Chapter 138: Kiss the Princess, and You’ll Accept the Invitation?

Xiao Li watched Young Master Feng bowing before her, a rare flicker of astonishment crossing her face.

Feng Yin held a small gift box in both hands, an envelope resting on top. His cheeks were scarlet, and he didn’t dare meet her gaze. This was his first time doing something like this, and he was terribly embarrassed. Yet, he didn’t shrink back, resolutely offering up the gift and the letter.

"Feng Yin humbly invites the Princess to join him for the Lantern Festival. I beg for the Princess’s consent."

’This little stick-in-the-mud must have read a lot of books, but they’ve done nothing to thicken his skin. You can read his emotions at a glance.’

’Forget the gift inside the box; just looking at his expression, she knew what that letter on top was about.’

A young man’s crush, plain as day.

Xiao Li took a deep breath. How to describe this feeling?

It was like playfully teasing a college student, thinking his naive earnestness was cute and just messing with him for fun, only for him to land a straight punch right to your heart.

’Miss, I want to date you. With marriage in mind.’

A man’s affection might be fleeting, but the passion of a pure-hearted young man is a fiery heat no woman can withstand.

Men love eighteen-year-olds, and women do too.

’...’ thought Xiao Li. ’She was just having some fun, not looking for anything serious.’

But he really was just too adorable.

"Feng-Tangtang!"

She slowly savored his name, leaning in with a smile, a wickedly mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I believe I advised you to stay away from bad women."

Feng Yin’s gaze was firm. "The Princess is not a bad person."

’So simple and naive. So pure and passionate. How could anyone not find it endearing?’

Xiao Li spread her hands, her smile both alluring and wicked. "Young Master, this Princess Mansion has no need for a Prince Consort, and I will never discuss marriage with anyone."

"Your looks certainly please me, which is why I tolerate you getting close. But this is my limit. If you get any closer, don’t blame me for what happens next."

Feng Yin turned as red as a cooked shrimp. His expression was a mixture of extreme awkwardness and bashfulness. His body trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his face.

He was young and naive, but he wasn’t a fool.

Xiao Li had made herself perfectly clear. She liked him, but she would not marry him.

She was wicked, seductive, as beautiful as a soul-bewitching demon from a storybook. Beneath her lovely exterior was a heart of venom, just waiting for some ignorant scholar to become entranced so she could devour his very soul.

Feng Yin was in agony. It was the first time he had ever fallen for a girl, the first time he had tried to confess his feelings, and his confession was met with this—a rejection from someone as mature and wicked as Xiao Li, a rejection that was simultaneously a deeper temptation.

He was struggling to handle it all, but he wasn’t afraid of her. He firmly believed she wasn’t a bad person—he even felt it would be fine if she hurt him. Unsure of what else to do, he could only stubbornly continue to hold out the box and the letter, desperate for her to accept his gesture.

Finally, Xiao Li reached out a hand, not to accept his gifts, but to push him back. "Go on, little kid!"

The seductive allure was gone, replaced only with traces of mockery and amusement. She was like a powerful mountain demon that had stumbled upon an ignorant child, laughed at his innocence, and then mercifully let him go.

And yet, he was clearly older than her.

"Princess!"

Feng Yin grabbed Xiao Li’s arm. The sudden movement startled even himself. After checking that he hadn’t grabbed her injured arm, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "I came of age this year. I know what I’m doing, and I can accept the consequences. I..."

He wanted to declare his resolve, but he was too shy to say anything more sentimental.

Xiao Li glanced at the hand gripping her arm, then slowly looked up at the young man who was now red as a beet.

’I don’t want to get involved in a relationship. Or rather, for me, there’s no such thing as love to be had.’

It was only because of this superficial fondness for him that she was willing to offer him a warning.

’What I want is to leave this world. There’s no need to ruin one of its good men. He deserves to marry, have children, and live his own life.’

’But I’ve already warned him. I’ve already rejected him. If he insists on pestering me, then what happens next is on him.’

"Kiss me."

Feng Yin was shocked, his pupils trembling. "What?"

Xiao Li scoffed. "If you don’t even have the guts for that, then I..."

"If I kiss you, will the Princess accept my invitation?"

Feng Yin cut her off, his eyes suddenly bright. Before Xiao Li could answer, he lunged forward and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for agreeing, Princess!" he said excitedly. "The day after tomorrow in the afternoon, I will come to fetch you."

With that, he bolted out like a gust of wind, nearly colliding with the guard at the door. After a clumsy dodge, he kept on running.

His retreating figure looked like he was fleeing in disarray, yet there was a visible, joyful spring in his step.

Xiao Li looked down at the items that had been shoved into her arms. The envelope was addressed in neat, standard script: *For Princess Xuanyang’s Eyes Only*.

She first opened the box underneath. Inside was a Peace Jade Button.

Xiao Li picked up the jade button to examine it, then casually put the letter back in the box with it.

When Hong Yue took the box, she couldn’t help but ask, "Princess, aren’t you going to read the letter?"

Xiao Li reached out and pinched her cheek. "It’s best not to look at things like this."

’A person without feelings shouldn’t so easily face a sincere heart. Otherwise, the unfeeling stone might just grow flesh and blood, and in the end, it will be the one to die.’

Xiao Li didn’t give Feng Yin much thought. She was busy delegating tasks. Even though she didn’t have enough guards, preparations had to be made. Medicinal herbs, raw materials, ores—the more, the better. There was no harm in being prepared.

Making her moves was the top priority. Men? They were just for teasing.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, Feng Yin arrived punctually, but he was a step slower than Prince Wei.

Prince Wei gazed at Young Master Feng, who looked even younger than he was, a hint of reluctance mixed with his surprise. "So this is the ’engagement’ my Imperial Sister was talking about?"

He had also come to invite Xiao Li out for the festival. He figured his Imperial Sister had been bored at home for more than ten days and wanted to take her out to lift her spirits, but she had told him she already had an engagement.

Having an engagement was one thing, but it being with a man...

Xiao Jingyi knew he would have a new brother-in-law eventually, but wasn’t this one a little too young?

He didn’t mean in age, but that face.

Looking at that baby face, he really couldn’t bring himself to call the man "brother-in-law."

Too bad Xiao Li didn’t know what he was thinking, or she would have definitely rolled her eyes at him.

’Brother-in-law? He’s thinking too much.’

"Princess. Prince."

Feng Yin stepped forward to pay his respects. He was handsome, but his bearing was so prim and proper it felt somewhat dissonant.

Xiao Jingyi shot Xiao Li an indescribable look that clearly said, ’Imperial Sister, you like *this* type?’

Xiao Li couldn’t be bothered to pay him any mind. She just found it amusing to see Feng Yin all prim and proper again.

’He fled with a red face the day before yesterday, then spent two days psyching himself up. Is he just bottling it all up, or did he come back with his health bar full?’

Feeling her intense gaze, Feng Yin didn’t dare look up. He simply said, "I have prepared everything. If you would, Princess."

Choosing her handsome date over her brother, Xiao Li rose to her feet. "Let’s go."

Xiao Jingyi clenched his fists. He desperately wanted to tag along, but he was afraid of spoiling his Imperial Sister’s fun. How infuriating.