Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 44

Jiang Wanshu withdrew her hand, recalling his reckless chatter in the Imperial Study earlier that afternoon. “You have the nerve to say that? Didn’t I tell you not to speak out of turn?”

If her father and mother ever discovered the tangled relationship between her and Zhou Yan, given how strict they were with her, she would undoubtedly be “annihilated” by them without hesitation.

“Wanshu, you only gave me a look to stay quiet, but you didn’t say anything. How was I supposed to know which sentence counted as ‘out of turn’? I had to be self-sufficient and follow my own instincts,” Zhou Yan replied.

As he spoke, Zhou Yan looked quite aggrieved, pulling Jiang Wanshu into his arms once more.

Jiang Wanshu shot him a sidelong glance. “You certainly are bold, daring to set conditions in front of the Son of Heaven. You even lied to Imperial Father, saying you wanted to strive for excellence in the martial arts examinations to stand by his side—all just to wheedle a position as a princess’s personal guard out of him.”

Mentioning this, Jiang Wanshu couldn’t help but feel the man was audacious. But on second thought, it made sense; if Zhou Yan weren’t bold enough to achieve a status that couldn’t be ignored, he might have long ago ended up a corpse wrapped in horsehide on those distant grasslands. After all, he had mentioned that most people on the plains didn’t care for him back then.

“I only learned it from you, Wanshu. You were bold enough to abandon me and travel all the way to the Central Plains alone,” Zhou Yan quipped.

He was teasing, but in truth, he no longer harbored any resentment over the matter. Ever since last night, when she had shown her vulnerability and he had comforted and cared for her, he could feel that the current Jiang Wanshu treated him differently.

Perhaps women are more delicate in their thoughts; perhaps in the beauty of last night’s moments, her heart had begun to flutter for him.

Tonight, he could clearly perceive that when he sought intimacy, Jiang Wanshu no longer displayed that blatant look of reluctance. Even though she remained reserved, her movements were much more relaxed.

He toyed with a lock of her hair, which had just been dried before she climbed into the canopy bed, and asked about a serious matter: “Did your father mention what arrangements he has for you?”

It was undeniable that Zhou Yan possessed the strategic mind of someone well-versed in both civil and military affairs; otherwise, he wouldn’t have pinpointed the most critical issue regarding her return to the palace.

Looking at the man before her, whose face rarely held such a serious expression, she explained everything:

“Imperial Father told me that the news of my ambush and the uncertain casualties during my journey to the grasslands for the marriage alliance had already spread everywhere. Although he was heartbroken then, he refused to believe I was gone since no body was found, so he delayed issuing a funeral decree. The grasslands also heard of this, and since I went missing on the way to their territory, they took a step back. To this day, they haven’t raised the issue with Father, so the alliance treaty between the Central Plains and the grasslands has been stalled.”

At this, Jiang Wanshu sighed and continued:

“So, upon my return, as the legitimate Princess of the Mid-Palace, Father naturally won’t slight me. He intends for me to reclaim my status. However, he worries that once my identity is restored, there will be malicious gossip regarding what I was doing during the months I was missing. For a young woman, the rumors usually target her reputation. Worse still, once my status is restored, I don’t know if the grasslands will act again and demand I fulfill the role of the Khan’s Third Consort.”

Zhou Yan looked solemn. “Rest assured, if they dare to slander you, I’ll beat them until even their own mothers won’t recognize them.”

In Zhou Yan’s worldview, anything that could be solved with fists should never be settled with words. Watching him, Jiang Wanshu couldn’t help but offer a knowing smile.

Noticing her smile, Zhou Yan pushed his luck, picking up a strand of her hair and bringing it to his nose to catch its scent. The next second, a blushing Jiang Wanshu slapped his hand away. “Zhou Yan, have you no shame?”

“If I had any shame, you would have likely abandoned me long ago,” Zhou Yan replied playfully.

Jiang Wanshu found herself at a loss for words against his silver tongue. She decided to ignore him, her face tight with mock anger.

Observing her, Zhou Yan sought to please her. Recalling her earlier words, he continued: “Wanshu, if you reclaim your identity and that old Khan still tries to claim you as his Third Consort, I guarantee I won’t let him have his way.”

“Is that true?” Zhou Yan spoke with such gravity that Jiang Wanshu, who previously had little hope, felt a spark of belief.

Zhou Yan didn’t answer for a long moment, causing Jiang Wanshu’s head to droop again as she muttered gloomily, “You’re probably just lying to me.”

In reality, Zhou Yan had been momentarily stunned by this rare, coquettish side of her. Belatedly, he replied, “Why would I lie? If that truly happens, I have my ways.”

He did, of course, have a plan.

The flickering candlelight danced across the man’s handsome features, making him look particularly alluring. Jiang Wanshu looked up, and as their eyes met, a sudden warmth flooded her heart.

It wasn’t just his looks; his words struck a chord deep within her, making her feel the stirrings of a young girl’s first love.

Embarrassed by her own feelings and afraid he would notice, she quickly pushed him away and tidied the hair he had ruffled. “It’s late. You should leave quickly. If my personal maids find you in my bed, they’ll be terrified.”

Zhou Yan narrowed his eyes, slightly dissatisfied. “In the Central Plains, aren’t maids and their mistresses supposed to be as close as branches on the same tree? You grew up together; they are your most loyal confidants. What’s the harm in them knowing?”

He was determined to stay put. On a long night like this, “lonely pillows and sleeplessness” was not a role he intended to play.

Jiang Wanshu stared at him wordlessly, flicked her handkerchief, and finally squeezed out a sentence: “Suit yourself. But if my maids find out about this, I won’t let you off!”

That’s basically saying ‘just don’t let them find out.’

Zhou Yan rubbed the tip of his nose sheepishly, watching her.

Seeing that Jiang Wanshu seemed truly annoyed, she stopped acknowledging him, blew out the candle, and lay down on the bed in the dark.

Zhou Yan wanted to coax her but wasn’t sure how. In the darkness, he reached out to wrap his arm around her waist, but Jiang Wanshu, thinking he was up to no good, forcefully pulled his hand away. “The ten-day period isn’t up yet. Don’t try anything with me.”

As she spoke, the tips of her ears began to burn again.

Zhou Yan, having his desires stirred only to be extinguished, could only settle for teasing her a bit. He became physically well-behaved, no longer pressing against her, but his words turned bold. “Then, since my presence made you brave enough to blow out the candle yourself, please forgive me this once.”

It was rare for a man like Zhou Yan to act spoiled. Jiang Wanshu no longer held a grudge; she simply ignored him and closed her eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yan waited expectantly for her response.

He had seen how her younger brother had acted weak and fragile today to coax her into doing whatever he wanted, and he had decided to give the tactic a try. If it worked, he might use this trick more often in the future.

The longer he stayed with Jiang Wanshu, the more he understood her. This contradictory girl was a “soft touch”—she responded to gentleness, not force. He had learned long ago to restrain himself in front of her, and it seemed the results were good.

However, after a while without a word from her, he lifted his head to see what she was doing. He was immediately stopped by her voice: “I’m tired and want to sleep.”

Her voice was languid, but she added a stern warning: “Tomorrow, make sure you leave this room on your own. A guard isn’t supposed to be this close to a princess; you should only be by my side during the designated hours.”

After speaking, Jiang Wanshu truly ignored Zhou Yan this time. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind of all else, leaving Zhou Yan alone on the bed to sigh in self-pity.

It seemed this “soft” approach wasn’t quite right for her; he would have to change his tactics.

Suddenly, as he looked at the silk quilt draped over her slender waist, a flush of heat rose in Zhou Yan’s eyes. If tenderness wouldn’t work, he would try being assertive—at the very least, he could steal a bit of intimacy.

And so, his hand, thick with muscle and prominent veins, crept quietly toward the girl’s waist. Taking advantage of her distraction, he pulled her into a firm embrace.

He expected her to struggle as she had before, but to his surprise, the girl before him didn’t move an inch.

Just as Zhou Yan was rejoicing that she was no longer resisting his advances, he caught the sound of her small, steady breathing. He let out a sharp breath of realization.

Fine then. It seemed he had celebrated for nothing.

Only when she was deep in the throes of sleep would she be this submissive to him.

However, even if this only happened while she was asleep, Zhou Yan wasn’t angry. One way or another, she was occasionally allowing his intimacy without a fight, and he was more than happy with that outcome.

Holding the fragrant little person in his arms, Zhou Yan stopped overthinking. He pulled her closer and closed his eyes to sleep as well.

A Winter Morning

Early the next morning, another winter snow fell over the Imperial Palace. Since Jiang Wanshu’s return, all matters had been restored to their former routines.

Consequently, a crisp, clear voice rang out early in the morning to wake her.

Jiang Wanshu had long since broken the habit of waking at the Hour of the Rabbit (5:00 AM–7:00 AM), a rule enforced for all princesses and concubines in the palace. Now, being called by Yunjie, she irritably pulled the silk quilt over her head.

Unfortunately, Yunjie was never the most patient of souls. After standing outside for a long time without seeing the Princess emerge, she feared something had happened. Clutching a copper basin of wash water, she hurried inside.

The door wasn’t bolted from the within, so Yunjie entered the room swiftly.

The room was deathly silent, which only fueled Yunjie’s suspicion. She crept behind the screen toward the canopy bed and sighed with relief when she saw Jiang Wanshu was still sleeping.

Thank goodness, the Princess was safe.

However, she and Yunshu were personal maids specifically assigned by the Empress to the Princess’s hall to enforce etiquette; they were supposed to prioritize the Empress’s orders. But having grown up with Jiang Wanshu, the word “friendship” carried a significant weight between them.

Yunjie sighed, set down the basin, and reached out to grab Jiang Wanshu’s hand from under the quilt.

Yunjie had been awake for hours and had stood in the cold outside; her touch was icy, instantly jolting the dreaming girl awake.

“Princess, it’s time to get up. The news of your return has spread; other princesses and princes will be arriving shortly.”

Jiang Wanshu didn’t particularly care about those siblings who didn’t share her mother, but the moment she recognized Yunjie’s voice, she snapped into full consciousness and sat bolt upright.

She shot a panicked glance at the other side of the bed, only then letting out a massive sigh of relief.

Thank god. That man actually had some self-awareness and knew when to leave.

Yunjie followed Jiang Wanshu’s gaze, finding something a bit peculiar. “Princess, since when did you change your habit of sleeping in the middle of the bed?”

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