C16 Chapter 15

Xie Peizhi showed Cai Ruolan the servant’s quarters, palace hall, the field and even the second garden which was more larger and beautiful than the one they had tea.

After a long walk around the palace, Cai Ruolan looked tired and weary, but she couldn’t complain to Xie Peizhi who was still showing her more things and explaining how they worked, Xie Peizhi looked very energetic which made Cai Ruolan wonder that perhaps Xie Peizhi would only stop this tour when it’s night.

As they both climbed the stairs of the palace weapon room, Cai Ruolan began to pant heavily.

“Cai Ruolan! Oh my goodness! You never told me you were tired. How can you be so silly? And you actually made me taking you around and talking at the same time” Xie Peizhi spoke in surprise. “Come, let me take you to your husband” she added in a small smile.

“No thank you very much. I really enjoyed everything you showed me” Cai Ruolan preferred to seat and rest in the staircase than to return to her chambers to sleep on the cozy bed.

Xie Peizhi sat down with her and sighed deeply. “I should have asked a maid servant to bring tanghulu for us” she said in regrets.

Xie Peizhi would always talk, she loved discussion to the extent that she starts reading books aloud if they was no one to talk to.

Cai Ruolan had kept her a good company. You would have wonder why she wasn’t married yet?

Xie Peizhi felt that marriage wasn’t good for her. The prime minister, generals and dukes daughters were all married off to men when they were seventeen years old.

But Xie Peizhi didn’t want to get married, let alone getting married on any prince or men of powers.

Though her father had tried giving her out to men after her first hairpin ceremony, but Xie Peizhi had cried and pleaded him not to.

She had been the topic of discussion among the entire folks of Huexiang.

‘Isn’t the princess quite weird to you?’

She had performed her second hairpin ceremony since she came to life and wouldn’t let it get to the third before she get married to someone.

She felt like talking to Cai Ruolan. “Brother’s wife, why do like been so gentle?”

Cai Ruolan smiled when she answered. “I was raised alone”

“Oh I’m sorry for asking that question, I never remembered that you mentioned it a few hours ago” Xie Peizhi laughed.

“It’s afternoon, let’s go. You can take a bathe because that’s what I always do once it’s noon before having lunch”

Cai Ruolan nodded, Xie Peizhi was right anyways. Their body was covered in sweats as though as they just finished fighting with each other.

Xie Peizhi led the way back to the main palace.

“I’ll see you later brother’s wife. And please don’t forget to find a good name for the vixen”

“Yes, thank you very much for today” Cai Ruolan said in gratitude.

She entered her room, thinking of meeting the crown prince but she never did.

She sighed in relief, now she could bathe, and start reading Wang Eumeh’s diary.

There was a knock on the door. Cai Ruolan wondered who it was, she walked towards the door and opened it where she saw two maid servant girls standing.

“Good afternoon your majesty, we’re here to help you for your bathe” they bowed.

“Oh please you don’t have to bow, I can do everything myself, there’s still water in the room. Thank you very much” she smiled hoping they’ll leave.

Maid servants tend to take long time when dressing her up, and she would like to start reading the diary so that she could finish reading it as soon as possible.

“Your majesty, we’re going to help you change your hairpins, we’ll change your hanfu. Besides, his majesty chose just two of us as your personal maid servants” the first girl said

What his majesty?

Better not be the crown prince.

Cai Ruolan let them in and waited impatiently for them to get the water heated.

She soon stepped in the bathtub and washed away the sweat off her body and hair.

When she was done, her maid servants dressed her up in a pretty yellow hanfu with a few flower ornaments. Cai Ruolan liked it, it wasn’t heavier like the one she wore in the morning.

They styled her hair in a simple bun without any hairpins which made her more excited. No swaying stuffs as she walked.

Cai Ruolan thanked them when they were done and asked for their names.

“I’m Lu Daxia” replied the first one in smiles.

“And I’m Fu Yimin” added the other in a bow.

“Wonderful names, thank you both very much” Cai Ruolan beamed.

They bowed before taking their leave.

Cai Ruolan sighed. ‘Finally, I could start’

She opened the drawer and took out the book. It was just like how she left it. She thought the crown prince had seen it since he saw her hiding it in the morning.

Cai Ruolan hasn’t even read a single page when the door opened. This time, it wasn’t any maid servants but the crown prince.

Cai Ruolan wanted to return the book, but it was too late. He already saw her.

He walked towards her in a smile. Cai Ruolan’s heart kept missing a beat as he walked over.

“Little beautiful wife, what’re you reading?” he sat next to her on the couch.

Cai Ruolan liked the way he scents, ‘Hmm just like…. Wait what!’

“Nothing” she closed the book.

Xie Yuxuan chuckled and pinched her soft cheek. “Why are you hiding it?” he asked her.

“Because I don’t want you to see it” Cai Ruolan blurted out before closing her mouth with her hands.

Xie Yuxuan laughed out loud like he never did before, which made Cai Ruolan wonder if he had seen the book

“You’re just too cute little wife” he changed the topic. “Wait a second, I’m going to take a shower. Then I’ll give you something. Just wait”

Saying that, he dashed into the bathroom with his robes on. Cai Ruolan shrugged and continued reading, there was no use to keep on hiding it since he had caught her reading it.

‘Nanny Eumeh was actually separated from her grandma and father, that’s why she was brought to our kingdom.’ She read. She wondered why nanny Eumeh never told her all these.

Just a single revelation from the diary and Cai Ruolan knew that there was more.

She shook in fear when the crown prince came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a thin white fabric. Water were dripping off his face and hair.

Cai Ruolan never bothered to look back, she just continued reading and pretended not to see him.

“Wife, why are you just engrossed in this old book?” he asked as he cleaned his face and body with a white clothe.

Cai Ruolan never gave a reply, she only closed the book and lowered her head.

Xie Yuxuan walked up to her holding his robes.

Cai Ruolan was quite surprised, what was he doing?

“Wife, you’ll have to dress me up” he told her.

Cai Ruolan looked at him in shock.

‘What in the world? Who does that?’

She tried to sound more polite. “I’m sorry your majesty but I can’t”

She would have if he was a female just like Xie Peizhi for example, who had touched and played with her hair.

He sat beside her in the table, and grabbed her right wrist, looking straight into her eyes, the water dripping off his hair fell on her face. “Do you know I’m your husband?” he asked her.

Cai Ruolan tried to freed her hand from his grip. Of course she knew that.

“B…. But you’re a male” she answered hoping he leaves her.

“Yes, that’s why I want you to wear my clothes for me” he retorted still holding her wrist.

Cai Ruolan was quiet.

He let go of her hand then stood up. “What am I even saying? You can’t dress your own self, not to talk of your husband”

Cai Ruolan never took an eye from the book to see how he wore his robes.

But when he was done, he came to her with a beautiful well designed red package.

“It’s for you. I think mother and Peizhi would give you theirs soon”

Cai Ruolan didn’t collect the gift from him, she had met numerous gifts on every nook and cranny of the room, but she never picked one.

Xie Yuxuan was annoyed as he looked at her.

“Why are you just too coy? If you continue this way, how are we going to consummate our marriage?” he asked.

Cai Ruolan looked up at him in confusion.

‘Consummate?’

That word was far beyond her vocabulary.