Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Illusion (5)

“I’m joking. How long are you going to be angry?” I raised my eyebrows and stopped joking.

And the response to my remarks was silence, which may even suffocate individuals.

There was no other option, so I had to use a trick – poking at Si Ran’s ticklish spot, tickling him till he couldn’t help but chuckle, he abruptly turned over and sat up with a grin on the corner of his lips. I couldn’t help but laugh dryly. I lied down and pretended nothing had occurred, covering my head with a quilt.

I had the impression that the look from above was searing and that it wanted to kick me out of bed. After a long pause, I sighed helplessly.

Si Ran laid down gently after blowing off the light. I raised the quilt covering my head and embraced him sideways. Si Ran strained awkwardly before coming to a halt. He let me toss and groped for a while, then I sighed softly, “Si Ran, you are too thin. It’s a little strange to hold……”

I held back the words that followed at the tip of my tongue. Si Ran snorted and rolled over. After a while, I could only hear soft breathing near me. I hugged him again, softly moving my hand. I put my forehead against his back and breathed his pleasant scent until I fell asleep. That night, I slept well.

Si Ran woke me up early the next morning. I was drowsy and bewildered from being half conscious, so I requested Si Ran to dress me. He was dissatisfied at first, then powerless, and finally just treated me like a child, tolerated my silliness, and dressed me.

After being taken care of  properly and having eaten a meal, Si Ran and I played together for a while, and it was not until Xu Shi that I reluctantly returned to Prince Xi’s mansion.

(t/n xu shi-the period of the day from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m;  )

I didn’t return last night and I didn’t want to go back. Even if Si Ran asked the servant to inform me, it’d still be easy to argue back. I should have not listened to Si Ran’s urging to return to Prince Xi’s mansion just now, even if I lost this little face, it’s better to rub against Si Ran’s than to go back home and be beaten. 

Sure enough, when I returned, my mother was sitting high inside the hall, her face was gloomy, and she was angry. The maid that stood beside her was holding the family law in hand. After being with my mother for a long time, the maid’s eyes more or less carried my mother’s usual arrogance.

I knelt down and listened to my mother. “Last night, you didn’t return. Although the prince sent someone to inform me, you still shouldn’t have stayed in the East Palace. It had caused a great delay in the prince’s study. Ziqing should know this. “

“The child knows.” These words again. Mother really is….

“I’ll punish you by kneeling in front of the Avalokitesvara statue for a whole night to reflect upon your mistakes and you are not allowed to eat a meal.”

(t/n Avalokitesvara statue(Guanyin Statue)- Goddess of Mercy)

“…Yes.” I responded reluctantly, went to the small room dedicated to Guanyin, and knelt down in front of the statue.

Want me to repent? What a joke! I haven’t done anything wrong.

Alas, I can’t even eat a meal. My mother is really…..how can she be so cruel. Sometimes I really wonder whether she’s my mother.

I knelt until the next morning and watched a ray of sunshine sneak into the small room. I’m afraid my mother has already eaten at this time. I massaged my already numb legs, and it took me a long time to stand up. After patting off the little dust on my knees with my sleeves, I limped to the kitchen to ask the cook to make me some food. After eating, I went back to the East Palace without feeling any remorse.

I cast a weird glance at Si Ran, who sat high in the hall, frowning. Despite the fact that he was gripping a scroll, his gaze was clearly not on it. I took a step forward, poured a cup of tea for myself, and drank it to relieve my thirst.

“Why do you look so unhappy? What happened?”

After a brief moment, he cast a leisurely gaze at me, dropped the scroll in his fingers, and sighed. “The neighboring kingdom sent envoys to propose a marriage with one of our princes,” he explained after a little pause, “and father approved.”

“Marriage? Who was picked?” I inquired casually. I couldn’t understand why Si Ran was so irritated by this. It wasn’t even……a marriage for him?!

Thinking like this, I was shocked. It wouldn’t be so coincidental, would it?

“Me.” As soon as he opened and closed his lips, his expression became more and more annoyed as the words came out.

You agreed?” I questioned warily, my heart skipping a beat. If he agreed, wouldn’t what he told me the day before become a joke?

Si Ran put his hand on his forehead and sighed, “The emperor’s order is hard to disobey.”

“Si Ran, you… don’t you like me?” I was nervous. If he didn’t like me then why did he agree the other day.

“I like you,” Si Ran said, flushing, and immediately poured himself a cup of tea to mask his embarrassment.

My dangling heart eventually collapsed to the ground as a result of these remarks.

“The emperor’s edict is difficult to ignore. I have no choice,” Putting down the teacup, his annoyance was evident.

“Si Ran, do you like the rivers and lakes in “The Legend of Hong Ye Jianqing?” I thought, recalling the piece of the page under Si Ran’s pillow.  I suddenly had an idea.

“Well, I like it,” Si Ran paused, and then expressed doubts, “What does Ziqing mean by this?”

I smiled, leaned over and whispered, “It means – let’s run away! We can still venture into the rivers and lakes that Si Ran yearns for.”

Si Ran was stunned for a moment at my words, his peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly and a good word came out.

My idea was immature and frivolous. It’s made just to avoid the immediate troubles but also to put aside the many problems that will come later. Making this promise, I have no regrets in my heart.

“Si Ran, is there a way to leave the palace without being noticed?” I asked.

“Don’t worry, Ziqing, I have a way to get out of the palace without being recognized.” Si Ran smiled, with 100% confidence in his words.

“Si Ran, it’s too late to regret now.” I looked straight into his eyes with a rare seriousness.

“Why should I regret?” Si Ran smiled, so calmly.

“Okay, I’ve decided to kidnap you, the prince. I won’t give you a chance to retreat if something happens.” I laughed.

“I, Feng Si Lian, never regret anything I do.”

A burst of laughter dissipated the initial anxiety and nervousness.  I made a decision with Si Ran to meet outside the Imperial City, and then returned to Prince Xi’s residence, changed into ordinary white clothes, took more silver coins and hurried outside the Imperial City. At a corner, hidden in the shadows, I waited for him.

An hour passed yet Si Ran was still nowhere to be seen. Could it be that he regretted it? Or was he recognized… The more I think about it, the more agitated I become, and the angrier I get. If something happens to Si Ran, what’s the point of my life?

When I couldn’t help but want to rush in to find Si Ran, a person stretched out his hand from behind and patted my shoulder, and a familiar and elegant voice came into my ears.

“What are you about to do?” A voice sounded with a hint of laughter.

“Enter the Imperial City to find you,” I smiled, “but I don’t think I need to now.”

“Why are you still here? The three of us should go and explore now.” Si Ran raised his eyebrows with a little dissatisfaction.

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. It’s not good to expose yourself~” I laughed, then hesitated, “Three?”

“Feng Yin!” Feng Yin, who was in a little palace maid’s attire suddenly appeared before my eyes. He pursed his pink lips tightly, his fingers clasped together uneasily and was obviously nervous. I held back a laugh and instead asked in doubt, “Why is Feng Yin here? “