Chapter 116: One-on-One

Xuechun took Rui'er to the small kitchen in the main courtyard, intending to tell Qingxia to prepare dinner a bit later. Seeing Leng Qi discussing dinner plans with Qingxia, Xuechun decided not to interrupt and turned to head back to check on Dongnuan.

As she reached the side courtyard, she heard Lu Liyuan's voice from inside the room.

"Today, I... I didn't mean it."

Lu Liyuan spoke awkwardly. Although he felt very embarrassed, he was a man who took responsibility for his actions. He was willing to marry Dongnuan, but he couldn't quite accept that his wife-to-be looked exactly like his sister.

Dongnuan found it somewhat amusing; Lu Liyuan's words sounded as if he were deathly afraid she would cling to him, though she knew that wasn't his intent. Thinking about it this way, it just made Lu Liyuan appear all the more bashful.

Dongnuan was not a coy person. Earlier, in Weishao Qianyu's room, the situation had indeed been too awkward. But now, she looked at Lu Liyuan boldly and openly, waiting for him to continue.

Seeing that Dongnuan did not respond, Lu Liyuan simply said, "If you want me to take responsibility, it is not impossible for me to marry you, but could you change your appearance back?"

Lu Liyuan had known Dongnuan for some years and certainly hadn't failed to see her original face before. Dongnuan was stunned. In her view, Lu Liyuan had always been interested in her mistress. Every time he and Weishao Qianyu were together, his doting on her was almost on par with Feng Jinye’s. That he was actually planning to marry her, and yet wanted her to change her appearance back, caught Dongnuan completely by surprise.

Outside the door, Xuechun sighed. Ever since her mistress returned, everyone in the Prince Zhan Mansion seemed to be pairing up. Were they all seeing her mistress and the Prince and catching the marriage fever? If both Dongnuan and Qingxia got married, who would take care of her mistress? Her mistress was still preparing to give birth to a little mistress.

At night, Weishao Qianyu woke up hungry in Feng Jinye's arms. As she stirred, Feng Jinye woke up too. Weishao Qianyu pouted and said, "I'm hungry. Go and tell Qingxia to boil me a bowl of noodles."

Night Eleven, perched in a tree, heard what Weishao Qianyu said and had already gone to find Qingxia and Xuechun.

Feng Jinye felt a secret pang of regret for letting Weishao Qianyu go hungry.

"Feng Jinye, you are a complete and utter jerk, you know that?" Weishao Qianyu complained, nestling weakly in his arms. "A jerk who won't let me eat!"

Feng Jinye quietly toyed with her hair, letting her accusations pass. Soon, Qingxia entered with a pot of medicinal porridge. Smelling it, Weishao Qianyu felt a wave of nausea. She frowned and asked, "What is this ghastly thing?"

"Your Highness, this is a medicinal diet I developed with Leng Qi today," Qingxia explained. "Leng Qi says it is excellent for your health."

"I brought it up to see if you would eat it. There is chicken soup warming on the stove; if you don't eat this, I'll go back and boil noodles," Qingxia said, turning to leave with the porridge, but Feng Jinye stopped her. "Leave the porridge..."

Qingxia understood and set the medicinal meal down, then turned to go back to the small kitchen to prepare the chicken noodle soup.

Hearing Feng Jinye order Qingxia to leave the porridge, Weishao Qianyu felt a sense of impending doom. Watching him lift the bowl, she immediately took it from him. "I'll eat... I'll eat..."

Knowing Qingxia would definitely return to cook her noodles, she dawdled, blowing on a spoonful, and then, with a flash of inspiration, shoved it into Feng Jinye's mouth.

"Is it good?" she asked with a fake grin. She felt nauseous just smelling it; it definitely couldn't be good.

Feng Jinye nodded helplessly. Weishao Qianyu took another spoonful. "If it's good, then you should have more."

"I must share the sweetness," Feng Jinye said, gesturing for her to eat that spoonful.

Weishao Qianyu felt that his words carried a threatening undertone. She shouldn't have been so reckless, but the spoonful was quite large.

"If you have another bite, I'll have one, okay?" she said, looking pitiful.

"Fine," Feng Jinye agreed softly.

However, after he finished, Weishao Qianyu stared at the bowl, wanting to sweep it away. But to do so would be too dramatic and unfair to Qingxia's hard work. She was so distressed.

Reluctantly, she scooped a tiny bit to her lips, but the discomfort in her stomach surged. She instantly set the spoon down and leaned over to dry heave. Feng Jinye, not expecting such a strong reaction, immediately took the porridge away and began rubbing her back. Weishao Qianyu couldn't help it; feeling wronged, she burst into tears.

"You're bullying me."

Facing her accusation, Feng Jinye was at a loss.

Qingxia returned with the chicken noodle soup and saw Weishao Qianyu feigning tears in Feng Jinye's arms. Looking at the bowl of porridge, still more than half full, she sighed to herself: truly, no one could handle her mistress like she did, not even Prince Zhan.

Feng Jinye picked up Weishao Qianyu to eat the noodles, told Qingxia to stay and serve her, and then walked out.

Qingxia asked softly, "Mistress, did you make the Prince angry?"

"If he wants to be angry, let him be! I don't care!" Weishao Qianyu said, arching her brow.

Not far from the courtyard, Weishao Qianyu's words reached Feng Jinye's ears clearly. He shook his head helplessly and went to find Leng Qi.

"Can the medicinal ingredients used in today's tonic be ground into powder and mixed into pastries?" Feng Jinye asked.

It wasn't the first time Leng Qi had seen the Prince, but it was the first time he'd heard the Prince speak so many words at once.

Leng Qi nodded. "It is possible, but these herbs work in synergy with the ingredients. Even if mixed into pastries, the Princess must still consume the ingredients daily for it to be effective."

"Hmm," Feng Jinye nodded. "Prepare them separately tomorrow."

After giving his instructions, he returned to the main courtyard. Weishao Qianyu was happily eating her noodles. Seeing that Qingxia had clearly brought up two bowls but now only one remained—and even the empty bowl was gone—it was clear he wasn't getting any.

Feng Jinye leaned in, shamelessly saying, "I'm hungry too."

"Go tell Night Eleven to cook for you!"

Up in the tree, Night Eleven was startled: The Princess really did have a new idea every minute.

"Or, you can confess what bad deeds you were up to when you went out just now," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I told Leng Qi to separate the herbs and ingredients, grind the herbs into powder for the pastries, and have you eat the ingredients separately..."

Weishao Qianyu hadn't expected him to be so honest. Wasn't he afraid she wouldn't eat it? And if he wasn't going to hide it from her, he could have just called Leng Qi over to say it himself.

She pushed the noodles toward him. Feng Jinye chuckled, sat down, and finished the half she had left. Once he finished, Qingxia tidied up and retreated.

Feng Jinye said to her, "Leng Qi intends to have Leng Ji take Qingxia as his wife."

Weishao Qianyu wasn't surprised; the Imperial Physician seemed to have always liked Qingxia. But the casual, domestic way Feng Jinye brought it up surprised her more.

"I'll look to Qingxia's wishes. If she wants to marry, she shall. The same goes for Xuechun and Dongnuan; no one can be forced if they don't wish it..."

Her words were pointed, as if spoken intentionally for Night Eleven to hear outside. Night Eleven's body stiffened; it seemed the Princess had noticed the awkwardness between him and Xuechun.

"Hmm, you make the call." Feng Jinye only wanted her to be aware of the matter.

"Why doesn't the main courtyard of the Yuan Prince Mansion have a name?" Weishao Qianyu wondered. Even the Xuanying Pavilion had a proper name.

"My father said the mansion would be left to me, so I could name it myself," Feng Jinye replied.

Weishao Qianyu nodded, instantly understanding. It was a tradition passed down, and Feng Jinye would likely say the same to their children one day.

"Then we shall leave it for our 'little monster' to name..." she said.

Feng Jinye frowned, but seeing her full smile, he accepted the term "little monster."

"You don't like 'little monster'?" she asked with a smile.

"It's alright," he said.

Weishao Qianyu couldn't help but imagine what their future child would look like.

"I hope our little monster will look for Daddy when they cry, and look for Mommy when they laugh."

"Look for Daddy when they're hungry, and look for Mommy for treats."

"Look for Daddy for silver, and give the silver to Mommy."

"Look like Daddy, and love Mommy the most."

It was April, and the summer heat had already reached Guanlin City. A cicada chirped in the shade of a tree; the summer night was quiet and beautiful. Weishao Qianyu's voice was infinitely soft and sweet.

Feng Jinye's eyes overflowed with warmth. He stroked her hair, holding her in his arms, listening quietly to her dreams of the future, filled with "Daddy" and "Mommy."

That night, however, Weishao Qianyu slept restlessly.

She had a nightmare. She dreamed of a city draped in red silk, just like the day of her wedding to Feng Jinye, but the city filled her with sorrow. She walked slowly into the city, and the further she went, the sadder she felt.

Pain spread deep within her heart, yet she didn't know what was wrong. Tears welled up in her eyes against her will. In the dream, her steps became more urgent. Disregarding her surroundings, she kept looking up, trying to see what was causing this. Stumbling forward, her tears flowed like a broken dam. She didn't understand why she felt such profound grief and sorrow.

Outside the dream, her constant struggling and weeping panicked Feng Jinye. He kept calling her name.

"Qianqian..."

"Qianqian..."

With a sudden jolt, Weishao Qianyu woke up, gasping for air. The next instant, she clung to Feng Jinye and began to cry.