When Pei Zhen arrived at the front hall, the two noble ladies had long been waiting there.
One of them wore a yellow dress, her features gentle and soft, with a hint of timid delicacy on her face. She was the illegitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s household, named Liu Yingying.
The other was dressed in a red gown, her features bright and captivating, and when she looked at him, her eyes held admiration. She was the legitimate second daughter of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, named Qin Yue.
His gaze first fell upon Liu Yingying.
Her submissive and demure appearance bore a slight resemblance to Chu Shengsheng’s tearful look beneath him that night.
However, upon closer inspection, Liu Shi’s gentleness carried a hint of affectation, and her eyes concealed calculation.
Whereas Chu Shengsheng’s panic that night seemed like an unpolished, instinctive reaction.
Comparing the two, the difference was immediately clear!
“Pretentious.”
These two words surfaced in his mind, instantly giving rise to disgust toward this woman.
Immediately, he shifted his gaze and turned to look at Qin Yue.
This woman’s appearance was more alluring, her demeanor bright and straightforward, at least not appearing as affected.
But at this moment, he was restless and only wanted to settle matters quickly, to give an account to the palace.
“You, then.”
Pei Zhen pointed at Qin Yue, his voice devoid of emotion.
Liu Yingying’s face paled, tears welling in her eyes, but she dared not say more. Qin Yue’s eyes flashed with joy as she responded in a delicate voice, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Soon, Qin Yue was escorted to the side palace of the Eastern Palace, meticulously adorned, filling the room with fragrance.
When Pei Zhen stepped into the hall, Qin Yue approached him shyly and timidly, helping him remove his outer robe. Yet the moment her fingertips touched him, the man’s body instantly stiffened.
This soft, warm touch not only failed to stir any romantic thoughts but instead inexplicably evoked a strong sense of disgust in his heart.
Uncontrollably, his mind flashed back to Chu Shengsheng’s smooth skin and the girl’s slight trembling from nervousness.
Seeing him unmoving, Qin Yue mustered the courage to lean closer. The fragrance assailed his senses, but it only made the scent feel cloying to him. He instinctively took half a step back, frowning tightly.
“Your Highness?” she was instantly stunned.
“I suddenly remember there are still government affairs to attend to. That will be all.”
Pei Zhen’s voice was cold as he turned and left, leaving Qin Yue standing rigidly alone, the color draining from her face.
Stepping outside, the night wind blew, yet the restlessness in his heart grew even stronger. What made him feel even more humiliated was that just moments ago, he had not reacted at all.
This was not normal.
The next day, he went to Liu Yingying’s chamber.
Liu Yingying had clearly prepared thoroughly, dressed in simple elegance, appearing pitiable and delicate, even adjusting her posture to be more fragile.
Pei Zhen closed his eyes, attempting to imagine the person before him as Chu Shengsheng. Finally, his calm body showed a slight reaction.
However, when he opened his eyes and clearly saw who was before him, all romantic thoughts instantly vanished.
Moreover, due to her deliberate affectation, he was instantly pulled out of the moment, leaving only cold annoyance.
Thus, he abruptly stood up.
“Your Highness?” Liu Yingying panicked, reaching out to grab his sleeve.
“Do not touch me!” Pei Zhen shook off his sleeve and strode away without looking back.
News that the two newly arrived noble ladies were not favored quickly spread throughout the entire Eastern Palace, which made the older consorts feel somewhat better, and they all had the leisure to watch the spectacle.
However, Pei Zhen’s mood grew even more irritable.
Previously, he had only deliberately reduced his intimate affairs, but overall, it had still been manageable. Yet now, after two consecutive days, he found himself unable to perform.
He summoned imperial physicians for examination, but all results were normal.
On the other side, Liu Yingying also panicked.
Two days into entering the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince had not even touched her. If she were to fall out of favor like this, it wouldn’t just be her future at stake—she had come with a mission from the Emperor and the Empress.
Then, she remembered the “arousal” incense medicine her mother had secretly slipped to her before she entered the palace…
That evening, she ordered her trusted maid to slip the medicine into the tea and snacks. Under the pretext of apologizing, she invited Pei Zhen to her room.
The man was already in a foul mood, and seeing her pitiful appearance only made him more impatient.
After drinking the tea, an unusual heat suddenly surged within him. Noticing her evasive gaze and flushed face as she drew closer, he instantly understood.
“How dare you!” He flew into a rage, slapping Liu Yingying so hard that she spat blood.
Immediately after, he roared, “Guards! Drag this wretch away and give her thirty lashes! Send her and that Qin Shi back to the palace together for my father to deal with! Clear out everything they brought and all the items they used!”
He had been looking for an excuse to deal with these two!
The guards rushed in at his command and, ignoring Liu Yingying’s desperate pleas, dragged her away.
Soon, Qin Yue was also escorted out of the Eastern Palace.
Their affairs caused not even a ripple in the Eastern Palace—such incidents had long become routine.
In the study, Pei Zhen’s body still burned with the lingering effects of the drug. He struggled to restrain himself, even ordering a bucket of cold water to be poured over him, which momentarily suppressed the inner heat.
But for some reason, the scene from that night in the dimly lit Drunken Flower Pavilion flashed before his eyes—Chu Shengsheng’s tear-filled eyes, her soft whimpers, the warmth of her touch…
This stirred his blood even more fiercely than before!
The heat that had been forcibly subdued by the cold water flared up again, stronger than ever.
The cold water was utterly useless!
Realizing this, he cursed under his breath and then shouted,
“Prepare my horse!”
His voice was hoarse, carrying an undeniable urgency.
In the dead of night, a fast horse charged out of the Eastern Palace, heading straight for the city gates.
Ningxiang Villa.
Chu Shengsheng was about to retire for the night when she suddenly heard the urgent sound of hoofbeats and some commotion from the outer courtyard. Her heart stirred slightly. Just as she draped her outer garment over her shoulders, the door to her room was flung open.
Pei Zhen stood at the threshold, drenched and radiating a fierce aura. The candlelight illuminated him, his deep gaze fixed intently on her.
Nanny Zhou and the maids had already tactfully withdrawn, closing the courtyard gate behind them.
She had barely taken a step forward when she was pulled into an embrace that was both scalding and icy.
For some reason, the man’s clothes were completely soaked, and his face bore an unusual flush, making him appear distinctly unnatural.
“Your High—”
She had only uttered a single word when his lips captured hers in a nearly brutal kiss, carrying a hint of punishment and release, silencing whatever she meant to say next.
His palms were scorching as they began to clumsily tear open the front of her robe.
For her, it was a clash of fire and ice.
Chu Shengsheng instinctively struggled, but the moment she moved, the System’s voice echoed in her mind.
[Detected target character Pei Zhen actively seeking out the Host, with intense emotional fluctuations. Task “Make the target actively seek out the Host a second time” completed. Reward: 200 Points. Current Points: 300.]
Hearing this, her heart steadied. The strength of her struggle softened, turning into a faint tremble. A single tear slid down her cheek, landing precisely on the back of the man’s hand.
That touch of cool dampness strangely soothed the violence raging in his heart.
Pei Zhen’s movements paused slightly as he looked at her panicked expression. The memories of that night surged back, and his body teetered on the edge of losing control.
Yet, he suddenly recalled his own unusual behavior over the past few days, and for a moment, he dared not continue.
He feared losing his composure in front of the young woman—that would be far too embarrassing.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
The man’s sudden halt left Chu Shengsheng, who was already nearing her peak state, puzzled. She lifted her gaze to look at him.
At this critical moment, why had the Crown Prince stopped?
But just one glance—that single glance—sent a tremor through Pei Zhen’s entire body, reigniting the fiery heat in his heart and concentrating it into a single point.
The man’s figure pressed down upon her once more, like a ferocious beast unleashed after being caged for far too long, releasing its primal instincts in full force!
“Mm…”
This reaction only further provoked the man.
In one swift motion, Pei Zhen lifted her into his arms and strode toward the bed. There was no hesitation or gentleness left in his movements—only complete dominance and unyielding demand.
The bed curtains fell, concealing the man’s suddenly ragged breaths and the young woman’s intermittent, muffled sobs.
He had no time to ponder why; all he could think of was surrendering completely to this descent!
The night was still long. (Ten thousand words omitted here.)
In the fleeting moments of her fading consciousness, Chu Shengsheng managed to spare a glance at the system panel.
Excellent. The Points were rising. The fish had finally taken the bait.