Early in the morning, Nan Yi felt a prickly, itchy sensation on her cheek while she was asleep. She reached out and scratched it, then slapped someone's face with her paw.

The sound was crisp and startled her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Fourth Uncle was staring at her with sleepy eyes. He looked like he had just woken up, probably because he had been slapped. He probably didn't understand why he had been slapped so early in the morning.

With her hand still pressed against his face, Nan Yi tried to pull away the evidence of her crime, but Yinzhen grabbed her hand and put it under the covers, squeezing his body closer and pulling her into his arms.

Nan Yi raised her leg to block him, and said without a trace of emotion, "Stay away from me."

"Yi'er?" His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had just woken up. Yinzhen's gaze was affectionate but tinged with helplessness. "If you're not happy, you can slap me again."

At this moment, he forgot his status and pride as a prince. She dared to scold him, and he could take a hit from her.

He was willing to set aside his status and coax her back if he could dispel her resentment.

He could sense that her attitude towards him was getting colder and colder with each change. In the first few times, regardless of whether he was at fault or she was at fault, the rift between them could not be deepened any further.

"You think I hit you because I was upset? You can hit me back." Nan glanced at him, her brows cold.

It's not the first time anyway, so one more time won't hurt.

Yinzhen tightened his grip on her slender shoulder, his brows furrowing slightly. "Yi'er, I acted impulsively that day, suddenly learning about this... You should understand, I want a child with your blood. I will find the person who plotted against you sooner or later and give you justice."

"Hmph," Nan Yi sneered, her tone mocking, "Fairness? Aren't you ashamed to say that? This isn't the first time, but it's definitely the last. They'll never have another chance."

She has no intention of returning to the manor. Even if Fourth Master catches her, she will not go back. If she cannot escape, she can find an opportunity to fake her death. This is something she needs to plan carefully.

The fourth uncle insisted on taking her back, but she planned to ask to stay in another courtyard or not go back at all.

"What do you mean by this? You don't trust me at all?" Yinzhen was slightly annoyed. She always knew how to hit a nerve.

He was well aware of the jealousy and rivalry among his wives and concubines in the backyard, and as long as things didn't get too ugly, he usually turned a blind eye. But he had no intention of letting Yi'er off lightly.

Has it already disappointed her so much?

"I never expected it. Whether you believe it or not, don't you know your own limitations?"

"......"

Words blaming her, and deep resentment hidden beneath, left Yinzhen speechless for a moment. He admitted that he felt guilty towards her, and that upon receiving her message, he hadn't uttered a single angry word, his only concern being for her safety.

But that wasn't enough; what more did they want from him?

He laid his heart bare and told her that she was all he thought about and cared about, and that he didn't even blame her for leaving the mansion in anger.

You can't just give him a single kind word, or he'll pluck the stars from the sky and give them to her.

Yinzhen gave her a deep look, and the next second, he flipped over and pinned her down, holding her tightly with both hands. He brought his head close to her ear and whispered, "Don't move, Yi'er, I miss you so much."

The words reached her ears, and Nan Yi froze for a moment. She thought of him—wasn't he trying to strangle her? Didn't he often say that phrase?

After more than ten days apart, Fourth Uncle's skills have improved again. He has learned to use sweet words to coax people. Did Nian teach him that?

That woman was a smooth talker, her words were like honeyed daggers; what came out of her mouth might not kill you with anger, but it could make you feel utterly disgusted.

"The study is so lonely without you," he said. Apart from Wanyue Pavilion, the study was the place where the two of them spent the most time alone.

He usually didn't go to the backyard, staying in the study to handle official business. She would often sneak in, and the next day when he went to court, she would sneak back.

She ignored him and stopped coming to the study. The room was empty, and he felt strange without her antics.

"After the master finished beating, he regretted it very much. The old woman who found the contraceptive peach was dead. She committed suicide in the dark dungeon. She must have felt guilty."

"You've been clamoring for a child, and I believe you. You didn't put that thing there." Yinzhen finally laid bare his true feelings to her.

Nan Yi listened in silence for a long time, and after a while asked, "Why didn't you believe it back then?" She even hit her in front of Nian Shi. That woman had long disliked her and targeted her at every turn.

This time, the Fourth Master hit her in front of her, and Madam Nian is probably very pleased with herself.

She told Xiao Xi that it was true that being beaten in public was shameful.

Yinzhen held Tongshi tightly with both hands, rested his chin on her forehead, and said softly, "The deeper the love, the deeper the hate. That day, I happened to hear from my tenth brother that his wife was secretly using contraceptives. I was so infatuated that I suspected you. Who would have thought that I would actually find something in your body? How could I not be angry? I was so angry that I lost my mind."

There's also the matter of the Tenth Prince involved.

But, "Why should I take birth control pills?" Even though he had doubts, he never really thought about the reasons behind it.

"You'll have to ask yourself why."

"I?"

"Hmm." Yinzhen sighed softly, revealing his deepest sorrow, "I often worry that one day you might fly away without me noticing."

It's normal for him to be suspicious of a woman who doesn't want to stay by his side, doesn't want the burden of children, and can leave freely at any time.

She was always up and down, and if you weren't careful, she would disappear without a trace. He had thought about using her family and servants to control her, but after thinking it over, he didn't do it. He was afraid that if he could keep her by his side, he might not be able to keep her heart.

What use is a mere shell when Yi'er's heart is not with him?

Nan Yi stiffened slightly, blinked, and thought to himself, "Fourth Master's intuition is quite accurate."

Yinzhen seemed to sense something, a hint of understanding flashing deep in his eyes. It seemed that Yi'er really had this plan.

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