My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 80: Pet.

　　Yun Ling was carried by him to wash, but with so many palace servants watching, she struggled to get down.

　　Xie Jue raised an eyebrow and put her down.

　　“I was just afraid you'd be tired.”

　　Yun Ling had just managed to stand when her legs suddenly went weak, and she quickly grabbed his arm to steady herself.

　　Her face flushed slightly.

　　No wonder he had carried her.

　　Quickly regaining her composure, she washed calmly and impassively, the maids rushing forward to help her undress. 

　　After changing her clothes, Yun Ling sat down to put on her makeup. In the bronze mirror, a beautiful face appeared. Even without rouge, her fair face was rosy and radiant, like a delicate flower, nurtured and vibrant.

　　Both soft and bright.  

　　It wasn't an exaggeration to call her beauty breathtaking.

　　The palace maids who were serving her hadn't seen Yun Ling before. Seeing the Crown Princess now, they realized she was such a stunning beauty.

　　No wonder the Crown Prince loved her so much.

　　He even carried her out of bed personally.

　　Yun Ling had fainted last night and hadn't slept well; he had been with her for quite some time. 

　　There were two faint dark circles under her eyes, particularly noticeable against her fair skin.

　　Lǜyī, feeling sorry for her, applied her makeup, saying, “Miss—”

　　Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself, “Your Highness, which hair ornament would you like to wear today?”

　　Yun Ling picked out a few before selecting a gold hairpin with paired entwined flowers that wasn't overly ornate. “This one will do.”

　　“Yes.”

　　Lǜyī replied respectfully, lowering her head to take the hairpin. Then she noticed, beneath the collar of the Crown Princess's robe, faint purplish marks on her full, soft breasts.

　　There seemed to be marks on her delicate neck as well. The color was even deeper after a night had passed.

　　This... this was…

　　Too intense.

　　Although Lǜyī wasn't married, before entering the Palace, she had been instructed by Old Madam Xiao to carefully look after and advise the young lady.

　　After the other palace maids had withdrawn, Lǜyī whispered in Yun Ling's ear, “Crown Princess, I see you have some injuries. The manor brought along many excellent ointments, given to me by Old Madam, specifically for treating such things. Applying them will make you feel much better. Would you like me to apply the ointment for you?”

　　Her voice grew quieter and quieter.

　　Lǜyī was still a virgin; mentioning such matters made her somewhat shy.

　　Yun Ling followed Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ's worried gazes downward and saw the marks hidden beneath her collar.

　　She had chosen a high-necked garment precisely to conceal them, but they had still been seen.

　　What's more, her grandmother had even considered this and instructed Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ to bring such medicine.

　　It was quite thoughtful of Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ.

　　Yun Ling slowly shook her head. “No need. Continue with the makeup. I... I've already applied medicine.”

　　He had been... forceful and rough in bed, but afterwards, he was gentle and considerate, checking on her whether she was asleep or awake.

　　He had already applied medicine to her last night.

　　Her body felt fine now; it just looked alarming.

　　Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ quickly responded, “Yes.”

　　……

　　Although today was a day of rest, Xie Jue still had many matters to attend to and went to his study early in the morning.  

　　Yun Ling was also busy.

　　Since Emperor Jingning was bedridden, she didn't have to go to pay respects in the morning, saving her that step.

　　Previously, with no Empress, all matters of the inner court fell to the Shanggong Bureau.

　　Now that the Eastern Palace had a mistress, the authority naturally should be returned.

　　Therefore, after breakfast, the female officials of the Shanggong Bureau came to pay their respects.

　　“Yao Qingling of the Shanggong Bureau and the female officials pay their respects to the Crown Princess!”

　　A group of female officials bowed below.

　　Yun Ling paused for a moment before saying softly, “Please rise.”

　　Yao Qingling looked up and met Yun Ling's gaze.

　　……

　　Yun Ling was familiar with every corner of the Palace. She walked along the quiet and beautiful lotus pond, followed by a group of palace servants.

　　Yun Ling gazed at the lotus pond for a long while, seemingly lost in memories. Turning around, her eyes curved slightly. “Sister Yao, long time no see.”

　　Her words brought Yao Qingling to the verge of tears.

　　“I've finally seen you, Ah Ling,” Yao Qingling exclaimed, losing her composure and calling her by her name.

　　As a fourth-rank Shanggong in the Shanggong Bureau, Yao Qingling rarely loses her composure like this.

　　She was simply too excited.

　　Since their last parting, Yun Ling had entrusted the Shanggong Bureau to her, hoping she would uphold the Palace rules strictly and fairly, preventing another ‘Yun Ling’ from suffering the same fate.

　　And Yao Qingling did not disappoint her trust, managing the Shanggong Bureau in an orderly manner.

　　She thought she would never see Yun Ling again, but unexpectedly, Yun Ling returned to the Eastern Palace.

　　Learning that the Crown Princess was the granddaughter found by Old Grand Tutor Xiao, Yao Qingling was overjoyed.

　　They actually had another chance to reunite.

　　Lǜyī and Lǜshuǐ didn't know about their past, but they figured that since their young lady had served as a female official in the Eastern Palace, she must have known this Yao Shanggong. The two were old acquaintances, which explained Yao Shanggong's lapse in etiquette.

　　Yun Ling didn't mind Sister Yao's emotional outburst. Seeing her again, Yun Ling was also incredibly moved, a thin mist gathering in her eyes.

　　During those years in the Shanggong Bureau, she and Sister Yao had shared many experiences, including when she personally killed Wang Dade—Sister Yao had been by her side. Though superior and subordinate, they were more like sisters.

　　She had deliberately made mistakes, causing Sister Yao to worry about her.

　　Their eyes met, misty with tears. In the end, she only said, “I'm back.”

　　After Yun Ling left, all the affairs of the inner court, including the Shanggong Bureau, eventually fell on Yao Qingling's shoulders.

　　Now that Yun Ling was the Crown Princess, the matters of the inner court should naturally be returned to her.

　　Yao Qingling sent several maids to bring all the accounts of the inner court from these past years to Yun Ling's palace.

　　She laughed, “With the Crown Princess's return, I can finally relax a little.”

　　Yun Ling looked at the piles of accounts, almost as high as mountains, and felt a rare headache coming on.

　　She knew that there would be no easy days once she entered the Eastern Palace.

　　Fortunately, she wasn't in a rush.

　　With no one else in the hall, Yao Qingling sighed, saying that time flew by, and so many years had passed.

　　“But my feelings back then weren't wrong,” Yao Qingling said with a smile. “At the time, I felt that His Highness the Crown Prince wasn't simply fond of you, and looking back, it's truly so. Even the most favored subordinates aren't kept by their master's side for every single matter.”

　　Even for such a serious mistake, the punishment was severe at first, but then it was quietly dropped. 

　　And Ah Ling probably felt no affection for His Highness back then, otherwise she wouldn't have tried so hard to leave.

　　But after escaping for so long, she returned to the Eastern Palace. Yao Qingling didn't know whether to call it a karmic entanglement or a destined union.

　　Whether it's a karmic entanglement or a destined union, it's up to His Highness the Crown Prince to decide.

　　Returning to the Eastern Palace and seeing old friends, Yun Ling recalled her careful planning from those years, now feeling only a trace of emotion.

　　Let the past be swept away by the wind.

　　——

　　Returning to the hall, Yun Ling saw the mountain of account books at a glance. She shook her head and walked forward to sit down.

　　Picking up one of them, she opened it and began to read carefully.

　　But she hadn't slept well these past two days. Last night, she had been busy... busy until the wedding candles burned out. She must have been truly tired, because after only a short while, her eyelids began to droop, and she fell asleep on the desk.

　　The hall was quiet, without a sound.

　　She didn't know how long she slept when her eyelashes were touched, playfully, almost teasingly, disturbing her sleep.

　　Her smooth brow furrowed slightly. The next moment, in her sleep, she seemed to be lifted directly into strong arms.

　　The movement caused Yun Ling to slowly open her eyes. For a moment, she was clear-headed enough to realize that she was nestled in his broad embrace.

　　“Tired?” Xie Jue asked when he saw her awake. “Who did you see today?”

　　As soon as he returned, he saw the mountain of account books on her desk.

　　His Crown Princess was truly diligent.

　　Yun Ling, now awake, tried to get down, but he wouldn't let go despite her struggles. She gave in. “I saw the female officials from the Shanggong Bureau, and then I went for a walk.”

　　“Take your time,” Xie Jue said.

　　“Mm.”

　　Yun Ling's voice still held the soft, sleepy quality of someone just waking up.

　　Xie Jue carried her towards the bed, and the palace maids immediately lifted the hibiscus curtains on both sides.

　　Placing her on the bed, Xie Jue lowered his head, raising an eyebrow, and pinching her cheek. His tone was somewhat teasing. “Why do I feel like you've been sleeping so much these past two days? You can fall asleep anywhere.”

　　“What do you mean I can fall asleep anywhere...?” Yun Ling pulled his hand away. “I just haven't slept well these past two days.”

　　She pursed her lips and added, “Last night, it wasn't because His Highness was too…”

　　He hadn't let her sleep, otherwise she wouldn't have fallen asleep while looking at the accounts today.

　　Her lips pouted slightly, showing a hint of resentment.

　　Xie Jue propped himself up on either side of her body, leaning down to look directly at her fair, pink face. He lowered his head and kissed her lips, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. “Should I be gentler tonight?”

　　That wasn't what she meant at all!

　　Yun Ling tried to hold back, but couldn't. She turned her body away, closing her eyes to avoid looking at him.

　　As she turned, her collar loosened slightly. Xie Jue, still above her, naturally took in the view. On her tender, white skin, the purplish marks were even more noticeable and striking.

　　Like cruel marks on delicate flower petals.

　　It was because he had been too unrestrained last night.

　　Xie Jue was the first to feel distressed. He took her arm and pulled Yun Ling up, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her face-to-face in his embrace like a child. “Alright, alright, it's my fault.”

　　“Have lunch before you sleep, otherwise getting too hungry will be bad for your health.”

　　Palace maids brought in one exquisite dish after another, beautifully presented, and looking delicious.

　　Yun Ling wasn't actually very hungry and didn't have much of an appetite for the rich dishes. A light tofu soup looked quite appealing, though.

　　But she didn't eat much.

　　Seeing her put down her chopsticks after only eating half a bowl of tofu soup, Xie Jue frowned. “Why did you eat so little?”

　　Yun Ling shook her head. “I can't eat anymore.”

　　She didn't know if it was from being overworked these past two days or something else.

　　“How can you eat so little?”

　　Xie Jue also put down his chopsticks and had a palace maid bring another half bowl of tofu soup. He scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and brought it to her lips. “Eat some more.”

　　Yun Ling didn't find it unusual and opened her mouth to eat.

　　But after a few spoonfuls, she still felt full.

　　The surrounding palace servants kept their eyes downcast, never having witnessed this side of His Highness the Crown Prince before.

　　His aura was incredibly gentle, even the tone he used while feeding the Crown Princess soup held a hint of coaxing.

　　This rare tenderness surprised all the palace servants present. 

　　Anyone with eyes could see how happy His Highness the Crown Prince was.

　　Seeing that His Highness was in a good mood, a palace maid’s eyes twinkled. She thought to herself that His Highness was certainly not used to this kind of service, and this was the perfect opportunity to make a good impression on the Crown Princess.

　　Taking a deep breath, the maid put on a clever and polite smile, and boldly said, “Your Highness probably isn't used to this. Shall I serve the Crown Princess instead?”

　　The maid was quick-witted, and indeed quite clever.

　　However, unexpectedly, the Crown Prince's eyes suddenly darkened, and he coldly said, “Get out.”

　　The maid was instantly terrified, her heart pounding, and quickly curtsied and left.

　　It turned out that His Highness the Crown Prince didn't want anyone else to feed the Crown Princess soup.

　　Seeing that they all seemed rather apprehensive, Yun Ling sighed softly and said, “You may all leave now.”

　　“Yes,” the palace maids replied in unison.

　　Similar incidents happened a few more times after that. Before long, everyone in the Palace knew that His Highness the Crown Prince doted on the Crown Princess, to the point of not allowing anyone to disturb her, or even approach her without reason.

　　Everyone envied them, but only Yun Ling knew the possessive obsession hidden beneath that love.

　　Yun Ling had known about his possessiveness towards her for a long time. Even when her status as a palace maid made their feelings unacceptable, he wouldn't tolerate the presence of any men around her.

　　When he finally decided to no longer control or suppress his feelings, it was like a dam bursting, a surging torrent that could no longer be contained.

　　It was just a chronic disease.

　　Yun Ling wasn't in a hurry. Some things are better taken slowly.

　　……

　　It had been almost two months since their wedding, and they were as sweet as newlyweds.

　　Except for sometimes being too tired at night, everything was good.

　　Yun Ling had already taken over the affairs of the inner court. After Yao Shanggong reported on the matters of the Shanggong Bureau and left, Yun Ling asked, “Where is His Highness?”

　　A eunuch replied, “Reporting to the Crown Princess, His Highness the Crown Prince is currently in the study discussing matters.”

　　Lǜshuǐ came over at this time. “The Tremella and lotus seed soup is ready. Shall I take it to His Highness?”

　　Yun Ling shook her head and stood up.

　　“Since His Highness is discussing matters, let's not disturb him.”

　　Come to think of it, she had been married into the Eastern Palace for almost two months and hadn't yet been to a certain place. 

　　The two guards standing at the door bowed when they saw the Crown Princess. Seeing her about to enter, they hesitated.

　　One of the guards said, “It's not that we're trying to stop you, but His Highness has ordered that no one is to enter Jinhui Hall. We dare not disobey.”

　Yun Ling said, “It's alright. I'll take full responsibility. You won't be held accountable.”

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