A vicious slap landed abruptly on her face.
Ning Xin’er’s cheek stung sharply. She hurriedly covered her flushed face with her hand, looking up at Yun Li in disbelief. “Your Highness, what has Changning done wrong…”
Before she could finish, she feigned a pitiful expression, ready to cry.
But Yun Li had no intention of indulging her. Her clear, haughty voice rang out, “Ning Xin’er, how dare you act so presumptuously?”
“Who gave you the audacity to recklessly discuss my family affairs? Is the Regent Prince’s conduct something you’re qualified to judge?”
Ning Xin’er was somewhat stunned.
The situation wasn’t unfolding as she had imagined… Shouldn’t Yun Li be overjoyed upon seeing the divorce letter, immediately divorcing His Highness and fleeing the palace?
“Your Highness, that’s not what Changning meant…”
Ning Xin’er bit her lip in feigned grievance, tears streaming down her face. “Changning only pities your plight and wanted to do everything possible to help you…”
Yun Li narrowed her beautiful phoenix eyes slightly. “Ning Xin’er, I originally thought the slap Eunuch Jiang gave you at the Spring Banquet would be enough to warn you against speaking out of turn. I never imagined the Princess’s skin would be this thick.”
She lazily raised her hand to adjust her hair bun.
Her slender jade-like fingers deliberately brushed past the Nine Phoenix Hairpin that Rong Zhou had just placed in her hair…
Ning Xin’er nearly bit through her lip in jealousy.
The Nine Phoenix Hairpin!
His Highness had truly gone so far as to have this hairpin—reserved only for empresses—made for this wretched woman!
But just the hairpin wasn’t enough…
Yun Li deliberately tilted her delicate face slightly, revealing her fair, slender swan-like neck, which bore a conspicuous red mark that glistened with moisture as if freshly sucked.
Even though Ning Xin’er had never experienced marital intimacy…
She recognized it at a glance—it was left on her neck by His Highness during intimate moments! How could a man as majestic as His Highness do such a thing?
It must have been this wretched woman Yun Li who seduced him!
Shameless slut!
Ning Xin’er was so furious she felt her chest might explode.
But Yun Li said in a languid tone, “Since the Princess still fails to understand propriety and repeatedly interferes in the relationship between the Prince and me, kneel outside the palace for two hours.”
“You!” Ning Xin’er finally lost her composure.
The elegance and grace she had feigned earlier were now completely discarded. “Yun Lanyue! Even the Empress Dowager has never made me kneel! How dare you…”
“Wen Bei.” Yun Li raised her voice.
The cold-faced man guarding the Princess Consort in the shadows immediately leaped down from the red wall and appeared. “Your Highness.”
Yun Li casually lowered her eyelids, toying with her slender, pale fingers. “The Princess’s knees are too stiff to bend. Help her.”
“Yes.” Wen Bei turned to face Ning Xin’er.
A sense of foreboding rose in Ning Xin’er’s heart, but before she could react, “Ah—”
A sharp, immense pain shot through her knees!
Her entire body gave way, completely out of her control, and she knelt directly before Yun Li. Her knees slammed into the ground, the pain so intense that cold sweat instantly beaded on her forehead…
“Yun Lanyue, you!” Ning Xin’er seethed with rage.
A faint curve lifted the corners of Yun Li’s eyes. She slowly bent down to look at the woman, then snatched the divorce letter from her hand.
In the shadows, Rong Zhou clenched his fists.
His eyes burned crimson as he stared fixedly at the divorce letter in Yun Li’s hand, restraining his emotions with great effort. Then, he heard the sound of tearing paper.
“Rip—”Rong Zhou’s tightly clenched heart gradually unfurled, a glimmer of light shimmering in his dark pupils.
Yun Li tore up the divorce agreement without hesitation.
With a casual flick of her wrist, the shredded paper fluttered down like snow. “This princess consort shares a deep bond with the prince. Such things as divorce agreements… are unnecessary for me!”
“Let Changning County Princess kneel properly outside the mansion. Only when she learns proper manners, guards her tongue, and clears her vision—”
“May she then crawl away from this princess consort.”
Having spoken, Yun Li coldly flicked her sleeve with an air of elegant pride before turning to stride haughtily back into the mansion.
Wen Bei stood guard outside, maintaining a stern and rigid watch for two full hours—not a second less!
…
Yun Li’s jade-green figure appeared pure and noble.
Her turning motion was breathtakingly dashing, yet her clear phoenix eyes curved like crescent springs, shimmering with delicate light, revealing an utterly adorable and charming demeanor.
The gates of the Regent’s Mansion closed behind her as she entered.
In a place beyond Ning Xin’er’s sight, the young princess consort happily hummed a little tune while heading back to Phoenix Hall…
Only to collide with a scorching embrace the moment she stepped through the gate.
Yun Li looked up in surprise to find Rong Zhou standing before her in dark robes, uncertain how much he had heard or witnessed of what just transpired…
Alarm bells immediately rang in the young princess consort’s heart.
Fearing the destruction of the gentle, soft image she had carefully crafted before her husband, the Yun Lanyue who had just coldly slapped someone moments ago instantly transformed into a delicate little pear blossom.
“Wuwu…”
Her beautiful phoenix eyes immediately misted over as she coquettishly burrowed into Rong Zhou’s embrace, her voice softening like melting honey. “Husband, my hand hurts so much~”
Rong Zhou narrowed his long peach-blossom eyes.
Having witnessed his little Ali’s rapid change in expression, he meaninglessly lifted the corner of his eye, thinking to himself that she was indeed a little black sesame tangyuan with a dark heart…
“Hurts?” He looked down at the young princess consort.
Yun Li pouted her vermilion lips, spreading her pale palm before the man while sniffing delicately. “Ali never imagined slapping someone would hurt this much. Look how red it is… It needs husband’s kisses to feel better!”
Rong Zhou’s long lashes cast small shadows.
Seeing the reddened palm where she had indeed struck with considerable force, his brows deeply furrowed.
“Let your husband see.” Rong Zhou hurriedly cupped her hand.
A sly smile flashed in Yun Li’s eyes.
She lifted her small hand, presenting it to Rong Zhou while whining, “It hurts super bad~”
A deep, seductive chuckle flowed from the man’s throat, filled with indulgent affection. “Mm, your husband will kiss it better. The pain will go away after kisses.”
Speaking, warm breath fanned across her palm.
A tingling sensation traveled from Yun Li’s palm straight to her heart. Gazing up at the man, she momentarily lost herself until she felt a slight coolness on her palm…
She saw Rong Zhou lower his head to press his lips against her palm.
Yun Li’s lashes fluttered, electric tremors making her heartbeat grow increasingly erratic…
“Does it still hurt?” he asked in a low voice.
Yun Li obediently shook her head. “Not anymore.”
But Rong Zhou still held her hand tenderly, his thumb gently stroking the reddened area.
He said softly, “Leave such matters to Wen Nan and Wen Bei in the future. Seeing you do it yourself only pains your husband’s heart.”
“Okay.” Yun Li curved her lips.But the next second, Rong Zhou pressed his lips to her ear, “After all, I can’t bear to let A Li’s hands get sore, so others… don’t even think about it.”
Yun Li didn’t understand what he meant at first.
But that night…