Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 71

Zhou Yan remembered and spoke the truth. “I recalled it now. When I went to the post station outside the palace yesterday to collect some letters, I happened upon a street vendor selling these red strings. They all say that if you tie this red string onto the hand of the lady you fancy, within three days, that lady will keep you in her heart.”

As he spoke, Zhou Yan let out another chuckle. “But it’s useless now, because last night you already confessed your feelings to me.”

Jiang Wanshu was curious about these folk trinkets. She lifted her lily-white right hand from the water and spoke slowly, “Put it on for this Princess.”

In front of Zhou Yan, this was the first time she had used such a formal title for herself, acting like a languid and precious cat instructing her follower to toil for her.

Receiving the command, Zhou Yan scrambled excitedly to the canopy bed to find the red string before returning to her side.

She extended her hand again, signaling for him to put it on. Seeing this, Zhou Yan tied a knot in the red string and looped it around Jiang Wanshu’s wrist.

The mixture of extreme white and vivid red pricked Zhou Yan’s eyes.

He thought shamelessly to himself that Jiang Wanshu was truly fair-skinned; he had held this thought since the very first time he saw her, and now the contrast made it even more obvious.

Yet, even though his amorous thoughts were stirring, he didn’t have the courage to provoke her displeasure. After all, if this person got upset, what if she threw him out of her heart again?

And so, after securing the red string, he retreated behind her to massage her back once more. Under Zhou Yan’s increasingly skilled technique, Jiang Wanshu gradually closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Finally, as the bathwater splashed softly, she felt herself being gently lifted in a daze. Her body felt restless for a moment, and then she drifted back into a deep slumber.

Zhou Yan recapped the jade-like porcelain bottle. Looking at the girl before him, whose face was flushed with the colors of spring, a thought flickered in his mind before he left her bedchamber.

The days passed quickly until the New Year’s Festival arrived. It took those few days for Jiang Wanshu to finally recover from the intensity of confessing her heart to Zhou Yan.

The transition period was enough for Jiang Wanshu to return to her usual self. Early in the morning, palace maids in the Lanyue Hall were busy putting up Spring Festival couplets. After half an hour of collective effort, the entire hall was decorated with lanterns and streamers, looking festive and joyful.

Since it was the first day of the New Year, and Jiang Wanshu had stayed up all night with Empress Xi to observe the “Suisui” vigil, she woke up much later than usual.

However, when Yulu came to the bedside to serve her, she saw the man beside her still sleeping soundly. Jiang Wanshu couldn’t help but kick him to the other side of the bed.

She muttered under her breath.

This man—clearly she was the one exhausted to death last night, so why was he able to sleep so soundly while she had been restless all night?

The person who was kicked quickly opened his eyes amidst Jiang Wanshu’s anger. He was naked and sat up under her direct gaze.

Yulu had long since become accustomed to this situation and continued helping Jiang Wanshu dress.

Unexpectedly, in a brief turn of her gaze, she saw the brocade quilt slide down to Zhou Yan’s waist. The morning sunlight hit his torso, faintly revealing several red scratch marks on his skin, left by a lady’s desperation. Yulu’s face instantly flushed red.

Although she had served concubines in the palace for a long time, she had never seen a consort being favored by a lord on the final day of the lunar year. Seeing the scratches on the man now, she knew exactly what their situation had been last night.

Yulu felt shy but also had a headache. Just as she managed to compose some words in her mind to caution the Princess, she was dismissed by Jiang Wanshu in the next moment.

Jiang Wanshu glanced at the door Yulu had closed, then looked at the man still sitting on the bed staring at her. She picked up a soft pillow and threw it at him.

Yet, he naturally caught the pillow as if nothing were wrong and pressed it against his chest.

He gave a cunning smile, his voice tinged with a hint of wickedness. “Why is Wanwan angry again?”

“You’re asking what you already know!”

How did he have the nerve to bring it up?

If he hadn’t brought that “thing” from outside last night, how could she have been so restless all night? That thing he brought had stimulated her heart so much that she couldn’t sleep a wink until dawn, when she finally managed a brief nap.

She was supposed to follow her Royal Brother and the others to offer New Year greetings to her Father Emperor. What would it look like if she went there with such an exhausted face?

The more Jiang Wanshu thought about it, the angrier she got. But remembering it was the New Year and one shouldn’t be angry, she said slowly, “There won’t be a next time, Zhou Yan!”

Ever since the night she confessed her feelings and Zhou Yan unilaterally broke their “ten-day agreement,” she was pulled into his arms almost every night.

Because of this, Yulu had cautioned her. She worried that if it happened too frequently, she might accidentally become pregnant. She had sent Zhou Yan to the city to find those “long strips” used for contraception. Yesterday, as his supply ran out and he went to buy more, he unexpectedly brought back something shaped like a bell.

When she asked what it was, Zhou Yan only replied that she would see for herself soon. She had stayed up all night and was so tired she wanted to sleep, but in a flash, she was pulled into his firm embrace.

She struggled and twisted in the man’s arms. “Zhou Yan, it’s too late tonight, I want to—” rest. But she didn’t expect to be swatted on the bottom and then kneaded.

Before long, the man had made her face flush with heat. To her surprise, he then picked up the bell he had brought from outside and pushed it toward her dampness.

She was rubbed into a state of total limpness by the uneven surface of the bell, yet she found it hard to stop him. “Don’t put that thing inside.”

She didn’t know what it was for; she simply thought Zhou Yan had gone mad.

“It’s alright, Wanwan. This thing will make you feel very comfortable.”

The ending was as she expected: Zhou Yan had indeed gone mad, and later, she had gone mad too, under his handiwork. But clearly, she had refused right before he inserted it, so she felt she had a reason to be upset.

However, as she glared at him, knowing he understood her meaning, the man actually reached out and picked up the bell from last night!

During their intimate union, he told her that the item came from beyond the border—a toy meant to add pleasure between husband and wife. Only then did she realize what it was.

That thing had been inside her… and it hadn’t been washed yet, yet he was still fiddling with it in his palm. At this, Jiang Wanshu’s face turned a deep, embarrassed crimson.

She was truly exasperated with the man before her. Stepping behind the screen and smoothing her robes as she prepared to leave, she turned back once more. “Be careful when you leave later. During these first few days of the New Year, there will be many people in Lanyue Hall; don’t get caught.”

With that, she adopted a haughty air and walked out.

However, Zhou Yan didn’t listen to a single word, remaining seated on the bed. He looked at the object in his hand, recalling the look of desire on Jiang Wanshu’s face the night before, and found the trinket to be quite wonderful indeed.

By noon, before Jiang Wanshu could return to the bedroom, Zhou Yan took the bell and leaped out of the window.

When Jiang Wanshu returned to find the room silent and empty, she stomped her foot in anger.

Hmph! Had she known, she wouldn’t have begged her Father Emperor to let her go out tonight without guards. This man had said he wanted to spend the festival night alone with her, so she had gone through the trouble of getting the guards dismissed—and what did he do? He did something wrong and then simply vanished!

As evening fell, the palace began to glow with festive lights. Glazed lanterns shone everywhere, and the grand Liuli Hall—specially used for holiday celebrations—echoed with the sounds of songs and dancing.

Tonight was the main event of the first day of the New Year. The Liuli Hall was filled with concubines, princes, and princesses. Emperor Zhaoming and Empress Xi sat in the seats of honor.

Since this was a family feast, the seating for the princes and princesses was more relaxed. A small child was currently resting his hands on Jiang Wanshu’s lap.

Jiang Wanshu looked down at her younger brother, Jiang Yun, who found everything around him fascinating. She couldn’t help but gently pinch his cheek. “A-Yun, why don’t you sit at my table later, alright?”

In a family feast, the most important thing was “warmth.” Even though some people below were still acting as if they were facing a great enemy, she treated the banquet as a casual affair.

Jiang Wanshu used various nicknames for her brother, sometimes calling him A-Yun and sometimes Little Brother; Jiang Yun was long used to it.

Now, Jiang Yun looked up with a wide smile and gave Jiang Wanshu a bold hug. “Okay, Royal Sister! It’s been so long since Yun’er shared a meal with you.”

Jiang Wanshu reached down to stroke Jiang Yun’s ink-black hair. He found the sensation extremely soothing and leaned closer into her side. By the time they were sitting so close that any movement caused them to bump into each other, Emperor Zhaoming announced the start of the feast.

A palace maid added a set of utensils to Jiang Wanshu’s table and retreated. Music filled the hall, and the guests began to whisper amongst themselves.

While eating, Jiang Yun noticed the faint dark circles under Jiang Wanshu’s eyes and began to hatch a little plan of his own.

As Jiang Wanshu placed a piece of meat into the jade bowl in front of him, Jiang Yun reached out and tugged on her sleeve.

Her attention drawn, she looked down to find Jiang Yun staring at her intently. “Royal Sister, are you too excited? Have you not recovered yet?”

Startled by his words, Jiang Wanshu’s hand shook so violently she nearly dropped her chopsticks onto the table. She forced herself to stay calm and managed a strained smile. “A-Yun, you can’t just say things without context.”

“I did have context! I’m just envious that you get to go out of the palace to play later, while someone like me has to stay in the palace even after the feast is over.” Jiang Yun lowered his head, his small shoulders slumped, looking exactly like a dejected and pitiful kitten.

Jiang Yun had dropped enough hints about wanting to see the world outside that Jiang Wanshu would have to be blind not to understand her brother.

Sure enough, the precocious boy shook her sleeve in the next second. “Royal Sister, why don’t you take me out to see the sights too?”

She actually wanted to, but her brother was the precious treasure of their parents, and he was still so young. If her Father and Mother found out she had smuggled him out, she would be in for a harsh lecture.

Furthermore, she had just convinced her Father today to let Zhou Yan be her sole protector for this outing. The streets would be bustling and crowded; if they took him along and something bad happened, what would she do?

Setting aside the scolding she’d receive, her heart would ache if her brother suffered any harm. Moreover, she had promised Zhou Yan they would go out together—she couldn’t go back on her word.

These reasons forced her to decline his suggestion. Throughout the rest of the banquet, Jiang Yun looked utterly dejected. On the way back to Lanyue Hall, Jiang Wanshu was already planning what she could buy outside to cheer him up, but she didn’t expect Jiang Yun to come rushing toward her the moment Empress Xi had safely departed.

“Royal Sister is the best! Royal Sister, please just take your poor, uncultured little brother out to see the world. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior and listen to everything you say!” As he spoke, he crouched down and wrapped his arms around her legs, looking for all the world like he would throw a tantrum if she didn’t agree.

Jiang Wanshu was truly helpless against this. She stroked his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to take you, but it’s too dangerous outside. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt.”

“I don’t care! I don’t care! Royal Sister, I can protect you! Just let me go with you!”

Jiang Wanshu had already felt guilty for refusing him earlier, and his relentless pestering was breaking her resolve. Left with no choice, she pulled Jiang Yun up from her legs, knelt down, and placed a finger to her lips.

“Shh, not so loud. If someone hears you, you won’t be able to go even if you want to.”

At these words, Jiang Yun immediately stood up straight, puffed out his chest, and glanced around. Only after confirming that no one was paying attention did he relax.

“What did you tell Mother?” She knew this little rascal must have done his homework before begging her.

Jiang Yun beamed a huge smile. “Royal Sister, I told Mother that I missed you and wanted to sleep in your hall tonight.”

Hearing this, Jiang Wanshu tapped his forehead with her index finger. “You… I really don’t know what to do with you. I can take you out, but…”

“But what?” Jiang Yun tilted his head, suspicious.

Jiang Wanshu thought of Zhou Yan; he should be waiting for her in the bedroom by now.

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