Chapter Three: Cloud Congeals

  Zi Ruoye sat quietly in the carriage, sipping slowly, but her eyes were not careless and lazy. Her eyes were like a calm sea surface, if someone saw Zi Ruoye like this, they might not recognize her.

  "Master Wang, we've arrived at Penglai Pavilion." The young servant said in a low voice. At this time, Penglai Pavilion had not yet opened for business. Zi Ruoye jumped down from the carriage and looked up at the signboard above Penglai Pavilion's entrance. It had been a year, perhaps it was time to let Yun Cong leave this place.

  The old procuress rubbed her sleepy eyes, about to scold a few words, but seeing that the visitor was Zi Ruoye, she quickly changed her face and smiled fawningly, "Your Highness, you've come so early today. Please come in, please come in." Although he was an incompetent prince, he was still her gold master after all, and just last year alone, she had received many rewards from him.

  "Is Yun Cong awake?" Isn't he still sleeping?

  "Yun Xiaozi might still be resting, but you, Wangye, yesterday were..." She pulled up her handkerchief to cover her mouth and chuckled softly, gazing at Zi Ye with a flirtatious look.

  "It's probably because I was tired yesterday, I'll go take a look." In response to the brothel owner's gleaming eyes, Zi Ruoye returned with an ambiguous gaze and walked directly up to the second floor towards Yun Cong's room.

  The matchmaker looked at the back of Ziyue Ye, although it was said that Wang Ye had a good color, but this year except for Yun Cong, no one else was seen beside Wang Ye. Maybe it's also the blessing of that child. After all, there are few beauties who can gain favor for a whole year.

  He rubbed his sore eyes and went back to sleep for a while, as he still had things to attend to at night.

  Zi Ruoye walked into the room and heard the noise inside, with a warm smile in her eyes, apparently she was awake. She lightly knocked on the door, "Yun Cong? May I come in?" After waiting for half a day without any movement, she pushed open the door in confusion.

  Yun Cong's room was in the most secluded corner, which was specially arranged by Zi Ruoye. When others asked her why she made such an arrangement, she wrapped her arms around Yun Cong's slender waist and said, "I don't want anyone to hear Cong'er's voice." This was the only time Zi Ruoye had ever used such a close term of endearment for Yun Cong.

  Yun Cong opened his eyes shortly after Zi Ruoye got up, but in fact he had been sleeping very lightly. He should have gotten up early to serve Zi Ruoye with washing and dressing, but every time he was refused by Zi Ruoye with a smile. After waking up and sitting stupidly for a while, he called someone to bring him bath water. This was his habit since he was taken in by Zi Ruoye. Even though he was still intact, in order to give people the illusion that they had a good time every night, he would take a bath every morning, even if Zi Ruoye didn't ask him to do so.

  She closed the door, took off her powdered clothes. Although only fifteen years old, she had a slender figure, skin as smooth as jade, and long black hair that fell to her ankles. The red mole below her navel seemed to proclaim to the world that Yun Cong, who should have offered her body on the night of her coming-of-age ceremony, was still a virgin.

  But here, the innocent vermilion seems to be the most eye-catching color. Every morning when he takes a bath, he has to tell him again that he hasn't been wanted... Is this good or bad? Swallowing the slight bitterness in his heart, he enters the warm water and gently rubs his body.

  The king... must be in the imperial court right now, thinking of Zi Ruoye standing impatiently on the imperial court, he couldn't help but chuckle. What kind of woman is this, who bought him but didn't touch him, yet slept with him every night? Even... thinking back to the day she discovered his icy hands and feet after their wedding, she personally massaged them for him. A man's feet shouldn't be seen by just anyone, even if he had entered the pleasure quarters, he was still shy about it.

  Every time Wang Ye focused on massaging him, he would stare blankly for a long time. Which woman would squat at the foot of a man and massage his toes? But it was also because she treated him like this, but didn't want him. This sweet and bitter taste repeatedly tortured him. Perhaps lost in thought, Yun Cong had not heard Zi Ruoye calling out to him.

  Zi Ruoye walked in just to find Yun Cong bathing, her head submerged in the water with a loud splash, her long hair floating up and down in the water, playfully sticking to Yun Cong's jade-like body. Due to the hot water, her small face was flushed with a faint pink hue. She quickly turned around and walked to the other side of the screen.

  "Cough! Yun Ning!" Looking at him like this, he must have been soaking in the water for a long time. If he continues to soak, he will catch a cold.

  Hearing the sound, Yun Cong finally came back to his senses, frightened and pale. "Who!"

  "Yun Ning, it's me. Hurry up and put on your clothes or you'll catch a cold." Hearing his panicked voice, Zi Ruoye couldn't help but laugh at how belatedly aware he was; if some bad people really did come in, what would they do then?

  "Your Highness, it's you. Why have you come so early today?" Yun Cong's face slowly regained its color after hearing Zi Ruoye's voice, as she usually only came to Penglai Pavilion after dinner. Now that she had arrived so early, he was momentarily taken aback for a moment. The breeze carried in a slightly cool breath, and Yun Cong suddenly realized he was still bathing, his small face turning bright red like magic.

  "Ah... I'm coming out." He hastily got out of the bathtub, hurriedly putting on his clothes. Normally calm and composed in the face of situations, he was flustered today. The more anxious he became, the worse things seemed to get.

  "Don't worry, take your time." Hearing the big commotion from behind the screen, Ziyue Ye comforted this little rabbit-like creature, and after a while, Yun Cong finally came out from behind the screen.

  "Your Highness, but have you had some tea and refreshments?" Cloud Condensation, who had just finished bathing, was wearing a pink dress. Zi Ruo Ye thought that the pink dress really suited Cloud Condensation. A pair of phoenix eyes, which were clearly extremely seductive, yet on Cloud Condensation's face seemed to make people feel charming but not showy, alluring but not common. The peach blossoms were delicate and their beauty was radiant.

  "Come on, sit down," he said, taking a towel and gently helping Yun Cong dry his hair. "Everyone says that not drying your hair will catch a cold, why don't you ever do it?"

  Yun Cong sat quietly in the chair, only his slightly flushed cheeks revealing his little emotions. Every time he deliberately didn't dry his long hair, and after a year, he already knew her temperament, this warmth that belonged only to him.

  "I remember. It won't happen again." Zi Ruoye knew that Zhi Yun Cong was just saying it, but next time would still be the same, with wet hair as usual.

  "Why did he come so early today...?" Was it on purpose to see him? Wanting to ask, but afraid that Wang Ye would think himself too much, a sentence was said halfway but couldn't be continued.

  "Early this morning, I, a idle prince, had nothing to do and came to find my beauty." Zi Ruoye bent down and met Yun Cong's gaze, who indeed blushed with a red face.

  "Thanks for your concern, Your Highness." Although she always teased him like this, every time she said something like that, her heart couldn't help but feel a little sweet.

  "Clouds have gathered, it's been a year since that day, hasn't it?" Zi Ruoye sat down beside him, took out her own small wine bottle, and smiled at him after taking a light sip.

  This year has been really tough on him. If it weren't for her, perhaps Yun Cong would have met a good person to redeem himself and lived a comfortable life. If she were to tell Yun Cong that she would take him back to the Wang Manor, if she were to wait until he met the one he loved, would she be willing to let him go with a grand wedding?

  Yun Cong was left speechless by the words "Zi Ruoye", wondering if the king wanted to leave him. Thinking that he was just a prostitute, although still intact and pure in body, it seemed that the king must have been disdainful of his body, which was why he had never touched him. His face suddenly turned pale, and he quickly knelt down, tears falling uncontrollably as he struggled to suppress his emotions, but his voice still trembled with fear. "Your Majesty, don't abandon me, did I do something to displease you? I'll go and accept my punishment right away, please don't abandon me." Yun Cong didn't know what to say, his heart was in turmoil, he just hoped that the person in front of him wouldn't really leave him, he didn't ask for much, just hoping to be by her side.

  Zi Ruoye was thinking about how to bring up the topic with Yun Ning, when she saw Yun Ning suddenly kneel down. She quickly pulled her up, "Yun Ning, I didn't say I don't want you, I just thought that this year has been hard on you..."

  The words were not finished, and Yun Ning was interrupted. Her small hands tightly grasped her sleeves, her small body as if it would fall down with just one blow of the wind. "Don't be sad, don't be sad, I only beg the king to not abandon me." His body, his person, his heart were all left for the king alone, if the king did not want him, then where should he go?

  Zi Ruoye gently hugged him, speaking in the softest voice, "Don't say slave anymore, I don't want to abandon you, I just want to ask if you want to go to my palace. This year has already achieved the effect I wanted, and I'm not at ease with you staying here for too long." She had heard that some guests would occasionally harbor malicious intentions towards Yun Cong, and she didn't want such a delicate and transparent person to fall in this way amidst the worldly dust.