Volume 1, Chapter 37: The True Heiress Is a Mastermind
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An Qianqian could not help but smile. “That wish would be the same whether you told me or not. After all, whether you and I can grow old together is up to me.”
“Mm. My Crown Princess has the final say.” Si Chengnian pulled An Qianqian into his arms and nuzzled against her.
“Qianqian, we are finally together.”
“Mm.”
“I am so happy.”
“Mm.”
“From now on, I will have only you.”
“Mm.”
The red candles flickered, bathing the room in a festive glow tinged with an intimate allure.
Si Chengnian held An Qianqian for a long while before finally letting her go.
An Qianqian raised a hand, intending to remove the heavy phoenix crown from her head, but Si Chengnian immediately reached out and caught her wrist.
“Don’t move. I’ll do it.”
Her ink-black hair tumbled down like a waterfall, lending a touch of softness to An Qianqian’s already cool and delicate features.
Si Chengnian’s gaze clung to her of its own accord. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and every word that followed became lodged in his throat.
He wanted to say, “You look beautiful today,” but that seemed too ordinary.
He wanted to say, “With me here from now on, no one will dare bully you,” but he feared she would find it overly formal.
The words churned restlessly within him, yet in the end, he managed only, “Would you like… some tea? The Imperial Kitchen has just sent up some fresh Dragon Well tea. I had someone keep it warm…”
Before he could finish, a sudden force seized his wrist.
Si Chengnian let out a startled cry as his entire body was pulled backward. The back of his head struck the bed.
When he looked up, An Qianqian was already leaning over him.
The wide sleeves of her ceremonial robe slipped down, revealing an arm as pale and smooth as jade. She braced one hand beside his ear while the other still held his wrist. Her grip was not heavy, yet it carried an irresistible authority.
“Si Chengnian, what are you nervous about?”
Her breath brushed his cheek, sweet with the nuptial wine, while her eyes remained as calm as ever.
Si Chengnian’s face instantly flushed scarlet, the color spreading from his cheeks all the way to his ears.
His heart raced, and even his voice became tangled. “I… I’m not…”
“You’re not?”
An Qianqian lowered her head until the tips of their noses were almost touching, a sly smile curling at the corners of her lips.
Before Si Chengnian could react, she suddenly kissed him.
“Wow, Master Host is actually this bold? Can I really watch this without buying a membership?”
“Lock it in the black room.”
…
The candlelight trembled softly against the bed curtains, stretching the intertwined shadows of the two figures into a long silhouette.
The candle gave a sharp pop. Light and shadow swayed within the curtains until dawn.
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The following day.
An Qianqian slept until noon.
When she woke, Si Chengnian was holding her, with no intention whatsoever of getting up.
“Qianqian, you’re awake?”
An Qianqian blinked. The instant her awareness returned, the first thing she caught was the faint scent of ambergris incense lingering on him—a familiar fragrance she knew well.
“If you’re awake, you’re not allowed to go back to sleep.”
She reached out to push him away, her palm pressing against his warm chest.
Si Chengnian took her hand and drew her closer, wrapping her even more tightly in his arms. “Lie here a little longer. Mother said we only need to let her know in advance whenever we wake up.”
His voice still carried the huskiness of sleep, brushing lightly across her ear like a feather. “Besides, the physicians said we may rest during the first three days of our marriage.”
An Qianqian raised a brow. “The Crown Prince is allowed to rest too?”
“I am the Crown Prince. I make the rules.”
He chuckled and rubbed his nose against the crown of her head. “Besides, keeping the bride company is more important.”
Sunlight slanted through the carved lattice windows beyond the curtains, casting dappled shadows across the brocade quilt.
Still enclosed in his arms, An Qianqian shifted and discovered that her leg was draped over his waist. The intimacy of their position made the tips of her ears burn.
“Let go. I want to get up.”
She struggled, but he only held her more tightly.
“No.”
Like a shameless child, Si Chengnian buried his face in the hollow of her neck. His breath brushed her skin, raising a shiver. “Yesterday exhausted you. Let me hold you for a while.”
His hair was slightly disheveled, and several loose strands tickled her chin.
An Qianqian lifted a hand to brush his hair away, but he caught her fingertip between his lips. The warmth of the sensation spread from the pad of her finger, and she hurriedly pulled her hand back.
“Si Chengnian!”
She glared at him, though there was no real anger in her eyes. Instead, they seemed to shimmer faintly with moisture.
“Hmm?”
He looked up at her, amusement gleaming in his eyes.
“Qianqian, you’re blushing.”
An Qianqian turned her face away, refusing to look at him, but she felt his fingertips gently trace her cheek, following the line of her jaw before coming to rest at the corner of her lips.
His touch was light and careful, filled with tender reverence. Her heart inexplicably began to beat several times faster.
“If we don’t get up, lunch will be cold,” she said stiffly, attempting to change the subject.
“Then the Imperial Kitchen can make another meal.”
He remained unmoved. Instead, he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, as though she were a priceless treasure.
“Qianqian, it feels wonderful knowing I’ll be able to see you every morning from now on.”
The tips of An Qianqian’s ears turned completely red, but she did not argue again.
She could feel the arm around her waist tighten slightly, carrying a solid, reassuring warmth.
Beyond the curtains, Chuntang’s soft footsteps approached and stopped outside the door.
“Your Highness, Your Highness the Crown Princess, lunch is ready.”
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Si Chengnian called back, “I know. Wait a moment.”
He released An Qianqian, but just as she was about to rise, he suddenly swept her up into his arms.
An Qianqian cried out in surprise and instinctively hooked her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you out of bed.”
He smiled openly and strode steadily toward the dressing table.
“It is the bride’s first day. She ought to be cherished properly.”
The bronze mirror reflected the pair embracing: one with smiling eyes, the other with crimson ears. Beyond the curtains, the breeze stirred the bronze bells beneath the eaves. Amid their clear, tinkling notes lingered an indescribable, enchanting tenderness.
After that little commotion, the dishes on the table had to be replaced yet again.
Before setting out for the palace to pay their respects, Si Chengnian sent someone to inform the Empress. He then took An Qianqian with him to the Imperial Study.
The Emperor could no longer rise from his bed. He could not even sit up with assistance.
When Si Chengnian and An Qianqian arrived, he struggled for a long while, yet could not utter a single word.
The Empress sat beside him. She no longer tried to feed him medicine, but merely continued speaking of the deep affection between Si Chengnian and An Qianqian.
“Your Majesty, you may rest easy now. The young couple are very much in love. We can safely entrust the Flame Kingdom to them.”
The Empress picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the drool from the corner of the Emperor’s mouth. Her movements were so tender that she seemed to be caring for a fragile porcelain vessel.
She leaned close to the Emperor’s ear, her voice soft as though steeped in honey.
“Your Majesty, do you still remember? That white plum blossom you broke off for me in the Imperial Garden all those years ago? I kept it in a porcelain vase and could not bear to throw it away until the blossoms had withered. We, too, were once this affectionate.”
The Emperor’s eyes turned with difficulty. A faint glimmer seemed to surface in their cloudy depths.
Seeing this, the Empress’s smile grew even gentler.
She picked up the bowl of medicine beside her, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to his lips. Though she knew he could no longer swallow, she still coaxed him patiently.
“Just one sip, all right? Once you take your medicine, you’ll recover, and we can go to the summer palace to escape the heat just as we used to. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
A hoarse sound came from the Emperor’s throat, as though he were answering her—or merely struggling for breath.
The Empress’s eyes suddenly reddened, but she quickly pressed her handkerchief to the corners of them. Turning to smile at Si Chengnian and An Qianqian, she said, “Look at your father. He is still as stubborn as ever. He refuses to take his medicine properly.”
As she spoke, she tucked the quilt more securely around the Emperor. Her fingertips skimmed his sunken cheek. Her tone held a trace of affectionate reproach, yet beneath it trembled something almost imperceptible.
“When you recover, I’ll punish you by making you copy the Tao Te Ching a hundred times. Let’s see whether you dare refuse to take your medicine on time again.”
Sunlight filtered through the carved window and fell across her carefully painted brows and eyes. Not the slightest hint of falseness could be seen in her expression.
It was as though she were not the Empress who maneuvered step by step through the court, but merely an ordinary woman keeping vigil beside her gravely ill husband.
Once the medicine had been administered, An Qianqian and Si Chengnian offered tea in turn.
The Empress brought out a considerable number of precious heirlooms from her private collection. Any one of them was worth a fortune.
“Qianqian, these all belonged to your father’s private treasury. I am giving every one of them to you now, so you must take good care of them.”
An Qianqian suppressed the smile that threatened to lift the corners of her mouth and lowered her head in thanks.
After completing the formalities, the Empress left the Imperial Study with them.
She then sent Si Chengnian away, for the moment she wished only to speak with An Qianqian.
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