Chi Ying searched through the storehouse for a while. Considering the weather was growing increasingly sweltering as spring turned to summer, she finally selected a bolt of light, fine, and soft Cloud Silk to use as the material for Prince Zhao’s eye veil.

This Cloud Silk was a thin gauze woven from raw silk, yet it was even lighter and more delicate than ordinary silk. When draped over the skin, it carried a slight chill, making the touch incredibly comfortable.

Even Chi Ying herself was tempted by it.

Being held in his arms every night, her sense of shame often got the better of her, making her whole body run hot. She felt as if she were trapped inside a suffocating steamer, yet she was too embarrassed to say she was hot. If she did, this man would simply slide his hand into her collar, his ice-cold thumb ring grazing every inch of her body as he asked with total gravity if she felt cool yet…

She truly did not wish to recall that sensation of being caught between ice and fire.

If she could use this refreshing material to make a sleeping robe, the nights would surely be much more bearable.

However, this Cloud Silk was truly precious. It was said to be a tribute from Jiangnan, distributed only to the high-ranking nobles in the palace; it was rarely found on the open market. She had never intended to touch the valuables in Prince Zhao’s storehouse, so she naturally wouldn’t be so extravagant as to make clothes for herself out of a fabric worth its weight in gold—unless it was for Prince Zhao or Consort Zhuang.

Wait. Her mind shifted. Why not use this Cloud Silk to make a sleeping robe for Prince Zhao?

Did Prince Zhao not want a gift of thanks? If he received the eye veil and remained unsatisfied, only to find new ways to make things difficult for her elsewhere, it would be better for her to take the initiative and make one more thing to shut him up.

Furthermore, he held her to sleep almost every night. If she made this robe for him to wear, she would be the one holding him, which would help cool her down as well.

Chi Ying set to work.

The eye veil was finished quickly. Excessive embroidery would have ruined the sense of lightness, so Chi Ying only embroidered the *Wan* character at each end of the silk ribbons.

The *Wan* symbol carried meanings of light and auspiciousness. Although this substitute marriage was against her will and she currently walked on thin ice every day, in all fairness, Prince Zhao was not bad to her. He was far better than the gloomy, bloodthirsty image she had imagined. Most of her fears stemmed from the guilt in her own heart. She truly hoped he would be safe, healthy, and regain his sight.

Sleeping robes did not require a custom fitting. She simply followed the measurements of the robes Prince Zhao usually wore, adorning them with simple auspicious cloud patterns. It did not take many days to complete.

On the day she was to hand over the work, Chi Ying first took out the eye silk and handed it to him.

“This is made of Cloud Silk. It is pure white, and the silk is soft and cool. I wonder if Your Highness likes it?”

Yan Xuecuī’s fingertips lightly brushed over the smooth texture of the silk. He was naturally satisfied, but when his knuckles grazed the *Wan* embroidery at the end of the silk, his hand paused slightly.

Chi Ying’s heart gave a sudden, violent lurch.

Had she been too presumptuous?

The blind often had sensitive temperaments. Would a pattern symbolizing light trigger painful memories? Would he think she was mocking him?

Chi Ying stared at his expression, trembling with anxiety.

Fortunately, after a moment, Prince Zhao’s smile returned. His voice was calm and deep. “Tie it for me.”

Chi Ying let out a sigh of relief. “Very well.”

The Cloud Silk covered his face. The soft, slippery silk brushed against his eyelashes, light as a feather. The ribbon shielded the emptiness in his eyes as a refreshing chill spread out.

Yan Xuecuī tightened his grip, the veins on his forehead bulging slightly. He felt the silk being slowly tied at the back of his head. The girl’s fingertips inevitably brushed against his ears and sideburns, leaving behind a faint, ethereal fragrance.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. Beneath the skin where she touched him, his blood surged, burning with a numb, tingling itch.

Chi Ying was entirely unaware. She focused on tying the knot and straightening the ribbons falling down his back. Then, she quietly observed him. This eye silk, thin as a cicada’s wing, complimented his elegant and refined features. Dressed in a sky-blue long robe and bathed in the soft sunlight, he seemed shrouded in a layer of faint, clear light.

In her daze, her fingers were gently caught by the man.

The corners of Yan Xuecuī’s lips curled up. “Does it look good?”

Chi Ying’s face flushed. She wasn’t sure if he was asking about the silk or the person. She whispered, “Your Highness’s grace is elegant and refined, as radiant as a divine lord.”

As soon as the words fell, the hand holding her palm tightened, as if he intended to pull her toward him.

Chi Ying panicked and hurriedly said, “I… I have another gift of thanks for Your Highness.”

Yan Xuecuī rubbed her fingers for a long time before finally, slowly, letting go.

Chi Ying brought the sleeping robe over. “This Cloud Silk is an excellent material. I used the remaining fabric to make a sleeping robe for Your Highness.”

Yan Xuecuī brushed over the neatly folded robe on the tray. A smile touched his lips. “Many thanks. The Princess has gone to great trouble.”

He paused, then added, “Do you want to help me change?”

Chi Ying’s eyes widened. His tone was far too casual, devoid of any suggestive undertone, as if serving him his sleeping clothes was just as simple a task as tying his eye veil.

“I…” She was momentarily speechless. “I have already washed up. If Your Highness wishes to try it, you can wear it after your bath.”

Yan Xuecuī pursed his lips. “Fine then. We shall do as the Princess says.”

Chi Ying turned to call for someone to prepare the water, only to hear him speak behind her. “The Princess might as well accompany me to the bathing room. After all, you sewed this robe yourself. If the measurements are improper, you can adjust them in time, can you not?”

Chi Ying: “…”

She always felt this man was constantly looking for ways to tease her, yet every time, he managed to leave her with nothing to say but to comply.

Forget it. He was the Prince; if he gave an order, she would just follow it. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen him bare-chested before. Only a few days after she had married in, she had already changed his bandages.

Fortunately, he always bathed himself. There was no reason for her to serve him just because she was there.

The bathing room was thick with white mist. Chi Ying waited behind the screen, listening to the clear sound of splashing water in the pool. She kept her eyes on her nose and her nose on her heart, wishing she could stare a hole through the robe in her hands.

Suddenly, there was a loud splash from the water’s surface. Chi Ying’s nerves instantly pulled taut. She heard him rise from the water and walk a few steps, taking a towel from the wooden rack to dry his body. Then came the rustle of clothing.

A moment later, his movements stopped. He called her. “Princess?”

Chi Ying took a deep breath, steeled herself, and stepped forward with the robe.

Inside the screen, the steam was hazy, so it wasn’t as if everything was exposed at once. However, as she drew closer, she could no longer ignore the man’s tall, upright physique. Fortunately, he had already put on his undergarments. As for his exposed upper body… she could only squint her eyes, trying to minimize her field of vision as much as possible.

Yet, Heaven did not grant her wish. In her effort not to look at him, she failed to notice a puddle of water on the floor. Her foot suddenly slipped, and she pitched forward uncontrollably.

However, the expected pain of her knees hitting the floor did not come. Her waist was suddenly tightened; the man had caught her just in time, pulling her right against him.

“Does the Princess not want to look at the path, or does she not want to look at me?”

His voice still carried the lazy, low rasp unique to someone who had just bathed, falling into her ears with a numbing tingle.

Chi Ying was still shaken. When she opened her eyes, the man’s bare torso slammed straight into her vision.

Even if she pretended to be blind, it was truly difficult to ignore those lean, tight, and well-defined muscles. Water droplets slid from his Adam’s apple, tracing across his firm chest, then rolling down the sharp, deep lines of his abdomen until they dipped into his waistline and vanished… Chi Ying retracted her gaze as if she had been electrocuted.

Whether it was when she bandaged his wounds or when she helped him relieve himself this morning, she had never dared to stare directly at his body. Why did she have to stare at those water droplets today… She was both annoyed and incredibly bashful.

The man’s hot palm was still pressed against her lower back. Chi Ying swallowed hard and said with a trembling voice, “I didn’t notice the water on the floor just now. Thank you, Your Highness… I will help you dress.”

Yan Xuecuī slowly withdrew his hand. “I shall trouble the Princess, then.”

Chi Ying suppressed the turbulence in her heart and stood steady. Just as she was about to help him dress, she saw that water droplets still clung to him from his collarbone to his chest. She was momentarily conflicted.

Considering he was blind and there were places he couldn’t wipe, her conscience would bother her if she pretended not to see. She had no choice but to say, “There are still some water traces on Your Highness. Let me wipe them for you.”

Yan Xuecuī: “Very well.”

Chi Ying took the towel from the bamboo rack. Her fingers clenched it tightly, but she resigned herself to keeping her eyes open, gently wiping the damp marks on his chest.

The moment the towel touched him, the man’s breathing grew noticeably heavier. His full, tight chest rose and fell slightly. Chi Ying endured her trembling hands and steeled herself to continue wiping downward.

Some water droplets were caught on his protruding old scars. She held her breath, lightening her touch, using her fingertips to press the towel down to dry them.

Usually, looking at him, he always appeared as a refined and otherworldly noble son. However, now that his outer robes were removed, the crisscrossing scars came into view. She realized in a daze that he had once been a general who had fought a hundred battles and waded through blood. Beneath that elegant, noble skin lay a foundation of sharp, lethal steel.

Chi Ying finished wiping the water from his upper body and let out a small sigh of relief. She took the folded robe from the tray and carefully helped him into it.

Since it was modeled after his old clothes, the measurements were naturally perfect. The snow-white silk draped smoothly, accentuating his powerful muscle lines just right.

Having just come out of the bath, his body was still radiating heat, so she didn’t tie it too tightly. The collar hung loose, revealing a small patch of his chest that was slightly flushed, giving him an indescribable, handsome flair.

She pursed her lips. “How does Your Highness feel? Is it too tight?”

As soon as she finished speaking, she was unexpectedly pulled into his arms. Her forehead rested against his shoulder. Chi Ying gasped as the man leaned in close, his burning breath already falling against her lips.

“The Princess’s robe is very good. I like it very much.”

Chi Ying’s heart thundered. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito’s hum. “It is good that Your Highness likes it. I…”

Before she could finish, his warm, thin lips covered hers without warning, swallowing the rest of her words whole.

He had wanted this for a long time. A dark fire was rising in his heart. If not for his remaining shred of reason, how could he have allowed her to leisurely wipe his chest and slowly dress him? Enduring even one more moment was a torture to his willpower.

Chi Ying endured the sudden kiss in shock. A slight sting finally brought her back to her senses.

This was entirely different from yesterday’s brief taste, and different from the time he was drunk. Back then, she had been almost unconscious, but now she felt with absolute clarity the scorching temperature of the man’s teeth and the strength that allowed no escape.

From the start, it was anything but a gentle suckling. It turned into a full-scale invasion; his tongue broke in, grinding and tightly chasing her, the kiss both surging and hurried.

***

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