Chapter 66

Lou Xiyan turned back around; his face was still just as dark, but his tone was very gentle. He helped her lie down, tucked the quilt in for her, and said: "You sleep first, I will be back very soon."

Zhuo Qing nodded helplessly.

"Wait." Just as Lou Xiyan stood up, Zhuo Qing suddenly sat up straight and grabbed his hand, pulling him back down. Lou Xiyan was puzzled, but he sat down following the momentum.

Madam Yang straightened a flowerpot in her hands and smiled. "Yes. I like to plant some flowers and grass when I'm free."

Lou Xiyan let out a muffled groan and held the fragrant, soft, delicate body in his arms. A moment later, Zhuo Qing sat up straight, satisfied to see the few conspicuous hickeys she had kissed onto Lou Xiyan's neck. In a rather good mood, she let go of his hand, waved at Lou Xiyan, and said: "Alright, you can go now."

At first, he hadn't reacted, but seeing her crafty expression, Lou Xiyan had already guessed what she had done. Shaking his head with doting indulgence, Lou Xiyan walked out of Lanyue Lou.

This girl, he still had to attend court tomorrow!

Zhuo Qing slumped powerlessly on the bed, staring at the swaying light gauze curtains, feeling depressed. Her first attempt at seduction had actually failed! Although the main reason wasn't her, she could only blame her "lack of professional experience."

Next time, next time when she was fully prepared, she would definitely make him spray blood from his nose, even if the sky fell! Otherwise, it would be a disservice to Qing Ling's 34D figure!

Lou Xiyan did not head to Zhaixing Pavilion alone, but went together with the Imperial Physician. Arriving outside the door, he paid his respects: "This official pays respects to the Princess."

Upon hearing Lou Xiyan's voice, Yan Ruxuan, who had been lying on the bed shedding tears, immediately sat up and urged anxiously: "Brother Yan, come in quickly." He had really come, which meant he still cared about her!

A few candle stands were lit in the room, making the light somewhat dim. Lou Xiyan and the Imperial Physician walked into the room. Lou Xiyan only stood outside the screen and said to the Imperial Physician: "Take the Princess's pulse."

The Imperial Physician bowed to Lou Xiyan before entering the inner chamber.

Behind the light gauze curtains was a disappointed face; Brother Yan had not come in.

"Princess, this official will offend you."

Yan Ruxuan extended her hand expressionlessly. The Imperial Physician examined her for quite a while before slowly standing up.

Lou Xiyan asked from outside the screen: "How is it?"

The Imperial Physician retreated all the way to outside the screen before replying: "The Princess has insufficient blood and Qi, is troubled by excessive worry, and has stagnation in her heart, which is why she is plagued by nightmares. Prime Minister Lou need not worry; once this old official prescribes a few doses of medicine for the Princess to calm her mind and recuperate, her body will slowly recover."

"Go and decoct the medicine." Lou Xiyan finally felt a bit more at ease; seeing her frail appearance that morning, he had been worried for her too.

"Yes." The Imperial Physician retreated. In the room, besides the palace maid Xiao Lian, there was only him and Yan Ruxuan. Lou Xiyan bowed slightly outside the screen and said: "It is getting late, Princess should rest early, this official takes his leave."

Just as his voice fell, he heard a low cry: "Brother Yan, don't go!"

A plain white figure frantically pushed aside the curtains and, without even putting on shoes, stumbled as she ran toward him.

Her body was already weak, and with her heart in a panic, just as she was about to reach Lou Xiyan, Yan Ruxuan's feet went soft and she nearly fell. Lou Xiyan had no choice but to catch her arm to steady her body: "Princess, be careful!"

Once she stood steady, Lou Xiyan was about to withdraw his hand, but was tightly grabbed by Yan Ruxuan.

Her face, which was already small, was now so gaunt it was smaller than a palm, and her eyes were bloodshot from crying. Yan Ruxuan looked at him with deep affection, but unexpectedly discovered a few obvious red marks on his neck.

Yan Ruxuan's heart pained again. She knew these kinds of red marks; she had seen them on her sister-in-law and other concubines. At the time, she had pestered her sister-in-law to tell her, and after her sister-in-law finished, she had felt so shy. But her sister-in-law said these marks were left by men on women; why would Brother Yan have them on his neck? Thinking of the woman living with Brother Yan, Yan Ruxuan bit her lip unconsciously.

Taking a deep breath, Yan Ruxuan gathered her courage and said: "Xuan'er is really so scared, Brother Yan, stay and keep me company, alright?"

Yan Ruxuan grabbed his hand tightly, two lines of clear tears falling from her hazy eyes onto his wrist. With her frail body, he feared that if he used any force, she would fall to the ground. Lou Xiyan sighed softly: "Alright."

Upon hearing him agree, Yan Ruxuan was ecstatic, but soon, her leaping heart was frozen again by his next sentence.

"I will keep watch outside the door, and leave once you are asleep." His voice was still gentle, but the meaning he expressed was so cruel. The great joy and sorrow caused Yan Ruxuan's emotions to completely spiral out of control. Gripping his hand tightly, her fingernails digging deep into his flesh, Yan Ruxuan cried out: "Why won't you stay for me? Is it really that hard to keep you? Do you want to return to her side that much?!"

Lou Xiyan felt the pain and only frowned slightly, not pushing her away, and urged: "Princess..."

Who would have thought that just a form of address would provoke Yan Ruxuan again: "Don't call me Princess! When I was little, you always called me Xuan'er, why do you have to draw such a clear line between us now?!" He didn't know that every time he called her Princess, she felt he was drifting further away from her!

Gently but firmly moving her hand away, Lou Xiyan took a step back and replied in a deep voice: "The ruler is the ruler, the subject is the subject; this is the etiquette this official must observe." He was deliberately distancing himself precisely to avoid her having too many misunderstandings, but unfortunately, she could not understand his intentions.

"Lies! I have clearly heard you call Imperial Brother's name, why must you follow etiquette only with me?!" Lou Xiyan's distance and indifference finally caused Yan Ruxuan, whose mental state was already poor, to completely collapse: "I like you, do you really not feel it? Or do you feel it, yet still want to break my heart?"

In Yan Ruxuan's tear-stained eyes was nothing but madness. Lou Xiyan understood that whatever he said to her now, she wouldn't listen; she was merely venting the suppressed emotions in her heart.

"Speak!" Lou Xiyan's silence was originally intended not to provoke her further and let her calm down slowly, but unfortunately, the usually dignified and elegant Yan Ruxuan had long since fallen into her own world. In her eyes, Lou Xiyan's silence was impatience toward her. And at this moment, the glaring red marks on his neck were like fine needles, fiercely piercing her heart.

"Am I really not as good as her? What exactly is so good about her?! What she can give you, I can too!" Yan Ruxuan bit her red lips tightly, and before Lou Xiyan or Xiao Lian could react, her outer garment was pulled open by her and slid to the floor. The scenery that could be covered by the pink bodice was truly minimal, and her smooth shoulders and back shivered from being exposed to the air.

Lou Xiyan was shocked and quickly turned around, standing behind the screen. Looking at the palace maid who was still dazed, Lou Xiyan barked: "What are you still standing there for! Quickly help the Princess to the bed to rest."

Xiao Lian finally came to her senses, picked up the clothes from the floor, and draped them haphazardly over Yan Ruxuan, who had already cried into a tear-stained mess. How could the Princess be so muddled! She was a noble Princess; if this were to spread out and Prime Minister Lou remained determined not to marry her, her reputation would be completely ruined!

Lou Xiyan had never expected things to develop to this point. In his impression, Yan Ruxuan was dignified, quiet, polite, and shy; how could she do such a bold and outrageous thing!

"This official takes his leave." Lou Xiyan strode away; at this moment, it was absolutely inappropriate for him to stay in the room!

"Stop! If you walk out of this door today, you will definitely regret it!" Yan Ruxuan shouted. Lou Xiyan's reaction just now had deeply wounded her, and the sense of humiliation made her somewhat incoherent; she only knew that she would not let him leave!

Lou Xiyan's feet faltered, and he finally stopped, but his tall, slender back revealed a coldness that could not be ignored. He was angry! Yan Ruxuan panicked and was afraid. Sniffling, she wiped the tear stains from her face and said ingratiatingly: "Brother Yan, don't be angry with me, alright? As long as you are willing to stay, I will listen to you in everything."

"What good would staying do? I will not marry you." The indifferent voice replied flatly, and Yan Ruxuan's heart constricted once more.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the unbearable pain, Yan Ruxuan asked: "Why?" She didn't understand, was she that bad? Could her years of pursuit and admiration not move him in the slightest?!

Without waiting for Lou Xiyan to answer, Yan Ruxuan murmured as if to herself: "Marrying you has been my dream since I was little. The first time I saw you, you helped me retrieve the handkerchief my Second Brother snatched away. You were attentive, considerate, and gentle; from that moment on, I liked you. To make myself worthy of you, I didn't dare to slack off for a single day, all for the sake of one day becoming your wife. Why won't you look at me even once! Why..."

So that was it? Lou Xiyan sighed inwardly. If he had known the reason for her admiration earlier, perhaps it wouldn't have developed to this point today. Lou Xiyan replied in a low voice: "Actually, back then, I didn't intend to retrieve the handkerchief for you; it was because I had a dispute with the Second Prince the day before and couldn't stand his smug look, so I acted. For so many years, in my heart, you have been like a younger sister to me, just like Xiwu. I do not have romantic love for you."

Although the truth would cause her pain, if it could make her wake up, it was worth a try.

"Younger sister..." The first meeting that had accompanied her for ten years, and which could make her wake up laughing from happiness every time she recalled it in her dreams, was actually just a play he had put on to anger the Second Prince?!

Younger sister? Just a younger sister!

Hehehehe... Yan Ruxuan suddenly slumped to the floor, a faint, elusive smile on her face, while tears she could not control flowed from her eyes.

"Princess!" Xiao Lian hurriedly supported her shoulders, but could not support her weak body at all, and the two of them slumped together in a heap.

The despair and sorrow in Yan Ruxuan's eyes made Lou Xiyan's heart ache as well. He truly cherished her like a younger sister; that it would end like this today was perhaps more his fault for not having the heart to be ruthless sooner!

Not daring to step forward to support her at this moment, Lou Xiyan could only urge in a low voice: "Rest early; perhaps when you wake up tomorrow, you will discover that, in fact, you don't need me that much."

Saying "Take good care of the Princess" to Xiao Lian on the floor, Lou Xiyan stepped away.

The Princess in her arms was no longer crying; her cold body was shivering, and her eyes were terrifyingly hollow.

Xiao Lian knew best how much the Princess had done for him. She could be happy for days just because she had spoken a sentence to him or because of one of his smiles; she could practice the zither until her fingers were covered in blisters and practice calligraphy until her hands couldn't hold anything, all for his preferences. Today, he had hurt the Princess like this!

Xiao Lian glared at the direction Lou Xiyan left in, a flash of malice crossing her eyes. This man was cold-blooded and heartless; he was not worthy of the Princess at all. He deserved to die!

(End of chapter)