Chapter 94: I Like You, And I Want To Celebrate Every New Year With You

Li Rong’s hands were a bit cold. When they touched his skin, it helped him stay somewhat clear-headed.

But whether it was the fireworks blooming in the sky or the girl in front of him standing on tiptoe with her eyes closed, he couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed. For a moment, he felt as if all the past hardships were just a nightmare that had never happened. He was simply the twenty year old Pei Wenxuan, and the girl before him was just the eighteen year old Li Rong.

“Rongrong…”

He didn’t know why, but his voice carried a hint of a sob. He raised one hand to gently wrap around her waist, afraid she might slip, and placed the other hand on the back of her head, holding her with a firm yet tender grip.

As he gently teased and entangled with her, Li Rong’s breathing grew heavier. Her hands lost strength and slid from his face to wrap around his neck. She leaned against the hand at his waist and involuntarily took a step back.

Pei Wenxuan followed her movement forward, pressing her against the table.

He didn’t go any further. He wanted this kiss to be about love, not desire. So he used all his self-control to stop himself from doing more. He just wanted to kiss her—so she could feel the utmost joy and all the tenderness the world could offer through that kiss.

In Li Rong’s memory, the fireworks that year seemed to last forever, rising and falling in waves.

That kiss was different from all the others.

She had indulged herself for many years. In the years that followed, whether recalling her youthful kisses with Pei Wenxuan or her touches with Su Rongqing, they were more about desire than love. She couldn’t remember—or perhaps had never known—what it felt like when love was added to such moments.

But now she suddenly understood. That kind of tenderness, like a fine spring rain falling gently on the heart, softened all the hardened soil. So even desire became restrained, and in the push and pull, there was a fluttering heartbeat and uncontrollable joy.

No matter how many times, how many years, how old she was, or how much she had been through, in that kiss, she suddenly became a young girl again.

She was shy and moved, pretending to be strong while chasing him, yet affected by his almost caring demeanor, feeling a bit nervous and bashful.

When they finally stopped, the fireworks had long since ended. Li Rong sat on the table, looking down at Pei Wenxuan. His lips were moist, his face dusted with flour from her hands. His handsome eyes looked up at her, filled with restrained joy, sparkling like a boy in front of the one he loved.

Li Rong looked down at him. Neither of them spoke. After a long gaze, Li Rong raised her hand and used her sleeve to wipe his face, smiling as she said, “You’ve got ash all over your face.”

Pei Wenxuan laughed. “This must be Your Highness’s revenge.”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow. Pei Wenxuan reached out and wiped the flour from her face. “You couldn’t be the only one looking like a little flour cat—you had to drag me into it too.”

Li Rong froze for a moment, as if just realizing she had flour on her face too. Just then, Jingmei’s voice called from outside: “Your Highness, are the dumplings ready?”

She didn’t barge in—she knew her manners. Hearing the voice, Li Rong quickly jumped down from the table. Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to dust her off. Li Rong cleared her throat, worried her voice might sound odd, and called out, “What is it?”

“Your Highness,” Jingmei replied with a smile, “Sister Jingmei has finished making dumplings. Do you need help?”

“No need,” Pei Wenxuan said, turning to wash his hands. “You all go ahead and eat. I’ll call you when it’s time to bring the dumplings over.”

As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan began placing the dumplings into the boiling water, one plate at a time.

Jingmei acknowledged the response and didn’t enter. She turned and went back outside. The maids and servants outside pointed toward the kitchen, winking at Jingmei. She shook her head and whispered, “Her Highness has finished the dumplings. Don’t worry.”

They had been afraid the two nobles, pampered as they were, might get hungry and angry after spending the whole afternoon making dumplings.

As the dumplings dropped into the pot, Li Rong watched curiously. Resting her chin on her hand, she asked, “Pei Wenxuan, is this how your family always celebrates the New Year?”

“Mhm.”

Pei Wenxuan looked up with a smile. “What about Your Highness?”

Li Rong thought for a moment. Back in the palace, New Year’s didn’t feel very festive. It was just a family banquet where the Emperor and Empress would dine with the princes and unmarried princesses.

The dishes were always lavish—meat and seafood served one after another, with new variations every year. But despite the novelty, they never felt particularly interesting.

Delicacies and rare ingredients were things she could eat any time. The so-called “new ideas” were often just symbolic—like tofu shaped into the character for “blessing” or phoenixes carved from melon rinds. Beautiful, yes, but not very tasty.

“Just like the palace banquets you’ve seen,” Li Rong sighed. “Very boring.”

“Did Your Highness receive red envelopes?” Pei Wenxuan asked curiously.

“Of course,” Li Rong replied casually. “All kinds of rewards, but they were sent straight to the storeroom. I don’t even remember what they were. Oh, one year my mother gave me a pair of vermilion phoenix hairpins—I did like those.”

Pei Wenxuan was about to respond when Li Rong pointed at the pot. “Did we ruin the dumplings?”

Pei Wenxuan turned to look. The dumplings were cooked and floating to the top. Li Rong stared at them, worried. “Some of them look like they’ve burst open, and so many are floating belly-up. Are they still edible?”

“Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan said, half-laughing, “that means they’re done.”

“They’re done?” Li Rong was surprised. “So that’s how you tell. I always wondered how people knew when dumplings were cooked.”

Pei Wenxuan already knew Li Rong wasn’t familiar with cooking, so he wasn’t surprised. He called for the servants to come in and help plate the dumplings and carry them to the dining hall.

The rest of the Princess’s household had already prepared the other dishes in the small kitchen. The dumplings made by Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were the last to be served. Once they were placed on the table, the two of them joined the others in the dining hall. Several temporary tables had been set up in the courtyard outside. The servants who hadn’t gone home for the New Year were all gathered there. Pei Wenxuan turned to Li Rong and explained, “I arranged this. I hope that’s alright?”

“You’ve already arranged it. What can I do—embarrass you in front of everyone?” Li Rong replied.

She sat down with Pei Wenxuan and raised her hand to the others. “Everyone, please sit.”

After she spoke, everyone respectfully bowed and then took their seats.

It was the first time Li Rong had ever dined with her servants. She felt a little out of place and instinctively glanced at Pei Wenxuan beside her. He picked up a dumpling and placed it in her bowl, smiling. “Your Highness, why not say something festive? A New Year’s blessing, to help everyone relax.”

Li Rong paused, hesitated for a moment, then said, “I wish everyone wealth and prosperity in the coming year, good health for your families. If you’re of marrying age, may you find a good match. If you’re already married, may you have children soon and a happy life.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” everyone responded with smiles, finally relaxing.

“Let’s eat,” Li Rong said, picking up a dumpling from her bowl.

Though her presence reassured them, the servants were still a bit reserved. Pei Wenxuan noticed and encouraged them, “Don’t be shy—drink if you want to drink, eat dumplings if you want to eat. Just be yourselves and show Her Highness how lively it can be. Whoever finds a coin in their dumpling gets a reward!”

Just as he finished speaking, Li Rong let out a sharp “Ow!” A copper coin rolled out of her mouth. She hadn’t expected Pei Wenxuan to actually put coins in the dumplings—a common folk tradition, but not something done in the palace. Caught off guard, she bit down hard and nearly cracked a tooth.

“Pei—!”

Tears welled in her eyes from the pain. She raised her hand to throw her chopsticks, but Pei Wenxuan quickly grabbed her hand and covered her mouth, loudly declaring, “Her Highness found the coin! Great fortune for the year!”

Then he whispered, “Please, Your Highness, just go along with it.”

“Go along with what?!” Li Rong shoved him away, covering her mouth and fuming. “You didn’t even warn me! My tooth is about to break!”

“I didn’t expect Your Highness to eat so aggressively. I was just about to say something…” Pei Wenxuan said, half-laughing, half-apologetic.

Li Rong usually appeared unruly, but her manners were hidden in the details—she normally ate slowly and gracefully, slept on her back with hands folded over her abdomen. Who would’ve thought that today, driven by hunger, she’d forget all decorum and bite down so hard?

Li Rong realized she was partly at fault, so she didn’t argue with Pei Wenxuan. Instead, she simply reached out her hand and said, “Where’s my reward?”

Pei Wenxuan laughed and pulled a red envelope from his sleeve, handing it to her.

It was the first time Li Rong had ever received a red envelope like this, and she was a bit intrigued. She opened it in front of everyone and found it nearly empty. She shook it, and finally, a single tael of silver fell into her palm.

Looking at the silver and thinking of her aching tooth, Li Rong was immediately displeased. “You actually dared to give just one tael of silver in a red envelope?”

“Alright, alright,” Pei Wenxuan said, afraid she’d get angry. He pulled out another red envelope, this one decorated with a hand-drawn golden phoenix. “This is your real one. The other was just a bonus.”

Li Rong was drawn to the beautiful phoenix and reached out without hesitation. But Pei Wenxuan moved the envelope aside and smiled. “Your Highness, you have to say something nice to get your New Year’s money.”

“Consort Pei, you must be joking,” Jinglan laughed from the side. “How can it be called New Year’s money when you’re giving it to Her Highness?”

“That’s where you’re mistaken,” Pei Wenxuan replied, glancing at Jinglan before turning his smiling gaze back to Li Rong. “Her Highness is still young. I look after her like a junior, so of course I have to give her New Year’s money.”

Everyone burst into laughter at his words. Li Rong raised an eyebrow. “You dare make me the butt of a joke?”

“Never,” Pei Wenxuan quickly said. “This is the laughter of New Year’s joy—absolutely no mockery intended.”

“Red envelope,” Li Rong said, not wanting to banter with him in front of the servants.

Pei Wenxuan held the envelope and teased, “Does Your Highness not know how to say something sweet?”

“That’s right,” Li Rong replied lazily, raising her hand. “So just give me the envelope and be done with it.”

“If you don’t know how, I’ll teach you.”

Pei Wenxuan leaned forward, placing the envelope in her palm while whispering softly in her ear:

**“I like you. I want to spend every New Year with you.”**

Then he asked in a quiet voice, “Your Highness, did you learn it?”

Previous

Next