Ying Lili's heart raced because of this gesture of Sheng Li. He was getting affectionate to her, and she liked it. "You blush whenever I say such things to you," Sheng Li said and smiled.

"So, would you like to tell me who were those princes who sent the marriage proposals to you?" Sheng Li queried Ying Lili.

"Why?"

"Because I want to know," Sheng Li replied.

"Those Princes were from neighborhood kingdoms. I know little about them," Ying Lili replied. She turned towards the table and filled their cups with wine.

"You shall not drink anymore," Sheng Li voiced and extended his hand to take the cup from her, but she did not let him take it. Instead, she gulped the wine quickly and wiped her mouth from the back of her mouth.

"I am sober. Tell me why you did not get any proposals?" Ying Lili asked.

"I told you about this the other day," Sheng Li answered and grabbed the wine jar when Ying Lili placed her hand over his, thus stopping him from taking it away. "Answer," she said as she snatched the jar from him.

"No."

Ying Lili laughed loudly, which baffled Sheng Li. "No one wants you," Ying Lili stated as she lowered her head. She held the wine jar tightly. Sheng Li found that Ying Lili was drunk by then. So, he held the jar again, but Ying Lili slapped on his hand.

"Ouch," Sheng Li pulled his hand back. Ying Lili lifted her head and gaze at Sheng Li. Her cheeks were red, like a ripened tomato. "B-but you are the Crown Prince?" Ying Lili raised a doubt.

"You are right. Usually, the Crown Prince gets marriage Proposals without any second thought, but in my case, it was the opposite. No one dared to give their daughter's hand to me," Sheng Li stated.

"But you have gotten good looks. It must be from your mother," Ying Lili half closed her eyes and giggled. Sheng Li chuckled, seeing the way Ying Lili was acting in her drunk state.

"Good looks do not matter. A person must be good by heart, that's important," Sheng Li asserted.

"Who said you are not good by heart? If you would not be… " Ying Lili patted near her chest as she paused and continued, "If you would not be good then I would not have thought of wanting a husband like you."

Sheng Li peered at the Crown Princess who further spoke, "You saved me from the Empress twice, and that time I did not even consider you my husband but you stood for me. You stood for me despite our differences. When we went to the Shrine, you carried me up and my heart fluttered... It was a strange feeling which I never felt." Sheng Li widened his eyes as Ying Lili giggled.

Sheng Li found that if Ying Lili would not stop talking then things could go in the other direction.

"Let's stop talking about all this. Give me the jar," Sheng Li told Ying Lili who refused. She brought it closer to her lips and started drinking from the jar directly.

She put the empty jar on the table and peered into the eyes. "You!" The sudden loud voice of the Crown Princess dumbfounded the Crown Prince because Ying Lili had cupped Sheng Li's face between her palms.

"I was terrified the day you were poisoned. That day I thought everything ended." Suddenly the tears formed in her eyes when she pulled her hands back and stood up.

She went towards a table with her wavered steps when Sheng Li stood up from his place. "What is she up to?" Sheng Li murmured and walked towards her. "What are you searching for there?" Sheng Li asked as he stood beside her.

Ying Lili took out a brush and ink set which was put inside the drawer. "What's this? Do you want to write something?" Sheng Li questioned as he saw Ying Lili dipping the brush in the ink. She turned towards him and grabbed his hand.

"Come" she took him towards the bed and made him sit on the bed. Ying Lili sat beside Sheng Li and pulled his sleeve up off the left hand. "S-sister gave me that ink in the day saying it never f-fades away," Ying Lili said. Sheng Li was confused because he was not getting what Ying Lili meant.

He felt the brush on his wrist, so he looked at that. Ying Lili was drawing something on his wrist. Sheng Li keenly looked at his wrist until Ying Lili said, "It's done."

"A butterfly," Sheng Li murmured as he looked at his wrist. "What's this?" Sheng Li muttered and almost wiped it from his other hand when Ying Lili stopped him.

He lifted his eyes and looked at her. "Don't wipe that. It has a beautiful meaning. It will never fade away," Ying Lili said with a smile and then moved her left-hand sleeve up. She drew the same butterfly on her wrist and put the brush on the bedside table.

Placing her left hand near Sheng Li, she whispered, "Now it is looking good." She looked at Sheng Li who was astonishingly peering at her.

"What's this?" Sheng Li questioned her again, but she did not reply. A second later, she stood up from the bed when she wavered. Sheng Li stood up immediately to catch her, but she balanced herself.

She stepped forward when Sheng Li caught her arm and turned her towards him. "Let's go to bed," Sheng Li said when Ying Lili made a pout.

"I do not want to. I want to ask you more questions. You still have not answered many of my questions," Ying Lili said. Sheng Li could not even refuse her wish, but he made her sit on the bed. "You can ask me here too," Sheng Li stated and sat beside her.

"Ask," Sheng Li told Ying Lili.

"Do you like me?" Ying Lili asked.

"Even when she is drunk, she is thinking of this. She is unbelievable," Sheng Li thought as a smile carved on his lips. He was in his own thoughts when he felt Ying Lili's hands around him. She was hugging him and her side face rested near Sheng Li's chest.

"I l-like you, but I will not confess until you will. Why are you not confessing to me? W-why are you so stubborn?" Ying Lili questioned him.

Sheng Li did not expect that Ying Lili would confess in her drunk state. "You won my heart out of all the men I have met. You truly are the husband of my desires," Ying Lili asserted and pulled herself back. Sheng Li was staring at her when Ying Lili closed her eyes.

"You can k-kiss me," Ying Lili said, and she brought her face closer to Sheng Li's.

Sheng Li smiled and placed his hand on Ying Lili's right cheek. He caressed it and leaned forward. "You are drunk and if I will kiss you now, you are going to get angry at me when you will get sobered," Sheng Li whispered against her lips. Ying Lili had almost opened her eyes when Sheng Li planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

He caressed her cheek from the back of his palm and looking straight into her eyes, Sheng Li said, "Let's stop here. You shall sleep, now." Ying Lili's eyes were half-closed when she felt hot. She tried to remove the overcoat but failed when Sheng Li helped her.

Sheng Li made Ying Lili lay down on the bed and covered her from the blanket. He caressed her hair for a few minutes as he watched Ying Lili fall asleep. Covering Ying Lili from the blanket, Sheng Li stood up and blew off the candles except for one.

"It was necessary to make you drunk," Sheng Li murmured and walked out of the chamber.

~~~~

Hello Dear Readers,

So, what do you think could be the meaning of the butterfly? Tell me in the comment section. Keep voting for the story. Stay happy and stay safe.

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