Chapter 25.2

Her face was very close to his chest, and the tip of her dainty nose was just a little short of brushing against his warm skin.

Her nose was filled with the man’s intense scent. In addition to a fresh cedar fragrance, there was a fierce male scent which inexplicably cause her face to flush and her heart to race.

The surroundings were very quiet, but her violently beating heart was thumping loudly in her eardrums, making a lot of noise.

Is he awake? thought Tao Ti nervously. Feeling the heat from his palm on her waist, she swallowed and whispered, “Your Highness?”

There was no response.

Then, he was probably still asleep, and had just happened to roll over.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness he was asleep.

Tao Ti gently wriggled her waist, attempting to get out of his embrace.

She was being very careful, but didn’t know that the man’s dark eyes were open, calmly looking at her being all shy and careful, his thin lips hooked up into a happy smile.

Pei Yan didn’t make things too difficult for her. After all, it would be easy for her to catch on if he overdid it.

He pretended to be still asleep and cooperated with her movements to let her get out of bed.

Hearing the little maiden’s relieved exhale after she got out of bed, and the sound of footsteps leaving briskly, Pei Yan slowly opened his eyes and sat up.

His gaze fell on his hands, recalling the softness of her waist, and the fullness that had pressed up against him…

In fact, for a moment just now, he really wanted to tear off the disguise and confine her firmly under his body, holding down her waist in fierce possession, and make her cry softly and sweetly under him.

But he has always been a very patient hunter.

He could wait slowly. He would wait for that innocent and well-behaved little prey to throw herself into his arms.

………

Tao Ti strolled around the courtyard and even did some Baduanjin qigong ¹ . Only after ensuring that her heart was calm and free of desire did she return indoors.

Pei Yan had already finished freshening up. Perhaps because they were going to go out of the palace, he wore an ordinary silver-grey brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist. His black hair was tied up and secured with a white jade haircrown. He well and truly looked like a jade carving, and also like a pine tree lush with emerald leaves—a picture of unparalleled beauty that was like no other.

Tao Ti could tell that he wanted to dress in a more low-key manner, but with such a handsome face, even if he were wearing a gunny sack, she was 100% sure that all who passed him would turn to look.

When he saw her enter, a gentle smile appeared in Pei Yan’s eyes. “You’re awake rather early today.”

The moment Tao Ti saw him, she automatically thought about what happened between the bed curtains.

Her little face flushed red, and she avoided his gaze a little uncomfortably as she replied softly, “Perhaps the thought of being able to go out of the palace today made me so happy that I couldn’t sleep.”

Seeing that her snow-white cheeks were faintly crimson, Pei Yan said softly, “Then, go get freshened up first. We still set off after breakfast.”

“Mhm,” replied Tao Ti. Pei Yan left the bedchamber to wait for her in the hall.

About fifteen minutes later, she finished dressing and slowly walked up to Pei Yan.

She was also dressed in a very low-key manner today. She was wearing a pear blossom white gauze robe with a flower pattern and a lotus green pleated skirt with a gold brocade weave. Her hair was up in a short bun that was accessorised with a chrysanthemum filigree silver hairpin set with jadeite. There were a pair of jade earrings in her ears, which made her skin seem even fairer and more luminous.

Pei Yan looked her over and complimented in a warm tone, “Very pretty.”

“Even so, I’m still not as good-looking as you,” teased Tao Ti airily. “Let’s go have breakfast, I’m a little hungry.”

The two went out together. The palace attendants who were standing on both sides looked at their figures and thought in unison, Crown prince and Crown Princess are really a beautiful pair. They are such a perfect match.

Breakfast was mainly prepared by the imperial kitchen. There were thin-skin wontons, fried mantou slices, red date cake, glutinous rice rolls, sweetheart pastry, crisp sesame pastry, various kinds of pickled vegetables, marinated fish, sea salt preserved snake, stir-fried vegetables, and two bowls of bird’s nest soup with rock sugar. The dishes filled the entire table, but fortunately, the portion of every dish wasn’t too much. It was a picture of exquisite abundance.

As soon as Tao Ti was seated, she started eating the wontons.

She was the one who gave Head Chef Sun ² pointers on how to make these thin-skin wontons. As an imperial chef, his foundation was solid. She only gave a brief description and Head Chef Sun understood what she meant.

The small and tender wontons were served in a large porcelain bowl of clear soup. The surface of the wontons was extremely thin wrinkly, tightly wrapping around the slightly blush pink filling inside. The soup was clear and fresh, with egg drop blooms floating in it. There was a layer of tender green chopped spring onion as a garnish, and a spoonful of rice vinegar and soy sauce drizzled over everything. The bowl was steaming hot and extremely aromatic.

Footnotes:

¹ Baduanjin qigong: One of the most common forms of Chinese qigong. Variously translated as Eight Pieces of Brocade, Eight-Section Brocade, Eight Silken Movements or Eight Silk Weaving, the name of the form generally refers to how the eight individual movements of the form characterize and impart a silken quality (like that of a piece of brocade) to the body and its energy.

² Previously TL-ed as “Chief Steward Sun” when it wasn’t clear what his actual designation was.

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