The First Prince nervously gestured for his servant to set the medicine onto the table. It was practically useless now since the Crown Princess was awake, but the tonic was still hot and could still provide her body with some important nutrients.
“Why don’t we sit down?” he offered.
Li Xueyue briefly nodded her head. She pointed towards the other side of the room, closed off by a bamboo screen. “The seats there are much more comfortable,” she stated.
The First Prince nodded. He directed his people to bring the medicine to the place she had suggested, before excusing his servants.
Li Xueyue did the same and excused her servants. Usually, the servants would be wary of leaving the Crown Princess all alone, but her husband was less than a few feet away. All she had to do was scream, and he would be up in no time, sword at hand, and ready to kill.
Additionally, this was the First Prince that they were talking about. He might’ve not won the throne, but he was still a respectable man in this country.
When everyone was out of the room, Li Xueyue approached the other side of the bamboo screen. She took a seat, without being mindful of the First Prince because quite frankly, she was still disgruntled by his actions.
Who in the right mind would sneak through the window just to sneak up on their younger sibling? Li Xueyue was certain that her own brothers would not do that, even Li Wenmin would scoff at the stupid idea.
“It was a mistake,” the First Prince instantly said when he took a seat at the far end on the opposite side.
He couldn’t help but warily look at her. She was still pale from the fever, her lips blue and purple. He was surprised she even had the energy to walk and chat, especially after going through such a tiring thing.
The First Prince thought Wuyi’s women were a lot weaker than this. It was common knowledge that women there were treated like porcelain dolls—docile, and breakable. Just a small illness like a minor fever could kill them since their bodies were not strong enough to handle the strain placed upon them.
Hanjian was a lot different, for it was the culture for the little girls to be trained in at least one kind of sport, whether it was simply horseback riding or dancing. This helped to strengthen their bodies.
“I didn’t know you slept in my brother’s room,” the First Prince added on. “I had intended to surprise him with the hopes of scaring him, since he never gets frightened by anything.”
The First Prince awkwardly looked at her. “But instead of him, I scared you. I deeply apologize.”
Li Xueyue cupped the warm bowl of medicine. The smell was horrendously bitter, her nose crinkled a bit. But this only speaks of the quality, for the more bitter the medicine was, the higher its concentration and quality. She didn’t really want to drink it, but wanted the bowl to heat up her cold fingers.
“I see,” was her only response.
“Y-you won’t tell him that it’s me, right?” the First Prince nervously whispered, lowering his voice to the extent that she barely heard it.
Li Xueyue observed him. She was beginning to see Yu Shisheng was a lot more timid than his younger brother. She supposed that was why the Emperor did not choose him to be the Crown Prince. He had the friendliness of a leader, but not the presence and aura of one.
“What would you give me if I don’t?” she sweetly asked.
For a split second there, Yu Shisheng was nearly distracted by her voice. It sounded gentle and meek, which completely undermined her lethal prowess.
“What do you mean, sister-in-law?” the First Prince hesitantly asked, wondering if he had made the correct assumptions or not.
Li Xueyue innocently batted her long lashes at him, widening her smile. “You know what I mean.”
Yu Shisheng nervously laughed. His fingers itched to lift a cup of tea to distract him, or at least stall time for a few seconds to contemplate her words. But the lack of a drink before him forced him to answer on the spot. When he saw her tilt her head harmlessly, he knew this was intentional. She did not ask for tea to be served for this exact reason.
Yu Shisheng reluctantly chuckled, the sound brittle and defeated. He had indirectly walked into a trap. Shaking a finger at her, he couldn’t help but smile.
“You are quite wise, aren’t you?”
Li Xueyue laughed at his words. The pitiful thing he was. She had a means of stalling time, he did not.
She lifted the spoon of medicine to her mouth, blowing on it. From the corner of her eyes, she saw him slowly tense up and getting more anxious with each passing second. She wondered if he knew his legs were shaking under the table, tapping up and down on the balls of his feet.
The First Prince was nervous.
Li Xueyue utilized that to her full advantage. The longer he was forced to wait, the more anxious he would get. So, she took her sweet time cooling the medicine.
“And cruel, it seems,” he added on with a dry smile. “People truly underestimate you, don’t they?”
She still did not respond.
Li Xueyue quietly drank the first spoonful. His shoulders relaxed slightly, thinking she would respond. But Li Xueyue continued to stall the time. She already had a response in mind, but she wanted to see him struggle and fidget. That way, he would be more inclined to weigh on her every word.
“Your innocent face is but a mask. A tigress pretending to be a kitten. How scary…” the First Prince muttered whilst watching her lift the next spoonful of medicine.
In other circumstances, he could have the opportunity to nitpick. But she was a sick woman who had just woken up after three days of feverish nights.
How could he sit back and tell her to stop drinking the medicine and answer him? It would be too scornful of him, and her husband would surely rage if he finds out.
The First Prince enjoyed taunting his little brother with harmless pranks because anger was better than aloofness. Yu Zhen always had an emotionless face and unnervingly calm eyes.
Yu Shisheng only wanted to see more than that singular emotion. He had already witnessed anger, but fear? Not once. That is until the Crown Princess fainted in Yu Zhen’s arms. And for the first time in a while, Yu Shisheng saw it—raw fear, the type to consume a man’s rationality.
“I will turn a blind eye to you,” she abruptly said.
Yu Shisheng nearly sighed just at hearing her speak. He was on the edge of his seat, wondering what she would say.
“But,” she curtly said.
Yu Shisheng’s brows scrunched together. He had sighed in relief far too early. There was a but to this? But he was her brother-in-law!
“You owe me a favor,” she concluded.
Yu Shisheng’s jaw dropped open in surprise. He was the First Prince of Hanjian and the son of the fierce Emperor Yu Huoqin! The First Prince owed no one favors. Especially not to someone who married into the family.
“No way!” he argued.
Yu Shisheng wondered if the fever ruined her brain. What an audacious request she had just made!
“Fine then,” she wistfully said.
Yu Shisheng raised his brows. Wait, it was this easy arguing with her? Hah, then why were the ladies-in-waiting so worried about her as an opponent?
Yesterday, he had overheard one of the ladies-in-waiting whispers to each other about joining the Crown Princess’s side, since there would be no way anyone would ever beat her powerful backings and wits. She was an intimidating opponent who loved to feign weakness.
“I’ll cry to my dear husband,” Li Xueyue mused.
“Y-you wouldn’t.”
“Oh, but I would.” Li Xueyue stirred the bowl of medicine. “And I will be mindful not to leave out the part that his poor, defenseless wife’s naked body was exposed.”
The First Prince gaped at her with pure horror. She was a monster! “But my eyes weren’t even blessed by the slip of your blankets!”
“And I certainly won’t forget the fact that it happened early in the morning, which tired me out even more. The lack of sleep had triggered something, causing me to faint…”
Li Xueyue finally glanced up. To her pure amusement, the First Prince was paler than the moon. His eyes were trembling at the mere thought of what Yu Zhen could, and would do to him.
“I-if you behave like this, I will think you’re as cruel as my brother.”
Li Xueyue laughed at his words, cold and frigid. “I shall take that as a compliment.”
The First Prince nervously gulped. He reached for a teacup, but nearly groaned. Right, there wasn’t one. He could not quench his frustrations with a gentle sip of tea, his favorite beverage.
Seeing the First Prince was still reluctant to agree, Li Xueyue raised from the table. “As a matter of fact, I will inform Yu Zhen right now.”
At this, the First Prince slammed his hand on the table and jumped up from his seat. “No need, dear sister-in-law!” he blurted.
The First Prince knew he was a fool to come to this meeting unprepared. His father would be furious to learn a mere woman had outsmarted him in every aspect. This was unlike the man he was raised to be, but then again, was that man truly there in the first place?
“I-I’ll accept your offer,” the First Prince whispered. “A favor it is.”
