Misty Rain of the Old Times

Seeing Chen Xuan's expectant yet mischievous expression, the little princess, who had agreed, felt both amused and shy, as if a little deer was frolicking and jumping in her heart.

At this moment, she was nothing like the cold and murderous woman she had been before; she was just a shy little girl in front of her sweetheart.

She pursed her lips, her face flushed, and under Chen Xuan's unwavering gaze, she mustered her courage and slowly lifted her skirt.

It's just a pair of legs, nothing special to look at. Chen Xuan had even seen her small feet in flip-flops before. But under the influence of the atmosphere, it seemed exceptionally alluring, making one's heart race.

Chen Xuan swallowed unconsciously, his eyes wide open, as if afraid of missing any detail.

As the little princess moved, a pair of silver-pink phoenix-embroidered shoes were revealed beneath the two-layered skirt; they were small, exquisite, and works of art.

Her skirt continued to rise, revealing that she was wearing stockings, but not the tight-fitting kind; they were loose-fitting and secured to her calves with straps.

At this moment, her eyes were watery, and her breath seemed to carry a drunken fragrance. Facing Chen Xuan's dazed expression, she thought to herself, "You bad guy, you're making me feel so embarrassed."

What would happen if I changed my mind about Xuan-gege now?

The thought popped into her head, but she didn't do it; instead, she continued to lift her skirt.

Above her ankles, beneath her stockings, were a pair of snow-white calves, as smooth as peeled eggs or as delicate as jade, long and straight, with beautiful lines. Any more or less of them would have ruined that natural beauty.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan sniffed, wondering if water would seep out if he held it in his hand and applied a little force.

Suppressing the flutter in his heart, he then noticed that the little princess wasn't wearing trousers under her dress; it was only autumn, not yet that cold.

She stopped when she lifted her skirt to about three inches above her knees, pressing down the hem to prevent Chen Xuan from seeing any more.

That small section of her dazzlingly white thigh was round and fleshy, it was simply stunning, and Chen Xuan almost drooled at the sight.

"Is it pretty?" the little princess suddenly asked, blushing and her heart pounding.

Chen Xuan nodded emphatically, subconsciously, and said, "It looks good."

He wanted to use some adjectives, but he was stuck and at a loss for words. His mindset made it seem as if no beautiful description could do justice to those legs.

"So, Brother Xuan, do you think my legs are prettier or I am prettier?" she asked breathily, her head spinning from such a bold move, as if she were slightly tipsy.

"Why do girls always ask these kinds of questions?" Chen Xuan replied without hesitation, "They all look good."

"Hmph, just going through the motions," the little princess chuckled, then bent down and took off her embroidered shoes and stockings, revealing a pair of small, delicate feet to Chen Xuan.

Her feet were so delicate they could be grasped in one hand, with pink and rosy soles that were a little fleshy, like a work of art. Her ten toes were as cute as silkworms. Seeing this, Chen Xuan thought that even if she ran ten kilometers in shoes, her little feet would definitely smell sweet.

I really want to grab it and play with it, but no rush, the meat in the pot will come sooner or later.

Whether intentionally or not, the little princess only picked up the ice silk stockings and started to put them on after Chen Xuan had feasted his eyes. Her slender fingers held the stockings and slowly put them on her legs. The elastic stockings clung to her beautiful legs, all the way up to her knees, and slightly squeezed into her rounded thighs, leaving a breathtaking mark.

Chen Xuan felt a surge of heat rising in his heart, but thankfully he didn't get a nosebleed. However, his gaze remained fixed on the spot.

Once she had put on both stockings, she lifted her legs and showed them off, her legs like works of art hidden under the semi-transparent stockings, exuding a hazy allure. Above her knees, where the stockings were pressed against her flesh, two pale red jade-like petals added a touch of brilliance, making the scene breathtaking. Chen Xuan couldn't take his eyes off her.

The little princess, her cheeks flushed, didn't dare look at him. She examined her legs and said, "Did Brother Xuan really make this himself? Where did you get such a bad idea? It's so embarrassing! But it's so light and breathable, it feels like I'm not wearing anything. And with the warm jade neutralizing the coldness of the ice silk, I can't feel it at all. It's very comfortable to wear."

"That's good. It seems my skills are pretty good. It fits perfectly without any alterations," Chen Xuan said, pretending to be serious, though actually her legs were just too beautiful.

Suddenly, she felt something was missing, as if something was missing. Chen Xuan quickly realized that she was missing a pair of high heels. She would prepare a different style of stockings for her next time.

"Have you seen enough?" The little princess asked with a gentle smile as Chen Xuan put his legs down while he was lost in thought.

"I can't get enough of looking," Chen Xuan said, still wanting more. "Wait a little longer, let me carefully observe if there's anything that needs to be changed."

Still unaware of his wicked intentions, the little princess leaned forward slightly, pursed her lips, and asked, "Then, Brother Xuan, would you like to touch what the stockings on my legs feel like?"

Even though he knew the little princess was teasing him, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "What if there's an unexpected surprise?" and asked expectantly, "Really?"

"Brother Xuan, don't go too far," the little princess said, her face flushed. As she spoke, she raised her right foot and stretched it out. She must have consulted many concubines in the palace who were vying for the emperor's favor, so she knew how to give her beloved a little sweetness appropriately.

She tried to deceive herself by thinking that, with a layer of silk stockings between them, it wasn't really skin-to-skin contact.

Such a good thing really existed, how could Chen Xuan miss it? He reached out and held her little foot gently, as if afraid of breaking it...

As he held her little foot, the little princess's heart pounded like a rabbit's. After a moment, she pulled her foot back and said in a trembling voice, "Okay, that's enough. It's a little ticklish. Are you satisfied now, Brother Xuan?"

As she spoke, she lowered her skirt and put on her shoes to cover her legs, knowing when to stop and not to continue, otherwise the boy would be hard to control once he got carried away. She didn't plan to take off her stockings; they were really comfortable to wear, much more comfortable than silk stockings.

Having gotten what he wanted, Chen Xuan felt a pang of disappointment as he enjoyed the benefits.

Seeing his distracted state, the little princess felt both shy and proud. Not daring to look at him, she whispered, "Brother Xuan, we can't continue like this. This has already crossed the line; going any further would be impolite."

Chen Xuan naturally understood her concerns. Such was the prevailing trend of the time. The little princess's actions were already extremely bold, even unconventional, so he naturally wouldn't make things difficult for her. He secretly savored Gu Zuoyan's words and said, "The socks fit well, and they look great on you, Qian Ning. If you like them, I'll make you more in the future."

"Yes, if Brother Xuan likes it, I'll wear it for you to see," the little princess nodded after calming down a bit, and then dared to look up at him.

She mustered her courage, speaking with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation: "Brother Xuan, it's not that I'm teasing you on purpose, it's just that we're not married yet, so I really can't go too far. If you marry me soon, I'll do whatever you want."

Having said all that, the little princess had made her feelings clear. She didn't dare look at him, and she regretted her impulsiveness. If she didn't get the answer she wanted, her heart would probably break.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan's mind instantly cleared, and all his ill intentions vanished. He knew that if he didn't answer this question well, it could create a rift between them, which wouldn't be good.

As the little princess lived each day with trepidation, he earnestly said, his mind racing, "I understand Qian Ning's feelings. I, Chen Xuan, am so fortunate to have met you. How can I let you down? When spring arrives next year and flowers bloom all over the world, will you marry me?"

Influenced by the atmosphere, he brought up the topic at this point. Although it was somewhat rushed, Chen Xuan was serious.

After careful consideration, he decided to marry her next spring. Firstly, their time together would be too short, allowing more time to cultivate their relationship. Secondly, if he didn't marry her next year, he would have to wait several more years, as the old emperor's life was nearing its end. If the old emperor were to pass away, the little princess would have to observe three years of mourning. Therefore, Chen Xuan planned to marry the little princess ahead of schedule.

This way, they could not only receive the old emperor's blessing, leaving him with no regrets, but also live happily ever after.

Chen Xuan is not an indecisive person, nor will he evade such issues; his words are his promises.

Although both of them are very young, three years is not a long time, but for a man and a woman, three whole years of being able to see each other but not be together is agonizing just to think about.

Hearing Chen Xuan say this, the little princess's heart melted. She nodded dizzily and said, "Yes, I promise you, Brother Xuan, when the flowers bloom next year, I will marry you, become your wife, and bear your children. Then you won't be alone anymore."

“With you, I am never alone,” Chen Xuan said, taking her hand in his arms.

In the past, Chen Xuan always thought that such things were quite cheesy, but when he actually found himself in this situation, he didn't feel embarrassed at all.

Leaning gently against him, the little princess suddenly punched him lightly and laughed, "You're so lucky, Brother Xuan! Does this count as us getting engaged?"

“Yes, but I will marry you openly and honestly,” Chen Xuan said earnestly.

She closed her eyes slightly and said, "I know Brother Xuan won't let me down. You say it so easily, is it just a spur-of-the-moment decision?"

No, it was premeditated.

"Me too. Through years of correspondence, starting from my childhood and growing up, day by day and year by year, I developed a vague expectation of you that accompanied me throughout my youth. When we finally met, I could hardly believe how beautiful you were. As we spent more and more time together, I don't even know when, but my whole heart was filled with you."

"First, there was the bond of years of correspondence and shared interests; then, there was the attraction that began with physical attraction. Qian Ning, you know what, we're alike."

"What if I'm not good-looking?"

"Then let's be brothers."

"You never know how to say anything nice to comfort me."

"Isn't that just deceiving yourself..."

The two snuggled together, sharing their innermost thoughts, and it felt as if time itself had slowed down at that moment.

Flowers bloom and fade, but years from now, as the sun sets in the west, we will bathe together in the twilight.

Once the promise has been made, it's not just a simple sentence. There are many things to consider now. Since I'm marrying her, I can't make her suffer. There should be proper betrothal and a grand wedding.
Chen Xuan has never been married and has zero experience. What should he do?

Time passed, and as night fell, Chen Xuan had dinner at the princess's residence. With the little princess by his side, her beauty was so captivating that he ate an extra bowl of rice.

He planned to acquire the white cloud wood and then work on proposing marriage and getting engaged while refining the array flags.

Without a formal title, he couldn't possibly stay overnight at the princess's residence. As they parted, under the cover of night, Chen Xuan pointed to his face and, amidst the princess's deep reluctance, asked expectantly, "Qian Ning hasn't forgotten what she promised me last time, has she?"

His heart skipped a beat, and the little princess said shyly, "Brother Xuan, you always bully me. I... I haven't forgotten. Close your eyes."

Chen Xuan closed his eyes as instructed, and just as Zhou Qianning tiptoed to kiss him, he suddenly opened his eyes and turned around, their lips meeting in a kiss. The little princess's beautiful eyes widened in surprise... (End of Chapter)