Emerging from the Crown Prince's study, the sun shone even brighter. Unlike the coolness of the morning, it was so warm that I broke into a sweat after just a few steps.

Xu Yunci glanced at the layers of palaces behind the main hall, then turned to walk towards it. However, he was bumped into by a palace maid just as he reached the entrance. The maid's eyes lit up at the sight of him; forgetting her own rudeness, she acted as if she had seen a savior.

The sun was high in the sky, and it was already past 9 AM. Li Shiyue withdrew her gaze; she hadn't expected that simply helping her cousin out would lead to her being entangled with the Prince of Yan and unable to get away.

Fortunately, Shou Dong was quick-witted and managed to go back and get reinforcements while the Prince of Yan wasn't paying attention. She just hoped her cousin would come and save her as soon as possible.

Li Shiyue placed her hands in front of her body, her eyes lowered, and as she moved, the hair ornaments on both sides of her hair swayed slightly.

The pair of purple jade hibiscus earrings adorned her ears; her full earlobes were delicate and slender, and they must feel wonderful to hold in one's hand. Qin Ying's gaze shifted in meaning. If she were merely a cousin of the Xu family, becoming a prince's concubine might still be a possibility.

But now she's a county princess, and even if she's of high status, as long as the officials approve, she's worthy of them. No, even without the title of county princess, the Xu family would never allow Li Shiyue to become a concubine.

Qin Ying's gaze fell on Li Shiyue's face. He had heard that Old Madam Xu doted on this cousin, and he was afraid that even if the position of Princess Consort of Yan were offered to her, she might not even be willing to take a second look.

Seeing Li Shiyue's distant attitude, Qin Ying wasn't stupid. He understood reality; if it weren't for his status, she would have left impatiently long ago.

But there was nothing she could do; she couldn't leave.

A smile played on Qin Ying's lips, and his scrutinizing gaze became increasingly obvious. Li Shiyue seemed to sense this, turning her body to the side and then backing away.

"The county princess is afraid of me."

Li Shiyue suppressed her impatience: "Your Highness is a gentle and refined gentleman, why should you be afraid of the word?"

"Is that so? Then why is the county princess avoiding me?" Without even raising his head, Qin Ying reached out and touched his cheek, wondering if he looked frightening.

Li Shiyue was unaware of Qin Ying's thoughts, but she could roughly guess them. She did not raise her eyes, keeping her head down with a respectful expression: "Your Highness is joking again. To me, Your Highness is an outsider. To Your Highness, I am an unmarried woman. No matter what, it is inappropriate for us to be alone together."

"Does the county princess mean that I can be considered to have a joking relationship with her?" Qin Ying seemed not to understand the implication in her words that she was drawing a line between them, and remained as eager as ever.

His passion differed from Meng Zhuo's. Meng Zhuo was dissolute and rude, and Xu Yunbo was a spoiled and disrespectful playboy, but Qin Ying's was the kind of person whose thoughts were incomprehensible to others, yet were clearly evident on his face. He had developed feelings for Li Shiyue.

But on the surface, it only looks like he's developed a liking for her; who knows what he's really thinking?

Li Shiyue sneered inwardly, recalling the heartfelt words Xu Lingzi had spoken to her yesterday. Although the crown prince had been chosen, who knew what the Prince of Yan truly meant, whether he harbored any disloyalty, or whether he was truly subservient to Chonghua Palace?

Getting close to her is merely the first step in getting close to the Xu family. What will he do to harm the Xu family and Chonghua Palace?

The Xu family is now completely integrated with Chonghua Palace. If something happens to the Xu family, the Crown Prince will naturally not be able to escape.

Even if Xu Lingzi hadn't said anything, Li Shiyue naturally wouldn't have dared to act recklessly. Besides, she didn't think the Prince of Yan was someone she could rely on. He was a prince, that was true, but she didn't know him well.

She needed someone who could protect her, someone whose background she knew, someone whose character she could at least be sure of. The Prince of Yan was different; he gave her an uncomfortable feeling, from their very first meeting.

"I'm just joking, but what does Your Highness think the relationship is?"

She smiled slightly, her almond-shaped eyes as clear as the full moon in the night sky. Qin Ying was so captivated that he couldn't come back to his senses for a while, his eyes fixed on Li Shiyue's face.

Noticing Qin Ying's gaze, the burning intensity in his eyes made her want to look away. Li Shiyue turned her head and took a step further away. Just as Qin Ying reacted and was about to step forward, Li Shiyue could no longer hold back: "Your Highness, please wait."

Qin Ying looked puzzled, seemingly not realizing he had done anything wrong.

Li Shiyue felt her patience was about to run out. She suppressed her smile and looked down at her feet: "This humble woman has been out for too long. I should go back to see my cousin. I won't bother Your Highness any longer."

She bowed and turned to leave, her feet seemingly wanting to fly, but just as she took her left step, Qin Ying appeared before her in two quick steps. Li Shiyue's brows furrowed, her lips pressed into a straight line, and her almond-shaped eyes held a hint of displeasure.

"What does Your Highness mean by this?"

Even though Qin Ying was a prince in the palace, she was still a county princess personally appointed by the emperor. Was there any reason not to let her leave? She didn't believe it, but she was really worried about what Qin Ying might do. Li Shiyue's eyes were filled with undisguised vigilance as she stared at Qin Ying, as if she was afraid that he would make any move.

Li Shiyue was like a cat with its fur standing on end; the wariness in her eyes and the barely concealed ferocity were like a docile cat revealing its sharp claws.

Qin Ying observed this and suddenly had an idea: if he couldn't marry the Fu family's daughter, what was wrong with marrying the one in front of him? She was a county princess personally appointed by his father, and because of her, his father even punished the princess born to the Fu family.

If she were his princess, would he be more respected by his father?

He had been longing for this day for so long, so long that he remembered everything that had happened in the capital city from childhood to adulthood. If this day truly came, then his life would not have been in vain.

A distinct obsession surfaced in Qin Ying's eyes, an obsession bordering on fanaticism, accompanied by a slightly ferocious expression.

His gaze fell on Li Shiyue, his eyes filled with a sense of determination, like a hungry wolf in the deep mountains finally spotting its prey, its eyes gleaming with a greedy ferocity, as if it could pounce on her at any moment and devour her flesh without leaving a trace.

"What do you mean? You're a county princess, which means you're just a cousin of the Duke of Rongguo's family. In the future, you'll still have to follow your husband after marriage. You're not a proper daughter of the Xu family. You're just a county princess. Even if you get married, what kind of person can you marry?"

“Those ordinary people, even if they have some wealth, how can they compare to me? If you marry me, the Princess of Yichang will be enough for you to be the principal wife of a prince. At that time, you can help me in front of the Emperor. Together, we can become the most noble and happiest couple in the world. Wouldn't that be wonderful?”

Li Shiyue could not hide her shock. The greed in the Prince of Yan's eyes was almost undisguised, and she did not react for a moment.

Prince Yan truly harbored other intentions towards Chonghua Palace, and even Funing Palace.

"Your Highness is too kind. I am just a woman from another family and have no influence in His Majesty's eyes."