C12 Chapter 11

Cai Ruolan yawned and opened her eyes, she turned her face to the other side of the bed. And what!

She sprang up from the bed as if something had stung her, what was the crown prince doing here in the room and also on the bed?

She watched as he slept calmly, she just found out that his eyeslashes were extremely long, his hair fell on his back while a few strands fell on his face.

Seeing him on the bed made her angry the more.

Who shares a bed with a lady? She wondered rolling her eyes. She already told him that she wanted another room the previous night, but he skipped the topic by taking off her veil for her.

Cai Ruolan also remembered that she was sleeping on a red colored couch just near the window the previous night, don’t tell her this cunning person carried her to the bed.

She looked at him with gritted teeth and in irritation, wondering why he never died just like the two men back at Zhangqian.

She saw him opening his eyes, he smiled as he saw her.

“I never knew you were awake” he spoke as he moved the few strands of hair away from his forehead.

“Good morning your….”

“Xie Yuxuan” he interrupted her before she could finish. He noticed how she looked discomfortable. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like your first night at Huexiang?” he asked her with concern, he already sat on the bed.

Cai Ruolan of course never had any problem with Huexiang, neither could she admit that she liked or disliked her first night there, it was normal just like her every other nights at Zhangqian, the only problem was seeing the prince on her bed.

“I wanted another r…”

“Why? This is our chambers, you can’t sleep far away from me you know. Couples are meant to stay with each other, even when they’re asleep” he stated as he stretched his arms.

Cai Ruolan scoffed, she hated his explanation. She also couldn’t understand why she hated whatever he said to her.

“We could change that!” she snapped as she walked towards the dresser to take off her earrings.

“No we won’t!” he replied roughly.

Cai Ruolan watched as Xie Yuxuan’s servants heated water for their bathe while he sat on a chair nearing the window. She could imagine how strenuous the job was, because nanny Eumeh had done that almost every day.

They would have to get water from the well which was located at the back of the palace, heat it up, before bringing it upstairs to their chambers boiling hot.

When the servants were done heating the water. A short guard bowed to the crown prince.

“It’s all ready your majesty” he bowed.

Xie Yuxuan only nodded, the servant left.

Cai Ruolan looked away, she wouldn’t want to see him undressing, she quite knew how well built his body would be. She carried a piece of jewelry from the dresser and examined it.

“You can take a look if you want little wife. I’m your husband now, and we’ve both sworn to be with each other forever. Or have you forgotten?” his calm yet bold voice sent chills down her spine.

Cai Ruolan was speechless, she knew not what to say to the prince.

She didn’t know when she turned to look at him. She thought that if his skin was made out of crystals then she would hug him, but if he got a normal white skin like every other people around, then he wasn’t handsome.

And he got a normal, smooth, white skin just like her father’s and crown prince Cai Daoming. So according to Cai Ruolan, it was nothing special.

But she dare not say such a word to him.

He entered the bathroom, Cai Ruolan instantly drew open one of the chest of drawers and reached out for the cream colored bag.

Cai Ruolan sat on the bed as she untied the bag, the first thing she took out was the transparent box which she had kept a strand of her nanny’s hair. Cai Ruolan took out the one strand of hair, she knew that the single strand might probably not smell like how it used to when it was with other strands.

Wang Eumeh’s hair always scents in rose oil, and so does Cai Ruolan’s hair.

She tried not to cry, she kept the hair back inside the box then closed it.

She reached out for the small pot where she had fetched a handful of nanny Eumeh’s ashes, this time tears were falling freely from her eyes.

Lastly, the old book whose cover had became tattered. Cai Ruolan noticed that the first five pages of the book were very soft and might tear away soon if not handled with care.

Cai Ruolan couldn’t believe the fact that this extremely large book contained all what happened in Wang Eumeh’s forty two years of living.

Well it’s obvious that she can’t start keeping a diary on the day she was born, Wang Eumeh started keeping a diary at the age of ten.

Cai Ruolan wanted to start reading the first page of the book when the bathroom door opened.

She closed the book and threw it inside the drawer.

“What is that?” he asked as he cleaned his face with a white piece of clothe.

“It’s.. Nothing” she stuttered.

Cai Ruolan’s maid servants entered the room, they were five young girls all dressed in violet colored hanfu.

“Good morning your majesties”

Cai Ruolan smiled warmly at them, the girl’s had done a tiring job the previous night by taking off her heavy jewelries and hairpins.

“Good morning”

She sat down facing the dresser while two maids took off her silver earrings and necklace.

The three other girls turned the hot water into the wooden tub, they got all the soaps and oils ready.

Cai Ruolan was shy, she wouldn’t want any maid girls to undress her. She also noticed that the crown prince had left the room and was now seating at the balcony.

Cai Ruolan stepped her right foot into the bathtub, it felt very warm and cool.

Three maid girls mixed two scenting oils together and applied it on her hair.

“You have a very long hair your majesty” they smiled.

“Thank you”

* * * *

Cai Ruolan looked extremely stunning in her cyan colored hanfu, her long hair was decorated with expensive white hairpins, on her neck were beautiful white necklaces and on her ears were the same white earrings.

She thanked her servant girls for making her look very glamorous.

Xie Yuxuan admired her, he felt that she was different from other girls he had met, such a kindhearted person.

He was also wearing a cyan colored robe, his silver phoenix crown fixed on his lengthy hair. He walked towards her.

“You look very beautiful my princess” he praised.

Cai Ruolan blushed to her neck, why must he always tell her this?

“Thank you y..”

“It’s Xie Yuxuan” he playfully pinched her cheeks, he grabbed her right hand.

“Come on let’s go, the family is waiting”

Cai Ruolan remembered that she was to have breakfast with the emperor and empress, she would also have to tell them about herself.