(Warning- Those who don't wish to read mature content can start the chapter from the three vertical dots, that is, after the big space.)

Two hours later, Nanny Xian was still sitting in the outside hall embroidering something.

She glanced at the doors of the room once from the window of the inner hall and then continued her work.

While inside the room, Li Rui was not left with any strength. The only thing that could feel was the hot breath against her neck.

A moment later, Xi Ying had calmed down and raised his head. Her messy form looked more seductive to him. Controlling the again raging desire in his body, he stroked her hair gently and whispered

"Sleep."

Li Rui was really very tired so she didn't say anything else. She just glanced at him for one last time and then closed her eyes tiredly.

He stared at her face for a few more moments and then got down from the bed. He covered Li Rui properly and then wore his clothes.

The door finally opened and Mi Xian stood up from the ground and walked towards the doors.

She didn't raise her head the whole while.

"Bring some warm water."

Xi Ying ordered in his usual cold voice.

"Yes, Master."

The maid went away and Xi Ying closed the door again.

Sitting on the bedside, he gently tucked Li Rui's hair that was clinging on her forehead and neck behind her ear.? His eyes held love and possessiveness as he looked down at the woman sleeping on the bed peacefully. But his face didn't have any expression.

The peaceful atmosphere was broken by the knock on the door.

Xi Ying stood up calmly and walked towards the door.

Mi Xian also brought clean cloth and warm water.

Opening the doors, he took the warm water and cloth from the maid's hands and then closed the doors again.

He wiped Li Rui's body and cleaned her properly. For once, Li Rui opened her eyes slowly when he parted her legs and looked at him with her calm black eyes.

Afraid that she would misunderstand, he said gently

"Sleep, I'll be done in a while."

When the cloth touched her thighs, only then Li Rui understood that he was cleaning her body. It felt a bit awkward.

She glanced at his serious face as he gently wiped her body without any change in his face.

A moment later, the exhaustion made her close her eyes again.

After cleaning Li Rui, Xi Ying cleaned himself and then climbed on the bed again.

.

.

.

Lying beside Li Rui, he picked her small body carefully and put it on his own. Since he has removed his robe, he could feel her soft and even breaths on his chest.

He stroked her hair with his one hand and held her waist with other as he stared at the ceiling.

As he reminisced the wonderful night a tear slipped out from his left eye.

He saw everything in Li Rui's eyes.

Lust, pleasure, need but not affection.

This was a bitter truth but he knew that he had to accept it.

She gave him her body because she wanted to show that she is ready to forget everything and complete her responsibilities of a wangfei.

He knew it but he still didn't stop himself.

He can't help but take greedily whatever little she was ready to give him.

Few words he had heard years ago from someone closer to him rang in his ears today.

'It hurts to see that her eyes don't have anything for me, doesn't have the love I have for her. But I still can't stop myself from loving her.

I still can't help but wish to have her in my every lifetime. By my side. No matter whether she loves me or not.

Because my love is enough for both of us.'

Years ago, Xi Ying had not understood the underlying meaning of these words. He had just wondered.

Was love this powerful?

Seeing the strongest man in his life becoming weak after losing his beloved, he was scared of love.

'Love makes us weak.' Xi Ying had thought.

Still, he fell in love with Li Rui when he first saw her.

But he doesn't regret it now. Because now the life seemed meaningless without her.

Holding her body, Xi Ying nuzzled his nose in Li Rui's hair smelling her sweet scent.

It was also good, he thought.

If he could hold her like this, it was sufficient.

He pecked her forehead and smiled a little seeing her peaceful face.

He will wait for her heart to open for him.

Until then, he would love for both of them.

--------

The midnight in the Liang Courtyard was more lively.

"Wangfei, please eat this medicinal porridge."

Yi Huiqing frowned as she looked at the porridge in the maid's hands.

"No, I'm fine now. Take it away."

Li Fan sighed heavily with a face full of worry and concern. She wanted to tell her mistress to rest but seeing that she had already turned to continue what she was doing before, she pouted.

Suddenly her eyes brightened, she hurriedly ran out of the room with the porridge without being noticed by Yi Huiqing.

On the other hand, Yi Huiqing was looking out of the window. Looking at the stars and the moon filled sky, she reminisced her childhood when she used to spend so much time counting them with Li Rui.

'How stupid.' Yi Huiqing thought.

Both of them at that time used to think that they would really count all the stars in the sky.

A bitter smile emerged on her lips.

Now the same childhood just seemed to be a dream.

"Why didn't you take the medicine?" A deep voice echoed in the room.

historical

Yi Huiqing was startled and gasped at the sudden voice. She turned around only to look at the man with five fingerprints on his cheek.

The scolding that she wanted to give him for starling her, was swallowed down as she moved her eyes away nervously.

"Bring the porridge."

Zhao Zhang Wei ordered the maid.

Li Fan went outside to avoid her mistress who was glaring at her leaving figure fiercely.

The porridge came sooner than Yi Huiqing wanted. Li Fan even arranged a chair for the prince so that he can sit beside Yi Huiqing.

After that, she exited the room.

"Here."

Yi Huiqing scrunched her eyebrows seeing the spoon in front of her lips.

"This Wangfei can eat by herself." She tried to take the spoon from his hand but Zhao Zhang Wei avoided her hand and said with a mocking smile.

"Really? Then I would not have to come here every day. Now eat.."

Yi Huiqing wanted to refute. She was healthy now so why should she eat these bitter medicines. However, when she saw the red mark on Zhao Zhang Wei's face, she opened her lips guiltily.

Seemingly satisfied from her action, Zhao Zhang Wei even praised her while hiding his smirk.

"Good girl."

Yi Huiqing almost sputtered out the porridge in her mouth.

'Good Girl. Was she a five-year-old girl that he was coaxing her like this?'

She glared at him who was busy stirring the porridge with a spoon. But felt guilty again when her sight was caught by that red glaring mark.

'Did I hit that badly that the mark had not disappeared until now?' Yi Huiqing thought nervously.

Unconsciously, she raised her hand to touch the mark.

Her action was not noticed by Zhao Zhang Wei as he was busy stirring the soup to mix the medicine well.

But his hand froze when he felt something soft on his cheek. He raised his head and saw Yi Huiqing staring at her hand with wide eyes.