He walked through the tunnel which Zhan Lue created. It was very deep and the snow on the two sides already reached his knees. “Husband?”
When Zhan Lue sensed him coming closer, he finally moved.
In the pale snow, Xian Sheng stood in front of him, wearing a white embroidered coat. Even though he was not wearing make-up and his hair was scattered all over his shoulders, nothing could conceal his extreme beauty.
Zhan Lue sat in the snow. With a burning face, breath and heart, he said, “Why… did you come out?”
“I’m afraid that you’ll fall sick from the cold,” said Xian Sheng. “Go back in to sleep.”
“You finally know how to care about your husband?”
“Sorry,” apologised Xian Sheng. “I know that I’m wrong.”
“You’re doing this just to console me.”
It was the first time Xian Sheng had met such an unreasonable man. He stayed silent for a while before saying, “I was trying to treat you sincerely just now. Why do you want to escape?”
“I’m not escaping.” Zhan Lue stood up suddenly and looked downwards at the sickly person in front of him. Frowning, he said, “You are the Princess of Liang. You should be pampered and treasured. I don’t want to humiliate you.”
Xian Sheng lifted his head and explained seriously, “You’re not humiliating me. It’s…”
“I know what you are thinking,” interrupted Zhan Lue. “You’re not treating yourself like a human being, but I want to treat you like one. You’re treating this marriage as an exchange, but I want your heart and body to find a home here.”
Xian Sheng lowered his head subconsciously and Zhan Lue looked at him for a while. The cold wind blew the plum blossoms everywhere. He said, “You’re really weird. You’re willing to do that but you just don’t want to sleep with me.”
For a moment, Xian Sheng felt touched. Perhaps it was the floating plum blossoms in the midnight snow that made his heart feel confused. At that moment, Xian Sheng really hoped that he was the real princess of Liang.
Zhan Lue said, “I’ll take off your clothes one day and see what secret you are hiding.”
Xian Sheng did not know what to say. “…”
Luckily he was not a real princess. The thought of having to spend a lifetime with such a man made him feel suffocated.
Zhan Lue slept on the bed for the entire night, hugging his beloved wife.
However, when he opened his eyes the next morning, he was shocked by Xian Sheng’s appearance.
His cheeks, which had been pinched by Zhan Lue, were covered with bruises. It looked like he had been beaten up.
He closed his eyes and opened them again. He pressed the bruises and Xian Sheng immediately moved back, his eyes still closed. “It hurts.”
Zhan Lue looked unhappy. “How delicate.”
Xian Sheng was still in a daze. Zhan Lue pressed his face again and Xian Sheng woke up completely. “What are you doing?”
“Why are you so delicate?” asked Zhan Lue resentfully. “You just want me to pamper you, right?”
Xian Sheng could not tolerate such hostility so early in the morning. “What are you talking about?”
Zhan Lue kissed him forcefully and got up.
Scrunching his face, XIan Sheng found that his nose was a bit blocked. He must have caught a cold from the wind. When Ru Yi entered to help him change, she immediately cried out in shock, “Princess…”
“Why are you shouting?” asked Zhan Lue. “Take the medicine quickly.”
Tears brimmed in Ru Yi’s eyes. She never thought that Zhan Lue would bear to be so harsh with Xian Sheng. She brought the medicine over and cried as she applied it to him.
Yue Hua walked in. She wanted to say something but did not dare to.
Zhan Lue’s expression darkened and he chased them away. He flicked his robe back and sat down beside Xian Sheng, saying, “Why didn’t you explain?”
“How do I explain?” asked Xian Sheng. “You were the one who was violent.”
“How can that be the same thing?” Although Zhan Lue was caressing him tenderly, his words sounded rash. “If you weren’t so heartless, would I have been so angry?”
Zhan Lue looked at him. He suddenly dipped his finger into the medicine and dabbed Xian Sheng’s nose. “Say again?”
Xian Sheng felt wronged too. “Why are you bullying me again?”
“You are so delicate. You deserve to be bullied.”
“I’ll go out with these injuries. I’ll let everyone know that the Crown Prince of Northern Jin hit me.”
Xian Sheng dodged backwards subconsciously but Zhan Lue pulled him back. He seemed to be worried about something and whispered in his ear, “Don’t meet anyone in these few days.”
Xian Sheng pursed his lips and thought that this guy actually cared about his reputation. He humphed. Zhan Lue said, “Why? You find it honourable?”