This secret chamber in Chengguang Palace had imprisoned royal relatives, treacherous officials who brought ruin to the nation, and even top-tier assassins—yet no one had ever walked out of here completely unscathed.
Making her reflect here was already showing her undue favor.
Before leaving, the Crown Prince warned, "Don’t move recklessly. This place is full of traps. Even touching the most ordinary-looking brick could trigger a hidden arrow to pierce your throat."
Yun Kui’s face turned deathly pale, and she immediately withdrew her half-extended hand, clenching it tightly inside her sleeve.
Her voice trembled slightly, laced with grievance, "This servant doesn’t understand why Your Highness is angry or why you’ve locked me up."
"I’ll never make pastries for you again!"
"And I’ll never make any pastries for you ever again!"
The Crown Prince: "…"
It took him a moment to process her words, and when he finally understood, his face darkened with fury.
He had originally considered letting her off if she begged for mercy properly, but after hearing such brazen words, his rage flared. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, "You have the audacity to repeatedly offend me. Do you truly believe I won’t lose my temper?"
He had been too lenient with her before, turning a blind eye to her rebellious thoughts, which only emboldened her to say and do whatever she pleased.
Today, not only had she entertained vulgar thoughts about him, but she’d also dared to tempt him with those peach-shaped buns—did she really think he’d fall for it, that he’d be unable to resist her?
If he didn’t rein in her boldness now, she’d grow even more spoiled, daring to climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles tomorrow!
The Crown Prince glanced at her drooping rabbit-like ears and her tightly pressed lips before turning away.
"If by tomorrow you still don’t realize your mistakes, you’ll continue reflecting here. Only when you admit your faults will I release you."
"Your Highness, I—"
The door slammed shut, plunging the chamber into near darkness, save for the faint flicker of candlelight in the corner.
Yun Kui stomped her foot in frustration, but after two steps, she remembered his warning about the traps and froze, cautiously scanning her surroundings.
Fortunately, the chamber wasn’t as terrifying as the torture room outside—no overwhelming stench of blood or screams of agony. And with no torturer present to interrogate or whip her, she was left alone.
Once she adjusted to the silence, it didn’t feel so frightening anymore.
A dark room… She had read about such a place in a rather risqué novel.
In that story, two brothers fought over the heroine. The younger brother’s bride-to-be was kidnapped by the domineering older brother and locked in a dark room, where he forced her to… well, indulge in all sorts of things daily.
She had mostly forgotten the plot, but seeing the torture bed and chains before her now brought back memories of the shameless illustrations from that book.
A torture bed, the heroine’s wrists bound in chains, her eyes blindfolded, one leg hoisted high while a cold, rough whip-rope slowly traced her slender waist and thigh…
Just thinking about it made Yun Kui’s face burn. In her mind, these terrifying instruments of punishment had transformed into tools for flirtation and pleasure.
No, no—can’t think about that! It was making her restless.
Better to curse the Crown Prince instead!
That suited her current mood much better.
He wanted her to reflect, but she genuinely didn’t know what she’d done wrong.
Was it because she’d witnessed his absurd dream, embarrassing him?
Or was it the peach-shaped buns she made? Even if he misinterpreted her intentions, was it really worth locking her up?
Of course, if he ever discovered all the times she’d cursed him, lusted after him, or entertained sacrilegious thoughts about him, then she’d have nothing to say—
That would be an unforgivable crime.
When the Crown Prince emerged from the chamber, Cao Yuanlu, waiting outside the hall, wiped his sweat and knelt shakily before him.
"This old servant was the one who asked Yun Kui to make pastries after seeing Your Highness eat so little at dinner. If you must punish someone, punish me instead!"
The Crown Prince shot him a cold glance. "Did you also teach her to shape them like that?"
"Ah—no," Cao Yuanlu admitted, his aged face flushing. "But I swear the girl meant no harm. At most, she just wanted to get closer to Your Highness."
He knew his master was exceptionally perceptive, especially since returning from the northern frontier. The Crown Prince could uncover hidden motives from a single word or even a fleeting expression.
Those who had been punished had been scheming, but Cao Yuanlu, with decades of experience in the palace, prided himself on his judgment of character. Yun Kui’s nature was clear—she was mischievous that one night but otherwise obedient and gentle. Even when poisoned and threatened, she’d never once considered harming the Crown Prince. Yet he still punished her!
Cao Yuanlu sighed. "That chamber is no place for a young girl. It’s isolated, with no one to hear her cries for help. Her courage is as small as a sesame seed—how could she endure such terror?"
"You should be grateful someone cares enough to fuss over you! If you scare her away, you’ll regret it!"
Hearing his servant’s bold inner monologue, the Crown Prince clenched his fist and coldly ordered, "Leave."
With no other choice, Cao Yuanlu withdrew.
Alone on his couch, the Crown Prince massaged his temples.
Two decades of political intrigue had honed his ability to conceal emotions, allowing him to navigate any situation with ease. It had been years since anyone could unsettle him like this.
Even he didn’t fully understand why.
Perhaps it was the indignity of being so casually disrespected by a mere maid.
Or perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of such closeness, triggering instinctive wariness.
He had endured too much calculated flattery and betrayal from those he once trusted. He no longer wasted emotions on irrelevant people.
The higher the status, the lonelier the path. Surrounded by wolves, with danger at every turn, he had no need for hollow pleasantries to delude himself.
Yet Yun Kui was different. The unique sunflower scent she carried eased his headaches, and though her audacious thoughts shocked and angered him, they also brought a rare, unfiltered humanity—something he hadn’t felt in years. A few teasing remarks weren’t enough to truly enrage him.
What he resisted was the feeling of being deliberately manipulated, of having his emotions swayed so easily by her words. The accumulated frustration from her repeated offenses had finally tipped him into losing control.
Pressing his knuckles to his brow, he recalled the way her lips had pressed together, her aggrieved expression.
Had she actually cried from fear?
The chamber was soundproof—even the most agonized screams wouldn’t escape. Days of isolation, cut off from the outside world, could drive even the most hardened warriors to madness.
No matter how bold she acted, she was still just a naive girl. She might already be inside, weeping and pleading for mercy.
But releasing her after just an hour would make him seem fickle, undermining his authority.
…Why am I even bothering with her?
He had known from the start that she was incorrigible.
In this world, everyone wished him harm—but she was different. From the very beginning, she had coveted his body. Even when she believed disaster was upon her, she mustered every ounce of courage just to seek him out for a single night, thinking it would leave her with no regrets in life. Wasn’t that a kind of purity in itself?
The Crown Prince’s gaze fell upon the elephant-footed brazier burning charcoal in the hall. Fine. The winter chill of the twelfth month was too harsh. If she caught a cold, it would only waste He Bailing’s medicine to treat her.
With a deep sigh, the Crown Prince rose and twisted the candlestick.
As he stepped slowly into the inner chamber, he first heard faint murmurs, like dream-talk—muffled, laced with a hint of sobbing.
His chest tightened inexplicably, and soon he found the small, curled-up figure in the corner of the secret room.
The little girl hugged her arms, trembling slightly on the floor, her whimpers incoherent.
The Crown Prince frowned, bent down, and lifted her into his arms. In the dim candlelight, he saw her tightly shut eyes, flushed cheeks, and the glistening wetness at the corners of her eyes, as if she had been crying.
He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead—thankfully, she wasn’t feverish—and only then did he relax. He called her name, but when she didn’t respond, he simply carried her back to his bedchamber.
The girl seemed to sense his embrace and instinctively shrank away. "Your Highness, don’t..."
The Crown Prince pressed her head back against his neck and glanced down coolly. "Don’t what?"
Once placed on the bed, she immediately burrowed into the warm, soft brocade quilt.
The Crown Prince studied her flushed face, unsure whether she was ill or simply asleep. Just as he was about to summon He Bailing, she twisted slightly and mumbled, "Your Highness, don’t... don’t spank Kui Kui’s bottom..."
At these words, the Crown Prince’s thoughts froze. A dark fire surged within him, churning with emotions even he couldn’t name.
Clenching his jaw, he barely restrained himself before swatting the delicate curve of her backside.
"Wake up."
Yun Kui felt a faint sting and heard the Crown Prince’s icy voice.
But the pain was clearly not from His Highness’s little whip—it was the kind of dull, real ache that distinguished itself from dreams.
Her lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself nestled in familiar, cozy bedding, the canopy bathed in warm candlelight.
When she lifted her gaze, she met the Crown Prince’s dark, stormy eyes.
Her heart skipped, her tongue nearly tying itself in knots. "Your Highness?"
Suppressing his anger, the Crown Prince gritted out, "Had a dream?"
Yun Kui recalled the dream and dared not answer directly. Softening her voice, she asked, "Your Highness isn’t going to punish this servant anymore? You’re letting me come back?"
The Crown Prince smirked faintly. "Tell me, what did you dream about?"
Yun Kui hedged, pouting pitifully. "I dreamed Your Highness was torturing me, forcing me to confess... I was so scared..."
There’s no way I can say I dreamed of you bending me over that punishment bench, turning me this way and that, whipping my bottom with your little crop!
The Crown Prince: "..."
He clenched his fist and exhaled deeply.
And here he’d worried she’d be frightened, imagined her sobbing and pleading inside, hoped she might repent and behave properly from now on...
For the first time, the Crown Prince felt a sense of bewilderment and helplessness.
Perhaps this was just who she was—her mind worked differently from others’. Even with a blade at her throat, she remained carefree, her thoughts filled only with absurd, indecent fantasies.
But he wondered—did she only entertain such wild ideas around him? Or did she do the same in front of others?
When she was with The Sixth Prince, or during those secret meetings with the guards in the past—had she harbored the same filthy thoughts?
His jaw tightened, and just as he was about to demand answers, something soft pressed against his hand. The little cotton-tailed rabbit had sidled up to him, slowly wrapping her arms around his. When he didn’t push her away, she clung even tighter.
"Your Highness can punish me however you like, just don’t lock me away alone again. When I can’t see you, I’m so afraid..."
The Crown Prince shut his eyes heavily. He knew she was insincere, that she felt no remorse—yet her sudden closeness made something inside him crumble, sending faint, tingling tremors through his chest.
Before Yun Kui could react, she was pinned beneath him on the bed.
Reporter Qingqing: Your Highness, how did you fall for such an obvious honey trap?
Crown Prince: This one’s... truly different.
