Xue Shen placed his palm on her cheek, his thumb gently stroking it, his voice hoarse and deep: "No, I only regret that I fell for you too late."
He recalled Shen Youying when she was still young, like a jade maiden serving Guanyin Bodhisattva, such a small bundle, with a soft and easily coaxed temperament. If he had kept her by his side back then, there would be no Lu Minghe, and she would not have encountered the predicament she later faced.
"I should have kept you by my side when you fell into the water."
Xue Shen gently kissed her eyelashes, his deep voice escaping from his lips.
Shen Youying's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know I had fallen into the water before..."
Xue Shen smiled and grasped her waist, pulling her closer to him. His lips lingered on her earlobe and the side of her neck, kissing her gently. His warm palm pressed against the curve of Shen Youying's waist, and he whispered, "Zhao Zhao never imagined that in such a remote place, a little eunuch would happen to pass by and dare to confront the arrogant Xuan Ci?"
Shen Youying hadn't really thought of this. Her pupils dilated, and she was about to say something when Xue Shen bit her lip and entangled her.
She pressed her hand on Xue Shen's broad shoulders, making a "woo-woo" sound in her throat, her already not-so-clear mind becoming even more of a mess.
Xue Shen noticed that her stiff body gradually softened, as if the subtle barrier between them had also dissolved. Shen Youying closed her eyes shyly, her long and thick eyelashes fluttering gently like butterfly wings. Her soft body melted into a pool of spring water at his fingertips, rippling with his movements, just as before.
Xue Shen kissed her passionately as he opened his eyes and gazed at her, a deep, dark light flashing in them.
His Zhaozhao was indeed as easy to coax as she was when she was a child.
Even though she knew he had ill intentions at first, she was still willing to give him a chance to explain.
Xue Shen has always been good at seizing opportunities.
For the past few years, he has walked alone, exiling himself in hatred and self-abandonment, resorting to any means to seek revenge. Shen Youying was clearly dragged into this murky water by him innocently, yet she willingly walked alongside him.
Having tasted such sweetness, Xue Shen was unwilling to let go, and didn't even want the slightest bit of distance between them.
So he brought up that past he hadn't intended to mention again, shamelessly coaxing her to soften her heart and willingly accompany him into his descent into depravity.
Xue Shen kissed her passionately, his lips and tongue touching her tenderly to please her.
When her skirt was lifted, Shen Youying blushed and frantically tried to push Xue Shen's shoulder away, her eyes glistening with tears from the shame: "No..."
Xue Shen gently nuzzled her with the tip of his high, straight nose, and said in a hoarse voice, "I still remember when Zhao Zhao held my hand and said she wanted to repay me..."
Shen Youying covered her eyes with her arm, shaking her head repeatedly, her voice filled with shame and sobs: "I...I don't remember."
"But I still remember how I eagerly awaited your arrival in the palace, only to have Zhao Zhao turn her back on her savior so easily..." Xue Shen lowered his head and gently kissed the most delicate skin: "Over the years, with interest accruing, even if Zhao Zhao offered herself to you, it wouldn't be enough to repay you..."
Shen Youying's waist trembled slightly, and through her teary eyes, she only heard the words "give yourself to me," so she nodded haphazardly and choked out, "I've already given myself to you..."
Xue Shen finally smiled with satisfaction and affectionately kissed her ankle: "Yes, Zhao Zhao, you can't go back on your word now..."
...
That night, Xue Shen was extremely gentle.
He seemed determined to make Shen Youying inseparable from him, body and soul, and used all the methods he had learned from books and honed in his daily life on Shen Youying.
In the past, both of them would be happy, but even though Shen Youying was joyful, she was inevitably tired.
But this time, it was Xue Shen who served her wholeheartedly.
Shen Youying's eyes were red from crying, but this time was different from the past. She was conscious and could not even faint from exhaustion. She could only be completely controlled by Xue Shen and climbed to an insurmountable peak time and time again.
When Xue Shen finally carried her to the bath, even the slightest touch of his fingertips to her skin made her tremble uncontrollably...
Xue Shen washed her clean, carried her back to the inner room, kissed her affectionately, and coaxed her, "Go to sleep."
Shen Youying lowered her head, her face flushed as she looked at his underpants: "You don't need to..."
Xue Shen pulled the person into his arms, their bodies pressed intimately together, before letting out a satisfied sigh and saying, "Sleep now, I'll let you go today."
*
The next day, when Shen Youying woke up, Xue Shen was no longer in the room.
She pulled the bell to get up, but felt a sudden weakness in her legs. The memory of last night was too vivid; she immediately recalled that indescribable feeling, and her face flushed red.
Bai Luo brought in a copper basin for washing and saw that Shen Youying's face was flushed. She thought she had a fever and quickly reached out to check her temperature: "Why is your face so red, Miss?"
Startled, Shen Youying blurted out, "No, it's just that the underground heating was too strong last night, so it's a bit hot."
Bai Luo believed it and said "Oh," then muttered, "Then tonight I'll tell the kitchen staff to add less firewood."
Upon hearing this, Shen Youying breathed a slight sigh of relief, pressed the back of her hand to her flushed face, and forced herself not to think about those messy things.
After washing up, she asked about Xue Shen's whereabouts.
Bai Luo said, "Someone came looking for you early this morning, but the prince went to the front yard. Just a little while ago, the prince sent someone to ask, but when he heard that the young lady hadn't gotten up, he went back. She should be in the study right now."
Shen Youying straightened her clothes in front of the mirror, then checked the time; it was almost noon.
As she walked out, she instructed, "Let's have lunch in the front yard today."
After finishing her hair and makeup, Shen Youying went to the front yard.
The windows of the study were all open, and through them, one could vaguely see Xue Shen sitting behind a screen, discussing matters with someone. Only two trusted guards were patrolling outside the study.
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