Chapter 93 Despite her delicate and frail appearance, the other party remained silent for a long time. Jiang Zhuoying tilted her head slightly...

The other party remained silent for a long time. Jiang Zhuoying tilted her head and carefully observed his expression. Unlike before, she did not impulsively say anything irrelevant.

Recalling the identical expressions on the faces of those men from the Li Kingdom when she mentioned them earlier, a strange and subtle feeling arose in her heart.

Would someone so strategic and composed in the face of adversity be...envious?

She suppressed the idea as soon as it popped into her head.

How is that possible?

However, her inability to suppress her curiosity led her to tentatively ask in a low voice, "You wouldn't... be that stingy, would you?"

Before the words were even finished, the carriage stopped, and Chu Yixin outside promptly reported that they had arrived at the Crown Prince's residence.

Qi Fan stepped out of the carriage first, and Jiang Zhuoying, with his help, stepped down onto the stool. When she looked up again, she could only see his back.

She didn't take it to heart, turned to look at Pei Yun standing not far away, waved to him, and said with a smile.

"Guard Pei?"

Pei Yun paused for a moment, as if to confirm that the Crown Princess was indeed calling him, before steadily walking over and bowing, "Your Highness."

Jiang Zhuoying glanced at Xiangyue beside her and saw that she was deliberately avoiding her gaze, which made her even more certain that she had guessed correctly.

"Guard Pei, come to Kunning Palace later. I have something to tell you."

Pei Yun's usually calm face showed a hint of surprise, but he still bowed and agreed.

Jiang Zhuoying nodded in satisfaction, then turned and led Xiangyue and Xiangxing back to Kunning Palace.

Upon entering the hall, she saw that Chu Yixin was also guarding the place. Since Chu Yixin was here, his master must also be here.

She walked in with her head held high, lifted the beaded curtain, and went straight to the bedroom.

There was no one in sight until she heard the sound of running water, and then she realized that he had gone to take a bath.

Whose bedchamber is this anyway?

She didn't even say hello to her; she had originally planned to take a bath and wash up early so she could rest sooner.

However, since the person was already in the bathhouse, we couldn't just kick him out.

Jiang Zhuoying cursed inwardly a few times, but had no choice but to sit in front of the dressing table and let Xiangyue and the others wash her makeup and do her hair first.

If this were any other day, Xiangyue would have been chattering away nonstop, but today she was acting out of character. She had almost completely removed all the hairpins and ornaments from her head, yet she remained silent.

Jiang Zhuoying looked at her in the bronze mirror: "Xiangyue?"

"Miss?" Xiangyue also looked over.

"What's wrong with you today? Why are you so absent-minded?"

Xiangyue paused, then finally bit her lip and asked, "Miss, why did you call Guard Pei over?"

Jiang Zhuoying raised an eyebrow: "Wasn't that all for you?"

"This servant?" Xiangyue suddenly raised her voice.

“Not bad.” Jiang Zhuoying nodded. “I think that Guard Pei is both talented and handsome, and he must be to your liking.”

Xiangyue's eyes widened: "Miss...you noticed all of that?"

"Of course!"

However, Jiang Zhuoying was somewhat surprised that Xiangyue could admit it so easily.

"Don't worry, I'll find out about him for you and find out his background and family history, and then ask that person for a favor."

She gestured towards the direction of the nunnery with her eyes, her meaning clear: she would plead for a dignified marriage for Xiangyue's sake.

A rare blush appeared on Xiangyue's face, but she still smiled and thanked her, "Thank you, Miss!"

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from the direction of the bathhouse behind him...

Jiang Zhuoying had almost finished preparing, so she gave her two maids a look, signaling them to prepare water, as she also needed to take a bath.

...

"What does the Crown Princess wish to inquire about?"

A deep, languid voice came from behind. Perhaps he had just finished bathing, as it was much gentler and more relaxed than when he was in the carriage.

Jiang Zhuoying, who was combing her hair in front of the bronze mirror, put down the jade comb and turned her head when she heard this.

The next moment, she froze on the spot—

The man, who had just finished bathing, was not wearing his undergarments. He was only wearing a wide-sleeved outer robe draped over his body. He was half-lying on her favorite soft couch and casually picked up one of her travelogues.

"Um?"

Perhaps because he hadn't heard her response for a long time, Qi Fan's gaze shifted from the travelogue in his hand and slowly moved upward until it met her captivated peach blossom eyes.

"...Wh-what?"

She was completely captivated by the man before her. He had high brow bones, deep-set eyes, and a profound gaze, not to mention his high nose bridge and perfect bone structure.

As my gaze moved further down, I saw that his shirt was wide open, and I could clearly see the water droplets on his Adam's apple and chest. With each breath, the water flowed down the muscular muscles of his abdomen and disappeared into the deeper recesses of his body...

"Your Highness is too far away from me. Please sit closer so I can hear you clearly."

Qi Fan extended his right arm toward her; his palm was broad and his fingers were long and slender.

Jiang Zhuoying shook her head, readily admitting that she had no resistance to this scene.

Since the other party was so sincere in inviting her...

She placed her fair, slender, soft hand in his warm palm and sat down beside him.

Jiang Zhuoying didn't dare turn around, her face flushed and her voice barely audible: "How could you do this..."

"Like this?" The man raised an eyebrow, paused, and then asked, "What do you mean?"

"You...it's winter already, why don't you hurry up and finish wiping yourself down and change into something warmer?"

"What the Crown Princess says is very true."

"Then hurry up!" Jiang Zhuoying suddenly turned around, wanting to urge him to change his clothes quickly.

But when she turned her head, she found that the other person's clothes were already closed, and apart from the skin above the neck, not a single bit of skin was exposed.

She paused for a moment, then disappointment quickly welled up in her eyes.

But she couldn't say it out loud...

“There’s an underground heating system in this house…” she murmured softly.

Is it that cold?

Perhaps he's weak...

Qi Fan had already figured out her temperament perfectly.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms. The sudden movement startled Jiang Zhuoying.

She leaned against him and realized that he was warm all over.

She tried to sit up, but someone touched the soft flesh of her waist, causing her to itch and lose her strength, falling back down.

What do you want to do?

Jiang Zhuoying's nose bumped into her chest, and she cried out in pain, her eyes reddening. She raised her hand to cover her nose, looking quite pitiful.

Her appearance was truly frightening.

The man paused for a moment, then brushed her hand away: "Did you hurt yourself?"

Jiang Zhuoying's hand was brushed aside, revealing her bright red nose.

She had originally planned to take this opportunity to make trouble for him, but when she saw his deep and cold face, she was stunned.

Did this guy take advantage of going to the bathhouse to transform into a spirit?

How come you suddenly look better?

The man was taller than her. He looked down at her and examined the tip of her nose. He gently rubbed it with his fingertips. He didn't see the usually fierce girl get angry, so he knew she was alright.

“A-Zhuo”.

His tone was more tender and lingering than ever before, with a hint of deliberate seduction.

Jiang Zhuoying had never seen him with such an expression before. Her eyes reflected his face as it drew closer, and her lips parted slightly...

"Hmm..."

"Good boy/girl..."

“Ah Zhuo did an excellent job…”

Jiang Zhuoying was so overwhelmed by the kisses that she was panting and her legs felt weak, until she heard Xiangyue's soft voice coming from outside the beaded curtain.

"Your Majesty?"

...

The little girl in Qi Fan's arms suddenly trembled, her hazy eyes quickly regained focus, and she leaned against his arm, breathing softly.

The man gripped her chin, his dark eyes filled with a strong sense of control, making it hard for her to breathe.

"What the Crown Princess wants, only I can give her."

Jiang Zhuoying's heart skipped a beat, and she stared blankly into space.

Qi Fan reached out and wiped the glistening tears from the corner of her lips. With a gentle lift, he carried her to the bed.

As soon as Jiang Zhuoying was placed on the couch, she came to her senses completely and tried to get down by clinging to the other person's arm.

"Princess."

His cold, deep voice instantly sent a chill down her spine.

"The Crown Princess is in poor health; she should rest early."

“But…” She looked up and met the other person’s dark eyes, and immediately stopped talking.

"I will make arrangements for Pei Yun and your maid."

His tone was not one to be negotiated; the authority of the crown prince was not something she could challenge.

As the tall, imposing figure disappeared behind the beaded curtain, Jiang Zhuoying vaguely saw Pei Yun being brought in, but they went into another side room.

Her waist slumped completely, and she lay back, her gaze sweeping over the bed curtains that had already been changed.

The design of the twin lotus flowers was exactly the same as her previous one.

The moment I closed my eyes, the question the man had asked me not long ago flashed through my mind.

What does the Crown Princess want to find out?

So... he had already overheard their conversation.

She fell for his trap again?!

She had originally planned to take a break, but now she simply couldn't rest any longer!

She slipped on her embroidered shoes, stood up, and walked to the bronze mirror, only to realize that she looked absolutely unpresentable.

Her loose hair was slightly disheveled, her eyelashes were damp, and the corners of her eyes were red. Her usually proud pink lips also looked a little swollen...

She cursed Qi Fan inwardly, but suddenly a series of chaotic sounds reached her ears: porcelain shattering, a door opening, and the faint sound of a man's voice...

What's wrong?

Her heart sank. She wanted to go out and see what was going on, but then she felt it was inappropriate.

But he couldn't bear it any longer, so he called out to the people outside: "Xiangxing? Xiangyue? Has something happened?"

The two maids remained silent for a long time, instead calling Qi Fan in.

The man's expression was somewhat solemn, and his gaze towards her was rather ambiguous.

"What... what's wrong?" Jiang Zhuoying frowned.

Pei Yun rejected the marriage proposal.

His voice was deep and his words were concise.

"What?"

This was quite unexpected for Jiang Zhuoying. She immediately thought of Xiangyue and realized that she had done something wrong with good intentions.

Why did he refuse? Is he already engaged?

Jiang Zhuoying frowned, wondering why she hadn't figured things out before telling Xiangyue, who must be heartbroken.

It's all her fault for acting on a whim without thinking things through.

According to him, it was a promise he made when he was a child, and he was unwilling to accept this marriage even if he was punished.

The man's tone carried an unusual hint of helplessness.

The Crown Princess's personal maid is a highly coveted marriage opportunity, yet he rejected it on the spot without even a second thought.

In this way, Jiang Zhuoying could not say anything, for a person who keeps his promises is naturally a good person.

But this will probably make Xiangyue sad.

Seeing the worry in the little girl's eyes, the man frowned.

He lifted his robe and sat down: "I have plenty of guards, and there are many who are more talented and handsome than Pei Yun. Let your maid choose freely, and I will make the decision."

Jiang Zhuoying choked, then glared at him with a cold look: "Your Highness is quite imposing, but if it were me, would I have to fight for Pei Yun for Xiangyue?"

The man stared at her: "Your maid is too proud. Even if you bring Pei Yun to her, she won't take her after this incident."

Jiang Zhuoying was somewhat dissatisfied: "A suitable marriage, apart from being well-matched in terms of social status, should also be based on mutual attraction. Does Your Highness think this is something you can just point fingers at?"

She paused after speaking.

For this guy, isn't that right?

"In that case, what does the Crown Princess think we should do?"