Chapter 136 She didn't say she liked him

Shen Qingci gestured for Wanqing to leave, leaving only her and Chu Jichen in the study.

She looked up at the still-dark sky outside the window; the afterglow filtered through the windowpane, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

She was somewhat surprised. Ever since that farce in the palace, Emperor Yongming had been placed under house arrest, and Liu Wenyuan had simply given up and claimed illness. Almost all the affairs of the court, big and small, had fallen on Chu Jichen's shoulders.

These past two days, he's been busy until late at night before returning home. Today... why did he come back before it got dark?

"Your Highness, you've returned quite early today," she asked casually.

Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen coughed almost imperceptibly, his eyes darting around, but his voice carried a hint of barely perceptible bitterness: "My mole in the Prime Minister's residence reported that Huo Yunzhan went to the Prime Minister's residence today and stayed in Liu Ruolan's courtyard for quite a while."

He paused, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, but finally added, "It... caused quite a commotion. It was... that kind of commotion."

Shen Qingci understood in her heart, but remained expressionless on her face.

Zhuque's secret report had already been delivered to her, and everything that happened at the Prime Minister's residence was under her control.

She raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise, looked at Chu Jichen, and asked knowingly, "Oh? So what?"

Chu Jichen's thin lips pressed into a straight line. He maneuvered his wheelchair and slowly slid to her side. His deep phoenix eyes were fixed on her, and his voice carried a hint of suppressed irritation: "The drug you gave Huo Yunzhan is extremely effective. He... has absolutely no chance of ever 'standing up' again."

"But today, he was making love with Liu Ruolan..." A cold glint flashed in Chu Jichen's eyes. "There must be something fishy about this!"

Shen Qingci's attention, however, keenly caught another key point in his words.

She tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes looking at him with a half-smile: "Your Highness... how did you know that the medicine I gave Huo Yunzhan was extremely effective?"

Chu Jichen froze abruptly, the sharp aura around him instantly dissipating. He remained silent.

His silence was almost tantamount to acquiescence.

Shen Qingci instantly understood. She slowly leaned closer to him, her voice carrying a knowing smirk: "That medicine, it was made by the Prince, wasn't it?"

"..." Chu Jichen's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he finally nodded. Then he hurriedly explained, his voice carrying a hint of panic and helplessness after being exposed: "You had already agreed to marry me back then, and you were my future queen."

"How could I... how could I just stand by and watch you be bullied by those beasts from the Huo family, leaving you to fight alone?"

"That medicine was personally prepared by Physician Li. It is colorless and odorless, with potent effects, yet its root cause cannot be found. You can use it with peace of mind."

Shen Qingci thought to himself, no wonder.

No wonder Wan Qing was able to find such a miraculous medicine from the black market so easily; no wonder the medicine was so effective and took effect so quickly.

It turns out that he had been secretly paving the way for her all along.

Seeing that she remained silent, Chu Jichen grew increasingly uneasy and could only continue using his usual witty banter to subtly and overtly belittle his rival:

"In short, Huo Yunzhan could never have that ability! There must be something fishy about what happened today!"

"He was deceiving Liu Ruolan, trying to continue to curry favor with Prime Minister Liu; at the same time, he was still up to no good and was scheming to get close to you."

"Qingqing, you must not be deceived by such a two-faced, heartless person!"

Seeing him clearly jealous but trying his best to maintain his composure and desperately trying to make things difficult for her, Shen Qingci finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Your Highness, are you... speaking ill of Huo Yunzhan in front of me?"

With a smile, she teased, "In your heart, am I such a stupid person? That I could be easily fooled by his words?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen slowly lowered his eyes.

The sharpness and scheming she had just displayed vanished in an instant, replaced by a vulnerability and unease bordering on self-deprecation.

“It’s not that you’re stupid.” His voice lowered, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. “It’s just that I…was worried.”

“After all,” he raised his eyes, his deep eyes filled with an overwhelming sadness and fear, “you two…were childhood sweethearts, you made vows of eternal love. He was the first person you truly loved.”

"Although you are now married to me, I always feel in my heart that it's all like an unreal dream. I'm always afraid that when I wake up, the dream will shatter, you... will be gone, and everything... will be gone."

His voice was deep, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor at the end.

Shen Qingci looked at Chu Jichen's appearance and understood everything perfectly.

She knew he was probably faking it.

How could this man, with his deep and unfathomable mind and ruthless methods, possibly have such a vulnerable and insecure side?

He had only anticipated her soft heart and deliberately put on this pitiful act to gain her sympathy.

But unfortunately...

Even knowing it was a trap, she still couldn't help but feel her heart surging.

That heart, already riddled with wounds and cold and hardened, softened uncontrollably because of his clumsy performance.

Shen Qingci sighed helplessly in her heart, ultimately unable to resist.

She leaned forward, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed his slightly cool lips under the gaze of his eyes, which were filled with vulnerability and unease.

Even a light touch is enough to make you want to back away.

But Chu Jichen would never give her that chance.

Almost the instant she kissed him, he took the initiative, cupping the back of her head with one hand and wrapping his other arm around her slender waist, deepening the kiss.

They relentlessly pursued and conquered, displaying an irresistible domineering nature and a deep-seated possessiveness.

He only loosened his grip slightly when Shen Qingci was almost breathless from the kiss, her body went limp, and she weakly pushed against his chest. His forehead pressed against hers, his breath hot and rapid.

But then, his eyes, still misty with tears, slowly lowered, his long eyelashes casting a lonely shadow beneath them, and his voice betrayed his disappointment and grievance.

"really……"

"You're just... pitying me, feeling sorry for me."

"That's why... you're so casually trying to comfort me."

Shen Qingci: "..."

She was almost laughing in exasperation at the man's acting.

She sighed helplessly, reached out a finger, gently lifted his handsome face filled with disappointment, and looked at him with a half-smile, incisively exposing his pretense:

"Your Highness, if you continue to pretend, you will be exposed."

Chu Jichen's eyelashes trembled slightly, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes, yet he remained defiant: "I didn't..."

“Alright,” Shen Qingci interrupted him, her expression becoming more serious than ever before. “Your Highness, don’t worry.”

She looked into his eyes, speaking each word with utmost solemnity: "There will absolutely be no possibility between Huo Yunzhan and me. What I hate most in this life is betrayal. And he," a chilling glint flashed in her eyes, "betrayed more than just my feelings."

"I will never forgive him."

Chu Jichen's heart was instantly calmed by her words.

But when he looked into her clear eyes, which were still devoid of love, a new, even more greedy, bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart.

She said she could never forgive Huo Yunzhan.

but……

She never said that she liked him.