Lu Ruoyun cooperated with the Second Prince with utmost gentleness. After a night of passion, they both fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, the Second Prince opened his eyes, his head still throbbing faintly. He shook his head vigorously, vowing never to drink so much again; it was truly agonizing to wake up like this. However, drinking too much had its benefits – he had seen Qingyue! And he had… just as they had on their wedding day!
The feeling of reality was as if Qingyue were truly by his side.
Lu Ruoyun entered from the outer room, still wearing her sleeping gown.
"Second Cousin, you're awake…" Her voice was soft and her expression demure.
The red marks on her neck were scattered and quite conspicuous.
The Second Prince looked at the bedside in disbelief, his scattered clothes lying in a tangle beside him.
"We… we…" the Second Prince stammered.
"Yesterday, Auntie brought Second Cousin into the palace. Second Cousin was very drunk, so Ruoyun brewed some hangover soup for Cousin and brought it over. Cousin grabbed Ruoyun and wouldn't let her leave…" Lu Ruoyun's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but the Second Prince heard it clearly.
So, what he felt as real was indeed real.
He had drunk too much, his vision blurred, and he had mistaken Ruoyun for Qingyue?
The Second Prince wished he could slap himself twice. Now, he had wronged Qingyue and hurt Ruoyun.
"Yunyun, I…"
The Second Prince wanted to say it was unintentional, but the words caught in his throat. He had already ruined Ruoyun's purity, and to say it was unintentional now would be inhumane.
The Second Prince gritted his teeth, "Don't worry, I will take responsibility."
"Cousin, Yunyun believes you," Lu Ruoyun said shyly.
The Second Prince picked up his clothes from the floor, put them on stiffly, told Lu Ruoyun to rest well, and that he would visit her again later, then left in a hurry.
Empress Lu listened to the palace servants' reports, and a smile finally appeared on her usually gloomy face.
Although the method was not entirely honorable, the outcome was good.
"Your Highness, Your Highness—" an urgent voice called from outside.
A moment later, the Second Prince burst in, his face contorted with anger.
The palace servants behind him were unable to stop him.
Empress Lu waved her hand, signaling the servants to withdraw.
"This was your arrangement, wasn't it!" The Second Prince was so furious that he even omitted the proper address.
He had been drunk, and he didn't have to enter the palace. Anything could have been discussed after he sobered up.
Instead, he had been brought into the palace.
After entering the palace, he could have been attended by a eunuch. But instead, it was Lu Ruoyun.
"I was so drunk I was unconscious, how could I…" the Second Prince questioned through gritted teeth.
"I had someone give you hangover soup. Once you sobered up, how could it be impossible?" Empress Lu said slowly.
"Even after sobering up, why would I still…"
"Hangover soup doesn't restore you to a state before drinking; it only dispels the alcohol's effects. Even after drinking it, you would still feel slightly tipsy. Perhaps you already had your cousin in your heart, and with that slight intoxication, you indulged yourself," Empress Lu said calmly. "My son, no one forced you."
The Second Prince slumped onto the couch, dejected. Yes, no one had forced him.
"Mother, what do you want?" the Second Prince asked Empress Lu with utter defeat. "I have to give my cousin an explanation, but I don't want to wrong Qingyue!"
"Su Qingyue's whereabouts are still unknown, and you're telling me now that you don't want to wrong her! If you don't wrong her, you'll wrong your cousin, is that it? Are you being fair to your cousin? Are you being fair to your maternal grandfather's family who dote on you?" Empress Lu said sternly.