Just as Li Wanming was in a quandary, Zhao Yanke's feet had unconsciously taken steps forward. Staring blankly at Wanxin, he seemed completely entranced.
He stared blankly at the woman in front of him, feeling as if all the colors around had faded away.
Her slightly drooping eyelashes cast a faint silhouette on her fair skin. Under her willow-leaf eyebrows, her amorous eyes were like rippling autumn waters when they turned. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, just like a budding Chinese flowering crabapple, exuding indescribable charm and shyness.
The morning light shone through the carved window lattice, scattering tiny golden glows around Wanxin, making her look like a goddess.
Zhao Yanke's Adam's apple rolled unconsciously. He didn't even notice when the folding fan in his hand dropped to the ground with a "snap." He only felt that his heart in his chest was pounding violently at this moment, as if it was about to burst out of his chest.
"Y-y-your humble servant's surname is Zhao..." The emperor, who usually didn't care about anything when being naughty, laughing, scolding, or causing trouble, actually stammered at this moment. "May I... may I ask the young lady's name?"
Wanxin was at a loss under his direct gaze. Two blushes instantly flew onto her lotus-like face. Her slender fingers unconsciously tightened the handkerchief, and she quietly took half a step behind her younger sister. "This humble girl... my surname is Li. I'm Wanming's elder sister..."
Her voice was extremely soft, almost disappearing in the wind.
But to Zhao Yanke's ears, it was like celestial music.
"So it's Miss Li. Your humble servant pays respects here..."
Zhao Yanke suddenly flicked his sleeve robe and made an exaggerated arc with his right hand in the air - he actually bowed deeply.
Li Wanming's eyes scanned suspiciously back and forth between Zhao Yanke and Wanxin. Suddenly, she shivered, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Something's wrong!
Very wrong!
"Your humble servant pays respects here" - wasn't this the standard line used by those playboys to flirt with girls in the storybooks?
Zhao Yanke actually dared to blatantly use such frivolous words to flirt with her most respected elder sister right in front of her. What did he take the girls of the Li family for?!
Li Wanming was instantly furious. She reached out and almost pushed Zhao Yanke to the ground.
"Zhao!" Her eyes widened round, almost spitting out sparks. "Show some respect. Don't have any ideas about my elder sister!"
"What...?" Zhao Yanke was stunned. "Could it be... your elder sister is already betrothed?"
Li Wanming was momentarily speechless.
In a way, her elder sister was indeed single at this moment - she didn't want to mention the mess with the Chen family for fear of making her elder sister sad again.
"What... what does it matter to you!"
Li Wanming stuck out her neck like a cat with its fur all fluffed up. "Even if she isn't, it still has nothing to do with you!"
"How can it have nothing to do with me?" Hearing this, Zhao Yanke didn't get angry but instead laughed. His eyes instantly sparkled with a new light, and he seemed to be completely illuminated.
He straightened his chest and said righteously, "I'm totally single and not betrothed to anyone now!"
Li Wanming felt a rush of blood to her head, and her vision started to go dark.
She had to admit that Zhao Yanke wasn't wrong...
He hadn't established a queen yet, so he had no official wife. Lü Songyuan, Su Xiaozhu, and all those women in the harem could only be considered concubines - no, they hadn't even paid respects to the emperor's main wife. Strictly speaking, they weren't even concubines but just maids who shared the emperor's bed...
So when Zhao Yanke said he wasn't betrothed...
Damn it! He really wasn't!
"You... so what if you're single? Your... your family..."
Li Wanming was so angry that her lips were trembling. She dug her fingernails hard into her palm to hold back the urge to curse - there were already curious passers-by stopping to watch, and she mustn't expose Zhao Yanke's identity in public.
On one side, Wanxin was so ashamed that she almost wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide. She kept tugging at her younger sister's sleeve. "Little sister... s-stop talking..." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, and even her earlobes were so red that they seemed to be dripping blood.
However, seeing Li Wanming at a loss for words, Zhao Yanke became even more complacent. He raised his eyebrows and said loudly, "What about my family? Come on, say it! Hey, as 'Mencius' says, when a man knows what beauty is, he will admire young and lovely women. We're both unmarried. It's a match made in heaven... Why are you objecting?"
Li Wanming was almost dying of anger.
Damn it!
If it weren't for the fact that he was the emperor, she would have rushed up and beaten him up!
The crowd of onlookers around was getting bigger and bigger, and the whispering and pointing started to buzz. Wanxin was so ashamed that she couldn't bear it. She let out an "oh" sound, turned her head, stamped her foot, covered her face, and ran out of the door.
"Miss Li..." Seeing this, Zhao Yanke took off running after her, dragging out his voice, "Wait for your humble servant -"
This shout was full of twists and turns, just like a lecher in a play.
Li Wanming finally completely exploded. She picked up a medicinal vine drying at the door of the shop and started hitting him blindly. "Wait your ass! Who do you think you are? You're not worthy of making my elder sister wait for you!"
...
In the inn, Wanxin was applying medicine to Zhao Yanke.
Her delicate fingers picked up the gauze soaked in the ointment and gently dabbed it on his forehead. The bitter fragrance of the herbal medicine filled the room, like the refreshing smell when raindrops hit the new lotus.
"Does it hurt? Bear with it..."
As Wanxin said, she gave Li Wanming a reproachful look. "You're already so old, but you still don't know how to control your strength. You even broke Young Master Zhao's head... What if there's a scar left? It'll be a problem."
Li Wanming turned her head away indignantly. "He's a big man. What's he afraid of!"
"Even a man should cherish his appearance. It's not an excuse for you to act violently for no reason." While applying the medicine, Wanxin scolded Li Wanming.
Although her eyebrows were slightly frowned and she was a bit angry, her voice was still gentle and melodious, like a meandering stream under the peach trees. Especially when she got closer with the gauze, her breath carried the unique fragrance of a woman.
The warm breath brushed across the young emperor's hot earlobe, and even the cold herbal medicine on his forehead seemed to become hot.
Zhao Yanke's Adam's apple moved.
He suddenly realized that he seemed to have never looked at a woman so closely before.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, black and dense like crow feathers, casting a trembling shadow in the candlelight. Her lips were like a single point of peach blossom, more delicate and moist than the most precious rouge in the dressing box. When she got closer, even the tiny fluff on the tip of her nose glistened like pearls...
She was so beautiful.
So incredibly beautiful.
The three thousand beauties in the harem couldn't compare to the gentle smile of the woman in front of him.
...
Li Wanming was furious when she saw this!
"Lecher!" She suddenly stood up, grabbed Zhao Yanke's topknot, and yanked it back hard. "Where are you looking? Do you believe I'll dig your eyes out and use them as firecrackers?"