Chu Yunge had been tired all day and had relaxed with a massage, so she quickly fell asleep.
Yan Feng listened to Chu Yunge’s steady, even breathing and had just relaxed when she showed an abnormality, as if her breathing was obstructed, letting out muffled gasps.
Yan Feng’s expression changed. He got up, helped Chu Yunge sit upright, and gently patted her back.
Chu Yunge breathed in big gulps. She glanced at him hazily, her face pale, but fortunately, she soon steadied.
“Thanks.” Chu Yunge said softly, limply leaning against Yan Feng.
She had experienced this before—insomnia and restless dreams, only to wake from heart palpitations in her sleep, or with labored breathing.
If her luck was bad, she could even die directly.
She had no strength to say more and drowsily fell asleep again against Yan Feng.
Yan Feng looked at her frail back and pursed his lips.
He had noticed it before: the princess’s health was poor. She fainted from time to time, and she was very light. While he had gotten plump from eating, she had grown even lighter.
Tonight, he had felt her pain and thinness more directly and up close.
Once he sensed that Chu Yunge was deeply asleep, Yan Feng’s hand and half his body had gone numb. Finally, he carefully laid her back on the bed.
But Chu Yunge seemed restless in her dream. She hugged his hand tightly and leaned closer.
Yan Feng stared at her lips, so close at hand. Panic appeared on his always serious face.
His heart panicked, and he wanted to pull away.
But as soon as he moved, Chu Yunge hugged tighter, murmuring in her sleep: “Kiss… kiss…”
She was so close to him that the slightest movement would make contact.
But he was not the princess’s prince consort, nor the male favorite the princess had snatched back. He was just a guard.
He could not take advantage of his position, pretend to be deaf and dumb or foolish, and enjoy things he should not.
The princess had let him stay by her side on duty; he could not betray her trust.
Yan Feng struggled for nearly half an hour before finally, without waking Chu Yunge, carefully prying her hand free.
The frown on Chu Yunge’s face slowly eased after Yan Feng placed a pillow in her arms.
Yan Feng was drenched in sweat.
It was as if he had battled for three days and nights; he slid to the floor, somewhat drained.
When Chu Yunge woke the next morning, she saw Yan Feng kneeling by the bed, his hand merely resting on her arm.
Chu Yunge found it strange. “Yan Feng, why did you get off the bed? Did you sleep like that last night?”
“This subordinate is accustomed to staying vigilant at night.”
He indeed rarely slept properly on a bed, especially such a soft and fragrant one.
It was too soft and fragrant, lulling one into relaxation. With one slip, a person would sink in and never want to wake.
Chu Yunge was shocked. “So you slept kneeling?”
Yan Feng stood and shook his head. In truth, he had not slept a wink all night. Because Chu Yunge moved around, he could only periodically straighten up, reach out carefully, and touch her wrist or arm to check for poison.
Chu Yunge breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought so. Kneeling to sleep looks improper. People who don’t know might think I mistreated you. When I woke briefly last night, you were on the bed. Did I crowd you off later?”
Her sleeping posture was indeed poor.
Moreover, she had probably read some steamy little book before bed, so she even dreamed about it afterward.
In the dream, she could not see the man’s face clearly, only that he was handsome. She said to kiss, but he ran away and even said he did not like women.
Even in dreams, she was hard-controlled. Chu Yunge was truly speechless, but fortunately the man ran, or else it would have been bad if she had done something wild with Yan Feng in her sleep.
Chu Yunge did not know that Yan Feng actually knew everything and had endured a tough moment.
“No.” Yan Feng denied it. He had gotten down himself.
“That’s good.” Chu Yunge yawned and turned to see Yan Feng looking at her.
“Why are you staring at me?” She touched the corner of her eye—no eye gunk—and thinking of how Yan Feng had cared for her last night when breathing was hard, she joked: “Could it be that this princess is so charming first thing in the morning that you can’t look away?”
Yan Feng lowered his eyes, his whole body stiff.
Yan Feng somewhat did not dare look at Chu Yunge, yet could not help it.
He had not meant to stare at the princess. Last night, he had stared at other places too—the embroidery on the pillow, counting its petals and leaves.
Only when there was truly nothing left to look at did he glance at the princess for a bit, discovering that even asleep, she had so many little movements.
Stray hairs on her face made her wrinkle her nose itchily; lying flat, she would breathe with her mouth open.
By the latter half of the night, he had grown used to watching. Just now, he had accidentally stared again.
Seeing Yan Feng’s nervous look, Chu Yunge could not help laughing. “Just teasing. I know I’m disheveled and unkempt right now.” But she did not mind; this was natural wild beauty! When was a beauty not beautiful?
Chu Yunge got out of bed and wanted to pat Yan Feng’s shoulder, only to find he was a full head taller than her.
So what if he had baby fat? He was truly tall.
Unwilling to accept it, Chu Yunge tiptoed and patted his shoulder. “Thanks for last night. What reward do you want?”
Yan Feng looked at Chu Yunge on tiptoe, thought for a moment, and bent his knee.
But after lowering his height, he realized this was not right either, because now he was too close to the princess—close enough to see the fine hairs on her face.
He immediately stiffened.
Chu Yunge just saw Yan Feng slowly shrink in front of her until he was the same height.
She could not help but chuckle. No doubt about it, Yan Feng was the youngest but had the most dedicated worker’s mindset.
“You won’t say? Then I’ll reward you with silver.” Workers loved money most!
She looked at Yan Feng seriously. “Every time you help or save me, I’ll reward you with silver. So in the future, whenever something like last night happens, or if I’m in danger, save me. Call a doctor if needed. This princess fears pain… and even more, dying painfully in the dead of night.”
She did not want to experience again waking from heart palpitations in the silent night, unable to breathe, unnoticed, with no one to call for help, that despair.
Yan Feng looked at the serious Chu Yunge, and his heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle—not painful, but uncomfortable.
Before Yan Feng could respond, the door was pushed open.
Du Ruo heard voices and movement inside. Still unaccustomed to serving others, and seeing Li Guangi arrive, she did not follow procedure to knock and inquire; she pushed the door open directly.
She could not quite say what her mentality was; she just wanted the world to see how wanton the princess was.
The scene inside did not disappoint her.
Li Guangi, in the courtyard, saw Chu Yunge leaning on Yan Feng’s shoulder inside the room, with Yan Feng specially bending down. Recalling that sleepless kiss from last night, his face instantly paled.
He clearly knew he was probably just a plaything in the princess’s eyes, something to amuse her when interested. Yet Chu Yunge treated him well, and last night she had been so gentle, so despite knowing rationally he should not, emotionally he still held a sliver of hope.
He had come bustling over before dawn because she had a poor appetite, only to see this scene.
He froze for a moment, panic and fear flashing in his eyes, along with evasion. He hurriedly turned to leave.