Chapter 55 He grabbed her face and, disregarding everything else,...
Cui Huai's crumbling gentlemanly demeanor still retained a sliver of warmth.
Shen Yunzhi was confined to Qiyun Residence, where maids served her meals, bathing, and grooming.
When she takes a bath, the maid will untie her.
The first time she was untied, she had the idea of escaping, but before she could even get out of the room, she was knocked unconscious by the maid with a single blow.
Just like in her previous life, Cui Huai specially found a deaf-mute maid who knew martial arts to serve her.
This maid only obeyed Cui Huai's orders and remained unmoved no matter what she said; she had no chance of escaping.
Shen Yunzhi had expected this, but she was unwilling to accept it. Thinking that she could escape Cui Huai's control once she saw her aunt, Cui Lizhu, or anyone else, she knew the hope was slim but she couldn't just sit and wait for her fate. The result was exactly as expected.
Cui Huai didn't care about or hold her attempt to escape against her will, and didn't even mention it to her.
Every night, he would come and stay with her until it was time for her to rest.
Cui Huai was very interested in what happened after she faked her death and escaped, and their conversations these past few days had inevitably revolved around this topic. Sometimes Shen Yunzhi would ignore him, and other times she would talk to him about her experiences running the bookstore. But no matter how they talked, they would always end up talking about Qi Song, and she would confess to him the whole story of how she collaborated with Qi Song on a storybook.
Shen Yunzhi guessed that Cui Huai would send someone to investigate.
Therefore, she was very honest and did not make up any falsehoods to deceive or fool people.
But after being honest with each other, she would still ask Cui Huai some questions.
Aunt, Choi Yeo-joo, and Qiu Yue, along with the assassination attempt she had faced before her escape.
Cui Huai was also extremely candid.
“It was Cui Xuan who sent someone to assassinate you. At that time, I thought you had died tragically, and I wanted to avenge you. However, Cui Xuan fell off her horse and was injured and unconscious. Huo Ming immediately sought opportunities to go to your grave several times, which was really an eyesore. Later, I found out that you had deceived me, so I let her go.”
It really is Cui Xuan.
Shen Yunzhi was surprised for a moment: "Your Highness actually wants to avenge me."
She suspected that this was merely Cui Huai's anger at the destruction of his "beloved possessions".
"Back then, when Cui Xu humiliated me, Your Highness didn't seem to care much."
"Your Highness's thoughts are truly unfathomable."
Cui Huai didn't mind Shen Yunzhi's blunt and slightly harsh words, and remained frank: "I just didn't know I cared about you back then." He paused, then added, "But you also appeared in my dreams that night."
Shen Yunzhi didn't want to hear his absurd dreams, so she replied perfunctorily, "Your Highness has far too many dreams."
Cui Huai laughed: "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know I have so many dreams to have."
“I dreamt that you pierced my flesh with a gold hairpin and called me shameless.”
“Zhi Niang, you are right.”
Shen Yunzhi almost wanted to cover her ears.
Cui Huai continued, "But don't you think it's all fate? Cui Xu humiliated you and paid the price for it, but in the end, it became the reason for our reunion."
Shen Yunzhi's face darkened.
Who would care about such a stroke of luck?
"Your Highness abducted me, aren't you angry, Cui Xu?"
Cui Huai said calmly, "So what if he's angry? He only dares to settle you in a house outside the palace. Even if I take you away, he can't say anything. He just wants to use you to make fun of me and end up with nothing."
Shen Yunzhi found it strange: "Why would Cui Xu want to use me to tease His Highness?"
Cui Huai turned to look at her, his smile eerie: "After you died, they all said behind my back that I was crazy."
Shen Yunzhi: "..."
He did go mad, but not after she faked her death.
Shen Yunzhi didn't really want to know about things that would elicit such comments from outsiders. However, given her current situation, knowing more might be helpful to her, so she suppressed those sarcastic thoughts and tried to speak gently: "Has Your Highness had a difficult time these past six months?"
Cui Huai was slightly taken aback, then lowered his head and smiled.
But he didn't answer Shen Yunzhi's question; he just reached out and touched her face: "It's time to rest."
Shen Yunzhi did not feel pressured or oppressed by her peaceful conversation with Cui Huai.
But she knew perfectly well that the peace between them was just an illusion, and that it would be easily reduced to dust at the slightest disturbance.
She was taken to Cui Huai's study and placed behind a screen. Shen Yunzhi had no idea what Cui Huai's intention was in doing this.
Until she heard Qi Song's voice.
For a moment, Shen Yunzhi thought she was hallucinating.
However, the voice did not disappear, and she realized that the person on the other side of the screen was indeed Qi Song.
"Your Highness, my wife, Lady Jiang, was forcibly abducted by the Fifth Prince in Jinling..."
Shen Yunzhi was extremely shocked.
She never imagined that Qi Song would come to the capital, and even knowing that she had offended the Fifth Prince, he still wanted to save her.
But the more she listened to Qi Song's words, the heavier her heart sank.
Qi Song's words were full of worry, concerned for her safety and eager to find her. So he went to Cui Huai to seek his help.
She told Cui Huai that she and Qi Song were only husband and wife in name only.
Regardless of whether Cui Huai believed her previous explanations, after seeing Qi Song today, he certainly wouldn't believe her.
She and Qi Song had only known each other for a few months, and they usually didn't interfere with or inquire about each other's affairs. How could they have developed such a deep affection? It must be because Qi Song felt guilty about the fact that she had been kidnapped by the Fifth Prince when she went to Jinling with the headmaster of the academy, so he rushed to the capital to find a way to rescue her.
Shen Yunzhi's feelings were complicated.
Several events, like layers of traps, intertwined and crisscrossed, trapped her, leaving her no way out.
"Alright, I will have someone investigate what you said."
Cui Huai calmly responded and then instructed Lin Yue to take Qi Song to settle down.
The sound of footsteps faded into the distance.
The study was no longer as quiet as it used to be.
A short while later, Cui Huai walked around the screen, looking down at Shen Yunzhi with an indifferent expression, almost mocking, and said, "Didn't you say that you and this person were only husband and wife in name only? Why do I see that you two are deeply in love and perfectly compatible?"
"I did not know that Qi Song would come to the capital."
Although she felt uneasy, Shen Yunzhi met Cui Huai's gaze without any guilt. "It's probably because Qi Song felt bad about what happened to me in Jinling."
"If I feel bad about it, I'd be willing to give my life for you."
Cui Huai lowered his eyes, his fingers gently stroking her eyebrows and eyes, "Zhi Niang, in your eyes, am I easy to fool?"
Shen Yunzhi's heart skipped a beat.
Unexpectedly, Cui Huai did not continue to make a fuss about it. He withdrew his hand, turned around and left, and then ignored her for several days.
Qi Song, who was settled in the Chu Prince's Mansion, frequently met with Cui Huai.
There was one thing that made Qi Song suspicious: the Crown Prince of Chu seemed particularly concerned about the affairs between him and his wife.
From their first meeting, through their growing acquaintance and marriage, to their daily interactions after marriage, there were always things that piqued the interest of the Crown Prince of Chu. Despite his doubts, since he needed a favor, Qi Song concealed the fact that they were not actually husband and wife and told him everything.
Cui Huai calmly sized up Qi Song in front of him.
She was pretty, slender, and came from a poor family, yet she caught Shen Yunzhi's eye.
According to this person, their relationship as husband and wife was loving and harmonious, which often drew envy from their classmates.
Nowadays, scholars believe in the saying "a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen." It's just an act, why should they personally cook for people they don't care about?
"Your Highness, I want to find Yunniang no matter what, as long as she is safe." Qi Song was unaware of Cui Huai's thoughts and was eager for him to help save her. He repeatedly explained his urgency and expectations to him.
"I understand," Cui Huai nodded calmly.
Qi Song suspected that he didn't care much, but he didn't say anything. He could only get up and take his leave, secretly thinking about whether there were other ways to seek help.
Not long after Qi Song left, several storybooks were presented to Cui Huai. These storybooks were all written by Qi Song.
In addition, there are several other books related to him.
"Initially, the bookstore published His Highness's poems, but after that, they were sold together with storybooks."
Cui Huai listened to Lin Yue's report while flipping through the books at hand.
"She wants to sell that person's storybooks, but she's using my poems and essays as a front." Cui Huai smiled coldly, closed the book, and said, "In her eyes, I am so worthless that even my essays are worthless."
"It is said that the students of Jiusi Academy admire His Highness's talent and learning. I suppose that's why Miss Biao is selling His Highness's poems and articles."
Lin Yue forced himself to try his best to comfort him.
"She faked her death to get rid of me, but then she wanted to make money off my articles."
"What do you think she meant?"
Lin Yue was speechless, unable to answer Cui Huai's question. After a long silence, he changed the subject: "When Miss Biao left, she took nothing with her. His Highness's poems and essays must have all been memorized by Miss Biao. If she hadn't worked hard before, how could she have memorized them all?"
Cui Huai was puzzled upon hearing this: "Why did she never let me know?"
Recalling Shen Yunzhi's initial enthusiasm for Cui Huai upon entering the Prince's mansion, Lin Yue boldly said, "It's probably because... Miss Shen is shy and hesitant in love."
"Approaching love with trepidation..."
Cui Huai slowly read these words aloud, pondered for a moment, and felt that they were utterly absurd.
If she had feelings for him, why would she fake her death and escape?
Why did she marry someone else? And why is she still entangled with so many people to this day?
The thought of Shen Yunzhi and Qi Song being affectionate filled Cui Huai with rage. It felt as if his heart had been ripped in two, burned and boiled in oil where no one cared. The pain spread to his internal organs, tormenting him to the point of despair.
...
Night falls.
After having dinner with the help of her maids, Shen Yunzhi was taken to wash and bathe.
Cui Huai burst in at that moment.
The maidservant immediately withdrew, leaving the naked Shen Yunzhi alone, bewildered, facing a clearly abnormal madman.
The candlelight flickered, casting Cui Huai's distorted shadow on the screen, making him appear ghostly. With a cold expression, he walked to the bathtub, ignoring Shen Yunzhi's angry and repeated rebukes. He reached out and grabbed her arm with great force, half-dragging and half-carrying her out of the bathtub.
In the struggle, hot water spilled all over the floor.
Shen Yunzhi was soaking wet and felt a chill. She trembled, but Cui Huai pinned her against the wall.
"Cousin Zhi, did you ever have feelings for me?"
"If you have feelings for me, why do you treat me like this? Why can you marry someone else and enjoy happiness day and night?"
Cui Huai restrained Shen Yunzhi's wrist with one hand, rendering her unable to resist, while his other hand brushed across her body, sending a shiver down her spine—a deliberate yet resentful provocation. Shen Yunzhi didn't know what had triggered him, but it was clearly related to Qi Song, and for a moment she almost blurted out that Qi Song was a woman.
She hesitated for a moment.
Concealing his female identity to participate in the scientific expedition was enough to get Qi Song executed.
If Cui Huai finds out about this, who knows if he might deliberately seek revenge?
Besides, her marriage to Qi Song was a sham, a mutually beneficial arrangement. Qi Song owed her nothing, so Cui Huai wouldn't take her life, but Qi Song might actually die.
Shen Yunzhi's momentary hesitation allowed Cui Huai to approach her.
He grabbed her face, pressed his lips to hers, and kissed her passionately, disregarding everything else.
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