Chapter 267 - Flowery Night~ (1/2)

Princess Nalan opened her eyes, stared blankly for a second, and then froze. She knit her brows and promptly sat up, holding the cloak to her chest. Her eyes scanned the field of flowers before her, she was alone.

He was gone...leaving only a cloak behind.

She glanced about and then instantly relaxed when she saw his horse still tied up next to hers. Of course, he would never leave her...not after all this. She smiled and let out a happy sigh of relief and was about to lay back down to relax when she realized that the sun was setting.

She was late, very late. She needed to get back to the palace, no, the Zou representatives' manor first and then the palace.

Princess Nalan immediately jumped to her feet, grabbed her clothes, rushed behind the bushes to quickly get dressed as she called out, ”Princ - Jun Shan! Where are you? We have to leave!... Jun Shan! Ju -”

”Relax, there's no rush...” Prince Yi finally responded.

Princess Nalan poked her head out to see him putting down some sticks and rabbit on the ground. He had apparently woken up much earlier and left to go see to their dinner. It was very sweet and it made her very happy but she really had to leave.

It was already very late and she did not want to cause any issues for Lei Xing, so she sighed as she came out tying the final knots on her outer robe as she informed, ”I have to return to the palace by sunset...”

”Oh that, I already arranged for the maid to inform the palace that you will be staying over at the Zou representatives' manor if we were late...Prince Yi said as he arranged the sticks for the fire, but then he suddenly stopped and glanced over at her and tentatively went, ”Unless, you want to leave -”

”Here's great~” Princess Nalan swiftly responded with a smile. Prince Yi blinked at her and then nodded and focused back on preparing the fire.

Princess Nalan happily went over to him, ”I'll do this~” She said as she went to pick up the rabbit but Prince Yi promptly caught her hand, but then instantly released it and grabbed the rabbit, putting it on his other side as he said, ”I can do everything...You just sit down, there's some berries on the leaves on the side there, water and some more wi -...” Prince Yi paused and knit his brows and lowered his head.

Princess Nalan's smile brightened even more and then she said, ”I'm not at all delicate, this is nothing. I ca-”

”No, I want to...You just go rest or go admire the flowers...please.” Prince Yi said glancing at her. Princess Nalan looked at him for a bit and then nodded and walked over to the side, where the berries were and sat down, and watched him work with a wide smile.

{...He's really too perfect~...}

Prince Yi dexterously and seriously went about his work, getting a fire going and then cleaning and slowly roasting the meat. Once it was ready, he handed the stick with the whole roast to Princess Nalan.

Princess Nalan happily took it and then took a bite and went, ”Mhm, it's good...”

Prince Yi nodded and then put some more sticks in the fire and sat down in next to her. Princess Nalan then cut a piece of the meat and handed it to him, Prince Yi knit his brows and blinked at her hand. Princess Nalan then went, ”Aren't you going to eat?”

”Oh.” Prince Yi went, realizing his error. He took the meat and then proceeded to eat as Princess Nalan quietly observed him. He had been behaving a bit strangely, quiet...too quiet.

Given how far they'd come, there was no longer need for her to hold back and so she bluntly asked, ”Are you regretting it?” with a raised eyebrow.

Prince Yi froze and then knit his brows, ”No...”

He was not regretting it, after all, he had planned for this. He knew he was behaving a bit strangely, even he did not fully understand himself either.

Prince Yi sighed and glanced at Princess Nalan and quietly said, ”I was thinking that you might be regretting it -”

”I never regret anything I do!” Princess Nalan swiftly responded, proudly raising her head up. Prince Yi stared at her for a bit and then gave a fleeting half-smile and lowered his head, ”That's good then...”

He now knew what it was he was feeling...it was guilt.

It was not because he had slept with Princess Nalan for his grand aspirations but because of the thoughts he had during their time together.

It was just that being here in this flower field, he could not help thinking of the fleeting dream he had once had of this place. He could not help imagining the woman in his dreams and could not help seeing her in his arms. It felt too unfair to the woman who had lain with him.

But he could not help it, while his eyes saw Nalan...his heart saw Lei Xing.