Year's End - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Eastern Palace was some distance from the general’s estate.

My brows were twisted into a knot, and the warning drums in my heart were beating loud enough to shake the heavens.

Yet even when the carriage stopped at the gates of the Eastern Palace, I still didn’t order anyone to turn back.

I slowly climbed down with the food box in hand, every step feeling impossibly heavy.

The attendants of the Eastern Palace all recognized me, and every single one of them was terribly attentive.

Maybe it was because I had a guilty conscience, but their usual, ordinary behavior seemed faintly off to me now.

Why were they being so nice to me?

Especially the Eastern Palace’s chief steward. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was my chief steward.

I even suspected that if I wanted to drug Xie Jingchu, he would buy the medicine for me.

The chief steward stepped forward. “Miss Liang, you’re here. His Highness is waiting for you in his bedchamber.”

I asked suspiciously, “He’s not in the study today?”

“Oh, you came at just the right time. His Highness is feeling unwell today and is resting in his bedchamber. If he knew you were here, he’d definitely be very happy.”

Why was he contradicting himself?

One moment he said Xie Jingchu was waiting for me, and the next he made it sound like Xie Jingchu didn’t know I was here.

Especially with that fawning smile of his.

The more I looked, the more wrong it seemed.

[Isn’t it obvious why he’s in the bedchamber? Do you people really not understand, or are you pretending not to? Hahahahaha]

[Hahahaha the study is too small. No, no, that won’t do]

[A tonic, huh? I want to watch-]

[Go to the study! Writing and painting, sob sob sob.]

I tightened my grip on the food box.

No. I wanted to run.

I handed the food box to the chief steward and said seriously, “I suddenly remembered I have something to do. I’ll be going now.”

Who knew he would raise his voice and drown out my farewell entirely?

“Quick, quick, quick! Escort Miss Liang to the bedchamber. His Highness has been waiting for you for ages.”

The maids rushed forward at once and half-pushed, half-dragged me into Xie Jingchu’s bedchamber.

I stood at the entrance and looked back at the tightly shut palace doors, my mind going blank.

They had even locked the doors!

My heart pounded wildly, and I was about to call for someone.

Then the sound of footsteps came from inside the hall.

The footsteps were steady and strong. No matter how I listened, they didn’t sound like they belonged to a sick person.

“Wanwan?”

Xie Jingchu’s cool, clear voice hooked straight into my soul.

It was obviously no different from usual, so why did I feel like something was wrong?

It was all that barrage’s fault for spamming “aaaaah”!

They were the ones who led me astray, sob sob.

I avoided his gaze and mumbled, “Crown Prince Brother.”

“Come here.”

He gently brushed the loose strands of hair from my forehead. His fingertips didn’t touch even the slightest bit of my skin.

He had such a proper sense of boundaries. How could he possibly be the way the barrage described?

I followed behind him step by step.

“What made you think of coming over today?”

I definitely couldn’t say it was because I came to seduce you.

I bit my lip. “They said you were ill, so I came to see you.”

He sat opposite me, propped his head on one hand, and smiled, as if encouraging me to continue.

I placed the food box I had brought on the table.

Inside were osmanthus cakes I had made myself, along with a small jar of wine.

He picked up an osmanthus cake and tasted it, while I sat across from him, restless and uneasy.

“Is it good?” I asked, just to say something.

He tilted his head slightly, his dark gaze colliding with mine. “Wanwan made these?”

I nodded.

I had spent two days learning and had made them specially today.

Originally, my plan had been to drink the aphrodisiac in the carriage. By the time I arrived at Crown Prince Brother’s place, the drug would take effect right on schedule.

As the saying went, when a woman chases a man, there’s only a veil between them.

On top of that, I was his future Crown Princess, so he definitely wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.

Once the rice was cooked, I could demand that he take responsibility for me, and then we could officially get married!

But…

When I was hesitating in the carriage earlier, I hadn’t actually drunk the wine.

Next time. Next time.

I’d put the plan into action next time.

I had to show a little restraint.

My head was full of nonsense, and just as I finally sorted out my thoughts and snapped back to myself, my pupils shrank.

Why had he poured himself a cup of wine?!

I hurriedly pressed down on his hand, my voice trembling. “Crown Prince Brother, you’re sick. You really shouldn’t drink.”

He looked at me deeply and said gently, “It’s fine. I can’t let Wanwan’s kind intentions go to waste.”

He put extra emphasis on the words “kind intentions.”

I suspected he knew something.

I still wanted to stop him, but he took the cup with his other hand and drained it in one go.

He drank too quickly. A few lingering drops of wine slipped into his robe, dampening his thin collar and diffusing faint wisps of wine fragrance.

He drank it!!

Xie Jingchu turned his wrist, and the hand I had been holding down instantly reversed our positions, firmly catching mine instead.

“Wanwan, are you nervous?”

I stammered, “N-No, not at all. I’m not nervous in the slightest.”

“Is that so?”

I nodded like a chicken pecking at grain. “Mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm. I’m not nervous at all.”

Xie Jingchu pressed the pad of his finger against my lips.

This was the first time he had ever been this intimate with me.

In the past, he had always kept a proper distance.

Could the medicine already be taking effect?

I remembered the one I bought wasn’t supposed to work this fast. Sob.

“And you still say you’re not nervous.” He lifted me onto his lap and said helplessly, “With so little courage, you still dared to drug me?”

My eyes widened. “How did you know?!”

He tugged open my collar and sighed softly. “All your thoughts are written across your face. When will Wanwan ever grow up?”

I was shocked. “Was it really that obvious?”

He lowered his eyes. “Mm.”

“You knew! Then why did you drink it!!!”

[Hahahahaha, our good girl is so cute. The second she walked in, she was sneaking around like a guilty puppy, her eyes constantly darting toward the wine pot. The moment Xie Jingchu looked over, she pretended nothing was going on. Who wouldn’t be able to tell?]

[She actually questioned the male lead with a straight face. Is she not afraid of being punished on the spot? Wuwuwu, childhood-sweetheart pure love is the absolute best. I’m dying from the sweetness.]

[The male lead is already touching her, so why isn’t the female lead resisting? Speechless. Can’t watch this anymore, I’m leaving.]

[Are you sick, commenter above? Hurry up and get lost. How are this young couple bothering you? Is your life so miserable that you have to pick fights everywhere? I’m dead.]

The bullet comments were arguing.

Xie Jingchu’s palm covered me, and he chuckled softly by my ear. “Because our Wanwan has grown up.”

!!!

A moment ago, he had said I hadn’t grown up.

Now he was saying I had.

Those two “grown ups” clearly didn’t mean the same thing.

The bullet comments before my eyes suddenly vanished.

The last one I saw was: [What the hell? There’s a censorship system too? Am I supposed to imagine it myself? Help! No black screen! Don’t you dare black out!!!]

The viewers in the bullet comments were frantic.

I was frantic too.

I clenched his arm, my voice shaking. “Crown Prince Brother, can I regret it now?”

He leaned down and pinched my chin. “No. Wanwan did something wrong, so she has to be punished.”

“But…”

He murmured in a low voice, “Can Wanwan really bear to let me suffer?”

Regret.

If I’d known, I would have brought the antidote with me!

“Wanwan, don’t cry.” Xie Jingchu kissed away my tears. “Why are you crying even harder? Is our Wanwan made of water?”

Wait.

I seemed to remember someone saying he was sick.

How did he look even the slightest bit sick right now?!