Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 92

Prince Anle smiled gently, his narrow, peach-blossom eyes curving slightly. "Why do you say that, little mute? Isn't this vast Weiyang Palace enough for you to play in?"

"Then... is there anything you want me to do?" Zi Jin asked cautiously, sticking her head out.

"Oh? What does the little mute want to do?" King Anle raised an eyebrow and asked with interest.

"If there's nothing for me to do, why bring me here?" Zi Jin, nestled in the blankets, only showed her face, her eyes lowered, and her voice held a hint of dissatisfaction.

Anle Wang smirked and took two steps forward, sitting on the edge of the bed. He gently rubbed Zi Jin's face with his fingertips and said, "Little mute, why don't you understand?" His voice was deep and seductive.

Zi Jin subconsciously moved back, trying to avoid the Prince of Anle's hand.

A cold glint flashed in Prince Anle's eyes, then he smiled alluringly and whispered in Zi Jin's ear, "I fell in love with you back then. Didn't the little mute know?"

Zi Jin suddenly retreated into the bed, looking at Anle Wang's chest with a puzzled expression, and swallowed hard.

Seeing Zi Jin's reaction, Prince Anle smiled broadly, his mood exceptionally good. He sat up and asked softly, "Does the little mute want to know... whether I am a man or a woman?"

Zi Jin quickly clutched the blanket tightly and shook her head desperately, afraid of angering him again.

Prince Anle gently pried Zi Jin's hand away, slowly placing it on his chest, and gave her a flirtatious smile: "Now, do you still have doubts?"

"Flat...flat?" Zi Jin unconsciously touched it again, and sure enough, it was completely flat, with nothing at all. Although hers was small, at least it had some flesh, so why didn't she have any at all?

Her alluring, narrow, almond-shaped eyes were slightly narrowed, her moist, pink lips were lightly pursed, her small, high nose was pert and delicate, her chin was sharp and beautifully shaped, her neck was long and slender, and her Adam's apple was barely noticeable unless you looked closely. Even her voice was androgynous, suitable for both men and women. A man who looks like a woman dressed as a man—how are women supposed to live?

"Little mute, have you touched me enough?"

King Anle narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly, looking as if he were ready to be picked at will, which made Zi Jin feel a chill in her heart and she quickly withdrew her hand.

"Your Highness, I have important news to report." Jin Yu was already kneeling outside the door at some point.

Prince Anle's expression hardened, and he casually straightened his robe before rising gracefully: "Come in and report."

"...Found it by Weiyang Lake... wrench... hand injury... just now... has returned to the palace..." Jin Yu whispered to Prince Anle.

Zi Jin listened intently, but only caught a few irrelevant words.

Prince Anle's face grew increasingly dark, a hint of anxiety and worry flashing in his eyes. He glanced at Zi Jin, whose expression remained unchanged, then turned and left.

After the Prince of Anle had gone far away, Zi Jin breathed a sigh of relief and slowly lay down. She happened to touch the robe, and then felt another wave of fear.

The morning light shone on Fengyi Palace, and unnamed flowers bloomed throughout the courtyard, making the red walls and golden tiles less solemn and more charming. The hibiscus trees in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, and the parrots on the pergola chirped a few times.

The white-haired youth lay comfortably on the dragon bed, his breathing even, sleeping soundly with unusual tranquility. The dark circles under his eyes seemed less severe, and a faint sense of satisfaction lingered between his brows.

"When did Your Majesty return?" Prince Anle asked the kneeling eunuch in a low voice.

"His Majesty returned just as dawn was breaking," Eunuch De replied, kneeling tremblingly at Prince Anle's feet.

"Is there anything unusual?"

"Although the Emperor's abrasions on his hands are quite severe, it seems that medicine has been applied. His robes and the ring on his hand are gone, and he returned wearing only a single layer of clothing... He seems to be in a very good mood," Eunuch De recalled for a while before reporting the truth.

Prince Anle remained calm, standing by the window for a long time before asking, "How did you hurt your hand? Where did you spend the night?"

“The other day, when I was strolling with Miss Nan at Weiyang Lake… Miss Nan lost an earring, and His Majesty searched for it all day before finally finding it. Because the earring had fallen into a crevice in the rocks,… when he retrieved it, he cut his hand. Later, perhaps because it was getting late, and His Majesty couldn’t find his way back… he slept outside all night and only found his way back this morning.” Eunuch De lowered his small eyes, hesitated as he finished speaking, and then dared not raise his head again.

“Weiyang Lake? What a Nanyulu!” Prince Anle crushed the windowsill into wood chips and said fiercely.

“Your Highness, please calm down. Miss Nan did not know that the Emperor would be looking for the earring. As for the thumb ring… perhaps the Emperor was afraid of damaging it when he took off the earring, so he forgot about it after taking it off… Should Your Highness send someone to look for it?” Eunuch De said cautiously.

Prince Anle walked slowly to the bed, carefully sat down, took out a bright yellow glass thumb ring from his bosom, and gently put it on the boy's hand, his movements exceptionally gentle, as if afraid of touching the injury on the boy's hand: "Jin Yu and the others found it in the grass by Weiyang Lake."

“Your Highness…Miss Nan has been waiting outside the palace for quite some time. Should we summon her in?…This servant thinks that if the Emperor wakes up, the first person he might want to see is her…so…”

Prince Anle narrowed his long, almond-shaped eyes dangerously, gave a cold laugh, and strode towards the outer room, saying, "Let her in."

With a sigh of relief, Eunuch De stood up and jogged towards the door, saying, "Miss, Miss, the Prince invites you in."

Yu Luo was dressed in a fiery red court dress with a long hem and a slightly upturned collar. Her spring-welcoming bun was casually adorned with a simple jade hairpin, and a white jade fan-shaped comb hung down her head with a short row of gold tassels, which shimmered with dazzling gold light when she turned her head.

She still has an oval face, with her large, bright eyes that seem as clear as gemstones, and her cherry-like lips that are naturally beautiful without any makeup. She is more stunning and charming than she was four years ago.

Prince Anle looked Yu Luo up and down, a hint of disdain in his eyes: "Who gave you permission to take my brother to Weiyang Lake?"

"Your Highness is mistaken. It was the Emperor who took Yu Luo there." Yu Luo raised her chin, smiled slightly, and casually sat down in a chair.

Prince Anle calmly picked up his teacup: "The Weiyang Palace is not a place you can go, and my brother is absolutely forbidden from going there. Don't really think that I can't do anything to you right now!"

Yu Luo revealed a confident smile: "Your Highness wouldn't dare to touch Yu Luo right now, would you?"

"You!" Prince Anle suddenly stood up, his narrow, peach-blossom eyes filled with rage.

"Your Highness, please calm down. Miss Nan did not mean to offend you," said Eunuch De anxiously from the side.

Yu Luo leisurely picked up the teacup beside him: "The Guapian tea from Lu'an is sweeter and more fragrant than other teas."

Prince Anle slowly sat back down, picked up his teacup again, took a small sip, and his eyes revealed no emotion: "Has Miss Nan forgotten that she has a younger sister?"

“Of course I remember. I even mentioned it to the Emperor last time. The Emperor said he would bring my sister back to live with me soon.” Yu Luo put down her teacup, glanced at Prince Anle, and replied.

"You! Don't think that just because your brother is doing whatever you want now, you can act with impunity. You must know... many things, if I say it is, it is, and if I say it is not, it is not."

Yu Luo gently rose, walked slowly to Prince Anle's side, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, "At this moment, Your Highness dares not say no, does he?" Yu Luo straightened up, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a gentle smile, a smile that carried three parts certainty and seven parts self-satisfaction.

"You!" A hint of malice flashed in Prince Anle's narrow eyes. He suddenly stood up, glared at Yu Luo for a long time, but couldn't utter a rebuttal. "What right do you have to wear a bright red palace dress!"

"Le'er, don't be rude."