"What is it that you want to show to me?" Ying Lili asked.
"Let's have dinner first," Sheng Li replied. Ying Lili looked at the dress in his hand and took it. Ying Lili checked the dress on herself and asked Sheng Li how she was looking.
Sheng Li looked at her from head to toe. It fluttered his heart, seeing how pretty Ying Lili was looking while showing herself in the wedding dress. "You sew it with your own hands. It's so precious for me," Ying Lili stated as she stratified the dress.
"A few sewers helped me. Making these golden patterns was difficult for me," Sheng Li replied. Sheng Li took the dress from her hand and put it on the table.
Ying Lili took his hands in hers and checked his fingers. "You did not hurt them, right?" Ying Lili asked. "You prepared so much for me," Ying Lili said and lifted her eyes to gaze at him.
"A Crown Prince shall not do such work," Ying Lili affirmed.
"No. I wanted to work on our wedding dress myself. I put my whole heart into sewing the dress. This will increase our love manifolds," Sheng Li delightedly affirmed. "We will talk later. Let's first have dinner. I hope it's not cold," he turned and checked the dishes.
"Where did Brother Wanxi go?" Ying Lili asked. Sheng Li put his hands on Ying Lili's arms and made her sit on the chair.
"Wanxi left. He did not want to interrupt us," Sheng Li replied and sat on the other chair. Ying Lili looked towards the lake where lanterns were glowing.
Sheng Li served the food to her and told her to start. "These are your favorite dishes. Eat your food before it gets cold."
"What about the food inside the bed-chamber?" Ying Lili asked. "That will go to waste," she said concernedly.
"Servants will send that to a cowshed," proclaimed Sheng Li and handed her the chopsticks. The two started to eat while conversing with each other.
After they finished their dinner, Sheng Li took her to the residence hall, where he had organized a music event for Ying Lili. She sat on the chaise beside Sheng Li. "You have a keen interest in music, so I have called some musicians. Hope you will like it," Sheng Li stated. Five musicians came inside and greeted them before taking their seats on the mattress.
They started to play the music. Sheng Li, after some time, whispered in Ying Lili's ear, "The song is regarding a Jade Princess, who came to earth to roam around. However, she fell in love with an assassin, who saved her from drowning in the river."
Ying Lili tilted her head slightly and keenly listened to him. This poem she had never listened to.
"It was the first time the assassin had saved someone's life as he was trained to only kill. The story is about how the assassin left the path of killing to become the perfect man for the Jade Princess. One day Heaven called her back. Even if she wanted to stay behind, she could not. That's when she promised to meet her man twice in a year- once during spring blossom and the other is on winter blossom. The song depicts that even if the two lovers drift apart, they are bound to meet." Sheng Li narrated the entire meaning to Ying Lili {This folklore is of my own imagination}.
Ying Lili could feel the poem's essence in the music played by the musicians. It was hurtful and lovable, both at the same time.
After ten minutes, the music ended and Ying Lili clapped for the musicians. "Thank you for playing the instruments for this poem."
"We are glad that the Crown Princess liked the music," the chief musician said and bowed his head. They left the hall after giving their curtsy to them.
"Who has written this song?" Ying Lili curiously asked. "I never heard this song," Ying Lili stated.
"It's a popular song written by Brother Nianzu," Sheng Li answered.
Ying Lili was not surprised to hear that.
"'The day you descend from heaven, my heart filled with joy, – This is one of the lines in the song," Sheng Li told Ying Lili.
"It is the perfect song depicting me. Don't you think? You are my Jade Princess," Sheng Li asserted and placed his palm on her cheek. He stroked it for a while before leaning for a kiss.
"Sheng Li, I love you," Ying Lili suddenly said.
"I know," Sheng Li answered and kissed her lips. Pulling back, he moved his thumb over her lips. "Lili, thank you for being born. You are my everything. My world starts from you and ends at you," Sheng Li affirmed. Ying Lili saw the sincerity in the words of Sheng Li.
"Heaven has made us for each other," Ying Lili told Sheng Li, who agreed with her.
"Come, let's have a dance," Sheng Li told Ying Lili, who was amused to hear that.
"Can you dance? Did you learn it?" Ying Lili questioned him.
"I can dance for you, but only for you. I did not learn it. Xing-Fu would have laughed at me. A Crown Prince cannot dance. However, inside the four walls, in front of his woman, he can!" Sheng Li asserted. Ying Lili stood up and also pulled him up along with him.
They came to the center of the hall. They had held each other's hands and were moving in a circle. "This is not a dance. Leave my hands. I will show you, then you can copy me," Ying Lili suggested to him.
Sheng Li shook his head. Ying Lili tilted her head when he pulled her closer, closing the distance between us. His hands were now on her elbows as he drew her against his chest while her hands rested on his shoulders.
He removed his hand from her elbow and moved it up to behind her head. He pulled the hairpin and let it fall on the ground. "Your open hair looks better on you. Keep them open from today onwards," Sheng Li requested Ying Lili.
"It is not allowed to keep hair open for long," Ying Lili stated. Sheng Li swiftly moved her and leaned her back. Sheng Li's one hand was on her waist while the other was holding her hand.
"I allow you to keep them open," Sheng Li stated as he leaned towards her. He kissed her throat, and it electrified her body. He straightened up slowly and, at the same time, pulled Ying Lili along with him.
Their noses touched against each other, and the two could hear each other's breath. Ying Lili's eyes flickered, and she moved them up. A passionate eyelock happened between the two. However, they did not stop moving.
"I am sleepy. We have to leave early in the morning," Ying Lili said. She wanted to avoid getting close to Sheng Li for a day as Court Lady Xu would have warned her.
"Hmm." Sheng Li carried her up in his arms and took her to the bed-chamber. Even he did not want to lose control tonight. As he put her gently on the mattress, Ying Lili thanked him for the surprise.
Sheng Li removed the overcoat and sash that had held his Hanfu dress.
"I forgot to bring that wedding dress," Ying Lili said as she put her feet down.
"Court Lady Xu would have taken that. Don't worry. Let's sleep. It's past midnight," Sheng Li replied and helped her remove the head accessories. Once he was done, he removed the overcoat that she had put on and put it aside.
He pulled the blanket up and covered her from it. "Are you not sleeping?" Ying Lili asked.
"I am. Let me blow off the candles first," Sheng Li went towards the table and blew the candles off. He came to the bed and lay beside Ying Lili.
Wrapping his hand around Ying Lili's belly, Sheng Li drew her towards his chest. "It was a tiring day, Lili. I am eagerly waiting for tomorrow. It will be the most special day for me," Sheng Li whispered in her ear before nudging his nose on her neck.
Ying Lili grasped his left hand, which had rested on her belly. "I am also waiting for tomorrow. I pray that nothing wrong happens tomorrow. Every time there's an event, something bad has happened," Ying Lili said with concern.
"Nothing will happen this time.. I am extra conscious from the last time," Sheng Li assured Ying Lili.