Shen Lixue frowned. She was a woman, and Lin Qingzhu and the War King both called her Lixue directly. She wasn't going to tell Lu Jiangfeng that name, so she said perfunctorily, "They call me by my nickname, but that name isn't very elegant, so I won't mention it. Just call me Xiao Li..."
She mainly treats the old lady's illness, so she won't have much time to interact with Lu Jiangfeng. It's unlikely that Dongfang Heng would be so lucky to hear him call her Xiao Li.
"Xiao Li, here we have flower tea, light tea, and strong tea. Which one do you prefer?" Lu Jiangfeng asked abruptly with a slight smile.
"Tea!" Shen Lixue replied, looking around. The stone table was empty; where was the tea?
"Third cousin, third cousin!" Accompanied by a sweet female voice, a woman in scarlet clothes walked into the courtyard. Her long skirt trailed on the ground, making her look fresh and charming. Her black hair was tied into an exquisite bun, and her eyes were bright and lively, as if they could speak. Her long eyelashes were curled and upturned, and her face was as delicate as a porcelain doll.
Three maids followed behind her, each carrying a teapot and teacups. A fragrant aroma wafted in the air, and Shen Lixue took a closer sniff. It was flower tea, light tea, and strong tea.
She raised an eyebrow at Lu Jiangfeng, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes. His hearing and sense of smell were truly sharp; he had heard the footsteps from so far away and smelled that they had brought over tea.
"You sneaked out of the palace again?" Lu Jiangfeng asked the girl, his gentle tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"No, that's not it!" the girl in red pouted angrily. "I came to thank my benefactor!"
Turning her head, she saw Shen Lixue in white. The girl's eyes sparkled, and she walked over quickly with a smile: "You are the divine doctor who saved my mother's life!"
"Who are you?" Shen Lixue frowned, vaguely guessing the girl's identity.
"My name is Ye Qianyue!" The girl in scarlet clothes looked at Chong Chenlixue with clear eyes and a bright smile.
"Princess Qianyue, this humble subject has been rude!" Shen Lixue smiled slightly, her gaze narrowing. She was Ye Qianlong's sixth younger sister, Ye Qianyue, the daughter of Consort De. She was very simple-minded, completely different from Ye Qianmei!
"Stop calling me 'princess,' we're family, don't be so formal." Ye Qianyue frowned her pretty little eyebrows: "You're my cousin's brother, so you're my older brother too. Just call me Qianyue!"
"Qian Yue, won't you invite Xiao Li to drink the tea you brewed?" Lu Jiangfeng's elegant voice came from behind. Shen Lixue glanced to the side and saw that he had already sat down at the round table and was sipping his tea.
"Yes, let's have some tea!" Ye Qianyue grabbed Shen Lixue's sleeve and hurried to the round table. The aroma of tea filled the air, making people feel relaxed and happy.
"Qian Yue's tea is the best in the capital. Those who can drink it are truly blessed!" Lu Jiangfeng said softly, holding his teacup.
"Cousin, you flatter me!" Qian Yue smiled and poured a cup of tea for Shen Lixue, handing it to her. "This is tea I brewed myself. How does it taste?"
"Thank you!" Shen Lixue took the fragrant tea, sipped it lightly, and nodded in admiration as the delicate sweetness lingered on her lips and teeth. "It tastes excellent. How is Consort De's health?"
"I'm much better now. It was my mother who sent me out of the palace to thank Brother Li!" Ye Qianyue took the empty teacup from Shen Lixue and poured her another kind of tea, her eyes full of admiration: "My mother said that if it weren't for Brother Li, she would have passed away!"
Shen Lixue smiled politely: "Your Highness, you flatter me. It was that imperial physician who was causing trouble. If a better imperial physician had been used, Your Highness would have been safe and sound!"
Ye Qianyue sighed softly, her eyes dimming: "It's all because I was too playful. When I got tired of playing, I stayed at my best friend's house instead of returning to the palace. Otherwise, Mother Consort wouldn't have fallen into the icy water!"
"Princess Qianyue, there's no need to blame yourself. Consort De is fine now!" Shen Lixue comforted her with a smile. Seeing Ye Qianyue's undisguised annoyance, she sighed inwardly. What a simple-minded child. Being born in the palace and having such a simple nature is not a good thing.
"Has Qianyue made any plans for the Lantern Festival tonight?" Lu Jiangfeng put down his teacup and asked casually.
The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in which men and women release lit lanterns into the river, make wishes, and let the lanterns drift away with the current. It is said that the farther the lanterns drift, the easier it is for the wishes to come true.
Ye Qianyue's low spirits instantly lifted, her eyes sparkling: "It's a promise, it's a promise! Crown Prince and Third Brother will accompany me out of the palace to release lanterns. Third Cousin, Brother Li, you guys come too!"
Crown Prince, Your Majesty, Ye Qianlong!
Shen Lixue was taken aback. She couldn't meet with Ye Qianlong right now: "Thank you for your kindness, Princess Qianyue, but I just moved into the Marquis's residence and have a lot of things to organize, so I won't be going to set off the lanterns tonight!"
“The things are left there, and we can tidy them up anytime. The Lantern Festival only comes once a year. If we miss it, we’ll have to wait another year!” Ye Qianyue’s clear eyes flashed with an unusual seriousness.
Shen Lixue smiled and politely declined: "I've been very busy lately, and I'm a bit tired. I want to rest early tonight and don't want to go out..."
"I'm so tired I don't want to walk. I really should rest. It's such a shame we're not going to release the lanterns!" Ye Qianyue's eyes dimmed as she turned to Lu Jiangfeng. "Third cousin, why don't you come with us? It's more fun with more people..."
A faint aroma of tea lingered in the air. Shen Lixue lowered her eyelids slightly. Ye Qianlong had a good relationship with the Third Prince and Ye Qianyue. Ye Qianlong and Ye Qianyue were both simple-minded people. The Third Prince was probably the same kind of person. It was really not easy for them to grow up under the scheming of the venomous Consort Shu!
If the incident at Huasheng was orchestrated by the Duke of Mu's mansion and Consort Shu, she and Dongfang Heng would definitely eliminate Consort Shu. At that time, Ye Qianlong should no longer be in danger.
As night fell, Ye Qianyue returned to the palace, and Lu Jiangfeng also returned to his room.
After having dinner and taking a bath, Shen Lixue put on a thicker nightgown. Just as she stepped out from behind the screen, she was suddenly lifted up in someone's arms. Shocked, she looked up abruptly and met Dongfang Heng's unfathomable dark eyes. Her heart, which had been pounding in her chest, eased slightly: "Why are you here?"
"I'm not used to not having you by my side!" Dongfang Heng gently nibbled on her small earlobe, then picked her up and strode toward the bed.
He carefully placed her on the bed, then pressed his slender body against hers. His sexy, thin lips held her soft, fragrant lips, sucking and licking them. His jade-like fingers reached down to her waist, skillfully untying the silk sash and slipping inside her clothes, lingering on her delicate, snow-white skin, leaving a faint pink blush wherever they touched.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Dongfang Heng was busy with Huasheng and the men in black cloaks, while Shen Lixue was busy with the illness of the old lady of the Zhenguo Marquis. It had only been a day since they last met, but it felt like three autumns had passed. Holding her soft little body, he couldn't wait to devour her.
A gentle kiss landed on her snow-white skin, leaving it slightly pink. Warm breaths sprayed on her neck. Shen Lixue was infatuated and didn't forget to remind him, "Don't leave any hickeys on my neck, or I'll be exposed tomorrow."
"Okay!" Dongfang Heng removed Shen Lixue's nightgown, and with a gentle tug of his jade-like fingers, the scarlet bodice embroidered with delicate flowers and plants fell off. A soft kiss landed on her full breasts, blooming into bright red plum blossoms.
Shen Lixue relaxed her body, responding to Dongfang Heng's deep affection.
Holding Shen Lixue's soft, fragrant body in his arms, seeing her face flushed like a rosy cloud and her eyes glazed over, Dongfang Heng's heart fluttered, his sharp eyes filled with intense passion. He held her tighter, ready to become one with her, when suddenly there was a knock on the door: "Xiao Li, are you in your room?"
The surroundings were quiet, and the soft knocking sounded particularly crisp, while Lu Jiangfeng's gentle voice was even more tender and pleasant to hear.
Xiao Li!
Dongfang Heng's hazy thoughts instantly cleared. His deep eyes looked at Shen Lixue, narrowed slightly, and flashed with a dangerous light, as if asking, "When did Lu Jiangfeng become so intimate with you?"
Shen Lixue looked up at the sky speechlessly. She thought that since she had little contact with Lu Jiangfeng, Dongfang Heng would not hear this address. She did not expect to be caught red-handed after only calling him that all afternoon. She first sent Lu Jiangfeng away, and then explained to Dongfang Heng: "Third Young Master, I have already gone to bed. We can talk about it tomorrow."
"Tonight is the annual Lantern Festival, wishes made tomorrow won't come true!" Lu Jiangfeng's gentle voice rang out. Shen Lixue understood that he had come to invite her to release lanterns. Hadn't she said she wasn't going this afternoon? Why was he coming to find her again? "I'm tired, I want to rest, I don't want to go out!"
Seeing that Shen Lixue rejected Lu Jiangfeng, the sharpness in Dongfang Heng's eyes lessened considerably. He lowered his head and made marks on her neck.
Shen Lixue's body was pressed down, and her arms were tightly held by Dongfang Heng. Unable to stop him, she lowered her voice and angrily rebuked, "Dongfang Heng, I am a single man in front of the master of the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion. With so many ambiguous kiss marks on my neck, how am I supposed to go out and face people?"
"The hickeys are very light. They'll disappear with a cup of tea's worth of medicine tomorrow. It's nothing to worry about!" Dongfang Heng replied softly, continuing to kiss her lightly. To make it easier for him to be intimate with Shen Lixue, he had sent Zi Mo away. He hadn't expected Lu Jiangfeng to slip through the cracks and come here to disturb the two of them.