The wedding ceremony was held at Chengen Hall.
The palace gates slowly opened.
The plaque of "Cheng'en Hall" reflects golden light.
Lin Huaiyin lay in Xiao Zhian's arms, and in the dazzling golden light, she understood the meaning of the words "receiving favor." She couldn't see Xiao Zhian's face, which was also bathed in golden light. In a daze, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
This scene.
Holding Xiao Zhi'an in his arms, whether she wanted it or not, Lin Huaiyin was so familiar with this scene of receiving his favor and affection. Her whole body trembled, as if a mural deep in her soul had reappeared, like a prison from her past life.
In her previous life, her family was destroyed and she was waiting to die in the imperial prison. When she was desperate, it was His Highness the Crown Prince who gave her a title, consummated their marriage, and gave her a chance to escape from the imperial prison.
Now driven away by her father, she felt wronged and resentful, and with nowhere else to turn, she strangely found herself by the side of the Crown Prince, where he embraced her in the same manner, and she received the same fate.
In the prison of the previous life, torches flickered, the bars were cold and the straw was rotting, and only a eunuch hung a narrow circle of red silk.
In this life, the Chengen Hall is adorned with carved railings and jade steps, vermilion curtains and painted beams. Xiao Zhian is not a prisoner who has fallen into the imperial prison; he is the Crown Prince who oversees the country.
Lin Huaiyin suddenly realized that, through countless twists and turns in her past and present lives, only the man holding her in his arms now was His Highness the Crown Prince. The white-clad prisoner from her past life had long since lost everything. He sacrificed his body and his last shred of dignity to ensure her survival and dignity.
That's wrong.
There was a mistake.
The one imprisoned in the previous life was not His Highness the Crown Prince, but "Zhi'an".
Zhi'an picked up some barely clean straw, lay down on the ground, and said in a cheeky tone, "This prince is ignorant of human affairs, Yinyin, you do it yourself."
He gave her the choice to do it or not, and she chose to undress and take him.
Now, in the Cheng'en Hall, the man who holds the highest power in the empire, who removes the curtains, places her on the bed, and presses her beneath him, is none other than His Highness the Crown Prince.
He didn't need to ask her if she was willing; if he wanted it, he would have it. He untied the flower knot on her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), kissed the crook of her neck, and took what he wanted, and she accepted it.
Lin Huaiyin wanders between her past and present lives, and the memories of the two lives overlap dramatically. She sees clearly the two forms of "gratitude" and is shocked by the various experiences brought about by Xiao Zhian.
Having consummated her marriage in her previous life, she received a glimmer of hope from Zhi'an.
Now, as the Crown Prince strips them naked, his skin touching hers, whispering "Yinyin" to her skin, Lin Huaiyin longs to stop him, to ask him something. She wants to know, she even feels an indescribable excitement and curiosity—to know what this Crown Prince, who possesses everything, is omnipotent, and stands at the pinnacle of the empire, will give her after possessing her.
Is His Highness the Crown Prince's "favor" comparable to that of Zhi'an, who has nothing?
Lin Huaiyin wanted to know.
I miss it terribly.
I desperately want to.
But she endured it.
She couldn't stop him now, she couldn't immediately press him with the question—"Would you kill your own sister, Princess Pingyang, for me? How would you do it?"
Her body was kneaded into mud and melted into water in Xiao Zhian's palm. Lin Huaiyin gasped and trembled, a wicked playfulness and even provocation rising in her heart. She refused to interrogate a man who was indulging in lust beforehand.
She had no interest in a vague, thoughtless, and lewd answer. She couldn't hold someone accountable or condemn such an answer afterward. She just wanted to see what kind of face Xiao Zhian would have after he got her.
Lin Huaiyin looked forward to speeding up her progress and looking up the answers afterward.
A delicate, fair foot stepped on Xiao Zhian's shoulder.
Tiny feet gently rub.
Xiao Zhian thought it was some kind of encouragement, so he kissed her even more passionately. Lin Huaiyin moaned softly, hooking her instep around Xiao Zhian's head. Xiao Zhian's nose brushed against her lower abdomen and navel before kissing Lin Huaiyin's lips back.
He knew Lin Huaiyin's body too well. During their first encounter on the boat, she personally guided him. He remembered all her preferences and cut and rounded her nails that very night.
Now, Xiao Zhian wants more, he wants to possess all of her, and he wants to give her everything.
Yinyin didn't resist or ask him to stop; she tacitly allowed him to do it because she loved him and there was no need to ask further.
This was their first time, and also Yinyin's first time making love with someone she truly loved.
Xiao Zhian took it seriously, offering his virginity and slowing down the pace. He wanted her, he wanted her to be happy, he wanted her to be perfect.
But Lin Huaiyin couldn't wait. She loved him too, but this time it wasn't a natural progression of love, at least not for her. His Highness the Crown Prince had shown her his fangs, and she wouldn't offer her sincere heart to him to tear it apart.
Lin Huaiyin broke free from Xiao Zhian's clinging, climbed on top of him, and aimed at his fangs, engaging in direct combat.
Xiao Zhian's taste was exquisite. The shyness and embarrassment on his face added to the flavor of the meal. Lin Huaiyin held his restless hands, controlled him, appreciated him, stretched her body, and blossomed on Xiao Zhian.
Her hair ornaments swayed, her hairpins and tinkling.
Cool and refreshing, a little bit of fragrant sweat from Lin Huaiyin fell onto Xiao Zhian.
Her long, black hair cascaded down her back, teasing her skin and wrapping around Xiao Zhian's firm waist, abdomen, and thighs like dodder vines, tightening their grip and biting into his flesh, causing a slight pain.
In a moment of confusion and infatuation, Lin Huaiyin picked up the jade hairpin and held it to Xiao Zhian's lips.
Xiao Zhian obediently and sensibly bit the jade hairpin. The icy touch chilled his tongue, and his phoenix eyes widened slightly, his collarbone trembling.
A groan escaped his throat, followed by heavy panting. The incomparably handsome man, his ears flushed, reciprocated the pleasure. At this moment, Xiao Zhian was an unparalleled delight.
Bees swirled in the East Palace Garden, oblivious to the sweet fragrance and lingering scents of honey mingling within the Cheng'en Hall.
The copper bells on the eaves swayed gently in the warm breeze, tinkling from time to time, completely unaware that inside the Chengen Hall, amidst the passionate lovemaking, souls were torn apart.
The Eastern Palace is magnificent.
Lin Shifeng was stopped outside Chongjiao Gate and implied that the Crown Prince was so obsessed with women that it had reached an outrageous level.
The Jiade Hall was quiet. The courtiers stared at the golden seal in the hall, trembling, not daring to pick it up or leave.
In the kitchen, the cooks and pharmacists were busy discussing how to make dinner nourishing. The ginseng soup was bubbling and steaming, and the boiling water was being boiled again and again.
With no female master or palace maids in the Eastern Palace, Xuan Ge urgently sent people to the Imperial Clan Court to request someone to serve Lin Huaiyin.
As the sun set in the west, three hours passed and Xiao Zhian still showed no sign of calling for water or coming out. Xuan Ge then went to Jiade Hall and subtly dismissed the officials.
The two officials, the Registrar and the Scribe, couldn't sit still and kept pestering Xuan Ge, asking—Where is His Highness the Crown Prince? What has caused him to put aside state affairs? This matter must be explained, and it must be recorded in the Crown Prince's Daily Records.
The Imperial Advisor had a legitimate reason for his attack and argued with great confidence.
Unable to leave, Xuan Ge had to make an excuse to check the black box.
Upon hearing the word "black box," Si Yilang remembered the Crown Prince's prohibition and dared not follow any further.
——
Inside the Cheng'en Hall.
Lin Huaiyin was breathing heavily, resting her head on Xiao Zhian's shoulder.
With a small body and a tsunami of desire, Xiao Zhian was shocked by Lin Huaiyin's little tricks when he first became a human.
Yinyin is a little devil. Xiao Zhian thought quietly, not daring to say a word.
Each time it ended, she would say, half-asleep, that she had something to say and wait for her to catch her breath. Xiao Zhian would wait anxiously each time.
But once Lin Huaiyin had rested, her gaze changed. She started teasing Xiao Zhi'an in various ways, saying things like, "So you're not interested in me anymore?", "I'm not dressed, don't you even look?", and angrily poking little Xiao Zhi'an, "You don't react, you don't love me anymore!"
How could she have so many expressions, so many complaints? Touching her would make her cry out in pain, and if you didn't touch her, she'd point at the sky and curse. It was Xiao Zhian's first time, and he was inexperienced and didn't know his own strength. He did whatever she said and obediently served her, until she finally murmured, "I really have something to tell you, don't sleep..."
Lin Huaiyin's words made Xiao Zhian dare not sleep. He forced himself to stay awake, watching her snore and roll around on his shoulder.
Xiao Zhian only wished for her to be by his side day and night, rolling around in and out of him. He already had a pair of sleepless eyes, and finally he had a view that he could never get enough of.
Finally, they reached this point. Yinyin was his. They were inseparable and became one. His body, because of Yinyin's acceptance, experienced pleasure he had never imagined.
He was no longer alone; he had found the love of his life. He was Yinyin's man, and they had given each other their hearts and souls.
His life was now brand new and complete. As long as Yinyin was there, Xiao Zhian had no other desires.
The gentle sunset cast a soft, pink glow on the bed curtains.
The bed was in disarray, her body was covered in mud, her hair was tangled, and Yin Yin's hairpins and ornaments were scattered around her. Yin Yin's breath and fragrance filled the room. All of this was so fresh and so real. Xiao Zhi'an didn't need to get used to it; he had already fallen in love and was beginning to look forward to every day and night to come.
Sound.
Xiao Zhian called his lover's name in his heart.
Sound.
Sound.
Sound.
Lin Huaiyin opened her eyes, just a tiny bit, her vision blurred and she couldn't see anything clearly. She then bit Xiao Zhian's neck and couldn't move anymore.
She was exhausted from all the activity, feeling a bit hungry and thirsty. Her body felt sticky and uncomfortable, but she was so tired that she couldn't open her mouth and didn't have the strength to speak.
Xiao Zhian silently breathed a sigh of relief.
He could barely hold on, but if this continued, he might die at Yin Yin's hands.
I managed to feed Yinyin while she was still alive.
Xiao Zhian was full of pride and smugness, a surge of triumph washing over him, and his vital energy returned to its proper place.
He was Yinyin's man, and he never disappointed her. He was like that in bed, and he was even more considerate afterwards.
Now that they had been intimate, the formal recognition of their relationship couldn't be delayed. Xiao Zhian didn't want Yinyin to suffer any injustice, so he had to go to the Lin family first to explain things clearly.
He got up and called for water. Xiao Zhian was filled with a dizzying happiness and served Lin Huaiyin attentively as she bathed and washed her hair.
Lin Huaiyin clung to him, waking up in the hot tub, quietly watching Xiao Zhian wash away the marks that belonged to him from her body.
The traces can be washed away, the smell can be washed away, but Lin Huaiyin knows that she and Xiao Zhian can never go back. She loves him and has paid a price for that love. Now she wants to see for herself—what was the price? Was it worth it?
Xiao Zhian helped Lin Huaiyin change her clothes, carefully wringing out the excess water from her hair, combing it with a jade comb, and then placing it in a silver incense burner to scent it with osmanthus fragrance.
It takes a while to dry the food, so Xiao Zhian brought over some soup and fed it to the person spoonful by spoonful.
During this time, Xiao Zhian explained everything gently, asked for her opinion, and tried his best to make her feel comfortable and at ease.
Lin Huaiyin remained silent, which Xiao Zhian assumed was due to exhaustion or shyness. Of course, he had many questions for her, such as why she had agreed to see him again? Was she forcing herself to forgive him because she loved him? Was she still angry with him?
Xiao Zhian wanted to ask, but felt the timing was wrong. He wanted to promise that he would arrange everything and would not let her be troubled by today's events, but he also felt that Yinyin understood him and that saying more would only create distance.
Before Lin Huaiyin, the Crown Prince, who was in charge of the country, was humble and anxious, serving her hand and foot, observing her with his phoenix eyes, and gradually sensing that something was wrong with his beloved.
Yinyin stared at him, her gaze growing colder and more chilling. Why wasn't she as joyful as he was? They had just confirmed their love for each other, a love that ran deep in their bones…
Xiao Zhian belatedly realized that when it all started, Yin Yin suddenly came to him. He should have asked her what had happened, but instead, he simply picked her up and took her...
"Yinyin."
"Your Highness."
The two spoke in unison.
The aloofness he evoked was like a sharp ice blade, piercing Xiao Zhian's burning heart.
For a moment, I froze, and the spoon slipped from my hand, shattering into pieces with a "crack".
Xiao Zhian's heart was shattered into pieces.
His bare feet were cut by the shards, and bright red blood oozed out.
Xiao Zhian was numb and had no feeling. Standing in front of Lin Huaiyin, he couldn't look her in the eye. He was even afraid that she would say something terrible again. He was so afraid that he couldn't help but want to turn around and leave.
Squatting down, Xiao Zhian couldn't leave Lin Huaiyin. He humbly lifted her small feet, making sure she wasn't hurt, then gritted his teeth, picked her up, and moved her to the soft couch.
She would still let him hug her.
But she called him "Your Highness".
They clearly love each other, so why is she tormenting him?
With his spine snapping inch by inch, Xiao Zhian could barely stand. His internal organs were churning, and he almost vomited. His wet eyes were a disgrace to the Crown Prince, but Lin Huaiyin often pushed him to this point.
Under Lin Huaiyin's watchful gaze, Xiao Zhian's eyes gradually reddened, his whites turning red, and his Adam's apple bobbed laboriously as he desperately begged his beloved for guidance on how to repent.
"What did I do wrong, Yinyin? Tell me."
"I address you as Your Highness." Lin Huaiyin suppressed her pity for her lover and asked solemnly, "It is because Father said that Princess Pingyang is untouchable. To touch her is to touch you, to touch the palace, to touch the entire Xiao imperial family, and to shake the very foundations of the empire. Once Princess Pingyang's crimes are made public, the world will be thrown into chaos. I would like to ask Your Highness, what do you think?"
Lin Huaiyin spoke slowly and deliberately, meeting Xiao Zhian's phoenix eyes, wanting to dig into his heart and see clearly.
She thought Xiao Zhian would waver, would evade the question, or would give her the answer she wanted.
But Xiao Zhian did not.
His phoenix eyes were bloodshot, and the corners of his mouth were raised in disdain. As if he had heard some ridiculous nonsense, he sneered, shrugged, and slowly wrapped his arms around Lin Huaiyin's waist.
"Yinyin, do you love me?"
He asked, but Lin Huaiyin did not answer.
He didn't answer, so why should she?
Xiao Zhian then grinned maliciously and answered himself: "You don't love me. You use your body to make a deal, treating me like a buyer and asking me to name my price. You don't love yourself either. I love you more than you do, Lin Huaiyin. From now on, I will teach you what love is."
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