Chapter 60 Wasn't it my sister-in-law who provoked me first during our nighttime rendezvous? ...
When the rainy season arrived in Jingzhou, the sky, which had been clear and blue when we set off, suddenly became overcast. It was as if we had just heard of the rain that had fallen overnight and felt the chill of early spring.
The temperature dropped suddenly, but fortunately the ship was fully equipped. Thick wool blankets were laid on the floor, and smokeless silver frost charcoal was lit in the stove. Even though cold fog filled the river outside the window, the room remained warm.
In the early morning, Chu Yueyuan held a steaming cup of fragrant tea, pushed open the balustrade window, and looked out at the river shrouded in fine rain, as delicate as silk. Listening to the pattering rain, she found it quite delightful.
Occasionally, when the ship docked to resupply, she would go to the market near the ferry under the protection of Lin Mu and others.
The closer they got to the capital, the busier Pei Muwei became. He had a mountain of government affairs to attend to, including the selection of candidates for the imperial examinations and the ceasefire treaty with the Canglang tribe. He couldn't spare the time to investigate whether Chu Yueyuan was hoarding food.
To avoid suspicion, Prince Chun spent all his time with Pei Muwei planning the reform of the imperial examinations, except for visiting Chu Yueyuan on the day he set off.
As for the frail Princess Nianyi, she had been ill all along, and Chu Yueyuan did not see her disembark for fresh air even when the ship stopped along the way.
Although Princess Nianyi was older than Chu Yueyuan, in terms of seniority, she was still considered the cousin-in-law of Prince Chun and Princess Nianyi. To show her concern, Chu Yueyuan sent Jin Tong to deliver some fresh fruit that she had bought at the ferry.
"The princess was quite polite. Upon hearing that I was visiting on His Highness's orders, she came down from her lodging to greet me and exchanged greetings through the jade beaded curtain. The princess said that she was deeply grateful for His Highness's concern and would definitely come to thank him in person once she recovered. Before I left, she also gave me many gifts."
While ironing the cloak, Jin Tong reported to Chu Yueyuan what she had seen that day.
The ship was very humid, so the clothes that were close to the body had to be ironed every day to prevent them from sticking to the skin. The cabin where Chu Yueyuan was resting was the highest and was least affected by the humidity.
"I heard that at first, Princess Nianyi and Prince Chun were arranged to stay in guest rooms on the first floor, but later, for some reason, they were moved to the second floor. Instead, the Regent moved to a room next to Prince Chun."
Chu Yueyuan picked a few jasmine flowers from the flowerpot and put them into the iron's inner compartment. She then added charcoal to the bottom compartment. This way, when ironing clothes, the heat released by the charcoal would release the fragrance of the flowers, and the scent would permeate the clothes.
She said calmly, “When Emperor Wu was in power, the Regent and Prince Chun were very close friends. Princess Nianyi is Prince Chun’s younger sister and is about the same age as the Regent, so the two must have known each other since their early years. It is only natural that Your Highness would take good care of an old friend like this.”
Jin Tong seemed to suddenly remember something and slapped her forehead: "Oh dear, no wonder! When I took my leave, I saw the princess's personal maid carrying two sandalwood food boxes to the first floor... Wait a minute, didn't Your Highness personally prepare all three meals for you on the ship?"
Chu Yueyuan's hand holding the iron suddenly paused, the rising steam like a thin veil obscuring the shimmering light in her eyes.
That day, the regent caught her eating alone, and after a period of "torture," she was forced to agree to prepare meals for him.
“Your Majesty is busy with official duties and cannot dine with me. I am grateful that Your Majesty would go to the trouble of preparing the same meals every day and sending them to my study.”
Chu Yueyuan said indignantly, "When did Pei Qing's tastes become so picky?"
Pei Muwei ignored her sarcasm and whispered warm breath in her ear, "I cannot be by your side, but sharing a meal with you is as good as being with you day and night."
The man's voice was like fine wine, full of deep affection. He made Chu Yueyuan feel guilty for eating alone, so during this period, she went to great lengths to prepare his meals, sending identical dishes, side dishes, and even pastries to accompany the tea.
Having heard Jin Tong's words, she suddenly realized that Pei Zei was a glutton who had to eat two meals a day.
Aren't you afraid of bursting your belly?
"Your Highness, be careful!"
Chu Yueyuan then came to her senses and suddenly smelled a burnt smell. Looking down, she saw that the iron had been on the red phoenix-patterned brocade shirt for too long, and the delicate silk had burned a black hole, which was now emitting black smoke.
Jin Tong hurriedly snatched the red-hot iron from Chu Yueyuan's hand and threw it into the basin along with the clothes that were about to catch fire. With a hissing sound, a stream of steam rose from the basin.
"Ahem... Your Highness, were you not irritated by the fire?"
Jin Tong quickly stepped forward, carefully examined the situation, and then patted her chest, saying, "Thank goodness, you're alright. These rough tasks are easier for me to do, Your Highness, please don't cause me any more trouble..."
As she spoke, she walked to the window, pushed it open, and a refreshing breeze rushed in, dispersing the acrid smoke in the room: "The weather has finally cleared up today, Your Highness, why don't you change your clothes and we go to the deck to sunbathe?"
Chu Yueyuan rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head to look at the bright sunlight outside the window, feeling a little itchy inside. But then she thought again, worried that she might run into the gluttonous Lord Taotie on the deck, who was "eating from two different people at once".
"Never mind, it's too windy on deck..."
She muttered, her fingers, painted with light pink nail polish, tapping idly on the window frame. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, her eyes lit up: "Why not wait until tonight? When the sky is clear during the day, the stars will surely be exceptionally bright at night."
She turned around and smiled at the maids in the room, saying, "After dinner, let's all go up to the deck to admire the stars. Whoever finds Yao Guang first will be richly rewarded by me."
The maids were all delighted to hear that they would receive a reward, and they rummaged through the rosewood wardrobe to find thicker clothes to prepare in advance.
At 7:15 PM, as darkness fell, lights were lit on the ship.
Every twenty steps, eight-sided openwork lanterns, designed to protect against the wind, hung from the ship's railings, their combined candlelight illuminating the deck as bright as day.
A cool night breeze blew as Chu Yueyuan donned a light purple velvet cloak embroidered with exquisite patterns of daffodils and lingzhi mushrooms in silver thread. The cloak shimmered with a silvery light under the moonlight as she moved. A soft white fox fur trim was sewn around the collar, concealing her jade-like pointed chin. Her watery eyes reflected the twinkling stars, revealing her lively and playful nature.
Chu Yueyuan took a sip of hot wine, looked up at the starry night sky, first finding the brightest star, Tian Shu, then Tian Xuan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang...
“This servant has spotted Yao Guang Star! It’s at the end of the handle of the spoon, right behind Kai Yang Star!” a young maidservant exclaimed first.
Chu Yueyuan smiled and said, "Let's give each of you some golden melon seeds and a cup of wine to warm yourselves up."
The four maids immediately beamed with joy: "We thank Your Majesty the Empress Dowager for your generous gift."
These four maids were named Yu Luo, Bao Luo, Yao Luo, and Bi Luo. They were originally the lowest-ranking palace maids in Fengqi Palace, responsible for hard and tiring tasks such as cleaning the garden and emptying chamber pots.
When Chu Yueyuan chose them to leave the palace, the four of them were terrified. They suspected that the Regent wanted to take the Empress Dowager out of the palace to silence her, and that they, these inconspicuous palace maids, were the little ghosts chosen by the Empress Dowager to be buried with her.
However, as they traveled together, the four gradually realized that the young empress dowager was not only exceptionally beautiful, but also kind and gentle to her subordinates. Throughout their journey, they occasionally endured hardships and slept outdoors, but this woman of noble birth never uttered a word of complaint. When the weather was bad, she would urge them to get into the carriage to shelter from the rain and share her hand warmer and fur coat with them to keep warm.
As the saying goes, sincerity begets sincerity, and now the four of them are completely devoted to Chu Yueyuan.
Chu Yueyuan was unaware of their change of heart. When she left the palace in haste, in order to ensure Xiao Yun's safety, she left behind her most trusted nanny, Xu Mama, and the first-class palace maids in the palace.
She simply felt that since she was the one who brought them out of the palace, she had to bring them back safely.
Thankfully, we're finally going back to the palace.
The river breeze is crisp and clear, the stars are twinkling, and the wine is fragrant and delicious—it's truly delightful.
Chu Yueyuan was slightly tipsy, her cheeks were fair with a hint of pink, and her watery eyes were slightly narrowed as if she were drunk. She shook the empty wine pot, still feeling that she hadn't had enough.
"We've finally gotten out for some fresh air, so we should enjoy ourselves. Yaoluo and Biluo, go to the kitchen and warm up a pot of wine."
"This servant obeys."
Chu Yueyuan turned her gaze and saw Yu Luo and Bao Luo shivering slightly in the night wind, so she said gently, "It's windy outside, you should go back first."
The two immediately shook their heads, their lips trembling with cold, but their tone was very firm: "We are not cold, and we are willing to serve Your Highness here."
Knowing their loyalty, Chu Yueyuan smiled and changed her words: "Then you should go back and prepare hot water first, so that when I return, I can wash up and rest directly."
Upon hearing this, the two men realized the truth in the words and respectfully bowed and withdrew.
Jin Tong drank a few more cups of wine with Chu Yueyuan, and her body was also warm. She tightened the woman's fox fur collar and advised, "It's windy at the bow of the boat. Your Highness has just finished drinking. Why don't we go to the stern and wait for Yaoluo and Biluo?"
Chu Yueyuan thought this was a great idea, so the two of them walked hand in hand toward the stern of the ship.
The view from the stern was far less expansive than from the bow, and even the eight lanterns hanging there were much sparser, appearing only every forty steps or so, emitting a faint light in the deep darkness. The further in you went, the narrower and darker the deck became, and all around was so quiet that only the sound of the river water lapping against the hull could be heard.
"Your Highness..."
Jin Tong's heart pounded. She swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice, "Maybe...we should go back. I'm afraid I'll fall into the river. It's so dark and windy; if I fall in, there won't even be a sound..."
The pitch-black environment before him reminded Jin Tong of the water ghost legends that the old people often told him.
Legend has it that water ghosts emerge at midnight, seeking out those who will die in their place on boats so they can be reincarnated. If chosen by a female water ghost, she will secretly hook her long, wet hair around a person's ankle, then suddenly pull them into the river when they are off guard...
Chu Yueyuan didn't believe in ghosts or gods, but she was worried that Yaoluo and Biluo wouldn't be able to find them when they returned with the wine, so she nodded. Just as the two of them were about to turn back, they suddenly heard a faint sigh drifting on the night breeze:
"The night wind is chilly, and my cousin gave me his cloak. Are you cold...?"
She stopped and turned to look at Jin Tong, her expression uncertain: "You...you heard that? It sounded like a woman's voice?"
Jin Tong's face turned pale instantly, and she stammered, "Your Highness... please don't frighten me."
Chu Yueyuan listened intently and became even more certain, saying, "It's true. If you don't believe me, listen. The sound is coming from the direction of the stern."
Jin Tong mustered her courage and looked over. In the hazy moonlight, she saw what appeared to be someone standing behind the mast, casting two long shadows on the deck.
Amitabha Buddha, water ghosts don't have shadows. Jin Tong calmed herself down and listened for a while, then suddenly her eyes widened: "Your Highness, this servant recognizes this woman's voice, it's...it's Princess Nianyi..."
“The night wind is chilly. You haven’t fully recovered from your cold, so it’s not good for you to be exposed to the cold wind. I’ll take you home.”
Chu Yueyuan also recognized the voice of another man.
It was the fox spirit that stole her eight-treasure rice.
The ship sailed with the wind, which blew from the stern, so the conversations at the stern were clearly carried by the night breeze.
"I've been feeling tired for days, but I'm actually quite energetic today. I'd like to go outside for some fresh air. Since my cousin has lent me his cloak to keep me warm, there's no need for him to come with me."
Princess Nianyi's voice was clear and melodious, making even the night breeze feel refreshing.
She slightly bent her knees and bowed, her graceful figure on the deck, seen from afar, evoked a feeling of pity in one's heart.
The man standing behind the mast remained motionless, seemingly worried about leaving such a frail woman alone.
"Cousin, are you worried I'll jump?"
You won't.
Princess Nianyi smiled and said, "My cousin really understands me better than my brother. Yes, the hardest days are over, and my brother and I are about to return to the capital. Five years... In the past, I always felt that every day was so long, but since we boarded the ship, I suddenly feel that time has passed too quickly, so quickly that it scares me..."
She said it with a smile, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice.
Chu Yueyuan overheard their conversation and roughly guessed that Princess Nianyi had had a difficult time in Jingzhou over the years.
The daughter of the Grand Princess, the most beautiful woman in the capital, she originally possessed a noble and noble status and a well-deserved reputation. However, after moving from the capital to Jingzhou, not only did her status plummet, but she also married the son of the local Grand Commander and became a widow less than a year after the marriage.
This perfectly illustrates the saying: "Beautiful women have always had tragic fates."
She understood perfectly what Princess Nianyi feared. Five years had passed, and she had fallen from a noble lady to a widow. She could only feel regret for the young master who had once been obsessed with her, while the noble ladies who were jealous of her could only gloat.
When she returns to the capital, she will face ridicule and sarcasm that will likely be sharper than swords.
The man remained silent for a while, then said in a deep voice, "You don't need to be afraid, no one can hurt you."
Princess Nianyi, standing at the stern, slowly turned around. She took a few steps closer to the man in the darkness, her soft voice tinged with longing:
"I'm not afraid. Now that you're here, I'm not afraid of anything..."
"Cousin Weijin, you've finally arrived..."
Chu Yueyuan saw the overlapping figures under the moonlight from afar, and she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. She felt that if she listened any longer, she might get into trouble.
"Let's go quickly!" she whispered, grabbing Jin Tong's arm tightly and turning back.
Jin Tong was listening intently when she learned that she had to go back. She looked regretful. Her body was pulled around, but her head remained in place.
But the master and servant had only taken a few steps when they heard the clanging of armor coming from the port side. It was the night patrol guards coming in their direction.
With pursuers in front and ambushes behind, it's a real dilemma!
Chu Yueyuan didn't have time to think much, so she pulled Jin Tong back and the two of them tiptoed behind the bucket containing fresh water.
Lin Mu was in charge of the night patrol tonight. He twitched his ears and immediately caught the faint footsteps in the night wind. His eyes sharpened and he raised his hand to order the guards behind him to stop.
Those who have fought on the battlefield have excellent night vision, and Lin Mu was no exception. His gaze fell on the pile of water buckets, and he was about to call someone in to check when he suddenly saw a person walking out from behind the mast.
Pei Muwei wore a crimson round-necked brocade robe with python patterns. His posture was as upright as a pine tree. His deep eyebrows and eyes were half-hidden in the moonlight, but they could not hide his captivating majesty.
He asked in a flat tone, "What is it?"
Lin Mu was taken aback, and only then did he notice Princess Nianyi behind the Regent. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "This humble servant was leading troops on a night patrol when I heard a noise at the stern of the ship, so... I came to take a look."
Pei Muwei nodded and instructed, "You've come at the right time. Escort Princess Nianyi back to rest."
"Your subordinate obeys."
"Nianyi takes her leave. I will wash and return your clothes to you."
Hiding behind the bucket, Chu Yueyuan clutched her pounding heart, thankful that she had dodged in time. Now, all she had to do was patiently wait for Lin Mu to escort Princess Nianyi away, and she would be able to escape.
Wait...it seems she forgot someone.
Is Pei the thief not going to leave?
A sound of armor rubbing against each other rang out, and as the footsteps faded into the distance, Chu Yueyuan gestured for Jin Tong to be quiet, then shook her head, indicating that they should hold on a little longer.
Jin Tong immediately understood and nodded.
Before she could even finish nodding, she heard the man's cold voice: "How long does Your Highness intend to hide?"
Chu Yueyuan looked annoyed. She slowly stood up, lifted her skirt, and crawled out from the gap in the bucket.
Her slinky entrance inevitably diminished her prestige.
"Ahem..." She cleared her throat, feigning nonchalance, and said, "If even General Lin didn't notice, how did Minister Pei know I was hiding... here?"
As she dodged, her hairpin accidentally grazed the side of the tub. A night breeze blew by, and two strands of black hair hanging down her forehead were gently lifted by the wind, swaying like willow branches, half-concealing and half-revealing her clear and charming eyes.
Pei Muwei stared at the inquisitive Empress Dowager and gently curled the corners of his lips: "Your Highness, I can smell the incense on you."
Chu Yueyuan raised her sleeve and smelled it.
"...Pei Qing has such a keen nose. It would be a pity if such a keen nose were to catch a cold and become blocked. I won't keep you from going back to rest."
Pei Muwei stepped forward, his slightly upturned phoenix eyes filled with a smile: "Since Your Highness is concerned about my health, why not bestow the cloak upon me?"
Chu Yueyuan hurriedly pressed her cloak tightly against her body, her dark eyes slightly widening: "Pei Qing lent out his own cloak to play the hero, but turned around and coveted my cloak. What kind of outrageous logic is this?"
But the treacherous ministers never reasoned with her.
Pei Muwei wrapped his large hand around her waist and pulled her into his arms without saying a word. Even though he wasn't wearing a cloak, his hard chest was still warm, instantly dispelling the chill from her body.
At the same time, she also smelled a faint, elegant fragrance on his clothes, which was clearly not the incense she usually used.
Did he just embrace that woman like that, using his body heat to dispel the fear in her heart?
Seeing that the young Empress Dowager was in a daze at this moment, Pei Muwei pinched her tender waist with his long fingers, not too hard, and asked, "Has Your Highness been drinking?"
Chu Yueyuan did not respond. She turned her head and instructed Jin Tong, "We have been out for a long time. Yao Luo and Bi Luo have been looking for me for a long time. They must be worried. If we summon General Lin again, it will be troublesome. Go and inform them."
Jin Tong hesitated for a moment, then finally bowed and said, "This servant will go right away."
The man had broad shoulders and was as tall and imposing as a mountain, completely shielding the wind blowing from the stern of the boat.
Chu Yueyuan raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, lowered her eyes, and said calmly, "It was cold at night, so I drank half a pot of peach blossom wine to warm myself up."
Pei Muwei lowered his head, his gaze falling on her gently trembling eyelashes, and teased, "Only half a pot?"
Chu Yueyuan: .....
"Is Pei Qing holding me captive just to find out how many jugs of wine I drank tonight?"
"Just now, Your Highness overheard my conversation with Princess Nianyi. Is there anything you wish to say to me?"
Chu Yueyuan looked up and saw his deep, dark eyes reflecting a sliver of starlight in the night sky, which was quite beautiful. She hesitated before speaking:
Why did Princess Nianyi marry Governor Chen's son back then?
Pei Muwei raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that the young empress dowager would ask such a question, but still answered it nonetheless.
"When Emperor Shang was on the throne, he suspected that Prince Chun had an affair with his ministers. In order to protect himself, Prince Chun asked to resign and go into seclusion in Jingzhou. Even so, Emperor Shang was still not at ease and believed that only by eliminating the root of the problem could the future be prevented. So he secretly ordered the Plum Blossom Division's inner guards to carry out the assassination."
Chu Yueyuan knew about the Plum Blossom Division. They were assassins who carried out assassination missions for the emperor. For example, the eunuch Su who poisoned Xiao Yun last time was the head of the Plum Blossom Division.
"Prince Chun, having survived several assassination attempts, knew that Emperor Shang was not prepared to let him go, so he entrusted half of his wealth to Governor Chen, who was then in charge of three prefectures, in exchange for protection..."
As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Governor Chen took money to help people solve their problems, and with his troops, he managed to protect the Xie family in Jingzhou.
Unfortunately, this happy time didn't last long. At a birthday banquet held by Governor Chen for his mother, Xie Yu and his sister came to offer their congratulations. Princess Nianyi was beautiful and had a dignified demeanor. In a place like Jingzhou, her appearance was like a pearl falling to earth, dazzling and captivating. She immediately stole the heart of Governor Chen's son.
Within three days, Governor Chen sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.
Chu Yueyuan frowned upon hearing this: "Prince Chun and Princess Nianyi are, after all, the children of the Grand Princess, of noble birth. How could they be controlled by a local military officer?"
Pei Muwei's eyes were deep: "No matter how noble the princes and grandsons of the dragon are, if they do not have military power or real authority, they are no different from the loaches in the ditch, and anyone can step on them."
His tone turned cold: "At first, Xie Yu tried to smooth things over and politely declined the matchmaker from the Chen family. But a few days later, his seven-year-old eldest son 'accidentally' fell into the river, and his body was never found."
Chu Yueyuan gasped.
The rest is self-evident: to save her people's lives, Princess Nianyi sacrificed herself to feed the wolves and married the son of Governor Chen.
"Princess Nianyi is such a pitiful person..."
Chu Yueyuan suddenly felt that her fate was so similar to that of Princess Nianyi. Both of them were forced to marry for the sake of their clansmen and became widows at a young age.
But upon closer reflection, she was much luckier than her; at least the Emperor died on their wedding night, sparing her from physical torment.
At that moment, she felt incredibly grateful to the treacherous minister before her.
"So, after returning to the capital, how does Minister Pei plan to settle the Prince Chun's family?"
"With the imperial examinations approaching, I intend to reinstate Xie Yu as a Hanlin Academy scholar and have him preside over the spring examinations. As for Princess Nianyi... her husband died at the hands of bandits, which can be considered a martyrdom. According to the law, she can be granted the title of a third-rank imperial lady."
Chu Yueyuan nodded: "With the title of Imperial Noblewoman, Princess Nianyi's life after returning to the capital will be smoother, but...wouldn't that be enough?"
Pei Muwei could easily discern the probing intent in the woman's words, and asked in a calm tone, "What does Your Highness mean?"
"Women in the capital either rely on their maternal families or their husbands' families. The princess lost her husband early and is in the prime of her life. If she could find a promising young man to entrust the rest of her life to, Prince Chun would feel at ease and would serve his beloved minister wholeheartedly..."
As a woman, Chu Yueyuan was well aware of Princess Nianyi's intention in preparing a meal for Pei Muwei and their chance encounter in the night wind.
She also clearly sensed that the man's attitude towards Princess Nianyi was different from that towards the other women.
Although it is unknown whether the two had a past relationship, considering that Pei Muwei has been alone all these years, he probably has someone he can't let go of in his heart.
If their feelings could be rekindled, the man's passion wouldn't reach her!
Chu Yueyuan paused, then continued, "Ahem... Pei Qing and Princess Nianyi are about the same age, they knew each other since childhood, and were inseparable. Unfortunately, fate played a trick on them. Now that they have the chance to meet again, perhaps it is an arrangement of heaven..."
Pei Muwei stared at the woman who was talking non-stop. He took a deep breath, as if trying to exhale the pent-up frustration in his chest.
He looked at her with a stern face, coldly interrupting the little matchmaker in his arms who was tying the red string for him: "Your Highness pities Princess Nianyi, and therefore wants me to take her as my concubine?"
Chu Yueyuan noticed the man's lowered eyebrows and slightly pursed lips, and clearly felt the arm around her waist tighten, making it hard for her to breathe.
She quickly reached out and braced herself against his strong chest, asking in confusion, "Could it be... that Pei Qing doesn't want to give Princess Nianyi any protection?"
Pei Muwei's head throbbed with pain, feeling that getting the heartless Empress Dowager to fall in love was a million times more difficult than making an iron tree bloom.
“Prince Chun is my cousin. I have always regarded Nianyi as my own sister since I was a child, and I have never had any romantic feelings for her.”
For some reason, Chu Yueyuan's mind was working extremely fast tonight, and she almost blurted out, "Then I am your sister-in-law, why don't you treat me with courtesy?"
The atmosphere froze for a moment, but the intimate distance between the man and woman gradually fostered an ambiguous atmosphere.
In the darkness, the man lowered his eyes slightly, his dark pupils revealing a clear light after the storm had subsided. He curled his thin lips into a smile, like a cunning and greedy wolf.
"Wasn't it my sister-in-law who provoked me first?"
Faced with the man's accusations, Chu Yueyuan was speechless for a moment. Recalling the various tests she had given him, she didn't know how to refute them.
These misunderstandings involve Xiao Yun's background; how can she explain them?
Pei Muwei took the woman's silence as consent, smiled with satisfaction, and bent down to bite the crimson lips he had long coveted.
The tender kiss was like a gentle yet surging river. Chu Yueyuan's breath was instantly captured by him. The man's cool scent overwhelmed her, and he easily pried open her lips and teeth, taking her as he pleased. It was as if the river had overflowed its banks, engulfing her completely, making her float and sink, unable to break free.
Her fingers unconsciously clenched his clothes, the sound of water splashing against the boat filling her ears. She could barely breathe when the man pulled away slightly, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling.
A man's husky voice rang in her ear, carrying a threatening tone: "Since Your Highness has provoked me, you should take full responsibility for this humble subject."
Chu Yueyuan sighed inwardly.
She finally understood why the heartless men in the stories always chose to prey on gentle and kind women.
Sigh... She also wanted to be a heartless man, but unfortunately she got involved with Sun... no... Pei Erniang.
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