Chapter 95: Advancing One Step At A Time Each Day, We Still Must Keep Moving Forward

Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan’s words and couldn’t help but look up at him.

Pei Wenxuan had the refined, upright face of a scholar, but when he looked at her, his eyes always seemed to carry a natural warmth, as if smiling just for her.

Li Rong gazed at him for a moment before Pei Wenxuan chuckled and stepped back, then led her to eat.

That night was lively—Li Rong had never experienced anything like it. The New Year celebrations were boisterous yet peaceful, free from worries or the fear of saying the wrong thing. It felt as though the palace and court were far, far away.

Pei Wenxuan drank a little. Normally, he avoided alcohol to protect his stomach, but since it was the New Year and everyone was in high spirits, he indulged in a few cups.

After drinking, whether from happiness or the alcohol’s effect, he seemed especially cheerful.

When they returned to their room, he pulled Li Rong along, walking ahead like a child, humming a tune. Amused, Li Rong asked, “What are you so happy about?”

“Two things,” Pei Wenxuan replied, holding her hand as they strolled down the corridor.

Li Rong tilted her chin up. “Oh? Do tell.”

“First, Your Highness kissed me on your own today.”

“That’s all it takes to make you this happy?” Li Rong raised an eyebrow. “If you like it, I could even take the initiative to sleep with you.”

Pei Wenxuan shook his head with a laugh. “Second,” he paused, then took both her hands and pressed them to his chest, “I made you happy today.”

“I’m usually happy as long as you don’t spout nonsense.”

Li Rong laughed, but Pei Wenxuan shook his head again. After a moment of thought, he cupped her face and rested his forehead against hers. “Rongrong, you’ve left the palace.”

“I know,” she replied calmly. “I moved to the princess’s residence the day I married you.”

“I’ll give you a home—one that’s nothing like the palace.” His voice was solemn. “Your Highness, I’ll heal every wound in your heart. From now on, the princess has her consort, and Li Rong has Pei Wenxuan.”

Li Rong fell silent, lowering her gaze. After a long pause, she whispered hoarsely, “I know.”

From now on, Li Rong had Pei Wenxuan.

Hearing her quiet “I know,” Pei Wenxuan smiled again. He turned and led her back to their room.

Once inside, they washed up and settled into bed.

Perhaps exhausted, Pei Wenxuan fell asleep soon after lying down.

Li Rong watched him in the dim light, then, after a long while, reached out and gently touched him.

She first placed her hand on his chest, and when he didn’t wake, she—almost without thinking—reached out and embraced him, leaning against him.

She listened to the steady beat of his heart, felt the rhythm of his breath, and inhaled the familiar scent that always lingered around him. A deep sense of peace and calm settled over her.

For a fleeting moment, she felt unlike herself—yet it didn’t feel wrong.

The two slept until dawn. Pei Wenxuan, out of habit from early court sessions, woke first. When he opened his eyes and saw Li Rong curled against his chest, his movement to rise stilled.

After a pause, he smiled, then shifted to rest one arm behind his head while the other gently combed through her hair, stroke by tender stroke.

Li Rong’s hair was soft, carrying her subtle fragrance—a scent from sachets he had personally blended for her. This aroma belonged to him alone. The thought made him glance down at her, and his mind drifted to last night, to the kiss she had initiated by rising on her toes.

That kiss had felt, in the moment, like a vow. Now, in the vulnerable clarity of morning, with her in his arms, the memory stirred a restless heat in him. His gaze traced her features—the cascade of her hair, the dark sweep of her lashes, the elegant bridge of her nose, the petal-soft fullness of her lips.

He watched her quietly, his eyes deepening with unspoken intensity.

By the time Li Rong awoke, daylight had fully spilled into the room. Distant voices murmured outside as she blinked drowsily—only to find Pei Wenxuan already looking down at her, his smile bright and voice clear. “Good morning, Your Highness.”

His expression was gentle, yet there was something odd in his eyes—an ostensibly harmless warmth that nonetheless carried a latent, almost predatory edge.

Li Rong studied him for a beat before pushing herself up, only to wince as pins-and-needles prickled through her numb side. Noticing her discomfort, Pei Wenxuan reached over to massage her arm.

His broad, warm hands worked over her muscles with practiced ease, and soon the stiffness eased. Yet despite his deliberately clinical motions, she couldn’t ignore the way his touch occasionally lingered—a barely restrained caress.

Perplexed, she lifted her eyes to his.

Pei Wenxuan met her gaze, all innocence. “What is Your Highness looking at?”

His eyes held no trace of impropriety, which only deepened her suspicion. Pei Wenxuan was no ascetic—after a night pressed together, and now this morning ministrations, how could he be so… unaffected?

Ever direct, Li Rong decided to investigate. She moved to flip back the covers—

Pei Wenxuan reacted lightning-fast, slamming a hand down to pin the blanket in place. “Your Highness,” he choked, suddenly tense, “what are you doing?”

Li Rong glanced downward, her tone suggestive: “Just a little curious.”

“What is Your Highness curious about?”

Hearing her question, Pei Wenxuan seemed even more nervous, his ears turning red. Seeing his expression, Li Rong couldn’t help but find it amusing. “It’s not like this is your first marriage—why so reserved?”

As she spoke, Li Rong leaned in and lowered her voice: “Are you not interested in me?”

“Why does Your Highness ask something you already know the answer to?”

Pei Wenxuan gave a wry smile. “Let’s get up. There’s still a banquet at the palace today.”

“Pei Wenxuan,” Li Rong raised an eyebrow, “actually,” she lifted her hand and tried to reach into his collar, her meaning clear, “I don’t mind that much.”

“It’s precisely because Your Highness doesn’t mind,” Pei Wenxuan grasped her hand and sighed, “that I must be more mindful.”

“In our past life, Your Highness and I began this unwillingly,” Pei Wenxuan pressed her hand to the bed, then picked up his clothes from the bedside and began dressing, buttoning up as he spoke. “We were forced into marriage, and Your Highness eventually accepted it. But now, I hope we can treat this matter with more seriousness. Just because we’ve experienced it before doesn’t mean we should rush through it.”

“We should take each step as it comes,” he said, lifting the covers and getting out of bed, sitting at the edge to put on his shoes. “Let’s not skip ahead.”

Listening to his serious tone, Li Rong felt a strange sense of security—and a mischievous urge.

If a man were too eager, she might feel uneasy. But Pei Wenxuan’s earnest refusal only piqued her interest.

Just as he was about to rise, she suddenly pounced on his back from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck. Pei Wenxuan froze, and she cooed playfully, “Brother Pei~”

Calling him that, she leaned in, pressing her weight against him, and whispered in his ear, “Even if we move slowly, we still have to move forward. Doesn’t it bother you to hold back like this?”

“And what does Your Highness mean by that?” Pei Wenxuan turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. Li Rong blinked, leaned closer against his shoulder, and let her hand wander.

Pei Wenxuan inhaled sharply.

“Lord Pei?”

Seeing his reaction, Li Rong chuckled softly against his shoulder. “Why not rest a little longer?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back slightly, and said in a low, hoarse voice, “If Your Highness commands it, how could I dare disobey?”

Li Rong burst into laughter, rolled back into bed, and beckoned him with a raised hand: “Come back.”

With graceful composure, Pei Wenxuan lowered the bed curtain and returned to her side.

Even though it was already daylight, once the curtain was drawn, the bed was cloaked in dimness.

When Pei Wenxuan pulled her into his arms, he glanced down at Li Rong, who was smiling smugly with her lips pressed together. He gently pressed her head to his chest, hiding the smile he couldn’t suppress.

The two of them stayed tangled up until noon, then went to eat together. After the meal, following palace protocol, Li Rong took Pei Wenxuan to pay respects to Shangguan Yue.

In the palace, it was customary to hold a banquet on the first day of the new year, inviting married princesses and important officials. New Year’s Eve was a smaller gathering, while the first day of the new year was a grand event attended by many members of the royal family and nobility.

Li Rong hadn’t visited Shangguan Yue in a while, so she entered the palace early, hoping to spend more time talking with her.

When they arrived at Weiyang Palace, they saw that Li Chuan had already arrived. He was sitting and chatting with Shangguan Yue. As soon as Li Rong entered, Li Chuan lit up with joy, stood up, and eagerly walked toward her, calling out, “Sister!”

“Don’t give me that ‘long time no see, I missed you so much’ look,” Li Rong said, brushing aside his open arms as he tried to hug her. She walked toward Shangguan Yue, teasing him, “I see you every day in court. But Mother and I,” she turned to Shangguan Yue, “we really haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“Your Majesty,” Pei Wenxuan respectfully saluted Shangguan Yue.

Shangguan Yue nodded to him and invited him to sit. Then she turned to Li Rong and said, “I heard you’ve been busy lately, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I’ve been hearing all about your affairs in the harem—one thing after another, enough to make anyone anxious. But I trust you have your own plans, so I won’t pry.”

“You’ve lost weight, Mother,” Li Rong said, taking a moment to study her. She took Shangguan Yue’s hand and said with some emotion, “You’re getting older, and we’re growing up. You shouldn’t overwork yourself. Take care of your health—living long is the greatest victory.”

“I’m not worrying about much these days,” Shangguan Yue said with a bitter smile. “You all have your own ideas, and I don’t want to clash with you. In court, someone has to give way. Now that you’re moving forward, and I’m getting old, I’ll be the one to yield.”

“Are you blaming me, Mother?” Li Rong raised an eyebrow. Shangguan Yue quickly explained, “Don’t misunderstand me. You’re my daughter—how could I think that way?”

“I’m just teasing you,” Li Rong said, linking arms with her and leaning on her shoulder.

Shangguan Yue looked down at her daughter resting on her shoulder, her heart softening. “I don’t concern myself with anything anymore. There’s only one thing I still worry about. Chuan’er,” she turned to Li Chuan, who was sitting nearby, “even if you don’t marry Ah Ya, there are plenty of girls in the world. Surely you can find someone to be the crown princess?”

Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong exchanged a glance. Meanwhile, Shangguan Yue looked at Li Chuan, who was forcing a smile and trying to explain, “Mother, it’s not that I don’t want to—it’s just hard to find the right person…”

“It’s not that you can’t find the right person. You’re just afraid of getting married,” Shangguan Yue cut him off bluntly, then began to lecture. “Marriage is about learning to compromise. Look at your sister and her husband—they were matched by imperial decree, and now they’re inseparable. What’s wrong with that?”

Hearing the praise, Li Rong couldn’t help but turn her head and cough lightly.

Li Chuan looked a bit aggrieved and muttered, “Father, Mother, I’m still young. Can’t we talk about this later?”

“Later? When exactly do you plan to talk about it?”

“Mother, I’ve thought about it,” Li Chuan said earnestly. “The world is still in turmoil—how can I think of marriage? As the Crown Prince…”

“You’re just using the state of the world as an excuse to avoid marriage!”

Shangguan Yue cut him off again. “Frankly, I don’t even care anymore whether you marry or not. But as long as you remain unmarried, there will always be people watching. That niece of Consort Rou is still wandering around the palace, ‘accidentally’ running into you at the Eastern Palace gates every day. Everyone knows what she’s up to. If you can deal with her, then you can marry whenever you want.”

She sat down with a huff and muttered, “No real ability, yet already dreaming of romance—utterly selfish!”

Li Chuan looked miserable, his head hanging low. Seeing the tension, Pei Wenxuan cleared his throat and suddenly asked Shangguan Yue, “Your Majesty, I’ve noticed that Her Highness tends to experience leg pain in cold weather. Do you know what might be causing it?”

Hearing that her daughter might be unwell, Shangguan Yue’s attention immediately shifted. Once she started talking with Pei Wenxuan, she couldn’t stop. The topic smoothly transitioned to health and wellness, and the four of them continued chatting about remedies and care routines. When the time came, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan took their leave to prepare for the palace banquet.

After bidding farewell to the Empress and Li Chuan, they stepped outside. Li Rong sighed. Pei Wenxuan looked at her and asked, “Why the sigh, Your Highness?”

“Chuan’er’s marriage… Mother is right. It really can’t be delayed forever.”

Li Rong looked a bit worried. “With his temperament, if I pressured him, he’d probably just pick anyone to be Crown Princess.”

“But Your Highness wouldn’t do that now,” Pei Wenxuan said calmly. He reached out and took her hand. “You want His Highness the Crown Prince to walk his own path, properly.”

Walking hand in hand down the corridor, Li Rong fell silent at his words, deep in thought. Seeing her so contemplative, Pei Wenxuan added, “Actually, I have an idea.”

“Oh?” Li Rong looked up at him. Just as Pei Wenxuan was about to speak, a cheerful voice called out from not far away:

“Isn’t that Sister Pingle? You’ve come to the palace today?”

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