Chapter 77 Do you want to drink contraceptive soup?
At this moment, the man, as if engulfed in a sea of fire, had bulging veins and his boiling blood throbbing violently, burning away his reason with lightning speed.
Her words were cryptic, but he understood them instantly.
Her hand had already crossed the red line, grasping it precisely, and he instantly vomited into the air.
That was far too fast; it was incredibly embarrassing.
He calmed down and pushed her away forcefully. She stumbled and fell backward. As her arm slid, her tightly tied nightgown fell open, revealing a light purple undergarment underneath.
The small garment was barely held up by two thin ropes around her neck, hanging taut and expanding with her breath.
Shen Jizhao didn't dare to look. He only glanced at it before turning away, his fists clenched so tightly that his palms turned white.
He didn't miss that moment; the disgust in her eyes showed that she wasn't doing it willingly.
Although he wanted it, he didn't like being forced, and he couldn't accept her disgust.
He wanted it, and she was happy too.
Jiang Shuifu raised her narrow, fox-like eyes, disregarding the sudden glimpse of her beauty, and knelt down to his knees. Her small, sticky hands brushed against his shoulder, and she sighed with considerable regret.
"So that's not enough? You're really greedy!"
After saying that, she was about to help him, but before she could even touch him, he stopped her, his eyes flashing with a blue, ghostly fire, his anger and shame shifting back and forth.
She found it very strange and gave him a dismissive glance.
"What are you pretending for! My hands are covered in them! Aren't you just using them to threaten me so you can get me?"
She believes that Jiang's family members were imprisoned as a way for him to coerce her into submission.
Shen Jizhao didn't say anything. Instead, he took a clean handkerchief, held her hand, and wiped it for her. His movements were careful and serious, and his eyes showed no romantic thoughts. He was just cleaning her hand.
After a long while, he finally uttered a few words:
"I don't have that, and I don't need you to do that. Get away from me."
Jiang Shuifu didn't believe him, hooking her little finger around his and bringing the matter to the forefront:
"When are you going to release them? It's almost Dragon Boat Festival, they can't spend it in jail. As for me, you can sleep with me, you can do whatever you want, is that enough?"
She held onto one of his fingers tightly with all her fingers, her palms burning hot, her words passionate, but his heart remained ice-cold. The taut string in his mind was stretched rapidly, and finally, with a snap, it broke into pieces.
"Would you like some contraceptive soup?"
He was furious, so he asked her this question to see how she would answer. Wasn't she someone who would do anything for her family?
Didn't she see him as a beast who only wanted her body, who only cared about his own pleasure and took pleasure in forcing her?
He was curious whether she could accept the offspring of a beast.
The woman holding his little finger hesitated and gradually loosened her grip. He was forcing her; he was very wary of the contraceptive soup and felt ashamed. He wanted revenge for what happened last time and also wanted her to get pregnant to keep her tied down.
He's so ruthless!
Her eyes gradually turned bloodshot, and she felt a wave of humiliation. Her bright red fingernails dug into his chest.
"You plotted to lure my second uncle into your service and then heavily relied on him. However, Governor Zhu was an imposter, and he was forced to participate in the factional struggle. Your Highness, under the guise of suppressing other factions, you used my uncle as a scapegoat. Your scheming is as unfathomable as ever, and you will stop at nothing to achieve your goals!"
Shen Jizhao's brow twitched, his eyes flickered, and he was about to offer some explanation when two clamps suddenly appeared around his waist, and the woman who had been scolding him just a moment ago lay down in the next instant.
He was pulled forward by her legs, and the two looked ready. She grabbed his hand to hook her ribbon, and their bodies were about to flow.
"If you don't want to drink it, you can just scoop it out."
Shen Jizhao was shocked, his eyes narrowed again and again, trying to understand her meaning in disbelief.
She still doesn't want his child, and even if she did, she would probably strangle him. In that case, there's no need for him to stay any longer.
Before leaving, he glanced back at her, his expression somber.
"Shui Fu, you are very powerful. You take advantage of my affection for you and have me completely under your control. I can't do anything to you, but as for them, to tell you the truth, I am powerless to help them. I cannot act out of personal feelings."
Jiang Shuifu's guess came true. Shen Jizhao wasn't trying to threaten her at all; he had set up a trap, and her second uncle was the key to it.
He wouldn't even accept her offer of himself, so it's clear he wouldn't take the initiative to break this deadlock.
She would rather he did it for her body.
She suddenly lost all her strength; whatever he did, all she wanted was to get a good night's sleep.
"Do you admit it, Shen Jizhao? You are incapable of being humble."
Shen Jizhao's heart skipped a beat. If he wasn't humble, how could he possibly win her over?
He didn't want to be looked down upon by her, so he finally gave in.
"They will be fine, and it was not my doing. That's all I can say. With you here, I dare not."
They dared not harm her family.
"I will prepare a grand Dragon Boat Festival trip for you. Wait for me to come back, okay? I will take you with me."
The woman closed her eyes briefly: "I don't want to go out. I'm not interested. You can leave."
Shen Jizhao looked somewhat dejected, clutching the reopened wounds on his body:
"Don't make things difficult for me. I can't do everything. My wounds hurt so much."
"Difficult?"
Jiang Shuifu looked up at him in confusion, then raised her arm. Perhaps he had pushed her too hard earlier, for there was a bloody mark on her arm in the same spot.
Her words were pearls of wisdom:
“This scar was left here because of your troubles. It hurts so much, you know? You pushed me to protect others. I begged you several times, but you still broke your promise. It’s so easy for you to make trouble.”
"Yesterday I saw a fox in the woods, which reminded me of the auspicious creature we caught together. I wonder if it's still alive? Has its wound healed? Why don't you rescue it?"
This is the real dilemma!
She wanted him to return to the palace and protected the emperor closely, fearing that the auspicious omen might escape!
When auspicious omens disappear, the nation's fate is in peril, status is in jeopardy, and lives are in danger!
.
Jiang Shuifu hadn't seen Shen Jizhao for several days in a row. He wouldn't come back unless someone sent a message back.
These past few days she has been eating and sleeping well, and sometimes she goes out to visit the old lady and help her pick bamboo leaves, as the farmers also rely on selling bamboo leaves for money.
She had already helped the old woman pick several baskets, and the old woman carried them down the mountain and exchanged them for money, which she then shared with her.
She didn't look sad or upset at all; you couldn't tell that a heavy stone was weighing on her heart.
Shen Jizhao finally returned. As soon as she entered, she saw Shen Jizhao painting again, still painting pastoral landscapes with mountains, water, and forests, still dedicated to creating that hidden way out.
He sat down silently. He had heard about it these past few days; she had been busy picking bamboo leaves and was very well-behaved, never mentioning the unpleasant parting they had last time.
His lips moved, and he fidgeted, trying to explain to her:
"I didn't mean to neglect you these past few days, I've just been quite busy, please don't misunderstand."
"You don't need to explain. I'm putting you in a difficult position. Haven't you always been like this?"
After being insulted, Shen Jizhao stayed with her for the next few days, never leaving her side.
As for the auspicious omen she mentioned, he didn't take it to heart and didn't take any action, which she knew.
It is impossible for the crown prince, who is most favored by the emperor, to do something so stupid, courting death, and handing over his own weakness.
This is extremely dangerous and a losing proposition.
At night, Jiang Shuifu no longer bothered to chase him out, but he consciously refrained from disturbing her.
This has been the case for several days.
Until one night, he came home rather late:
"I promise you, we'll go out on Dragon Boat Festival and catch a glimpse of them from afar."
Jiang Shuifu finally raised her eyes and glanced at him; she had been waiting for this glance for a long time.
He couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he lost the upper hand and could only hope that she would be happy.
Indeed, she was much happier in the following days. Every time she returned from visiting the old lady in the farmhouse, she would smile broadly, her lips would curl up, she would eat more, and her whole body would become much rosier.
The day before his departure, Shen Jizhao finally entered the house and saw her painting again, in the same familiar style.
These days, she has been very diligent in her studies and has practiced for a long time, but there has still been no improvement.
He became interested: "You like rural landscapes that much?"
Jiang Shuifu paused in her hand movements, not wanting to answer.
The man beside her asked casually, but in his heart he began to think. She loved the natural scenery so much, so why not build her a garden in the countryside near the capital? She would definitely love it.
That evening, they dined together, and she unusually didn't look upset, even accepting all the dishes that were served to her.
He observed her closely; it seemed even the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved slightly, barely noticeable with her chewing and swallowing movements, but he still noticed it:
Why are you so happy?
The woman who had been chewing was stunned. Had he noticed?
She immediately changed the subject, put down her chopsticks, and cautiously sized him up:
Are you leaving? When will you be back?
In the afternoon, Jinqing packed his things, which wasn't surprising.
Shen Jizhao knew that she was happy because she would see her family soon, and he also knew that she didn't really want him to come back, or that she cared about him or was reluctant to part with him. She just wanted him to come back soon so that he could take her to see her family sooner.
But he was still somewhat happy.
It feels so good to be remembered by her, even if it's just an illusion.
He nodded, moved closer to her, and gently bent down to wipe the rice stains from the corner of her mouth:
"Yes, I'll wait for you to come back. But if you come to pick me up, I'll definitely come running!"
Jiang Shuifu didn't flinch, she just lowered her head, and he was quite satisfied.
At night, he lay on the small couch, gazing at the person on the bed with a shy smile. He wondered how long it would be before he saw her again after he left, so he was completely absorbed in watching her.
The next day, Shen Jizhao left very early. The person on the bed was still breathing softly. She hadn't woken up. He smiled and left.
Jiang Shuifu enjoyed a few peaceful days. No one was watching her or bothering her. She happily went to help her aunt cut bamboo and pick bamboo leaves.
Today, there are only two small bamboo leaves. When the two leaves overlap, a few small characters instantly appear:
"Have you made up your mind?"
She carved a turtle for him.
It means: You coward, if you break your promise again, I will definitely not let you off.
That evening, Zhu Ye was delivered to town. The man picked up her reply, smiled but said nothing. She really trusted him!
How many times is this?
This time, he will definitely not let her down.
Shen Jizhao had been gone for many days, and he still hadn't returned by the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival. However, the letter he handed to Jiang Shuifu said that he would be back today.
She was getting anxious, waiting from morning till night, until sunset, when the last white cloud was covered by dark clouds and night fell, and she finally couldn't sit still any longer.
"Miss, don't wait anymore, His Highness won't be coming back."
She ignored Pan Tao's advice and kept pacing back and forth at the courtyard gate, glancing out every now and then. The guards, seeing her eagerly waiting look, didn't know what to say.
She walked and walked until she and Pan Tao reached the bamboo grove below the old lady's house.
This distance was beyond what was normally permitted, and the guards began to follow, but one of them stopped them:
"Never mind, we'll keep an eye on things. Besides, His Highness said that if the young lady wants to go and fetch him, we must not stop her."
Because of Shen Jizhao's order, no one dared to stop Jiang Shuifu. Her smile was as bright as a flower. She looked up and exhaled all the stale air, then took a deep breath of freedom.
It's sweet, and also has a refreshing salty taste like sea salt; in short, it's joyful.
"We finally escaped!"
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Author's Note: Stay tuned for Shen Gouzi's earth-shattering rage in the next chapter! [dog head with rose in hand][dog head with rose in hand]
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