After finally enduring the changing of the wound dressing, Hua Manman felt the draining exhaustion of a narrow escape.
She hurriedly dressed, pressing a hand to her slightly flushed cheeks. After composing herself, she dragged her jelly-like limbs off the bed.
"Prince, since the dressing has been changed, I will not disturb your rest any longer. I will take my leave now and co see you another day."
But Li Ji said, "I’m quite bored being here all alone. Stay and talk with ."
’The boss has given an order. How could a re employee like have the right to refuse?’
She quickly put on a look of being overwheld by the favor.
"As long as the Prince does not find botherso, I am willing to stay by your side for a lifeti."
Li Ji was satisfied with her performance and smiled faintly.
"As you wish."
To avoid reopening her wound, Hua Manman had no choice but to return to the daybed and continue lying on her stomach.
At first, she managed to make sporadic small talk with Prince Zhao.
But later, she really couldn’t hold on any longer, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
When she woke up, the sky outside was already completely dark.
Hua Manman and Prince Zhao had dinner.
Prince Zhao went to bathe.
anwhile, Si Yun brought hot water to help Lady Hua wash up.
Once she was all washed up, Si Yun helped Lady Hua lie down on the large bed in the inner chamber.
When Li Ji returned, he saw Hua Manman lying perfectly straight on the bed.
With the help of two attendants, Li Ji lay down on the bed.
He was usually very unaccustod to sharing a bed with anyone.
But lying shoulder-to-shoulder with Hua Manman now, he didn’t feel the discomfort he had expected.
He even felt a little bit at ease.
The mont the attendants left, Hua Manman imdiately sat up.
The oil lamp placed by the head of the bed was still lit.
By its dim, yellow glow, she began to carefully crawl toward the edge of the bed.
Li Ji asked in a deep voice, "What are you doing?"
Hua Manman answered truthfully, "I’m going to sleep on the bamboo daybed outside."
Li Ji stared at her and asked, "Why would you sleep on a bamboo daybed when there’s a perfectly good bed right here?"
Hua Manman muttered under her breath.
"Isn’t it because you find disgusting and don’t want to sleep with you?"
Li Ji was at a loss for words.
Hua Manman tried to crawl away again.
Li Ji grabbed her wrist, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"It’s so late. What are you making a fuss about? Just sleep here."
Hua Manman was utterly astonished.
’Didn’t this jerk just kick out into the outer room with a look of disgust on his face before?’
’Why the sudden change of heart tonight?’
Li Ji heard her thoughts and felt a little uncomfortable, but his expression remained impassive.
He asked sullenly.
"Are you going to sleep or not?"
Hua Manman had no choice but to lie back down resentfully.
Li Ji patiently helped her pull the quilt up properly.
Seeing that she was still staring at him, he frowned.
"Close your eyes and sleep!"
Hua Manman didn’t know why he had suddenly beco so fierce, but she didn’t dare ask and didn’t dare speak. She could only obediently close her eyes and go to sleep.
Her sleep quality was as good as ever, and she soon drifted off into dreamland.
Li Ji had originally closed his eyes.
A mont later, he opened them again, turned his head, and silently gazed at the woman beside him.
When she slept, she liked to part her lips slightly. A lock of long hair clung to her cheek before falling inside the collar of her nightgown.
Perhaps because it was uncomfortable to sleep on her stomach, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her small nose would occasionally twitch.
She was like a little rabbit sleeping beside a fierce beast—white, soft, and completely defenseless.
Li Ji reached out, his cool, pale fingertips lightly brushing against her neck.
That slender, fragile neck looked as if it would snap with the slightest pressure from him.
’She’s different from those who want dead,’ he told himself silently. ’She won’t hurt .’
’I can try to trust her.’
His fingertips lingered on the nape of Hua Manman’s neck for a mont before finally moving away. He moved his hand above her cheek and hooked the long strand of hair.
The strand of hair was drawn out from inside her collar.
Li Ji pinched the tip of the strand and brought it to his nose, sniffing it lightly.
That night, Li Ji had a dream.
He dread that he had returned to five years ago.
On a battlefield littered with corpses, surrounded by the deafening roar of battle cries, the world seed to be stained crimson, a sea of scarlet.
Duke Zhen, covered in blood with his hair in disarray, panted heavily as he spoke.
"You must make it back alive. You must live!"
A twelve-year-old Li Ji gripped his arm tightly, refusing to let go, his face a ss of tears.
"I won’t go! Father, I won’t go!"
Duke Zhen forcefully pried his fingers off one by one, his eyes bloodshot and frighteningly red.
"Rember, when you go back, don’t trust anyone. You can only trust yourself!"
"You can’t trust anyone! You can only trust yourself!"
"You can only trust yourself!"
...
The last sentence echoed endlessly in Li Ji’s mind.
When he opened his eyes and awoke from the dream, his mind was still imrsed in the scene, unable to return to reality for a long ti.
Until a soft, feminine voice sounded beside him—
"Prince, you’re awake."
Only then did Li Ji fully wake up.
He turned his head to look at the woman lying on her stomach beside him. His gaze lingered for a mont on her small, drowsy face before he responded in a low voice.
"Mm."
’Father told not to trust anyone.’
’But I can’t help wanting to trust, just this once.’
The oil lamp by the bed had already burned out. Morning light filtered through the thin paper of the window panes, adding a touch of warmth to the quiet bedchamber.
Hua Manman did not want to get up so early.
’But as a working stiff, I don’t have the right to sleep in.’
’I can only endure the pain of parting with my beloved warm bed and throw myself into the hustle and bustle of a new day.’
’The outside is too cold, the bed is too warm, life is too tiring, and dreaming is too good,’ she sighed inwardly.
Hearing her inner thoughts, the heavy emotions that had been weighing on Li Ji’s heart instantly dissipated for the most part.
He couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth and let out a soft chuckle.
As the two were having breakfast, Jinxiu walked in and reported respectfully to Prince Zhao.
"Last night, the Saint summoned Hua Jieyu to his chambers."
Her voice was not low, and Hua Manman heard the sentence as well, causing her to pause mid-al.
Li Ji looked at Hua Manman, a half-smile on his face as he spoke.
"It seems your sister has thought things through."
Although the Emperor lacked integrity, he still possessed the pride of a sovereign. He had always disdained forcing others; if Hua Qingqing hadn’t actively given him a signal, he would not have summoned her to his bed.
Hua Manman didn’t quite understand. ’Hua Qingqing was clearly unwilling to serve the Emperor, so why the sudden change of heart?’
’Did sothing happen in the anti that I don’t know about?’
Li Ji heard her thoughts and said leisurely.
"People change. Water flows downward, and people strive upward. It’s only human nature."
Hua Manman asked cautiously, "Prince, do you know sothing?"
Li Ji: "Take a guess."
’Guess my foot!’ Hua Manman skipped the topic directly and moved on to ask about sothing else.
"Regarding the matter of Hua Jieyu being plotted against, have you found any leads?"
...
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