Feng Qingbai froze and finally understood what the young lady was struggling with just now.
The tension under his eyes dispersed and amusement surfaced. "You worry that I will have three wives and four concubines in the future?"
Liu Yusheng didn't deny it, biting her lips without saying anything.
"If I have three wives and four concubines, what will you do?"
Liu Yusheng's went blank, and the response she gave was to turn around and leave.
Just as her feet took a step, the man hugged her tightly from behind.
She heard his soft, helpless sigh. "Fool, what on earth are you thinking? Since I've first learned the word "love", my heart hungered for no one but you. There's no one else but you.
How other men live and how many wives and concubines they will take is all their business. I'm not them.
Shengsheng, I seldom promise, because vows are too vain.
I'm more used to action than words. Doing it is the real promise.
I only want you, and I will spend my whole life to prove it.
Are you willing to spend a lifetime to witness it?"
Liu Yusheng stood rooted on the ground. From the moment he said he only wanted her, she believed him.
She thought that perhaps she was obsessed with him, because she believed everything he said.
Turning around in his arms, Liu Yusheng looked up at the man in front of her.
Her gaze wandered on his beautiful eyebrows, gentle eyes, straight nose, exquisite lips, and finally, fixed on his eyes staring at her.
Slowly, her smile blossomed.
She smiled as brightly as the sun.
"I am," she replied.
Her smile melted Feng Qingbai's whole body, and melted into her "I am."
He let go of his hands hugging the young lady tightly, and slipped his hands down. He gently clasped her small hands, inserted his fingers, and interlocked their ten fingers tightly.
He looked at her with his eyes deep and dark. "Shengsheng."
"Hmm?"
"You want to marry me now."
"…"
"We have just reunited for three days and just been in love for one night, yet you want to marry me. If you're really eager, I can oblige."
"…Feng Qingbai!"
At the entrance of the small courtyard came the young lady's angry roar of annoyance as well as the man's delighted laughter.
He didn't tell her that the emperor's throne was supposed to be his from the start. However, he refused for her sake. It was also what led to the current Feng Mohan.
There was no way he could go against the royal ancestry. But he only wanted to give her a harem of her own.
Therefore, he chose to step down from the imperial throne.
After some one-sided scratching and nibbling, Feng Qingbai abducted Liu Yusheng to Xingyue Lake and got on a gaily-painted pleasure-boat he had booked.
The last time Qian Wanjin asked her to come for a stroll along the lake, she didn't come.
It was only a day apart, and she followed this man to this place.
Xingyue Lake was as the name suggests.
The whole lake was bounded by a narrow river bank that extends to the center of the lake, divided into two lakes, one side resembled a crescent moon and the other a star.
It was named after these.
It was also considered one of the most famous attractions in Xuzhou.
There were many large and small wooden boats and gaily-painted pleasure-boats parked around the lake for tourists to take a tour of the lake.
Among them, there was also a kind of entertainment boat, on which singers and dancers performed dances and songs.
Most of the tourists who have money would rent an entertainment boat, invite three or five friends to drink and talk on the boat. They would enjoy the graceful dances and beautiful music of the singing and dancing girls, and enjoy a day of leisure.
Feng Qingbai rented a gaily-painted pleasure-boat, and except for the boatman, there were only two of them.
The cabin of painting boats was spacious. It was elegantly and exquisitely furnished with cushions, a tea table and long wooden couches.
There were wine jars, snacks, dried fruits and so on on the table for guests to enjoy.
In addition, guests could also eat there. As long as they paid the boatmen enough money, they could help the guests prepare meals that the guests wanted and bring them onboard. This was very convenient for tourists.
Worried that Liu Yusheng would be hungry if she hadn't eaten anything all morning, Feng Qingbai ordered exquisite meals, all of which were her favorite dishes.
Looking at the dishes laid out one by one in front of her, Liu Yusheng's heart glowed sweetly. She was a foodie, and he still remembered until now.
She was indeed starving and almost drooled when she sniffed the aroma of the dishes. The man handed over the chopsticks, and she began to feast.
She ate without the etiquette of young ladies, who minded their manners with every move.
Her movements weren't too fast nor too slow, but more natural, as if she was enjoying her meal.
She had been like this since childhood, so when people were with her, they would feel that the meal was more delicious than usual, and their appetites would improve.
The man sat across from the young lady with one hand on his jaw, quietly watching her, picking up his chopsticks from time to time to serve her.
He would always refill her bowl just in time before she finished eating them.
"Why aren't you eating? Why are you looking at me? Are you not hungry?"
Liu Yusheng frowned, "You also just watched me eat yesterday when we ate wontons. If you aren't eating, are you on a diet?"
Liu Yusheng presumptuously let her eyes explore the man's body back and forth several times and deliberately teased.
"You don't need to lose weight. If you gain a pound, you'll be fat. If you lose a pound, you'll be skinny. Your body is just right."
Was she flirting with him?
Feng Qingbai raised his eyebrows. "Is my figure good? Didn't you hug it last night?"
Liu Yusheng almost spewed out the rice in her mouth!
This man has an ascetic appearance, but he was actually passionate at heart, right?
In broad daylight – he could flirt anytime and anywhere!
The corner of the man's lips crinkled with laughter when he received the young lady's annoyed look.
He should stop teasing her, lest he really would irritate her.
The pleasure of teasing her to the point of blushing just made him addicted.
He must restrain himself so as not to scare his little girl.
The boat set sail leisurely, rowing slowly on the lake, and swirling a water ripple on the water surface.
The lake breeze blown from the water had the unique smell of the lake and was refreshing.
As the boat sailed, the scenery on both sides gradually changed. They sat in the cabin and looked out from the window that occupied almost half of the cabin.
The lake glistened nearby; in the distance were the riverbank willows, houses and smoke; and then far away were the distant mountains.
The scenery was unique and relaxing.
A lot of boats shuttled on the lake, and from time to time, they could hear people talking from neighboring vessels, as well as guqin music and dances in the entertainment gaily-painted pleasure-boats.
This afternoon seemed cozy and leisurely.
"Feng Qingbai, tell me about this Auntie Zheng.
What happened back then? Why was she your savior? Did you really stay in Xuzhou for several years?"
After the meal, the two sat snugly in the cabin, leaning against the window bars and watching the lake scenery.
Liu Yusheng's curiosity got the best of her and she couldn't resist asking.
She wasn't jealous, but she was really curious about what happened to him.
She wanted to know everything he had experienced during the years he was away.
Hugging the young lady half in his arms, Feng Qingbai mulled over his words and recounted the things slowly.
"Back then, after I left the village and returned to the capital, someone tricked me one time, and I had a high fever.
When I was in a coma, I uttered gibberish and said your name, and those with ulterior motives got a hold of it.
I was worried that they would investigate your name and end up in Xinghua Village, bringing danger to you.
So after that, I hatched a fire and pretended to fall into a coma again with high fever.
In order to confuse my political enemies, I deliberately mumbled Zhengzheng in my delirium so as to throw a veil over my enemies.
I also had people spread rumors that I had been in Xuzhou for a few years and that a young girl named Zhengzheng saved me, and that I also spent a long time with her afterwards.
I gave them the illusion that I remembered and cared for that little girl, and let my enemies investigate in the wrong direction."