~𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝔂...𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻~

The whole palace was asleep, as it was still night, when I walked through the palace gates.

While I was taking care to get my bike inside the royal garage, a heavy rain started out of the blue.

I thanked the gods that it didn't start earlier, to ruin our racing party!

I ran through the pouring rain toward the green wing of the palace where my royal rooms are, on its first floor. I chose that location, not only because green is my favorite color, but because the bathing and swimming rooms are located on the ground floor. And swimming alone is one of my guilty pleasures. That way I could easily sneak there whenever I'd feel like taking a swim, especially in the night when I'd be alone.
I practically have the whole building for myself, at least for the night time, as the second floor, consisting of a few guest bedrooms, is very rarely occupied.

"A nice warm bath would do wonders to my tired and slightly injured body from the bike accident!", I mumbled while discarding the heavy soaked clothes in the dressing attached to my bedroom.

I grabbed a soft bathrobe and a towel and headed to the bathing rooms.

The caretaker hurried to ask me what to prepare for me, the spa tub, the sauna or the big pool.

I chose the big pool, as I noticed that the pool was already filled to the brim with warm, steamy water, exactly how I like it, not cold, but not too hot either.

I patiently waited for him to spread the whole basket of flower petals over the water surface, as I didn't want to disregard his job, before telling him that he was free to go.

I really wanted to grab this opportunity of swimming completely .
After all it was 4 in the night, there was no danger of being caught, as the whole palace was asleep.

"What now? Didn't I tell you that you're free to go?", I shouted while swimming toward the pool edge,  annoyed at the caretaker barging inside and keeping apologizing.

"I am so sorry for disturbing you, Your Royal Highness.
But  when I was about to exit the hall, I noticed a guard man walking towards the bathing rooms.
I told him to wait behind the door, for your order of what to do.", the caretaker kept bowing.

"Tell him that I  have no needs whatsoever, he is free to go, too.
I don't even understand why the guard  is not on the first floor, watching the door to my rooms?", I snapped.

"I apologize again, Your Royal Highness, he is not the guard of the first floor, but the one responsible for the second floor.
He came down to announce to me to prepare the  bathing rooms for the Prince of Rose, accommodated in one of the guest bedrooms , as he wants to take a hot bath.
From what I understood, he rode the horse in the heavy rain, and probably that's why he wanted to get warmed in a hot tub, and...", the caretaker kept explaining.
But he almost swallowed his tongue, scared of my screamed "WHAT?" Probably because it was his first time to see me screaming at someone, like that. 

"Explain everything to me!
The Prince of Rose?
Xiao Zhan?
That prince?
Why is he here?
Shūshu, I mean His Majesty, King Yang, told me that there will be no Royalty from any neighboring kingdom, attending our celebration, but only their official emissaries!
Explain in detail!", I screamed again.

"I am so sorry for upsetting you. We could tell him that the bathing rooms are not free for now, and he could take the bath later.
I am sure that he would understand. He seemed to me a very nice prince, he greeted all of us in such a polite manner, like we were not the  stableman or the bathing rooms caretaker, but some high rank nobles, ha, ha!", the man giggled, but stopped when I shouted at him to answer my questions.

So, what I found out, Māmā, was that Beauty wasn't part of The Rose's official delegation, who actually arrived yesterday, right after I left the palace.

Beauty traveled alone, for some reason, by riding a horse, and he has just arrived at the Peony palace, probably right after me.
As the rooms  prepared for the beforehand announced guests were all occupied by the delegations' officials, and this guest was a royalty, a too special guest to be accommodated along with those common officials, King Yang ordered for the whole second floor of the green wing to be offered to this late night special guest.
And also gave him a team of servants to serve him with anything he wants, from guards, a stableman for his horse, a butler, a cooking lady, or even a masseur and a hair stylist if he would ask for their services.
After all this is the next King of The Rose, a very important future ally of Peony! Rose and Peony were never in history on bad terms, and hopefully never will be!

"Alright, let's not keep him waiting anymore.
Give me, first, one of those inner robes you have for bathing.
I will stay here in the pool,  silent like a fish. He will not be aware of my presence. I am sure that he will not choose to bathe in the big pool, because he can't swim. That's why he will choose the tub, and the tub is in  that secluded section.
We will not bother each other at all, he will not even notice me.
Now go with his guard and take care of him!
Give me  the inner robe, before you go.
And most importantly, don't tell him about me!", I ordered the caretaker, who was pretty dumbfounded at my weird decisions.

 
A/n: Ignore the short hair, at this time of the story Wang Yibo was still wearing long hair.

I hurried to get dressed in the bathing inner robe, while the two servants went to take the Prince of Rose to the bathing rooms...Not as Beauty would acknowledge that I was , but just in case.
I didn't lie about my plan to stay hidden while he would bathe, though, but then why didn't I leave before his arrival, you might wonder, Māmā.
I  wanted to see him so badly, that just a brief glimpse of his adoring self would have somehow healed my yearning heart.

"Oh, they are already here!", I startled at the sound of the door's opening. I quickly took a deep breath and sank under the water. Thank god to the thick  layer of flower petals on the water surface that was very helpful in hiding me. 
As I kept my eyes open, I was able to see that the caretaker and Beauty walked straight to the sauna tub area, exactly how I guessed that it would happen.

I needed to breathe, so I stuck my face out of the water as silently as I could. The caretaker noticed me as he was just exiting the door, and he gestured to me, asking if I was alright. I dismissed him with an okay sign and a shoo shoo gesture.

I could finally focus my whole attention on my beloved, oh-so-missed prince!

The sauna tub space was separated from the rest of the bathing room by painted glass sliders, but the caretaker forgot to pull them entirely closed, I don't know if on purpose or by mistake. Or it could be that Beauty asked him to do so.

Anyway, it was like Gods were on my side, by offering me the best view I could have asked for.    

I didn't even have to hold my breath anymore, as a huge pot of decorative plants placed at the edge of the pool, gave me the best camouflage, so as to peacefully spy on him...I am sorry Beauty, it was not like I was ing over you, but I have just missed you and I couldn't take the risk to reveal myself and chase you away. After all, last time we'd met, you didn't seem to be too eager to meet me again.

Guilt was eating me for spying on him while he was undressing from his elegant red Hanfu (A/n: traditional Chinese robe), but I simply couldn't stop admiring him.
My goodness, his nickname is not for nothing, he is a beauty indeed!
Just look at him!
Look a