Chapter 280: Chapter 281: To Grow Old Together

At their wedding, Hua Manman had performed the ceremonial bows with the Fourth Prince, Li Ying. The memory never failed to irk Li Ji.

Now that he finally had a chance to make up for this regret, Li Ji certainly wasn’t going to miss it.

He said to Hua Manman,

"Shall we perform the ceremonial bow as husband and wife?"

Seeing his enthusiastic expression, Hua Manman knew he wasn’t joking.

She feigned shyness. "We’re out in the open. What if someone sees us?"

Li Ji had never cared for the opinions of others, and this time was no exception.

"Let them look. Don’t mind them. Just look at me."

Hua Manman pressed her lips together and nodded.

’This damn man condescended to kneel in punishment with her just to keep her company.’

’It was nothing for her to bow with him in return.’

So, the two faced each other and bowed down in unison. Their wide sleeves swept across the snow, leaving faint trails.

Their foreheads touched the ground lightly as their long hair slid from their shoulders, the ends coiling on the snow-covered ground.

White snowflakes drifted down, landing in their hair and on their shoulders.

It was as if heaven itself was bestowing a blessing upon them, wishing them a long life together, until their hair turned white. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

...

When Li Ying heard that the Emperor had punished Hua Manman, he rushed out in such a hurry that he didn’t even have time to put on his cloak.

He ran all the way to the vicinity of Hanzhang Hall, arriving just in time to see Hua Manman and Li Ji bowing to one another.

Li Ying stopped in his tracks, frozen to the spot.

In the snow, Hua Manman wore a pale yellow cloak. As she knelt, the long garment spread out behind her like a winter plum blossom blooming defiantly in the cold wind—beautiful and resilient.

Li Ji, who usually seemed so casual and carefree, as if nothing in the world mattered, was now exceptionally solemn. His every movement as he bowed was meticulous.

It was as if this was their wedding.

As if they were truly getting married.

This was an open area where anyone could pass by at any moment.

Yet, it was as if Hua Manman and Li Ji had shut out the entire world.

Their eyes saw only each other.

It was a small world that belonged only to the two of them, a place no one else could enter.

The fingers hidden in Li Ying’s sleeves clenched involuntarily. An emotion called jealousy surged from the depths of his heart, gnawing away at his insides until he could hardly breathe from the pain.

She was the girl he had searched for for so many years, the treasure he had cherished and hidden away in the deepest corner of his heart.

But now, she was another man’s wife.

Even the wedding ceremony he had performed with her had been replaced by this one with another man.

Never before had Li Ying been forced to so clearly recognize the truth—

The little girl who once clung to his arm for protection was gone from his life forever.

Liang Yong hurried after him, holding a cloak open. He said anxiously,

"Your Highness, why did you run out without your cloak? It’s freezing out here! What will you do if you fall ill? Other Princes can see an Imperial Physician if they get sick, but if you get sick, you have to endure it on your own. You..."

Li Ying cut off his rambling. "Let’s go back," he said coldly.

Liang Yong paused, stunned. "Weren’t you here to find someone? Why are we leaving before you’ve found her?"

Li Ying shook his head and gave a self-mocking laugh.

"She can’t be found anymore."

Liang Yong was completely bewildered, having no idea what the Fourth Prince was talking about.

Fortunately, he was perceptive enough to see the Fourth Prince’s crestfallen expression and knew he was in a terrible mood. He tactfully shut his mouth, opened an oil-paper umbrella, and silently escorted the Fourth Prince back.

Hua Manman straightened up, her gaze meeting Li Ji’s.

Li Ji’s lips curved into a joyful smile.

Seeing him so happy, Hua Manman couldn’t help but smile as well.

’Even though she was still being punished, and her knees and shins stung from the cold, having someone willing to stay with her made the suffering more bearable. Deep down, she even felt a hint of an indescribable sweetness.’

After treatment from the Imperial Physicians, Lady Liang’s wound stopped bleeding. But because it was so deep, it would very likely leave a scar even after it healed.

A scar elsewhere might have been acceptable, but this one was on her forehead.

A scar that large on her forehead was tantamount to disfigurement.

To avoid upsetting Lady Liang further, the Emperor instructed the Imperial Physicians not to tell her about the scar for the time being. She was to focus on her recovery; everything else could wait.

After seeing to Lady Liang, the Emperor returned to Hanzhang Hall in the Dragon Carriage.

Outside Hanzhang Hall, he saw Hua Manman and Li Ji.

The two were still kneeling in the snow, a layer of white already dusting their forms.

From a distance, they looked like two snowmen.

The Emperor watched the scene quietly, his gaze profound.

Zuo Ji asked cautiously, "The snow is falling harder, Your Majesty. Kneeling for too long will cause permanent damage to their legs. Perhaps this servant should ask Prince Zhao to return first?"

The Emperor withdrew his gaze and replied with indifference,

"Leave him be."

He had always thought Li Ji was the son most like him, but looking at him now, they didn’t seem so similar anymore.

He, at least, would never debase himself like this for a woman.

The commotion of the Emperor’s return to Hanzhang Hall was not small, and both Hua Manman and Li Ji noticed.

Both of them were freezing, especially Hua Manman. Her clothes were soaked through with melted snow. She was shivering violently, her face had turned pale blue, and her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

She wrapped her arms around her chest and stammered,

"My Prince, you should go back. If we both fall ill from the cold, there will be no one left to manage the Prince Zhao Mansion."

Li Ji endured the bone-piercing cold, gritting his teeth. "I’m not going back."

’He had endured all sorts of harsh environments during his military campaigns. This bit of cold was nothing.’

He blinked his frost-laden eyelashes, slowly exhaled a warm breath, and soothed her in a hoarse voice.

"Just hold on a little longer. It’ll be dark soon."

’Looking at him gritting his teeth and forcing himself to endure, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t moved.’

She said, her voice trembling,

"Thank you."

Li Ji tugged at the corners of his mouth, trying to force a handsome smile.

"I don’t accept verbal thanks. If you want to thank me, you’ll have to show me with your actions. A kiss, for example."

But because his face was frozen stiff, the resulting smile looked exceptionally awkward.

’He looked a bit like an idiot.’

’Paired with those lines, it gave the inexplicable impression that he wasn’t all there.’

’Hua Manman couldn’t help but want to laugh.’

Li Ji heard her thoughts, and the smile on his face instantly froze.

’Couldn’t this woman just play along with his act?’

’Her silent ridicule had completely ruined the mood.’

They finally made it to nightfall.

Li Ji stood up, enduring the pain, and reached out to help Hua Manman.

But he saw her body sway once before she collapsed headfirst into the snow.

She had fainted.

Li Ji immediately swept her up into his arms and, moving as fast as the wind, rushed straight for the Imperial Hospital.

...

For the next week, updates will be changed to two Chapters a day to build up a stockpile. There will be a mass release next week, and after the mass release, it will return to three Chapters a day.