"Where's the princess?"
"The princess is taking a bath..."
A smile played on Zhongli Mingye's lips as he gently pushed open the door and entered. The bathhouse was filled with billowing steam. Behind the screen, a hazy figure was faintly visible, gently stirring the water.
Song Jinyu was still immersed in the recent Ji Qinglin incident. He just wasn't ruthless enough! The vow he had made back then to become a pillar of the Daxia Dynasty still echoed in her ears.
That's why Ji Qinglin couldn't bring himself to kill the emperor.
Even though he knew that she might be aware of his background, Ji Qinglin still led her step by step to uncover the truth.
"Sigh..." She let out a deep sigh.
The water was getting a bit cold. "Niaoniao, add some hot water..." She relaxed and rested her arms on the edge of the bathtub. Her alluring curves were almost on display.
There were water droplets hanging on her fair and delicate neck. Her bright eyes were like autumn waters. On her flawless back, there were still faint scars from last year, which had unexpectedly grown into the shape of petals.
She was stunningly beautiful!
Seeing this "scenery", Zhongli Mingye could hardly suppress his desire. He walked closer to the bathtub, scooped up some water, and gently splashed it on her beautiful back.
His eyes grew darker and darker.
Niaoniao hadn't added hot water yet, and she was just wondering about it. When she turned around, she was shocked to see Zhongli Mingye!
"You... you..."
She opened her eyes wide in disbelief, and hurriedly tried to move farther away from him. But the bathtub was only so big. Where could she escape to?
The man playfully leaned closer to her. "What are you hiding for? Is there anything about you that I haven't seen?" He said so, but... this was just too absurd! Song Jinyu looked around. Her clothes were some distance away from her, so she could only hide in the water. "Get out!"
Zhongli Mingye was a bit annoyed. His phoenix eyes turned slightly cold. "I'm not leaving... I'll wash you for you."
Wash her?
"Don't... stop joking! If this gets out, how can I face others?" She covered her chest with both hands and glared at him fiercely.
This was too much!
Zhongli Mingye was amused by her words. "This is the prince's mansion. I'm the Prince Yu, and you're the princess. Who dares to gossip!"
After saying that, he immediately grabbed her. He wrapped one arm around her and held her delicate face with the other hand, which was still wet with water.
"Um..."
He missed her so much that he wanted to meld her into his very being.
He kissed her fiercely, sucking away the water droplets bit by bit. He kissed her until she was dazed, until her delicate body trembled slightly. Everywhere his big hand passed, it made Song Jinyu shiver.
"You..."
Zhongli Mingye took off his outer robe, wrapped her in it, and carried her to the bed. The moonlight shone through the gauze window and soon hid behind the clouds, as if blushing.
Although she missed him too, this was just too embarrassing!
Song Jinyu hid in his arms. The two of them snuggled tightly together.
She tried to calm her breathing. What had just happened was really too improper! Zhongli Mingye coaxed her gently before finally calming down his beloved wife's "anger".
Niaoniao thought that Song Jinyu had been taking a bath for quite a long time and should add some water. She had just stood up when Mincui pulled her back. "Don't worry. The water won't get cold!"
Mincui mysteriously leaned closer to Niaoniao. "The prince is there. The water definitely won't get cold."
"Ah?"
The next day, Zhongli Mingye went to court full of energy. Niaoniao came in to serve Song Jinyu wash and dress. She saw that the bathhouse was full of water everywhere.
There was also a lot of water on the bed curtain. It was obvious how "intense" last night had been.
Niaoniao gave Song Jinyu a strange look. Song Jinyu inexplicably lowered her head in shame.
Looking up at the bathhouse, she was afraid that all the maids and servants in the main courtyard of the prince's mansion knew that they had spent the night in the bathhouse.
Looking at the red marks on Song Jinyu's body again, Niaoniao smiled softly.
The emperor's praise of Zhongli Mingye made the queen extremely jealous. However, since she had just been released from house arrest, she naturally didn't dare to do anything.
After Rong Shuang'er returned to the Duke Rong's Mansion, Ming Ruyi sent her a lot of gifts, claiming it was to "calm her nerves".
However, Rong Shuang'er smiled bitterly. She thought it was probably just to deal with the palace or to "stimulate" the emperor.
Hiding the disappointment in her heart, she didn't want to continue this false pretense of ambiguity, being each other's "shield".
But... would Ming Ruyi really accept her in his heart?
If he was not interested, why did Ming Ruyi save her again and again?
If he was interested?
Ming Ruyi's phoenix eyes had never really looked at her. It was as if he was looking through her at someone else.
The more she cared, the more tortured she felt. It was as if there were a hundred mice scratching inside her heart.
Zhongli Mingye held a glazed lantern and proudly looked at Song Jinyu. She gave him a cold look in return.
"Don't be angry, okay?"
How could she not be angry? Every time Song Jinyu walked out of the courtyard, she always felt that the servants were looking at her in a strange way.
"I've made arrangements..."
What? Song Jinyu looked at him puzzledly.
"Shen Lan has been sent to Yezhou."
Seeing her confused look, he couldn't help but pinch her. The feeling was really wonderful! "That's the territory of the King of Zhongzhou..." In Ji Qinglin's scheme, he could actually have caused more damage, but he didn't. No matter how great the hatred was, he still had the world in his heart.
Song Jinyu was inexplicably touched. "You..." His actions were extremely risky. She did want Shen Lan to survive and leave a descendant for the Ji family.
She took the glazed lantern and a gentle smile bloomed on her face. Zhongli Mingye gently hugged her and suddenly whispered in her ear, "Well, you've been eating well these days. It's not so uncomfortable anymore..."
Again with the "uncomfortable"!
This man... She finally understood what he meant by "uncomfortable". Seeing the murderous look in her eyes, Zhongli Mingye burst into laughter.
His laughter passed through the curtain and scared the mandarin ducks intertwined on the lake to swim farther away.
"Mingye... don't do such risky things for me anymore." Song Jinyu looked at him seriously. "I..."
He reached out his hand to stop her from saying the next words. "Don't worry!" His phoenix eyes locked on her domineeringly.
Suddenly, he remembered something. "I think Rong Shuang'er and Ming Ruyi are really a perfect match!"
"One is valiant and the other is extremely charming." His eyes rolled. "How about we matchmake them?"
Zhongli Mingye looked at her helplessly. "Let nature take its course!" He wouldn't tell Song Jinyu why Ming Ruyi treated Rong Shuang'er so differently.
He didn't want to give her any more troubles.
Of course, maybe Ming Ruyi really liked Rong Shuang'er. That was their business. Now that Zhongli Mingye had Song Jinyu by his side, he felt that everything was just right.
"This glazed lantern was sent by my mother..."
"Ah?" Thinking of his mother, Song Jinyu smiled. "Then let's go to the palace when we have time."
Last time, Concubine Shu told her not to enter the palace for no reason. But after all, she was Zhongli Mingye's mother. How could she really not go to the palace?