Chu Junyi's pupils dilated in shock. He stared blankly at the kiss on his lips. After a long while, he finally came to his senses and gave a relieved smile.
Li Xinyue put her feet down, lowered her eyes, and gave a helpless yet doting smile. "The life experience I know of you is already bad enough. How much worse could it be?"
She had already married him. Even if he were a beggar, she would accept it. Since she didn't mind, what was he worrying about?
But if they really had to get to the bottom of it, she was really at a great disadvantage.
She, a noble princess, not only married a penniless man from a humble family but might even end up with someone of a lower status. This was truly a huge loss.
But she liked him from the bottom of her heart. She didn't care about his status. No matter how high it was, it couldn't be higher than hers. And how low could it possibly be?
She raised her eyebrows, pinched his chin with one hand, met his downcast gaze, and tilted her mouth up, looking just like a female hooligan harassing a good - looking young man.
"Come on, tell me. What kind of life experience could be more despicable than that of a beggar? Tell me and let this princess have an eye - opener."
Chu Junyi couldn't help but chuckle. Hearing her relaxed tone, it seemed that she really didn't mind. He felt relieved.
He raised his eyes, thought for a while, and as he told his past experiences, he leaned over and carried her to the bed. He held her delicate feet in his hands to warm them up before tucking them back into the quilt.
Li Xinyue curved her mouth and stared at him intently with bright eyes. She tightened her arms around his neck and listened as he told his past like a story.
"Since I can remember, I've been sold to different places.
One year, I even ran into an army on a campaign.
They saved me and the other children who were also being sold. They built houses for us and invited teachers to teach us carefully.
I lived a peaceful life there for a few years. But when I was ten, the people who were supposed to take care of us started to act in a duplicitous way and mistreated us.
I escaped and became a beggar.
Later, I met a kind - hearted aunt who adopted me as her godson. I lived a peaceful life with her for a while.
But there were gossips in the village saying that I was her illegitimate son. To avoid hurting her reputation, I had to go on the road. Then I met my master."
At this point, he lowered his eyes and glanced at the person lying on his arm. Seeing that her face was calm and there was nothing wrong with her, he continued.
"My master was a killer in the jianghu, but he opened a usury business called Fugui Fang in Jinjiang.
I grew up with him, so I had to struggle in the darkness.
But with a background in the underworld, I couldn't be an official, let alone marry a princess. This is even more despicable than being a beggar.
A beggar at least has a household registration and an identity. As long as he doesn't steal or rob and has no criminal record, he can change his fate through the imperial examination.
My identity is not so... so..."
He was registered under his godmother's household, and the surname Chu was from his godmother's husband.
Before that, he didn't know who he was, where he came from, and didn't even have a surname.
During the years with his master, he had no identity or household registration.
People in this kind of business couldn't have an identity or household registration. It would make them more likely to be intercepted and killed by enemies and easier to be discovered.
So, it was only after he left Fugui Fang and decided to live a proper life that he got his identity and household registration.
"Princess, now that you know, will you still love me as always?"
He choked up a bit. A flash of sadness passed through his downcast eyes. His heart was in turmoil, so he could only play with her long hair to distract himself.
"Yes."
Chu Junyi's hand stopped. A storm rose in his heart, but he tried his best to control himself, afraid that he had misheard.
Li Xinyue turned over and closed her eyes. Her heart was in a mess, filled with bitterness, heartache, and a tearing pain.
She tightly grabbed the quilt to control her emotions.
Chu Junyi watched the hair slipping through his palm and heard her say.
"We've both been through life - and - death situations. I believe in your character.
Although your identity is indeed terrifying, because it's you, I'm not afraid.
Chu Junyi, I'll bear this loss."
Chu Junyi couldn't help but laugh. He was touched by her sincere confession at first, but then he was completely broken by her words.
He protested, "Actually, when you think about it, Your Highness isn't at a loss. After all, your husband is so outstanding and hasn't disgraced the princess. Moreover, in some aspects, your husband has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and shows his skills."
Li Xinyue suddenly opened her eyes and threw a pillow at him casually. "Go and sleep in the study!"
Chu Junyi gave a naughty smile, picked up the pillow, jumped onto the bed, and hugged his little wife without saying a word.
His little wife was so angry that she poked him with her elbow, but he didn't move at all. The smile on his lips couldn't be hidden in the deep night.
"So, the bloodstains on the bed weren't yours but from those killers you took care of?"
It was good that it wasn't his. It meant that he wasn't injured and didn't have any unspeakable hidden diseases.
She let out a relieved breath.
"Yes. But my methods were a bit... cruel. Jing Bai has seen my other side. He came here tonight, probably to remind you to be on guard against me.
He's worried that my methods are cruel and my intentions are evil, and that I might have bad intentions towards you.
It's reasonable for him to think so.
What about Your Highness? What do you think of me?"
"You weren't innocent in the first place! Don't you have bad intentions towards me!" Li Xinyue said rather indignantly.
Did she even need to think about it? It was obvious to anyone with eyes!
Just now, he was so domineeringly taking possession of her. Clearly, he had a bad idea!
He said he was worried that she would dislike his life experience, but in his heart, whether she wanted him or not, whether she disliked him or not, he wouldn't let go.
He was such a bad guy!
"I really can't argue with you!" Chu Junyi couldn't help but laugh. He gently pinched her nose affectionately and got into the quilt to sleep with her.
The candle burned out little by little. The flame went from a wide line to a bean - sized one, and then to a wisp of white smoke.
In the darkness, he held her tightly. His restless heart finally found peace under her tolerance.
"Princess, I love you, so much."
"If there's an afterlife, I still want to marry you as my wife."
"Got it. Stop talking!" Her heart was pounding like a drum, and her face was as red as a rosy cloud, but she didn't want him to notice.
In the deep night, several figures flew through the air and landed in a large mansion.
A trusted subordinate of the Lin family came to report that the mission had failed.
The killers they sent out not only failed to kill Chu Junyi but also lost a batch of them. Moreover, the guards of the Eastern Palace arrived too quickly, allowing Chu Junyi to escape successfully.
At present, among the nearly a hundred top - notch experts, half were dead, half had escaped, and the other half were imprisoned in the dungeon of the Eastern Palace.
If they were interrogated and something was found out, it would be troublesome.
"My lord, do you want this subordinate to send someone to kill them?"
"Kill them? How do you plan to do that? Do you think the Eastern Palace is your home, where you can come and go as you please?"
The trusted subordinate lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Because he had no idea either.
But unexpectedly, his lord said another sentence, "No need! I just want them to stay alive."
The trusted subordinate raised his head in a daze and looked at his lord in confusion.
Under the candlelight, Lin Wei stroked his beard and smiled cunningly.
"Only if they stay alive can they be interrogated to reveal that the mastermind behind this is Lord Zhu. Then we can frame this matter on him.
Otherwise, in the imperial city, under the feet of the Son of Heaven, assassinating the current imperial son - in - law. How could this matter be easily overlooked?"