Xu ChangAn was still thinking about whether they would go to the Palace or not for the New Year’s Eve banquet that would be held in two days, and Xiao QingYan appeared immediately. Ever since Xu ChangAn knew there was a paradise in his room, he often looked at the wall inside, lost in his mind, and occasionally thought about what Xiao QingYan would do when he was inside.
Since Xiao QingYan had come here, Xu ChangAn did not think much about it, he simply asked, “Do we go to the Palace for the New Year’s Eve banquet?” Even though he knew that it would have nothing to do with them even if they went, Xu ChangAn still did not want to go. Every time he went to the Palace, he felt as if he had exerted himself all day and be tired.
“Certainly will go, but don’t worry, this time we are not the major characters, just go into the Palace to greet Imperial Father, eat a New Year’s meal and come back.” Xiao QingYan’s answer reminded Xu ChangAn of Xiao QingYu’s birthday.
On Xiao QingYu’s birthday, their father and sons all gathered privately. On such a big day as New Year’s Eve, how many of them would gather together? “I specifically asked people about this trip to Feng Province; there are many scenic spots along the way. We are not in a hurry, when we go to grandfather’s home, we can enjoy the scenery along the road.” As the eldest son of the Emperor, Xiao QingYan had lived in the Capital since childhood and rarely went out. Although there were important things for going out this time, he still remembered the beautiful scenery outside which he only heard but never saw.
When Xiao QingYan spoke, the two people unconsciously had pulled nearer. When Xu ChangAn noticed, the heat from Xiao QingYan’s mouth had spilled into his ear. His body suddenly weighed heavily. Xiao QingYan’s unexpected hand had reached into his clothes and was lying on his waist, but then it was going downward.
Xu ChangAn did not understand what Xiao QingYan was doing. Weren't they talking about going out after the New Year? What was wrong with Xiao Qingyan…
“Don't, Your Highness! Today… Today is not fifteenth.” Since the first time Xu ChangAn suffered from abnormal health on the fifteenth day of the full month cycle, the same was true in the second month. Xu ChangAn knew the regularity of the medicine attack. It was probably that as long as it was the fifteenth day every month, he would suddenly feel hot and painful.
“I know today is not the fifteenth, but I want you.”
“…” Xu ChangAn didn’t know how to answer at all, because he never thought Xiao QingYan would be so straightforward! Moreover, his answer, whether positive or negative, seemed to be a question…
They had already had skin intimacy, and Xu ChangAn did not reject Xiao QingYan’s body. Now, when Xiao QingYan was in close contact with him, Xu ChangAn’s body was not as rigid as before. Xu ChangAn’s silence was taken as a shy acquiescence by Xiao QingYan. He was so happy that he gave up the idea of shedding Xu ChangAn’s clothes off. He held Xu ChangAn's face in both hands and kissed for a long time before he let go. [T/N: skin intimacy or skin-skin relationship is the same as s*x in this context]
“ChangAn, take off my clothes for me.” Xiao QingYan’s words gave Xu ChangAn a brief stiffness, but soon he relaxed. Although he did not know how they could become like this, he was really enjoying it now. They all said that men were greedy. It seemed that if so, he could not resist Xiao QingYan; he even could say that he liked it.
After just a moment’s hesitation, Xu ChangAn reached out and felt that his clothes were separated from his body. Xiao QingYan was no longer gentle, and in a few seconds the person under him was bare.
Xu ChangAn never thought that one day, he and Xiao QingYan would become like this. Xiao QingYan never knew that it was not just because of the things that needed to be done, but because of the impulse in his heart.
The two days passed quickly, and as Xiao QingYan had expected, the New Year’s Eve banquet on that day was not attended by anyone.
The Succeeding Empress dressed in the Great Red Palace dress, sat solemnly beside the Emperor; which knew whether she said a few words to the Emperor with a faint smile on her face. The Gufei on one side was also sitting beside the Emperor, but this time she did not compete for the limelight with the other, but always focused on Princess QingYue beside her.
Xu ChangAn had not seen Princess QingYue for some days, though he could not know from a distance, but could see that there was not a little joy on the princess’s face. After the last time Xiao QingYan was drugged and Nan Xi was beaten, Xu ChangAn still liked Princess QingYue. Xiao Qingyan seemed good to his younger sister, Xu ChangAn paid special attention to that side.
“That girl, Qingyue has been pressed by Imperial Father recently. She’s annoyed, so she’s in a bad temper. Don’t pay attention to her! Since little, Imperial Father had spoiled her too much that she was nurtured into this lawless nature." Xiao QingYue was eighteen years old this year. She had already reached the age of marriage. The Emperor would not press her to keep staying in the mountain before, but now she had returned to the Palace. Her life-long event would naturally become the top concern of her Imperial Father and Consort Mother.
The Emperor and Zhou Guifei had been making a show for her all day long, putting in front of her almost all the sons of nobility and young talented men in the Capital, but she did not like any of them. No matter how others persuade her, she always only gave a word, she would not marry.
For Xiao QingYan, no matter how old men and women were, they should naturally obey their parents’ arrangement. Men should marry wives and have children to take the responsibility of supporting the family. Women should marry and have children to manage their household chores and to assist the husband and educate the children. Therefore, even if he loved this younger sister, he could not understand Xiao QingYue’s decision.
Xu ChangAn had a manservant at his side, but only after his mother died that the manservant did not follow him. However, he spent more time with the maidservants at his side. He thought he should be able to guess something about Xiao QingYue.
Which daughter of a family would not want to marry at this age? Perhaps, Princess Qingyue had long had her heart belong to someone, and the person that she liked might not be accepted by that the Imperial House. Therefore, so she would have that attitude.
Xu ChangAn did not know whether he was right or wrong, but he hoped that he was just making a guess. After all, if things were really like that, it would be a little pitiful for Princess QingYue.
Today’s New Year’s Eve banquet was arranged by the Second Prince. The corresponding singing and dancing along the banquet were still passable by the look of the compliments of the surrounding people towards the Second Prince, and the proud smiles of the Succeeding Empress that had not been hidden since the beginning. Comparing that to his and Xiao QingYan's side, they were in quite isolation. Xu ChangAn slowly moved closer to Xiao QingYan.
“When the Spring Festival is over, Xiao Qingnian should attend the Court, and then… Forget it, this is not the time and place to be talking about that. The banquet will be over soon. Let’s go back first." Perhaps Xiao QingYan could perceive a little bit of Xu ChangAn’s mind that he held his hand and wanted to say something to reassure him. In response, it was not a good place to say those words. Seeing that time was not too early, so he didn’t want to stay any longer.
After they got up and said their farewell to the Emperor, they returned home directly. After seeing Xiao QingYan went home like this, the Succeeding Empress became even more proud. It seemed that she really did not need to pay attention to the nails in her eyes for many years.
When they returned to the residence, Xu ChangAn himself returned to his courtyard first. Xiao QingYan made a routine trip to Nan Xi's. After Xu ChangAn bathed, he lay down in bed for a while and Xiao QingYan came.
They had just crossed the New Year’s Eve threshold, time passed quickly and soon even the Lantern Festival passed. The time for Xu ChangAn and Xiao QingYan to leave the Capital also arrived.
On the Lantern Festival, when Xiao QingYan went to Nan Xi's place, she mentioned to follow him with Xu ChangAn on the journey. There were many things in Nan Xi's mind, but she did not rest assured that Xiao QingYan left her eyesight. Therefore, she offered to go with them. “It’s impossible for Wangye and Wangfei to go out without a maid, isn’t it? I can go with you as a maid. You can take Nan Xi with you, Wangye. Nan Xi really doesn’t want to be separated from you for so long."
“Didn’t we discuss this matter long ago? It’s just a passing walk. Do you think I’m really going to hang out with him? As long as I go to Feng Province to meet his grandparents, I will come back immediately. Whether he will come back or not is his business. I will come back as soon as I finish the task assigned by Imperial Father".
“Task? What task?" Nan Xi only found that her tone was a bit louder after she finished saying, so she hastened to add: “Wangye, what task did His Majesty give you? Could it be to let you…”
“Sigh, what else can it be? That is to let me go to Wangfei's grandfather’s home to accompany him for a period of time. Imperial Father should be really… Forget it. Actually, it’s much more comfortable to be a free and unfettered Wangye than the Emperor who worried daily. Now that Imperial Father has decided, I don’t think much more about it." In Xiao QingYan’s words, Nan Xi naturally was clear about the meaning. Looking at Xiao QingYan’s disappointed face, her heart was clear, but also a little relieved.
“I also want to take you with me, but there are many people in the residence. The last time things happened, it was said by the people in the residence. Otherwise, who would know that there are you in Wang Residence? Who knows how Wangye treats Wangfei?" Speaking of the last time he was reprimanded by his Imperial Father, Xiao QingYan remembered the sisters that were sent to him by the Inner Palace. He had completely forgotten the two women, but they apparently had not forgotten their tasks.
Nan Xi's request to Xiao QingYan was not unexpected at all, but how could he possibly agree? Not to mention that this woman was a poisonous scorpion, even if she was really an ordinary concubine in the residence, when he and his Wangfei went out, bringing them [concubines] was only a cumbersome!
Xiao QingYue and Xiao QingYu did not come at the same time until they went out. Xiao QingYu was unhappy and always felt that his older brother was harmed. Xiao QingYue, on the contrary, said directly that Imperial Father had done a good job, which just made them cultivate their feelings.
Xu ChangAn was prepared to let Dongxue leave Wang Residence at the latest. Now she was not likely to leave alone if he went out. No matter how people in the residence respected Dongxue, as long as he left, she was only a servant. Although he and Xiao QingYan left, there was no so-called Master in the residence, whether it was Nan Xi or QinXin, as long as he was not there, it should be very simple to deal with Dongxue.
“Young Master, when will you be back?”
"It shouldn’t take long. However, Feng Province is far away from the Capital. Even if there is not much delay on the way, it will take at least two or three months to stay in grandfather’s house. Take good care of yourself." At the beginning, when he was thinking of this trip, he planned to not come back. What made him change his mind was that Xiao QingYan would be at his side. This trip meant that he could not do anything anymore.
Xu ChangAn had started making preparation to send Dongxue out of Wang Residence. As long as Xiao QingYan fixed the date, they could begin to move at any time.