Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C082

No one knew what courage Mei Wushuang had mustered to ask such a question. She knew Prince Wei would surely be displeased, perhaps even enraged, but she had to ask clearly before she could know what to do.

"Why do you ask? Are you concerned about this matter?"

She lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

"Why would you be concerned about this matter?"

He did not allow her to evade, lifting her chin. He saw her eyelashes trembling anxiously, her delicate pink lips quivering as well. Clearly terrified, she still persisted in asking.

"If you do not answer, this Prince will not answer you either."

A delicate blush instantly spread from the roots of her ears, dyeing her entire face red, yet her demeanor was utterly pitiful.

She hesitated for a long while before stammering, "Last night, Your Highness said, said that when I was with… in the bathing chamber, Your Highness was also…"

"You are concerned about this?"

Of course, she was concerned. Besides shock and embarrassment, she was even more afraid that the situation would be reversed, that last night she and Prince Wei had been like that… If Ji Yang were to find out about this, Mei Wushuang could scarcely imagine how he would react.

She did not speak the words, but her expression revealed everything.

Prince Wei's gaze was obscure, but his fingers gently caressed her face. "If you are worried about these things, you need not fret too much. He was asleep last night."

She hastily asked, "Does Your Highness mean that after he fell asleep, Your Highness could emerge, or after Your Highness fell asleep, he could emerge? Is that how it is?"

Prince Wei, seeing the anxiety on her face, said distractedly, "One could say so."

Wushuang breathed a sigh of relief, but then she realized, "Then why did Your Highness say that last night…"

Did it need to be said? Naturally, he was deceiving her, silly girl!

If that sentence had not brought such a great shock to Wushuang, she would not have lost her mental guard at that time, allowing someone to take advantage of her vulnerability. Moreover, that sentence was actually a hint, but Wushuang did not yet understand this hint.

"Are you afraid he will find out about last night's events? Or do you feel you have betrayed him?"

At this moment, Wushuang could not bother being angry that Prince Wei had actually deceived her. The other party's two consecutive questions overwhelmed her.

"I…"

"Could it be that you have forgotten you are also this Prince's Princess Consort?"

Of course, she remembered. Prince Wei had said so much last night, how could she forget? It was just that she was truly afraid Ji Yang would find out. She did not know what she was afraid of. Clearly, the body was one person, but inside were two souls. Clearly, the two souls were his own problem, yet these problems plagued her…

"Actually, you need not be afraid," Prince Wei smoothed the hair at her temples, his tone changing. "As long as you do not speak, and this Prince does not speak, how could he possibly know?"

"But…"

Wouldn't that be deception?

Prince Wei seemed to know what she was thinking, raising an eyebrow. "Then should I tell him what happened?"

"Don't…" She hurriedly reached out to grasp his hand.

Prince Wei sighed softly, brushing snowflakes from her shoulder, and said gently, "Since the Princess Consort does not wish this Prince to speak, this Prince will not speak, and will certainly help Princess Consort conceal it."

***

In the end, this matter was not resolved. The only thing that made Wushuang feel fortunate was that Ji Yang did not know about this matter. In addition, she also clarified one thing: although Prince Wei and Ji Yang could coexist, if one of them did not wish it, the two sides did not communicate.

She and Prince Wei walked outside for a while longer before returning.

In the eyes of Fusheng and Linglong, it seemed that last night had not caused any conflict between His Highness and the Princess Consort; on the contrary, it had brought them closer.

Snow fell outside, and there was nowhere to go. Mei Wushuang did not rise until noon, and naturally, she did not feel like taking a midday nap at this moment.

After Prince Wei returned, he was again reading the court gazettes. Mei Wushuang, feeling truly bored, found a storybook and leaned against the couch, flipping through its pages.

Upon the gilded kirin-shaped brazier with four feet, a cover of the same color rested. The charcoal inside burned brightly, quietly radiating warmth, creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

It seemed someone had arrived. Mei Wushuang glanced towards the hall door, and before long, Fusheng led Little Douzi in, carrying a food box.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has sent some fresh fruits, so succulent and vibrant, including grapes, peaches, and dates."

It was the depths of winter outside, with snow falling, yet there were such fresh fruits?

Little Douzi opened the food box, and Mei Wushuang saw the purples, radiantly beautiful, the pinks, delicately tender, and the greens, pleasing to the eye, filling her with joy at the sight.

Prince Wei glanced over and said, "Wash them and bring them here."

Fusheng responded crisply, "Yes," and instructed Little Douzi to take them away to be washed.

Afterwards, Mei Wushuang became somewhat absent-minded.

Before long, Little Douzi brought the fruit platter. Prince Wei gestured to the right side of the low table. Little Douzi carried it over and placed it down, then helped to tidy up the surrounding clutter.

So, they were for him to eat, not for her.

Mei Wushuang felt a little disappointed. It wasn't that she was particularly greedy, but the charcoal fire made the air too dry in winter, and the fact that there were fresh fruits in winter made it seem all the more rare and special.

"Come here."

She blinked, looking over. Was he calling her?

"You will not partake?"

Mei Wushuang hurried over and sat down on one side of the low table.

"Your Highness, you will not eat?"

"Fruits are juicy. This Prince is currently reviewing documents. You eat."

Mei Wushuang first ate a peach, then a date. Both made noise when eaten, a crunching sound. Afraid of disturbing Prince Wei as he reviewed his documents, she then went to eat the grapes.

She truly loved eating grapes, and these grapes were very sweet, without a hint of sourness. Although it was freezing outside, the hall was warm as spring. The grapes were icy to the touch, truly a sensation of ice and fire. After eating a grape, Mei Wushuang immediately felt less dry and parched.

He had given such delicious grapes for her to eat. Mei Wushuang ate almost half a bunch before remembering Prince Wei beside her.

She looked up and saw him staring at her… mouth or hand? Did he also want to eat?

"Your Highness, will you eat?" she asked tentatively, picking up a grape.

He furrowed his brow, seemingly disliking it, and said, "Although grapes are delicious, they are too juicy."

Grapes were indeed juicy. Every time she ate them, her hands were sticky. Like Mei Wushuang's hands now, covered in juice. He was looking at documents and indeed could not be like this.

But Mei Wushuang felt that Prince Wei really wanted to eat. She hesitated for a moment, "How about I feed Your Highness?"

As the words left her mouth, Mei Wushuang immediately wanted to take them back, but Prince Wei nodded. "That would also be acceptable."

In this way, Mei Wushuang was now in a difficult position. Had she brought this upon herself?

Summoning her courage, she fed Prince Wei a grape. Although they were seated together, they were not exactly close, and for this, Mei Wushuang had deliberately moved closer to his side.

Prince Wei ate the grape, which contained seeds. Wushuang, seeing him searching for a place to discard the seeds, subconsciously extended her hand. He spat the seeds into her palm.

Suddenly, Wushuang recalled a scene from her previous life.

It was a summer day, and there were grapes. He was reading a book, and she was sitting in his lap, feeding him grapes. Now that she thought about it, after being reborn, she had hardly ever seen Ji Yang reading. Why had she been so certain then that he was Ji Yang, and not Emperor Qianwu?

But Emperor Qianwu had three palaces and six courtyards of consorts, so why would he bother to make things difficult for a married woman? What did he want from her? They had never even had any interactions. Or had she mistaken him for someone else from the very beginning, and simply not realized it?

Wushuang's head ached from thinking. While she was in a daze, he suddenly pulled her onto his lap.

"Does the Princess Consort find it easier to feed this Prince in this manner?"

It was indeed easier. She was just thinking when, unexpectedly, the same events from her past replayed themselves.

Mei Wushuang absentmindedly peeled grapes, occasionally feeding him one, and then eating one herself, creating a harmonious scene. But as she ate, she began to sense something amiss. Each time she fed him, he would graze her fingertips with his teeth. He held a dossier in his hand, watching it with focused attention, yet the hand encircling her waist wandered unconsciously, gradually moving higher.

Her hands were covered in juice, and she wanted to stop him but couldn't bring herself to use her hands. She could only say urgently, "Your Highness..."

"What is it?" He set down the dossier and picked up one of her hands, examining it. "Did I soil my Princess Consort's hand and make you uncomfortable?"

He picked up a hand towel from the side and wiped her hand, wiping each finger meticulously. For some reason, Wushuang felt increasingly guilty and short of breath, her cheeks growing redder.

"Just now, Princess Consort fed this Prince. How about this Prince feeds Princess Consort now?"

Wushuang was wondering how he intended to feed her when she saw him pick up a grape. With a gentle bite and suck, only the skin remained. He lowered his head and leaned in, feeding the grape into her mouth.

She couldn't bring herself to eat it, nor could she bear to refuse. Just as she was contemplating taking a bite, he insisted on snatching it away from her. If she didn't want it, he would pester her to share the grape's juice.

After several dozen breaths, she could no longer restrain her soft pants. He maintained a facade of propriety, yet only the hand kneading and caressing her slender waist betrayed a hint of the greed within his heart.

"Your Highness, please, there are people outside..." She pushed him away, pleading in a soft voice.

He stroked her back, while his other large hand simultaneously slipped beneath the edge of her garments.

This time, Wushuang could not endure it any longer and hastily reached out to stop him.

"Hush, Fusheng is outside." He reminded her in a low voice.

Therefore, she dared not speak, and could only look at him with a flushed face, shaking her head and pleading.

Prince Wei suddenly said, "The Princess Consort is full of worries. Has she never considered one thing?"

"What thing?" Her voice seemed to be squeezed from the depths of her throat.

He said casually, "The Princess Consort has so many concerns, why has she never considered that he and I are essentially one person?"

One person?

How could that be? Clearly, they are two souls!

But in her previous life, she 'seemed to have mistaken the person,' which truly made Mei Wushuang's heart terribly confused. Just thinking about these things turned her mind into a muddled mess.

She was in a daze when she suddenly felt a chill, and then...

Though there was clearly no wind, the curtains beside her swayed twice.

She looked at Prince Wei's face in shock. Prince Wei's face was somewhat flushed, and he gently stroked her back, helping her to sit properly.

He lowered his head slightly, intimately kissing her temple, his voice low as he said, "Fusheng is standing just outside the door, and your maidservants seem to be as well."

Mei Wushuang followed his gaze, and indeed, from that angle, she could vaguely see figures outside. Only a beaded curtain, both concealing and revealing, made everything appear indistinct, yet any movement within would surely be heard outside.

"Rest assured," he said, "since you do not wish this Prince to speak of it, this Prince will certainly help you conceal it."

In the midst of it all, Fusheng entered to replenish Prince Wei's tea, only to see the Princess Consort leaning intimately in His Highness's embrace, the two of them reading a book together. He couldn't help but feel exceedingly pleased.

How wonderful, His Highness finally had someone who knew how to care for him!

His face alight with joy, he quietly placed the tea and retreated, failing to notice the somewhat strange expression on his Princess Consort's face, the small hand supporting His Highness's arm trembling faintly. Nor did he notice a garment that seemed to have fallen to the floor behind the desk.

***

She didn't know how many times she had pleaded with him by his ear before he finally released her.

Afterwards, Mei Wushuang, her legs weak, went to the bathing chamber, not even daring to summon a maidservant.

She felt that something was amiss, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Everything was too chaotic at the moment, and she hadn't gleaned any more useful information from Prince Wei. She simply didn't know what to do, and could only take things one step at a time. The only thing she was certain of was that, under the current circumstances, Ji Yang must never know about this matter.

If he were to find out, if he were to fall ill and go mad… the thought alone sent shivers down Mei Wushuang's spine.

After leaving, Prince Wei maintained his facade of uprightness. Mei Wushuang had never imagined that he could be like this.

Was this truly Prince Wei, the Emperor Qianwu of her previous life?

Though such thoughts occupied her mind, seeing that he was still sitting there, and fearing that they would be discovered, she urged him softly, her face flushed, "I'm finished, you should go quickly."

"This Prince is not in a hurry."

Mei Wushuang was somewhat bewildered. How could he not be in a hurry? She hastily went over to push him.

"You must go quickly, if someone sees…"

"Sees what?"

First, her face flushed crimson, then she glared at him. As she glared, her eyes welled up with tears, but she remained silent, simply staring at him.

Seeing that he had bullied her to such an extent, Prince Wei's heart softened once more. He said gently, "This Prince was teasing you. I'll go now."

When he emerged, having tidied himself, it was as if nothing had happened. Whether or not something had truly occurred, only they knew in their hearts.

Soon, evening arrived, and Mei Wushuang felt somewhat restless, constantly glancing at Prince Wei.

Prince Wei knew what she was looking at. Just as someone was causing a commotion, he used it as an excuse to leave for a while, returning with a different soul inhabiting his body.

Mei Wushuang could tell that the person had changed, but she still cautiously observed Ji Yang's expression.

"What's wrong with you today? Why do you keep looking at this Prince?"

"It's nothing, I was just wondering when this snow will stop."

"What, are you feeling stifled?" he asked.

"Not really, I was just thinking that we were originally supposed to be winter hunting, but now we're all stuck here because of the snow. If it snows for another two days, I'm afraid it won't be convenient for the capital to send food here. I wonder how much food this villa has prepared? And what about those living outside the villa? So many people, how much food do they eat every day? I wonder how many days we can last."

She had only said it casually to change the subject, but Ji Yang's expression suddenly turned serious.