【Main Text】 Yun Kui already knew the Crown Prince had mind-reading abilities, so this bonus extra uses an alternate timeline setting. But even if you haven’t purchased the alternate timeline content, feel free to enjoy this—it won’t deviate too much from the main story. Just take it as a fun little treat!
Bonus Extra:
Yun Kui had recently noticed something very odd about the Crown Prince.
It was as if he could read her thoughts.
During her studies, whenever she silently prayed not to be tested on a particular passage, the exact opposite would happen. For instance, she had memorized most of the Book of Odes flawlessly—except for the chapter "Sang Rou." And of course, that was the one he chose to quiz her on.
Then there were the intimate moments. When she wanted him, he’d deliberately withhold, teasing her until she ached. But just as she was about to beg—without her even uttering a word—he’d pause, soothing her with his tongue or balm. Worse, he could always tell whether she was genuinely exhausted or merely playing coy, even when her lips kept refusing him outright…
One night, as they neared the end of their coupling, an overwhelming urge for him to kiss her seized her. She bit her lip hard, not daring to voice it—yet the man suddenly stilled, his dark gaze boring into her before he leaned down and captured her mouth in a fierce, consuming kiss.
The sensation was so intense it blurred the line between life and death. Her fingers clawed into the brocade bedsheets, nails nearly tearing the delicate fabric.
It didn’t take long before she committed the grave offense of climaxing before him.
But what truly puzzled her was his behavior. Normally, in those final moments, no matter how desperately she pleaded—even if the bed collapsed—he wouldn’t stop. Yet this time, the moment her heart yearned for his kiss, he’d paused to grant it.
The Crown Prince casually pulled out her undergarment and pressed it into her hand, then stroked her cheek. "Be good and wipe my face for me."
Studying him closely, she realized his entire face was glistening with sweat, droplets rolling down his jaw and dampening the collar of his robe.
Her wrists were weak, faint red marks still visible from where he’d bound them earlier with his sash. Helpless, she let him guide her hand, slowly wiping his face from his forehead downward.
When she reached his lips, the memory of what those soft, thin lips had just done to her flooded back, staining her cheeks crimson. "Your Highness, you…"
She wanted to ask how he’d guessed her desire, but the idea of mind-reading seemed too fantastical—like something out of a storybook. She could only assume her body had betrayed her.
Later, another incident convinced her he truly could hear her thoughts—
The Little Prince had shaved.
The sight left her speechless. The Crown Prince let her stare until the flushed, vein-lined length darkened to a deep purple. Only then did he ask hoarsely, "What’s wrong?"
The visual impact was staggering, but Yun Kui’s shock ran deeper. She was certain now: he’d overheard her private complaint yesterday about the Little Prince’s ruggedness, how it might look more refined without the scruff. And here he was, meticulously cleaned up. Otherwise, why would the exalted Crown Prince go to such lengths?
His throat bobbed, eyes pitch-black. "Shall we try again?"
Suddenly, Yun Kui wasn’t so eager.
Without that shadowy thicket, the Little Prince stood tall and unyielding, its single gleaming eye fixed on her like a beast poised to devour her whole in the dim candlelight.
Her legs gave out. She scrambled to flee the bed, only to be hauled back.
Tears welled in her eyes. "Your Highness, do you honestly think this looks good?"
The Crown Prince glanced down. "You don’t like it?"
Yun Kui eyed the length—longer than her face—and pressed her cherry-red lips into a strained smile. "Your Highness, do you really think I can take this?"
A flicker of realization crossed his face. Indeed… it was unrealistic.
He fell silent, his expression unreadable. Had she been too harsh? Too visibly repulsed?
After all, a man’s pride was tied to his second face. He’d groomed it meticulously for her approval, only to be met with disdain. That had to sting.
Softening her tone, she offered comfort. "It’s not that it’s ugly—it’s… majestic. Yes, Your Highness should be proud."
His voice dropped lower. "So you like it?"
"Li… like it?" Her forced smile vanished. "Oh, of course I do! Your Highness mustn’t be discouraged. This is your advantage—I’m sure others look far worse…"
Others? The Crown Prince didn’t care for that. "If you like it, then kiss it. You’ve done it before—treat it like candy. Take as much as you want. I won’t force you."
Yun Kui had never seen candy this size, but she steeled herself. "You promised not to force me. No holding the back of my head later."
His half-raised hand curled into a fist and withdrew. "Fine."
Only then did she lower her head and press her lips to it.
The Little Prince adored her kisses. Like a person overcome with emotion, it wept tears of joy—clear, faintly sweet, carrying the scent of soap.
Mimicking his own teasing, she sucked hard. Instantly, the Crown Prince’s breath roughened.
Kissing was one thing, but mounting it was another ordeal entirely. Without the scruff, the Little Prince’s bare skin scraped like thorns, leaving her squirming and shuddering. "Your Highness, like this… I really can’t—"
He traced the reddened marks on her skin, voice gravelly. "Next time, do you still want me to shave?"
Yun Kui whimpered, her legs trembling too violently to think. Yet his words jolted her awake. She stared at him, stunned. "Your Highness, how did you…?"
Such private, irreverent thoughts—she’d never dare speak them aloud, not even to her maids. How could he possibly know?
The Crown Prince didn’t hide it. "I’ve had the ability to read minds since childhood. Whatever you think, I hear it."
Yun Kui’s eyes widened. "You can truly read minds?"
Shock rippled through her, her body jerking in response. The Crown Prince nearly lost control, swatting her backside until she stilled.
Telling her was no issue. "Test it if you don’t believe me."
Her mind raced, too many questions to voice—until one reckless thought surged forward:
"Your… your pectorals are huge."
His gaze darkened, drifting to his parted robe, where the pronounced curve of his chest was indeed impressive.
Noticing his shift in expression, Yun Kui gasped. "You really can hear my thoughts?"
Looking back, it made perfect sense.
Before, during their couplings, he’d always remained impeccably dressed, never letting himself appear disheveled or granting her even a taste of his body—stingy to a fault. She’d complained inwardly countless times. Then, during a dragon boat festival where brawny soldiers from the capital’s garrisons competed, she’d maintained her dignified composure as the Crown Princess while secretly ogling the muscular men. Somehow, he’d caught wind of her preference—and that very night, for the first time, he’d shed his sleeping robes in bed and pressed her hand to his firm, sculpted chest.
She had started off timid and cautious, barely daring to indulge, but now she could bury her entire face in it—and he reluctantly tolerated and indulged her.
Now it seemed... was it because of his mind-reading ability that he knew she had been drooling over those guards with their eight-pack abs...?
At this point, the Crown Prince’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter, until he finally couldn’t hold back. "Drooling?"
Yun Kui’s mind froze. "Y-Your Highness, I didn’t..."
The Crown Prince’s lips curled coldly as he thrust sharply. "Wildly tempted?"
"No!" Yun Kui’s body trembled, and she shook her head frantically. "I was just... describing my feelings—no, I mean, I..."
The Crown Prince’s voice was low. "Am I not enough for you to look at?"
Yun Kui hurriedly nodded. "You are! More than enough!"
He really did know what she was thinking!
Yun Kui sucked in a sharp breath.
He had mentioned that he’d possessed mind-reading abilities since childhood. So all those times she had secretly admired his beauty in her heart, praising his looks—had he heard her?
The Crown Prince glanced at her and said coolly, "I heard."
Yun Kui: !!!
So when she had secretly called him "Brother Crown Prince" since childhood, and after their engagement—before the formal wedding rites were even completed—she had mentally referred to him as "husband"... he knew all of that too?
The Crown Prince’s gaze was profound. "I knew."
And what about when she sneaked out of the palace to buy those illustrated books for "study," hiding the shop’s prized collection in her curio cabinet—did he know about that too?
The Crown Prince looked utterly unsurprised. "Mhm."
Yun Kui wanted to cry but had no tears. Clenching her fists, she resisted the urge to pound the bed. "Such an ability actually exists... Your Highness is already brilliant beyond compare, and with mind-reading to see through people’s hearts, who in this world could possibly escape your notice?"
The Crown Prince gave her a faint look. "You’re no slouch either—being able to peek into others’ dreams is quite a miraculous skill."
Yun Kui’s jaw dropped. "Your Highness even knows about that?"
Then that meant...
The Crown Prince smirked. "I also know you rarely use this dream-peeping ability for anything proper. Mostly, you just watch others being affectionate, whispering sweet nothings."
Yun Kui forced a laugh. "I... I wouldn’t say that."
The Crown Prince raised a brow. "You’ve even dreamed about Father Emperor and Mother Empress."
Yun Kui felt like the sky had collapsed. She scrambled to defend herself. "It’s not like I can choose whose dreams I enter! It’s because Father Emperor and Mother Empress had those dreams..."
The Crown Prince snorted. "So now it’s Father Emperor and Mother Empress’s fault?"
Yun Kui: "I never said that! And every time I entered their dreams, I stayed far away! I never peeked!"
The Crown Prince: "What about Deshun and his companion?"
He even knew about that!
Yun Kui: "I... I was just curious how eunuchs... you know... so I took a couple of glances, but I didn’t even see anything clearly!"
The Crown Prince: "And Qin Ge?"
Yun Kui scratched her head. "He just got married last month, so his mind was full of... romantic things. And since I saw him serving by your side every day, naturally..."
Then it hit her. "Wait—did you transfer him to the outer palace because of this?"
Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Qin Ge in days.
The Crown Prince’s gaze was icy, neither confirming nor denying.
Yun Kui hurriedly defended herself. "Even if I saw his dreams, I always remembered my position as Crown Princess Consort! I never overstepped!"
The Crown Prince thrust into her sharply. "But you said he had a slender waist."
Yun Kui: !!!
"But... I don’t even remember that!"
The Crown Prince’s eyes darkened. "Would I falsely accuse you?"
Yun Kui: "I really don’t recall! It’s like seeing all kinds of people on the street—tall, short, fat, thin. I might’ve just commented offhand—no, not even commented, just thought it in passing and then forgot. Are you really going to hold that against me?"
The Crown Prince said, "If you didn’t look at other men, you wouldn’t enter their dreams."
Yun Kui: "Am I supposed to walk around with my eyes closed? If it were you, have you never looked at another woman?"
The Crown Prince answered matter-of-factly, "I am a married man. I don’t look at others."
Yun Kui: "..."
When she fell silent, the Crown Prince resumed his movements.
Stimulated beyond endurance, she came undone early, her body dehydrated. The Crown Prince fed her some tea, then asked in a deep voice, "Will you shave it again next time?"
Her voice hoarse from crying, Yun Kui shook her head frantically. "Grow it however you like. I’ll never complain again."
Finally, the Crown Prince warned her, "You are the only one in this world who knows about my mind-reading ability. If word gets out..."
Yun Kui nodded repeatedly in understanding.
But her mind remained unsettled long after. That night, she had another nightmare—
She dreamed of the Crown Prince shaving his beard!
Waking up, she was overwhelmed with emotions, wanting to cry but unable to.
Damn it all, why did I have to see that?!
The Crown Prince, however, showed no reaction. "Dreams reflect one’s thoughts. There’s nothing I can do about it."
Yun Kui buried her face in the sheets, wailing as she pounded the bed.
The Crown Prince was right—her dream-peeping ability was almost never used for anything proper. It was always... those kinds of scenes!
How utterly wretched.
Meanwhile, his mind-reading skill allowed him to strategize effortlessly, seeing through all deception. No schemer could escape his notice. By his early twenties, he was already a revered and feared heir apparent. And as his wife, she couldn’t hide a single secret from him.
Damn it all!
She wanted mind-reading powers too!
She wanted to know what the ever-stoic Crown Prince was really thinking.
As for her dream-peeping ability—if he had it, he’d surely use it to great effect, not waste it like she did.
Determined, Yun Kui even went to the temple to pray to the Bodhisattva.
Perhaps her prayers were answered, because the next morning, she woke to hear the Crown Prince say something bizarre—
"No court session today. Still an hour before the meeting at Chongming Hall. One more round should be enough time."
Yun Kui jolted in fright, her sleepiness vanishing instantly as she clutched the blankets, eyeing him warily.
The Crown Prince also eyed her suspiciously.
"Her thoughts are always noisy, especially when she stares at me like this. Why can’t I hear anything?"
"Did she lose her mind?"
Yun Kui stared at his unmoving lips, a realization dawning.
The Crown Prince hadn’t spoken aloud. Those words could only be... his thoughts.
She had mind-reading powers now?!
The Crown Prince finally spoke. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yun Kui struggled to keep her composure, afraid he’d notice something amiss. She lowered her head, mind racing, before murmuring, "I... I had a nightmare. I’m scared. Can you hold me?"
Unable to hear her thoughts, the Crown Prince pulled her into his arms. "It’s alright. I’m here. There’s nothing to fear."
"My baby is so soft."
Yun Kui: !!!
Help, am I supposed to hear this...?
Unable to contain her excitement, she trembled all over—perfectly mimicking someone shaken by a nightmare.
The Crown Prince kissed her forehead.
"Would she be scared if I did it now?"
"Never mind. I’ll wait until tonight."
"I’ll just kiss her for now."
