Shen Yuling had never been a strong drinker. After just a few cups of Xifeng wine, her head began to spin, and her feet felt as unsteady as if she were treading on cotton.
Xi Tong, watching from the side, quickly reached out to support her and helped her into the room.
When Shen Yuling woke again, her throat felt unbearably dry, as if it were on fire.
“Thirsty…”
Her eyes still closed, she groggily extended a hand from under the quilt.
Before long, a cup was placed in her hand, but her fingers accidentally brushed against the hand holding it.
That texture…
Rough and calloused, definitely not Xi Tong’s delicate hand.
Shen Yuling’s heart jolted, and she snapped her eyes open.
A man.
A very handsome man.
With sharp brows and starry eyes, a high-bridged nose, and a face of chiseled angles—flawless, like a noble deity descended from above.
Most captivating were his eyes, a deep black like an unfathomable, bottomless abyss.
Shen Yuling instinctively opened her mouth to scream.
But the man spoke coldly: “Shut up.”
Her mouth hung open, not a sound escaping, as she stared at the person before her in terror.
“It’s you!”
Listening carefully to the voice, Shen Yuling recognized it.
She quickly glanced around the room, then nervously looked down at her own clothing. Finding she was still in her original attire, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Why am I here?”
Steadying herself, Shen Yuling raised her gaze to the man, her eyes filled with confusion and wariness.
“You met me this morning, yet by evening you invited Feng Moheng for dinner. Did you not take a single word I said to heart?”
Quan Minghe’s expression was icy.
News had come from the Prince Consort’s residence that Shen Yuling had invited Feng Moheng for dinner and drinks that evening.
When Quan Minghe received this message, his face instantly darkened.
Could it be she was still planning to get Feng Moheng drunk, hoping he would consummate the marriage in a drunken state?
That way, Feng Moheng wouldn’t notice any possible marks on her or realize she had already lost her purity.
When Quan Minghe got the news, he thought to himself:
If she truly dismissed the warning he gave her this morning as empty words, then that cup of poisoned wine need not be saved—he could simply force it down her throat.
Unfortunately, Feng Moheng did not comply with her wishes.
He went to his concubine’s courtyard instead, completely ignoring her invitation.
Feng Moheng not coming was one thing, but she had gone ahead and gotten herself drunk, even appearing heartbroken and distressed.
In the end, Quan Minghe decided to no longer conceal his identity.
The eldest daughter of the Shen family was bold indeed. Without a bit of intimidation, she might still be thinking of peacefully playing the role of Princess Consort.
As he thought this, the cold severity in his eyes grew even more intimidating.
Shen Yuling harbored a probing intent—she wanted to determine whether Quan Minghe had already planted his people within the Prince Consort’s residence.
After all, that morning Quan Minghe had stated with certainty that he knew everything about her.
Truly an emperor, his methods were formidable.
She had only been in the Prince Consort’s residence for two days, yet there were already his people secretly watching her.
Shen Yuling pretended not to hear Quan Minghe’s aggressive questioning, her beautiful eyes instead sweeping over the man before her.
Today, Quan Minghe’s attire was completely different from what she had seen on their previous two encounters.
He wore a robe of icy blue, made from the finest silk, like the clear, deep waters of a serene lake—both pure and luxurious.
The dragon pattern embroidered on the robe was majestic and eye-catching, symbolizing nobility and power.
Shen Yuling couldn’t help but murmur, “You are the current emperor…”
As the words fell, she seemed to suddenly realize something.
Shen Yuling rose from the bed, standing on it so that she was almost at eye level with Quan Minghe.
A surge of anger instantly welled up in her, and without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped Quan Minghe fiercely.
Her stance seemed as if she wanted to vent all the grievances and resentment in her heart with that one slap.
However, Quan Minghe was quick-eyed and swift-handed. Without even moving his body, he directly intercepted her.
His left hand, like an iron clamp, gripped Shen Yuling’s right wrist.
His deep, narrow eyes were dark and dangerous.
He coldly uttered two words: “Seeking death?”
Shen Yuling struggled with all her might to free her wrist, but no matter how hard she tried, it remained immovable.
Frustrated and angry, she bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth until the tender flesh turned pale.
Her eyes were already brimming with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Like a trapped little beast, she was both furious and helpless.
“Do you know the torment and fear I endured from the moment you took my innocence until the day of the wedding?”
“Do you know how your warnings this morning kept me restless and unable to eat or sleep?”
“So, it was you who forced me to marry someone else, and it was you who took my innocence!”
Quan Minghe frowned.
Both of these things were indeed his doing.
He had even considered killing her because of his mistake.
But the memory of her tearful expression that night flashed through his mind, and he hesitated.
Just moments ago, he had felt the urge to kill her.
Yet, seeing her so aggrieved, angry, and fearlessly accusing him, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
After saying all this, Shen Yuling seemed as if all her strength had been drained, leaving her with no support.
Her body went limp, and she knelt on the bed.
Like a delicate flower that had lost its vitality, she looked pitiful and fragile.
Seeing her like this, Quan Minghe loosened his grip on her wrist.
“I became your woman by a twist of fate, but destiny played a cruel joke, making me the wife of the Prince of Lingyang. Your Majesty… have you long wanted to kill me?”
Shen Yuling raised her head, her gaze confused.
“Didn’t I tell you this morning that I would take you out of the prince’s mansion in three months?”
“If you can’t even wait those three months, then after tonight, don’t go back.”
Shen Yuling’s expression instantly turned panicked, her eyes filled with fear and pleading.
“No, Your Majesty said this morning that the reason for waiting three months was to preserve my reputation.”
“Please, not tonight.”
Shen Yuling tugged at his sleeve, pleading softly.
“Still planning to invite Feng Moheng for a drink?”
Quan Minghe’s fingers brushed over her reddened eyes.
The sight of her on the verge of tears was truly captivating.
“Your Majesty didn’t reveal your identity this morning, so I was afraid. I wanted the Prince of Lingyang to like me a little, so he would protect me out of respect for me being his wife…”
Shen Yuling blinked her beautiful fox-like eyes as she explained.
“Do you still need his protection?”
Shen Yuling shook her head.
She timidly reached out her small hand to take Quan Minghe’s hand.
Her fox-like eyes, soaked in tears, were moist, innocent yet subtly seductive, as if they could captivate one’s soul.
As an actress, she knew how to cry in the most beautiful way.
Quan Minghe was accustomed to beauties, yet he found himself unable to look away.
“Will Your Majesty protect me?”
Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying a hint of expectation while concealing a trace of unease.
“If you behave, I will naturally protect you.”
“Even if I don’t behave, I still want Your Majesty to protect me.”
Quan Minghe let out a light scoff—how greedy.
He didn’t answer her question and instead asked, “Do you still resent me?”
Quan Minghe bent down and lowered his head, while Shen Yuling happened to look up.
At that moment, their flawless faces were mere inches apart, their breaths clearly audible to one another.
He recalled her earlier words: “So, it was you who arranged my marriage to someone else, and it was also you who ruined my innocence!”—truly filled with resentment.
“I dare not.”
Shen Yuling turned her head away.
Dare not?
That meant she still harbored resentment in her heart.
But what did it matter?
Even if the little cat held grievances, she could only rely on him, quietly retracting her once-sharp claws.
And behave obediently.