Su Xi-er’s expression changed when she heard Pei Qianhao’s order. He asked me to take a stroll with him before he took advantage of me. What does he mean now that he’s issuing the same order? Su Xi-er was naturally unwilling to go.
The two imperial guards at the side urged her softly, “Don’t defy Prince Hao; quickly catch up.”
Su Xi-er looked at the guards’ anxious expressions before turning to the still walking Pei Qianhao. She ended up following, but remained three or four steps behind.
After exiting the posthouse, Su Xi-er realised that there wasn’t a horse carriage and asked, “Prince Hao, where are you going? Are we not riding a horse carriage?”
“Cyan Wind Pavilion.”
His low tone triggered a thought in Su Xi-er. Why does he want to go to Cyan Wind Pavilion all of a sudden? And yet, Pei Qianhao was already answering the question in her mind with his next sentence. “This Prince is going to sample their Beimin cuisine to see how it compares to the original.”
It takes about an hour to reach Cyan Wind Pavilion by foot from the posthouse. With Pei Qianhao’s appearance and charisma, I’m afraid that him making a public appearance would…
The result was more or less the same as what Su Xi-er had expected. People stopped dead in the tracks on the street, with even the hawkers pausing what they were doing as their gazes fell on Pei Qianhao.
It was as if his aura attracted everyone’s gaze to him, no matter where he went. Nobody could even spare the time to look at the peerless beauty, Su Xi-er, who was behind him.
The hawkers found the man before them familiar, but couldn’t put a name to the face. The powerful and frigid aura that he exuded had many of them holding their breath as they stared.
Pei Qianhao, long used to this type of attention, continued forward without breaking his stride. However…
“Catch up.” Pei Qianhao halted and shot a glance at Su Xi-er, signalling her to follow by his side.
This action made the people understand that this woman was no mere maidservant. The woman walking beside a man could only be his official wife, otherwise, a woman would have to remain two or three meters behind him.
When Pei Qianhao and Su xi-er walked into the distance, the people on the streets started to engage in fervent discussion, collectively complimenting the couple.
“That man and woman are so compatible. The man is so handsome, and the woman beautiful. Judging from their clothes, they must be of prominent backgrounds.”
“Sigh, how would men from prominent backgrounds have only one wife? They would have a side wife, a concubine, and a room concubine servant; at least three other women.”
The people in the crowd agreed after some thought, thinking that the two that had just passed by were too out of reach for them to be envious of. It’s still better to live my life peacefully.
In the distance, Pei Qianhao looked at Su Xi-er and asked, “How’s the injury on your arm, is it better now?”
“Prince Hao, you have already personally checked on it in the room.”
Pei Qianhao could hear the discontent in her words and let out a low chuckle. “The Lingrui flower powder is truly potent. This Prince will apply it for you again later.”
“Prince Hao, you can bestow it to this servant to apply it myself.”
“No, the Lingrui flower powder is precious, and so this Prince must apply it for you.” Pei Qianhao’s lips then raised into a teasing smile as he said, “It’s fine if you want to return to the Palace Side Quarters. This Prince will wait for you to let go of the burdens in your heart before taking you into the Prince Hao Residence.”
“This servant is not going to the Prince Hao Residence,” Su Xi-er rejected firmly.
Pei Qianhao’s eyes darkened. “Su Xi-er, you have grown courageous, haven’t you?” He halted his steps, his voice tinged with threat.
“This servant has already made myself clear: I will enter the Prince Hao Residence as Princess Consort Hao, but not as anything else.” This time, Su Xi-er simply repeated what she had said before bluntly, leaving no room for discussion.
Pei Qianhao stared at her carefully and finally requested in a low voice, “If that’s the case, then give your body and your heart to this Prince in advance.”
Su Xi-er stared back at Pei Qianhao for a long while. “Then, Prince Hao, what about your heart?”
