“…” Gu Ningning felt unusually unlucky today.
She looked at Shen Que pitifully, hoping he would show some gentle care, but unexpectedly, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.
She had just summoned the courage to scold him when Shen Que pressed his lips against hers, blocking her words.
“Mm…”
His kiss was as domineering as he was. She soon grew exhausted and fell asleep in his arms. When she opened her eyes again, Shen Que was already sitting at the nearby table, continuing to read documents.
He still sat in the same chair as before, though it was now spotless.
Gu Ningning glared at him sharply and turned away, refusing to look at him.
The man, who had briefly shown some tenderness, had reverted to his previous insufferable self. She guessed it was probably because he intended to hand her off to someone else and wanted to extract whatever remained of her usefulness.
Shen Que heard the sound of her shifting and frowned, rising to her bedside.
Earlier, seeing Gu Ningning with Shen Ting had made Shen Que extremely displeased.
But that displeasure had almost entirely faded by now.
His intelligence shone on the battlefield and in court, but not with women.
He did not need to understand women, nor did he need to understand Gu Ningning.
To him, as long as she did not act without his consent, Gu Ningning would remain entwined with him, and that was enough.
He knew he was not a husband for life, and it was natural for Gu Ningning not to favor him. She only needed to behave, so that one day he might willingly let her go.
Having seen much betrayal, he had no lingering attachment to love.
Yet Gu Ningning turning away without a word irritated him a little. He sat on the bed, attempting to draw her into his embrace.
Gu Ningning resisted, struggling to avoid being held.
Their strength disparity was too great. Shen Que easily subdued her and held her against him.
She turned her head away, cheeks puffed in annoyance, like a cute little hamster.
Shen Que suddenly found it amusing. Only now did he realize she was still a child raised in a greenhouse. He was far older and more experienced; it was unreasonable to be angry with her.
He finally softened his voice. “Be obedient. Don’t move.”
“No!” Gu Ningning refused to respond. Held in Shen Que’s arms, unable to move, she closed her eyes and ignored him.
“Your highness should go to Jieyu Zhou. She serves you better than this concubine and will make you happier.”
She looked as if she were on strike. Shen Que, oddly reminded of her closeness with Huai’an Wang at Plum Garden today, spoke with a hint of irritation,
“You think I’ll go to Jieyu Zhou while you have time to flirt with Huai’an Wang?”
The moment she heard Huai’an Wang’s name, Gu Ningning felt a flare of anger. “Who wants to flirt with him?”
“Why are you so unreasonable? He was the one who approached you.”
Huai’an Wang was Shen Que’s biological younger brother and a villain in the story. Outwardly a refined gentleman, he was actually resentful of Shen Que being His Highness the Crown Prince, secretly plotting against him.
Seeing his attempts to overthrow Shen Que failing through legitimate means, he eventually turned fully evil, raised an army, and was killed by the cooperation of the male and female leads. His male family members were executed, and the women were forced into military prostitution.
If she followed Huai’an Wang, she would fail her tasks and end up tortured as a military courtesan. She was not foolish.
Her words, however, pleased Shen Que.
He did not mind her small temper. He lifted her into his lap and looked into her eyes.
“Are you really not going to flirt with him?”
Gu Ningning realized he cared about that, and a touch of annoyance flared in her. She raised her hands to push him.
“No matter where you go, it’s still to be a concubine. Being his concubine has no future compared to being His Highness the Crown Prince’s concubine. Why would I go flirt with him?”
“Why are you so suspicious? You trust me not at all. Why come to me then? Might as well throw me into the Forbidden Court!”
Serving Shen Que was already beyond her duties. If he remained suspicious every day, she would surely be exhausted.
She only wanted to lie down and complete her tasks, not constantly suppress his irrational thoughts.
She struggled fiercely. Shen Que was momentarily pushed away, a rare occurrence. Instead of being angry, he laughed and looped his arms around her waist, amused by her pouting face.
“The Forbidden Court is cold and damp, full of rats. Food is insufficient, and clothes provide little warmth…”
Before he could finish, Gu Ningning turned to glare at him. “You really intend to send me there!”
Her incredulous expression was amusing. Shen Que could not help laughing. After a while, he asked, “If I don’t send you, does it still hurt?”
Her back pressed painfully against the chair, and she glared at him again. “It hurts! It’s all your fault!”
Shen Que, a battle-hardened man, could not understand her pain, yet he murmured, “Where does it hurt?”
Gu Ningning snorted coldly and ignored him.
Shen Que finally understood a little. He requested a medicine chest from the servants at Marquis of Wuan’s Residence and tossed it onto the bed.
“Apply it yourself.”
After over half a month of serving him in bed, Gu Ningning was familiar with the process.
She took the best medicine to apply to herself. But she thought, why should only she suffer? She tossed the medicine into Shen Que’s arms and said righteously,
“Don’t apply it yourself. Let your highness do it.”
Shen Que’s body stiffened. His suppressed desire nearly boiled over, and he ground his teeth,
“Apply it yourself!”
Knowing he could not control her, yet insisting he do it—wasn’t this torment?
“No! It hurts. I can’t see clearly. Your highness must apply it for this concubine.”
She deliberately pressed her soft body against him, acting coquettish.
Shen Que’s head nearly ached. He was about to scold her, but Gu Ningning grabbed his large hand, inserting her delicate fingers into the gaps between his, softly murmuring twice,
“It hurts…”
Shen Que’s body tensed. This was the first time someone had interlocked fingers with him.
Her tiny hand, warm and soft, contrasted with his coarse palm, nearly breaking under slight pressure.
Such a delicate flower could only flourish if tended with care.
His Adam’s apple rolled. Eventually, he relented.
“I will apply your medicine.”