Confused and infatuated

Cui Shenzhi's question stumped Ping An. It wasn't that she didn't know how to answer, but rather that Cui Shenzhi shouldn't have asked that question at this time and under these circumstances.

Wait a minute, wasn't Choi Shin-ji drunk? How can he still ask questions? Could it be that Choi Shin-ji was faking being drunk?

Ping An kicked Cui Shenzhi in the stomach, and while he was in pain, she pushed him away and sat up, pulling her clothes together.

"Cui Shenzhi, are you pretending to be drunk? You think it's funny to come to my room and take liberties with me in the middle of the night after pretending to be drunk? Do you think you can trample on me at will just because you're the emperor? Get out! Get out of here! I hate you!"

Cui Shenzhi neither answered nor left. Instead, he staggered back to the bedside, knelt on the footstool, and asked in a pleading and anxious voice, "Ping An, do you like me?"

Ping An didn't answer, but instead frowned and kicked Cui Shenzhi's shoulder hard, knocking him to the ground.

Cui Shenzhi was not annoyed. After getting up, he knelt by the bed and continued to ask the same question.

Ping An was now a little unsure.

Was Cui Shenzhi truly drunk or faking it? Should she continue? Cui Shenzhi had already ascended the throne, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would surely take her as a concubine. If she didn't seize this opportunity, it was uncertain whether she would have another chance before being made a concubine, and then she wouldn't be able to hide her deception of Cui Shenzhi any longer.

Ping An moved closer to Cui Shenzhi, staring down at him for a while before reaching out and lifting Cui Shenzhi's chin.

Her thumb gently stroked Cui Shenzhi's face, her eyes fixed on his expression, and she asked tentatively, "Shenzhi, does it matter whether I like you or not? As long as I'm yours, isn't that enough?"

Cui Shenzhi's expression remained unchanged as he persistently asked the question, like a traveler in the desert parched to the extreme, knowing full well that it was nothing but a mirage, yet still rushing headlong into it, attempting to drown in that blissful fantasy until death.

Seeing Choi Shin-ji's reaction, Ping An raised an eyebrow.

Tsk, it seems she was overthinking it; Choi Shin-ji was indeed drunk.

Wait a minute, to ask such a question while drunk, at the very last moment... could it be that Choi Shin-ji... is incapable?! No way!

A hint of panic flashed in Ping An's eyes, and her gaze toward Cui Shenzhi became more probing.

But she wasn't Lu Fengping, who knew medicine, so how could she tell whether Cui Shenzhi was capable or not? She could only try harder to flirt with him.

She stared into Cui Shenzhi's eyes, her voice carrying a hint of seduction as she whispered, "Shenzhi, I like you, I like you so much, and in this world, I only like you. I don't like anyone else."

As Ping An spoke, she grabbed Cui Shenzhi's collar and pulled him onto the bed little by little. After stripping off his clothes, she pushed him down onto the bed.

She straddled Cui Shenzhi's waist, lowered her head, and kissed him from his forehead down his face and neck. Her long, flowing black hair cascaded over his body, gently brushing against him with her movements, sending shivers down his spine. Then…

She stopped.

She didn't know what to do next.

She was, after all, a young woman. No matter how outspoken those deposed concubines in the Cold Palace were, that was about all she could understand. What followed was all that talk about desperately flattering and winning favor, but she had no idea what that meant or how to do it.

Just as Ping An was feeling troubled, Cui Shenzhi exerted force, and their positions were reversed, with Ping An now being the one pinned down by Cui Shenzhi.

Ping An was only stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around Cui Shenzhi's neck, pulling him closer to her. She breathed softly into his ear and said coquettishly, "Shenzhi, you like me, and I like you. It's only right that our love is mutual, isn't it?"

Hearing this, and seeing Ping An's submissive attitude, Cui Shenzhi felt a tightness in his lower abdomen and a dry throat. His mind was screaming for him to continue, but only a sliver of reason remained, desperately telling him that this was not right.

Ping An looked at Cui Shenzhi with eyes practically spitting fire, as if she wanted to devour her whole, yet she remained motionless for a long time, making her even more suspicious that Cui Shenzhi was impotent.

No wonder Cui Shenzhi is still so clean-cut at his age. No wonder Cui Shenzhi said that she was all he needed. She thought Cui Shenzhi had feelings for her, but it turns out that Cui Shenzhi is impotent and was fooled by her act into thinking that he could be with her.

Tsk, it seems she'll have to find a way to give birth to a 'son of Choi Shin-ji' in the future.

Ping An gave a slightly disgusted twitch of her lips, frowned, and reached out to push Cui Shenzhi.

It was getting late, and since things were beyond saving, why should she waste any more time?

But Cui Shenzhi remained motionless, showing no intention of getting up.

Ping An wouldn't tolerate Cui Shenzhi, that drunkard. She raised her foot to kick him away, but before she could even move, Cui Shenzhi grabbed her foot and rubbed it against her ankle a few times.

This action made Ping An feel strangely uncomfortable, so she struggled to pull her leg out. She didn't know where she touched, but she heard Cui Shenzhi's breath hitch, and then Cui Shenzhi pressed down, leaving only blush-inducing sounds in the room.

*****

The next morning, when Ping An woke up, she felt something was wrong with her body, especially the hands that were holding her and the sensation of their skin touching each other on her back...

Wait, she's being held in the arms of a naked man?!

Ping An's eyes sharpened, and she quickly began to look around for anything she could use to attack someone. Unexpectedly, she saw a bright yellow garment lying quietly within her reach.

She then recalled what had happened last night.

No matter how cunning Ping An was, she was still just a young girl, and a blush inevitably appeared on her face when she thought about what happened last night.

She calmed herself down, carefully pulled away Cui Shenzhi's hand from her waist, and, remembering what the deposed concubines had said about the 'primordial redness' that must be present on the first night, she searched the bed carefully.

Just then, a pair of hands pulled her from behind into a somewhat familiar and warm embrace.

“Ping An,” Cui Shenzhi’s doting voice came from above Ping An’s head: “No need to bother, I heard what you said to the late Empress yesterday.”

Hearing this, Ping An gasped in fright and tried to run away, but because Cui Shenzhi held her tightly in his arms, she couldn't go anywhere and could only turn her head to glare at Cui Shenzhi.

"So you weren't drunk at all yesterday! You came to me just to humiliate me! You despicable and shameless scoundrel!"

Seeing Ping An's flustered and uneasy appearance, Cui Shenzhi said with a hint of solemnity, "Ping An, I was rude to you yesterday, but my feelings for you are sincere."

Ping An was stunned.

“I don’t mind that you lied to me, I don’t mind that you approached me with an ulterior motive, and I don’t mind that you used me.” Cui Shenzhi kissed Ping An’s forehead, his voice full of seriousness: “Ping An, I love you and want to spend my life with you.”

Ping An thought Cui Shenzhi might be crazy, otherwise how could he say such things after hearing what she said? But she didn't dare to say it, and could only stiffly nestle in Cui Shenzhi's arms without daring to move.

The two remained quietly embracing for about fifteen minutes before Cui Shenzhi had Qi Kang and Siwei lead people over to tidy up. After tidying up, he took Ping An's hand and led her to the Qianqing Palace, handing her over to Qingya, who had been waiting there for a long time, before leaving alone.

As soon as Cui Shenzhi left, Qingya hurriedly asked, "Ping An, did Cui Shenzhi do anything to you?"

Ping An didn't answer Qing Ya's question, but said somewhat flusteredly, "Mother, Cui Shenzhi heard everything. He heard about how I used him, how I schemed against him, and how I am Fu Yunjin's daughter. That's why he came to find me. I thought he was drunk. I... In short, I messed up."

Ping An paced back and forth anxiously in the magnificent Qianqing Palace.

"I knew it, I knew Fu Yunjin was an unlucky person. Anyone who got involved with her would be unlucky. Why did I have to go to Kunning Palace just because it was her birthday yesterday? Why do I have to be so meddlesome?"

"It's over, it's over! Cui Shenzhi must be thinking about how to kill me right now. No, I have to get out of the palace!" Ping An grabbed Qingya's arm tightly: "Mother, since you know there are dog holes in Kunning Palace, you should also know how to escape from the palace, right?!"

Qingya shook her head.

"If I had known this, I wouldn't have taken you to the Cold Palace in the first place."

"waste!"

Ping An gave Qingya a hard push, but Qingya only took a few steps back. Because of what happened last night, she was unsteady on her feet and fell to the ground. However, she did not get up, but sat on the ground and shouted, but she was afraid that the people outside the palace gate would hear her, so she could only lower her voice.

"Useless! You're a piece of trash! You couldn't help Fu Yunjin back then, and you can't help me now. You're a piece of trash who can't do anything! I'm useless too! I was so close to getting everything I wanted, just a little bit more, just a little bit more! Fu Yunjin is useless too! If it weren't for her birthday, I wouldn't have been discovered by Cui Shenzhi at this time!"

"They're all trash! Trash!"

Qingya could tell that Ping'an was terrified, so she quickly went over and hugged her despite her resistance.

"It's alright, Ping An. With your mother here, I won't let anything happen to you, I absolutely won't let anything happen to you. Three days, just bear with it for three more days. After three days, there will be morning court again. I can go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and, in front of all the civil and military officials, smash my head against a pillar to prove your princess status with my blood. At that time, Cui Shenzhi will naturally be unable to do anything to you."

"Mother, is it true?" Ping An gripped Qing Ya's hand tightly, her voice trembling as she asked, "Is this really okay?"

"Yes, definitely. Choi Shin-ji has only recently ascended the throne, and he did so as Choi Suk-gong's son. Once the court officials know your and his identities, he can't possibly do anything to you."

"Then it's all up to you, Mom. I'm counting on you. You're all I have left. I swear, I'll be good from now on. I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'll live my life honestly as you said. I won't cause any more trouble. I'll never cause any more trouble again. I don't want anything anymore."