Chapter 238 -

Chapter 238: Chapter

Yueqing leaned back on her bed, a small, fond smile on her lips as she watched the kids. She had just returned from the Su manor, and her body felt tired, but her heart was full.

On the rug near her bed, eight-year-old Anran and seven-year-old Mingyu were busy playing. They sat surrounded by small bowls of paint, their hands stained with red, blue, and yellow. Anran painted a dragon on paper, while little Mingyu smeared yellow paint next to it, laughing softly.

"Look, Sister-in-law Yueqing!" Mingyu said, holding up his messy paper. "It’s a sun! Just like you!"

Yueqing laughed gently. "It’s pretty, Mingyu. But be careful not to get paint on your clothes, or Mother will be upset."

Before the boy could answer, the wooden door opened.

Wenzhe walked in. The tired look on his face disappeared the moment he saw them, replaced by instant warmth.

"Big Brother!"

Anran and Mingyu dropped their brushes and ran across the room to him.

Wenzhe knelt down and caught them both in a warm hug, kissing each of their foreheads.

"Have you two been good for your sister-in-law?" Wenzhe asked warmly.

"Yes! We painted dragons and suns!" Anran said proudly.

Yueqing watched them from the bed, relaxing as a warm feeling filled her chest. Seeing the tough general act so soft with his young siblings always made her happy.

Wenzhe patted their shoulders and stood up. He signaled the maids at the door. "Alright, kids. Head back to your rooms now. Let the maids wash the paint off your hands."

The maids stepped in, picked up the paint bowls, and led the kids out.

"Bye, Big Brother! Bye, Sister-in-law!" Mingyu called out, waving his dirty hand as the door closed.

Now that they were alone, Wenzhe took off his heavy cloak and threw it on a chair. He walked slowly toward the bed, his dark eyes locked on Yueqing.

Before she could ask about his ride with Duke Xi, Wenzhe reached down and scooped her up into his arms.

"Hey! Put me down, I’m not a kid!" Yueqing pouted, her cheeks turning pink as she grabbed his broad shoulders.

Instead of setting her down, Wenzhe pulled her closer and kissed her cheek.

"You slept at your manor last night," Wenzhe whispered near her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "Do you know how much I missed you?"

Yueqing sighed softly, her small protest disappearing as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It was only one night, Wenzhe."

"One night is too long," he whispered back, carrying her to the window seat bathed in golden sunlight. He sat down and kept her right on his lap, refusing to let her go.

Yueqing rolled her eyes and smacked his chest hard. Wenzhe winced with a dramatic groan, letting his arms loosen just enough for her to wriggle free. She quickly scrambled off his lap and moved to a chair a safe distance away, giving him a suspicious look. She didn’t trust those hands of his, they had a habit of wandering.

Smoothing down her robes, she asked, "How was your ride with your father?"

Wenzhe raised an eyebrow. "How did you know I went on a ride with the Duke?"

"I asked around, and the maids said you did," Yueqing replied smoothly. In truth, her system had informed her about it, but he certainly didn’t need to know that.

Wenzhe nodded, his tone growing serious. "I tried my best to convince him. He has his own plans, but he won’t stand by and let the Empress win."

Yueqing nodded in understanding. "My father agreed to help, too. He’s going to use his influence over the court ministers to secure the food supplies and support the Third Prince from within."

A small, genuine smile touched Wenzhe’s lips. "I really like my father-in-law, you know."

Yueqing laughed softly, but as she looked at him, her expression slowly shifted. The gravity of their situation weighed heavy on her mind, and her inner thoughts began to race.

[What if everything doesn’t work out? What if the Empress actually wins? Wenzhe will suffer for it, and the Third Prince could get killed. The entire Xi family will fall, and my own family will go down right alongside them for helping Xiao Chen... So many terrible things could happen.]

Hearing her chaotic thoughts loud and clear, Wenzhe stood up from the window seat. He walked over to her slowly, bending down until he was at eye level. His fingers gently stroked her hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

"Everything is going to be fine, Yueqing," he said softly, his deep voice grounded and steady. "I will make sure the Empress doesn’t win. Nothing bad is going to happen to you or our families. I promise."

Yueqing pouted, staring at him in utter disbelief.

[This idiot... Did I ever even say I was worried out loud? He’s always doing this, saying the exact right words at the right time, almost like he’s reading my mind!]

Wenzhe held back a smile as her inner voice grumbled. Without giving her a chance to react, he scooped her back up into his arms in a smooth bridal carry.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Yueqing gasped, her hands flying to his neck. "Listen to me, today is your sisters’ banquet! It starts this evening, and I still need to go help prepare things! Let me down!"

Wenzhe carried her straight to the bed, placing her down onto the soft mattress with gentle care. He leaned over her, shaking his head.

"No, you won’t," Wenzhe whispered, his dark eyes locking onto hers with soft insistence. "Leave the banquet preparations to my mother and sisters. They have more than enough hands to handle it. Right now, you are mine."

He leaned over her, his lips finding hers in a deep, desperate kiss that cut off whatever protest she was about to make. Yueqing placed her hands flat against his broad chest, pushing against him with all the force she could muster.

"Wenzhe... wait," she mumbled against his mouth, struggling to keep her head clear.

Wenzhe didn’t pull away completely. Instead, his kisses trailed down from her lips to the side of her jaw, slowly tracing a path down to the sensitive skin of her neck. He pressed a warm, lingering kiss right beneath her ear, his breath hot and ragged against her skin.

A soft gasp escaped Yueqing’s lips, all the strength instantly leaving her arms. Her hands stopped pushing and instead tangled into his hair, holding him close as a quiet sigh slipped from her throat.

"You’re completely impossible..." she whispered breathlessly, her eyes fluttering shut as she completely gave up trying to fight him

Meanwhile, in her own bedchamber, Qianqian sat frozen in front of her vanity mirror.

Two young maids were busy helping her get ready for the grand evening banquet, carefully combing her long black hair and pinning delicate floral ornaments into her updo. Behind her, lounge comfortably on the wide bed, were Gu Yue and Lanyin. The two girls were chatting and laughing nonstop, gossiping about which young noblemen were attending the banquet tonight and what shoes matched their silk dresses.

Qianqian didn’t hear a single word they were saying. She was completely lost in her own mind.

Last night’s wild events kept playing on a loop behind her eyes. She had done some extremely shameless things with Dong Yi in his quarters. If he hadn’t pulled back when he did, grabbed his self-control, and firmly sent her back to her own room, who knew how far it would have gone?

Ahhh! Qianqian screamed internally, burying her face in her hands.

Just thinking about the feeling of his warm, bare skin, his chest heaving under her hands, and the shocking size of him made her face explode into a fiery, dark red blush. Her ears burned so hot she thought they might catch fire.

"Qianqian?" Lanyin stopped talking mid-sentence and squinted at her sister from the bed. "Why is your face turning as red as a chili pepper? Are you running a fever?"

Gu Yue giggled, leaning forward to inspect Qianqian’s flushed face in the mirror. "Or maybe she’s just daydreaming about a handsome young master coming to the banquet tonight! Look at her, she’s practically melting!"

"I am not!" Qianqian gasped, snapping her hands away from her face and trying to look innocent. "It’s... it’s just really hot in here! The maids put too many coal burners in the room!"

The maids looked at each other in confusion, considering the room was perfectly cool, but they wisely kept their mouths shut.

Qianqian bit her lower lip, turning back toward the mirror. Her heart was still fluttering like a trapped bird. She stroked the small, wooden medicine box hidden inside her sleeve, the one she had picked up from Dong Yi’s bed before leaving and a secret, happy smile crept onto her face despite her absolute embarrassment.

"Whether he likes it or not.. he’s gonna end up with me." She whispered to herself.