Chapter 57 You just dislike being alone, this is fine.

Li Chengyi already felt resentful, feeling that Lin Yanshu wasn't being honest with him. He occupied too little space in her heart.

Perhaps it's just an option for casual sex.

When Lin Yanshu asked him this, he was filled with grief and indignation. He looked at her with a wronged expression and loudly questioned her, word by word:

"You'd rather take medication than have a child with me? Am I really that bad?"

"But you clearly enjoyed it last night, it felt so good..."

Lin Yanshu never expected that Li Chengyi would say such outrageous things, and say them so loudly.

She quickly covered his mouth, afraid that he would say something embarrassing again, especially since he was speaking so loudly.

"What nonsense are you talking about! I really like it..."

Li Chengyi grabbed Lin Yanshu's hand, pulled it away, his eyes red with anger, and questioned:

"So you don't like it?"

He seemed to be saying that if Lin Yanshu didn't like him, he would bang his head against the ground and kill himself.

"There's no such thing as disliking it."

Lin Yanshu explained helplessly:

"I took the medication beforehand because I thought...you would be inside..."

Lin Yanshu's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and she lowered her head shyly. Li Chengyi, on the other hand, showed no shame whatsoever, arguing passionately:

“You can tell me not to do that, or I can use sausage casings.”

"That's because it happened so suddenly, and we weren't prepared with those things! Besides... and you were so quick at the beginning last night, even if I told you, you couldn't control yourself!"

Is she complaining that she started too fast yesterday?

She really disliked this!

She also wanted to say that Li Chengyi was completely out of control yesterday, and his eyes were bloodshot in the end, so how could he possibly remember to pull out? But she was too embarrassed to say it.

Li Chengyi, still harboring resentment, shouted loudly:

"You just don't like me!"

Lin Yanshu said a lot, but Li Chengyi didn't listen at all. Lin Yanshu looked up and glared at Li Chengyi as he raised his voice.

Why did he yell at her? It was her who took the medicine, not him. At worst, she can just stop taking it in the future.

Once she's gone, she won't need to take any more medicine.

Lin Yanshu retorted to him:

"Why are you yelling? Why are you being so fierce!"

"If you insist on saying that, what can I say?"

Unable to argue with her, Li Chengyi flung his sleeves and strode out the door. Lin Yanshu watched his retreating figure, her eyes reddening with anger.

Li Chengyi, that guy, he doesn't recognize you once he gets out of bed. Just last night, he was coaxing her to do it again. Ha, and today he's arguing with her.

Lin Yanshu was so angry with Li Chengyi that she lost all interest in resting. A wave of grievance washed over her, and she raised her hand to rub her eyes.

Suddenly, a dark shadow enveloped Lin Yanshu, and Li Chengyi returned.

He kept a straight face and looked down at Lin Yanshu, pretending not to see that Lin Yanshu was crying.

He squatted down, grabbed Lin Yanshu's calf, pulled it out, and put silk stockings on her. He then put on the clothes he had gotten from the servants.

Lin Yanshu sat stiffly on the couch. Li Chengyi tried to put sleeves on her, but Lin Yanshu remained motionless.

Li Chengyi originally intended to be very principled and simply dress Lin Yanshu without saying a word. But Lin Yanshu did not cooperate with him.

He spoke with a stern face:

"Raise your arm."

Lin Yanshu looked up at him, and they remained locked in a stalemate:

"Didn't you leave in anger?"

"Yes, I'll come back and help you get dressed."

"Raise your arm."

Lin Yanshu obediently raised her arm as he listened to him, and Li Chengyi helped her put the sleeves on. He then gathered the collar of her garment. Focusing intently on Lin Yanshu's sash, he bent down and tied it for her.

"Put on your own shoes. Go eat."

Li Chengyi threw his shoe in front of her.

Lin Yanshu pouted and said:

"I'm tired, I don't want to wear it."

Li Chengyi glared at her. Lin Yanshu could use this excuse all day long. Did she expect him, the crown prince, to put shoes on her for her?

Lin Yanshu glanced back at Li Chengyi and blinked.

She did it on purpose, deliberately throwing a tantrum at Li Chengyi and deliberately teasing him.

Li Chengyi looked at her and sighed. It was he who had made Lin Yanshu keep complaining of being tired, and it only happened once.

He knelt down, grabbed Lin Yanshu's slender ankle, and pulled her down. With his other hand, Li Chengyi held Lin Yanshu's shoe and put it on her.

Lin Yanshu looked at Li Chengyi in surprise. She had only wanted to annoy him, but she didn't expect him to actually back down and put her shoes on himself.

Lin Yanshu looked down at the top of Li Chengyi's head, where his hair was neatly tied up and he was focused on putting on his shoes.

Lin Yanshu pursed her lips, wondering what she should say.

"Thank you, A-Zhao."

Lin Yanshu's ankles felt weak. Li Chengyi gently rubbed the ankle joint with the pad of his thumb, then pinched Lin Yanshu's other ankle and helped her put on the other shoe.

The foot that Li Chengyi had spared swayed gently to the side.

Li Chengyi responded with an "Mmm" upon hearing Lin Yanshu's words, stopped what he was doing, and looked up at Lin Yanshu.

Lin Yanshu hadn't expected him to look up at her. Her previously relaxed expression froze, replaced by nervousness. She licked her lips and blurted out:

Is Ah Zhao still angry?

"I'm angry."

Three simple words.

Lin Yanshu wanted to coax Li Chengyi, but she didn't know how. The storybooks she read all contained kind words, or...

Her voice softened:

"Don't be angry. I'll tell you before I take your medicine next time."

Li Chengyi listened to her words without being moved. Lin Yanshu even complained that he was too fast, but he wasn't so easily coaxed.

Lin Yanshu could tell that Li Chengyi was still angry, so she lowered her head and put on the last shoe.

Lin Yanshu put on both shoes, swung her legs, and pressed her toes against Li Chengyi's waist. Li Chengyi's breath hitched, and he raised his hand to press down on Lin Yanshu's toes, preparing to remove them.

Lin Yanshu suddenly increased the pressure and stepped firmly on it. Li Chengyi was caught off guard and let out a muffled groan, looking at Lin Yanshu.

Lin Yanshu dragged herself off the bed. Li Chengyi was tall, and even when he was half-kneeling, he wasn't much shorter than Lin Yanshu.

Lin Yanshu withdrew her foot, standing limply, bent down, and planted a kiss on Li Chengyi's cheek. She gently shook his sleeve and said coquettishly:

"Ah Zhao, don't be angry, okay?"

Li Chengyi's pupils dilated as he stood up, touching his slightly damp cheeks.

Lin Yanshu straightened up as Li Chengyi stood up.

She waited for Lee Seung-ik's reply.

"not good."

It's still brief, but the tone is completely different.

Lin Yanshu stared blankly at Li Chengyi, unsure of what to do.

Lee Seung-ik pointed to his lips and spoke:

"Just a kiss here will do."

Lin Yanshu shifted her gaze over, and without hesitation, tiptoed lightly and lightly pecked Li Chengyi's lips.

Li Chengyi didn't want to forgive Lin Yanshu so easily, but she had taken the initiative to kiss him.

Li Chengyi raised the corners of his mouth and said with a hint of excitement:

"You won't need to take medicine anymore."

Lin Yanshu's legs went weak, and she staggered a few steps as she stood back. Li Chengyi reached out and put his arm around her waist, then looked down and asked:

"What's wrong?"

"My legs are weak."

Li Chengyi felt guilty.

He steadied Lin Yanshu and took her hand:

"Let me take you to get something to eat."

Lin Yanshu wasn't a picky eater. But she really didn't have much of an appetite right now, and it was only because Li Chengyi was so insistent that Lin Yanshu managed to eat a few bites.

Li Chengyi was relieved to see that she had eaten something, patted her head, and said:

"I have to go out to handle official business. You should rest well and not wander off."

Lin Yanshu nodded.

………………

After Li Chengyi left, Lin Yanshu lay back down on the couch, thinking about what to do next. She planned how to leave, how to make Li Chengyi forget her, and how she could forget him.

She felt a pang of sadness in her heart, just like her body. She closed her eyes, slowly calmed herself down, and fell asleep.

While they were planning to leave, Li Chengyi was thinking of obtaining an imperial edict to make Lin Yanshu his crown princess.

Li Chengyi straightened his clothes and requested an audience with His Majesty.

His Majesty summoned Li Chengyi to his study. Li Chengyi was writing at his desk. His Majesty looked up at Li Chengyi with a kind expression and offered him a seat.

"Zhao'er is here, please sit down."

Li Chengyi did not sit down, but knelt directly before the emperor, earnestly pleading:

"Father, I request an imperial edict."

Li Chengyi rarely asked him for favors, yet his request was so sincere. The emperor put down his brush, a vague sense of foreboding creeping over him. He looked at Li Chengyi, his voice authoritative:

"What does the Crown Prince request?"

"A decree of imperial favor has been issued, and I wish that my father would bestow Lin Yanshu upon me to be my Crown Princess."

The emperor looked at Li Chengyi expressionlessly and refused.

"She is not worthy, she is not worthy of the noble position of Crown Princess."

He wanted to be more resolute, but he knew the Crown Prince's temperament; if he spoke, the Crown Prince might stubbornly persist for who knows how long.

His tone softened slightly:

"If you like her that much, just make her a concubine."

"The Lin family is an orphan with no father or mother, and she is of no benefit to you."

The emperor has made it very clear that he will not make Lin Yanshu the crown princess.

Lee Seung-ik remained kneeling on the ground, repeating his plea:

"I beg my father to grant me this marriage."

The emperor glared at him, and the two remained locked in a stalemate.

Li Chengyi knelt upright, chin tucked in, expressionless and meek.

Seemingly submitting, but actually resisting.

He, the emperor, can no longer control him, but he is still an emperor!

Time passed second by second, and Li Chengyi remained kneeling on the ground.

After Li Chengyi came to power, he made no mistakes. He was so outstanding that even if he had some shortcomings, the emperor was reluctant to punish him. He was also never subjected to any form of punishment.

Having knelt there for so long, Li Chengyi's knees were already red.

His Majesty spoke first:

"Alright, we'll talk about this another day. Get up now."

Li Chengyi knew he couldn't rush things, so he stood up, following His Majesty's steps, and staggered slightly.

He bowed respectfully, stepped back, and went back.

Throughout the journey, he kept thinking that his father felt Lin Yanshu's lowly status meant he couldn't help him. So he decided to find Lin Yanshu a more prestigious identity.

Lin Yanshu's master is a member of the Ji family. The Ji family is not of high social standing, but they are full of scholars and refined people in the capital. He can arrange a place for Lin Yanshu.

He could work on her reputation as a noblewoman, Li Cheng thought to himself.

By the time he got back, it was already dinnertime.

Lin Yanshu inquired about Li Chengyi's whereabouts from Huo Zheng and learned that he had gone to the palace. Thinking that he wouldn't be back for dinner, she ate her own meal.

She was eating when she heard Li Chengyi's voice. She turned her head and saw that Li Chengyi's peach blossom eyes curved into a smile as he quickly walked to Lin Yanshu's side.

Lin Yanshu's cheeks were bulging, which Li Chengyi found adorable. He bent down and gave Lin Yanshu a big kiss on the cheek.

Lin Yanshu's eyes widened instantly, her face flushed red, she was very shocked. She looked at Huo Zheng behind Li Chengyi.

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Author's Note: The first few chapters' "first time" scenes were so intense that I almost vomited blood while revising them; my Dao heart was a bit shattered T﹏T, I'm so angry!