After Transmigrating as the White Lotus Crown Princess - Chapter 12

The sound of medicine being ground was ceaseless. Ning Huan was indoors today, dressed somewhat lightly in a robe with wide sleeves. A section of his wrist was slightly exposed—a jade-like wrist as white as snow, through which faint blue veins were almost visible.

Ning Huan was truly fair-skinned.

Mu Jinyu felt restless and couldn’t help but wonder what that snowy wrist would feel like to the touch. Realizing what he was thinking, he snapped back to his senses, feeling as though he had been struck by lightning.

How… how could he have such thoughts?

Mu Jinyu had been at odds with the Emperor since childhood. The Emperor had lusted after the Empress’s beauty and committed regicide and rebellion for a woman, which Mu Jinyu found utterly despicable. Consequently, he loathed men who were overcome by lust and indulged in debauchery. Even though he had reached adulthood, he had never touched the concubines sent by others.

He knew of Ning Huan’s reputation and had seen his true face before the wedding. How could he be dazzled by “her” beauty and temporarily forget his original principles?

His right hand had just been injured, so he now held his cup with his left. His face turned various shades of green and white, and he didn’t even notice that Ning Huan had stopped grinding the medicine.

Ning Huan knew that Mu Jinyu was mentally unstable during this period. He was at a low point in his life with many pits waiting for him to jump into, so his mood swings and volatility were perfectly normal. However, this man held the title of Ning Huan’s “husband” and was his partner in name, which made Ning Huan’s feelings subtle and complex.

“Your Highness.” Ning Huan’s voice was cool and pleasant. “Pray do not injure your left hand as well. If you keep squeezing, my cup will shatter.”

Mu Jinyu gave a cold snort and set down the teacup. “I want dinner. Have someone prepare it.”

The people of Lixue Hall had all been tamed by the Crown Princess. Even if Mu Jinyu gave them an order, they would report it to the Crown Princess first. Ning Huan was not yet in charge of the household accounts; Mu Jinyu had eunuchs managing them because his daily expenses and social obligations were tied to them and couldn’t be rashly handed over.

Ning Huan asked, “What is my monthly allowance?”

Mu Jinyu replied, “According to the regulations of the Imperial Household Department, aside from fabrics and daily necessities, it is thirty taels of silver per month.”

In just one day, one of Ning Huan’s undergarments had been stained with blood and couldn’t be washed clean, the carpet had been soiled by ointment, and the tea set was nearly crushed by Mu Jinyu. Given this lord’s penchant for flying into rages, Ning Huan surmised there would be much more damage in the future.

Ning Huan said, “Your Highness should give me an additional fifty taels a month if you intend to stay for dinner often.”

Often? Is it not daily?

Mu Jinyu’s expression shifted several times. “Hmph! A-Xi, go fetch 1,200 taels in banknotes. I will pay for a year in advance; from now on, I will come here to eat every day.”

A-Xi: “…This servant understands.”

Ning Huan looked up. “Mmh?”

Mu Jinyu reached out and pinched his pointed chin. “Are you attempting to attract me with this act?”

Ning Huan’s mind momentarily drifted.

He wasn’t following the path of the imperial examinations and didn’t intend to be an official. He had studied at the Imperial Academy for a few months, but because he was weak and lazy, he couldn’t get out of bed every morning. His grandmother took pity on him and stopped making him go. He had read some classics, but he had also read a lot of miscellaneous things. When bored, he particularly loved borrowing storybooks (huaben) from the princes. One prince kept a writer in his manor whose works were exceptionally interesting and addictive.

The stories princes liked to read weren’t about poor scholars and young ladies, but rather “Talented Scholars and Beauties” with higher stakes—the protagonists were usually emperors or generals who conquered the world while winning the heart of a beauty. These overbearing protagonists would often pinch the beauty’s chin just like Mu Jinyu was doing now, coldly demanding to know if they were playing hard to get…

Ning Huan’s gaze toward Mu Jinyu became subtle once more.

Truly a character from a book… a classic storybook move…

Ning Huan raised his hand and pressed down on Mu Jinyu’s wrist. At such a close distance, Mu Jinyu could feel that Ning Huan’s fingertips were slightly cool and not very soft. A trace of a smile suddenly bloomed on his lips. “Ah? Is that truly what Your Highness thinks?”

Mu Jinyu looked sickly and thin, but he was not weak. How could a tall, large man be truly frail? Consequently, finger marks were left on Ning Huan’s chin. His skin was already white, and the skin on his cheeks was delicate; it couldn’t withstand being handled roughly.

Ning Huan’s fingers lingered slightly on Mu Jinyu’s wrist. “Your Highness, please let go.”

Mu Jinyu’s earlobes felt inexplicably hot, and he immediately released him.

The pinched area turned red instantly. Ning Huan rubbed it with his fingertips and instructed his subordinates, “Go prepare dinner. It’s getting late. A bowl of yam noodles will suffice; replace the mutton with chicken, and omit the ginger juice.”

Mu Jinyu usually didn’t eat such vegetarian meals, but he had injuries and many dietary restrictions. Previously, he didn’t care because no one looked after him. Now, given Ning Huan’s eccentric temper—and the fact that he was the Crown Princess—Mu Jinyu, as the husband, found it difficult to argue with him.

In less than half an hour, the yam noodles were served along with a few side dishes of pickles. The noodles weren’t as watery as Mu Jinyu expected. Yams nourish the spleen and stomach and replenish vital energy, making them perfect for someone with a weak constitution like Mu Jinyu. The yams were cooked, mashed into a paste, and mixed with flour to make noodles. When served in chicken broth, the aroma was rich and fragrant, not bland at all. The side dishes were drizzled with a bit of sesame oil and tossed with vinegar, making them refreshing and delicious.

Mu Jinyu originally didn’t want to eat noodles, but in the end, he finished the entire large bowl, drank the soup, and cleared the side dishes. As Crown Prince, he was used to delicacies from land and sea, but the food at Ning Huan’s place was uniquely different.

Ning Huan was also brewing tea across from him. The clear tea was poured into warm jade vessels, with the tea buds rising and falling in the water. He looked up at Mu Jinyu once, pushing the brewed tea in front of him. “The bath is ready. Your Highness should have some tea before bathing.”

Mu Jinyu remembered the medicinal bath Ning Huan had prepared. Today, Ning Huan carried a faint herbal scent. Mu Jinyu used to think the smell of herbs was bitter and overwhelming, but when Ning Huan’s clothes were tainted by it, it felt somewhat provocative, making one suddenly desire to “take medicine.”

Thinking this way, he felt a bit of anticipation for the bath and finished the tea in a few gulps. Only after drinking did he realize the tea was excellent, leaving his mouth fragrant; he should have savored it slowly.

Mu Jinyu stood up. “I am going to bathe.”

It wasn’t until he entered the bathroom and saw the pitch-black water in the tub—which smelled bitter and astringent—that his brow furrowed. This was the exact opposite of the scent on Ning Huan.

Mu Jinyu’s face darkened. “I am to soak in this?”

Die Qing replied, “Yes.”

A-Xi had already gone back to Mu Jinyu’s quarters to fetch his clothes. Mu Jinyu waved his hand for Die Qing to leave. “I do not need anyone to attend me. You may go.”

Die Qing said, “The Crown Princess said you must soak for at least half an hour. Remember to call me if the water gets cold; I will come in to add hot water.”

Mu Jinyu took off his robes. He usually looked too weak to wear clothes, but once undressed, his frame was tall and upright. Though his muscles were lean, they were well-proportioned and beautiful with clear lines. The only eyesore was the scar stretching across his chest and abdomen—a hideous, dark mark like a long worm.

He felt the medicine in the tub was exactly like the decoctions he used to drink, but he soaked in it anyway. The steam was sleep-inducing, and Mu Jinyu soon dozed off. He didn’t know it was snowing outside, a fine snow covering the ground; this winter was exceptionally cold.

But in this airtight bathroom, Mu Jinyu was enveloped by a warm current. The herb scent that was originally bitter enough to induce nausea didn’t seem so bad anymore. His features, which originally gave off an aggressive and violent feeling, softened slightly.

Even during his short nap, Mu Jinyu was dreaming. Ning Huan’s pointed chin was in his palm, and his lips were forced apart. A cruel and violent thought flashed through Mu Jinyu’s mind. He wanted to bite the corners of Ning Huan’s lips, blindfold his eyes, break his bones, and throw him into the bathtub. The black medicinal juice would completely submerge him. Ning Huan was so white; against such a dark color, his skin would likely appear almost transparent.

“Your Highness!”

A-Xi suddenly entered, bringing a gust of cold air, and placed his clothes nearby. “It’s snowing again outside. It’s truly cold this year.”

Mu Jinyu snapped awake. He quickly realized he had been thinking indecent thoughts and was not a good person. Then he realized—he never was a good person to begin with.

He opened his narrow, cold eyes, which were empty of all emotion.

A-Xi said, “Miss Die Qing outside asked me to ask if you need more hot water.”

“No need,” Mu Jinyu said. “Get out.”

After soaking, he felt waves of heat coming from his body. He changed clothes and went to Ning Huan’s bedroom, finding him still writing something under the lamp. A purple rabbit-hair brush dipped in gold-flecked ink was writing on paper. Beside him were some bells, likely made of silver and extraordinarily exquisite.

Mu Jinyu asked, “What are you doing?”

Ning Huan replied, “The trees in the courtyard are bare. I’m hanging some things on them.”

Mu Jinyu gave a cold snort. “Neglecting your proper duties.”

Ning Huan had several older brothers to support the family business, and he himself had no ambition, so he naturally “neglected proper duties.” Other young lords kept catamites, visited brothels, or engaged in cockfighting; Ning Huan had none of those rowdy hobbies and only quietly did his own thing.

Ning Huan asked, “Are you still sleeping here tonight? Your Highness, you cough in the middle of the night and keep me from sleeping.”

“As Crown Princess, you should endure it,” Mu Jinyu arched an eyebrow. “You’ll get used to it in a year or so.”

“You shouldn’t be coughing that long,” Ning Huan said. “Are you afraid of needles? Tomorrow I will invite a doctor to give you acupuncture. By the way, after this medicinal bath, your scar will fester again. Once the wound re-opens, I will apply medicine for you. This time it will heal completely.”

Though he was speaking, Ning Huan didn’t look up, using silver scissors to cut paper slips and threading them with red ribbons. The words written in flowing cursive were all prayers. He wrote beautifully; both his regular and cursive scripts were exquisite, looking like paintings at first glance.

The silver bells had been taken from a set of jewelry, about twenty in total.

Mu Jinyu didn’t have to attend court tomorrow as it was a day of rest, so he stayed to watch Ning Huan finish these items. An hour later, Ning Huan was done. It was late at night; the maids of Lixue Hall didn’t stay on night duty and had all gone to sleep. A-Xi had also been dismissed by Mu Jinyu.

Ning Huan said, “Your Highness, you mustn’t catch a cold. Quickly put on your fox fur and come out with me.”

Seeing how blunt his concern was, Mu Jinyu arched an eyebrow and draped the fox fur over his shoulders.

Only after going out did he realize Ning Huan intended to step on his body to climb the tree. The pear tree in the courtyard of Lixue Hall was not short. It was bare in winter, but its branches stretched out beautifully. Ning Huan wanted to hang his prayer slips and bells on it.

Mu Jinyu felt he must be mad to do such a boring thing with him in the middle of the night. He was somewhat dissatisfied. “My body is so weak I cannot even eat mutton, yet you want me to squat down for you to step on?”

“I am not heavy,” Ning Huan said. “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Mu Jinyu squatted down, and Ning Huan stepped on him to reach the tree, hanging half of the slips and bells. Afterward, Mu Jinyu, with a dark face, picked him back up and carried him on his back to hang them on the side branches.

The snow hadn’t stopped and showed signs of getting heavier. The two returned to the doorway. Mu Jinyu looked at the tree from a distance. The light from the lanterns wasn’t very bright, only showing the white snow falling. The prayer slips and bells swayed on the bare branches in the wind. The snow was blown away, and the bells made a sound, clinking clearly against each other.

Tomorrow was Ning Huan’s grandmother’s birthday. In this strange place, he feared he would never be able to return.

“Bells attract Yin spirits,” Mu Jinyu brushed the snow off himself. “Hanging them in the middle of the night might attract something bad.”

The snowflakes on Ning Huan’s eyelashes turned to water, trembling as if about to fall. “It won’t.”

He had written the prayer slips, and the sound of the bells might carry his voice to places he couldn’t go. He would tell his kin that he was doing well.

Ning Huan looked at Mu Jinyu again. “It’s very late. Let’s go to sleep. Your wound will itch tonight because of the medicine. Remember not to scratch it, or it will bleed.”

Ning Huan didn’t want to ruin a new set of blankets again.

Mu Jinyu said, “Rest assured, I will definitely not scratch the scar.”

Ning Huan couldn’t rest assured. In the middle of the night, Mu Jinyu indeed started coughing again, and he began scratching the scar unconsciously. Ning Huan had no other choice but to hold Mu Jinyu’s hand to sleep.

Mu Jinyu woke up twice. The second time, he found himself sleeping face-to-face with Ning Huan. To prevent him from scratching the wound, Ning Huan had placed Mu Jinyu’s hand against his own chest while half-asleep.

It was indeed flat here, and Ning Huan smelled very fragrant.

Mu Jinyu stared at Ning Huan’s sleeping face for a long time, and in the end, he didn’t pull his hand back.