Chapter 97: Volume 1, Chapter 97: Consummation

No one had ever told her "you are worth it"—people only told her this was what she ought to do, this was what she must do.

Succeeding was your duty; failing was your dereliction.

Rong Luoge had to admit that in this moment she was truly moved. And really—what could you demand of eternal love? In the modern world, people married and still divorced; weren't there plenty of married men keeping mistresses on the side?

Even under laws that explicitly mandated monogamy, people still couldn't manage it—let alone in this era where taking concubines was perfectly legal.

Setting aside the future, for now she and Han Xinglan could be considered mutually affectionate. If the day ever came that he changed his heart, the worst of it would be her flicking her sleeves and walking away.

Since you can't predict the future, of course you seize the moment and enjoy yourself.

Han Xinglan watched Rong Luoge—her face flushed like a lotus blossom, yet she still hadn't answered after a long pause. Rarely did ever-steady he show a flicker of anxiousness. "There is a beauty, and my heart yearns for her. Luoge, this is only human nature. I once thought I could stand aloof like a towering cliff, free of desire and therefore unshakable—but because of you, all of that changed. I don't want to someday look back and sigh that I failed to keep you, that even if we met again we'd be as strangers."

Rong Luoge: ……

Unable to hold back, she laughed out loud.

Han Xinglan, seeing her smile as radiant as a flower, charming and lovely, couldn't help but reach out and gently brush aside the loose strands of hair at her forehead, then leaned in to kiss her. His kiss was gentle and restrained—a light touch, and then he withdrew.

Rong Luoge tried very hard to keep herself from blushing, but this was something she truly couldn't control. Once her heart was moved, it was like floodwaters bursting a dam or a wild beast breaking from its cage.

Rong Luoge reached up and hooked her arms around Han Xinglan's neck. His body stiffened slightly. Between her brows and eyes there seemed to be a gathered light; her cloud-dark hair was like ink soaked into it, and her jade-white skin glowed with a lustrous sheen. Her figure was supple and graceful, looking so delicate she seemed barely able to bear her garments—as if with the slightest force he could pin her captive in his palm……

Perhaps because his gaze could not conceal the desire within, he watched as the corners of Rong Luoge's eyes and her face became suffused with a crimson flush, her red agate earrings swaying gently against her milky-white neck, as if issuing a silent invitation.

A beauty with a captivating smile, vibrant yet alluringly gorgeous—like a soul-stealing enchantress, she stamped a fierce imprint upon his eyes and his heart.

Rong Luoge gazed at Han Xinglan's eyes—tender and immersed, yet carrying a hint of aggression—and the amusement in her own eyes only deepened.

She had always been a straightforward personality: if she wanted something, she went and did it. So she applied a slight pressure with her wrist, making Han Xinglan dip his head, while she rose on her toes and kissed him directly on the lips.

Rong Luoge's initiative was like unlocking the cage that held the beast inside Han Xinglan. Once he placed her into the bed curtains, she could not retreat a single step further.

The long night seemed endless. From within the gauzy thin curtains came faint sounds of soft weeping from time to time, and as the bed curtains swayed gently, in the end nothing more could be heard.

Outside the bedchamber, Rong Xin and Que Cai were too excited to sleep. They had finally waited for this day. They'd always said—with a beauty like the Good Lady, how could His Highness keep playing the chaste saint?

Now everything was fine. The Good Lady had received his favor; once she gave birth to the Imperial Eldest Grandson in the future, her position would be truly as unshakable as Mount Tai.

Rong Luoge, of course, had no idea what the maids were thinking. All through the night she felt she needed to reassess Han Xinglan's stamina—he looked so refined and frail, so how could he have such endurance?

At first light, sensing movement beside her, Rong Luoge opened her eyes to see Han Xinglan reaching over to the small table beside the bed to fetch his clothes and dress.

Tsk—even if he was the unattainably lofty Crown Prince, he still ate, drank, and relieved himself like anyone else.

Han Xinglan heard soft laughter from behind him. As he pulled on his inner garment, he turned and saw Rong Luoge sitting up wrapped in the quilt, her long black hair cascading down her jade shoulders—only now, on those snow-white shoulders, scattered red marks stood out vividly, strikingly eye-catching.

Han Xinglan took a deep breath and pulled the quilt up a little higher, his voice slightly hoarse. "Don't tempt me this early in the morning."

Rong Luoge felt so unjustly accused—she hadn't said a word! He was clearly the one who'd been moved by her looks!

Rong Luoge still gnashed her teeth in anger when she recalled last night's events. Now her eyes darted with mischief as she deliberately threw herself into Han Xinglan's arms, tilting her head slightly. On her rosy face, faint red traces still lingered at the corners of her eyes; her dark eyes glistened with unspoken words as she gazed at him with a look brimming with affection.

She was already strikingly beautiful to begin with; such looks paired with such a pose made Han Xinglan feel his heart pounding fiercely, beat after beat.

Before this, Rong Luoge had only ever regarded him with a mind for cooperation. Even when the two of them lay in the same bed, she had been perfectly proper, never once overstepping the slightest boundary.

It was as if a lofty celestial maiden had suddenly transformed into a bewitching fox. Han Xinglan subconsciously held his breath, his hand clenching into a fist, fingernails pressing into his palm. The faint pain brought him back to his senses.

If he didn't have to attend morning court, he certainly wouldn't have let her off so easily.

He reached out and lightly tapped Rong Luoge on the forehead, then immediately dropped the curtain and walked out of the bedchamber without looking back.

If he didn't leave now, he wouldn't be able to.

Rong Luoge watched his slightly awkward gait and laughed with light-hearted delight.

Han Xinglan listened to her laughter, feeling both helpless and sweet. So it was true—having someone living in your heart really did change everything. Your joys, angers, sorrows, and delights all seemed to be gently tethered by a single thread she held.

Rong Luoge's entire body ached, and she had no desire to rise early at all. She simply lay back down and went back to sleep.

She truly hadn't expected Han Xinglan to be a first-timer. Given his status, even if he had no concubines by his side, by palace custom, when he came of age, the Empress's side would have sent someone to instruct him in the matters of intimacy.

In her past life she had never married either; her duties had been too heavy, leaving no time for romance. At least the two of them were evenly matched—the thought alone was hilarious.

This feeling was hard to describe—like opening a blind box. Who knew her luck would be this good, unboxing an original-edition Crown Prince.

His body and heart bore no imprints left by anyone else, and she was the first. So even if His Highness the Crown Prince was a bit lacking in technique the first time, and then took rather long afterward to prove his prowess, she was perfectly willing to keep him company.

This kind of pleasant surprise, she felt, could happen more often—life would be far more interesting that way.

It was just that last night she'd been too busy enjoying herself to remember the matter of Dadongshan Si at all. She'd have to wait for the Crown Prince to return before asking.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Shi An followed behind His Highness. His Highness was in excellent spirits this morning, a faint smile lingering at the corners of his lips. Recalling the sounds from Changxin Palace last night, Shi An was happy too.

He had always thought His Highness intended to play the gentleman—remaining unmoved by a beauty like Good Lady Rong. He'd even worried his master might truly have some hidden affliction.

Now everything was fine. He just hoped the little master of the Dong Gong would arrive soon. As long as Good Lady Rong gave birth to the Imperial Eldest Grandson, whether it was Consort Ming or Prince Qi, let's see them try to keep prancing about.