Harem Daily Life

Just as he was feeling frustrated, he heard that the Crown Prince was arriving. Duan Chaopei was startled, put on an outer robe, and got up.

"Your Highness, why are you here so late?" Duan Chaopei had already removed her hairpins and jewelry, her face bare, and her clothes were thin. She couldn't help but wrap them tighter to keep warm.

He Yucheng coughed lightly: "I was worried you'd be scared living alone in the East Courtyard, so I came to check on you. How are you doing? Are you settling in?"

Duan Chaopei smiled, glanced around, and said, "Fortunately, the palace maids are outside, so there's nothing to fear. Thank you for making this trip, Your Highness. It's late, Your Highness should go back and rest early."

Aunt Cui, who was guarding the outer room, almost bit her teeth to pieces.

Is the Crown Princess trying to drive the Crown Prince away?

My goodness, do you not want to live together in harmony anymore?

For some reason, He Yucheng suddenly felt a bit suffocated.

The surrounding air suddenly turned cold. Duan Chaopei sneezed and quickly rubbed her nose, saying in a muffled voice, "It's chilly at night. Your Highness, please add an extra blanket tonight to avoid catching a cold."

He Yucheng looked up at her, waited for a while, but the person opposite him didn't say anything more. He could only hum softly, turn around and go out, his steps as slow as a snail.

Aunt Cui, who was in the outer room, had something on her mind and couldn't help but step forward to stop the Crown Prince, saying, "Your Highness, it seems there's something we haven't discussed yet."

She looked at the Crown Princess, and Duan Chaopei asked suspiciously, "Is there anything else, Your Highness?"

He Yucheng took a deep breath, without turning around, and said in a low voice with his back to Duan Chaopei, "I just came to ask you if you need anything, so that someone can replenish it."

Duan Chaopei tightened her outer robe and said awkwardly, "The East Courtyard has everything, so I don't need it for now." As for the desk she wanted, she could have one brought into the room tomorrow. It was such a small matter, and the Crown Prince didn't need to worry about it.

Aunt Cui wouldn't move aside, so He Yucheng glanced at her. Aunt Cui had no choice but to step back, gave the Crown Princess an apologetic smile, and then followed the Crown Prince back home.

He Yucheng walked faster and faster, as if he was sulking with someone. He walked through the corridor back to his main courtyard, his face terribly gloomy.

Aunt Cui didn't dare to say anything more. She was both angry and amused. She could tell that the Crown Prince was somewhat moved by the Crown Princess's move.

It's good that there's any reaction. What's truly worrisome is if the Crown Princess takes action, but the Crown Prince remains stagnant as before. That would be truly hopeless!

He Yucheng couldn't explain why he felt so suffocated and angry. He just felt uncomfortable all over tonight. The blankets weren't warm enough, and the room was so quiet. He felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

In the middle of the night, He Yucheng felt thirsty and got up to pour himself some water. He tripped over the table and the water glass fell to the ground with a clatter, prompting the palace maid on night watch to rush into the room to check.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" A palace maid lit a lamp and asked in a low voice.

"It's alright." After He Yucheng finished speaking, he saw the shards of porcelain scattered all over the ground by the light, and his mood worsened.

The palace maid dared not leave the porcelain shards on the ground, so she hurriedly bent down to pick them up. One shard fell to the foot of the bed, and as she bent over, she saw a box under the bed by the light.

"Hey, what is this?"

He Yucheng was drawn to her voice and looked in the direction of the light.

He Yucheng never kept anything under his bed, nor did his servants. Thinking it might belong to the Crown Princess, he ordered a palace maid to bring the box out.

To avoid disturbing his privacy, He Yucheng dismissed the palace maid and opened the box himself, finding two books inside whose titles were not discernible from their covers.

He narrowed his eyes and casually flipped through the book...

That night, He Yucheng tossed and turned, thinking that the Crown Princess had also seen those picture books, and that the two of them had not yet consummated their marriage. He felt a strange stirring of desire within him.

After much deliberation, Duan Chaopei decided it was better to retrieve the picture album; leaving it under the bed wasn't a long-term solution. The next day, she arranged to meet He Yinuo an hour later. After washing up, she went to the main hall, knowing the Crown Prince was attending court that day and wouldn't be there.

As expected, Aunt Cui was leading a group of people to clean up when she arrived and reported that the Crown Prince had gone to court.

Duan Chaopei nodded: "Auntie, you go ahead with your work. I'll go get something and leave right away."

Aunt Cui quickly led the way and opened the door for her, saying, "This East Palace belongs to the Crown Princess. Take whatever you want. Please, Crown Princess."

After Duan Chaopei went inside, Aunt Cui didn't follow and quietly left.

With no one around, Duan Chaopei went straight to the bedside to feel the box, only to find that there was nothing under the bed.

Duan Chaopei: "..."

It wasn't just empty; it looked like it had been cleaned, with the floor spotless.

Her face was ashen.

Aunt Cui watched the Crown Princess leave expressionlessly, and seeing that she wasn't carrying anything in her hands, she was quite suspicious.

On the carriage leaving the palace, He Yinuo called Duan Chaopei several times before pulling her out of her reverie.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? Didn't you sleep well?" He Yinuo is usually full of energy, which inspires everyone around her to be energetic. Duan Chaopei is full of vitality under her influence, but today she looks like a wilted eggplant.

Duan Chaopei couldn't very well tell He Yinuo, her unmarried sister-in-law, that she had lost the erotic picture book. No matter how close they were, she couldn't bring herself to say it. But she was incredibly frustrated. The thought that the Crown Prince might have seen the book, knew it was hers, and guessed that she had read it made her want to die.

"Hey, what's with that expression? It's kind of creepy." He Yinuo picked up a walnut pastry and chewed on it to calm herself down.

"I...I lost something, and...I'm afraid your brother saw it," Duan Chaopei said in a low voice.

He Yinuo chewed and chewed: "What is that?"

Duan Chaopei shook his head, finding it difficult to speak.

He Yinuo patted her hand: "It's no big deal. Just ask him to give it back. He won't hoard it and refuse to give it to you."

Duan Chaopei bit her lip: "That's not something aboveboard, I'm worried... worried he'll think... think I'm... improper..."

Duan Chaopei was somewhat embarrassed, her face flushed, and her ear tips seemed to be dripping blood.

Upon hearing this, He Yinuo narrowed his eyes: "Could it be... that you've been secretly hiding... an aphrodisiac?"

Duan Chaopei: "..."

Meeting He Yinuo's gossipy gaze, Duan Chaopei was speechless with anger: "How could I possibly have such a thing? That's a big no-no!"

He Yinuo let out a soft sigh and then touched her chin: "So... you didn't put your personal undergarments away properly, and he took them?"

Duan Chaopei gave her a reproachful look: "Women's things are naturally kept safe and hidden away, how could they be exposed?"

He Yinuo tilted her head: "So, what kind of letters did you write to your lover in private? Oh, come on, tell me honestly, who was it?"

He Yinuo's eyes lit up.

Duan Chaopei gently pinched her: "What lover? Oh, you'd better stop guessing and forget about today's events. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

He Yinuo was extremely anxious: "That won't do. You can't reveal half of the information and torture me. Tell me quickly, what is it? Otherwise, I will immediately have the carriage turn back and ask my brother myself."

Duan Chaopei: "..."