Chapter 248 Springtime in a Room

puff--

Shen Yi spat out the mouthful of wine he had just taken a sip of.

He choked violently, coughing until his face turned red, and pointed at Huo Lin, his hand trembling even more violently than when he was being reprimanded by Princess Mingzhu.

"Cough cough cough, Your Majesty, are you kidding me!"

He finally caught his breath, but his voice was distorted.

"The princess is still young. In my eyes, she... she's just an immature little girl, almost like my niece!"

"Besides, didn't the princess say that she doesn't like someone like me? For you to bestow a marriage upon me and the princess is practically taking my life."

His tone was urgent, as if he couldn't wait to sever ties with Princess Mingzhu.

Seeing his eagerness to avoid him, Huo Lin's smile deepened.

Such a strong reaction? Looks like they really don't have that intention.

It's rare to see him like this; it's quite amusing.

He raised an eyebrow, feigning seriousness: "Oh? Treat her like a child? I doubt she treats you like an elder."

"That won't do either!" Shen Yi said firmly. "I swear to heaven that I have no such intention. Your Majesty, please don't play matchmaker."

He had a look of grim determination on his face, as if if Huo Lin mentioned the marriage again, he would smash his head against a pillar to prove his innocence.

Seeing his expression, Huo Lin finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Alright, I was just saying it casually, look how scared you are."

Shen Yi breathed a sigh of relief and, still shaken, took another big gulp of wine to calm his nerves.

The Emperor's joke is too terrifying.

With that little brat? Don't even think about it.

This place is not safe to stay any longer. If he changes his mind and the imperial decree is issued, he's finished.

Get out of here! Get out of here right now!

He suddenly stood up, his movements so fast they created a gust of wind, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Huo Lin.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late. I suddenly remembered that I still have a few intelligence reports to process."

After saying that, before Huo Lin could react, he swiftly grabbed the remaining drunken crabs.

This is a good thing, we can't waste it, it's perfect to take it back to calm our nerves.

"This drunken crab tastes excellent. I will take it back to savor it carefully, and also... uh... to study intelligence. Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty and Your Highness. I will take my leave now!"

Before he could finish speaking, he had already swept away like the wind, leaving only a hastily fleeing figure behind.

Huo Lin: ...

He looked in the direction where Shen Yi had disappeared, then looked down at his empty hands, and his lips trembled slightly.

They do know how to snatch food.

Huo Lin shook his head and drank the remaining wine in his cup in one gulp.

The open space fell completely silent, leaving only Huo Lin alone.

He did not immediately get up and return to his bedchamber, but instead sat there alone, pouring himself a drink.

Only after He Ling was seen off did Huo Lin put down his wine cup and get up to walk towards his bedchamber.

Pushing open the door to the sleeping quarters, one finds only a few palace lanterns lit inside, creating a dim light, and a faint aroma of wine permeating the air.

Huo Lin paused, his brows furrowing slightly.

Where did the smell of alcohol come from?

He walked around the screen and went into the inner room.

As soon as he stepped into the inner room, a soft and fragrant body suddenly bumped into his arms.

Caught off guard, Huo Lin was knocked back half a step and instinctively reached out to steady himself.

Looking down, I saw that Jiang Huan's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glazed, clearly she had also drunk quite a bit.

"Your Majesty, you're back..." Jiang Huan raised her head, her eyes sparkling, her voice sweet with the aftereffects of intoxication.

Huo Lin reached out and brushed away the stray hairs from Jiang Huan's forehead, looking somewhat helpless.

"Why did you drink so much?"

Jiang Huan was completely unaware. She stretched out her arms and wrapped them around Huo Lin's neck, hanging on him like a koala.

"Hehe, I'm happy." She laughed foolishly, her warm breath brushing against Huo Lin's neck.

Huo Lin had noticed last time that Jiang Huan seemed to become bolder after getting drunk.

He looked down at the person in his arms, whose eyes were blurry with drunkenness and whose cheeks were flushed, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Does she know how dangerous this is? I'm a normal man.

If this continues...

Seeing that he didn't speak, Jiang Huan pouted in dissatisfaction and began to poke his chest restlessly with her fingers.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. Always with that long face, who are you trying to scare..."

"You! Smile..."

As she spoke, she suddenly leaned closer.

The two instantly closed the distance between them, their breaths mingling.

Huo Lin's eyes darkened, and his arms unconsciously tightened, pulling her even closer.

Jiang Huan seemed even more dissatisfied when she saw that he still didn't react.

She suddenly exerted force and pushed Huo Lin down onto the soft couch behind her.

Caught off guard, Huo Lin was pushed onto his back and fell to the ground.

Jiang Huan pounced on him, straddling his waist, her hands on either side of his chest, looking down at him.

"Don't move!" she commanded, her voice spoiled. "I...I want to take a good look at you."

Huo Lin lay there, looking at the face above him that was even more radiant and vivid because of her drunkenness, feeling the heat emanating from her body, and a surge of restlessness instantly rose from his lower abdomen.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, his voice low and husky: "Jiang Huan, do you know what you're doing?"

Jiang Huan seemed not to hear him. She leaned down and got close to Huo Lin's face, her nose almost touching his.

"Your Majesty..." she whispered, her warm breath brushing against Huo Lin's lips, "You should smile more... don't frown..."

As she spoke, she stretched out her slender fingers and traced Huo Lin's eyebrows and eyes.

The cool touch on his fingertips ignited a flame in Huo Lin's heart.

Huo Lin raised his hand to grab the back of her head and take the initiative, but Jiang Huan seemed to have anticipated his move.

She quickly covered his mouth with her hand.

"I told you, don't move!"

Jiang Huan squinted, her other hand sliding down Huo Lin's jawline, stroking his bobbing Adam's apple.

Huo Lin's body stiffened instantly, almost driven mad by this bold yet awkward touch. The redness in his eyes deepened, but miraculously, he didn't move.

Jiang Huan seemed pleased with his obedience, so she released her hand from his mouth and pressed her lips to his.

She imitated Huo Lin's usual manner, sucking and biting without any method, yet with astonishing passion.

His hands weren't idle either; they groped around Huo Lin's chest haphazardly, trying to tear open the cumbersome collar.

However, the belt was complicated, and she struggled for a long time without finding a way to untie it. Instead, she became so anxious that she broke out in a sweat and let out a dissatisfied hum.

Huo Lin almost burst out laughing, but the clumsy movements made him even more agitated.

He was about to help when Jiang Huan seemed to lose patience.

She simply gave up and slipped her small hand inside the folds of his shirt, her cool palm touching his frighteningly hot chest skin without any obstruction.

!!

Huo Lin suddenly took a breath, his muscles tensing like iron.

Jiang Huan, however, seemed to have discovered an interesting toy, her fingers tracing the firm texture of her skin.

"Your Majesty..." She raised her head, her lips glistening with moisture, but her tone carried a hint of complaint.