Chapter 11
"Who is it?" Li Zhiwei's heart pounded with fear. Could it be that Lin Jitong had somehow sneaked into Prince An's mansion?
The thought made her blood run cold.
Just as she was about to call for help, Xu Heming cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "It's me."
"Your Highness?" Li Zhiwei was stunned. She had assumed the prince hadn’t truly intended to marry her.
Yet tonight, Xu Heming had returned to their bridal chamber. Did that mean he planned to consummate their marriage?
Flustered, Li Zhiwei quickly rose to her feet.
"Stay where you are," Xu Heming said, his tone slightly stiff. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to solitude, without servants attending to him. Now, with a young woman suddenly sharing his quarters, he felt uneasy. Still, he owed her an explanation for today’s events.
"Your Highness..." Li Zhiwei bit her lip lightly, unsure how to respond.
"I know today’s events have wronged you," Xu Heming began. "But your betrothal to the Ruan Marquis Residence had already passed through all the formalities. If we were to accuse the Lin family of deception, the fact that Lin Jitong is already married wouldn’t be enough evidence. Only by marrying you myself could I ensure the Ruan Marquis Residence wouldn’t make things difficult for you."
Li Zhiwei froze. She hadn’t expected this to be the reason Prince An had reluctantly taken her as his wife.
"This humble girl thanks Your Highness," she said, finally letting out a breath of relief. So that was why the prince had suddenly decided to marry her.
"If, in the future, you meet someone you truly love, I will grant you a letter of divorce," Xu Heming added, his voice tinged with discomfort.
"And if Your Highness meets the woman of your heart, please grant this humble girl the same," Li Zhiwei replied, thinking it only fair to match his sincerity.
"Mm. My duties keep me busy, so I’ll entrust Qingshi to your care," Xu Heming continued.
Li Zhiwei’s eyes widened. She—take care of the young prince? Could she even manage that?
"This humble girl fears she may not be up to the task..." she said hesitantly.
"Why do you still refer to yourself as 'this humble girl'? You are my princess consort now," Xu Heming chided. "Besides, Qingshi chose you as his stepmother himself. He won’t disobey you. If he does, let me know."
He had already decided—if Xu Qingshi dared disrespect Li Zhiwei, he would have to answer for it.
"This consort understands," Li Zhiwei said after a pause, her voice tinged with shyness.
"Mm. Rest early," Xu Heming said casually, removing his outer robe as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Li Zhiwei’s heart raced. She hadn’t expected the prince to actually stay the night. Was he really going to...?
The thought of consummating their marriage sent a jolt of nervousness through her. In her past life, though she had married Lin Jitong, they had never shared a bed.
Zhou Yutang had despised even the idea of Lin Jitong speaking too much to her. If not for their scheme to swindle her belongings, Lin Jitong might never have uttered a word to her at all.
But now, a flicker of hope stirred in her heart. This life was different—she had married Prince An, altering the course of her fate.
Though she had willingly surrendered her dowry, she no longer had to fear Xu Heming scheming to take anything more from her.
Steeling herself, she stepped forward to help her husband undress.
"Allow this consort to assist Your Highness," she said softly, her cheeks flushed.
The sudden fragrance of her closeness left Xu Heming momentarily flustered. He was no stranger to intimacy—he had once had a princess consort and even fathered a child. Yet, for some reason, he feared Li Zhiwei might later regret marrying him.
"I’ll sleep in the study," he said abruptly, turning to leave.
"Your Highness, today is our wedding night. If you don’t stay, how will the household view this consort tomorrow? My entry into the mansion was already shrouded in impropriety. If others look down on me because of this..." Li Zhiwei pleaded, surprising even herself with her boldness.
She knew her request was unreasonable, but she refused to let the household scorn her. More than that, she needed Prince An’s protection to safeguard her parents.
Tonight, no matter what, she had to keep Xu Heming in her chambers.
Even if it meant enduring whatever came next—so long as her parents were safe, she would bear it.
"Are you certain?" Xu Heming hadn’t expected her to insist.
"This consort is Your Highness’s wife. Serving you is only natural," she said nervously.
"No regrets?" Xu Heming studied her delicate features intently.
"This consort married Your Highness willingly," Li Zhiwei answered firmly.
Regrets? She didn’t know. But she understood that securing Prince An’s protection required sacrifices.
"Very well. Then I shall oblige," Xu Heming said, his restraint dissolving.
She was his wife, after all. There was no harm in claiming what was his.
If need be, he could compensate her generously later.
---
Cian Hall
"The Old Princess, it’s done! His Highness has stayed the night in Songmo Courtyard!" Nanny Luo reported excitedly.
"Mm. Keep an eye on things," The Old Princess replied, her emotions torn between joy and irritation.
She had arranged countless matches for her son with women far more suitable than this Li girl, yet he had refused them all.
Who would have thought he’d end up marrying Li Zhiwei through such a twist of fate?
She knew her son too well—he had taken a liking to the girl.
All that talk about putting on a show for outsiders was nonsense.
If it were just an act, why spend the night in her chambers?
Hmph!
He was simply smitten.
Her son was no saint. With a beauty like Li Zhiwei in his bed, how could he resist?
Even if he could, she wouldn’t allow it. That was why she had Nanny Luo stoke the flames.
"The Old Princess, now that His Highness has taken a new princess consort, you might welcome another little prince by next year," Nanny Luo said soothingly, noticing her displeasure.
"Who wants another brat? All they do is vex me. What I want is a sweet, soft little granddaughter," The Old Princess grumbled.
Her health had been ruined giving birth to Xu Heming, leaving her with only one son. The old prince had cherished her, never taking a concubine, so the An household had only her as its matriarch.
Her ill-fated daughter-in-law had borne only one grandson, Xu Qingshi, before passing away, shattering her dreams of a granddaughter.
Now, with this new daughter-in-law—a stunning beauty at that—The Old Princess could only hope Li Zhiwei would grant her wish.
