Chapter 34 A soft, lop-eared rabbit snuggled closer...
This secret chamber in Chengguang Hall has imprisoned imperial relatives, treacherous officials who brought disaster to the country, and even top-notch assassins. No one has ever been able to leave here unscathed.
Letting her reflect on her actions here is actually a favor to her.
Before leaving, the prince warned, "Don't move around. There are traps everywhere here. Even touching the most ordinary brick could send out a cold arrow that could pierce your neck."
Yun Kui's face turned deathly pale. She immediately withdrew her hand, which she had only halfway out, and clenched it tightly in her sleeve.
Her voice trembled slightly, and she sounded a little aggrieved: "This servant doesn't know why Your Highness is angry, or why you want to imprison this servant."
"I'm never making you desserts again!"
"I'm never making your desserts again!"
Crown Prince: "..."
He even paused for a moment to react when he heard this, and his face turned ashen after he understood.
He had initially thought that if she obediently begged for mercy, he might consider letting her go. But upon hearing those lewd words, he was filled with rage and gritted his teeth, shouting, "You are incredibly audacious, offending me time and time again. Do you really think I won't get angry?"
In the past, I had been too lenient with her, turning a blind eye to her rebellious thoughts, which emboldened her to go further and dare to say and do anything.
Today, not only did she hurl filthy thoughts in her mind, she also dared to use that peach-shaped steamed bun to seduce him, thinking that he would definitely take the bait and become unable to resist her.
If we don't curb her audacity, she'll dare to take advantage of our favor and start climbing on the roof!
The prince looked at her drooping rabbit ears and her tightly pursed lips, then turned his head away.
"If you still don't know where you went wrong by tomorrow, then continue to reflect on it. Only when you realize your mistake will I release you."
"Your Highness, I..."
As soon as the door closed, the light in the entire secret room immediately dimmed, leaving only a faint candlelight flickering on a candlestick in one corner of the room.
Yun Kui stomped her foot in anger, but after stomping twice, she remembered that he had said there were traps everywhere, so she dared not move again and carefully looked around.
Fortunately, the secret chamber was not as terrifying as the torture chamber outside. There was no overwhelming smell of blood or screams, and she was all alone there. No torturers interrogated her or whipped her.
Once you get used to the quiet atmosphere, you won't feel so scared anymore.
She had actually seen the term "little dark room" in a rather unconventional storybook.
In the story, two brothers are vying for the female lead. The female lead, who was originally going to marry the younger brother, is hidden away by the domineering male lead before the wedding. He locks her in a dark room and forces her to have sex with him every day.
She had almost forgotten the plot, and it was only when Yun Kui saw the torture bed and chains in front of her that she remembered the shameless illustrations in the storybook.
It was also a torture bed. The female protagonist's wrists were chained by the male protagonist, her eyes were blindfolded, and she was suspended high on a leash. The cold, rough whip rope slowly swept across her slender waist and the side of her leash...
As she thought about it, Yun Kui blushed. These instruments of torture that were once feared had become playthings that could be used for flirting and arousal in her mind.
I can't think about it, or I'll feel uncomfortable all over.
Let's just criticize the Crown Prince!
Scolding the crown prince is more in line with her current mood.
He told her to reflect on her actions, but she had no idea what she had done wrong.
Is it because she saw his absurd dream that he lost face?
Was it because of those peach-shaped steamed buns she made? But even if he misunderstood and thought she did it on purpose, it didn't warrant punishing her with confinement!
Of course, if he knew about all her usual thoughts of cursing him, lusting after him, and defiling him, then she would have nothing to say.
This is truly a heinous crime.
The crown prince emerged from the secret chamber, and Cao Yuanlu, who had been waiting outside the palace gate, wiped away a cold sweat and knelt down tremblingly.
"It was because Your Highness ate so little for dinner that I asked Miss Yun Kui to make some snacks. If you must punish someone, then punish me!"
The crown prince gave him a cold glance: "Did you teach her how to make those pastries?"
“No, that’s not it,” Cao Yuanlu said, his face flushing. “But I assure you that the young lady has no ill intentions. At most, she just wants to get closer to His Highness.”
He knew that his prince was exceptionally intelligent, especially after returning to the capital from the northern frontier. He could discern many clues from a single word or even a single expression from his subordinates that others could not.
Those who were punished did indeed have something to hide, but Cao Yuanlu, having served in the inner court for decades, possessed a certain ability to judge people. He knew Yun Kui's character clearly, and His Highness must have seen it as well. This girl had only spoken out of turn that one night; she was usually very obedient and good-natured. Even when threatened with poison, she never considered assassinating His Highness. Yet His Highness still punished her!
Cao Yuanlu sighed: "What kind of place is that secret room? There's no one to call for help. She's just a little girl, her courage is so small. How could she withstand being scared?"
"It's rare for a girl to care about you, so you should be grateful! If you scare her away, you'll regret it!"
Hearing his audacious thoughts, the Crown Prince clenched his fist and coldly ordered him to leave: "Get out."
Left with no other choice, Cao Yuanlu had to take his leave.
The crown prince sat alone on the couch, rubbing his temples.
The treacherous schemes and deceptions of the past two decades have honed his ability to conceal his emotions, allowing him to handle all situations with ease. It has been a long time since anyone has been able to stir his emotions in such a way.
Even he himself didn't understand.
Perhaps she felt that he, as the crown prince, should not be treated so abruptly and disrespectfully by a mere maid.
Perhaps it was that rare intimacy that made him feel like a stranger, and his subconscious reaction was to be wary and defensive.
He had seen too much ulterior motives in flattery and pandering to others' tastes, and had also experienced betrayal from those closest to him. He no longer cared about giving undue affection to strangers.
The higher you climb, the colder it gets, especially for someone of his status, surrounded by wolves and living a precarious existence. He doesn't need those false flatteries to spice up his life or deceive himself.
Her arrival was indeed special. Her unique sunflower scent could relieve his headache. As for her arrogant words, they shocked and angered him, but they also made him feel the long-lost, unmasked vitality of a living person. So, her occasional jokes were not enough to truly anger him.
What he truly resisted was any deliberate approach, the feeling of being manipulated by her with just a few words, and the gradual build-up of his anger and embarrassment from her repeated verbal offenses, which had eventually led to his loss of control.
With his fingertips pressed against his brow, he recalled her tightly pursed lips and aggrieved expression when he left.
Did she really cry from fright?
This secret room is extremely soundproof; even if there are heart-wrenching screams and howls inside, people outside the screen cannot hear a thing.
If someone were locked up here for several days and nights, completely cut off from the outside world, the fear and pressure could drive even the most determined assassins insane.
No matter how audacious she is, she's still an inexperienced young girl, and she might already be crying and begging for mercy inside.
But releasing him after only an hour would make him seem like he was going back on his word and was utterly unacceptable.
Forget it, why bother arguing with her?
She's never serious, didn't he know that from the beginning?
Everyone in this world wants to harm him, but she is different. From beginning to end, she coveted his body. Even when she thought she was in deep trouble, she mustered all her courage and only dared to sleep with him. She felt that she had no regrets in this life. Isn't this a kind of purity?
The prince's gaze fell on the elephant-eared, beast-footed incense burner burning charcoal in the hall. Oh well, the weather in the twelfth lunar month is too cold. If she catches a cold, it will be a waste of He Bailing's medicine to treat her.
The crown prince sighed deeply, got up, and turned the candlestick.
As I slowly stepped into the inner room, I first heard a few muffled murmurs, like those in a dream, muffled and with a slight sob in their voice.
He felt a sudden tightness in his chest and quickly found the small figure in the corner of the secret room.
The little girl was curled up on the ground with her arms crossed, her body trembling slightly, and she was sobbing incoherently.
The prince frowned, bent down and picked her up. In the dim candlelight, he saw her tightly closed eyes, flushed cheeks, and glistening, moist eyes, as if she had been crying.
He touched her forehead with the back of his hand and was relieved to find that she didn't have a fever. He called her name, but when she didn't respond, he simply carried her back to his bedchamber.
The girl seemed to sense him holding her in his arms and instinctively tried to pull away, "Your Highness, no..."
The prince pressed her head back against his neck, his gaze coolly lowered: "Don't want what?"
She was placed on the bed and instinctively burrowed into the warm, soft quilt.
The Crown Prince stared at her flushed face, unsure whether she was sick or asleep. Just as he was about to send someone to fetch He Bailing, he saw her twist her waist and mumble, "Your Highness, please don't... don't spank Kui Kui's bottom..."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince paused for a moment, then a dark fire suddenly raged within him, churning with emotions he himself could not explain.
He gritted his teeth, almost unable to bear it any longer, and raised his hand to slap her shapely, undulating buttocks.
"Wake up."
Yun Kui felt a slight pain and heard the Crown Prince's cold voice.
But the pain was clearly not from the Crown Prince's whip; it was a real, clear, dull ache, distinct from the dream.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself lying in warm, familiar bedding, with a cozy candlelight glowing in the tent.
When she looked up again, she met the Crown Prince's gloomy, dark eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she almost stammered, "Your Highness?"
Suppressing his anger, the crown prince practically spat out the words through clenched teeth: "Dreaming?"
Recalling the dream she had just had, Yun Kui dared not answer directly, and softened her voice, saying, "Your Highness is not planning to punish me? Does this mean you've allowed me to return?"
The crown prince smiled enigmatically. "Tell me, what did you dream about just now?"
Yun Kui spoke vaguely and said with a wronged expression, "I dreamt that His Highness tortured me and made me admit my mistakes. I was very scared..."
"You can't exactly say, 'I dreamt that you tossed and turned me on that torture bed and whipped my butt with a little leather whip!'"
Crown Prince: "..."
He clenched his fists and sighed deeply.
I was worried that she was timid and scared, and I thought she would cry and beg for forgiveness inside, hoping that she could change her ways and behave properly from now on...
The crown prince suddenly felt lost and powerless.
Perhaps that's just who she is; her mind is structured differently from others. Even with a knife to her throat, she remains heartless, her mind filled only with absurd and filthy things.
I just don't know if she only has these wild thoughts in front of him, or if she does this in front of others?
In front of the Sixth Prince, and in the past when he met those guards in private, did he ever have such filthy and despicable thoughts?
He gritted his teeth, about to question her, when suddenly his hand went limp. The soft, lop-eared rabbit snuggled up to him and slowly hugged his arm. Seeing that he didn't react, it hugged him even tighter.
"Your Highness, you can punish me however you like, just don't lock me up alone anymore. I'm scared when I can't see Your Highness..."
The prince closed his eyes tightly, knowing full well that she was not sincere and had no remorse whatsoever. Yet, because of this sudden closeness, he felt as if something inside his heart had collapsed, and a tingling sensation spread through him.
By the time Yun Kui realized what was happening, he had already pinned her down on the bed.
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