Li Rоng dоzеd оff in а dаze. Uncоnsсiоuslу rаising her hand to tоuсh her faсe, she suddеnlу thоught оf sоmеthing in her half-аwake state and joltеd uрright in alаrm!
No, shе hаdn’t rеmоved hеr mаkеuр уet. If shе slept like this, shе wоuld definitеly break оut in acnе.
The sсаrе instаntlу сlеared hеr mind сomрlеtеly. Тhe briеf nаp had givеn hеr somе energy, аnd just as she was аbоut tо get оut of bed, she nоtiсеd somеоnе slеерing besidе hеr. Pеi Wenхuan was lуing under thе соvers, slеерing sоundly.
Li Rong was tаken aback. She hаdn’t expеcted Рei Wеnхuan tо actually climb into her bed. It was clear he was utterly exhausted; otherwise, given his temperament, he would never have done something so improper even if beaten to death.
Pei Wenxuan was sleeping so comfortably that his gentle breathing made Li Rong feel drowsy again. She quickly slapped him on the body to wake him up: “Pei Wenxuan!”
Pei Wenxuan sat up abruptly, startled: “What’s wrong?!”
Li Rong reached out, cupped his face, and turned it toward her, staring at him intently. “We haven’t washed up yet. There’s still water in the washroom. Go take a bath quickly.”
Pei Wenxuan was stunned for a moment before he sighed in relief, somewhat helplessly saying, “Your Highness, it’s so late. Can’t we skip the fuss?”
Li Rong had been eating well and sleeping soundly lately, and even a short nap could instantly restore her energy. But Pei Wenxuan, ever since parting with Li Rong at the waterside pavilion days ago, had hardly slept properly. Today, with his worries finally resolved, he had finally managed to get a good night’s sleep. Being woken up like this after just a short while felt worse than not sleeping at all.
But how could Li Rong care about that?
All she could think about was that they had both been wearing formal attire all day, and Pei Wenxuan had also worn makeup today. If they didn’t wash up, not only would they be covered in sweat, but they would also break out in acne. With her stunning beauty, how could she let it be ruined by something like this? And Pei Wenxuan was someone she had to look at every day. If that divine face of his were marred by a few pimples, it would truly be a pity.
So she squeezed his face and stared at him: “Pei Wenxuan, are you even a man?”
Hearing her ask this, Pei Wenxuan knew she was about to make a fuss. He covered his face in agony, groaning as he collapsed to the side: “I’m not. Your Highness, just send me to the palace tomorrow to be castrated. I want to sleep…”
Before he could finish, Li Rong gave him a fierce shove, sending him tumbling off the bed.
Pei Wenxuan lay on the floor, clutching the blanket, while Li Rong stepped down from the bed, looking down at him disdainfully. “Go wash yourself clean in the washroom. If you’re not clean by the time I get back, don’t blame me for dealing with you.”
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan curled up on the floor with the blanket, looking quite aggrieved.
“Your Highness, the water is cold.”
“But you’re warm,” Li Rong said, putting on her outer robe and giving him a disdainful look, as if regarding a fool. “Just warm the water yourself, won’t you?”
With that, she lightly kicked him: “Hurry up.”
After saying this, Li Rong tossed her hair back and opened the door to leave.
The maids waiting outside the room hurriedly approached with lanterns, bowing respectfully: “Your Highness.”
“Have someone prepare. I’m going to the Imperial Spring Bath for a wash.”
Hearing this, the maids exchanged glances, seeming to understand something, and replied with suppressed smiles, “Yes.”Regarding Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan needing to get up in the middle of the night to bathe, the Princess's Manor seemed well-prepared. There was a natural hot spring in the manor, and a dedicated bathing chamber had been built around it. When Li Rong entered, everyone was already ready. After helping Li Rong change her clothes, they attended to her as she stepped into the spring pool.
Li Rong lay in the pool with her eyes closed, resting lightly. The maids beside her—one helped remove her makeup, while another used soapberries to clean her hair, meticulously massaging her scalp.
Li Rong enjoyed lying there, listening as Jing Mei, who was removing her makeup, asked with a smile, "How did Your Highness feel today?"
"Feel about what?"
Li Rong didn’t react at first. The maids nearby chuckled softly, and Li Rong suddenly understood. She felt somewhat helpless—these maids of hers, though unmarried, seemed to know quite a lot.
But she couldn’t tell them the truth, so she brushed it off, saying, "It was fine."
"The Imperial Son-in-Law must have been gentle, right?"
Jing Lan, massaging Li Rong’s scalp, suddenly chimed in. Li Rong found it rather odd: "Why are you all so concerned about this?"
As soon as she asked, everyone laughed again.
"Your Highness," Jing Mei said with a smile, "we’ve been waiting all this time. We thought it would be the Imperial Son-in-Law coming to the Imperial Spring Bath, but unexpectedly, it was you who walked over, leaving him in the cleansing room."
Li Rong: "..."
Li Rong felt a bit awkward for a moment. She didn’t know whether to say Pei Wenxuan was in poor health or that she was in too good of health.
Fortunately, these were all unmarried young girls. She cleared her throat lightly and said casually, "It wasn’t as exaggerated as you imagine. The water here is warm, so don’t ask too much. Pass me the bath beans."
Li Rong’s attempt to cover up only made everyone laugh warmly, but they didn’t say anything more. After attending to Li Rong as she finished bathing, they helped her dry her hair and escorted her back to her room.
By the time Li Rong returned to her room, Pei Wenxuan had already finished washing. He had the water in the room changed, but since his bathing time was shorter, when Li Rong returned, he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, drying his own hair.
As Li Rong walked in, he glanced up but said nothing, lowering his head again to continue drying his hair.
The maids closed the door behind her. When Li Rong approached the bed, Pei Wenxuan’s movements grew somewhat stiff. Li Rong gracefully sat down on the edge of the bed, and Pei Wenxuan quickly tried to get up and leave. Li Rong raised her hand and pressed it against the bedpost, blocking his way. She said calmly, "Sit down. I have something to discuss with you."
"It’s late now..."
Seeing Li Rong’s expression wasn’t very pleasant, Pei Wenxuan forced a smile: "Should we sleep first?"
"My hair isn’t dry yet." Li Rong shifted her legs onto the bed, positioning herself sideways against the bedpost and completely blocking Pei Wenxuan’s path. Pei Wenxuan knelt back down, took a deep breath, and said, "We can talk off the bed."
"I want to talk to you on the bed."
"No..." Pei Wenxuan stammered, "isn’t that inappropriate?"
"You’re already sitting here, so what’s appropriate or not? Why are you so nervous?" Li Rong looked him up and down, leaning closer. "Do you feel like you’ve done something wrong?"
As Li Rong leaned in, a faint fragrance wafted toward him. Pei Wenxuan leaned back abruptly in alarm, his breathing growing noticeably quicker.Li Rong was so close to him that they were almost touching. She stared at him while he pretended to remain calm and looked back at her. After a moment, Li Rong gave a soft laugh. In the dim light, that smile, reflecting the vibrant red around them, carried a hint of allure. Gently raising her hand, she brushed the hair stuck to his face behind his ear. "Don’t be afraid," she drawled, her usually delicate and soft voice tinged with a coolness that, to Pei Wenxuan, now seemed to carry a seductive hook. Then her hand lingered on his face, and just before Pei Wenxuan could lose himself in the moment, she suddenly began patting his cheek lightly, one tap after another. "Confess and leniency will follow. I am quite magnanimous."
The patting brought him back to his senses. He quickly regained his composure, sat up straight, and said calmly, "What does Your Highness wish this humble subject to confess?"
"What’s the matter with Su Rongqing?" Li Rong stared at him. "On my wedding day, you had him come to fetch me. Are you mocking me?"
"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan said without looking away, "could you speak from a little farther away?"
"If I move farther away, will you answer me?"
Pei Wenxuan fell silent. Taking his silence as agreement, Li Rong straightened up, assumed a slightly more elegant posture, and knelt to sit opposite him.
The husband and wife knelt at opposite ends of the bed, facing each other. Li Rong stared at Pei Wenxuan, while he lowered his gaze. After hesitating for a moment, he organized his thoughts and finally said, "I only wanted you to be happier."
"It’s my wedding day," Li Rong rapped her fan against the bed board angrily. "You had Su Rongqing come to fetch me. Who are you trying to humiliate?! And you still want me to be happy?!"
"You and he simply weren’t fated," Pei Wenxuan looked up and said earnestly to Li Rong. "In the previous life, there was no suitable opportunity. In this life, you can have one, can’t you?"
Li Rong was taken aback by Pei Wenxuan’s words. It took her a long moment to process them. She felt as though she understood every word he said, yet she still couldn’t grasp his meaning.
"Could you," Li Rong frowned, "use a language I can understand and tell me what you’re thinking?"
"What I mean is, in this life, you can start over with Su Rongqing."
"Why would I want to start over?" Li Rong instinctively retorted.
"Because you love him," Pei Wenxuan answered seriously.
"I... I love him?" Li Rong was so startled by Pei Wenxuan’s words that she stammered. Clutching her fan, she asked in confusion, "I... how would I not know that?"
"You were with him for twenty-five years," Pei Wenxuan lowered his gaze. "I saw it all. He treated you well and protected you thoroughly. When you were with him, you were happy. Even in this life, you’re different when you see him."
Listening to Pei Wenxuan’s words, a sense of bewilderment began to rise within Li Rong.
Pei Wenxuan looked up at her and said softly, "Li Rong, the truth is, you’re best at deceiving yourself. Every time, you not only deceive others, but you also deceive yourself. When you were young, you convinced yourself that you didn’t like me. Now, you’re convincing yourself that you don’t like Su Rongqing. But it’s not that you don’t like him—you’re just afraid."
"What... what am I afraid of?"
Listening to Pei Wenxuan, Li Rong grew tense.
She vaguely felt that he was right, yet something also seemed off. This conversation left her feeling flustered and awkward, so much so that she even regretted asking about it in the first place.
But she also wanted to hear more.She wanted to know what kind of person she was in Pei Wenxuan's eyes, and what he thought of her.
"You're afraid he'll be the same as before, afraid that the love he gives you in this life will be just like the last—where family and power matter more than you. Li Rong, you always say you understand Su Rongqing, that you comprehend his choices and don't hold any resentment. But if you truly don't resent him, why did you give up on him from the very beginning?"
Li Rong froze in place. Pei Wenxuan laughed softly. "You do resent him. Because when he killed you, you saw clearly that he was someone similar to you. Yet deep down, you knew that a love that would abandon you without hesitation for the sake of family was something you'd rather not have. So even though you knew this life had started over, even though you knew the fate of the Su family would change, and even though you had countless opportunities to be with him and have a better life, you chose to give up from the very beginning."
"So after saying all this," Li Rong smiled bitterly, "what exactly are you trying to say?"
"But Su Rongqing isn't like that." Pei Wenxuan's tone was full of sincerity. "You think that between his wife and his family, he would always choose his wife. You think he wouldn't truly love anyone. But do you really understand the twenty-year-old Su Rongqing? If he didn't have you in his heart, if he were as cold and rational as you say, if love didn't occupy such an important place in his life, then he wouldn't have come to the waterside pavilion that day."
"Before the wedding, I asked him," Pei Wenxuan smiled slightly. "I said, if there were a conflict between his wife and his family, who would he choose? He told me that his wife is also family, and he would choose what is right. He isn't the way you imagine him to be. He can give you the kind of love you want."
"He can give it," Li Rong felt somewhat helpless. "But why should I want it?"
"Because you want to live a good life." Pei Wenxuan looked into her eyes. "You don't want to live like you did in your previous life. You want the Crown Prince to have a good future, you want a happy family, you want someone to love you and someone you can love in return, you want children to bring you joy, and you want someone to rely on in your old age, someone to face the end of life together with, isn't that right?"
Li Rong couldn't find the words to respond. Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath. "You want all of this, and he is the person you were most likely to fall in love with. The two of you could have had a good life together. Now that this life has started over, why not try to fight for it, to give it one more chance?"
"Don't keep thinking about how old you are. You're only eighteen now, in the prime of your youth. Why are you closing off all possibilities? When Su Rongqing came to pick you up today, didn't you think for a moment that if one day the two of you were to marry, you wouldn't be happy?"
"I... I didn't really think about it..." Seeing Pei Wenxuan speak with such passion, Li Rong felt a twinge of guilt, as if her own lack of thoughts was somehow letting down his good intentions.
Moreover, what Pei Wenxuan said made some sense to her. But while it made sense in theory, for some reason, she didn't feel any immediate desire to act on it.
Seeing that Li Rong was still resisting, Pei Wenxuan felt a mix of frustration and disappointment. He immediately pressed on, "Then think about it now. Imagine it right now—if the two of you were to marry, wouldn't your lives be better?"
"I... I'm a little tired."Li Rong felt this topic could not continue any longer and quickly said, "We have things to do tomorrow, let's sleep first."
"No," Pei Wenxuan reached out to stop Li Rong from lying down to sleep, propping her upright, "I've finally managed to have a serious heart-to-heart with you, we must clarify this issue."
"What issue?" Li Rong looked utterly bewildered. Pei Wenxuan wore a serious expression as he said, "The issue of how you can marry Su Rongqing."
"Let's just sleep."
Li Rong immediately tried to lie down again, but Pei Wenxuan intercepted her halfway, once more propping her upright: "Don't mess around, listen to me. Confronting your feelings for Su Rongqing is the first step to opening your heart. Only by learning to face yourself can you live this life well."
Hearing these words, Li Rong felt her head spinning. She took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and rolled up her sleeves: "Fine, speak, I'm listening. Let's see who can outlast whom tonight. Whatever grand reasoning you have, bring it on! First, tell me, what benefits would I have from marrying Su Rongqing?"
"First, you and Su Rongqing are of matching status and share similar thoughts. Together, you could be like confidants, like close friends, living in perfect harmony, becoming an immortal couple."
"Second, Su Rongqing is of noble birth, originally from aristocracy. Being with him would be like adding wings to a tiger. Whatever the Crown Prince wishes to do in the future, with Su Rongqing present, it would be much more convenient."
"Third, you already share mutual affection, there is an emotional foundation..."
Pei Wenxuan fully utilized his instinct from court debates, listing Su Rongqing's merits one by one for Li Rong, painting a beautiful future for the two of them after marriage.
Li Rong widened her eyes, staring fixedly at Pei Wenxuan.
She couldn't believe that Pei Wenxuan, who had been so sleepy just moments ago, was now wide awake.
However, Pei Wenxuan had fully realized Li Rong's intention. He was someone who grew stronger when faced with strength; if Li Rong wanted to outlast him, he would never let her succeed.
Thus, he mustered all his energy, locked eyes with Li Rong, racked his brains, and spoke eloquently, thoroughly arguing the necessity of Li Rong marrying Su Rongqing.
Pei Wenxuan was too persuasive. With the stage all to himself, he slowly talked until the rooster crowed. Li Rong propped her head with her hand, dozing off as Pei Wenxuan's words droned into her ears.
But Pei Wenxuan grew more spirited the more he spoke. Seeing Li Rong about to collapse, he immediately shook her awake and said earnestly, "Your Highness, have you considered it?"
Then Li Rong would jolt awake, immediately sobering up, and with a serious expression, raise another question: "Leaving aside the questionable truth of all this, even if it were true, now that I am already married to you, how could I marry him?"
"I have thought of that for Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan said, immediately getting off the bed. Seeing him leave, Li Rong sighed in relief and was about to collapse to the side when Pei Wenxuan returned to the bed, respectfully presenting a memorial. "This is the plan I have drafted for Your Highness. I have thought it over. For Your Highness and Su Rongqing to rekindle their past bond, we need to proceed in steps. The first step: confidant. Your Highness needs to correctly understand your own mindset, let go of the wariness from your past life, and correctly recognize Su Rongqing."Li Rong took the memorial, listening to Pei Wenxuan’s words in the darkness. Shocked, she unfolded the memorial that detailed a solution to the problem of how to marry Su Rongqing. The memorial stretched out to the length of her hand. By the moonlight, she saw densely packed characters on it as Pei Wenxuan continued, “Step two: know the enemy. We need to determine Su Rongqing’s current attitude toward Your Highness and toward matters of the heart. Leave this to me.” Pei Wenxuan placed a hand over his chest, his expression earnest and reassuring. “I will first establish a good relationship with Su Rongqing and ascertain his feelings for Your Highness.”
“After confirming Su Rongqing’s feelings, we proceed to step three: manipulate the enemy. This step will also be handled by me. The main goal is to let Su Rongqing know that Your Highness and I are merely allies, and that he still has a chance.”
“Step four: capture the enemy. Once Su Rongqing sees an opportunity, we will create situations for Your Highness and Su Rongqing to interact. With Your Highness’s abilities, someone like Su Rongqing will be easily won over, inevitably falling at your feet. At that point, Your Highness can make a promise to him.”
“You…” Li Rong was dumbfounded. “Do you… have too much confidence in me?”
“No,” Pei Wenxuan said seriously. “This is my comprehensive assessment of Your Highness. With your beauty, skill, and temperament, given the right opportunity, what man in this world would not admire you? Your Highness must not underestimate yourself.”
“You make it sound so convincing…” Li Rong murmured. “I almost believe it.”
“Does Your Highness not trust me?”
Pei Wenxuan assumed the posture of a loyal minister ready to die for his remonstrance, making Li Rong gasp. Hearing the rooster crow outside and holding the memorial in her hand, she suddenly realized that Pei Wenxuan had come prepared. In this battle of endurance, she was likely to lose.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to adopt the strategy of turning the enemy’s plan against them, using their own spear to pierce their shield, so that Pei Wenxuan could also experience her feelings. She nodded and said, “Minister Pei makes a very reasonable point. I have suddenly seen the light, as if awakened from a deep slumber. Coming back to this life is precisely to make up for regrets. Since Minister Pei cares so much for me, I am deeply grateful. To repay your sincere devotion, I have decided that your marriage prospects are now my responsibility.”
Pei Wenxuan froze in place, repeating, “My marriage prospects?”
“Yes,” Li Rong nodded earnestly. “You and Miss Qin the Second were once ill-fated. Now that we have returned to this life, Miss Qin has not yet entered the palace. You should summon your courage and pursue her with all your might!”
“N-no need for that,” Pei Wenxuan grew restless at the mention of Qin Zhenzhen. “Let’s just focus on Your Highness…”
“No,” Li Rong pressed a hand on Pei Wenxuan’s shoulder, speaking sincerely. “Since you care so much for me, how can I not care for you? Do not refuse, Minister Pei. If you refuse, then I cannot understand why you insist on having me plan to marry Su Rongqing.”
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan stiffened. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, “Your Highness is right. However, the priority now is Minister Su. Miss Qin the Second can wait.”
“Actually, Minister Su isn’t that urgent either.”
At this point, both fell silent. Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath. “Your Highness, rest assured. Leave Minister Su’s matter to me. I will definitely handle it properly for Your Highness.”"Lord Pei, rest assured," Li Rong immediately replied, "I will personally handle the matter regarding the Second Miss of the Qin family. I promise to resolve it satisfactorily for you."
Pei Wenxuan: "..."
Li Rong: "..."
As the rooster crowed once more, Pei Wenxuan hesitantly suggested, "Since Your Highness has already agreed to this matter, perhaps... we should sleep?"
Li Rong nodded, and the two quickly slipped under the covers, closing their eyes to make the most of the remaining time.
After lying still, Li Rong couldn't help but ask again, "Pei Wenxuan."
"Hmm?"
"Why do you do all this? What are you after?"
Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Li Rong pondered for a moment, realizing she didn't need him to answer. She could guess that Pei Wenxuan truly meant well for her. Perhaps his methods weren't always perfect, but in his heart, he genuinely wished for her happiness.
She couldn't help but laugh silently in the darkness: "What kind of relationship is this? We're not quite husband and wife, nor are we purely allies. After weathering thirty years of storms together, we criticize each other one moment yet want to be good to each other the next. Even after marrying, we still help each other scheme about relationships with others—what does that even make us?"
Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Hearing Li Rong say these things left him with an indescribable heaviness in his heart. With his back turned to her, he murmured softly, "If you think highly of me, you could consider me an older brother."
"No thanks," Li Rong immediately rejected. "I don't have a habit of looking for brothers."
"Suit yourself."
Pei Wenxuan couldn't be bothered to argue. Li Rong thought for a moment, then suddenly turned over and scooted closer to him, saying cheerfully, "Could you count as my close confidante, then?"
"Stay away from me," Pei Wenxuan shrank back. "Don't come over and scare me."
Li Rong laughed, rolling over to put some distance between them. For some reason, it felt as though she had suddenly found a new term to define her relationship with Pei Wenxuan.
"Pei Wenxuan," she poked his back with her finger. "I think this word suits you perfectly. Starting today, you're my best friend."
"Then what does that make you to me? A sworn brother?"
Pei Wenxuan retorted, and Li Rong burst out laughing, suddenly no longer feeling sleepy. She continued chattering, "You're in my private chambers right now, you—"
"Oh, my dear lady," Pei Wenxuan couldn't take it anymore. He turned over and covered her mouth with his hand, speaking earnestly, "Let's sleep, alright?"
Li Rong blinked. Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath. "Fine, I'm your best friend. Now can we sleep?"
Li Rong closed her eyes with a smile, content.
Watching her drift off, Pei Wenxuan sighed and, forgetting to turn back around, fell asleep facing her.
Just before sleep took him, a vague thought crossed his mind—
Tomorrow, he'd need to ask for a few more quilts. It'd be softer when he slept on the floor.
If this kept up, he feared he might meet an early grave.
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