Clothes are thrown on the floor in the dark room except for a candle that is burning near the bed as two person roll around the bed who have wrap their arms with each other. Song Ning still in her dreamy state of mind did something she always wanted to do. She raise her brush with Chinese ink have outline a carp on his chest. While he watch her and stroke her long black hair. Song Ning who is still wearing her inner garment swing her long legs up and down behind her as she lay on his stomach to draw.
"There! A carp fish!"
"Why carp?"
"Why cause you are alike a carp. Like the legend that carp who swam up stream against the odds to transform into a dragon! "
"So, i am a carp to you?"
She stop drawing and look at his face while she rest her chin on his stomach. With her slightly pinkish eyes, she stare at him and smile.
"A carp that is transforming."
He move to pull her up. She look annoyed as she is place up next to him on the pillow. He put his legs over her tights to prevent her from moving.
"In this case… will you join this carp on the adventure upstream?"
She look at him with her eyes squinting. Holding the brush in her hand, she touch his face.
"Why? Do you know that i have a hard life? why do you want to drag me along to swim an upstream?"
"Because your life is hard, you can leach on me. I will take care of you."
"Why? My own blood sister cannot be brother with me. Why a stranger who have nothing to do with me wants me to leach on you?"
"Because i like you at first sight…"
"At first sight… liar! I was cover up! I have a veil over my face!"
"I like you not because of your looks at first sight but the spirt that you have. Later when i see you in your physical appearance, you entice me more. I want to know who you are, what you like."
"What do i like?"
"You like taels, You like your brother. You like painting… and you like me."
Song Ning stare at the man who is smiling and her heart is beating fast. Is it the alcohol that is making her feeling dizzy or herself who is drowning in the presence of a handsome man. She cannot tell. All she knows that she is allow to do something that she did not think of doing besides taking care of her daily life and her brother. She lay down her head on his chest. She listen to the beat of his heart. Steady and loud. Song Ning close her eyes and the brush is still in her hand. She feels his hand patting her back gently and slowly. It feels so comfortable. Slowly she drift off to dreamland. Li Tan Ye continue to pat her back gently. Even thought he feels that part of his body is getting numb, he still remain the same position.
In the morning he get up to a girl screaming at him. He rub his eyes and stare angrily at the face. With a stiff body he bend over to her and cover her mouth. Song Ning stare at the naked top of the Third Prince. Lucky his pants are still on him. While She still have her inner garments on. Her big round eyes stare at the man who is covering her mouth.
"Stop screaming and i will release my hands."
She nod her head and he slowly release his hands.
"Did you wash your hands?"
"What do you think?"
"Did you …"
"NO whatever you are thinking is NO."
She look down to see his chest is drawn with a carp. Her memory starts to recall what had happen. What they said is all blurry.
"What happen last night…"
He massage his arm and look at her.
"You said… you will love and follow me this life and the next. We will swim in the upstream together…"
"I said that …"
He nod his head and look at her. If she forget what they said, he can make up anything just to get her to stay with him.
"I don't remember …"
"Whether you recall what you said or not, you have taken advantage of me. You seen my body so many times. Your hands are all over my … manhood. Lucky i have a lot of self control, if not you probably have …"
She put her small hands over his mouth.
"I…am sorry…"
They look at each other in their eyes. The Third Prince look at her who seems to be frighten. At that moment, he regret frightening her with a lie yet there is something devilish cooking in his mind. He smile and lean near to her.
"I accept your sorries… however i am a person from royalty. After all i am a pure and innocent Prince of this dynasty… what are you laughing about?"
"Nothing, your highness. Go on…"
"Well, what am i … ah yes. You and i have to be engaged."
She stop laughing and she look at him with her eyes open wide.
"What do you mean?"
"Engaged. You know, it's what you have gone through before with that Zhang Nan Feng…"
"Wait. What are you … thinking? I can offer you my way of apology if taking … advantage of you. We don't need to go through …"
"Fine. How are you going to … compensate? Don't say you give me gold or some thing of high value. I have everything that you can dream of saying."
She keep her silence and think of what he said is true. He have everything in the world. There is nothing that he doesn't have.
"How about … i will paint you any theme that you want without any taels… what do you think …."
He lean even closer and gently flick her nose.
"Deal… you … get to see them again."
He look down at his crotch area and her ears turn bright red.
That night, with just a candle, he sits on the chair with his favourite blanket draped over his shoulder. His long back hair is untied and he sit facing her with one leg up the other one the floor. He look at her intensity with his eye gleaming in the dark. His naked chest raise slowly as he watch her draw while sitting on the floor. After a while, he notice that the outline is all done. The Third Prince knows that she doesn't need to see her subject after the outline is done. She have a strong concept of the light and dark thus she rarely look back at where the light falls. With his blanket wrap around him, he walk and sit next to her. He enjoy watching how she concentrate on just painting.
"Don't sit so close to me… it's hot in here."
"That is because we are two hot person in this room."
She stop and turn to her left.
"That is not funny."
"I am beginning to perspire, what about you?"
"No i am not."
He lean over and whisper into her ears.
"If you are feeling the sweat beats are too much for you, i can help to wipe them off."
Song Ning's hands are trembling as he whisper into her ears. She feel that she cannot concentrate with him whispering. She put down her brush and push him.
"Please sit further away from me…"
At that moment he grab her hands and press it on his bare chest.
"Do you like my handsome chest?"
"NO. They are … flat."
"Well between one of us. If I'm the flat one, it's fine."
She close her eyes before she roll her eyes in front of the Prince. She did not want to offend him and have another round of issues with him. While the Third Prince seeing that she close her eyes, he lean over and kiss her on her lips. She open her eyes and her mouth open slightly. Song Ning is not shock and wonder why she is not offended. She touch her lips slightly as she watch him.
"Is this … the first time we …"
"No. We kiss a few times, don't you remember?"
"No… Wait. just don't say anything i want to …"
Before she pick up her brush, he grab her hands. He smile and look at her tenderly.
"Usually when we are together, you are drunk. Your face and your eyes are pinkish. You cannot understand what i said… so tonight. I would like to say it again. I like you and want to marry you."
Song Ning continue to stay still after a while she whisper.
"Your highness… i am not a noble born. I don't have anything to offer to you and your titles. I have burdens that no one wants. I am also a person whom her fiancé had left behind. A person like me is not worthy of your time."
"Song Ning, these are not for you to think about. I can resolve all those. I only need you to accept me into your life."
The two person in the dark room continue ro whisper while the candle is flecking in the dark. With the heat in the room building up, Song Ning looks at his naked chest. He reach out and lift her head by her chin. She look at him with uncertainty in her eyes. Without a word, he tilt his head and kiss her again. Slowly as time goes by, she close her eyes and feel him with her heart and soul. A strange feeling of wanting more creep into her mind.