Chapter 237: Bite
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The light from the palace lanterns shone through the silk curtains into the tent, dimly lit. Mingzhu couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning. Seeing Yuwen Chu still sleeping soundly, she couldn’t help but bother him.
Yuwen Chu held her hand as she tried to disturb him, still not opening his eyes, lazily saying, “Can’t sleep? It’s rare to see you like this. Normally, you sleep like you haven’t slept in years as soon as your head touches the pillow.”
Mingzhu knew it was because of her return to Linan Wang Mansion, bringing back memories and unsettling emotions, but it wasn’t something she could say to him. Instead, she cuddled up to him and coquettishly said, “Me? The person Your Highness described isn’t me at all.”
Yuwen Chu chuckled at her teasing, his laughter reverberating in his chest, giving rise to a peculiar feeling, strangely enjoyable. Mingzhu stared at him blankly for a moment, then slipped away quietly, lying on the pillow without saying a word.
Yuwen Chu noticed her discomfort and thought it might be related to Yuwen You. After a while of silence, he said, “I’m free tomorrow. Let me take you to the garden.”
“Okay.” Mingzhu closed her eyes and fell silent.
After watching the top of the canopy for a while, Yuwen Chu got up to look at Mingzhu, only to find her already asleep, a glistening tear at the corner of her eye. He frowned, feeling a surge of jealousy rising from the bottom of his heart. He took a deep breath and turned his head the other way, thinking about how Mingzhu had once wanted to stay in the palace to accompany the Great Empress Dowager. It made him feel even more uncomfortable.
Outside the window, the rain began to fall softly. Yuwen Chu’s hearing was sharper than most, and he heard Su Jin, who was on duty, whisper, “It’s fortunate that it’s raining at night. If it were during the day, who knows how troublesome it would be.”
Another servant on duty replied, “You two ladies are joking. This date was chosen by the Imperial Observatory. How could such a mistake happen?” Pausing for a moment, she added proudly, “Our Highness also studies the stars.”
It seemed that this Momo was from the mansion. Yuwen Chu was thinking idly when he heard Su Lan whisper, “Isn’t that right? When I accompanied the Wangfei to the Jade Emperor Temple for sightseeing, I once saw His Highness there observing the stars. The Wangfei also told me that His Highness can predict the weather. Last time when she and His Highness went to the palace to pay respects, His Highness said they should return early, or it would rain. She didn’t believe it, but it really rained heavily on the way back.”
The servant said, “The Wangfei also thinks highly of His Highness, right?”
Su Lan confidently replied, “Of course. With our Wangfei’s temperament, she’s only so gentle and obedient in front of His Highness.”
The group laughed softly, then continued with trivial household matters. Yuwen Chu couldn’t listen anymore and turned to look at Mingzhu.
The candles in the room were about to burn out, casting a half-light, half-darkness. The damp soil, wet from the rain, emitted a unique smell. The night wind carried it in through the window cracks, adding a touch of chilliness to the air. Indeed, autumn had arrived, and each day felt cooler than the last. Mingzhu turned over and muttered a few words with great determination. He leaned in to listen, only to hear her say softly, “He’s mine, he’s mine. Yuwen Chu is mine, mine alone. Even his own mother can’t take him away from me.”
Yuwen Chu was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. The slight sourness and irritability in his heart faded away. He knew her temperament very well. Even if she still felt a bit sad, she wouldn’t have anything to do with Yuwen You anymore. On one hand, he wanted her to be ruthless, but on the other hand, if she completely forgot about past feelings, she might never be sincere to him. After all, wasn’t it because of this that he liked her in the first place?
Lost in thought, Mingzhu seemed to feel a little cold, so she unceremoniously snuggled up to him, directly placing her slightly cold feet on his legs. She found his posture uncomfortable and kept tossing and turning, eventually turning her head towards him and placing her feet on his stomach.
Fu Cong’s daughter is really unruly. Was she not taught any manners when she was a child? Does she not know how to sleep properly? It’s as if she thinks of me as nothing more than a warm footrest. She only cares about keeping her feet warm; otherwise, she doesn’t pay any attention. Yuwen Chu was a little upset. He impatiently moved Mingzhu’s feet away, but she, thick-skinned as she was, would put them back after a while. This went on repeatedly, and he eventually got tired of it and stopped bothering, letting her do as she pleased.
The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. Mingzhu yawned loudly and sat up, shaking her head. Just as she was about to call someone in to help her change and wash, she suddenly saw Yuwen Chu lying beside her. He was facing away from her, still asleep, seemingly very soundly.
It was indeed rare. Usually, when she woke up, he would have already gone out to take care of official business. Even though he had promised to take her to the garden today, he should have woken up early to tease her. Was he sleeping so soundly because he was sick? Mingzhu thought for a moment, then reached out to touch Yuwen Chu’s forehead. Feeling nothing unusual and seeing no reaction from him, she bent down to press her forehead against his.
Not feeling any fever, was he just too tired? Mingzhu withdrew her hand, quietly crawling out from beside Yuwen Chu’s feet, ready to let him sleep a bit longer. Just as she had crawled a few steps with her butt raised, her ankle was grabbed by Yuwen Chu.
“Morning.” His voice was slightly hoarse, and the hand holding her ankle felt like a scorching iron clamp, as if a flame had ignited from that spot and spread along his blood vessels to his heart.
“If Your Highness still wants to sleep, then go ahead and sleep a little longer. There’s nothing urgent today.” Mingzhu kicked her feet a bit, seeing that he showed no signs of letting go, but instead held on tighter. She had no choice but to turn around to face him and sit up. “Does Your Highness want me to accompany you?”
At this moment, Yuwen Chu was rather astute. He silently appraised Mingzhu, seventeen years old, at the age when flowers were just beginning to bloom. Even if she was heartbroken the night before, there was no sign of weariness. After a good sleep, she looked radiant, like a blooming gardenia. Suddenly, he felt an urge to crush this gardenia and extract its essence. So, he grabbed Mingzhu’s ankle and gave it a strong tug.
Mingzhu was sitting steadily when suddenly she felt her ankle being pulled, causing her to lean back and slide towards Yuwen Chu on the silk bedding. Before she could protest, he had turned over and covered her, fiercely biting her lips.
He really bit her, and Mingzhu winced in pain, tears welling up in her eyes. When she wanted to scold him, he covered her mouth, and when she tried to hit him, he caught her hand. Feeling emboldened by anger, she retaliated by biting his lips back. But as soon as she bit him, she heard Yuwen Chu chuckling softly, which grew louder and louder until he let go of her and laughed heartily, causing him to fall back onto the bed in laughter.
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