Xiao Chengyu leaned in closer, his pitch-black pupils unfathomably deep. “Tangtang, why have you been so distant with your cousin lately?”
His warm breath brushed against her cheek as he pressed further, “Is there anything wrong with me visiting my own cousin?”
Shen Qingtang hadn’t expected him to suddenly touch her. Frozen with fear, she instinctively tried to pull back, but his grip on her chin kept her in place.
Suppressing her panic, she explained softly, “Tangtang knows Aunt and Cousin have always been good to me, but I’m no longer a child. Men and women should not touch hands when passing things. As the Crown Prince, Cousin should be even more mindful of your reputation to avoid misunderstandings…”
“Reputation?”
Xiao Chengyu let out a derisive laugh, tightening his grip on her chin. His tone carried a dangerous edge. “I’ll treat whoever I want however I want. Anyone who dares gossip will have their tongue ripped out!”
His gaze drifted downward, settling on her slightly trembling lips, moist and tempting like ripe cherries.
Shen Qingtang clearly heard his inner thoughts, laced with restrained urgency: [If Tangtang keeps rejecting me for no reason like this, I won’t be able to hold back any longer.]
The next moment, Xiao Chengyu leaned in even closer, until they were so near they could feel each other’s breath.
Shen Qingtang stiffened in fear. In her panic, she raised a hand to push against his chest, her palm meeting the firm muscles and powerful heartbeat beneath his robes before she snatched it back as if burned.
“C-Cousin!”
Her voice trembled as she grasped for an excuse. “Tangtang is just afraid of passing my chill to you! If you were to fall ill and government affairs were delayed, the fault would be too great for me to bear!”
Xiao Chengyu studied her panicked eyes for a few seconds before slowly releasing her chin.
He raised his hand, gently brushing aside the stray hairs at her forehead with a tenderness that seemed to drip with affection. “So Tangtang is worried about me? Afraid I might get sick?”
Shen Qingtang nodded hastily, desperate to send him away. “Yes… so until I’ve recovered, Cousin shouldn’t visit anymore, to avoid catching my illness…”
Before she could finish, Xiao Chengyu suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her forcefully against him.
Shocked, Shen Qingtang pushed against him with all her might, but weakened by illness, her efforts were useless against his iron-like grip.
Fearing the commotion might attract the attention of maids and servants outside, she could only plead in a hushed voice, “Cousin! What are you doing? Let me go! If someone sees…”
“And what if they do?”
Xiao Chengyu rested his chin atop her head, his voice both gentle and threatening. “Have you forgotten how you used to demand I hold you to feed you when you were little? How you’d cling to my sleeve even in sleep? I’m just holding you now, what is Tangtang afraid of?”
His embrace was broad and warm, the scent of Dragon Saliva Incense permeating the air, yet it only made Shen Qingtang tense up completely. Like prey caught in vines, even her fingertips trembled slightly.
She could clearly feel the rise and fall of Xiao Chengyu’s chest, hear the powerful beat of his heart that only heightened her panic.
He clearly held no regard for the boundaries between cousins!
Before Shen Qingtang could continue to struggle, Xiao Chengyu chuckled softly by her ear, his voice brimming with delight, as if her resistance were nothing more than a playful tantrum: “Tangtang cares so much about me, I am very pleased.”
“Tangtang must recover quickly and come to the palace more often to keep your cousin company.”
He paused, his tone softening slightly, deliberately feigning a hint of vulnerability, “I… and Tuantuan, both miss you very much.”
After Xiao Chengyu left, Shen Qingtang sat rigidly on the bed, unable to regain her composure for a long while.
She could no longer cling to false hope or continue deceiving herself into thinking that Xiao Chengyu’s feelings for her were merely a fleeting whim…
He was clearly determined to have her!
But she held no romantic feelings for Xiao Chengyu, nor did she wish to enter the palace. Moreover, she already had a childhood sweetheart fiancé!
The only one who could help her now was the Empress…
Several days later, Shen Qingtang had fully recovered from her illness.
Early in the morning, she changed into an elegant Ruqun and entered the palace to pay respects to the Empress.
As soon as she stepped into Kunning Palace, the Empress smiled and beckoned her to sit beside her, holding her hand while examining her carefully.
“You’re finally better! When I heard from the palace maids that you were sick a few days ago, my heart has been anxious. How did you suddenly fall ill?”
Shen Qingtang replied obediently: “Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Tangtang has completely recovered now.”
The Empress sighed and patted the back of her hand: “Your constitution is still too weak. You must take better care of yourself from now on, don’t catch cold again.”
“It’s all because Tangtang is too fragile,” Shen Qingtang lowered her head, showing a somewhat ashamed expression, “not only worrying Aunt, but also troubling Cousin to visit the Marquis residence multiple times. My illness has caused inconvenience to many people, I truly feel sorry about it.”
She paused, her voice softening further, “It was really just a minor cold, not worth making such a fuss about. Cousin is the Crown Prince, with endless government affairs to attend to daily. If I’ve delayed his official duties because of me, Tangtang would feel extremely guilty.”
The Empress had only known that the Crown Prince took a physician to visit once, but didn’t realize he had been going every day.
She was momentarily stunned, then smiled: “Your cousin cares for you deeply. Don’t worry, he knows his limits and won’t neglect important matters.”
Shen Qingtang secretly thought to herself: What limits does he have?
He’s the one with the least sense of propriety!
But her expression remained gentle and obedient: “Tangtang has grown up now and can take care of herself. There are also servants at the Marquis residence to attend to me. There’s really no need for Cousin to trouble himself so much.”
“You’re just too sensible, child.” The Empress grew fonder the more she looked at her.
She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: [If it were anyone else receiving such favor, they would have become spoiled by now. Only Tangtang remains so polite and sensible, making it impossible not to cherish her.]
Shen Qingtang lowered her long eyelashes, as if suddenly remembering something, and naturally changed the subject: “By the way, Aunt, some time ago you mentioned wanting to select a Crown Princess for Cousin. I wonder if there are any suitable candidates now?”
Mentioning this matter, the Empress shook her head helplessly: “What candidates could there be? You know your cousin’s temperament – completely devoted to state affairs. He says he doesn’t want to select a consort for now. I’ve tried persuading him several times, but it’s no use.”
Shen Qingtang’s fingertips moved slightly as she said softly: “Aunt, recently my stepmother’s sister Madam Ding has brought my cousin Ding Ru Shan to stay at the Marquis residence for a while. When Madam Ding saw that Cousin frequently visited me, and learned that he hasn’t selected a consort yet, she privately approached me, hoping I could help matchmake between Cousin and Cousin Ru Shan…”
The Empress’s eyebrows immediately furrowed, understanding the situation at once.
With the position of Crown Princess vacant, many were watching for opportunities to exploit. Someone had actually set their sights on Tangtang, wanting to use her connection to approach the Crown Prince!
Her tone instantly turned cold: “Have they been bothering you about this? If they dare trouble you, I’ll have Qingci go to the Marquis residence immediately to warn them!”
“Not at all, Aunt Ding just mentioned it casually without pressuring me.”
Shen Qingtang quickly waved her hand, her tone tinged with concern. “It’s just that Cousin often visits me at the Marquis’ residence. Although we are cousins, it’s inevitable that some might read too much into it. If word gets out, it could harm Cousin’s reputation.”
“Moreover, the selection of the Crown Princess remains undecided. I fear there will be more people devising various schemes in the future…”
She left her words unfinished but subtly hinted at the hidden danger of “someone using her to gain favor” and tactfully suggested that the Crown Prince should finalize the matter of selecting his consort soon.