Chapter Eleven: Take One Step at a Time

  "You're just a mess, yet you're trying to appreciate plum blossoms like a refined scholar? Don't you think you're insulting the plum blossoms?" Liu Qingyou stepped forward, his eyes showing a hint of disdain. The figure in the plum forest earlier was definitely him when he hadn't woken up properly that morning.

  "I was thinking, this flower is now blooming just right, it's perfect for making wine. You know, there isn't much good wine left in the mansion." She gazed at the plum blossoms with sparkling eyes, as if they would turn into rich and fragrant plum blossom wine the next second, and she swallowed her saliva quietly to herself.

  He's indeed a drunkard!

  "Wine! It's sold everywhere! Even the Prime Minister's mansion has several jars of good wine." He furrowed his brow, still unable to understand how she could be so enchanted by that pungent and unbearable liquor as if it were an ambrosial drink.

  "Is there good wine at the Prime Minister's residence?" It was as if she had suddenly changed into a different person, and upon hearing that there was good wine, Zi Ruoye looked at Liu Qingyuan with expectant eyes, making Liu Qingyuan feel uneasy.

  "You... what are you looking at me like that for?" Being stared at made him uncomfortable, Liu Qingyou flashed his eyes and felt slightly displeased. Suddenly remembering the purpose of his visit today, he lowered his voice and asked softly, "Was what you said last night true?" He had been tossing and turning all night, and even he thought it was an impossible task.

  Zi Ruoye giggled and rubbed her hands together, looking like a street urchin. Even her posture was slightly bent, "Liu Qingyou, let's make a deal, if it succeeds, I don't want anything else, can you get me a good wine from the Prime Minister's mansion?" Her infinite infatuation with wine covered up the clarity in the depths of her eyes, making Zi Ruoye look very street-smart.

  Isn't a woman's waist the most noble? Unless it's the emperor or her parents, she wouldn't bow down even halfway. Looking at her nodding and bowing to him for just one jar of wine made him very displeased. He thought to himself that this person might be like this all his life, and hummed carelessly, "Are you sure you only want one jar of wine?"

  Zi Ruoye hastily nodded, almost thanking him, "Not much, not much, just a good wine will do." The stored wine in the Prime Minister's mansion, thinking about it made his mouth water. As if afraid that Liu Qingyou would regret it, "What I said will definitely be done, and there is still half a month left. As long as you remember my wine, everything else doesn't need to be your concern."

  In his words, a self-confidence that even Liu Qingyu had never seen before flowed out, and his eyes shone with layer upon layer of faint light, but in an instant, they were again filled with the thin mist of wine.

  "If you really can let me..." Thinking of that elegant and refreshing person, he slightly blushed, "Don't mention one jar, I'll get 500 jars for you."

  "In that case, I'll take my leave. Although it's early in the morning, women can be quite impulsive at this hour. I need to hurry back and pamper my little Yun Cong properly. I won't see you off." With an impatient and urgent tone, Zi Ruoye smiled ambiguously and walked halfway before turning around, "So for the next few days, just stay obediently in the Prime Minister's residence. After a few days, I'll come visit, and this play still needs to be performed thoroughly." Having said that, she ignored Liu Qingyou and left the plum forest alone, leaving Liu Qingyou standing alone in the plum forest filled with blooming plum blossoms.

  She... just left like that?

  Liu Qing's eyes widened as he watched Zi Ruoye leave alone, and even his footsteps seemed to quicken, carrying the cool breeze that blew against his face with a hint of chill.

  She just said...... Women in the morning......

  She's indeed a promiscuous woman! She summoned the servant in a huff and had him escort her out of the courtyard. Hadn't she just been urging herself to hurry up and leave, so as not to delay her appointment with her lover, and also warning herself not to come looking for her again?

  Hmph! If he didn't want to confirm it, this prince wouldn't have come even if invited! How is it that every time he sees her, he feels as if there's a stone stuck in his throat, feeling very uncomfortable!

  It wasn't until Liu Qingyou's carriage slowly disappeared from view that the servants of the Wang estate began to quietly discuss among themselves.

  "That was Wang Fu just now..." He really is a ladies' man, in just a few days, he's already met two beauties.

  "But I heard that Wang Fu is already twenty now...... Isn't it......" The words reached the tip of his tongue and he swallowed them, looked around, and then whispered to the person next to him, "Is he ill?"

  If it weren't for this, why would such a stunning beauty still be waiting in the boudoir at the age of twenty? Or is it because of this that she was married off to the prince, and twenty is already considered old for men who have been married off at thirteen or fourteen.

  "It's possible... My father was 15 when he had me." Another servant nodded in slight agreement, and with the current king's reputation, how could there be such a stunning person marrying down?

  "Be diligent in your work, don't be careless!" The stern words of the housekeeper startled the two servants, who hastily apologized and retreated to continue with their tasks.

  This housekeeper seems to be everywhere, and now that I've spoken in a low voice, I hope she didn't hear me, or my salary will be deducted.

  Zi Ruoye sat in the study, she didn't go to find Yun Ning, guessing that he might still be sleeping. Every time she helped him with a massage, he would get up later the next day. She casually picked up a book in the study and flipped through it.

  Without even reading a page, my eyebrows would furrow slightly, as the classical text was full of obscure and difficult vocabulary. It wasn't something that could be understood in just a moment or two. After reading a few pages, I would always give up, sighing as I put down the book, and sit blankly on the rocking chair.

  Recalling the promise with Liu Qingyou, it's as if the temples are throbbing with pain. The words have reached such a state of fullness, but she doesn't know what to do about it. An imperial decree for marriage would be easy to handle; just obtain an imperial edict and the matter would be settled. However, this love affair requires mutual consent, which is probably a bit difficult.

  What kind of person is Li Yu, anyway? Every time Liu Qingyu mentions this person, it's always with a hint of shyness, and occasionally, when provoked, he becomes so flustered that his ears turn red. It seems he really likes Li Yu. Rumor has it that at twenty, he was still waiting for the one who had not yet married, and that everything would have to wait until General Li returns to the capital.

  The rocking chair gently sways back and forth, even the air is serene in the early morning. Drowsiness slowly creeps in, perhaps I woke up a bit too early today, with nothing to do, I might as well take a nap first.

  Yun Cong woke up to find that Zi Ruoye had already left, and after touching the slightly cool bed, it seemed that she had woken up very early. He couldn't help but feel annoyed with himself, as every time King Wang massaged him, he would sleep without knowing the time, even when King Wang got up, he didn't notice, so he quickly got dressed and washed up.

  "Do you know where the king has gone?" He walked through the courtyard, but did not see the figure of Ziyue. He had only been to the Wangfu for a few days and was still unfamiliar with the roads of the immature Wangfu. He quietly asked a passing servant beside him.

  "The king is in the study at the moment, Cloud Condensation Public Son is coming with me." The little servant smiled lightly, it seems that this public son is very close to the king, but he has a slight envy in his heart.

  "Thank you." Following Xiao Shi's footsteps to the study, he thanked him again and walked up to the door of the study, gently knocking on it.

  "Prince Wang, I am Yun Ning." After a moment, a soft and even breathing sound came from inside the door. A gentle smile, and the door was pushed open to reveal Zi Ruoye leaning against the recliner, sleeping very soundly.

  She lay on the chaise lounge, her white silk robe wrinkled from her movements. He found that Wang Ye was as delicate as a man could be, but he couldn't help but rush to see this sleeping face that only he could see. How would Wang Ye know that every time she fell asleep, he would secretly open his eyes and gaze at her intently?

  Gently walking over, stretching out slender fingers, the fingertips delicately caressed Ziyue's cheek, her eyes filled with loving affection and gentle warmth, as her fingers slid to Ziyue's lips, the tips touched something soft yet made him slightly lose his composure.

  "Ah!" A faint pain was transmitted from the tip of his finger, and when he looked over, he found that Zi Ruoye had bitten her lip and was lightly biting her own fingertips, looking at him with a playful expression. The scene looked... rather ambiguous.

  Zi Ruoye had already discovered it the moment he came in, but she wanted to see what Yun Ning would do. Only when she felt the heat transmitted through her fingertips on her face did she realize that this kid was actually eating his own tofu, although... In a matriarchal society, only women eat men's tofu.

  Quickly withdrawing his hand, Yun Chen stuttered and covered up, "Your Highness, you're awake." Flustered, he hid his hand behind his back, his ears reddening once again.

  "I wouldn't have woken up if I hadn't seen the beauty in front of me with a flirtatious look, tsk... it's really worth abandoning Zhou Gong for. " Zi Ruoye's eyes sparkled with amusement as she raised an eyebrow and gazed at Yun Cong."

  "Prince, you're teasing Yunying again." The voice grew softer and softer, almost like the buzzing of mosquitoes. At this moment, Yunying wished she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into, but her heart was filled with a sweet feeling like honey.

  No status, no relationship... as long as I can be by her side. The warmth from the tips of my fingers seems to be the most scorching moment in time, transmitted to his heart, making it tremble along with hers.

  Digression

  Collect...