Volume One, Chapter 15: Then What Is It About Me That You Like?

Inside the Pavilion at the Center of the Lake.

Yun Yi gently cupped her cheeks, forcing herself to calm down.

The impact of a pure love like white moonlight was truly extraordinary!

Chi Mei crossed her arms, her eyes filled with disdain.

“Useless. Just one look from Cui Xingze and you’re completely captivated?”

“Can’t you have some ambition? If you keep going like this, when you divorce in the future, you’ll only suffer more.”

Yun Yi sighed deeply, resigned. “What can I do? I just happen to like him.”

Especially the way Cui Xingze looked at her just now—she would never forget it in her life.

“Even if you can’t forget, you have to. Haven’t you understood the situation in the court today?”

Indeed.

Now was not the time for sentimental attachments.

In the early days of the Great Sheng dynasty, to win over the noble families, many privileges were granted to the aristocracy.

Even the laws and regulations created favored the powerful clans.

As Great Sheng grew stronger, so did the influence of the noble families.

To curb the continuous expansion of their power, Yun Yi vaguely recalled that when her father was on the throne, he had attempted reform.

But it ended in failure.

The great noble houses would never allow reform, because if it succeeded, it would shake their status.

The Cui family, as the head of the noble clans, would inevitably oppose her if she pushed for new laws.

The path of reform was urgent and arduous.

Yun Yi gazed at the shimmering lake surface and murmured, “Can we really succeed in pushing through reform?”

A flicker of determination passed through Chi Mei’s eyes. “We definitely can. This is Father’s dying wish, and we must fulfill it.”

Yun Yi silently encouraged herself, “Yes, we absolutely can!”

Now, most of the high-ranking officials in court came from noble families, while children of humble origins found it extremely difficult to rise.

Even the top scholar of the imperial examination could only be assigned a minor official post.

Due to different backgrounds, even if one possessed great talent and strategy, breaking free from the shackles of status was impossible.

Yun Yi turned to return to her seat.

But after only two steps, she heard a coquettish voice call out, “Third Young Master!”

“You little devil, do you miss me?”

“Yes…”

“Then let me serve Lady Rong properly.”

“Naughty…”

Yun Yi’s pupils constricted in shock. What on earth was going on?

She was standing near a rockery beside the pavilion, and the voices came from behind it.

If she went out now, would she be silenced?

Cautiously, Yun Yi tiptoed, planning to slip away unnoticed while the two were distracted.

She had no desire to witness their lewd antics!

Suddenly, her arm was yanked forcefully and her mouth was covered.

“Ugh!” She struggled fiercely.

Chi Mei thought: “It’s that damn Cui Xingze. Damn him! Could he be trying to assassinate you secretly?”

Yun Yi looked up and indeed saw Cui Xingze.

“Shh!” Cui Xingze made a shushing gesture.

The space they hid in was cramped and they were very close.

She felt enveloped by his presence. She tried to shift aside, but he held her firmly, preventing any movement.

“Hmm… Third Young Master!”

“How about it, am I more impressive or the Emperor?”

“Of course you are, Third Young Master. The Emperor just can’t perform…”

“Hmm…”

The unbearable sounds repeated incessantly nearby, and Yun Yi covered her ears in distress.

Even so, she could still hear them.

It was maddening!

Suddenly, she was pulled into a warm embrace.

He buried her head against his chest, his cloak tightly wrapping them both, his hands gently covering her ears.

He held her a little too tightly, and the sound of his heartbeat filled her ears.

Two wildly pounding hearts thumped against each other in unison.

In that moment, Yun Yi couldn’t tell whose heartbeat she was hearing—hers or Cui Xingze’s.

Chi Mei frowned. “Cui Xingze dares to seduce you?”

Yun Yi’s ears were blocked by the heartbeat, unable to hear Chi Mei’s voice at all.

Chi Mei could only fret anxiously on the sidelines.

She silently vowed to eliminate Cui Xingze one day.

With that scoundrel around, seventeen-year-old Yun Yi never had any self-control.

Desire was a double-edged sword!

She didn’t know how long they stayed like that before her legs suddenly went weak.

Cui Xingze quickly wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her. “Are your legs numb?”

His chin brushed her head, and when she looked up, she met the dark, ink-black depths of his eyes.

“Are they done?”

Cui Xingze nodded. “Yes.”

Chi Mei fumed silently. “Fool! They finished a long time ago.”

Yun Yi lowered her head. If it was already over, why hadn’t Cui Xingze said so earlier?

Chi Mei: “Fool! What else could it be? He just wants to take advantage of you.”

Yun Yi didn’t believe Cui Xingze was that shallow.

She slowly put some distance between them and rested her hands on the rockery.

“It’s getting late. Let’s go back.”

As she took a step, her legs gave way again.

“Don’t force yourself if you can’t walk.”

Without a word, Cui Xingze lifted her fully into his arms from behind.

He gently laid her down on a nearby stone table, crouching to massage her calves.

“Numb legs need a massage to recover faster.”

His head bowed, his black hair cascading down.

The wind lifted his hairband, which lightly brushed his cheek like a tiny claw.

Yun Yi instinctively reached up to fix it.

When she lowered her head, she collided with a pair of deep, burning eyes.

She quickly dropped the hairband and averted her gaze, not daring to look at him.

A gentle breeze rustled the treetops, carrying soft murmurs.

“Your Highness, shall we live peacefully from now on?”

His voice was low, rich, and clear, tinged with a quiet plea.

Yun Yi’s heart fluttered. What did he mean by that?

Chi Mei: “Who cares what he means? It’s definitely not good.”

“Cui Xingze, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you.”

A complex emotion flashed through Yun Yi’s eyes.

“That night, you must have known Ye Yicheng was hiding under the bed, yet you chose to turn a blind eye. And despite the many favorites tormenting you daily in the Princess’s residence, you accepted it all.”

She turned to meet his gaze.

“Why did you endure all this?”

Her watery eyes reflected confusion and disbelief.

Cui Xingze’s eyes flickered. “Because… I admire Your Highness.”

Chi Mei shouted angrily: “Nonsense! Yun Yi, don’t be fooled by him!”

Admire again?

He said the same at the banquet earlier.

Yun Yi simply couldn’t understand. The future version of herself was full of scandals. What was there to admire?

Even as a wife, she was unworthy.

Why would his white moonlight prefer someone like Chi Mei?

Chi Mei protested: “Who talks trash about others like that?”

“Well… when did you start liking me? And what do you like about me?”

Cui Xingze hesitated, as if recalling something, at times smiling, at times helpless.

Though he had much to say, he seemed unsure where to begin.

“I don’t know exactly when it started.”

His eyes brimmed with endless affection.

“In short, every frown and smile of Your Highness, anything about you, I cherish.”

Chi Mei: “That answer is way too sloppy!”

Yun Yi arched an eyebrow. “Really? Then do you also like the way I beam with joy when admitting favorites to the residence?”

Cui Xingze choked, a trace of grievance flashing in his eyes. “Must Your Highness ruin the mood at a time like this?”