Above the waterside pavilion, the distant sounds of string and bamboo music drifted by, yet the place seemed isolated from the world, so quiet that Chen Zhiyi could even clearly hear his own rapid and disordered heartbeat.
The night breeze carried the heat of summer, yet felt cool against my skin.
A chill spread through my limbs and bones...
It was freezing cold.
She saw that face every day, yet now it felt so unfamiliar.
Shedding his plain white robes and blue attire, with his brows lowered and eyes lowered, his aura spread silently, the oppressive presence of a superior was suffocating, and his affectionate eyes revealed their sharp edge.
Xiao Zhongxuan...
It was actually the current regent!
How could two people who have absolutely no connection be the same person?
Wasn't it said that the Regent's appearance was damaged and his body was weak due to being poisoned by a curse?
His face showed no signs of injury, and his movements were clean and efficient, unlike what was seen at the victory celebration banquet where he was panting every five steps and coughing every three.
Zhou Xuance tossed aside his sword and strode toward her, "Yiyi, are you injured anywhere...?"
Just as his fingers were about to touch her, Shen Zhiyi almost instinctively dodged. His fingers froze, hovering in mid-air, and the atmosphere instantly became awkward.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am fine."
"Yiyi, I'm not..."
"Your Highness, what are your orders for summoning me here today?"
Shen Zhiyi was shocked and shaken. Her mind was in turmoil, and she was unable to think calmly. She could only try to keep her rationality and meet his gaze with only politeness and respect in her eyes.
When his gaze met hers, Zhou Xuance's breathing became slightly heavy. "Let's go inside and talk."
Shen Zhi nodded.
Who told me my life was in his hands?
As she stepped into the small room on the waterside pavilion, she heard footsteps approaching from behind. Suddenly, her wrist was tightened, and she was pulled into the room. The moment the door closed, she was trapped inside.
He pressed down on her, trapping her between his body and the door panel.
The familiar scent instantly assaulted her senses. She reached out to push him away, but unexpectedly, her other wrist was also pressed down, and both her hands were firmly fixed to the door...
His body moved even closer.
"Yiyi..."
Her voice was as gentle as ever, but it sounded like it was wrapped in hot sand, with a slightly rough and deep tone.
"In bed, you called me Sanlang and said you loved me. Now you don't want to take responsibility?"
Shen Zhiyi bit her lip, "When did I ever say I loved you?"
“You didn’t say it, I did. I like… I love you.” His eyes were still so affectionate, and when he was so close, his breath on her face was still burning.
He was just covered in blood.
The smell of blood in her breath constantly reminded her:
The meaning of sinking branches!
The person in front of me is Zhou Xuance!
He moved closer and closer, his breath almost brushing against her lips, when Chen Zhiyi suddenly turned her head away...
Thin lips, a burning kiss brushed past the corner of her lips and landed on her cheek.
"Yiyi," he called her name softly.
"Your Highness, please call me Miss Chen."
The color slowly drained from Zhou Xuance's face. Although he had her bound and was holding her hand, he had a premonition that he seemed to be...
I can't hold onto her.
"You...don't want me anymore?" The voice was broken and strained.
Shen Zhiyi only raised her eyes to look at him, with a slight smile on her face, so polite yet distant: "Your Highness, this humble woman cannot accept this."
At that moment, Zhou Xuance felt as if his blood had frozen. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not trying to hide my identity. I am..."
"Your Highness, what do you want from me?"
She was smiling, but Zhou Xuance felt extremely uncomfortable. His heart pounded, and his breathing became labored. "I..."
"You have regained military power. Do you still covet the 300,000 Northern Army troops under my father and brothers' control?"
"I am not."
"Then what do you want? Me?" Shen Zhiyi chuckled mockingly. "You wield immense power, and the Empress Dowager has gone to great lengths to arrange your marriage. She will naturally match you with a noblewoman of illustrious birth. I am merely a divorced woman..."
"Your Highness, why are you playing tricks on me?"
"A prank?" Zhou Xuance's breath hitched.
"You've been feigning illness, trying to keep it a secret from His Majesty and his ministers, and you've also had to serve as a lowly guard in my household. It must have been quite a hardship for you."
"Hidden from your identity, you stayed by my side, watching me plot, and then fed me Gu worms under the guise of a prince, manipulating me. It seems that the incident where Song Ruoying drugged you last time was also part of your plan."
Shen Zhiyi smiled faintly, "I was extremely anxious at the time and rushed to save you. I'm afraid the prince must have been laughing at me in his heart long ago."
"I've already been burned by a man once, but I never expected..."
"Still so stupid, you've got me completely under your thumb."
He even said he wanted me to support him?
Too weak to take care of herself?
It's all fake!
"Your Highness, you must be very pleased with yourself for teasing and deceiving me like this."
"Yiyi, I..." Zhou Xuance was about to speak when Shen Zhiyi interrupted him, "Your Highness, let go."
Zhou Xuance was still holding her hand to the door.
But he didn't want to let go.
The way Shen Zhiyi looked at him now was unfamiliar and distant; if he relaxed, she would run away...
It seems like I'll never be able to win her over.
"Your Highness, your grip hurts a little."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuance hurriedly released his grip. He restrained his strength so as not to hurt her, but he couldn't bear it when Shen Zhiyi cried out in pain.
He let go of her, took two steps back, and created distance between them.
"Your Highness, if you came here for the Duke's mansion, you may be disappointed. Even if you kill me now, I will not betray my father, brothers, or the Shen family, let alone be poisoned by the Gu."
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