"You still are not speaking," Sheng Li said, kissing her earlobe.
"Sheng Li, our father will come anytime here. Do you want our father to see us like this?" Ying Lili tilted her head slightly.
Sheng Li rested his chin on Ying Lili's shoulder. "Father will not come. He has gone for some work with the Prime Minister. Now, tell me what is bothering you? Do not make me wait," Sheng Li asserted.
"Leave me first," Ying Lili was still adamant. This time Sheng Li gave up. Earlier Ying Lili used to tell him immediately, but this time, she did not. He loosened his grip from Ying Lili's waist and she hit his stomach with her elbow.
"Ouch," Sheng Li passed a low scream and placed his hand on his stomach. By then, Ying Lili had run away from there. "Lili," Sheng Li called out her name and ran after her. As Sheng Li came out of the chamber, he did not see her there. "She left me alone here!" Sheng Li murmured. "I will punish you, Lili," he grinned.
Ying Lili looked behind to check whether or not Sheng Li was behind her. Seeing no one behind her, she heaved a sigh when she got hit against someone. "Ahh," she turned and saw the First Prince there.
"First Brother," she murmured and bowed.
Jian Guozhi looked around and asked Ying Lili, whom she was running from. "No one," Ying Lili immediately replied as she lifted her eyes.
Jian Guozhi looked into Ying Lili's eyes and smiled. "Crown Princess, there is something I want to tell you." Ying Lili curiously peered at him. "Crown Princess, if you will ever need any kind of help in a situation that you think you will not be able to escape from then you can tell me without hesitation," Jian Guozhi stated.
Ying Lili knitted her brows but then she did not ask the First Prince as she was still thinking about escaping Sheng Li's question. "Okay, First Brother. I shall take my leave," Ying Lili said. Jian Guozhi bowed, giving a tiny smile to the Crown Princess, and got aside thus, giving way to her to go ahead.
Ying Lili soon reached her chamber. She was delighted that Sheng Li would not meet her till the evening and by that time she would think of something else because she did not want to tell him about the prediction.
Court Lady Xu and other maidservants bowed upon seeing the Crown Princess there. "Your highness, some lessons are there which you will need before the consummation," Court Lady Xu politely said.
"I will take a little rest first, Court Lady Xu," Ying Lili said.
"Yes, your highness," Court Lady Xu replied. The doors were opened for her and she entered the chamber. Getting inside, she removed her shoes and the heavy overcoat she was wearing. She moved her head left and right; stretched her arms out. "Today was a tiring day," she murmured as she looked up at the wooden ceiling.
She then looked straight and put away the beaded curtains when her eyes fell on Sheng Li who was on the bed. His right hand was supporting his head in the air while both his legs were stretched out. Ying Lili found he was in his thin clothes and his naked chest was slightly visible from it.
"Has my wife finished checking me out?!" Sheng Li asked. Right now, his voice was something different.
"W-what are you doing here?" Ying Lili asked, showing him that she was not bothered by his sudden presence there. She placed the overcoat on the chaise and sat on it.
"You left me alone in that hallway. So, I thought about coming here," Sheng Li replied.
Ying Lili twitched her lips up. 'Why is he showing his chest, then? Shameless!' Ying Lili bored her gaze at Sheng Li who was smiling.
"I was feeling hot, so I removed the extra heavy clothing from my body. Someone made me run after her. I know you love seeing me like this. I did not even show you how shameless I can become," Sheng Li explained, and smirked.
Ying Lili's eyes slightly grew bigger. 'How did he hear me?" Ying Lili wondered, but kept her face calm.
"Don't you have work to do? Earlier you used to be busy all day. Are you escaping from your work? This is bad," Ying Lili tried sending Sheng Li away from her chamber.
"Fortunately, Wildcat, I completed all my day's work. Why are you sulking when you should be happy that your husband is here with you? Come here," Sheng Li motioned his hand in the air.
"No, I feel good here," Ying Lili stated as she rested her elbow on the pillow on the chaise lounge and brought her legs up.
"Come here else I will come there," Sheng Li in a firm tone voiced but Ying Lili ignored him at laid on the chaise, closing her eyes. A few seconds later, she was carried up by Sheng Li in his arms. "Put me down. I have almost fallen asleep," Ying Lili lied.
"Wildcat, you shall not lie to me. You should not have left me there and should not have defied me a few seconds ago. Now, be ready for punishment," Sheng Li said as he placed her gently on the mattress. Before Ying Lili could go to the other side, he caged her between his arms and locked her legs as well to stop her from moving.
Ying Lili gulped, seeing the closeness between them. Sheng Li stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I heard something from the Court Lady Xu," Sheng Li asserted.
Ying Lili tightly shut her eyes as she forgot to tell Court Lady Xu not to tell Sheng Li about the predictions as it could worry him. She opened her eyes as she felt Sheng Li's lips against hers. He was kissing her, so Ying Lili responded to him. Sheng Li pulled back and caressed Ying Lili's cheek from the back of his palm.
"You do not need to be worried about that. The Royal Astrologer exaggerated his predictions," Sheng Li pronounced.
"Hmm… the Astrologer said that there is," Sheng Li placed his index finger on Ying Lili's lips thus, stopping her from speaking. "You do not need to tell. I know he has given the date of consummation for us. You will be given some lessons regarding that. That's why you are tense," Sheng Li affirmed.
"Court Lady Xu has not told him about the prediction!" Ying Lili was happy.
Sheng Li saw the smile on her lips. "Why are you smiling suddenly?" Sheng Li asked.
Ying Lili brought out her thoughts. "Nothing," she replied. "I am not worried about consummation. Why would I be tense about that? I mean there is a little nervousness which I think every woman feels. I am just a little tired," Ying Lili asserted. Sheng Li studied her eyes for a few seconds because he felt as if Ying Lili was still hiding something from him. So, he decided to find out on his own.
Sheng Li laid beside her and wrapped his arm around her belly. "Get some sleep then," he said and from the other hand pulled the curtain down.
"You are a great husband, Sheng Li. I love you," Ying Lili thought in her mind and closed her eyes.
