After saying this, she walked out of the inn, knocked on the door of the clothing shop across the street in the middle of the night, was cursed at by the shopkeeper, and finally bought all the clothes a man would wear.

Liu Changning pushed open the door with a black face. The troublemaker was staring blankly at the wooden door with his ink-black eyes. Seeing her return, his eyes flowed with light, as brilliant as the stars.

The joy on his face couldn’t be fake.

Liu Changning’s advancing footsteps paused, and she gave him a strange look.

Could it be that this person had mistaken her for his wife-master again tonight? But that wasn’t right either. He had called her by her courtesy name earlier, and there was no smell of alcohol.

Liu Changning handed him the clothes and turned her back.

Pei Yuanshao grinned, his eyes filled with smiles.

The clothes in front of him were neatly folded, with undergarments and outer garments all complete, all bought according to his usual style of dress.

He suddenly remembered three years ago, in Huashi Town, also in an inn, she had also bought him thin clothes.

At that time, she seemed so poor that she couldn’t even afford to eat, yet she was willing to buy him a brocade robe. Now, her whole person was different, but her personality remained unchanged, “Be poor yourself, but don’t let your family be poor.”

These were the words she had said back then. He thought he could only reminisce about such gentleness for the rest of his life, but he never expected… she was still here…

All the gentleness was still there!

How could he bear to let go of such a Liu Cang Yun? This time they met again, he would be more proactive.

Although she couldn’t… um, was sexually cold, as the saying goes, even a chaste woman fears a persistent man. The plays say that if a man is more proactive, a woman will definitely be unable to resist.

Although today’s seduction failed, there’s still next time on the long road ahead!

In the life of Mingde Changdi Qing, there was only moving forward without retreat, never backing down.

—

On the Eight Immortals table, a candle was lit.

Liu Changning ordered the waitress to bring a pot of tea into the room. In the flickering candlelight, her cold features were hidden in the shadows.

Her slender hand held the teacup, bringing it to her lips. Unexpectedly, the teacup was avoided.

Liu Changning’s brow furrowed slightly, and she looked up at him with displeasure.

“Your Highness is in high spirits tonight, going to great lengths. Do you have urgent matters?”

After speaking, she picked up the teapot and took the blue porcelain teacup from the edge of the table. She made to pour herself another cup of tea.

Pei Yuanshao quickly reached out and snatched the teapot from her hand as well.

He pressed down his upturned lips three points: “You shouldn’t drink tea at night. Would Cang Yun like some plain water instead?”

Without waiting for her agreement, he turned and poured her a cup of hot water, placing it on the table.

Liu Changning raised an eyebrow, looking at his bony fingers with distinct knuckles, and after a while, raised her eyes to look at him: “Your Highness, if there’s nothing else, it’s best to leave. The night is getting deep…”

She rubbed her forehead, feigning fatigue: “This commoner… wants to retire for the night.”

She was driving him away!

Pei Yuanshao curled his lips, grinning brightly, his eyes alluring and enchanting: “Mm, this prince is tired too. Why don’t we retire together?”

Liu Changning clenched her fist, glancing at his perky buttocks, anger rising in her eyes. She laughed in extreme anger: “Retire? Does Your Highness still remember what you said to Cang Yun that day? Tonight, are you going to have me be a substitute again?”

She leaned forward across the Eight Immortals table: “I’ll ask you one last time, what’s your intention?”

Pei Yuanshao was forced back onto the embroidered stool, but he wasn’t afraid. After all, he had already lost all face as a man in front of her. The woman before him was different from other women; threats and temptations couldn’t make her fall in love.

Only seducing her with his body could succeed. He had tried it before; he wanted to make her unable to leave him… his body.

The Emperor’s Consort’s peach blossom eyes flashed with a meaningful light, quickly concealed. He shamelessly wrapped his arms around her waist.

Liu Changning was caught off guard and was pulled to sit on his closed legs.

In the candlelight, the man rested his head on her shoulder, smiling like a cat that had stolen cream, unrestrained and flamboyant, his eyes brimming with light.

Liu Changning pressed her lips together, her anger having nowhere to go. She stared at him coldly, snorting heavily, her fingers clenched into a fist, but for some reason, it didn’t fall on his body.

The veteran who didn’t understand men’s thoughts, her facial expression flattened.

She narrowed her eyes, about to break free, but Pei Yuanshao was quick to wrap his arms around her, restraining her body.

His lips moved, his voice low and deep, as mellow as the sound of a zither.

He said: “Cang Yun, I’m a bit tired. Let me lean on you for a while. I’ll tell you a story, alright?”

Liu Changning didn’t move, because his hands were tightly wrapped around her waist, and in her ear was his urgent plea.

He said he was tired.

It must be truly tired!

Thinking of Master Jia’s letter about the Emperor’s Consort’s inhumane training and life, Liu Changning could almost foresee the thorny path he had trodden in his short half-life.

Borrowing a shoulder for him to rest on.

She narrowed her eyes, lowered her hand, and listened quietly.

“I don’t remember clearly the woman’s face. All women in my eyes only have identity and name. They are plump or slender, beautiful or ugly. It has little to do with me.”

He smiled faintly and said, “When I was ten years old, I underwent rigorous training. The alluring fragrance of women has no effect on me. The Empress Mother said that as the eldest, only by cutting off thoughts of women could I wholeheartedly assist my younger sister.”

Liu Changning stared at him for a moment, her delicate eyebrows furrowing into two small wrinkles.

Pei Yuanshao raised his hand, smoothing out her brows, a faint smile spreading in his eyes: “Unfortunately, the Empress Mother calculated a thousand times, ten thousand times, but missed that human love is more deadly than alluring fragrance.”

“You fell in love with your wife-master?” Liu Changning asked slowly, her voice carrying a trace of pity that she herself didn’t notice.

The man on her shoulder laughed dully: “Mm, I fell in love with my wife-master. At first, she had no face in my eyes, just a name, but then one day, she suddenly seemed like a different person. Not smiling easily, rigid and cold.”

“She said, men and women are all people, self-respect leads to independence. At that time, I thought, this person is really strange. As a proper woman, won’t she be held accountable by the village elders sooner or later for such bold words?”

Pei Yuanshao paused and looked at her sideways. In the candlelight, her expression stiffened slightly.

He continued smiling: “She said, don’t waste food, or you’ll be punished by heaven. At that time, I thought, if such a lady went out, she would definitely be criticized for being petty! But later, she became the first among the poor families, and all poor scholars in the world supported her! How strange!”

…

“Later, she divorced me with a letter. I had originally planned that if I finished the affairs in the capital, I would go back to find her! But… the second month after I left, I received news of her death. Her elder aunt burned down the old house in the west of the village, hurriedly saying she died in a fire, with no remains left.”

…

The man’s voice in the inn was low and deep, mellow and clear, lingering like a gentle stream.

Liu Changning sat rigid, his voice was faint, it should have been a relaxed narration, but Liu Changning felt as if a huge stone was pressing on her heart.

He raised his head, licked his dry lips, and looked at her seriously: “I regret it, wife-master. I recognized you early on, but because of too much timidity, I didn’t want to believe it, didn’t dare to acknowledge you. Can you forgive me… That day you said when you become the top scholar, your words about marrying me, do they still count?”

He looked at her dryly, his ink-black eyes clear and rippling, just like the starry sky.

Liu Changning opened her mouth, the big stone in her heart pressing so hard she could hardly breathe. Such heavy emotions, she was afraid she couldn’t give.

She was silent for a long time, until his gaze gradually dimmed.

Then she raised her eyes, meeting his gaze, her eyes filled with seriousness and caution, she said word by word: “My name is Liu Changning, courtesy name Cang Yun. If I took your body, I should marry you! But…”

Her fair fingertips slid over his peach blossom-like rippling eyes, crow-feather colored eyelashes, high straight nose bridge, finally landing on his pale lips. She rubbed hard until those two lips turned crimson red.

The furrowed brows relaxed, and she said softly: “I was originally a person outside the world, not understanding love. I don’t know if my feelings for you are love. If brother Shao doesn’t mind, are you willing to marry me, and slowly wait for me to fall in love?”

Pei Yuanshao’s ink-black eyes suddenly widened, he tremblingly clung to her hand, a word of agreement stuck in his throat.

The frantic knocking on the door outside the room interrupted his words.

“Cang Yun, something’s wrong… something’s happened!” The woman’s voice outside the door was shaking, her tone almost crying.

Liu Changning’s fingers reluctantly scraped his lips once, she said: “No rush! At the Qionglin Banquet, answer me then, alright?”

He nodded heavily.

The endless night was slightly cool, but Pei Yuanshao felt this night was so warm it almost burned his heart.

He hid behind the screen, curling his lips in a silent smile, his eyes spreading with brilliant starlight.