Gluttonous Crown Princess

Tao Ti’s satin-like black hair was piled on top of her head. In her previous life, she had neat, short hair, but this body’s hair was long and thick, hanging past her hip when she let it down. Most of her time had been spent on her hair during her bath tonight. Now, that hair had scattered loose, permeating the faint fragrance of flowers within the festive red wedding bed curtains. 

As Pei Yan breathed in the feminine sweet fragrance, his eyes couldn’t help but darken. He tried to calm his breathing, but his mind constantly went back to the scene in which he handed her the dudou.

A smudge of smoky pink, a delicate snowy white.

Just then, a small, soft call suddenly sounded in his ears, “Your Highness, are you asleep?”

Pei Yan’s eyelashes quivered slightly in the darkness. He thought for a moment, and replied eventually, “What’s wrong?”

The soft and delicate voice rang out again, “I just wanted to tell you something. I don’t know if you’ve heard of a saying, ‘It is easy to draw the shapes of dragons and tigers, but difficult to draw their bones. We may know a man’s exterior, but not his heart…’ In this world, some people look like good people, but their hearts may not be so good…”

Pei Yan squinted. “Huh?”

Tao Ti continued, “You are a good person, but if a person is too good, it’s easy for others to bully and take advantage of them… Then, there is another saying, ‘the heart of harming others cannot exist, and the heart of guarding against others cannot be absent’… Umm, do you know what I mean?”　　

Pei Yan’s lips curved upwards. “Not really.”

Tao Ti bit her lip. She rolled over suddenly, propping herself up on the side with her elbow and leaned towards him.

After struggling for two seconds, she said frankly, “Well, we greeted the empress today, right? So far, the empress has been kind and genial, but that Second Princess, I personally feel that she’s not so friendly…”　　

Seeing that Pei Yan was keeping silent, she felt a little guilty. Had she spoken out of turn? She attempted to explain, “Your Highness, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to stir discord. I just wanted to remind you…”　　

After a long silence, Pei Yan’s gentle voice rang out, “Mm, I understand.”

Tao Ti, “……”

“What you’re saying, I know.” Pei Yan turned over. The faint light coming in from outside the bedcurtains made his eyes very bright. “I am weak and sickly, yet still occupy the position of Crown Prince. I can understand Third Brother and Lingbi for being dissatisfied. But it won’t be long now… cough cough, in at most another year, I will be able to let him have the crown prince’s position.”

Tao Ti was startled when she heard him cough. “Are you all right?”

Pei Yan turned his body to the other side, coughing as he said, “I’m… I’m fine…”

“How can you still say you’re fine when you’re coughing like this.” Tao Ti lifted the quilt, sat up and said, “I’ll go get you a glass of water.”

She was sleeping on the innermost side of the bed; to get down, she had to first get past Pei Yan, who was sleeping on the outermost side. 

It was not easy to do so, and she could only crawl over. First, one hand crossed over his body, then, a leg… Halfway across, she glanced down unthinkingly. Unexpectedly, Pei Yan was also looking at her.

They were face to face, eye to eye.

Looking at the man’s beautiful and innocent face, Tao Ti felt she now seemed like a scumbag who was ruining a virtuous woman?

“Ahem…” She averted her gaze awkwardly, then scrambled across hastily. 

A wisp of soft hair swept across Pei Yan’s face, and a faint fragrance lingered around the tip of his nose. He turned his head and stared at that petite and well-carved back.

Very quickly, Tao Ti brought a cup of warm water over and said softly, “Here, the water’s temperature is just right, it’s not too hot.”

She was wearing snow-white bedclothes today. Maybe it was because she had been lying down, they were a little loose and rumpled now. The neckline was slightly open, revealing a corner of her dudou. One could even vaguely see the thin golden chain that was hanging at the back of her neck, shining with little scatters of golden light.

Pei Yan’s thin lips tightened reflexively; he received the cup of water and drained it in one go.

Seeing that he had stopped coughing after drinking the water, Tao Ti breathed a sigh of relief and put the cup back.

When she returned to the bedside, in order to avoid the awkwardness of just now, she crawled across from the end of the bed.　　

After seeing her lie down, Pei Yan’s slender, cold fair arms lifted slightly, and the red bedcurtains fell again, enclosing them in the sweet fragrance.

“We have to go back to your maiden home tomorrow; it wouldn’t be good to be late,” he said. “Go to sleep.” 

Back to her maiden home? Tao Ti was startled.
If Pei Yan hadn’t mentioned it, she had already forgotten that there was such a thing.

Thinking about the situation in Marquis Yong Wei’s manor, the original owner’s family, Tao Ti was a little worried; it seemed like it was going to be another tiring day tomorrow. 

Pei Yan heard her sigh and said comfortingly, “Don’t worry too much. I will go back with you tomorrow.”

Tao Ti understood that by accompanying her back to Marquis Yong Wei’s manor, he was demonstrating to everyone that he valued her, allowing her to maintain her dignity.

She felt extremely grateful, and said softly, “Thank you very much.”