Yan Feng declared that he had already grown up.
Chu Yunge withdrew her gaze and looked at the solemn-faced Yan Feng, holding back her laughter. “Yes, yes, you’ve grown up.”
If only the baby fat on his face were a bit less, it would be more convincing.
Yan Feng was still young and did not notice her teasing gaze, nor did he detect the perfunctory tone in her words. Upon hearing her affirmation, he puffed out his chest, and the corners of his mouth could not help but twitch upward.
Chu Yunge sat up straight as she watched. “Wait, Yan Feng, is that a dimple at the corner of your mouth?”
If she had not seen wrong earlier, Yan Feng did have dimples, right?
What was this called? A dimpled boy killer?
“What dimple?” Yan Feng took a step back, still maintaining his serious expression as he bowed and asked for guidance. “This subordinate feels that what Your Highness said makes perfect sense. Please instruct this subordinate.”
Chu Yunge faltered. She had only seen it in assassin movies; how was she supposed to instruct him?
“Wait while This Princess summarizes it again.”
“Yes.” Yan Feng quickly agreed, quite expectant.
After all, what Her Highness said did make some sense, but her courage had diminished. She was even afraid when a mere maid died, let alone someone familiar.
If he went for revenge later, he should do it from afar to avoid scaring her if he died.
It would be best if he did not die, which meant he needed to improve his abilities even more.
He pondered her earlier words. “Your Highness, is it still not too late for this subordinate to start learning now? How long does it take to become knowledgeable and well-versed?”
“It’s not too late; you’re only eighteen.” Chu Yunge thought for a moment. “As for how long it takes, it depends on personal talent, effort, and one’s own requirements.”
Yan Feng nodded and continued to ask about learning multiple languages, how to blend into any environment at any time, and how to change disguises.
Chu Yunge shared everything she knew, talking until her mouth went dry. In the process, she temporarily forgot about the earlier incident.
At this point, Yan Feng finally showed some perceptiveness and even poured tea for Chu Yunge.
“Not bad; you’re learning well already.”
Yan Feng was greatly encouraged. “Your Highness, may this subordinate teach others to learn as well?”
Chu Yunge was about to agree, but upon seeing Yan Feng’s solemn little face, she suddenly missed that fleeting dimple.
“Smile once? And This Princess will allow it.” She wanted to confirm if it was a dimple.
Yan Feng froze. “Ah?”
“Just smile once.” Chu Yunge hooked her index fingers at the corners of her mouth to demonstrate. “Smile like this.”
Yan Feng’s face went blank for a moment. “This subordinate… This subordinate will learn it alone first.”
He found it quite strange, especially after seeing Chu Yunge’s bright smile.
Why did she have to smile so radiantly, and why did she want him to smile too? Was this… teasing him?
The men in the brothel always asked the girls to smile for them.
With that thought, he could not help but confirm:
“Your Highness, are You teasing this subordinate?”
Chu Yunge: “…”
She fell silent. When he put it that way, her little tease did seem like flirting.
Sigh. She knew they did not belong to her, but upon seeing handsome men, she still could not help but flirt.
Especially ones like Yan Feng and Li Guangi.
She truly was scum.
Yan Feng sensed the silence and glanced at his toes. Even if it was teasing, for such precious knowledge, if all it cost was one smile, he came out ahead.
But he thought of a more serious issue.
“Your Highness, this subordinate has no intention of blaming You. This subordinate has always known that to get something, one must pay the corresponding price. This subordinate just wants to confirm: You want this subordinate to smile once today, but for learning other things later, will it require this subordinate to strip? Or to offer himself?”
If Her Highness truly made such a demand, should he agree?
He needed to confirm and prepare himself mentally.
Chu Yunge looked at Yan Feng in shock. “This Princess has no such intention.”
She would at most tease a little; she had no thought of touching them.
Yan Feng was not sure if he should feel relieved. “Then will Your Highness still teach?”
Chu Yunge rubbed her forehead. “Yes.”
With things said to this point, not teaching would make it seem like she was forcing Yan Feng to offer himself.
Yan Feng was delighted. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
He paused. “This subordinate will… practice smiling properly later.”
He rarely smiled and did not know how to smile well. People with a destroyed country and perished family had no right to smile, so from childhood, he had been deprived of the right to smile. Back then, smiling out of ignorance would earn him a beating.
Over time, the Yan People no longer smiled.
Although before his master died, the man admitted he was wrong. He said they were born into suffering, and it was unfair to burden them with hatred from childhood, as it was caused by his generation’s incompetence. It should not ruin generation after generation of Yan People, or even lead to their extinction.
He told them they could live the lives they wanted from then on, without obsessing over revenge.
But they had been raised for revenge, to repay kindness and enmity—what else could they do without that?
Chu Yunge paused upon hearing this. “You… can’t smile?”
Seeing Yan Feng nod, Chu Yunge nearly slapped herself: Damn it.
The original host had not paid attention to the Yan People and had no such memories. She had only thought Yan Feng simply did not like to smile.
“I take back the request. Go ahead and teach your clansmen.”
“It’s fine, Your Highness. You said to blend in, so we should learn to smile too.” How could they blend in without smiling?
“Your Highness, rest assured; this subordinate will smile until You are satisfied.”
Chu Yunge was just about to reply when she heard Du Ruo report, “Your Highness, the Prince Consort has arrived.”
Chu Yunge turned her head and saw Xie Wangze standing outside the hall, not knowing how long he had been watching or listening.
Xie Wangze stood in the exact same posture, the exact same position, with nearly the same expression as when she had kissed Li Guangi back then.
Chu Yunge went silent. He had seen her kiss Li Guangi before, and now he had seen her tease Yan Feng today too?
The only difference was that Yan Feng was not as panicked and uneasy as Li Guangi.
Yan Feng saw Xie Wangze, paid his respects, and took his leave, seemingly unaffected.
Xie Wangze watched Yan Feng’s back disappear before lowering his gaze. “This Prince Consort has disturbed Your Highness’s fun again, but tonight still requires detoxification.”
Ju An had even urged him to detoxify tonight by taking advantage of the situation. After bathing, he had coaxed him into wearing these cumbersome and ornate robes, insisting they looked good and urging him to come early.
In the end? He came early, only to catch the Princess teasing someone again. Li Guangi did not count, but now Yan Feng too—how was he supposed to accept consummating for detoxification? How was he supposed to fall in love with her?
Likewise, with so many men around her, how was she supposed to fall in love with him?
Xie Wangze only felt that tonight, driven by the need to detoxify, he had become a joke.
Chu Yunge looked at Xie Wangze, whose expression grew increasingly cold and stern, and sighed inwardly. Tonight, she truly hoped Yan Feng would detoxify her.
Yan Feng might have low emotional intelligence, but talking to him required no mind games—far better than Xie Wangze’s icy face.
At first glance, Xie Wangze had seemed warm and refined like jade, so good-tempered even when cuckolded. Now, he just seemed like an icy cold jade.
“There’s not that much fun to be had. Let’s detoxify first.”
After bathing and changing, Chu Yunge got into bed first. As before, Xie Wangze glanced at her but did not get on the bed. Instead, he moved to blow out the lamp.
“Wait, don’t blow it out.”
Why was he suddenly blowing out the lamp? He had not done so last time.