Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 137
by Little PandaBestowing Upon You the Realm (19)
“Lord Yu, how do you feel?”
Xu Jiao was now regretful.
Extremely regretful.
The consequence of fooling around with Yu Ye all night was that she couldn’t even get out of bed the next day, with her waist and legs feeling weak. Fortunately, Yu Ye had taken good care of her health these past months, so despite their intense activities, she didn’t catch any troublesome cold. This was likely because early in the morning, Yu Ye had palace servants bring hot water and personally cleaned all the sticky traces from her body, then held her in an embrace, warming her with internal energy for a long time.
They both slept until noon.
When Xu Jiao opened her eyes, she realized how naive her initial plan was to interrogate Yu Ye during the act. No matter how rational she was, she was still human – when sensual pleasure reaches a certain point and one is pushed to certain limits, one truly doesn’t think much about anything else; everything done is purely for more pleasure.
As for the intended questioningโ
It naturally came to nothing in the end.
But whether it was Xu Jiao or Yu Ye, both understood that this was merely the beginning.
Yu Ye had been sitting in the hall reading some important official memorials that required personal attention. Noticing movement from behind the bed curtains, she glanced at the pigeon soup being kept warm over a small flame on another table. She closed the memorials and, wearing a dark-colored robe, walked toward Xu Jiao’s bed.
“Awake?”
“How do you feel?”
Just hearing this cool, detached voice and seeing that indifferent face, probably no one in the entire Yan Kingdom would guess their Regent could be so imaginative in bed.
Truly a perfect example of being outwardly reserved but inwardly passionate.
Xu Jiao stared at the person who came to her bedside and bent down to check on her. Meeting Yu Ye’s gaze, she noticed that today her hair wasn’t properly bound and her clothes weren’t formally arranged, presenting a rather relaxed appearance quite different from her usual imposing presence when visiting the Eastern Palace.
The most different thingโ
Was the way she looked at her.
Very gentle.
It was a familiar look to Xu Jiao.
Just as she slightly raised her hand, Yu Ye called for servants to bring water. One arm circled around her neck while the other gently supported her waist, helping her up. Moreover, instead of letting palace servants help, she personally wrung out a cloth to wipe Xu Jiao’s face.
Xu Jiao didn’t let her do it, instead raising her hand to take the teacup herself. After washing up, she wiped her own face. Only after the palace servants had taken away the water basin did she ask: “What’s that fragrant smell?”
Yu Ye looked at her with a half-smile: “Your Highness hasn’t answered my question yet.”
Xu Jiao imitated her smile, fearlessly meeting her gaze, and said airily: “What question? Should I write you a 500-word essay praising you? We can title it ใManual Skillsใ (a double entendre referencing both literary skills and intimate activities)?”
Yu Ye had only meant to ask if she was feeling any discomfort, but unexpectedly Xu Jiao misinterpreted it as fishing for compliments. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, but then she nodded approvingly:
“Not bad.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve tested Your Highness’s studies. I wonder about the quality of your writing, considering next spring’s imperial examination where we’ll need to select the top scholar right in the court.”
Xu Jiao moved her lips, and seeing the palace servants standing nearby, she didn’t voice it, but Yu Ye clearly saw her mouth form the word:
“Get lost.”
Yu Ye laughed.
Ever since she had revealed her identity, the invisible barriers between them had disappeared. Xu Jiao no longer needed to feign fear and politeness, which Yu Ye preferred.
She felt Xu Jiao’s forehead, finding no signs of fever, then checked her pulse. Only then did Yu Ye feel relieved and said: “I instructed the kitchen to prepare some porridge early for you. Pigeon meat nourishes and replenishes qi. The porridge is fresh and should taste good. Would you prefer to eat in bed or at the table?”
Xu Jiao didn’t want the palace servants to notice what had transpired between her and Yu Ye last night. Selectively ignoring Yu Ye’s earlier request for hot water, she remained in self-deceptive dignity and said in a composed voice:
“Proper sitting requires proper posture, as does dining. Naturally, I should eat at the table.”
Yu Ye raised her eyebrows. Having checked her pulse earlier, she knew certain parts of Xu Jiao’s body had restricted qi and blood flow. Seeing Xu Jiao’s stubbornness, she remained silent at first.
However, noticing Xu Jiao’s slightly trembling thighs as she rose, before she could grab the bed curtain for support, Yu Ye suddenly bent down and scooped her up horizontallyโ
Xu Jiao: “?”
Before she could speak this time, Yu Ye’s words came first: “Suddenly felt like being close to Your Highness. What’s wrong, don’t you like it?”
Xu Jiao: “โฆ”
With Yu Ye doing all the talking, whether she said she liked it or not would now seem like flirtatious banter.
So she could only pretend not to have heard anything, looking at the scenery outside the window. The attending palace servants, seeing Yu Ye and Xu Jiao’s intimate posture and knowing Yu Ye had stayed overnight in the Eastern Palace, seemed to understand the situation. Those like Lan Yan kept their heads down without saying a word.
However, the servant who had been on night duty, noticing Xu Jiao’s discomfort since rising, worried about being blamed by Yu Ye for poor service or lack of perception, couldn’t help but ask:
“Did something happen to Your Highness during the night?”
Xu Jiao and Yu Ye spoke simultaneously:
“It’s nothing, just took a fall.”
“No worry, just a slight twist.”
The palace maid was bewildered for a moment: “Ah?”
Xu Jiao glanced at Yu Ye, discreetly pinched her waist as a warning to stay quiet, then spoke again: “There was heavy snow late last night. When Lord Yu came to check on me, to avoid causing a disturbance, she stayed in my palace. I didn’t sleep well and fell from the bed, twisting my waist.”
Perfect.
Xu Jiao had never realized she could think so quickly on her feet.
The palace servants were stunned by her string of explanations. One lowered her head and asked: “Shall I summon the imperial physician for Your Highness? It could be troublesome if you’re injured somewhere.”
Xu Jiao: “No need.”
Yu Ye: “Yes, summon them.”
Once again, two contradicting orders.
Xu Jiao took a deep breath and looked up at Yu Ye, who was holding her but always contradicting her. Yu Ye saw the intense threat in her gaze and softened her tone slightly:
“It would be good to have the imperial physician take a look. I’m worried youโฆ fell too hard last night.”
By now they had reached the table. Xu Jiao gave a cold smile and patted Yu Ye’s arm, asking to be set down in the chair, then calmly rejected her suggestion:
“Unnecessary.”
She had no interest in announcing to the world that the Crown Prince had spent a night of passion.
Yu Ye could afford to lose face, but she couldn’t.
Seeing her insistence and guessing she was being thin-skinned, Yu Ye recalled what she had detected during the pulse examination earlier. Concluding that Xu Jiao indeed had no serious issues, she released her hold and compromised: “All right.”
Though she spoke casually, the nearby palace servants’ jaws had already dropped to the floor.
How had the Regent, who usually acted so domineering in the Eastern Palace and occasionally even severely scolded Xu Jiao, become so agreeable?
Was this really the same Yu Ye who made the entire Da Yan court tremble in fear?
Could this be the power of love?
At that moment, the palace servants secretly glanced at Xu Jiao with their peripheral vision, each look filled with awe.
As if she hadn’t just won over a woman, but rather tamed a fearsome demon king.
The pigeon porridge was cooked to perfect thickness, with fresh ingredients and rice cooked to complete softness. The broth was milky white, appetizing at first glance. Besides pigeon, it contained fresh shrimp, each plump and pink-hued. If it weren’t so hot from just being served, Xu Jiao could easily have eaten two large bowls.
Now she could only slowly spoon it up.
Yu Ye sat across from her reading memorials. Seeing the peaceful atmosphere and no immediate need for service, the palace servants tactfully withdrew behind the curtains and outside the hall, maintaining enough distance to avoid intruding while remaining within calling distance.
While eating, Xu Jiao watched Yu Ye busy with reading and stamping documents. Thinking of their unfinished conversation from last night and not wanting the keen-eared servants to hear, she gently nudged Yu Ye’s leg with her foot.
A light bump.
Another bump.
Seeing no response, Xu Jiao began trailing her foot upwardโ
Only to be caught midway.
Yu Ye raised her eyebrows, glanced at the servants in the shadows, and suddenly said: “All of you may leave.”
So the remaining servants withdrew outside the hall.
Yu Ye narrowed her eyes, and as Xu Jiao tried to withdraw her leg, began slowly releasing her grip, first the little finger, then the ring finger, then the middle finger. Just as Xu Jiao thought she would let go completely, she held her ankle with just her thumb and index finger, gently caressing her smooth skin while saying with a slight smile:
“I thought I might have asked too much last night.”
“But now it seems I haven’t satisfied you enough, hmm?” (ๅ้ฅฑ – literally “feed until full”)
Xu Jiao gave her a look of mild annoyance, having only meant to tease her. Now that the servants were gone, she spoke directly: “Drop the act. Lord Yu still has many things to explain truthfully. You don’t expect to get away with using these methods forever, do you?”
Yu Ye looked at her with composed leisure: “I indeed want to, but I fear your body might not handle it.”
Xu Jiao gave a fake smile, “If you let me take the lead, wouldn’t I be able to handle it then?”
Yu Ye’s eyebrows raised slightly higher.
Perhaps from being moved.
Xu Jiao lowered her head to drink her porridge nonchalantly. After a while, Yu Ye slowly released her foot, responding with a warm smile: “All right then.”
Xu Jiao replied while maintaining a poker face: “What’s good for you isn’t good for me.”
“If Lord Yu wants me to take initiative, you’ll need to offer something in exchange.”
Yu Ye gently closed the memorial in her hands: “A lifetime lover, a lifetime beloved, yet you’re bargaining with me over such matters. Jiaojiao, you’re truly breaking my heart.”
Unable to discern the truth in her words, Xu Jiao merely lowered her eyes, feeling complicated emotions.
She knew this wasn’t good.
She also knew Yu Ye disliked this.
Butโฆ
Her tendency to be suspicious seemed difficult to cure.
Her life was exchanged through someone’s hard efforts, and she was too afraid of losing it.
If there was even the slightest possibility that Yu Ye might kill her, she would withdraw all the feelings she had once given, without leaving a trace.
The room remained quiet for quite a while.
Yu Ye suddenly smiled:
“I was just teasing you.”
She said: “Just joking around, don’t take it seriously. If I truly loved you, I wouldn’t want to make things difficult for you. Don’t get caught up in my previous words.”
Before Xu Jiao could react, Yu Ye continued: “My existenceโฆ is rather special. When my self-awareness first emerged, certain memories appeared in my mind that seemed both mine and not mine. To understand those, I needed to have my own physical form (่บฏๅฃณ – literal meaning: shell/vessel) and needed to reach a world beyond my reach.”
“Although I never expected to fall in love with you, now that I have feelings and have made so many promises to youโ”
“Rest assured, I won’t force you to stay in these worlds, nor will I make you sacrifice anything for my wishes.”
“Does saying this make you feel a bit more secure?”
She looked at Xu Jiao with sincere eyes.
Xu Jiao casually wiped her lips with a handkerchief, then took the nearby teacup to rinse her mouth. After a moment’s pause, she rose and moved toward Yu Ye.
Yu Ye initially thought she wanted to be held, and finding this rare display of coquettishness from Xu Jiao surprising, opened her arms. Unexpectedly, the next moment, Xu Jiao pushed her down behind the desk.
Yu Ye looked up at Xu Jiao with a smile: “What are you doing?”
Without speaking, Xu Jiao glanced at the desk, deemed it unsuitable, and pushed Yu Ye further back to the screen. Yu Ye didn’t understand at first, until she realized Xu Jiao was undoing her clothes.
Then she knelt down.
Yu Ye startled, trying to push Xu Jiao’s shoulders: “I said earlier, Your Highness mustn’t use this as a bargaining chipโ”
Xu Jiao looked up at her: “Who said anything about bargaining?”
After a pause, she answered: “I want to do this.”
Half a quarter-hour later.
“Knock knock.”
Someone outside knocked on the half-open door, saying: “Lord Yu, some new memorials from the Imperial Study have been reviewed by the cabinet, and there are some urgent documents.”
Yu Ye’s voice quickly responded: “Place them on the desk.”
“Yes.”
The servant entered, bent over carrying a wooden tray, walking swiftly and silently. Though not daring to look around, they noticed neither Yu Ye who should have been behind the desk, nor the Crown Prince.
Not daring to think further, they called softly: “Lord Yu?”
Yu Ye’s voice came from behind the screen, carrying a hint of irritation: “Leave after putting down the items!”
The servant hastily withdrew.
Behind the screen.
Against the wall.
Yu Ye raised her hand to bite her wrist, looking down at Xu Jiao, who raised her head to meet her gaze, then moved slightly back, a silvery thread at the corner of her lips.
Xu Jiao lightly wiped her lips, reached for Yu Ye’s hand, and asked with a smile:
“Lord Yu, how do you feel?”
Yu Ye gazed down at her for a moment, then gently touched the side of her face, saying softly:
“Excellent.”
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