing squarely is the first step to opening your heart. Only when you start learning to face yourself can you live this life well.”

Hearing these words, Li Rong’s head grew large. She took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and rolled up her sleeves: “Fine, you speak. I’m listening. Let’s see who can outlast whom tonight. Whatever great principles you have, bring them on! First tell me—what benefit do I get from marrying Su Rongqing?”

“First, you and Su Rongqing have compatible status and similar ideas. Together, you can be like confidants, like good friends, living in harmony for life, becoming an immortal couple.”

“Second, Su Rongqing has noble status, being of the aristocracy. You together with him would be like adding wings to a tiger. Whatever the Crown Prince wants to do in the future, having Su Rongqing there will make things much more convenient.”

“Third, you were already compatible with him and have an emotional foundation…”

Pei Wenxuan fully displayed his instincts from court, listing point by point the good things about Su Rongqing, depicting the beautiful future after they married.

Li Rong’s eyes widened as she stared at Pei Wenxuan.

She didn’t believe that Pei Wenxuan, who had been so sleepy earlier, wasn’t sleepy now.

However, Pei Wenxuan had fully realized Li Rong’s intent. This person habitually rose to challenges—if Li Rong wanted to outlast him, he absolutely wouldn’t let Li Rong succeed.

So he summoned his full spirit and, maintaining eye contact with Li Rong, racked his brain and spoke eloquently, fully arguing the necessity of Li Rong marrying Su Rongqing.

Pei Wenxuan was too articulate. With one person and one stage, he slowly talked until the rooster crowed. Li Rong propped up her head with her hand, dozing while listening to Pei Wenxuan’s voice drilling into her ears like demonic sounds.

Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan grew more energetic as he spoke. Seeing Li Rong’s intent to collapse, he immediately shook her awake and asked seriously, “Your Highness, have you considered it well?”

Then Li Rong would jolt awake, immediately becoming serious again and raising new questions: “Setting aside that the veracity of all this is questionable, even if it were true, now that I’ve married you as wife, how could I marry him?”

“I’ve thought this through for Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan said as he immediately got off the bed. Seeing him leave, Li Rong relaxed and was about to fall sideways. But Pei Wenxuan returned to the bed and respectfully presented a memorial: “This is the plan I’ve drafted for Your Highness. I’ve thought it through—to help Your Highness and Su Rongqing reunite, we need to divide it into steps. Step one: Understanding yourself. Your Highness needs to correctly recognize your own mindset, let down your guard from the previous life, and correctly understand Su Rongqing.”

Li Rong took the memorial. In the darkness, hearing Pei Wenxuan’s words, she was shocked as she unrolled the memorial detailing solutions for how to marry Su Rongqing. When unrolled, it was as long as Li Rong’s arm. By moonlight, Li Rong saw the densely packed characters as she heard Pei Wenxuan continue: “Step two: Understanding the enemy. We need to determine Su Rongqing’s current attitude toward Your Highness and toward romance. Leave this to me.” Pei Wenxuan placed his hand on his chest, his expression serious and very reassuring. “I’ll first establish a good relationship with Su Rongqing and determine his feelings toward Your Highness.”

“After confirming Su Rongqing’s feelings, we begin step three: Releasing the enemy. This step I’ll also complete. The main point is to let Su Rongqing know that Your Highness and I are allies, and he actually still has a chance.”

“Step four: Capturing the enemy. Once Su Rongqing has opportunity, we’ll create some chances for Your Highness and Su Rongqing to interact. With Your Highness’s abilities, a mere Su Rongqing will be easily captured, inevitably falling at your feet. Then Your Highness can make a promise with him.”

“You…” Li Rong listened dumbfounded. “Do you have too much confidence in me?”

“No,” Pei Wenxuan said seriously. “This is my comprehensive evaluation of Your Highness. With Your Highness’s appearance, methods, and temperament, given suitable opportunities, what man in this world wouldn’t admire you? Your Highness must not belittle yourself.”

“You make it sound so good…” Li Rong murmured. “I almost believe it.”

“Does Your Highness not trust me?”

Pei Wenxuan had the appearance of a civil official dying to remonstrate, making Li Rong gasp. Hearing the rooster crow outside, holding the memorial in her hand, she suddenly realized Pei Wenxuan had come prepared. In this endurance competition, she probably couldn’t win.

She took a deep breath and decided to adopt a strategy of turning the tables—using the enemy’s spear against the enemy’s shield. She would let Pei Wenxuan also experience her feelings. So she nodded: “Minister Pei speaks very reasonably. This palace has suddenly awakened, as if enlightened. Starting over in life is to make up for regrets. Minister Pei thinks so much of this palace’s interests. This palace is deeply grateful. To repay Minister Pei’s devoted heart, this palace has decided—your marriage, I’m taking charge of it.”

Pei Wenxuan froze in place, repeating: “My marriage?”

“Correct,” Li Rong nodded seriously. “Minister Pei and Second Miss Qin—the heavens were unkind to you back then. Now starting over in life, Second Miss Qin hasn’t yet entered the palace. Minister Pei should gather your courage and pursue her vigorously!”

“No… that’s not necessary.” Hearing Li Rong mention Qin Zhenzhen, Pei Wenxuan immediately became restless. “Let’s just talk about Your Highness…”

“No,” Li Rong pressed down on Pei Wenxuan’s shoulder earnestly. “Minister Pei thinks so much of my interests. How can I not think of Minister Pei’s? Minister Pei need not decline. If Minister Pei declines, then this palace won’t understand why you insist I plan to marry Su Rongqing.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan immediately stiffened. After a moment, he said through gritted teeth: “Your Highness is right. However, the urgent matter is still Lord Su. Second Miss Qin isn’t urgent.”

“Actually, Lord Su isn’t very urgent either.”

Having said this, both fell silent. Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath: “Your Highness can rest assured. Lord Su’s matter—leave it to this servant to handle. I will certainly handle it properly for Your Highness.”

“Minister Pei can rest assured,” Li Rong immediately said. “Second Miss Qin’s matter—leave it to this palace to handle. I will certainly help Minister Pei manage it well.”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

Li Rong: “…”

The rooster crowed again. Pei Wenxuan said hesitantly, “Since Your Highness has already agreed to this matter, how about… we sleep?”

Li Rong nodded. The two quickly burrowed into the covers and hurriedly closed their eyes.

After closing her eyes, Li Rong couldn’t help asking again: “Pei Wenxuan.”

“Mm?”

“Tell me, what are you trying to gain from doing all this?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. Li Rong thought about it. Actually, she didn’t need Pei Wenxuan to speak—she could guess. Pei Wenxuan truly was thinking of her welfare. Perhaps his method was somewhat wrong, but in Pei Wenxuan’s heart, he truly wanted her to live well.

She couldn’t help smiling silently in the darkness: “Look at our relationship—not husband and wife as husband and wife, not pure allies as allies either. After thirty years of wind and rain together, mocking each other on one hand, yet wanting the best for each other on the other. Married, yet still planning each other’s marriages with other people. What kind of relationship is this?”

Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Hearing Li Rong say these things, his heart felt an indescribable stuffiness. He turned his back to Li Rong and said in a low voice, “If you think well of me, you can treat me like an older brother.”

“That’s unnecessary,” Li Rong immediately rejected. “I don’t have that hobby of seeking brothers.”

“Whatever you like then.”

Pei Wenxuan was too lazy to deal with her. Li Rong thought for a moment, then suddenly turned around and moved close to Pei Wenxuan, happily saying, “Can you be counted as my close girlfriend now?”

“Stay away from me.” Pei Wenxuan shrank back. “Don’t come frighten me.”

Li Rong laughed, turned over, and moved farther from him. Somehow, she seemed to have suddenly found a new term to define her relationship with Pei Wenxuan.

“Pei Wenxuan,” she poked Pei Wenxuan’s back with her finger. “I think this term suits you perfectly. Starting today, you’re my bestie.”

“Then what do you count as to me? A brother-in-arms?”

Pei Wenxuan counterattacked. Li Rong immediately laughed aloud. Suddenly not sleepy anymore, she continued chattering: “You’re currently in my boudoir, you…”

“Oh my dear lady,” Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help it. He turned around and raised his hand to cover her mouth, saying seriously, “Time to sleep, all right?”

Li Rong blinked. Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath: “Fine, I’m your bestie. Time to sleep?”

Li Rong smiled and closed her eyes, satisfied.

Watching Li Rong close her eyes, Pei Wenxuan sighed. He actually forgot to turn back around and fell asleep facing her.

Before falling asleep, he vaguely thought—

Tomorrow he needed to get more bedding. When making a floor bed, it would be softer.

If he kept enduring like this, he feared he would die young.