The girl's warm, soft voice, sweet and sticky like glutinous rice, trembled lightly, each word aphrodisiac under the influence of the Joyful Union Powder.
The Crown Prince had originally intended only to teach her a lesson, keeping her in the hall to dampen her audacity and make her abandon those filthy, depraved thoughts. He never expected she would dare to actively seek his favor.
With a beauty by his side, any other man would have eagerly pounced on her long ago. Relying on sheer willpower, the Crown Prince had been restraining himself until he could bear it no longer. Finally, he pulled her into his embrace.
The girl's delicate fragrance drifted into his nostrils, not the repulsive scent of powder and makeup from the daytime. If he had to describe it, it was like sun-soaked sunflowers, blended with the faint aroma of fresh grass and the sweet scent of ripe fruit—warm but not cloying.
When his palm rested on her soft, slender waist, the Crown Prince's breath hitched slightly.
His hand was broad and powerful, with long, elegant fingers, capable of easily encircling her waist.
Her body, clad only in a thin undergarment, felt supple and smooth, pressing unresistingly against his palm like a handful of warm snow. The delicate curve of her waist dipped inward, fragile as willow branches swaying in the wind, seemingly too delicate to withstand any roughness.
As if guided by some unseen force, he did not move his hand away.
This sensation was strange. Since leaving his wet nurse, he had almost never had physical contact with anyone. Others regarded him as a ferocious ghost, lacking even the courage to look him in the eye, let alone touch him.
As for those who sought to climb into his bed, the mere sight of them disgusted him, and he would never deign to touch them.
This girl had a depraved mind—though she harbored ambitions of climbing into his bed, she lacked the nerve to act on them, which was contemptible. Yet… her body felt surprisingly pleasant to the touch.
The Crown Prince's gaze darkened, his eyes burning with an intense fire as he caressed her with deliberate, measured strokes.
Yun Kui's shoulders trembled, her entire body quivering uncontrollably.
"Itchy, itchy, itchy, itchy, itchy, itchy, itchy, itchy, itchy!"
Not only was her waist unbearably ticklish, but the warmth of his breath against her cheek was equally maddening.
Hot and itchy.
Trapped in his embrace, she dared not scratch, nor even breathe deeply, let alone ask the Crown Prince to touch her elsewhere.
Whimpering softly, the girl hung her head, too timid to look at him. Yet, the Crown Prince grew increasingly agitated by the thoughts racing through her mind.
He wanted to take a good look at this shameless girl. Lowering his gaze, he met her dark, misty eyes, shimmering with unshed tears.
Her lashes fluttered like a crow's wings, her cheeks flushed like peach blossoms under the candlelight, glowing with a dewy radiance. Her full, crimson lips parted slightly, leaving him momentarily dazzled.
Yun Kui felt the pressure of his large hand on her waist intensify, so heavy she could barely breathe. "Your… Your Highness…"
The Crown Prince tilted his head back, closing his eyes, trying to ignore the jade-like elegance of her slender neck and the delicate collarbones below, as well as the soft, dazzling whiteness beneath them.
The effects of the aphrodisiac made his blood boil, and the girl's subtle fragrance seeped into his senses, invading his nostrils.
"Turn around," the Crown Prince commanded after a long silence, his voice low and heavy.
Yun Kui did not want to face him like this either.
The man's presence was overwhelmingly powerful, his breath scorching like fire. She had long reached her limit. Turning around would spare her from having to face the Crown Prince's dark, stormy expression.
But why did he want her to turn around?
"Could it be that he prefers it from behind, or from the side…?"
The Crown Prince: …
Yun Kui had seen illustrated books and was not unfamiliar with such positions. Her body instinctively tensed as she slowly turned around.
But in doing so, her jade-like, snow-white back was almost completely exposed to the man's gaze.
Yun Kui took a deep breath, her fingers unconsciously clutching the edge of her undergarment until her fingertips turned white from the pressure.
So cold. Though the brocade quilt was warm and the man beside her radiated heat, she still felt a biting chill.
She could sense his gaze like a tangible weight on her back, reminiscent of a damp, venomous snake slithering up her spine.
She hunched her shoulders slightly, causing the delicate, pale butterfly bones on her back to protrude sharply, like wings ready to take flight.
The Crown Prince’s gaze was inscrutable. He had thought turning her away would spare him the sight of her bewitching face, yet this dazzling expanse of snowy back was enough to stir a tightening in his lower abdomen.
The dose of Joyful Union Powder was far from light—otherwise, how could he have fallen for it so easily?
Now, with the silken canopy warming and a beauty in his arms, desire surged wildly within him. Even if he saw her as nothing more than an antidote, what harm was there in that?
Before he could act, he caught the girl’s frantic inner thoughts.
"Ugh, what’s taking so long?" "Why is he hesitating? If he ends up sick from holding back, don’t blame me…"
"If you won’t make a move, I will!"
"Haha, just kidding—I’d never dare."
"Maybe I could… turn around naturally, pretend to accidentally brush against the Crown Prince’s chest muscles, and ask if he’s alright… Or, under the guise of concern, check on the state of his lower abdomen…"
As Yun Kui entertained these lively thoughts, a large, warm hand suddenly gripped the nape of her neck.
"Ah!"
Startled, she trembled all over as the Crown Prince’s deep voice murmured by her ear, "If you dare let your mind wander again, I’ll have your head cut off and fed to the dogs."
Yun Kui: …
Wait, how did he know she was thinking wild thoughts?!
Frozen in place, Yun Kui felt the man’s scorching breath draw nearer, washing over the back of her neck like a wave of heat. The moment something warm, soft, and damp touched her skin, her scalp prickled, and her entire body stiffened.
The unfamiliar, peculiar sensation, accompanied by a slow, unraveling pain, felt like a wild beast’s sharp fangs gradually piercing her skin, followed by a soft tongue gently licking the spot.
Yun Kui remained motionless, stunned, her mind seemingly stripped of all ability to think.
As the shallow and deep sucking and grinding continued, a faint ache intertwined with another indescribable feeling, tangling her emotions into a messy knot.
Gasping, she struggled to steady her breathing, but the damp sensation behind her ear persisted.
Biting her finger tightly, the pent-up, inexplicable sensations within her found no release, making her so uncomfortable she nearly cried out.
Was this… a kiss?
Or was he just biting her? Taking it slow to avoid killing her in one go?
She had seen others kiss in dreams but had never experienced it herself. Those women sometimes seemed joyous, other times wept softly, and some even begged for mercy. It left her utterly confused—what did a kiss truly feel like? Was it supposed to be as unbearable as this?
Hearing her inner monologue, the Crown Prince frowned.
This girl had witnessed others kissing? What had she been doing all day? Could she have come from a brothel or the Bureau of Music?
Pausing his actions, he couldn’t help but ask, "Before entering the Eastern Palace, where were you assigned?"
As the damp heat at her neck vanished, Yun Kui’s body relaxed like a tightly drawn bowstring. After catching her breath, she replied, "This servant was previously assigned to the Imperial Food Bureau. Before that, I spent a year in the needlework bureau."
Pressing her lips together, she added, "I was unskilled in my craft, and the matron complained I ate too much, so I was sent to the Imperial Food Bureau."
The Crown Prince doubted she would dare speak recklessly, yet he was perplexed by how worldly she seemed despite being confined to the inner palace.
Had the palace truly become so debauched during his absence that secret liaisons and wanton affairs among the courtiers were now commonplace?
His Royal Highness traced the snow-white slender neck with his fingers, his gaze deepening and voice turning husky: "How did you feel when I kissed you earlier?"
How was she supposed to answer this…
But men generally enjoyed both giving and receiving praise, especially in bed, particularly someone like His Royal Highness who epitomized masculinity.
Yun Kui shivered as his signet ring brushed against her neck, not daring to struggle. Mimicking the tone of women from her dreams, she carefully crafted her praise: "Your Highness… is domineering and mighty. This humble maid felt… quite pleasured…"
"He should be satisfied with that response!"
"Though strictly speaking, mouth-to-mouth contact qualifies as kissing. What he did earlier pressing against my neck was more like biting!"
The Crown Prince's expression cooled slightly, his fingers wandering to a patch of skin behind her ear with feigned nonchalance. "Your words don't match your heart. How should I punish you?"
Why must there be punishment again…
As the man's heavy breath fell by her ear, Yun Kui felt goosebumps rising, wanting to cry but having no tears. After a long pause, she tentatively suggested: "Perhaps this maid could… serve Your Highness?"
The Crown Prince sneered: "Wouldn't that be exactly what you want?"
A blush spread uncontrollably across Yun Kui's cheeks as she stammered: "This maid doesn't understand what Your Highness means…"
The Crown Prince lifted his eyes, increasing the pressure of his fingers by three degrees.
Yun Kui gasped in pain, immediately biting her lower lip.
His Royal Highness spoke indifferently: "What exactly did the Empress tell you?"
Yun Kui answered truthfully: "Her Majesty only instructed this maid to attend to Your Highness."
"She's literally a bedchamber maid – doesn't she understand the implied meaning?"
As for promising prospects, she wasn't greedy – surviving would be blessing enough.
The Crown Prince hummed in acknowledgment, leisurely stroking the skin behind her ear. "Then how do you plan to attend to me?"
Yun Kui trembled like a rabbit caught by a dangerous wolf, every hair standing on end as she curled into a ball.
She had no idea what this man intended – in no hurry to kill, perhaps he wanted to toy with her first. But the terror of not knowing when the blade might fall haunted her like a ghost. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, making even breathing exceptionally difficult.
Without overthinking, she acted almost instinctively – grabbing the large hand pressed against her neck, she pulled it down and pressed it against the soft fullness below her collarbone.
Please! Stop squeezing the neck! It's truly terrifying!
She had chosen a place with better texture for him, the place all men in the world loved most, where he could knead freely.
Most importantly, it wouldn't crush her to death.