Chapter 142: I Won't Mind If You Take Another Primary Wife

Xiao Youlan stood tall and upright not far away, his hands loosely clasped behind his back, a smile playing on his lips as his gaze rested softly on Nan Xueyin.

At this moment, the daylight was dim, there was not a breath of wind in the surroundings, and the moonlight poured down like water.

Yet Nan Xueyin felt that the moonlight could not compare to the tenderness of his gaze, and her heartbeat skipped a beat uncontrollably because of it.

"Why have you stopped kicking?" Xiao Youlan asked with a smile.

Hearing his voice, Nan Xueyin's attention finally recovered somewhat from his handsome appearance.

The father and daughter of the Jiang Family bowed respectfully to Xiao Youlan from behind, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Nan Xueyin pursed her lips, not knowing what to say, and simply tossed the shuttlecock toward him.

Xiao Youlan raised an eyebrow, lifted his robe with one hand, and steadily caught the shuttlecock with his right foot.

Nan Xueyin tilted her head.

Xiao Youlan began to kick the shuttlecock, each movement very steady.

Nan Xueyin revealed an expression of surprise; she had not expected the Crown Prince to actually know how to play this.

After kicking it for four or five times in succession, Xiao Youlan exerted force with his toe and tossed the shuttlecock back to Nan Xueyin.

A smile appeared at the corners of Nan Xueyin's mouth as she caught it.

The two of them went back and forth, trading turns about seven or eight times.

Nan Xueyin was the first to stop, raising her hand to catch the shuttlecock.

"I'm tired."

She said.

This was the first time Xiao Youlan had heard the word "tired" from Nan Xueyin's lips; he chuckled, "Shall we head back then?"

Nan Xueyin gave a hum, turned around, walked two steps to Jiang Lian'er, and handed the shuttlecock back to her.

For some reason, Jiang Lian'er's cheeks were actually a bit flushed, and the look she gave her and Xiao Youlan could even be described as... benevolent? Her smile was practically an auntie's smile.

Nan Xueyin suspected she had seen wrong.

She glanced at Jiang Lian'er a couple more times before turning to walk to Xiao Youlan's side.

The two walked side by side in the night for a stretch.

Xiao Youlan suddenly took hold of Nan Xueyin's hand.

Nan Xueyin was stunned for a moment and turned her head to look at him.

Xiao Youlan squeezed her hand, "Did you have fun?"

"…I did," Nan Xueyin asked, "You know how to play shuttlecock too?"

"When I was little, my mother would play with me."

"Empress Rouyi played shuttlecock too?" Nan Xueyin was a bit surprised; she had always thought these imperial relatives and nobles would disdain such small games.

Xiao Mingyu certainly wouldn't; in the past, when Nan Xueyin and Wu Zhui were playing very happily, Xiao Mingyu would come over and confiscate the shuttlecock, saying with a gloomy face: Stop playing such low-class things in the future!

"She did, and she was very good at it; even the Emperor couldn't beat her."

Speaking of Empress Rouyi, Xiao Youlan's expression was incredibly soft, and he glanced at Nan Xueyin, "If my mother were to see you, she would surely like you very much."

Nan Xueyin was slightly taken aback and turned her gaze away.

Xiao Youlan noticed that her mood was off, "What's wrong?"

Nan Xueyin wanted to say that even if your mother were still alive, she might not necessarily like me, because my background is poor, and I am still an assassin for the Duan Prince.

She also wanted to say that, furthermore, your mother is no longer here, and neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager likes me.

But in the end, she said nothing at all.

Xiao Youlan did not press her for an answer at this moment.

Back in the room, after closing the door, Xiao Youlan unfastened Nan Xueyin's collar and went to kiss her earlobe.

He kissed her until Nan Xueyin was moved, and she closed her eyes.

Xiao Youlan suddenly stopped, bracing his arms on either side of her head, and looked down into her eyes, "Little Xue, is there something you are very worried about?"

Nan Xueyin shook her head, feigning calmness, "Nothing at all."

Xiao Youlan's palm slowly wandered downward, "Are you really not going to tell me the truth?"

Nan Xueyin gritted her teeth, her cheeks burning incredibly hot.

She felt as if she had been skewered on an iron rod and was being roasted over a fire.

That feeling was truly agonizing.

"Others are one thing, but why are you unwilling to tell even me? You can tell me anything. I also want to know your thoughts..."

At the same time, Xiao Youlan continued to coax her softly in her ear.

Nan Xueyin's psychological defenses were finally broken, and she caught Xiao Youlan's arm, breathing rapidly.

"Don't..."

Xiao Youlan looked at her with composure and encouraged her, "Then just say it, it's alright."

Nan Xueyin took a deep breath, her voice still somewhat hoarse, "I feel that you and I are impossible."

Xiao Youlan was stunned for a moment.

"You probably don't know my background," Nan Xueyin said, "Before I killed people for the Duan Prince, I was an orphan. My hometown suffered a disaster, my parents both died, and I was the only one left. My home was originally in Qingzhou, and after my parents died, I drifted to the border between Qingzhou and Lianzhou. When I was about to starve to death, the Duan Prince gave me a pancake and took me back."

Xiao Youlan furrowed his brows.

"Whether it is my past as a peasant girl or my current identity as an assassin, I am worlds apart from you, the Crown Prince. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager will never accept me. Even your mother, if she were still in this world, would not agree to me marrying you and becoming your Crown Princess."

"So that is what you are worried about." Xiao Youlan sighed very lightly.

Nan Xueyin gave a hum, staring at his face, her expression becoming more serious, "Xiao Youlan, you are very good to me; you are different from Xiao Mingyu. I feel that if you are the Crown Prince and you become the Emperor in the future, the lives of the common people will be much better. Therefore."

"Therefore?"

Nan Xueyin continued: "Therefore, although I cannot marry you, I will continue to stay by your side. After I take the Gu Poison Antidote from the Duan Prince Mansion, I will remain in the Eastern Palace. If you are willing, you can give me the status of a palace maid, or I can be a personal guard. I can disguise myself and pretend to be a man. With my protection, you can secure your position in the Eastern Palace from now on, and you can secure the throne in the future. If you wish, I can also fight in the south and north for you, conquer cities and seize land, and expand your territory."

Ever since that day, after hearing those words from Xiao Qingling at Jiaoyuan, Nan Xueyin had been thinking about these matters.

She gradually understood a great deal, and she had also made up her mind.

Every sentence and every word she spoke at this moment was sincere and genuine.

It was not only because she had clarified her own feelings and knew that she liked Xiao Youlan, but also because she knew Xiao Youlan was upright and honest, and would certainly be a wise monarch.

The world needed such a good emperor.

Nan Xueyin took a deep breath, "Of course, you like me, and I like you. I think... we can still kiss and do intimate things; I don't mind. Once you marry a Crown Princess of equal social standing, the intimacy between us can end. I won't go before her and speak of these things; I will certainly strive to keep these secrets. I won't mind you taking another wife; for the sake of power, it doesn't matter if you marry several more women... Mmph."

Before she could finish her sentence, Nan Xueyin's mouth was suddenly covered by Xiao Youlan's hand.

He rarely displayed such an angry expression, staring fiercely into her eyes, "What do you mean you don't mind me taking another wife? What do you mean it doesn't matter if I marry several more women?"

"Nan Xueyin, are you being a bit too generous? Hmm?"