You've got to be kidding me! Xie Lang instinctively frowned. Looking at the room in front of him, he rubbed his eyes and even suspected that he had gone into the wrong room. So he turned around, went back to the door, opened it, stepped out, then opened it again and walked in.
No matter how lightly he moved, the repeated opening and closing of the door still made some noise.
Shen Mingzhu was awakened. She opened her eyes, propped herself up and sat up. Seeing Xie Lang standing there stiffly, she said in a rather bad tone, "What? Are you the only one who can't sleep in the middle of the night?"
The candlelight in the room was dim. Shen Mingzhu couldn't clearly see Xie Lang's expression at a glance. It was only after she woke up a bit more that she noticed the empty space in front of her and fell into silence.
It seemed... something seemed off?
Shen Mingzhu frowned. After thinking for a long time, she looked up and saw that Xie Lang had somehow walked to the bedside and was quietly looking at her.
It was even clearer when he got closer.
Xie Lang had superior features and a straight nose. Under the dim light, he looked even more handsome. However, his eyes looked rather aggrieved, making him look like a wronged kitten with droopy ears, looking at her.
Shen Mingzhu instantly lost all her sleepiness and stammered awkwardly, "... Well, cough, originally this princess thought the bed was a bit small, so I asked Chuntao to change it for you."
Unexpectedly, when the small couch was being carried out, the servant slipped and accidentally dropped it on the ground and broke it. The new ones didn't fit well. Some were too small, while others were too big to be carried into the room.
There was nothing she could do. After all, Shen Mingzhu didn't expect that this room of Xie Lang's was really much smaller than she had imagined. At first, she thought it was cramped. After staying there for a while, she thought it was okay, but now she thought it was small again.
It was really...
"Didn't you see the people outside the door?"
Before going to bed, Shen Mingzhu remembered that she had arranged for someone to guard the door and told Xie Lang that when he came back, he should go to the next room to stay for a few days and then they would figure something else out.
"I didn't see anyone."
Hearing Shen Mingzhu stammering, Xie Lang guessed what had happened.
It was probably that his small couch had been broken by Shen Mingzhu, which was why she was so guilty now. If she wanted to drive him out of this room, she would definitely be confident and not have such a look.
After figuring out that Shen Mingzhu didn't want to drive him out, Xie Lang's expression softened a bit. He said to the person in front of him, "So what should I do now?"
Saying that, Xie Lang scanned the surroundings, sighed and said, "Does Your Highness want me to sleep on the ground?"
After saying that, Xie Lang reached out and pinched Shen Mingzhu's face. Then, before she got angry, he said, "Your Highness, feel it. I'm so cold now. Sigh."
[This is a good opportunity. I can touch Shen Mingzhu's face this time. Otherwise, if I touch it on other days, I'll definitely be beaten to death.]
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
Although she was a bit angry, Xie Lang's hand was really cold. Especially when his calloused fingertips brushed across her face, it instantly gave her goosebumps. She instinctively leaned back and then said, "Then you..."
Seeing Shen Mingzhu's expression, Xie Lang immediately stepped forward quickly and sat on the edge of the bed. He kicked off his shoes, casually pulled the quilt and then turned to look at Shen Mingzhu and said, "Then I won't be polite."
Shen Mingzhu stared at him in disbelief and was momentarily stunned. When she came to her senses, she saw that Xie Lang was already on the bed. He closed his eyes and said, "Your Highness, you should also go to bed early."
Shen Mingzhu frowned and said to Xie Lang, "Get up!"
Hearing the noise in the room, a maid pushed the door open. When she saw Shen Mingzhu and Xie Lang sleeping together, she quickly said, "Your Highness, this maid... this maid will leave now!"
Shen Mingzhu suddenly looked up and said, "Didn't I tell someone to guard the door? Didn't anyone see the consort come back just now?"
That little maid was originally from the Xie Mansion. She wasn't as smart as those around Shen Mingzhu and was a bit dull, which was why she was sent here. Hearing the annoyance in Shen Mingzhu's tone, she trembled and said, "Please forgive this maid, Your Highness! Please forgive this maid! This maid just went to relieve herself and left for a while."
Seeing her standing there trembling, Shen Mingzhu frowned and said, "Leave."
Then she turned to look at Xie Lang and said, "Go. Ask that little maid to take you to the next room to stay. And light a few more braziers."
Xie Lang simply pretended to be asleep. He just lay there straight like a rascal, breathing evenly.
"Xie Lang!" There was a bit of annoyance in Shen Mingzhu's voice. She got up and sat on the bed. "Wake up! Don't pretend to be asleep!"
That little maid stood there at a loss.
Seeing that Xie Lang still didn't respond, Shen Mingzhu couldn't help but grit her teeth and say, "You!"
Saying that, she reached out and twisted Xie Lang's ear hard. As a result, his ear turned red, but Xie Lang just frowned.
"Um."
Xie Lang even pretended to be half - asleep and mumbled to Shen Mingzhu, "Your Highness, don't make trouble. Go to sleep quickly."
[Ah! Shen Mingzhu, you're being too harsh! You dislike me so much! Then I'm not leaving! I'm so angry!]
As soon as these two sentences were said, the atmosphere around them instantly became warmer and a bit ambiguous.
The little maid immediately blushed and stood there, nervously wringing her hands.
Shen Mingzhu said to the little maid, "Forget it. You can go first."
Hearing the footsteps of the little maid getting farther away, Shen Mingzhu twisted Xie Lang's ear hard again and said, "The person is gone! Don't pretend! If you do this again, this princess will ask Chuntao to find someone to carry you out."
Xie Lang finally opened his eyes. He turned to look at Shen Mingzhu and sighed, "Does Your Highness dislike me so much?"
"I don't dislike you." Shen Mingzhu blurted out. Only after she said it did she realize that this sentence was a bit off.
She had been led astray by Xie Lang! How could this be the same thing?
"This is not the same thing at all! This princess not allowing you to sleep here has nothing to do with whether this princess dislikes you or not!"
"How is it not!"
Xie Lang also sat up quickly. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, he frowned and said, "How is it not the same thing? You'd rather let me sleep on the cold ground than let me sleep on the bed!"
"When did I ever let you sleep on the ground!"
He was simply distorting the facts!
"Then why won't you let me sleep on the bed!"
Looking at the serious expression on Xie Lang's face, Shen Mingzhu felt for the first time what a rascal and a troublemaker were. So she took a deep breath to suppress her emotions.
But her anger still flared up. She said to Xie Lang, "Fine! Fine! Fine!"
"Wherever you want to sleep, just sleep there!"
As soon as Shen Mingzhu's voice fell, Xie Lang said, "Okay, then I'll sleep on this bed!"
"You!"
Shen Mingzhu frowned and was about to get up and leave.
Fine. If Xie Lang wasn't leaving, then she would leave!
But just as she was about to stand up, Xie Lang pulled her. Her sleeve was tugged, and the next moment, she was startled and fell straight towards Xie Lang.
Under her hands were Xie Lang's gentle and well - defined muscles. Shen Mingzhu was about to scold, but then she shamefully hesitated for a moment.
[Humph!]