"I have overstepped my bounds."
"I have seen Your Highness many times—in the Anguo imperial palace, on the journey here for the political marriage, I... have truly found myself unable to help but observe Your Highness."
Lies. Not a single word was true.
Yao Yingying had never met Quan Yuanwu in the imperial palace, nor had she seen him on the road for the marriage. Even with his talk of overstepping, there was not a trace of apology in his eyes. He was doing this entirely on purpose.
What Yao Yingying could not fathom was why he was so certain she would be pleased by these actions. There was a natural intimacy in his words and behavior that even he seemed unaware of—the kind of closeness that only stems from a genuine, prior familiarity, expressed by the body before the mind can articulate it.
Therefore, in some corner of her memory she could not reach, she must have known the man before her. Perhaps there truly had been a fleeting romance between them. It was natural for him to think himself special in her eyes, so much so that he failed to realize the question he had just asked was, at its core, forcing Yao Yingying to make a choice: him, or Zhou Wei.
The only reason for such fixation on a question like that was that his heart had been stirred.
As she pieced this information together, a picture emerged: in the memories she had lost, she shared a deep connection with a martial officer. He loved her, she treated him differently than others, and they had likely promised to wed. But their relationship surely went far beyond that—it was a history he dared not even mention. As for her amnesia, he seemed to prefer the idea of cultivating their feelings all over again.
That was fascinating. What else was hidden in those unacknowledged memories? Yao Yingying could recall everything from the age of three until now. Where did this extra layer of memory involving this man come from?
Yao Yingying narrowed her eyes. Could it be... that she had been reborn more than once?
Seeing the shifting look in Yao Yingying's eyes, Quan Yuanwu felt a pang of panic. Fearing she might recall something, he hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I shall take my leave now."
Yao Yingying cast a glance at Quan Yuanwu. Most of the eunuchs and palace maids had already withdrawn, leaving only a dozen or so to clean up the scene. Duijin looked at Zhou Wei on the floor; he was in a wretched state, whimpering for mercy with eyes full of agony. Duijin snapped his bone back into place and delivered a swift chop to his neck. Before Zhou Wei could even begin to settle his grievances, he rolled his eyes and fainted cold.
Duijin hauled him onto the daybed in the outer chamber. The other maids began tidying up in an orderly fashion, preparing fresh clothes and the attire needed for the palace visit the next morning.
Quan Yuanwu lowered his gaze, not daring to meet her eyes. He had been too impatient; she might have already sensed something...
Quan Yuanwu rose to leave. Passing through the outer chamber, he caught sight of Zhou Wei and was overcome by a surge of jealousy. Flagrantly, he stepped on Zhou Wei’s chest. The force of the impact jarred Zhou Wei awake, but before he could even open his eyes, another sharp strike fell upon his neck. Zhou Wei’s eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness once more from the pain.
Jiyu pretended not to see.
Quan Yuanwu hoisted Zhou Wei up, intending to throw him into the side room. Yuejian lowered her eyes and stepped in his way. A flash of ferocity appeared in Quan Yuanwu's eyes. "What? Is Your Highness trying to protect him?!"
Yuejian used sign language. "General Quan, please go bathe. I will handle him."
Quan Yuanwu sneered. "And if I refuse?"
Yuejian watched him silently and signed again. "It is Her Highness's wish."
Quan Yuanwu frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Her Highness wants General Quan to serve in her chambers tonight."
The ferocity vanished in an instant. Quan Yuanwu stood blankly for a long moment before finally understanding. He loosened his grip and decisively cupped his fists. "My apologies, Miss Yue."
His demeanor was a complete turnaround from a moment ago. Duijin and Jiyu inwardly scoffed. Yuejian effortlessly hoisted the unconscious Zhou Wei onto her shoulder, gave a slight nod, and carried him away.
Jinyi extinguished the candles in the main hall one by one, leaving only the dragon-and-phoenix nuptial candles that were meant to burn throughout the night. As she closed the door, she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the side bath chamber all the way to the inner room, followed by Yao Yingying’s voice:
"Kneel."
Jinyi hurried to shut the door. The entire night, the lamps flickered, and the candlelight cast a crimson glow.
...
Before dawn, Jinyi lowered her voice and called from outside, "Your Highness, it is time to rise."
Yao Yingying was sore and quite uncomfortable; the first thing she did was kick Quan Yuanwu out of bed. Quan Yuanwu, who hadn’t slept a wink out of excitement, accepted the kick willingly. With a smile in his eyes, he asked, "Did that hurt? Shall I rub it for you, Your Highness?"
Yao Yingying called out in a raspy voice, "Send Yuejian in."
Her voice was so hoarse that Jinyi, outside the room, couldn't hear her clearly. She asked tentatively, "Your Highness? May I come in?"
Quan Yuanwu climbed back onto the bed to wrestle the quilt from Yao Yingying, and she, losing her patience, kicked him again. Quan Yuanwu landed firmly on the floor, still wrapped tightly in the quilt.
Hearing the commotion, Jinyi entered the inner chamber. She hadn't dared to look at the bed, only to find both the man and the quilt on the floor. Inwardly mocking the scene, she looked toward Yao Yingying and said, "The hot water is ready, Your Highness. The mammies from the palace will be arriving soon."
Yao Yingying draped her undergarments over her shoulders and went into the warming room. Jinyi signaled for the maid to fetch Yuejian.
After all that tossing about, just as she finished bathing, the person on the bed had been changed. Yuejian lowered her eyes, pulled a silver needle from Zhou Wei’s forehead, and gestured: "He will not remember anything that happened yesterday for the next four hours."
Before anyone could reply, Yushi’s voice came from outside. "Your Highness, Mammy Li, from the Empress Dowager's side, is here."
In the inner room, Zhou Wei, clad in bright red undergarments, was awakened by those words. He opened his eyes in a daze to see Yao Yingying sitting before a bronze mirror, letting Jinyi dry her hair. She looked radiant, enchanting, and filled with a certain languor.
Zhou Wei hadn't even processed his situation when he heard Yao Yingying say, "Let her in."
Zhou Wei instinctively frowned. Was she blind to the fact that he was still lying there? How could she not even ask him before speaking? She lacked the decorum expected of a Princess Consort.
Yao Yingying caught Zhou Wei’s gaze in the mirror but paid him no mind. Zhou Wei’s brow furrowed deeper. He had already spent the night with her—could she not wait to serve him now that he was awake?!
His dissatisfaction grew, but hearing footsteps approaching, he refrained from questioning her in front of others.
Mammy Li entered, bowing with a beaming smile. Her luxurious silk garments and the pearls in her hair were testaments to the favor she enjoyed. "This old servant thought I would have to wait a while. I did not expect the Princess Consort to be up already."
Yao Yingying’s throat was still hoarse and she didn't feel like speaking, so she let out a lazy "Mm."
The expression on Mammy Li’s face remained unchanged, though the smile in her eyes faltered for a second. Only when she saw Yao Yingying truly wasn't going to say more did she turn to Zhou Wei and bow. "Your Highness, I come on the orders of the Empress Dowager."
Zhou Wei was still rubbing his temples. For some reason, he felt a splitting headache.