It is hoped that the Crown Prince can realize that his affection for Wan Chu will draw a flood of criticism.
His status is so special that no one dares to comment on his faults. Instead, they will all point their fingers at Wan Chu.
What wrong has Song Wanchu done to suffer such an innocent disaster?
As soon as Song Wanchu returned to the Plum-shadow Studio, Chu Yuexi came with a gift to apologize.
She gave Song Wanchu a silk handkerchief embroidered with an orchid in a secluded valley.
The orchid is one of the four noble gentlemen among flowers. Hidden in the secluded valley, it is elegant and leisurely, with its own character and integrity, undisturbed by the mundane world.
The little girl had put some thought into the gift.
Song Wanchu accepted the silk handkerchief. Before Chu Yuexi could finish her apology, she smiled and said, "I understand your intention."
Chu Yuexi knew that Sister Wanchu had saved her face.
Then, Song Wanchu invited her to have some tea and snacks.
There was no more ill will between them.
At night, the Crown Prince still returned to the Chu Mansion to rest.
Bai Zhi and Luo Cen came to ask for permission, saying that they wanted to see the Crown Prince.
Their identities were extraordinary. They could come and go as they pleased and didn't need to ask Song Wanchu for permission.
Song Wanchu could feel their respect for her. Maybe it was because that night when she pleaded for them in front of the Crown Prince, and they had always remembered it.
She didn't dislike these two female officials, but she sincerely hoped that after this visit, the Crown Prince would not let them come back.
The night was deep.
"Miss, the bedding has been warmed with a hot-water bottle. You should go to bed early," Nan Zhi said.
The young lady was still on her period and was prone to fatigue.
Moreover, due to a root cause of illness left from a miscarriage three years ago, during her special days, her lower abdomen would ache badly and her whole body would be cold.
Song Wanchu lay down. Nan Zhi added charcoal to the charcoal stove, blew out the lamp, and closed the door.
There was incense burning in the room, with the smell of jasmine. Luo Cen had deliberately lit it before leaving.
The incense given by the Crown Prince was, of course, the best.
But the smell of jasmine was too strong, and it wasn't her favorite.
She was not only physically exhausted but also mentally tired.
Since coming to the Chu Mansion, she had always gotten along well with the Chu family. The families of the second and third uncles were also polite to her and showed the due concern.
Now, because of the Crown Prince's persistent pursuit of her, the second and third aunts had started whispering about her.
It had also directly affected a young girl like Chu Yuexi, whose mind was not yet fully mature.
Prejudice in people's hearts is like a big mountain.
The more she thought about it, the less sleepy she became. The more anxious she felt, the more she wanted to escape from the Crown Prince quickly.
It was at this moment that Liang Yuzhou's face popped into her mind.
There was a slight noise by the window. Song Wanchu sat up on the couch and stared directly at Liang Yuzhou as he climbed in through the window in the faint glimmers of fire from the charcoal stove.
He impatiently walked around the charcoal stove twice to get rid of the cold on his body and then rubbed his hands to warm them.
"You're crazy! Bai Zhi and Luo Cen might come back at any time!"
At the moment when Liang Yuzhou hugged her, Song Wanchu felt a secret joy that her wish had come true, but she was also worried that Liang Yuzhou would be discovered by the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince had assigned Bai Zhi and Luo Cen to the Plum-shadow Studio just to prevent him from coming to see her at night!
Liang Yuzhou was so bold that he didn't take the Crown Prince seriously at all.
Liang Yuzhou rubbed his chin against her neck and said, "Xia He and Ying Lan are keeping watch outside."
With two female officials and two maids playing a game of espionage in her small world, Song Wanchu was on tenterhooks all day long.
Liang Yuzhou's eyes drooped at the corners, looking a bit aggrieved. "Besides, do I still have to worry about this and that when meeting my own wife?"
If the Crown Prince knew that he had climbed in through the window at night, there would surely be a storm between them.
By then, the whole Chu Mansion would be turned upside down.
Liang Yuzhou didn't care about all that. He held Song Wanchu's face and kissed her again and again.
He wrapped Song Wanchu's slightly cold body in his arms and warmed her with his body temperature.
"Wanchu, I'm sorry. I've made you suffer."
His voice was soft, but it made Song Wanchu's eardrums vibrate. She was puzzled. "What are you apologizing for this time?"
Every time they met, he would explain and apologize for some past misunderstandings.
It was as if he had made up his mind to untangle every knot between them in the past.
To smooth out the wrinkles in her heart.
Liang Yuzhou held her face and stared at her intently with his deep eyes.
"In the three years when you were married to me, you endured a lot of gossips that you shouldn't have. And I just sat back and did nothing. I loved you, but I thought you had other motives for marrying me. You bravely came to me despite the ridicule and criticism from the world, but I misunderstood you as having ulterior motives and playing with feelings. I was both a jerk and stupidly conceited."
Song Wanchu lowered her eyes slightly. "You've heard about what happened today?"
Ying Lan and Xia He were really well - informed.
"Yes," Liang Yuzhou replied. "The past came back to me. I knew you were feeling bad, and I was even more tortured. I couldn't fall asleep. No matter how risky it was, I had to come and see you."
"Just to say sorry?"
"For me, apologizing to you is a matter more important than the sky."
There was a bitter emotion in Song Wanchu's eyes. Liang Yuzhou quickly added, "I don't need you to forgive me. I just need you to know how regretful I am. You don't need to scold me. I'll scold myself a million times."
He pressed Song Wanchu's head against his chest. Every time he spoke, Song Wanchu could feel the vibration of his chest.
"I only hate that the price I've paid is not enough. I should be punished more severely - "
A slender finger suddenly pressed against his lips.
"Stop talking," Song Wanchu said with a sour feeling in her eyes.
She remembered the scene of Liang Yuzhou spitting blood with a high fever.
Liang Yuzhou was secretly delighted. Fortunately, the room was dim, and Wanchu couldn't see the corners of his mouth curving up in triumph.
"Okay, I won't say anymore. I have to live well and serve my wife for a lifetime to atone for my sins."
He planted a kiss on Song Wanchu's ear. The warm breath hit her ear, and the atmosphere became inexplicably ambiguous.
Their noses rubbed against each other, and their lips pecked and chased each other.
The man's body under the Taoist robe gradually heated up. Song Wanchu still had her wits about her and pushed his shoulder. "You should go."
Liang Yuzhou complained aggrievedly, "Can't I just hide in my wife's quilt?"
Suddenly, the words "clingy big dog" popped into Song Wanchu's mind.
Outside, Ying Lan tapped on the window and coughed once.
Song Wanchu's heart sank.
The Crown Prince had still let Bai Zhi and Luo Cen come back.
What had happened today hadn't affected him much.
Liang Yuzhou frowned deeply, and Song Wanchu looked at him nervously.
He took out a package from his bosom and grabbed a handful of incense chips and threw them into the incense burner.
Soon, the smell of peonies overpowered the smell of jasmine.
This man...
Was so narrow - minded!
Just as Liang Yuzhou was about to climb out of the window, there was a knock on the door.
"Has the young lady fallen asleep? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence."
Liang Yuzhou's movement stopped. His black eyes were filled with anger.
Song Wanchu was stunned. The Crown Prince actually wanted to see her at night?