"What? Staying up so late. She sure has a lot of free time," he murmured, sounding like he was scolding.
But the upturned corners of his eyebrows clearly betrayed his delight.
The Crown Prince reached out his hand, and the maid presented the painting to him.
He gently ran his fingertips over the scroll before slowly unfurling it.
The night was thick, and the candlelight dim, but they couldn't obscure the resplendent beauty of the peach blossoms.
This painting was done in a free - hand style. Instead of painstakingly detailing each blossom, it captured their essence with bold strokes, the varying shades of pink blending into a sea of color that resembled the gorgeous clouds on the horizon.
It was as if an entire spring had walked into his chamber, bringing a splash of brightness to this magnificent yet cold palace.
The Crown Prince stared at it intently, reluctant to miss any detail.
He even held his breath, as if afraid that his presence would disrupt the blooming of these peach blossoms.
Xiao Anzi stole a glance at the Crown Prince's face. Goodness! The young and usually inscrutable ruler was beaming like never before.
If one didn't know better, they'd think his first - born son had just been born.
"Xiao Anzi, hang this up right away. It's time there was some warmth in my chamber," the Crown Prince said.
When Wan Chu's painting was taken down earlier, for a brief moment, his heart had felt empty.
His feelings for Wan Chu weren't just a passing fancy. He had truly loved her.
That painting, which had been a silent testament to his longing for six years, was suddenly gone. It was hard to adjust to the absence.
And Mian Mian's painting had come at just the right time, filling the void in his heart.
Now, he felt no trace of melancholy. His heart was brimming with joy and happiness.
After the painting was hung, his long fingers gently caressed the four characters "Tao Zhi Yao Yao" (The peach tree is lush and its blossoms are bright).
"Mian Mian understands my heart," he murmured.
She had grasped the hidden meaning of his words about the jade bracelet at the banquet.
She must surely understand his feelings for her.
Their marriage was neither a mere transaction nor a farce.
He wanted to love Mian Mian whole - heartedly and ensure that the magnificent landscapes in her paintings would endure for ages!
Xiao Anzi was also excited. "Congratulations, Your Highness. You've finally found your true soulmate."
The Crown Prince fell asleep with a sweet dream that night.
Meanwhile, Liang Yuzhou was so angry that he couldn't sleep. He went out to the courtyard and practiced swordsmanship for a while.
Inside the room, Song Wan Chu looked at the unrolled painting on the table and couldn't help but smile wryly.
Wasn't the Crown Prince always so solemn and reserved?
When did he become so playful?
Looking at the bright - eyed and smiling girl on horseback in the painting, her eyebrows twitched.
No wonder Liang Yuzhou was so angry he couldn't sleep.
The Crown Prince had painted her and hung the painting in his chamber for six years.
How could he not be furious?
But the girl in the painting was the love of his life. It wasn't appropriate to burn it.
In short, the painting couldn't be thrown away or destroyed, but it was an eyesore just sitting there.
Thankfully, the Crown Prince wasn't around. Otherwise, Liang Yuzhou would have beaten him, even if it meant risking the punishment of having his entire family executed.
In the courtyard, Liang Yuzhou was still leaping around, the sword in his hand leaving a blur of shadows.
The faster his movements, the angrier he was.
Song Wan Chu couldn't help but laugh. She shouted at his blurry figure, "Don't be angry. I've already figured out what to do with this painting."
Liang Yuzhou stopped, twirled the sword in a beautiful flourish, and sheathed it.
There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. The lantern light on the corridor cast shadows on his well - defined features, making his deep - set face look even more fierce.
"Lu Sihong did this on purpose. In the past, when we were enemies, I often taunted him. He's taking revenge on me this way," Liang Yuzhou said.
Song Wan Chu thought he looked a bit childish when he was angry.
"The fact that the Crown Prince returned the painting means he's truly let go, and it also means Mian Mian has truly captured his heart," she said.
Liang Yuzhou couldn't help but stare at the painting again.
"His painting skills are so poor. He only captured less than a third of your beauty," he said.
Song Wan Chu just gave a non - committal grunt.
Actually, the Crown Prince's painting skills were quite good, but Liang Yuzhou was already angry enough. Telling the truth now would only make him angrier.
"Let's give this painting to the old lady. When all the important matters in the capital are settled, we'll still go back to the south of the Yangtze River. We may never come back again in this lifetime. Leaving this painting with the old lady can be a keepsake for her," Song Wan Chu said.
Mentioning the old lady, Song Wan Chu felt a pang in her heart.
She was unfilial, and she was dragging Liang Yuzhou into being unfilial too.
"Okay, I'll listen to you," Liang Yuzhou said. His expression softened a bit. "My wife always thinks so carefully."
Song Wan Chu's mood gradually became heavy again.
A strong and gentle hand wrapped around her waist. Liang Yuzhou pulled her into his arms.
His lips brushed against her ear, sending a warm tingle through her body.
"No matter what, it's all my fault. If you're unhappy, scold me, but don't be sad alone," he said.
Song Wan Chu stopped thinking about those sad things. She tapped Liang Yuzhou's nose and said with a smile, "The Crown Prince got the better of you. How do you plan to get back at him?"
"My wife isn't really trying to help me. You're just trying to get information from me, afraid that I'll go too far, aren't you?"
The sudden look of委屈 on his cold and noble face was such a contrast that Song Wan Chu felt a bit dazed.
Was this still the ice - cold young master who was once as untouchable as the clear dew and the bright moon?
"Don't go too far," she said.
"Go too far? I just want to vent my anger, and my wife says I'm going too far?"
Liang Yuzhou looked even more aggrieved, like a poor puppy. "Right, in my wife's eyes, I've always been petty, calculating, and vindictive."
Song Wan Chu was a bit speechless. "Why are you being sarcastic with me?"
"I'm feeling sad, but my wife doesn't understand me," he said, tightening his arms around her waist. His obsidian - like eyes showed a hint of innocent and aggrieved puppy - like expression.
Song Wan Chu secretly laughed. She poked his nose with her finger.
She knew exactly what was on his mind.
She slowly lowered her head, gently rubbed her nose against his, and then moved down a bit to kiss his lips.
"Is this okay?" she asked.
Liang Yuzhou took the initiative, his big hand holding the back of her neck as he kissed her deeply and passionately.
"Not enough. I want more," he said.
The silk curtain fell, and the candlelight in Shuiyunju flickered all night long.
The next day, the Crown Prince woke up feeling smug.
Mian Mian understood his feelings.
Liang Yuzhou had suffered a setback at his hands.
In a good mood, he ate two more bowls of porridge for breakfast.
Suddenly, Bai Zhi walked in and bowed outside the beaded curtain.
"Why aren't you attending to the Crown Princess and come here so early in the morning?" the Crown Prince asked in surprise.
Bai Zhi hesitated. "The Crown Princess isn't sure about something and wants to ask for Your Highness's opinion."
A faint smile appeared on his cold face. "Mian Mian has something to ask me?"
It meant that Mian Mian truly cared about him. Whenever she had a problem, she thought of him first.
"Daoist Qingzhou heard that Your Highness gave the Crown Princess two pieces of peach gum and said he wanted one for Princess Yuening to nourish her body..." Bai Zhi finally said, frowning.
The warm smile on the Crown Prince's face vanished instantly.
His chest heaved up and down. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, "Very good, Liang Yuzhou. You've been waiting for me, haven't you?"
Peach gum in February was rare and precious. It wasn't appropriate for Mian Mian to make a decision on his gift without permission.
So the difficult choice fell on him, the giver.
If he gave it, it would mean half of his affection for Mian Mian was gone.
If he didn't, he'd be seen as stingy, not befitting his noble status.
Moreover, the request was made in the name of Princess Yuening.
Wan Chu was now his younger sister. Being generous to the Crown Princess but stingy to his sister would make him look like a biased elder brother if the news got out.
Liang Yuzhou was willing to sacrifice his dignity just to take revenge on him.
He was really determined to hurt the Crown Prince.
Bai Zhi felt the cold air around her starting to gather.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess is waiting for your reply. Should the peach gum be given or not?"