Early the next morning.
Outside Yelan's courtyard.
An elegant, dignified noblewoman approached at a graceful pace.
A maid who had been waiting at the entrance hurriedly bowed when she saw her:
"Madam."
In the Ye residence, only the head of the household's legal wife could be called Madam: Madam Xiao.
As for why she was called Madam Xiao rather than Madam Ye, that was another matter, one outsiders had no way of knowing about.
Madam Xiao was Yelan's birth mother. When she learned that morning that her daughter, who spent years away from home, had returned the previous night, she happily came to see her.
"Is Little Lan still asleep?"
"Yes, Madam. Miss is still resting."
"That girl. The sun is nearly shining on her backside, and she still doesn't know it."
Madam Xiao smiled gently, her extraordinarily beautiful face dazzling and captivating. Several maids stared at her in a daze.
"I'll go in and take a look. Wait here."
"Yes, Madam."
Madam Xiao entered the courtyard and came to the door of the room.
She knocked.
"Little Lan? Little Lan?"
There was no response.
"That child..."
She shook her head.
She gently pushed the door open and entered.
"Little Lan, you-!"
The sight before her took her by surprise.
Sunlight streamed through the window, filling the bedroom.
On the rumpled bed, a handsome man and a beautiful woman slept peacefully in each other's arms. The scene looked like a painting frozen in time.
"What's going on?!"
Madam Xiao was shocked.
Why was there a man in her daughter's bed?
When she came closer and saw the man's face clearly, she breathed a great sigh of relief.
"So it's Little Luo."
Then it wasn't strange. Not strange at all.
Madam Xiao couldn't help but chide them.
Those two were so old already, yet they still casually slept together.
Honestly...
However.
She felt no aversion to it.
On the contrary, the satisfaction in her eyes grew.
It was wonderful that Yelan and Shen Luolun could be together.
She had watched Little Luo grow up. He had good character, was immensely talented, and had been close to Yelan since they were childhood sweethearts.
She had long since decided he would be her son-in-law.
It didn't seem excessive for them to sleep together ahead of time.
Maybe she could even hold a grandchild sooner.
*Hehe*ヾ(^▽^*)))
But then again.
Her daughter had made her move quickly.
She had only mentioned the matter to her daughter a while ago. Yelan had said she didn't want to and that it was impossible, but last night she had already done the deed.
Tsk, tsk, such decisiveness.
Mm-hm, that's my daughter, all right. Wonderful!
Madam Xiao couldn't help smiling at the thought.
As for whether things had developed as she imagined, she had no doubts at all.
They had sneaked back late at night, and a man and woman were alone together in one room.
How could nothing have happened?!
Who wouldn't think they'd done it upon seeing this?
With that thought, Madam Xiao withdrew, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
After instructing the maids not to wake them, she left in high spirits.
The sun rose high in the sky.
The sunlight grew scorching, and the two people in bed slowly woke up.
"Mm..." x2
Yelan removed a certain someone's pig trotter from her chest, sat up, and yawned lazily.
She gently rubbed her eyes and looked at the dazzling sun outside the window.
She couldn't help squinting.
"Is it noon already?"
It was the first time she had slept so late.
In the past, her work had often required her to leave early and return late.
She had long since grown accustomed to it over the years.
Unless she had time off, she never broke that routine.
As for the reason.
Yelan looked at the man, who had propped himself halfway up, his hair a little curly, one shoulder exposed, and his eyes still bleary with sleep.
She couldn't help feeling a little resentful.
This guy really was right.
He doesn't have a single good sleeping habit!
Last night, not only had he kicked off the covers, he'd also pawed at her, treating her like a body pillow.
She hadn't been able to sleep at all.
Deep into the night, she finally couldn't take it anymore and knocked him out with a chop of her hand. Only then had things quieted down.
That was also why she had gotten up late.
"The sun's so bright. Is it noon already? Ohh..."
Shen Luolun stretched contentedly and yawned.
But then he rubbed the back of his neck and sucked in a sharp breath.
"Hiss... Why does my neck hurt a little?"
"That's strange. Did I sleep on it wrong last night?"
He looked at the woman.
Yelan's face was ice-cold, and she looked as though she had just murdered her own husband.
Shen Luolun couldn't resist poking her little dimple.
Mm, nice and springy.
"Shen! Luo! Lun!"
She spoke each word through nearly clenched teeth.
"Who said you could touch my face?!"
"So what?"
Shen Luolun's survival instinct kicked into overdrive, and he hurriedly resorted to the usual formula.
"We're bros. What's the big-"
Before he could finish, Yelan used a women's taekwondo move, clamping her thighs around his head, flipping him over, and pinning him beneath her.
"Bros? Who's your bro? You like taking liberties and acting like a bastard that much, huh? I'll beat you to death!"
"Hrrk, hrrk, hrrk-"
"I was wrong! I was wrong!"
With his mouth and nose blocked and unable to breathe, Shen Luolun hurriedly begged for mercy.
Ah... I'm going to drown in the sea.
After tormenting the bastard for half an hour, Yelan finally calmed down enough to let him go.
The two straightened their clothes, got out of bed, and washed up.
But even in the washroom, the two didn't settle down. Or rather, it was a certain Shen who wouldn't settle down, eager for revenge-
His antics included, but were not limited to, secretly splashing cold water down his bestie's collar, suddenly yelling while she was halfway through using the toilet, and ruffling her hair after she had finished combing it...
This series of death-seeking acts thoroughly infuriated Yelan.
So she punished a certain Shen again.
This time, the commotion in the washroom continued for more than two hours before it finally died down.
Yelan walked out of the room with a gloomy face.
Meanwhile, in the room behind her, Shen Luolun held ice against his face, baring his teeth as he did so. A bright red handprint was clearly visible on his face, enough to show how hard the person who had hit him had struck.
"Miss, Madam said that once you and Young Master Shen woke up, you should go to the morning hall to see her."
The maid bowed gracefully and spoke words that struck Yelan like a bolt of lightning.
"My mother? Wait, how did she know Shen Luolun was in there?"
The maid tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"Oh, Madam came by this morning. She gave us those instructions after coming out of your courtyard, Miss. I suppose she saw Young Master Shen and you in the room."
"What? She even went into the courtyard?" Yelan said in shock.
Then didn't Mother find out that Shen Luolun and I were sleeping together this morning?!
She knew and still didn't wake me up. Could it be...
Damn it!
Recalling what her mother had told her before, Yelan felt inexplicably irritated.
"Miss? Miss?"
Seeing Yelan in a daze and looking upset, the maid asked softly out of concern.
"What is it?"
Her tone turned cold.
"Nothing, nothing, Miss."
"Young Master Shen hasn't come out yet. Shall I go wake him?"
Him?
Yelan glanced at the room.
She clenched her teeth.
"No need. I'll go get him myself."
With that, she strode briskly back into the room.
Before long, she came out carrying someone.
Though his hair was slightly disheveled, it did nothing to conceal his handsome looks, his sword-like brows and starry eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! I can walk on my own."
Shen Luolun protested.
It was embarrassing to be carried around.
Especially by a bro of the opposite sex.
He looked like a chick being carried by the scruff.
"Cut the crap! Come with me!"
The Heavenly Queen of the Night was as domineering as ever.
The maid watched the two of them leave, envy rising in her eyes.
"Young Master Shen and Miss are as close as ever."
Childhood sweethearts like them are the best to ship.