Page 300

Hehuan Hall was almost completely dark except for the palace lanterns.

Only a single candle remained lit in the inner room. Xiao Jinyan walked slowly to the bedside, lifted the bed curtain, and looked at the person who was already sound asleep by the feeble candlelight.

She was worried earlier this evening when he went to Qimeng Hall that little nine might be oversensitive and not trust him.

As it turned out, he had worried for nothing; she was not at all concerned.

It should have been a reason to be happy, yet for some reason, seeing little nine so soundly asleep now made him feel like she didn’t care whether he stayed at Qimeng Hall or not.

He stared at the person on the bed for a while, and just as he was about to undress and get into bed, he suddenly heard the call of a bird.

That was a signal indicating someone was looking for him.

Xiao Jinyan quickly fastened his waistband and then left Hehuan Hall.

In the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, Liu Xi wore a fawning smile, "Eunuch Li, please wait a moment. His Highness will be out immediately."

Eunuch Li served the Emperor directly and naturally ranked higher than Liu Xi, so he had to speak politely.

Eunuch Li glanced at the tightly shut door. Although he was somewhat anxious, he still patiently nodded, "I shall wait a little longer then."

After waiting for a while, Xiao Jinyan strode out from the inside. Seeing Eunuch Li, he knew his father the Emperor was looking for him, most likely because of Princess Xueyan’s affair.

At that moment, the Imperial Study Room was brightly lit.

Xiao Jinyan walked in and approached to pay homage, "Father Emperor, what matters require summoning your son at this late hour?"

The Emperor asked with a stern voice, "Crown Prince, why did Princess Xueyan coincidentally get poisoned on the day she served in your bedchamber?"

Xiao Jinyan replied, "Answering Father Emperor, according to the Imperial Doctor’s diagnosis, the poison in Concubine Xue is chronic and has been present for some time. Her fainting today was due to the toxin spreading throughout her body."

The Emperor had not expected Princess Xueyan to be poisoned with a chronic substance and the Empress hadn’t clarified this with him.

"Then have you found out who poisoned Concubine Xue?"

Xiao Jinyan responded, "Answering Father Emperor, not yet."

The Emperor pondered for a moment and then said, "Find out as soon as possible and give Princess Xueyan an explanation."

Xiao Jinyan replied, "Your son obeys."

Leaving the Imperial Study Room, Xiao Jinyan secretly heaved a sigh of relief and headed straight back to Hehuan Hall.

Shen Chuwei was still deep in sleep.

After undressing, Xiao Jinyan lifted the bed curtain and lay down beside Shen Chuwei.

For the moment, the matter about the consummation with Princess Xueyan was resolved.

But the issue of having an heir was still unresolved.

His current worry was that his father the Emperor wouldn’t let the matter rest so easily.

He desired real power.

That way, his father the Emperor might feel some wariness towards him, and he wouldn’t be restrained at every turn.

Xiao Jinyan thought about many things that night, so many that he didn’t sleep at all until dawn broke.

Having slept in one position for too long, Shen Chuwei, out of habit, turned over and touched a scaldingly hot body. At first, she didn’t realize it was a body and just felt irritated by the heat, so she pushed against it.

When she couldn’t push it away, she reached out and grabbed, realizing something was amiss. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw a patch of snow-white skin at close range.

Above it, there were three distinct red scratches clearly visible.

"Have you looked enough?"

A slightly hoarse voice came from above her.

Shen Chuwei lifted her head and was captivated by a pair of glistening phoenix eyes, unable to look away.

Not until her hand was caught by an extremely beautiful hand did she blink her attractive eyes twice.

Xiao Jinyan watched her with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Why are you acting like a wild kitten in your sleep, scratching at people?"

Shen Chuwei took it as a compliment from Xiao Jinyan, "Your Highness, what time did you climb into bed last night? This concubine didn’t notice at all."

"It was very late last night, and something came up." Xiao Jinyan paused for a moment before explaining further, "Concubine Xue was poisoned last night, and the Imperial Doctor treated her until midnight."

Shen Chuwei immediately understood, "So Your Highness didn’t consummate the marriage with Concubine Xue last night."

Xiao Jinyan rubbed her slightly tousled hair strands after a night’s sleep, "This palace will not consummate with them; it’s only necessary to cope for now. Once this palace grows strong enough, it won’t be necessary anymore."

Shen Chuwei looked at Xiao Jinyan with a smile, "Your concubine believes in Your Highness."

Then, with a mysterious air, she leaned in close to Xiao Jinyan’s ear and said, "Your concubine has a premonition that Your Highness will become a man of unrivaled strength and peerless martial prowess."

Listening to her boastful tone, Xiao Jinyan couldn’t help but laugh, but then he quickly covered it up.

If anyone else had said that, he would’ve found it annoying.

Coming from Chuwei, however, he found it somewhat amusing.

"When did you also learn fortune-telling?"

Shen Chuwei spoke earnestly, "Your concubine cannot tell fortunes, but my judgment is very good. I do not make mistakes in what I see."

Xiao Jinyan looked into her very serious eyes and felt somewhat dazed for a moment, feeling a strange sense of familiarity in that earnest gaze.

"Hmm, this palace will not let you down," he said.

By now, Shen Chuwei was a bit hungry. She looked at Xiao Jinyan, "Your Highness, would you like to get up?"

"Will get up in a while," Xiao Jinyan said, his arms around Shen Chuwei’s slender waist, pulling her entire body into his embrace, and he pressed his lips firmly against hers.

Shen Chuwei quickly pushed away Xiao Jinyan, covering her mouth and said, "Your concubine has not yet freshened up."

Xiao Jinyan chuckled softly, "This palace hasn’t freshened up either."

As he spoke, he seized her wrist, pulled it away, and bent his head down to continue kissing her.

Shen Chuwei was somewhat unable to withstand Xiao Jinyan’s onslaught.

Previously, they would only be intimate before sleeping.

This was the first time for them in the morning.

Shen Chuwei was puzzled, "Your Highness, don’t you have to attend the morning court?"

"Today is a day of rest," Xiao Jinyan murmured, burying himself in her neck, inhaling her unique and delicate fragrance.

Along the way, Shen Chuwei still kept thinking about breakfast, but regrettably, the Crown Prince was not yet sated.

When Chun Xi arrived at the time to wake Shen Chuwei for breakfast, she had barely reached the door when she heard a soft, discordant voice wafting out.

At first, she was taken aback, then she covered her face with her hands and ran out.

She bumped straight into a robust chest, seeing stars from the impact. It took her a moment to realize what had happened.

Qin Xiao had not expected someone to suddenly rush out, and that too, a woman. If he had dodged, he would certainly have fallen.

He simply caught her, and while doing so, he also secured her to prevent her from falling.

When their eyes met, both were momentarily stunned.

Qin Xiao saw that the person who had bumped into him was Chun Xi, and not for the first time. Her face was flushed red, resembling a fully ripened apple.

More importantly, that face seemed very familiar.

"Is it you?"

Chun Xi hadn’t expected to encounter Qin Xiao again. Her face, already red, deepened in color, and in a guilty rush, she pushed him away, "It’s not me."

With that, she tried to flee.

As a martial artist, Qin Xiao was quick to react. He swiftly caught Chun Xi’s wrist and pulled the attempting-to-escape woman back to him.

Chun Xi’s repeated treatment of him as if he were some ruffian or hoodlum needed to be addressed; today, he had to set things straight.

"Why are you running? Why run? Am I going to devour you or something?" Qin Xiao asked in exasperation, his voice rising a bit.

Chun Xi, a delicate girl, was genuinely startled.

"Why are you being so aggressive?"

"I’m not being aggressive, I just want you to understand that I, Qin Xiao, am not that kind of person."

...

Early on, the male protagonist lacks real power, so there are many things he can’t decide on his own. He will soon grow much stronger.