Chapter 38 - 36: Why Don’t You Give It a Try?

Yun Ran only felt that her mind at the moment was like it had been struck by lightning, a muddled mess with flashes of bright light! In her mind, the gossiping and cunning bird voice of a certain Immortal Bird emerged timely: [From this bird’s wise perspective, what he probably meant is that he can have babies with you...] [Speaking of which, the closer you are to him, the higher the Spiritual Energy Value you gain. Holding hands is not as good as hugging, hugging is not as good as kissing... Why don’t you give it a try?] Yun Ran: "..." Someday, she would definitely pluck out every single feather of that bird! In her mind was the demonic voice of a certain bird, and in her vision was the face of a man who could enchant anyone, along with that aura of danger... Especially those eyes, in the night like deep pools of a millennium, seemingly concealing phantoms from the netherworld, capturing one’s soul, making it impossible not to fall into them, never to return. Yun Ran’s heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat. The next instant, she quickly raised her hand, grabbed the quilt, and covered herself. "Lord, what are you saying? I’m so sleepy! Um... I can’t even open my eyes, I’m going to sleep!" Perhaps because her face was covered by the quilt, her voice sounded soft and tender, like a feather brushing across the heart, gently and tickling. Nangong Mo closed his eyes, slightly calming his mood, his voice deep, "Idiot." Yun Ran: "..." Originally, Yun Ran thought that with a ’shameless beastly Lord Dog’ sleeping next to her, she surely wouldn’t be able to sleep, but unexpectedly, she fell into a deep sleep shortly after. Perhaps it’s because her nature, extremely sensitive to danger and malice, did not sense any threat or harm but rather felt an inexplicable sense of peace. After she fell asleep, Nangong Mo slowly opened his eyes and gently pulled the quilt off her face, indeed seeing her little face flushed red. A shallow, helpless smile appeared in the depths of the man’s eyes. Quietly gazing at the girl’s serene sleeping face, the little girl looked as delicate and soft as flower petals, but she fought fiercely and with arrogance... ... Yun Ran had a good night’s sleep, woke up quite early the next day, and because she was in the palace, she felt embarrassed to linger in bed. However, she noticed that Nangong Mo seemed to not have slept well? Because she saw dark circles under his eyes, although faint, they were indeed there! If she hadn’t been with him all along, she would have suspected he had secretly turned into a thief at night. "Lord, are you unfamiliar with the bed?" The man snorted coldly, sitting elegantly, "Help the Lord dress." Yun Ran rolled her eyes at him, silently despising him. Yet her hands obediently picked up his clothes, "Alright, Lord!" However, while dressing him, intentionally or unintentionally, she pulled too hard a few times, almost choking him. Nangong Mo was certain and sure that the little villain did it on purpose! Even so, he still let her do his hair. And inevitably, she damaged several strands of his hair. Nangong Mo: "..." Anyway, the Lord has plenty of hair! Breakfast was taken at Changle Palace, quite sumptuous, with the Empress Dowager smiling kindly and affectionately as usual, instructing the palace maids to serve Yun Ran with dishes, constantly smiling and urging her to eat more. After the meal, the Empress Dowager chatted with Yun Ran for a while, then let her and Nangong Mo go for a walk in the Imperial Garden. As Yun Ran was pushing Nangong Mo away, Mrs. Hong approached the Empress Dowager and whispered a few words in her ear. The Empress Dowager frowned slightly after hearing them, "You say the two of them haven’t consummated the marriage?" "Yes, Your Majesty, yesterday this servant kept watch outside the hall and heard nothing. This morning, the servants checked the bedding carefully, and indeed, the Prince and Princess just slept side by side, each on their own." The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows, looking thoughtful. "I observed yesterday, Jiulang seems to have some feelings for that girl." "Think about it, how many girls have chased after him, surrounded him, and how did he treat them? Now look at his attitude towards Yue. It’s impossible to say he doesn’t have any feelings at all; I don’t believe it." Mrs. Hong nodded in agreement, "Currently, rumors are spreading wildly around the capital about how much the Prince dotes on the Princess. Although the reality isn’t as exaggerated as the rumors, he does treat her differently." "I also like this girl a lot, she’s much better than that Lin Yanran. What exactly is Jiulang thinking? Do you think he still has feelings for Lin Yanran?" "This... he shouldn’t." "They live separately in the mansion. I barely managed to bring them together, and now look at him!" "The Prince should understand your good intentions." Upon hearing these words, the Empress Dowager huffed, a bit exasperated, "If he truly understood, I would have held great-grandchildren by now!" "As for the child, I asked Doctor Fu, those rumors are nonsense! What hidden ailments? He’s perfectly normal!" On this point, Mrs. Hong wholeheartedly agreed, "Elder Fu is highly respected, with superb medical skills! If he wasn’t absolutely sure, he wouldn’t speak recklessly. Our Prince is perfectly fine, now that he’s married, Your Majesty, you’ll soon hear good news!" "Waiting for him to come around? Who knows when that’ll be?" Although the Empress Dowager spoke with a tone of disdain, her eyes clearly held affection and fondness. "Given he has feelings for that girl, and she’s also quite likable, now that they’re here, I must consider helping them out." Upon hearing this, Mrs. Hong looked up and saw the Empress Dowager’s thoughtful and confident expression, and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Your Majesty, do you intend...?" The two master-servant pair had been together for decades, and with just a look or expression, they could understand what the other was thinking. The Empress Dowager smiled inscrutably, beckoning to Mrs. Hong, "Come, I’ll tell you, go and..." ... Although it was winter and all things were bleak and desolate, the scenery in the Imperial Garden was still beautiful. The sun was slightly warm, the breeze gentle, the weather exceptionally good, naturally lifting one’s spirits. Originally Yun Ran was pushing Nangong Mo for a walk in the garden, but when they passed by a koi pond, Nangong Mo said he wanted to go to the pavilion to feed the fish. Yun Ran recalled how he often threatened to throw her into the lake to feed the fish, so she airily made a few gestures at the back of his head before leaving him there to continue exploring the garden on her own. Water sleeves and towered pavilions, rockeries, and jade ponds, like being in a painting. Turning a corner, a tall figure approached. With gentle, handsome features, his face like a jade, a slight smile at the corner of his lips. Yun Ran’s eyes flickered slightly, and she looked down at the grass, pretending not to see, ready to slip away. "Wanyue." Yun Ran: "..." She turned, raised her eyes with surprise, "Crown Prince? You’re also strolling in the Imperial Garden! What a coincidence!" Nangong Jue’s eyes smiled a bit more as he walked over to stand in front of her, his voice gentle and soft: "It’s not a coincidence. I just went to Changle Palace to greet the Empress Dowager, learned you were also in the palace, strolling in the Imperial Garden, so I thought to come and find you." It turns out he came specifically to find her... and Nangong Mo? "Does the Crown Prince have something on his mind?" Nangong Jue smiled, taking out two white jade bottles from his sleeve. "This is a miraculous medicine I acquired from a reclusive physician in Jiangnan while providing relief during a disaster. It’s very beneficial for the Ninth Prince’s leg injury."