Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

Sheng Li ascended the stairs of the Pavilion. "Shall I open my eyes?" Ying Lili asked him.

"No, not now," He replied. He was now in the pavilion and made Ying Lili stand on her feet. His one hand quickly covered her eyes, not wanting her to see the surprise he had planned for her. Even after the hectic day, he managed to prepare a surprise for her.Â

Sheng Li put his hand down and rested both of his hands on the shoulders of Ying Lili. "Lili, I hope you will like it," He whispered in her ear. "You can open your eyes, Lili," Sheng Li permitted her.Â

Ying Lili gradually opened her eyes. Her eyes glistened to see the different shaped lanterns mostly, in a star pattern, painted in different colors, thus emancipating light accordingly. In the center, a sphere-shaped lantern was hanging, appearing as the moon in the sky, filled with stars. The shape of the lantern stars was smaller compared to the moon-shaped lantern.Â

Sheng Li slid the wooden door and closed it, preventing them from being seen by anyone from outside.Â

Ying Lili stepped ahead and lifted her head. It was the perfect sky that anyone could imagine if they went closer to it. "How did you do it? Did you prepare this all by yourself!?" Ying Lili was not only surprised but also overwhelmed to find that despite so many ongoing tensions in the Palace, Sheng Li managed to prepare such a beautiful surprise for her.Â

Sheng Li went near her. Both of his hands were behind his back and he looked up. "You once jokingly asked me if I could bring the moon and stars for you. I couldn't, but I could create something similar to that." Sheng Li for the past week was working on the shapes of the lanterns and that was the reason he sometimes skipped his lunch. Since he had to prepare everything with his own hands, he took a little pain.Â

"I prepared all this by myself. Xing-Fu and a few palace maids helped me in guiding how to do this. It was my first time preparing all this," Sheng Li stated. He mentioned the contribution of Xing-Fu and the Palace maids, who worked with him day and night to guide him.Â

Ying Lili again looked back at the star-looking lanterns. Sheng Li put so much hard work into that. It fluttered Ying Lili's heart but at the same time worried her out. She turned her gaze at him. "You shouldn't need to take such a pain to create all this. You should have taken the help of the Palace maids. It is not good that the Crown Prince is working on such petty things," Ying Lili said out of concern.Â

"It is not petty work, Lili. And I could not take the help of the Palace maids. It was my surprise for you, before your birthday. I wanted to work on it, so I did. It was fun. If you do not believe me, ask Xing-Fu and those maids. I enjoyed preparing all this," Sheng Li explained to Ying Lili.Â

"Eunuch Xing-Fu and those maids are loyal to you. Even if I ask, they will lie to you and will tell me that you enjoyed it," Ying Lili deduced. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Sheng Li. You gave me such a wonderful surprise," Ying Lili said and smiled at him.Â

Sheng Li smiled back and moved closer to her. "Come, let's sit here," Sheng Li gestured towards the warm mattress near the other end of the pavilion which was open to the lake in front of it. "We will enjoy the view from here," he added. Ying Lili hummed and the two sat on the mattress. The floor table in front of them had a teapot and two cups.Â

"It's Chamomile Tea." Sheng Li picked the teapot, shook it a little, and poured the tea into the cups. Putting the teapot on the table, he handed the cup to Ying Lili first. Sheng Li then raised his cup and brought it closer to Ying Lili's cup. The two touched their cups and then took a sip, respectively.Â

Ying Lili looked towards the artificial sky inside the pavilion and passed a dim smile. Sheng Li loved her a lot. For her, he learned new things and also controlled his anger. Butterflies danced in her stomach, thinking all this. Her heart raced when she heard Sheng Li, "What is Lili thinking?"Â

Ying Lili tilted her head and met his gaze. The two continued to stare at each other when Ying Lili finally spoke, "Can't you read my mind?"

"Umm'¦ I am not a mind-reader. However, I will try to depict the meaning behind this smile and blush on your cheeks," Sheng Li affirmed. Ying Lili lowered her eyes and again lifted them.Â

"Tell me," she curiously said and took another sip of tea.Â

Sheng Li after contemplating, said, "It is unbelievable for you that I did such work. You are blessed to have a husband like me, who adores you the most in this world."

Ying Lili giggled and brought her palm over her mouth, to hide her laugh from him. She stopped after a while and said, "Hmm. I was thinking something similar to that." She brought the cup near her mouth and drank the remaining tea from it.Â

Sheng Li took out a jade bangle from inside his pocket. Earlier, Xing-Fu handed him that while they were coming to the Lotus Pavilion.Â

"Hu Jingguo purchased it for you in the market. I was quite annoyed at that time. I should have given it earlier, but it's the best time to give it to you. He wanted to present it to you before the dragon boat festival," Sheng Li forwarded the bangle to Ying Lili. She extended her hand out and took the bangle from Sheng Li.Â

"It's his last present for me, then." Ying Lili looked at the bangle and smiled. "Whenever he used to go to new places, he used to bring something for me from those places," she told Sheng Li.Â

"Lili, are you not angry at me? I could not save the last person close to you from Juyan," Sheng Li asked her.Â

"No. It was not your fault," Ying Lili placed her palm on his cheek. Sheng Li rested his hand on the back of her palm. His eyes were again misty.Â

"I had tea with him before you two left for the Northern Province. I asked him to save you even if it cost him his life." Ying Lili also became teary-eyed. "His words were'“ 'even if I had not told him then he would have done that only.' It was his willingness for the person, whom he respected the most," Ying Lili told Sheng Li.

Sheng Li hummed and put his hand down while Ying Lili pulled her hand back. He picked the teacup and raised it. "It's for you, Hu Jingguo, if you are watching us," Sheng Li said as he gave tribute to him through the tea and drank the tea from it. Ying Lili smiled, seeing the smile on Sheng Li's lips.Â

"If we have a son in future, we will name him Hu Jingguo," He revealed the name to Ying Lili that he had thought of, who acknowledged his decision.. "I want him to be remembered by the people," He affirmed.Â