No wonder he had Feng Ju stop people from entering the room.
Standing in the middle of the room was Pei Nan. That wasn't the strange thing; it was the thing he was holding onto. Peonies? A handful of peonies to be exact.
Yu Mei made her way over. "Greetings to your highness."
"I hear that you've been accompanying my mother the whole day?"
"I have. Is there something you needed? Did you wait long?" she quickly asked.
"I just got here a little bit ago." He casually threw out. That was a lie. He had been waiting for her for over an hour. "In the afternoon I walked past these blooming peonies. I thought I would pick some for you. These are as lively as you." He stretched his hand to give them to her.
Yu Mei refrained from smiling too widely. It would not be good if he knew she was pleased with him. "I thank your highness then." She received the flowers.
The pink flowers were in full bloom. Very beautiful. Even when she was skimming her fingers along the soft petals, she couldn't help but compliment how beautiful they are.
"Can you put them down on the table for a moment." He asked. She didn't ask why. She figured he had another surprise for her. Her back was turned away from him as she neatly placed the flowers on the table.
"Ahhh~" Yu Mei covered her scream with one hand. The other was wrapped around his neck. He was playing another trick on her.
Pei Nan was already carrying Yu Mei over to the bed in a princess style. "Pei Nan, what are you doing?" she squirmed in his arms.
"What do you think I'm doing?" he looked at her in a flirtatious matter.
"Pei Nan, stop your nonsense!"
"Wifey, what nonsense? I'm simply carrying my wife to the bed. Is there something wrong with that?" he pretended to be innocent, not slowing a step down. Yu Mei shockingly stared at the bed. They were slowly approaching the bed. "Bed? What are you talking about? Shouldn't you be going back to your own room?"
He stopped.
"Wifey, your bed is my bed and my bed is your bed. Tonight we'll share." He smiled before continue.
Before she could get another word in, her body was gently laid onto the bed. Yu Mei rolled to the wall and tugged the blanket. He sat at the edge and smiled evilly.
"Stop playing around. Go to your room." Yu Mei forgot to be respectful in front of him. She pointed towards the door.
He didn't comply with her. He simply took off his boots and laid down. Yu Mei still had the blanket covering herself. Her expression was filled with mistrust. What was he planning?
Pei Nan placed both hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "You can relax. I promise I won't do anything. I won't force you. I simply only wanted to test out why you like this bed so much. To the point that you would spend more than 10 hours on it." He teased.
"Are you being serious? If his highness lies, I won't hold back my punches." She threatened.
"I promise."
Yu Mei was still not buying it. She stared at him for a few minutes. He really wasn't doing anything. His eyes were closed. Only when she felt it was safe did she lay next to him. He didn't know how long it was going to take her to relax. Only 20 minutes. Not bad he thought.
"Pan Yu Mei. In the future, what do you want to do?" Still with his eyes closed, he curiously asked.
Yu Mei thought hard as her eyes focused on the ceiling. "Mmm…I want to go see Mt. Tai. Go fishing and eat lots of yummy food." She happily named one by one.
Pei Nan quietly chuckled. "You're more simple than I imagined. You don't want riches, a higher ranking or my love? You only want to travel and eat good food?"
This sudden question of his made her think. She was only a passing soul looking for a short term residence. She would leave soon. These thoughts never occurred to her. Riches? High ranking? Love?
They were not necessary.
Pei Nan turned to look at her when she didn't reply back. She looked lost in thought. He did not have the heart to interrupt her.
He was indeed right; Yu Mei was lost in her own thoughts. She was thinking of Ji Er. Even though she didn't know what Ji Er was thinking when she married Pei Nan, as a woman she felt her pain. To be in a loveless relationship, watching as your husband loves another woman yet not be able to go back to your own love. If Ji Er knew what she was getting into, would she still have chosen this life?
"Pei Nan…do you think other girls are as lucky as me? To receive love and affection?"
He didn't need to ask to know what she meant. He seriously looked at her. "Some people are blessed to be able to marry the one they love whilst some cannot choose. If they are born into a family that can not choose, then it is their fate." He answered her.
"Would you be compassionate enough to grant a divorce if it'll make your wife happy?"
Pei Nan frowned at her. Was she thinking about leaving him? Pei Nan turned his body her way and wrapped his arm around her. "Pan Yu Mei! Are you thinking about leaving me?" he asked half serious, half teasing.
"I was only asking randomly."
"Well the answer is no." He pulled her into his embrace. Yu Mei lay her head on his chest whilst a hand wrapped around his waist. "Once you are married to me, whether you receive my affection or not, you are not allowed to leave."
Pei Nan came here tonight to get his mind off the issue of the rebelling state of Lian. They were on the verge of going to war. Who knew that he would be having such a heavy conversation with Yu Mei instead.
Not long later, Pei Nan fell asleep on her bed. Yu Mei was still wide awake. When she realized he was fast asleep, she slid her way off the bed. Even if he didn't tell her, she knew he had been stressed regarding the issue with Lian.
She had acquired from one of Pei Nan's maid a few days ago that he has been using stress relieving incenses lately. Yu Mei wanted to call Chu'mei to accompany her but she had dozed off. Feng Ju had left earlier under Pei Nan's order. If he didn't leave Yu Mei's room in two hours, Feng Ju could leave.
Seeing that his palace wasn't too far away, Yu Mei made her way over.
When she arrived, she ran into Fei Ning a few feet away from Pei Nan's room.