026 The Prince had a feast for the eyes
"I'm going to rest in the next room!" Shen Lixue glared at Nangong Xiao. She was exhausted, her mind was foggy, and her steps were unsteady. She desperately needed to rest and couldn't wait five or six hours before sleeping.
"This is barely acceptable!" Nangong Xiao casually waved his folding fan, occasionally glaring fiercely at the unconscious Prince An. His illness really came at the right time!
"I'll have Qiuhe serve the meal!" After returning to the Prime Minister's residence, the first thing to do was to offer sacrifices to Lin Qingzhu, then Prince An fell into a coma. Shen Lixue, Lin Yan, and the others hadn't had lunch yet, and were both tired and hungry.
"Li Xue, there's no need to rush!" Shen Li Xue looked tired, her eyes were dim, and she was in a bad mood. Lin Yan didn't want her to work any harder, so he pulled Nangong Xiao outside and said, "Young Master Nangong, I'd like to invite you to Zuixianlou for a drink."
Zuixianlou was the largest restaurant in Qingyan Capital, known for its expensive yet uniquely flavorful dishes. Nangong Xiao's mind raced, a glint of wicked light flashing in his eyes: "This young master wants to drink twenty-year-old Daughter's Red wine..."
When someone invites you to drink, you should naturally drink the best. Daughter Red wine is fragrant, mellow, and delicious, with an unforgettable aftertaste. It is the most suitable wine to drink at this time. As for the price, it is naturally the highest among wines.
"No problem!" Lin Yan laughed in a low voice. As long as he could get Nangong Xiao away from the bamboo garden, Lin Yan would agree even if Nangong Xiao wanted to drink fine wine.
"You said it yourself, we won't leave until we're drunk tonight..." Nangong Xiao's two greatest loves in life are beautiful women and fine wine. Beautiful women are for admiring, and fine wine is naturally for savoring. When drinking, one must drink to one's heart's content...
Lin Yan and Nangong Xiao's lighthearted conversation quickly faded away. Shen Lixue covered Prince An with a blanket and tried to pry open his fingers.
Although Prince An was clearly asleep, he seemed to be aware of it, tightly gripping Shen Lixue's wrist. The more Shen Lixue tried to pry it open, the tighter he held on. Blue and purple bruises appeared on her fair wrist, and her delicate hands changed color due to the different blood flow.
Shen Lixue was both angry and helpless. She glared at Prince An, knowing that she couldn't go to another room to rest unless she pried his fingers off.
Her gaze darkened, and Shen Lixue picked up a thin, long needle and quickly stabbed it into Prince An's wrist. Prince An cried out in pain and withdrew his hand. Shen Lixue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, gently stroking her bruised wrist. Just as she was about to leave, she sadly discovered that Prince An had grabbed her other wrist!
Prince An remained calm, sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of what had happened. Shen Lixue gritted her teeth in anger, her beautiful eyes blazing with fury. Prince An must have had a grudge against her in a past life!
With her wrist grabbed, Shen Lixue couldn't leave, and she couldn't take Prince An to the guest room to rest. Helpless, she could only sit on the edge of the bed, lean against the bed frame, and close her eyes: she would rest for a while and then pry Prince An's fingers off when she regained her strength.
After a long and tiring day, Shen Lixue was exhausted. She sat on the soft bed and drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
The sunlight inside gradually faded, and the cold moonlight shone in through the openwork windows, casting patches of light on the cold floor tiles.
Prince An, who was fast asleep on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. The unfamiliar environment came into view. A dark light shone in Prince An's obsidian-like eyes. Just as he was about to sit up, his gaze fell on Shen Lixue sitting by the bed.
Shen Lixue leaned against the edge of the bed, sleeping soundly. Her long eyelashes curled slightly upwards, like butterfly wings, casting two deep shadows on her eyelids. Her cherry-red, moist lips were lightly pursed, and her breathing was even. Her peaceful and serene sleeping face was so beautiful that one couldn't bear to defile it.
Prince An's dark eyes gradually deepened. Was she by his side when he fell ill?
"Young Miss!"
Qiu He's deliberately low voice came from outside the door. Shen Lixue's eyelashes trembled, and she suddenly opened her eyes.
Outside the window, the moonlight was bright. Shen Lixue rubbed her forehead. It was already so late; she had slept for at least four or five hours. "What is it?"
"Young Miss, would you like some midnight snack?" Shen Lixue had instructed that no one was allowed to enter the inner room. Qiu He stood in the outer room and asked softly through the beaded curtain. Shen Lixue had not eaten lunch or dinner, and Qiu He was worried that she would be hungry, so she specially brought her some midnight snack from the kitchen.
"Put it on the table outside!" Qiu He's words made Shen Lixue realize that she hadn't eaten for two meals and was starving.
On the bed, Prince An had his eyes closed, his breathing was steady, and his sleeping face was peaceful. Shen Lixue touched his forehead and found that his temperature was normal and he did not have a fever.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Lixue tried to pry his fingers open, but they weren't as stubborn as she had imagined; they actually opened easily.
Shen Lixue glanced at Prince An with a puzzled look. Strange, why was it so easy to pry him open this time? He wasn't supposed to wake up yet…
"Young Miss, the food is ready!" Qiu He's respectful voice rang out. Shen Lixue didn't think much of it, agreed, covered Prince An with the quilt, and quickly walked out of the inner room.
On the mahogany table were two side dishes, a bowl of porridge, and a plate of snacks. Shen Lixue ate them elegantly and quickly, then glanced at the bright moonlight in the sky and softly instructed, "Qiuhe, it's late, you should go back and rest!"
Each garden in the Prime Minister's residence has its own private bathhouse, and the Bamboo Garden is no exception. Shen Lixue is a clean person and has a habit of taking a bath before bed. After having a late-night snack, Shen Lixue left her room and went to the bathhouse to take a bath.
The bathroom was the size of a bedroom, with a small bathtub inside. Steam rose and mist filled the air. Shen Lixue took off her clothes and stepped into the tub. Petals floated on the surface of the water, and a fragrance wafted through the air. Shen Lixue closed her eyes and let the hot water wash away her fatigue.
Night had fallen, and the servants of the Prime Minister's residence had all gone to rest, so Shen Lixue didn't need to worry about being disturbed!
In the bedroom, Prince An opened his eyes and sat up. The bedding beneath him and the brocade quilt on his body were new, but they were all made of inferior silk. The light blue curtains were made of medium-grade gauze, and the crystal-clear beaded curtains were also very ordinary. The paintings by famous artists hanging on the wall were all fakes. The wardrobe, dressing table, and round table were all made of ordinary wood covered with a layer of mahogany veneer.
Prince An's dark eyes were as deep as a pool. He lifted the covers, got out of bed, and slowly walked outside: "Is Prime Minister Shen's monthly salary not even enough to buy some nice things for his own daughter?"
As night deepened, the bamboo garden was quiet and deserted. Prince An walked slowly along the carved corridor, his brows furrowed. Where had Shen Lixue gone?
A gentle breeze blew by, and the faint sound of water echoed through the air. Following the sound, Prince An quickly walked to a house. The house was ordinary, no different from a bedroom or guest room. There was someone inside. Could it be Shen Lixue?
Prince An frowned slightly, gently pushed open the door, and a fragrant steam wafted out. The room was filled with mist, blurring his vision. A gentle breeze blew by, causing the light gauze to flutter, and in the pool, a slender figure appeared and disappeared...
027 Warmth in the Bathroom
In the bathroom, steam rose and fragrance lingered. Shen Lixue gently cupped water and washed away her fatigue.
Suddenly, a breeze blew in, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. Shen Lixue turned her head sharply and saw a tall, hazy figure standing by the door amidst the steam.
"Who goes there?" Shen Lixue shouted angrily, grabbed a hairpin from the edge of the pool, and shot it at the person's vitals. The person was able to enter the bathroom silently without her noticing, so his martial arts skills must be very high. She had to kill him with one move, otherwise, he would have no chance to fight back.
"It's me!" The person's voice was clear and melodious, like the tinkling of a spring, yet it sounded extremely familiar.
Shen Lixue's eyelids twitched, and she blinked hard. A white-robed man stood gracefully in front of the screen, his handsome face and refined, noble aura revealing him to be none other than Prince An, who had fallen into a coma due to illness!
He's awake!
Steam rose gently, turning Shen Lixue's beautiful face a rosy hue. A faint smile seemed to flicker in Prince An's deep eyes. He held the hairpin she had just thrown between his jade-like fingers and spoke leisurely, "Is this your token of love? It's a bit of a disappointment!"
Shen Lixue: "..."
Who would have thought that the aloof Prince An, a graduate of Tsinghua University, would tell corny jokes!
“Prince An, didn’t anyone tell you that you should knock before entering someone else’s room?” Shen Lixue glared at Prince An, then sank into the water, leaving only her neck exposed. A layer of petals floated on the surface of the water, and he, standing by the bath, could not see her body.
"The door wasn't closed properly, but it opened when I knocked," Prince An replied calmly, a hint of a smile flashing in his deep eyes.