Liu Ruyan was kneeling in front of a small table beside the couch, looking down at a secret letter delivered by the Flower-Between Pavilion.
Today she was wearing a frosty-colored jacket with a front opening, over which was a thin Shu brocade skirt. The neckline wasn't high, but when she lowered her head, the skin on the back of her neck was dazzlingly white, and a wisp of hair hung down beside her neck, gently clinging to it with her breath.
Gu Moran stared for a while, then suddenly turned to the side and brought his face close to the back of that neck.
Liu Ruyan's pen stopped.
"My husband."
"Um?"
"Stop fooling around, I'm reading a letter."
"I know." Gu Moran didn't back down. "You read the letter, and I'll read you."
Liu Ruyan slowly turned her face.
Her face was the most expressive, her eyes could bewitch anyone when she smiled, but right now she wasn't smiling, she was just looking at him very seriously.
"Is my husband hearing this?"
"Mmm, your wife smells wonderful today."
"This is just the most common incense from the Flower-Between Pavilion." Liu Ruyan reached out, touched his forehead with the back of her finger, then withdrew it. "My husband has been incredibly idle these past two days."
"Not free."
"What are you trying to do, my husband, by getting so close?"
Gu Moran smiled, a very frank smile, "Of course it's you."
Liu Ruyan's ears turned bright red instantly.
She was usually able to joke with the prince until the very last word, but when Gu Moran said it so bluntly, she couldn't hold back.
She stuffed the letter into her sleeve, then got up to leave, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.
Gu Moran reached out and grabbed her sleeve.
Have you finished reading the letter?
"... No."
"Then sit down and watch." Gu Moran pressed her back down in front of the small table, then lay back down himself, looking very proper. "I won't move."
Liu Ruyan sat down, but she sat half a foot away from the couch.
Behind the large desk by the window, Su Yao was rapidly calculating with the abacus beads, clicking away without even looking up.
"Your Highness."
"Um?"
"The accounts for the aftermath of the lantern market settlement, including damages to three stalls, cleaning wages, and medicine for injuries, totaled forty-seven taels and three mace." Su Yao pushed the abacus beads aside.
Gu Moran looked at her.
Su Yao's hair was combed very tightly today, with a hairpin holding it all back, revealing her entire face. Her eyebrows and eyes were the calmest among the six ladies, but she had a habit of unconsciously pursing her lips when she spoke.
" Yao'er."
"The prince said."
"You look good when you're doing the math."
The abacus beads snapped again; this time it was wrong.
Su Yao lowered her head and flicked the bead back, her voice flat, "Your Highness, I need to send this ledger to the Prefect Si for verification."
"I know."
"If Your Highness says such things again, my fate will be recalculated."
"Then, Madam, please be more serious."
Su Yao raised her hand and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.
Her ears were red, but she kept her face composed.
Gu Moran really enjoyed seeing her like this; the contrast between her in bed and out of bed was striking.
Shen Ling'er came in carrying a bowl of medicine.
She placed the medicine bowl on the small table beside the couch, her voice turning noticeably colder.
"Your Highness."
" Ling'er is here." Gu Moran immediately sat up and took the medicine bowl.
Shen Ling'er stared at him.
"I stood outside the door for a while."
"What are you doing standing outside? It's cold."
"Listen to Your Highness teasing Sister Liu and Sister Yao." Shen Ling'er rolled up her sleeves and grabbed his wrist. "How many doses of the cooling medicine I prescribed for Your Highness have you taken?"
Third mate.
Shen Ling'er pressed her fingers on his burqa for a while, and then her brows furrowed.
"His pulse is getting stronger." She looked up at him. "Has Your Highness eaten something I don't know about again?"
Gu Moran the medicine in one gulp, smacking her lips in disgust at the bitterness.
"I didn't eat."
"Then where does this qi and blood come from?"
"Didn't you replenish my fluids? So you have to help me release the pent-up tension."
Shen Ling'er's face turned red with anger.
Her blushing appearance piqued Gu Moran's interest.
He put down the empty bowl, reached out and hooked her wrist, pulling her half an inch closer to his chest.
" Ling'er, you have some dark circles under your eyes these past few days."
"... I'm rushing to prepare Rhodiola rosea medicine."
"Don't stay up late, you need to get a good night's sleep." Gu Moran's hand remained on her wrist. "Look, your hands are all cold."
Shen Ling'er tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't.
She looked up at him, the anger in her eyes gradually turning into shame and annoyance, and she hurriedly lowered her gaze again.
"Your Highness, let go."
"I won't let go."
" Sister Liu and Sister Yao are both here."
They are very busy.
Liu Ruyan obediently turned her face towards the window.
Su Yao started using the abacus beads even faster.
Shen Ling'er's face turned red from her ears all the way to her neck. She raised her other hand and punched Gu Moran's shoulder once, then once, with barely any force, like patting off dust.
"Your Highness is shameless!"
"When I was shameless, weren't you quite --"
"Shut up!"
Shen Ling'er was stunned when she shouted this. She then pulled her hand away, put the medicine bowl on the plate, turned around and walked out. But when she got to the door, she turned back, picked up the plate, and left.
The curtain was lifted and fell, bringing in a gust of cold wind.
Gu Moran lay back down, the restlessness in her heart intensifying.
He was wondering why it wasn't dark yet and which brothel he should go to tonight when he heard hurried footsteps outside, accompanied by a crisp, urgent voice.
"Your Highness! Your Highness, you must do something about him!"
Yun Shuyue grabbed a child by the back of the collar with one hand and kicked open the curtain as she entered.
Today she was wearing that light red, high-waisted dress with a yellow vest over it, and her snowman hat was askew on her head. She had been running all the way, and the tip of her nose was red from the cold, with sweat on her forehead.
The child she was carrying was Tiedan.
Tiedan was wearing a clean blue cotton jacket today, a rare sight, which Auntie Zhao had made for him. However, there were already two patches of mud on the front of the jacket.
He was being lifted by the back of his collar, his feet dangling off the ground, still kicking in mid-air.
"Put me down! You idiot boss!"
"What did you call me?" Yun Shuyue shook him.
"You idiot boss!"
Yun Shuyue was both angry and anxious. She put him on the ground and pointed at him.
"Your Highness, listen to this, I brought him back from the school."
Teacher Li said he hadn't memorized anything for three days, and today he even drew a turtle on his copy of the Thousand Character Classic.
Tiedan landed on the ground, shook his clothes, and raised his head.
What's wrong with drawing a turtle?
The gentleman asked you why you drew a turtle.
"The teacher reads slowly, so I drew a turtle for him."
Yun Shuyue felt a lump in her throat and reached out to grab his ear.
Tiedan Dan ducked under her arm, darted to the small table in front of the couch, and glanced at it.
On the small table was a plate of afternoon snacks prepared for Gu Moran, which included a braised chicken.
Tiedan reached out and grabbed a chicken leg.
"Hey! That belongs to the prince!"
Tiedan has already taken a bite.
The way he ate was completely at odds with his clean clothes. He devoured half a chicken leg in one bite, oil dripping down his chin. He wiped it with his sleeve and took a second bite.
Gu Moran looked at him, remembered her childhood, and suddenly smiled.
This kid is quite interesting.