Chapter 124: My Crown Princess Loves Me to Death

Xie Yao’s head bumped into Xiao Ji’s chest, knocking against something hard that made the tip of her nose sting painfully.

Xiao Ji quickly cupped her small face in his hands. Her little face scrunched up, her nose slightly red, her whole expression brimming with grievance. “Yao-yao, I’m sorry…” he murmured, hurriedly pulling the object out from inside his robe.

Only then did he realize, he hadn’t intended to give it to her just yet. But their gazes had already fallen on the brocade box, and Xie Yao’s eyes shone with expectation. “Is… this a gift from Your Highness to me?” she asked, glancing up at him with hopeful eyes.

The tips of Xiao Ji’s ears flushed crimson. He was happy, but also guilty. Until now, he had never actually given his Crown Princess a proper gift. If it hadn’t been for Pei Chen today… he truly had been negligent as a husband.

From his silence, Xie Yao had already guessed the truth. She carefully unwrapped the brocade box and found inside a golden hairpin; luxurious, finely crafted, clearly worth a fortune. At first sight, she loved it.

But guilt pricked her heart. On his birthday, she hadn’t given him anything yet here he was, presenting her with a gift. Rising on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek and said brightly, “Thank you, Your Highness. I really love it.”

Xiao Ji exhaled in relief. After a pause, he cautiously asked, “Yao-yao… compared to the jade hairpin, how does this one fare?”

“I prefer the golden one.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips. He knew it, Pei Chen couldn’t choose half as well as he could.

After thinking a moment, Xie Yao added softly, “But as long as it’s from Your Highness, I’ll love it all the same.”

“Mm,” Xiao Ji hummed, suppressing the upward curve of his lips.

Then Xie Yao placed the golden hairpin in her palm and held it out to him, eyes shining with expectation. Xiao Ji blinked, confused.

“Would Your Highness put it in my hair for me?” she asked directly.

A sheen of sweat instantly dampened his palms. He looked at her long, black hair piled gracefully at her temples, adorned already with delicate ornaments. Holding the hairpin, he wasn’t sure where to begin.

But Xie Yao wasn’t in a hurry. She simply smiled at him. After some thought, Xiao Ji finally found a spot and slowly slid the hairpin into place and it fit perfectly.

Xie Yao beamed, spinning in front of him like a blossoming flower. “Your Highness, does it look good?”

To Xiao Ji’s eyes, there was nothing in the world more beautiful than her. “Beautiful,” he answered from the heart.

Taking his hand, Xie Yao tugged him toward the main chamber. Xiao Ji’s ears reddened again. Remembering how he had refused her last time, he secretly swore he would perform better tonight.

But instead, she walked straight to the display shelf, tiptoeing to reach for a brocade box on top.

At a glance, Xiao Ji knew it hadn’t been there before. Watching her slim figure stretch upward, he quickly stepped forward and plucked the box down with ease.

“Your Highness, open it,” Xie Yao said, holding it in her arms and standing before him.

His fingers curled nervously as he lifted the lid. Inside lay a robe.

He froze for three whole seconds. “For me?” he asked.

Xie Yao lowered her gaze slightly. “If Your Highness doesn’t like it…”

“Nonsense!” Xiao Ji snatched up the robe, clutching it carefully to his chest, a wide grin spreading across his face. “I love it.”

“You placed a hairpin in my hair, so I made clothes for Your Highness to try on. Fair trade, isn’t it?”

Xiao Ji gripped her hand, eyes flashing with the hunger of a beast ready to devour. “Not yet,” he said huskily. “Let’s eat first.”

After all, the whole night lay ahead with plenty of time to try on clothes.

Dinner was eaten quickly. Xiao Ji barely touched his food as his eyes instead followed Xie Yao as she finished a whole bowl.

“Aren’t you eating, Your Highness?” she asked.

“I’ll eat later,” he replied.

After the meal, Xiao Ji personally bathed her, then shut the doors. His voice was low and hoarse as he looked at her. “Yao-yao, about trying on the clothes… I’ll trouble you.”

How could she not know what he meant? Though autumn had come, the chamber was warm. Dressed only in thin underclothes, barefoot on the Persian carpet, she walked toward him step by step. Her round toes sank into the carpet, gleaming in the candlelight like strings of pearls.

She reached up and gently untied his robe. With one glimpse of what lay beneath, her cheeks flushed crimson and she quickly averted her eyes. “Your Highness…”

His broad hands circled her soft waist. He felt the warmth of her body melting against him, as if she were about to dissolve in his embrace.

That night, despite all efforts, the robe was never properly tried on.

The next morning, it was Xiao Ji himself who put it on and spun once before her. “It fits perfectly,” he declared. His Crown Princess was not only clever but also knew him through and through.

Still half-asleep, Xie Yao mumbled, “As long as it fits.”

“Yao-yao.”

He squatted by her bedside, holding her hand and playing with her fingers, his voice gentle. “I love this robe very much. But next time, don’t make one again.”

“…?” Xie Yao’s drowsiness faded. She looked clearly into his eyes, full of tenderness and heartache.

He kissed her hand, pressing it to his lips. That strange stirring feeling rose again in her chest, but she pushed it down, smiling brightly at him. “It’s not tiring, Your Highness. Making clothes for you makes me happy.”

Xiao Ji leaned down, kissing her eyelashes softly. “Go back to sleep.”

Exhausted, she soon drifted off. But Xiao Ji, dressed in his new robe, strode out straight to the Marquis of Zhenbei’s residence.

After yesterday, Pei Chen had secretly asked around and learned that men couldn’t simply give hairpins to young women. Other than blood relatives, the only proper recipient was one’s wife.

So when he saw Xiao Ji arrive, his first reaction was guilt, afraid of being punished. But instead of anger, Xiao Ji paced proudly in front of him, showing off.

“Your Highness, about yesterday, I was thoughtless. You…” Pei Chen began.

“How does it look?” Xiao Ji interrupted.

“…???” Pei Chen blinked. Was His Highness so wounded he’d lost his wits?

Displeased with Pei Chen’s wooden response, Xiao Ji pressed further. “Marquis, how’s my robe?”

Pei Chen glanced. Dark silk, embroidered with a four-clawed black dragon. Honestly, didn’t it look the same as His Highness’s other robes?

Catching Xiao Ji’s expectant gaze, Pei Chen finally wised up. “It looks great!”

Xiao Ji beamed instantly, brushing off Pei Chen’s hand and speaking with great pride. “My Crown Princess made it herself.”

Every single word emphasized.

Pei Chen: “…”

So that was it. His Highness had come all this way purely to brag. His lips twitched, a sourness rising inexplicably in his chest.

“Enough. I won’t waste more time on you,” Xiao Ji said, turning to leave. “My Crown Princess is waiting for me at the palace.”

Pei Chen: “…”

He stared at Xiao Ji’s retreating back for a long while, then muttered under his breath, “What’s there to be so smug about?” After a pause, he asked his guard, “Where is Young Lady Zhao today?”

Back at the Crown Prince’s residence, Xiao Ji returned in time to share lunch with Xie Yao. Yesterday she had complained about the heat, but today she was bundled up tightly. During the meal, she finally brought up the Zhao family’s banquet that evening.

—

Meanwhile, at the Xie household—

Madam Zhang had stumbled home the previous night in a daze. She lay in bed for hours, unable to sleep, silently weeping.

Her poor Jiao-jiao… how could her fate be so bitter? And yet, the girl still clung desperately to that vile Song Wenbo!

Just then, Momo Liu entered quietly. “Madam, Lady Qingqing has arrived.”