Chapter 568 Extra - Why Force It?

Haitang quickly returned with a bowl of ginseng soup, helped Shutong up and drank some: "Finish the ginseng soup and rest for a while. I will help you bathe and change. Look at you, you look like a mud doll now."

Shu Tong paused in her soup-drinking motion: "A clay figure? Bring me a mirror so I can take a look."

The man had looked at her with such deep affection, and she assumed she must be a delicate and pitiful sight, forgetting that she had just been rescued from the cave.

How good can it be?

Sure enough, when Haitang brought the mirror over, Shutong looked at her disheveled, pale, and weak appearance in the mirror and felt an urge to bang her head against the wall.

She's already so ugly, why is that man still looking at her so affectionately?

Could this be the legendary "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?

Shu Tong took the ginseng soup and gulped it down in one go, then waved her hand and said, "Let's go, take a bath and change."

She couldn't bear it any longer; she couldn't stand her current state of disgrace for even a second longer.

...

In the evening, Shu Tong made sure to wash up and put on exquisite makeup before waiting in the lobby.

She remembered the man saying he would come to see her that night, so she waited.

But the man didn't come, even after nightfall.

Haitang probably knew what she was waiting for, so she sent someone to ask. She didn't tell Shutong the news when it came back, but just advised her to rest.

Shu Tong had already noticed her whispering with the palace servants, so she asked directly, "Tell me, why hasn't His Highness come yet?"

Haitang avoided eye contact: "The plague has not been completely eradicated yet, and His Highness is often busy until late at night. Your Highness should not wait any longer."

Shu Tong calmly took a sip of the ginseng tea and said, "Then let's wait."

Haitang opened her mouth: "I just sent someone to ask, and His Highness went to Chuyun Palace as soon as he returned. He had dinner there and is still staying there now..."

Shu Tong felt a sudden pang of sadness, and her smile faltered.

yes.

She was probably deceived by the atmosphere in the cave, and underwent the "suspension bridge effect," actually wanting to stay and keep him company.

But he is the crown prince.

He now has a crown princess, and when he becomes the emperor, he will have three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines...

Noticing that Shu Tong's expression was off, Haitang quickly added, "Your Highness, today is the first day of the lunar month, His Highness should be in Chuyun Palace."

yes.

The new moon belongs to the Crown Princess.

From now on, it belongs to the Empress.

What right does a respectable woman like her have to ask for true love?

The thought of sharing a man's life with another woman is suffocating.

Why should she force herself?

Shu Tong picked up the ginseng tea and took a sip, then stood up and said, "Go back to your room and rest."

"Yes," Haitang replied, and hurried over to help her.

After walking through the corridor back to her bedroom, Shu Tong glanced at the sky. There were stars but no moon; it was pitch black.

...

At this moment, Chen Ci was indeed in Chuyun Palace, but not in Ye Qingning Palace. Instead, he was drinking with Chu Song in a secluded side room.

His heart was filled with complicated thoughts, and he had no one to confide in.

Fortunately, there was still the Chu-Song dynasty.

Although he had drunk a lot and was already tipsy, Chen Ci's speech was still relatively clear: "Boss, what should I do? I think I've really fallen for Shu Tong... What should I do?"

Actually, he should have kept these words to himself.

After all, his purpose in coming here was to help Lin Feiyan and Ye Qingning complete their mission, but now he has fallen in love with the NPC of the mission.

He could not stay in this world, but he left his heart in it.

What should we do now?

How could Chu and Song possibly know?

He wanted to help Chen Ci complete the mission as soon as possible so that he could leave with Ye Qingning, but he also didn't want to see Chen Ci live in longing and pain from then on.

They are all people manipulated by fate, so how can they possibly understand the will of fate?

They're nothing more than puppets on strings.

"Does she like you?" Chu Song asked.

Chen Ci thought for a while, then shook his head and nodded: "She probably likes it a little... but not necessarily... she wants freedom..."

"Then give her her freedom." Chu Song also picked up a glass of wine and took a sip; it tasted spicy. "Or, you can stay and keep her company?"

Chu Song said quietly, "Perhaps if I tell Qingqing the truth, she can accept me as I am now, so let's stay together."

Chen Ci suddenly looked up at him: "Stay? Yes... I can stay..."

Suddenly there was a stomping sound on the roof, followed by the crisp sound of tiles hitting the ground.

Chu Song immediately grabbed his sword and rushed out the door, a white shadow flashing across the rooftop.

It's Abao.

Chu Song narrowed his eyes.

What exactly happened with that cat?

After confirming that there was nothing else, Chu Song returned to the room, where Chen Ci was already asleep, slumped over the table.

...

Early the next morning.

When Chen Ci woke up, he felt a splitting headache; the aftereffects of a hangover made him frown.

Chu Song brewed him a pot of tea: "Get up and have some tea. You should go and get back to work."

Chen Ci looked at Chu Song and raised his hand to rub his temples: "Boss, how did I end up here with you?"

"You came to see me for drinks last night, have you forgotten?" Chu Song poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him.

Chen Ci took the tea and gulped it down, but still had no recollection: "I don't remember anything at all."

As he dressed, he said, "I only remember coming to Chuyun Palace after returning to the Crown Prince's residence, and then I have no recollection of anything else."

Chu Song was taken aback for a moment.

"What kind of alcohol did you give me? This is pretty strong." Chen Ci didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a hangover.

Just then, Chu Song heard Chu Jia calling him, telling him to hurry up and go to his post. He then told Chen Ci and left with his sword.

Chen Ci drank some tea and washed his face. Feeling hungry, he left Chu Song's residence and planned to return to Chengqian Palace.

But then, for some inexplicable reason, I ended up in front of Wutongju, hesitating whether to go in and take a look.

Just then, the door of Wutong Residence opened, and Haitang came out carrying a basket. She was taken aback when she saw Chen Ci, and bowed respectfully: "Is Your Highness here to see our young mistress? Our young mistress waited for you until late last night."

Chen Ci felt a sudden pang in his heart and pulled his raised foot back: "No, please tell her to rest well. I have some things to take care of at the palace."

After saying this, Chen Ci left directly.

Haitang opened her mouth as she watched his retreating figure, then silently sighed.

strangeness.

She suddenly felt that something was off between the Crown Prince and the young mistress, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

...

In short, Chen Ci became busy again in the days that followed, and it was unclear whether he had something to do or deliberately kept himself busy.

Most of the time he was not in the Crown Prince's residence. He was either in the palace to discuss matters or in the clinic to check on the plague situation. He also had to deal with the aftermath of the landslide that day.

After recuperating at the Crown Prince's residence for a few days, Chen Shi was taken back to the palace by the Empress. In addition to recuperating, she also had to prepare for her wedding, so she was very busy.

As Ye Zhiyuan's younger sister and Chen Shi's sister-in-law, Ye Qingning was also called back by the Ye family to help advise on the wedding details.