Yun Kui never expected him to suddenly ask this question and immediately raised her hand in oath: "This servant has only ever said such words to Your Highness!"
"Haha, as if that were possible."
The Crown Prince's expression darkened instantly.
Yun Kui: "...If not, should I cut out my heart for Your Highness to see?"
"Not like I’d actually do it anyway."
Working in the palace, the reason she had thrived so effortlessly was thanks to her beauty and sweet tongue. Flattery rolled off her lips without a second thought—after all, words cost nothing.
As for the guards she was acquainted with, while she never outright flirted or threw herself at them, she never held back on lavish praise either. A few well-placed words were enough to make them beam with delight and remember her name.
Whether sincere or not, it was all for the sake of her future.
She longed to leave the palace for a better life, to have someone to rely on, to no longer drift aimlessly. She wanted to be like her aunt Bi Zan—to marry a man she adored, one who could shelter her from storms and indulge her in bed, bringing her boundless pleasure.
Of course, the words she’d just spoken to the Crown Prince were absolutely genuine.
Who could have imagined that just two months ago, she’d been fretting over her survival, grateful each night that her head was still attached to her neck? Becoming the Crown Prince’s bedmate had only intensified the danger—bribery attempts, poisonings—it was no exaggeration to say she lived each day on the brink of death.
But at some point, she no longer had to constantly fear for her life. She could lie peacefully beside the Crown Prince, and even if he occasionally got handsy, he never truly harmed her. She dared to ask for rewards, and he’d indulge her with hefty gold ingots. When she was bullied, he remembered and avenged her!
And tonight—that aloof, untouchable Crown Prince had actually taken her completely!
In the past, such a thing would have been unthinkable.
Now that her status as a consort was solidified, she and His Highness were tied together like grasshoppers on a string. Clinging tightly to the Crown Prince’s favor was her only path to prosperity!
Her almond-shaped eyes widened, feigning utmost sincerity—though he saw right through her.
The Crown Prince’s lips curled coldly.
Her obedience wasn’t for him as a person, but for his power, wealth, and looks—qualities that made him worth clinging to, someone who could protect her and satisfy her taste for handsome faces, even letting her sneak the occasional grope.
Had any guard possessed the same advantages, she’d have long since latched onto them instead.
The Crown Prince thought of Li Meng—and countless others. When she’d confessed the men in her dreams, the list of guards alone had numbered ten or more.
He closed his eyes, suppressing the thick gloom in his gaze.
Yun Kui’s heart quivered. The Crown Prince wasn’t so easily fooled—just last night, he’d ordered Li Meng beaten forty strokes. Clearly, her past mattered deeply to him, and sweet talk alone wouldn’t win his trust.
She nuzzled into his chest. "Your Highness?"
His jaw tensed, ignoring her.
Undeterred, Yun Kui wriggled closer and wrapped her arms around him, calling sweetly, "Your Highness!"
The Crown Prince’s phoenix eyes remained shut, yet he could feel her delicate, pliant body pressed tightly against him, reminding him of the bathhouse earlier—how her soft, slippery curves had bobbed like freshly peeled lychees amidst the storm…
Oblivious to the danger, Yun Kui assumed he was still sulking. Mustering her courage, she planted a firm kiss on his lips.
The Crown Prince’s breath hitched. In an instant, he seized her wrist, flipped her beneath him, and pinned her down.
Yun Kui gasped, startled, as his weight settled between her thighs—only then realizing that "Little Highness" had risen again!
A dull ache pulsed between her legs, memories of the bathhouse flooding back—how he’d driven into her so fiercely she’d nearly shattered. Fear prickled, yet her cheeks burned.
"I—I just wanted to say… those men never meant anything to me! Your Highness should have confidence—I see you day and night, and now I’ve personally experienced your… prowess. How could I ever look at anyone else?"
The Crown Prince smirked, his gaze sharp. "So before meeting me, you fancied many?"
Yun Kui finally understood—no matter how carefully she answered, His Highness would always find a flaw to catch her off guard.
"Of course not," she huffed, puffing her cheeks. "I don’t just fancy anyone."
His fingers gripped her chin, his dark eyes boring into her. "Remember your place. From now on, those words are for me alone. Your eyes should only see me. If I discover a second Li Meng—"
Terrified, Yun Kui clutched his hand. "I’d never dare!"
The Crown Prince gritted his teeth. "Not even in your thoughts."
Yun Kui: "..."
No looking at guards, no even thinking about them? You’re too domineering!
I praise you twice, and your true colors show again! Wicked Highness!
His eyes churned with dark intensity, breaths growing ragged. One hand cradled the back of her slender, snow-white neck as his lips crashed down on hers.
A soft moan escaped between their mouths. She peeked through dazed, misty eyes—that shy, trembling glance alone reignited the fire he’d barely suppressed.
His grip on her waist tightened. She bit her lip, shakily pushing at his chest. "Your Highness, I truly can’t take anymore—"
But his arms were immovable as iron. The storm raged on.
The Crown Prince was convinced bathhouses were ill-suited for passion—especially for her first time. The floating sensation left her insecure, and he, unfamiliar with restraint, had only grown fiercer hearing her mental curses, wanting to devour her whole.
Thus, he’d been unsatisfied, and she’d suffered. A bed—the most primal, universal, foolproof place—was where they ought to try again.
Yet reality proved less accommodating.
The warm bathwater had at least eased the way earlier, but now, after countless grinding thrusts that left him drenched in sweat, resistance still lingered.
Tear-streaked and dazed, her voice gone hoarse, she cursed him silently.
Frustrated but unwilling to rush, the Crown Prince didn’t release until well past the fourth watch.
Yun Kui clutched the sheets, knuckles white, her body limp as melted wax.
Before tonight, she’d been a vibrant sunflower swaying proudly in the breeze. Now, she was a battered blossom, crushed into the mud by a storm, then trampled by carriage wheels.
There’d been fleeting pleasure, yes—but it vanished before she could savor it, drowned in the relentless tides.
Behind her, the Crown Prince lay still, cooling his ardor. Exhausted, she drifted into sleep, faintly aware of someone cleaning her, though she hadn’t the strength to react.
In her dreams, she saw another bed.
A woman she didn’t recognize lay beneath a man, cheeks flushed, eyes teary, her pale arms clinging desperately to his waist.
As for this man... Yun Kui stepped forward for a closer look and suddenly recognized him—it was none other than the Vice Minister of Transmission, Shen Yanyu, whom she had seen outside Donghua Gate the previous night.
Shen Yanyu, a scholar by background, had a face as refined as polished jade, exuding an air of cultured elegance. Though his frame lacked the burly robustness of military officers, his lean, bamboo-like physique moved with deliberate grace, each motion unhurried yet capable of stirring his wife’s heart into a frenzy of desire.
He would even tenderly caress her cheek, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, coaxing and praising her, assuring her there was nothing to fear. He paid meticulous attention to his wife’s every sensation, adjusting his pace to her pleasure.
His wife wept like a pear blossom bathed in rain, her cheeks flushed like blooming crabapple blossoms, as she cooed his name in a honeyed voice—"Shen Lang."
Yun Kui also wept—out of sheer envy.
"How can everyone be so blissful?"
"How can someone be so gentle?"
She had always assumed that towering, formidable military men would naturally excel in such matters, while frail scholars, lacking even the strength to tie up a chicken, would likely disappoint in the bedchamber.
Yet here was Shen Yanyu, a civil official, not only distinguished in demeanor but also remarkably skilled between the sheets—nothing like the feeble, inept scholar she had imagined.
"His wife is truly well-fed!"
The Crown Prince, a light sleeper, was soon roused by the clamor of her thoughts.
To think she had dreamed of Shen Yanyu—even comparing him to other civil officials in her mind!
Was he truly inferior to Shen Yanyu?
And here he had believed Shen Yanyu to be an upright and principled gentleman. Who knew the man would indulge in such licentious dreams?
His expression darkened as he glared at the petite figure turned away from him, itching to teach her a lesson.
He reached out and flipped her onto her back, but the sight of her flushed eyes and nose reminded him of how she had wept beneath him, breathless with pleasure. Swallowing his displeasure, he settled for a light, punishing nip on her insolent lips.
The little maid whimpered in her sleep, instinctively trying to wriggle free, but the man held firm. With no strength to resist, she finally stilled, nestling obediently in the crook of his arm.
At dawn, Deshun entered to assist with the morning ablutions.
Stealing a glance at the layers of bed curtains, he clicked his tongue—the Crown Prince was already up, yet the young lady was still fast asleep. She must have been thoroughly exhausted the night before.
"Our Crown Prince is truly gifted by nature!"
"But at his age, brimming with vigor, shouldn’t he be refreshed and invigorated after such affairs? Why the stern face? Did the lady fail to please him?"
Hearing his thoughts, the Crown Prince shot him a cold look. "Was it you who let her in last night?"
Deshun’s heart skipped a beat. "This servant—"
The Crown Prince’s voice was icy. "Without my orders, you dared admit someone into my private chambers. What punishment do you deserve?"
Deshun waited anxiously for his sentence.
Expressionless, the Crown Prince declared, "Three months’ wages docked. Let there be no next time."
Deshun bowed in acknowledgment, only allowing his face to fall once he reached the corridor.
Cao Yuanlu, however, was delighted. Patting his shoulder, he chuckled, "You did well. I’ll secretly cover the deducted sum—consider it New Year’s money."
Deshun brightened at once, offering profuse thanks.
Entering the chamber, Cao Yuanlu found the Crown Prince in a foul mood and couldn’t fathom the reason.
After a pause, the Crown Prince spoke. "Summon Shen Yanyu to the palace."
Cao Yuanlu was stunned.
It was New Year’s Day—what business could the Crown Prince possibly have with him at this hour?
Outwardly: A reprimand.
Inwardly: A lesson to be learned.
