Married To The Cruel Crown Prince

Sheng Li picked the napkin and wiped the mouth of Ying Lili. "Did you enjoy the dinner?" He asked as he put the napkin on the table and called the maidservant in.

"Yes. I love the sweet dish," Ying Lili replied. The maidservant left the chamber after cleaning the table.

"Do you want to eat more? I will tell Court Lady Ki to bring it for you," Sheng Li stated. Ying Lili shook her head.

"No. My stomach is full. I overate, I feel," Ying Lili said and stood up from the chair. "Let's go to the garden and sit on the swing for some time. It has been a long time since we two sat on a swing," Ying Lili asserted.

Sheng Li also stood up and nodded his head. "It is cold at night since autumn is here," he said worriedly. Seeing the sad expression on Ying Lili's face, he called Court Lady Ki inside.

"Bring the winter cloak for the Crown Princess," Sheng Li ordered her. Court Lady Ki bowed, stepped backward, and walked out of the chamber.

"You are taking too much care of me. It's not even the winter time," Ying Lili said and pouted. Sheng Li grasped her hands as he took a step towards her.

"It's important though. You have to take extreme care of yourself and I need to do the same. Just for a few months and then everything will be alright," Sheng Li stated and put her hands down. He went to the door when Court Lady Ki came with the white fur cloak in her hand. Sheng Li thanked her and came towards Ying Lili.

He put it around Ying Lili and tied the knot on it. "Now, you will not feel cold," asserted Sheng Li.

"What about you? Will you not feel the cold?" She asked.

"I am good. Let's go," Sheng Li said and took her out to the garden. It was well lit with lanterns. Sheng Li brought her to the swing. He moved his hand over the wooden seat of the swing to make sure it was clean.

"You can sit, Lili," Sheng Li said.

She sat down on it while he quickly went behind her and pushed the swing. It moved forward, taking Ying Lili with it, who gazed up at the sky.

After a few minutes, it came back and Sheng Li held the ropes firmly. He again gave it a forward push. This time Ying Lili giggled and told Sheng Li to do more. However, Sheng Li did it for a few minutes only. He held the ropes on the swing and stopped it.

Ying Lili's eyes were still fixated on the sky. "The autumn sky is so beautiful. Everything is so vivid in the night sky," she said and tilted her head to meet Sheng Li's gaze. "Isn't it?" She asked him.

"Hmm. I never understood this sky. It is so vast and unapproachable," affirmed Sheng Li.

"It is! However, there is something that connects us with it. Our parents might be watching us from there," Ying Lili concluded.

"I do not believe in that. How could someone watch us from that far? It appears to be miles of distance," Sheng Li replied and looked down at Ying Lili, whose gaze was still at the sky.

Sheng Li sat beside her, however, opposite to her on the same swing. Ying Lili rested her head on his shoulder and said, "Then they might be living in us– a part of them."

"Do you think so?"

"Hmm."

"I do not think I have any qualities of my mother," Sheng Li said. Ying Lili lifted her head and glared at him.

"It's not true," she said and told him to sit from the front side. Sheng Li came to the front and sat down beside her. She intertwined their fingers. "Are you missing her?" She asked him.

"A little," he replied. "Her son grew up so much and she is not here with him to see that. Good people always have a bad fate. Even the father will leave us soon and then he will not be able to see his grandchild," Sheng Li stated.

"The Royal Physician is trying his best to treat the ailment of the Father. Miracle also happens, Sheng Li," Ying Lili pronounced.

"How do you end up talking so beautifully? You calm me down," Sheng Li praised her and pulled his hand from her fingers' grip. He brought it near her face and stroked her cheek from the back of her palm.

"You are not feeling cold, are you?" Sheng Li queried her.

Ying Lili shook her head. "The cloak is warm," she answered.

"I am thinking that it will be a son. What do you think?" Ying Lili asked him.

"I think we will get twins," Sheng Li said and smiled.

"How? The Royal Physician has confirmed that it is a child," Ying Lili replied.

"It's the earliest stage, so the Royal Physician may not be able to detect the pulse rate. I am getting an intuition that we will have twins– a daughter and a son. A beautiful, pretty daughter like my Lili," Sheng Li said.

"And a son like my Sheng Li!" Ying Lili stated. "If we will have twins then you need to carry me in your arms to the Buddhist Shrine, where we both sought the blessings of Lord Buddha," Ying Lili stated.

"Sure!" Sheng Li agreed with her.

"I was joking, Sheng Li," Ying Lili said.

"But I am serious. I will carry you to the Buddhist Shrine bare feet," Sheng Li affirmed. Ying Lili knitted her brows and immediately put her palm over his lips, but by then, Sheng Li had taken the vow.

She put her hand down. "Why did you say that? Your feet will burn in the summer heat! Take back your words and apologize to Lord Buddha for speaking like this," Ying Lili urged him and at the same time scolding him.

"Lili, I do not take back my words. Also, I want to do it. I will carry you in bridal style in my arms to the shrine," Sheng Li pronounced and smiled again.

"Everyone will curse your Lili for doing this! I won't let that happen. Let me find the counter--" She stopped as Sheng Li kissed her lips.

"Sheng Li!" She widened her eyes while smiling.

Again he kissed her and said, "Stop me from doing that and I will keep kissing you."

Ying Lili pursed her lips together. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth to speak. "I have an idea how to protect my husband's feet from getting burned," she said.

"Tell me," Sheng Li demanded.

"I will not," Ying Lili said and stood up when Sheng Li caught her wrist and pulled her back. She turned to him and fell on his lap which stunned her.

"What are you doing?" She questioned him.

"Where are you going? We still need to decide the name of our twins," Sheng Li said and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"But we are not sure if we will get twins or not," Ying Lili opined.

"Don't you trust me? I am telling you that we will have twins– a girl and a boy," Sheng Li affirmed. "Now, let's decide the names. I have one name ready for the boy," he added.

"And what's that?" She waited for him to respond.

"I will name him Long Jingguo. Since the expected birth time will be in the month of Dragon, the name will start with Long while Jingguo will follow in the memory of Hu Jingguo," Sheng Li pronounced.

Ying Lili was astonished to hear that. She had thought that Sheng Li, when earlier told her, was joking with her. "Do you want to name our son by the name of Hu Jingguo?" Ying Lili inquired from him again.

Sheng Li hummed. "I told you that I will keep Jingguo alive in the history of Han. This is my deep desire for him. I want him to be remembered by everyone," Sheng Li proclaimed.

"It is a nice name. What about the daughter?" Ying Lili asked with glistening eyes.

"Jing Xin," Sheng Li answered. "What do you think? Is it good? I don't feel it's that good!" Sheng Li deduced.

"Umm… let's name her on the cherry blossom tree. Do you remember your birthday when we both went to your mother's place? We both, for the first time, realized feelings for each other in that swing under the cherry blossom tree," Ying Lili asserted.

Sheng Li liked her idea and nodded his head.

"Yīnghuā," they both pronounced at the same time. Sheng Li smiled and started to laugh. "It is such a pretty name," he said.

"Yes. The Cherry blossom tree shows love. Our love started to bloom after that only. We will name our daughter Yīnghuā if the child is a daughter," Ying Lili proclaimed.

"Yīnghuā and Long Jingguo.. Now, I am eagerly waiting for them to come to this world," Sheng Li said while smiling.