The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 266 - 265: Dare to joke with me? The Crown Prince is "very particular

Chapter 266: Chapter 265: Dare to joke with me? The Crown Prince is "very particular

The evening meal was very sumptuous, and because Chun Xi wanted to eat dumplings, she had prepared some.

Shen Chuwei poured herself some vinegar and looked up at Xiao Jinyan, "Your Highness, would you like some vinegar?"

Xiao Jinyan glanced at the big bottle of vinegar in Shen Chuwei’s hand and thought of what she had said about jealousy yesterday.

"I don’t eat vinegar."

"Your Highness may not know, the correct way to eat dumplings is to dip them in vinegar," Shen Chuwei said, capping the bottle and setting it aside.

Xiao Jinyan watched her dip a dumpling into vinegar before bringing it to her mouth and taking a bite, eating with such relish that he could smell the sourness of the vinegar.

He didn’t mention the emperor’s instruction for Lu Zhaoyan to calculate the auspicious time to marry Princess Xueyan, not wanting to ruin the warmth of the moment.

Having eaten her fill, Shen Chuwei contentedly wiped her mouth.

Xiao Jinyan, holding a teacup, watched Shen Chuwei, observing her satisfied look. He took a sip of tea and accidentally burned his lip, letting out a muffled "hiss."

Shen Chuwei, hearing the muffled sound, looked over with concern, "Your Highness, what’s wrong?"

Xiao Jinyan shook his head, "It’s nothing."

Who would have thought that the Crown Prince could one day be scalded by a simple sip of tea?

"Your Highness is always deceiving your concubine," said Shen Chuwei incredulously. She stood up and walked to Xiao Jinyan, examining his handsome face for quite some time. Her gaze finally rested on his lips, which were reddened—a telltale sign of a burn, which she, as a doctor, recognized at a glance.

"Your Highness, please wait."

She turned around, retrieved the medicine box, opened the lid, and took out a burn ointment. As she unscrewed the cap, she walked back to him.

Xiao Jinyan curiously watched her approach with a small white jade bottle, "What is that?"

"I’ll apply some burn ointment for you, it will heal quickly," she said.

Shen Chuwei dipped her fingertip in the ointment, leaned close to Xiao Jinyan, pressed her fingertip against his reddened lip, and then gently smeared it, facilitating the ointment’s absorption.

Xiao Jinyan raised his eyes to look at the person who was so close to him. Her delicate eyebrows were lowered, and she appeared incredibly serious, much like when she painted.

The cool ointment on his lip quickly eased the burning sensation.

Feeling that she had applied enough, Shen Chuwei withdrew her hand and looked at him with expectation, "Your Highness, how does it feel?"

Xiao Jinyan met her sparkling eyes and generously praised, "Chuwei’s ointment is quite effective."

Shen Chuwei was rather pleased with herself, "This is the best burn ointment, fast-acting and non-irritating. Chun Xi once burned herself with hot oil while cooking; this is the ointment she used, and it left no scars."

After hearing the latter half of her statement, Xiao Jinyan felt it was somewhat superfluous. Was it appropriate to mention another person when it was just the two of them?

"Did Chuwei mix this medicine herself?"

Shen Chuwei nodded earnestly, "Yes, it’s a secret family recipe passed down to daughters, not sons."

Xiao Jinyan, "Is it really that remarkable?"

Seeing that Xiao Jinyan believed her, Shen Chuwei couldn’t help but laugh, "I was just joking."

In modern times, Shen Chuwei was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. She had never even seen her parents, let alone known who her ancestors were, so the idea of a family secret recipe was out of the question.

Xiao Jinyan, watching her with a smile that lit up her face, had a thought and reached out his long arm to pull her into his embrace. She was petite and soft, feeling like a bundle of cotton in his arms.

"Chuwei’s getting bolder, to joke with me like this."

Shen Chuwei defensively said, "Your Highness is too serious, sometimes like a teacher. It’s fine to make a joke to lighten the mood."

Xiao Jinyan’s gaze paused, "Am I?"

"Yes," Shen Chuwei affirmed with conviction. "Doesn’t Your Highness ever look in the mirror?"

Xiao Jinyan recalled waking up before dawn every day, and when it was still dark, Liu Xi was the one who attended to him as he dressed and combed his hair. He had not noticed what he normally looked like.

"I... have not paid attention to such matters."

"A smile takes ten years off. Your Highness, with your face always set in a serious expression, you show the bearing of an old soul. There’s not a hint of the carefree spirit that a young man should have."

Xiao Jinyan replied, "As a Prince and the Crown Prince, if I’m not solemn and dignified, how can I command respect?"

"What Your Highness says makes sense." Shen Chuwei looped her fingers around Xiao Jinyan’s neck, whispering close to his ear, "But in front of your concubine, you don’t have to be so solemn and dignified."

Xiao Jinyan was amused, though his smile was so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

"When we’re alone, call me Jinyan."

Shen Chuwei responded, "I’m used to calling you ’Your Highness’ every day."

Xiao Jinyan repeated, "Call me Jinyan."

Shen Chuwei gently let the name roll off her lips, "Jinyan."

Xiao Jinyan’s hand cradled the back of her head, as if to reward her he kissed her lips.

A restless hand kept stirring her affections.

Suddenly, Shen Chuwei remembered the new sachet she had embroidered. With her hands pressing against his solid chest, she managed to blurt out a few words with difficulty, "Jinyan, I have something else..."

Xiao Jinyan hushed her with more force, and she couldn’t complete her sentence.

"Call me what?"

"Jin... Jinyan," Shen Chuwei clutched at Xiao Jinyan’s lapel, her grip crumpling the smooth fabric into her palm, the golden threads now wrinkled.

"I... have something to say."

"We can talk later," Jinyan said as he scooped her up and strode toward the only bed in the room.

Shen Chuwei was gently laid down on the bed by Xiao Jinyan, who then lowered the bed curtains. Sometimes she thought he was quite particular—now was the time when the curtains must be drawn.

In a moment of nervousness, she couldn’t help but laugh, and Xiao Jinyan, turning around, caught her in the act.

"What’s so funny?"

Shen Chuwei shook her head vigorously, "Nothing."

Xiao Jinyan could tell she was lying at a glance, "Is there something happy that you cannot share with me?"

Shen Chuwei sat up agilely on the bed, reaching for Xiao Jinyan’s neck, and whispered in his ear, "You’re quite meticulous, Your Highness."

Xiao Jinyan, thinking it was some happy matter, realized she was actually teasing him about being particular.

Before Xiao Jinyan could pin her down, Shen Chuwei took the initiative, "Jinyan, I have a gift for you."

Xiao Jinyan’s interest was piqued at the mention of a gift, "Chuwei has prepared a gift for me?"

She nodded vigorously, "Yes, a gift I prepared personally."

Anticipation gleamed in Xiao Jinyan’s eyes, "Let me see, what is the gift?"

"I’ll go get it," said Shen Chuwei as she supported herself on his shoulders, climbed over his legs, lifted the bed curtains, and got off the bed.

The thud of her steps was heard as she opened a drawer, and when she returned, her hand held a pink object.

Agile as ever, Shen Chuwei climbed back onto the bed, supported herself on Xiao Jinyan’s shoulders, and once again crossed his legs to sit beside him.

"Jinyan, this is for you." She handed the sachet to Xiao Jinyan.

They say out with the old, in with the new; with a new sachet, the old one would surely be discarded.

Xiao Jinyan looked down at the item in her hand, instantly recognizing it as a sachet. His slender fingers took it from her and examined it closely.

The sachet was made of pink fabric, and the pattern embroidered on it was very simple, not just simple but also very familiar.