Chapter 126: The Crown Prince’s Peculiar Habits—Bathing Assistance?!
Bathing!
Hearing the word alone made Lu Miaoyin blush furiously. Just the thought of it made her feel embarrassed. She had never even held a man’s hand before!
In reality, Lu Miaoyin was not an ordinary human; she was a lotus spirit, pure and untouched. After she transformed into a human form, she had always lived on Qinglian Immortal Island.
Her only passion was poetry, and due to her exceptional talent in cultivation, she eventually became the Qinglian Saintess.
“What’s wrong? Don’t want to?” Su Xueni asked with a teasing smile.
“I… I do want to,” Lu Miaoyin replied, though still flustered. She was simply shy. These were things she had never even imagined before, let alone experienced.
“If you really don’t want to, that’s fine too. This kind of opportunity is something others would beg for.”
“No… Thank you, Sister Xueni. I’ll always remember your kindness!” Lu Miaoyin quickly responded, determined to seize the chance.
“Good,” Su Xueni smiled. This girl was smart after all, truly a cultured person. Unlike that brash Zi Lianyou, who was all brawn and no brain, constantly needing reminders to know her place.
Knock, knock!
With a mixture of anxiety and excitement, Lu Miaoyin knocked on the door to Lin Qi’an’s chamber.
“Crown Prince, Miaoyin seeks an audience.”
“Come in.”
Lu Miaoyin entered, and the candlelight flickered across her flushed, delicate face.
“Crown Prince, Sister Xueni said she wasn’t feeling well, so she asked me to serve you during your bath,” she said, her voice trembling slightly, so much so that she nearly bit her lip from the embarrassment.
Lin Qi’an chuckled, knowing that Su Xueni had surely set her up to come.
“So the Saintess is willing to be put through this?”
“I’m not unwilling…” Lu Miaoyin quickly replied.
She hurriedly instructed two maids to bring in hot water, sprinkled with fragrant flower petals, and added a special body-cleansing liquid to the bath. After setting everything up, she dismissed the maids, closed the door gently, and said softly, “Please, Your Highness…”
Lin Qi’an stepped into the bath, and Lu Miaoyin began to massage and scrub his back, following the usual steps. Though her technique was clumsy, the soft touch of her hands was undeniably pleasant. There was a certain charm to the awkwardness, enhanced by her innate beauty, like a buff of attraction.
Lin Qi’an couldn’t help but think of the protagonists in those stories, constantly trying to win over women, often humiliated by the woman’s powerful backers, having to go through endless hardships before finally winning her heart.
And here he was—standing still, and the Saintess was offering herself up without any effort on his part.
This is the life!
As time passed, Lu Miaoyin gradually grew accustomed to her task. She no longer kept her head down in embarrassment and even mustered the courage to glance at the Crown Prince’s muscular physique.
“Your Highness, I have a request,” she said shyly.
“Speak freely,” Lin Qi’an replied.
“Since Your Highness has inherited the legacy of the Wenqu Emperor, could you share one or two of the emperor’s unpublished poems?” Lu Miaoyin asked hesitantly.
Lin Qi’an found her request amusing. Here, in such a moment, most women would be thinking about seduction or a romantic encounter. But this innocent girl was focused on poetry?
Her innocence intrigued him, and he couldn’t resist teasing her a bit.
“Sure,” Lin Qi’an said.
“Really?” Lu Miaoyin’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“But first, you’ll need to join me.”
“J-join you?”
When she saw the Crown Prince point to the bath, Lu Miaoyin’s face turned as red as a ripe apple. The steam rising in the room felt like it was coming directly from her head.
“If you don’t want to, pretend I didn’t say anything.”
“I… I’ll join.”
“Coming in fully dressed? You’re insulting me.”
“N-no, forgive me, Your Highness!”
In the end, Lin Qi’an got what he wanted, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment.
“Even the lotus can’t compare to the beauty of the maiden’s face; fragrance from the water palace fills the air with pearls and jewels.”
“What a beautiful poem!” Lu Miaoyin unconsciously praised, then realized the compliment was for herself, making her face flush even more.
Bathing together, while reciting poetry—and with her dream prince, no less—this was like a dream come true for Lu Miaoyin. She was filled with happiness, as though her heart had been drenched in honey.
She couldn’t help but feel immense gratitude toward Su Xueni for giving her this opportunity.
Just then, the door suddenly swung open.
“Your Highness? I found some adorable spirit beasts on Qinglian Island. Can I take a few and raise them in the Lotus Realm?” It was Ran Yuwei, her lively personality evident as she burst into the room without any of the reserved nature typically expected of a lady.
Lin Qi’an had grown used to moments like this, with Ran Yuwei barging in unannounced. There had been several times where, after she suddenly burst into the room, he simply didn’t let her leave.
But this time, her abrupt entry truly startled Lu Miaoyin, leaving her completely frozen in place. Her brain shut down on the spot! The shameful scene had her terrified—if word of this got out, she would be too embarrassed to live.
In a panic, she transformed into her true form—a lotus flower—floating on the water’s surface, swaying along with the petals.
“Do as you like,” Lin Qi’an replied calmly, unfazed by the situation.
“Hehe, thank you, Your Highness!” Ran Yuwei giggled and left as swiftly as she had come, completely unaware that Lu Miaoyin was also there.
“Who would have thought? The Qinglian Saintess is actually a lotus spirit?” Lin Qi’an remarked, amused.
“Don’t worry, not all spirits are the same. I don’t hold any prejudice,” he added with a smile. “Well, now that she’s gone, aren’t you going to change back?”
Despite his coaxing, Lu Miaoyin remained in her lotus form, clearly too flustered to respond.
Is she really this shy?
With a sigh, Lin Qi’an stood up, picked up the lotus flower that was now Lu Miaoyin, and placed it gently into his tea cup. He decided to leave her be for the time being.
“Guess I’ll go sleep in Su Xueni’s room tonight,” he thought casually as he walked out of the room.
After Lin Qi’an left, Lu Miaoyin stayed in the tea cup for nearly two hours. By the time she finally reverted to her human form, the tea had taken on a sweet lotus fragrance. She quickly and quietly slipped out of the room, too embarrassed to let anyone see her.
…
The next morning, Lu Miaoyin was already waiting outside Lin Qi’an’s door at the break of dawn. She wasn’t there for any other reason than to apologize for her awkward behavior the previous night. She feared that her poor performance had displeased the Crown Prince.
Before long, Lin Qi’an returned, stretching and yawning contentedly. ‘Ah, Su Xueni really is perfect in every way,’ he thought.
“What’s this? Why are you waiting here so early?” Lin Qi’an asked with a teasing smile when he spotted Lu Miaoyin.
“Last night… I was disrespectful. Please forgive me, Your Highness,” Lu Miaoyin said, bowing her head in embarrassment.
“Haha, don’t worry. I’m not that petty.” Lin Qi’an, feeling a bit sorry for teasing her, added with a grin, “There’s no need to overthink it. Your secret is safe with me.”
Lu Miaoyin couldn’t help but be touched. The Crown Prince was not only understanding but also held no prejudice against her. How could there be another man like him in the world?
“As an apology, I’ll stay by Your Highness’s side today, ready to serve at any moment.”
“Suit yourself,” Lin Qi’an chuckled, shaking his head with a smile.
As he stepped into the room, his eyes fell on the tea cup from the night before, still sitting on the table. He remembered that Lu Miaoyin had been in that very cup. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and took a sniff, immediately noticing the fresh, delicate scent of lotus blossoms.
“Your Highness!” Lu Miaoyin’s face turned beet red, stammering as she tried to stop him.
“That water… that water is—” But before she could finish, Lin Qi’an had already taken a sip.
Instantly, her face flushed like a ripe apple, the redness creeping all the way up to her ears.
‘That was the water I soaked in for two whole hours! And now the Crown Prince had just drank it?!’
“To be honest, it tastes surprisingly good,” Lin Qi’an said, amused by the situation. He couldn’t help but let a playful smile creep across his face.
This “lotus tea” was unexpectedly delightful!
Without a second thought, he took another sip, savoring the refreshing flavor that seemed to spread through his entire body, rejuvenating him like a breeze of spring air.
“Your Highness…” Lu Miaoyin could barely speak, her voice as soft as a whisper.
She could never have imagined that the Crown Prince would have such… peculiar tastes. But deep down, she felt a strange sense of joy. Through this odd twist of fate, she had discovered something that the Crown Prince liked. At least now, she didn’t feel entirely worthless.
“If… if Your Highness likes it, I could…” she stammered, her face still glowing with embarrassment. “I could prepare tea like this for you more often.”
“Hmm, that’s actually a pretty good idea,” Lin Qi’an agreed with a smile.
He couldn’t help but think about the typical protagonists in those stories—so proper, so gentlemanly with their female leads, always treating them with the utmost care and respect, trying to win their affection.
’Where’s the fun in that?’ Lin Qi’an thought, thoroughly enjoying his role as a villain.