Liu Fuyin was startled, but deep down, she didn’t quite believe it. Her father was not an unreasonable man. She recalled that in the original plot, there seemed to be such an incident, but it appeared to be an act put on by the two of them.
Of course, it was indeed an act at first. However, starting from the death of the original host, Minister Liu genuinely held a grudge against the Crown Prince. After all, she was his beloved daughter, whom he had doted on since childhood. It was one thing for her to enter the Eastern Palace as a concubine, but to be bullied so mercilessly was another matter entirely.
But there was nothing to be done. No matter what, his daughter was in the Crown Prince’s residence, and he could not possibly do anything to humiliate the Crown Prince. Doing so would only make his daughter’s situation even more difficult.
Thinking of this, Liu Fuyin felt a surge of hatred welling up in her heart. This man was truly disgusting.
But for now, she still needed him and had no choice but to continue playing along.
“Your Highness, my… my father must have misunderstood something about Your Highness. Please forgive him,” Liu Fuyin said, dropping to her knees with a thud, her face filled with terror as she looked up at him.
Seeing her delicate and frightened appearance, the Crown Prince felt even more restless. He directly picked her up and placed her on the nearby desk.
“Your… Your Highness?”
“Didn’t you ask for my forgiveness? Do you think you can gain benefits without doing anything?”
The Crown Prince’s blatant gaze swept over Liu Fuyin from head to toe, making her tremble uncontrollably.
Liu Fuyin bit her lip and continued playing dumb. “What does Your Highness mean by this?”
The Crown Prince chuckled softly and directly grasped her hand. “Liangdi can feel it for herself.”
Liu Fuyin inwardly cursed how playful he was, but on the surface, she remained delicate and soft, her face flushed with heat. “Your Highness, but… this is the study.”
“Liangdi is unwilling?” The Crown Prince’s voice turned several degrees colder.
Liu Fuyin lowered her head, shy and timid. “I am willing.” A proper lady from a respectable family would naturally not agree, but Liu Fuyin was playing the role of a woman who had long admired this man—a woman who would do anything, especially under the threat of the man.
Her voice unconsciously carried a hint of seductiveness, making the man’s gaze fixate on her.
What followed was self-explanatory. After all, the Crown Prince had been thinking about this for many days, and once he started, he became somewhat unrestrained.
There were still people guarding outside, and Liu Fuyin tried her best to suppress her voice, but some fragmented, delicate sounds still escaped.
The Crown Prince grabbed the hem of her skirt and stuffed it into her mouth. “Bite down.”
Outside the door, Tian Zhongshun had initially heard the Crown Prince’s questioning and guessed it was an argument over the matter of the Shizhong from the previous court. Afraid that others might overhear and gossip, he dismissed everyone else and stood guard at the door himself.
At first, everything seemed normal—just the sound of things clattering, likely the Crown Prince losing his temper and smashing a teacup again. But as he listened, something began to feel off.
The Crown Prince was not the type to lay hands on a woman. Tian Zhongshun was puzzled but remained silent. It wasn’t until he later heard the seductive, lingering tones that he finally realized what was happening.
He stood there, completely stunned.
Wasn’t the Crown Prince only devoted to the Crown Princess?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Tian Zhongshun slapped his own mouth. Look at him, how narrow-minded he was! Liangdi Liu was also a legitimate royal consort. What kind of unwavering love could the royal family possibly have? That was simply impossible!
He should have realized that with Liangdi Liu’s beauty, it was only a matter of time before she gained favor. After all these years of seeing His Highness defy the Empress for the Crown Princess, he had almost forgotten this was the imperial family!
Whatever the masters thought, Tian Zhongshun didn’t care. In his mind, he had already elevated this lady’s standing a notch. To be able to wedge herself between His Highness and the Crown Princess at such a critical moment—she was clearly someone with skill!
What Tian Zhongshun thought outside the room was of no concern to Liu Fuyin. In her current state, she only felt that His Highness was being far too unfair.
Her body had just softened for a moment when the man picked her up. “Kneel properly.”
With the man in high spirits, Liu Fuyin naturally wouldn’t disrupt him. Instead, she cooperated wholeheartedly. Only after the storm had passed did she gaze at him pitifully, softening her voice to complain, “Your Highness doesn’t care for your concubine at all. The table is so hard—my knees must be swollen.”
Having been well-served, the Crown Prince was in a more agreeable mood, his tone softening considerably. “Let me see.”
As he spoke, the man lifted Liu Fuyin into his arms. The woman’s skin was indeed delicate, already bruised and swollen.
“I have an excellent ointment here. Apply some when you return—it reduces swelling and relieves pain, very effective. You should be quite familiar with it, Yin Yin.”
Liu Fuyin sat up in surprise, but the movement was too forceful, causing a twinge in her waist. Her expression instantly turned pained.
The Crown Prince found it amusing. “Is an ointment really worth such excitement?”
Liu Fuyin shook her head, speaking with excitement and a hint of pleading. “Could Your Highness call me that again?”
The Crown Prince was momentarily taken aback before realizing what she meant. In his current good mood, he was more than willing to oblige. “Does Yin Yin like it when I call you that?”
Liu Fuyin nodded but quickly shook her head again, then lowered her head, her spirits visibly dampened.
The two were close, and the Crown Prince caught the scent on her—not fading but growing stronger—making his heart itch with desire for another round. His tone now took on a coaxing quality. “What’s wrong, Yin Yin?”
“When Your Highness calls me that, I am overjoyed, as if in a dream. In my youth, I admired Your Highness and often imagined you calling me that. But then I suddenly thought… Your Highness and Sister are so deeply in love. If Sister heard you call me that, she would surely be unhappy.”
“What does that matter? It’s just between us. I’ll call you that in private.” The Crown Prince was indeed interested in Liu Fuyin’s body, but only her body. For now, he still loved the Crown Princess deeply and would never embarrass her in public.
But Liu Fuyin seemed oblivious to his underlying meaning, throwing herself into his arms excitedly. “Your Highness, I am truly so happy.”
Seeing Liu Fuyin so utterly devoted to him, the Crown Prince felt deeply satisfied. He might not love her, but as his concubine, it was only right that she adore him.
“In that case, Yin Yin, take the lead this time.”
Liu Fuyin sat naked in the man’s lap. His upper body remained neatly clothed as she shyly tugged at his robes. “Your Highness is so wicked.”
The Crown Prince laughed heartily. “You little temptress—don’t tell me you don’t like it?”
“I like it, I truly like Your Highness. I always felt too shy and embarrassed to say it before, but in truth, I’ve even dreamed of Your Highness in the past. So every time I embrace Your Highness, it feels unreal, as if I’m still dreaming.”
When a bewitching woman passionately confesses like this, what man could remain unmoved?
At any rate, the Crown Prince’s body tensed up, and he pulled her directly onto his lap.
Finally, as if remembering something, the woman in his arms timidly asked, “Is Your Highness no longer angry now?”
Having long forgotten the matter, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but laugh again. “You really are… how can you be so adorable?”