Chapter 067: Female Supremacy 8

After the Third Princess slipped away, the waterside pavilion fell silent.

Le Yixian carefully studied the little darling, noticing the powder on his face, and asked in surprise, “Did you put on powder?”

The little darling clenched his fists tightly, his ears tinged red, lips pressed into a line as he replied, “Is it strange for me to wear powder?”

In the Red Star Kingdom, both men and women loved to use powder, making their faces appear smooth and luminous. The box of powder he used had been a gift from his father long ago, and he had stared at it for quite a while before finally deciding to use it today.

“No, it looks nice,” Le Yixian coughed awkwardly and nodded, “Actually, you look good even without it…” She trailed off, noticing his face darken, and quickly amended, “With powder, you look even better.”

“Enough, you don’t have to say more,” Liu Qingyun’s face grew darker as he interrupted her, thinking that this person couldn’t even manage a proper compliment. Hmph, he decided he would never wear powder again.

Le Yixian closed her mouth sheepishly, suddenly feeling a bit too blunt.

“Madam, Dr. Li told you not to indulge the master too much, or he’ll get lost in this world and never wake from it,” a voice suddenly piped up in her mind. It was Gou Sheng, quiet until now, reminding her.

Le Yixian snapped back to herself. That’s right, Li Yue had indeed told her not to always give in to him.

So, Le Yixian’s gaze sharpened, staring intently at the little darling without blinking. He felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny, stiffened his neck, and asked, “What… what are you looking at?”

Gou Sheng: “Madam, quick, talk back!”

“I… I think you’re adorable,” Le Yixian blurted out after holding it in for a while.

Gou Sheng: …

Liu Qingyun: …

“What do you mean by that?!” The little darling flared up in anger.

Gou Sheng chimed in, “Yes, Madam, what do you mean? Don’t praise him, don’t indulge him.”

“Ah…” Confusion flickered in Le Yixian’s eyes. Then she looked at the little darling, whose face was flushed with rage, and said, “You told me not to say anything, so I’ll say it anyway. You’re adorable, you’re adorable, you’re adorable!!!”

“You…” Liu Qingyun trembled all over, his finger shaking as he pointed at her, speechless.

“What about you? Don’t think just because you believe I like you, you can do whatever you want. Hmph~” Le Yixian glared at him, imitating his huff.

“You rogue!” Liu Qingyun shouted, then turned and fled.

Le Yixian stayed where she was, making no move to chase after him. Gou Sheng grew anxious: “Madam, aren’t you going to chase after the master?”

“No, I shouldn’t always give in to him,” Le Yixian replied leisurely.

“Just now, you—?”

“He told me not to say it, so I said it. Just do the opposite. Look, I’ve made him so angry that he ran off. This time, he’s sure to snap out of it.”

Gou Sheng: …It actually sounds reasonable, he’s so angry he’s trembling, but somehow something feels off?

They both stood there for a while, lost in thought.

Le Yixian hesitated, “Maybe we should go after him, just in case.”

Gou Sheng hesitated too, “Maybe… let’s take a look.”

Liu Qingyun had dashed away, running to a secluded corner of the garden. He squatted beneath a rockery, covering his face with both hands, his mind replaying the earnest, dark eyes of his beloved.

He rubbed his face vigorously until the heat subsided a little, then, catching a glimpse of the grass at his feet, began plucking blades one by one, muttering in a tangled mix of delight, anger, and shyness, “How can anyone just call someone ‘adorable’ so carelessly? And say it so many times, shameless person…”

Before long, the ground around him was littered with “corpses” of grass.

Having finished his destructive work, his mood calmed considerably. He was about to get up and go settle the score with that shameless woman when he heard footsteps ahead.

“Don’t, someone might come,” a low male voice sounded.

“What are you afraid of? It’s just a kiss,” a woman’s voice answered.

Then came the unmistakable, intimate sounds of kissing.

Hiding behind the rockery, the little darling glanced around—behind him was a wall, to the left a pond, to the right a thicket of flowers. The only path out was blocked by the pair ahead.

There was no way out.

After a while, the kissing finally ceased, and the man’s voice, now husky, said, “Your Highness, I’m in love with you.”

“And I with you. I always have been,” the woman replied.

“When will Your Highness marry me?”

There was a pause.

“Your Highness?”

“If the mountains crumble and the rivers run dry, when thunder rumbles in winter and snow falls in summer, when heaven and earth unite—only then would I dare part from you!” the woman declared, her voice ringing with conviction and deep emotion. The man was instantly moved to tears.

“Your Highness, I’ll wait for you. I’ll wait forever.”

“I’ll marry you as soon as I can.”

Lingering in reluctant farewell, they finally left.

Once they had gone, Liu Qingyun’s face showed disdain. Who could trust a woman’s words? How foolish.

From their conversation, he had recognized the woman’s voice as the famously flirtatious Third Princess—a true heartbreaker.

He stood up, but his legs, numb from crouching, gave out and he plopped onto the ground with a thud.

The winding paths in that old matron’s garden were all exquisitely laid with pebbles of various sizes. As he landed hard, Liu Qingyun grimaced in pain, drawing a sharp breath.

Just then, Le Yixian arrived and caught sight of his pained, complicated expression, hurrying forward. “What’s wrong?”

“My legs are numb,” Liu Qingyun replied.

Le Yixian thought: Gou Sheng, look at him, I made him so angry he ran off to sulk in a corner, and now his legs are numb.

Gou Sheng: …Was he really that upset?

Not bothering with Gou Sheng, Le Yixian crouched down in front of the little darling and reached out to massage his calves.

The little darling’s face showed alarm, his expression vividly like a maiden accosted by a scoundrel. “What are you doing?!”

Le Yixian paused, remembering that in this country, men cared far more than women about their reputations.

“Your legs are numb, I’m just massaging them for you. It’ll feel better,” she explained, looking up at him.

Liu Qingyun’s face turned awkward. “Then… thank you.”

Le Yixian smiled and continued.

As Liu Qingyun watched her, he found her eyes bright and unforgettable at first glance. She possessed a strange attraction for him, like a moth drawn to flame in the darkness, making it impossible for him to look away.

That fleeting glimpse of her in the palace, the woman before him seemed to have been buried in his heart for ages. That one hurried glance had awakened something within him.

Liu Qingyun hesitated, wanting to speak. “You—”

But his words were cut off by approaching footsteps.

Le Yixian looked up at him questioningly.

Before Liu Qingyun could answer, voices came from ahead:

“Your Highness, you can’t do that here!”

“It’s fine, we’re in a secluded corner of the garden, no one will come.”

As the Third Princess finished, the sound of kissing resumed.

The two hiding behind the rockery: …