Because the Second Prince lacked the physical conditioning of a dancer, he grew drowsy once the effects of the potion wore off. Yan Xiu hoisted him up and took advantage of the lingering heat to carry him away. Chu Tunan seized the opportunity to shed his own clothes and curl up into his embrace. Having just overheard their conversation, he realized that even the refined and courteous Second Prince was prone to vulgarities the moment he reached the bed.
When Xiao Jingyu finally woke, it was because he was famished. He reached out to pull the woman in his arms closer, marveling at how slender and soft her waist felt. He wanted to call for someone to light the lamps but was afraid of disturbing the beauty resting against him, so he had to get up himself to go and have food brought in.
As the lamps were lit, a scene of utter disarray met his eyes. It must have been that bowl of soup his Consort Mother had given them; otherwise, he could not explain why his memory of the events was so fragmented. He walked back to the bedside and saw that there was not an inch of the woman’s body that remained unmarked. Her lower abdomen was particularly bruised and discolored. Glancing at the bed, he spotted the crimson plum blossoms stained into the sheets, and he cursed himself for his brutality. Her neck looked as if it had been gnawed by a dog.
Chapter 281