Chapter 332: Amorous
Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Amorous
Xi Ying knelt and kowtowed to her. "Thank you for making this happen, Your Highness. As for my miss, I hope Your Highness will continue to look after her."
"You don’t need to worry about your miss. I have already made all the arrangements." Princess Chang Le helped Xi Ying up. "From now on, live a good life with Chen Jiu. In doing so, you’ll also be fulfilling your miss’s wish."
Xi Ying’s eyes grew moist.
"Chen Jiu, take Xi Ying and get her settled," Zhi Wan said.
Hearing this, Chen Jiu unceremoniously shoved Little Junze, whom he had been holding, into Lu Zhan’s arms.
Lu Zhan: "..."
He shot Chen Jiu a cool glance.
He saw Chen Jiu, his face beaming, eagerly take the bundle from Xi Ying’s shoulder and sling it over his own. Staring at Xi Ying without blinking, he said, "W-Well, let’s go then."
"Mm." Xi Ying smiled and followed him out of the main hall with a natural grace.
’That night had been very dark. On the way back to the Eastern Palace, she had accidentally twisted her ankle, and it was this man who had carried her back.’
’During her lonely days in the depths of the palace, she would often think of his broad shoulders.’
’So when her miss told her to leave, the first person she thought of was him.’
’Fortunately, he hadn’t forgotten her either.’
’And it seemed he was interested in her too.’
Their eyes met, and they saw affection in each other’s gazes.
Watching their syrupy gazes, Princess Chang Le shivered. "Those two are so clingy. They’re acting as if no one else is even here."
Zhi Wan smiled. "Chen Jiu has wanted to get married for a long time. This is wonderful; his wish has finally come true."
’When she was preparing for Jiang Shi and Shuang’er’s wedding, she had actually already planned to find a wife for Chen Jiu as well. She just didn’t know where to find a suitable person, and then Xi Ying arrived.’
"When did those two catch each other’s eye?" Princess Chang Le was very curious.
"I’m not sure either." At this, Zhi Wan looked at Lu Zhan. "Cousin, do you know?"
Lu Zhan was currently in a staring contest with his little brother-in-law. Hearing her question, he paused before saying gently, "It was probably that night Xi Ying came to the Duke Dingguo Mansion to find me, under orders from the Abandoned Crown Prince Consort. Chen Jiu was the one who escorted her back to the Eastern Palace."
"A dark and windy night! No wonder!" Realization dawned on Princess Chang Le. "But Xi Ying is a loyal person. She didn’t want to leave Guo Yingrong at first; it was Guo Yingrong who forced her to go.
"Xi Ying cried until her eyes were red and swollen. She rested at my residence for two days, and after recovering today, she came to me saying she wanted to come work by your side. I really thought she just wanted to serve you, but it turns out the little minx was after Chen Jiu all along."
"You can tell she’s a good girl," Zhi Wan nodded. "Chen Jiu is a lucky man."
"Alright, I have to get back," Princess Chang Le said, rising. Seeing Zhi Wan also start to get up, she added, "You’re heavily pregnant, there’s no need to see me out. I can let myself out." With that, she walked away briskly.
Seeing this, Zhi Wan didn’t insist. When she turned and saw a wet patch on the corner of Lu Zhan’s robe, of which he was completely unaware, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "Cousin, perhaps you should take a look at your robe?"
Lu Zhan was still wondering if he had imagined Little Junze smiling at him just now. Hearing his cousin’s words, he instinctively looked down and saw that the corner of his robe was indeed wet.
Realizing what it was, a vein throbbed on his forehead as he snapped his gaze toward Zhi Junze.
But the child, who had been perfectly fine just a moment ago, suddenly burst into loud wails.
Lu Zhan: "..."
’Isn’t this little brat the one who did something wrong?’
’How does he have the nerve to cry?’
"Cousin, he’s just a baby! He didn’t mean to pee on you. Don’t be so fierce with him," Zhi Wan said anxiously when she heard the crying.
Lu Zhan’s eye twitched. "I’m not being fierce with him."
"I saw you glare at him," Zhi Wan said.
Lu Zhan: "..."
Lady Wei, just returning from an outing, heard a baby crying in the hall and hurried in to check. She found her son sitting there with a dark expression, a wet patch on his robe.
Seeing this, Lady Wei almost burst out laughing. Asking a question she already knew the answer to, she said, "Ah Zhan, how did your robe get wet?"
Lu Zhan shot her a dark look, then stood up, pushed Zhi Junze into her arms, and stalked out of the main hall.
The moment he left, Lady Wei let out a peal of laughter. She reached out to tease the little one in her arms, saying, "It seems you have quite the opinion of him."
"He certainly does. This is the first time my little cousin has ever peed on anyone," Zhi Wan said, laughing along.
’Even though her cousin was still small, he was very well-behaved. He basically just ate and slept, only crying when he needed his diaper changed. He was very easy to care for.’
’Even Liu Qiao’e said that this baby was much easier to care for than her Chen Jun.’
After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law finished changing the little one’s clothes, Chen Daniu and Liu Qiao’e, who had just finished their celebratory meal in the small courtyard, came to take the baby back to the Zhi Mansion.
「That evening, at Qingyun Residence.」
When she saw her cousin enter, Zhi Wan recalled how her little cousin had peed on him during the day, and she couldn’t help but smile.
Seeing her laughing so heartily at him, Lu Zhan knew she was amused by the day’s events.
He walked over and gently pinched her cheek. "You’ve been laughing all day. Haven’t you had enough?"
"Not even close," Zhi Wan answered honestly, shaking her head.
"If you have so much energy, then you can accompany me to bathe again." With that, Lu Zhan swept her up into his arms.
Hearing this, Zhi Wan’s face paled in terror and she quickly refused, "I don’t want to!"
’The last time she bathed with him, her knees had ended up nearly raw, but her cousin had seemed to never tire of it.’
Seeing her vehement reaction, Lu Zhan remembered. He gave his cousin a deep look but didn’t press the issue, simply taking his clothes and heading for his bath.
Zhi Wan breathed a sigh of relief.
’Although her cousin sometimes lost control, most of the time, he was very respectful of her and considerate of her feelings.’
’He would never force her if she was unwilling.’
But this time, Zhi Wan’s relief was a bit premature.
When Lu Zhan returned from his bath, she was already lying down, but not yet asleep.
"Cousin, have some water before you sleep." Lu Zhan dried his hair, brought over a cup of warm water, helped Zhi Wan sit up, and fed her a few sips.
’Zhi Wan didn’t like drinking water before bed, and every time her cousin fed her water, he always had an ulterior motive.’
Only after she finished drinking did she realize.
This time, Lu Zhan didn’t extinguish the lamp. He parted the bed curtains and got right onto the bed.
Moments later, a woman’s soft sobs could be heard from within the curtains.
It sounded like a mixture of pain and pleasure.
After an unknown amount of time, everything returned to tranquility.
Inside the bed curtains, Zhi Wan lay on her side, her clothes in disarray. She tried to calm her racing heart, a section of her beautiful hair already damp with sweat.
She bit her red lip, looking toward the inner side of the bed. The blush on her small face didn’t fade; instead, it grew even deeper.
’Her cousin... he actually...’
’An image of her cousin’s handsome, thin lips flashed through her mind, and her whole body was still trembling slightly.’
Lu Zhan took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his cousin’s face before lying down beside her and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
"If you’re well-rested, Cousin, then it’s my turn," the man’s voice was low and restrained.
Zhi Wan: "..."
This night was destined to be anything but peaceful, filled with a sensuous atmosphere.