Chapter 277: Midnight Shower
The sudden absence of the warmth beside her made Shi Lan’s sleep restless.
She frowned slightly, her eyes fluttering open blearily.
The first thing Shi Lan noticed was that Ye Ming was gone.
Then, she felt a cool draft on her chest, as if something was missing.
She instinctively reached up to touch the area, and when she felt nothing but bare skin, she was instantly wide awake, her cheeks flushing crimson.
’Oh my god, how did I take off my bra...’
Of course, Shi Lan didn’t suspect Ye Ming. She had done this before, after all. She just never expected her old habit to resurface the very first time she slept in the same bed as him.
Besides, her pajamas were so silky that when she first woke up, the top had ridden all the way up to her neck.
Mortified, Shi Lan quickly straightened her clothes. Only then did she belatedly hear a sound from the bathroom.
The soundproofing in the palace room was quite good, and since Ye Ming hadn’t turned on the light when he went to the bathroom, she hadn’t realized he was still in the room. It wasn’t until she heard the sound of running water that she tentatively called out, "Ye Ming, are you in there?"
The sound of the water seemed to quiet down. Ye Ming suppressed his breathing, forcing his voice to sound normal. "Yes, I’m here."
"Lanlan, did I wake you?"
Shi Lan denied it. "No, I just suddenly felt a little cold."
At the mention of the cold, they both simultaneously thought about her clothes.
Ye Ming silently turned the water temperature down a little more. He said, "Lanlan, you can adjust the room’s air conditioning. I’ll be out in a moment."
Shi Lan hummed in agreement. Listening to the water in the bathroom, she guessed that Ye Ming was taking a shower.
’But he already showered right before we went to sleep. Why would he get up in the middle of the night to take another one?’
She was a little puzzled as she verbally commanded the room’s air conditioning.
Ye Ming must have granted her personal access, as the smart thermostat switched to manual control and raised the temperature according to her request. However, the room wouldn’t warm up that quickly.
She rolled over and pulled the covers tighter around herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed something white on her pillow.
Shi Lan picked it up to get a better look. It was her bra...
’Did I take it off in a daze and leave it here?’
The bedroom was silent. Having slept for a while, Shi Lan was no longer tired.
She hid the bra under her pillow. ’Since it’s already off, I can’t be bothered to put it back on,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll wake up tomorrow and have no idea where I’ve tossed it.’
Lying in bed, she listened to the sound of the shower. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but over the sound of the water, she thought she could hear stifled grunts and pants.
Her curiosity piqued, Shi Lan quietly tiptoed to the bathroom door.
She pressed her ear against the door. The sounds inside grew clearer; muffled, low pants punctuated the rush of the water.
She was no longer the innocent little girl she once was. She knew that a sound like that from Ye Ming was the kind of moan that came naturally from arousal.
In an instant, Shi Lan understood everything. Blushing and feeling a little guilty, she tiptoed back to the bed.
She thought about the bra under her pillow. In the past, when she’d taken it off in her sleep, she’d always tossed it far away onto the top of the covers. When had she ever placed it so precisely right next to her pillow?
’No wonder Ye Ming had to get up for a shower in the middle of the night. He was probably turned on by me.’
As the culprit, Shi Lan lay quietly for a good while. The shower ran for a long time, and even though Ye Ming had said he would be quick, she didn’t rush him.
But after a few more minutes, she grew concerned and knocked on the door. "Ye Ming, are you done?"
That single sound was all it took for the man, who had been struggling to suppress himself, to finally find his release.
He braced his hands against the wall as the icy water streamed down from overhead. The flushed corners of his eyes gradually cooled and returned to normal under the cold spray.
He steadied his breathing and said in a hoarse, relaxed voice, "Lanlan, I’ll be done in just a second."
With that, he began to rinse away the mess.
Once he was sure no suspicious stains remained, he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked out.
"Lanlan, why are you still awake?"
By the time he came out, Shi Lan was already lying back in bed. She looked at his dripping hair and said softly, "I slept enough. Suddenly, I’m not tired anymore."
"I’m sorry, I must have disturbed your rest."
There was an apologetic look in Ye Ming’s eyes. His voice was still hoarse, and perhaps because he had just stepped out of the shower, his eyes seemed dewy, giving him a fragile, heartbreakingly innocent, and pitiful look.
Shi Lan explained again, "I already told you, didn’t I? Well, I was just woken up by the cold."
"The air conditioning in the palace was still a little chilly."
’Ye Ming normally ran hot, so the palace temperature was set to his preference. Lanlan was a female; of course she would find it uncomfortable. It was my fault for being so thoughtless.’
’No wonder she kept snuggling into his arms during the night.’
Ye Ming quickly used a hair-drying cap to dry his hair, wiped himself down, and changed into a fresh pair of pajamas before immediately lying back down beside Shi Lan.
Remembering that she was afraid of the cold, he instinctively moved to pull her into his arms, but he quickly recalled what had just happened.
His hand froze in mid-air. He glanced toward her pillow and saw that she had put away the small article of clothing.
’I wonder if Lanlan has read too much into it...’
Ye Ming’s face flushed red again. Seeing his outstretched hand, Shi Lan took the initiative and snuggled into his embrace. His body moved faster than his mind, and his arms tightened around her unconsciously.
The sweet, delicate fragrance, along with that soft touch, once again enveloped his chest.
Ye Ming’s scalp went numb. As if he’d been burned, he instantly retracted his arms and frantically rolled over.
Even though the bed was large, his movements were so abrupt that he accidentally rolled right off and landed on the floor.
In the Eldest Prince’s entire life, aside from the time his spiritual power had collapsed down to a High Level, this was the most pathetic he had ever felt. In front of his own female, no less. A dignified male with 3S Spiritual Power had just rolled off the bed.
His long, elegant fingers couldn’t help but cover his face as he sat on the floor in a state of self-deceiving denial, questioning all his life choices.
A soft, gentle laugh came from above. Shi Lan blinked, leaning over the edge of the bed to look down at him. "Ye Ming, what are you doing on the floor again?"
That was just the kind of person she was.
When someone was shyer than her, she became bolder.
Shi Lan knew this was all because he had accidentally touched her. She just hadn’t expected him to be so innocent.
She had always assumed that as the Eldest Prince, the Monarch would have arranged numerous banquets and other such events for him. She figured he would have been invited to meet and interact with noble females, much like how the marriage between Ye Yan and Bai Rao had come about.
In short, she thought that as the Eldest Prince, he must have had plenty of experience with women. Even if he genuinely disliked other females, he would have inevitably had more exposure to them than the average person.
But to think that he would get this flustered just from pressing up against her through their clothes.
’This is too much fun.’
A teasing light danced in Shi Lan’s eyes. When she saw that Ye Ming still hadn’t lowered his hands, and that his ears—adorned with gemstone studs—were turning an even deeper shade of red, the smile on her lips widened.
She did something bold. She placed her warm, soft hand over his, grasping two of his fingers and pulling his hand away so he could no longer hide his face.
Seeing his deep green, dewy eyes staring intently at her, she held his hand tightly and, through her pajamas, placed it against her chest.
"We’re a married couple now. It’s okay to touch a little~"
She was still beaming, completely unaware of how dangerous her actions were.