The warm breath brushed against Gu Ningning’s tender skin, making her itch. She wanted to squirm away, but Shen Que held her down, burying his head in her neck as if he were cuddling a cat.
She was extremely ticklish and soon laughed until her stomach hurt.
This man was oddly double-standarded—he wouldn’t allow her to press against him, yet he insisted on holding her down to kiss her.
She quickly stopped paying attention to him and struggled onto the soft bed. Chang Yue brought in a fruit plate for her.
She had planned not to bother with Shen Que anymore, but unexpectedly, after a short while, Gu Ningning leaned back toward him.
“What are you doing?”
Gu Ningning casually rubbed the ink stick against the inkstone. “Here to grind ink for your highness.”
The words were clearly unconvincing. Shen Que ignored her. As expected, not long after, Gu Ningning spoke again.
“Your highness, help this concubine understand—what does this mean?”
Shen Que gave her a sidelong glance. “Weren’t you here to grind ink for me?”
Gu Ningning boldly pointed at the inkstone. “This concubine already did!”
She was lazy; even the ink she ground was watery, mostly unusable. Occasionally it could be used, but the ministers would complain that the characters were unclear.
Shen Que explained it to her.
Being the male lead, Shen Que had been set up by the author as someone who knew the heavens and the earth, skilled in both literature and martial arts—even in nighttime abilities.
His only flaw was a short lifespan, but since this was a strong female lead story, having an overpowered male lead live too long would prevent the heroine from managing state affairs.
He lectured Gu Ningning for half an hour, covering everything she might not understand. Outside, snow began falling again. After the lesson, she even opened the window to watch it for a while.
With this private tutoring, Gu Ningning finally managed to grasp most of it.
She looked at Shen Que with a hint of expectation. Finally, he praised her: “Not bad.”
“You’ve been cooped up in the Eastern Palace all this time; it’s good for you to go out for a walk.”
She rarely heard such pleasing words from Shen Que, so she leaned forward and kissed him directly. “Thank you, your highness! You’re the best!”
After the kiss, she tried to go back to eat, but Shen Que held her in place.
His phoenix-like eyes met hers, his voice commanding as usual. “Kiss me once more.”
Even demanding a kiss so arrogantly was something only His Highness the Crown Prince could pull off.
Gu Ningning was delighted and, not wanting to argue, leaned down to lightly peck his lips. Shen Que immediately cupped the back of her head.
She wanted to run, but she couldn’t, and his long tongue teased her teeth apart.
His kisses were always overwhelmingly dominant, as if he wanted to consume her completely. The air in her mouth was taken inch by inch, his large hands wandering freely across her back, controlling her entire body.
Gu Ningning could rarely resist such kisses. She instinctively tried to push him away but couldn’t. Only after he had kissed enough did he release her, leaving her slightly pleased.
Her hair was messy from the kiss, her face flushed, her lips glistening with moisture, and her peach-blossom eyes gazed at him enticingly.
Shen Que’s breathing was heavy, but he managed to restrain himself.
He went out to find Chang Yue. “Prepare for tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll take her out for a walk.”
“Yes, your highness.”
Chang Yue remained outwardly respectful, but his mind was in turmoil.
These past days had been full of court affairs, and it was rare for His Highness the Crown Prince to spare time to accompany Gu Ningning.
Huai’an Wang, whether intentionally or not, kept asking Prime Minister Gu for Gu Ningning, mostly as a pretext to coax him into rebellion.
Huai’an Wang was deep-thinking, Prime Minister Gu cunning. Both had been eyeing Gu Ningning, so taking her out now was not a wise choice.
Yet Shen Que was decisive and did not speak further.
He added, “Report to me the situation in every part of the Eastern Palace.”
Chang Yue replied truthfully, “On the surface, it seems harmonious.”
“Previously, Zhaoyi Zhao had been instigating Jieyu Zhou against Madam Gu. After I sent word for Madam Gu to return home, Zhaoyi Zhao began urging Jieyu Zhou against Secondary Consort Yun.”
“Coincidentally, a few days ago, Jieyu Zhou spoke disrespectfully and was punished by Secondary Consort Yun with some charcoal work. Jieyu Zhou bears resentment, and Yun’s side is also scheming against him.”
Shen Que responded with a hum.
Chang Yue suddenly remembered something. “There is another matter concerning Madam Gu.”
He reported, “After Secondary Consort Yun punished Jieyu Zhou with charcoal work, his days became hard, so he went to seize Chaoyan Courtyard’s resources.”
Shen Que finally glanced at Chang Yue. “How did the people at Chaoyan Courtyard react?”
“That maid, Xiao Tao, tried her best to stop it, but with Madam Gu absent and spies from all the palaces around, they could not prevent it.”
Shen Que frowned. “Send two of my men to Chaoyan Courtyard, make sure they are skilled in martial arts.”
“Then promote Jieyu Zhou to Zhaoyi.”
He sneered. “Since she likes fighting everywhere, give her a position and let her brawl with Secondary Consort Yun and Zhaoyi Zhao.”
“A perfect case of ‘When the snipe and clam quarrel, the fisherman profits!’” Chang Yue commented. He wanted to add more, but Shen Que returned to his room.
Chang Yue restored a stern face. A young eunuch approached him. “Godfather, what do you think?”
The boy was Chang Yue’s newly adopted godson, fifteen years old, fair-skinned and handsome, with a sweet tongue.
Chang Yue patted his feather duster, voice sharp and mocking, “You’re diligent, aren’t you?”
Xiao Linzi smiled flatteringly and took a box from his sleeve.
“I heard Godfather suffers leg pain in cold weather. I persuaded Imperial Physician Sun for several days. Sun prescribed this medicine. This is my filial heart; please accept it.”
Chang Yue took the box and glanced at him.
“If you truly want to improve, go check on Chaoyan Courtyard more often.”
The women in the various courts schemed fiercely, unknown to Gu Ningning, who even fell asleep on Shen Que’s bed again.
Life in the ancient times was dull, especially since Shen Que forbade her from reading those messy storybooks.
She slept until the next morning, just as Shen Que returned from morning court.
This morning’s court was tense. Huai’an Wang probably realized that as long as Shen Que held military power, the Crown Prince would be his. So he covertly moved through the Ministry of War.
Prime Minister Gu, the old fox, played some role behind the scenes.
Shen Que looked displeased.
Gu Ningning initially wanted to stay away from him but, remembering she still needed him to take her out today, she hesitated, then leaned to tug his sleeve. “Your highness~”
Shen Que held her in his arms. The chill from his body seeped into her inner garments.
She looked up. “Your highness, you’re so cold.”
Shen Que hummed. She added, “If this concubine catches a cold, your highness must remember—it’s your fault.”
“Then you must summon the best doctor, give the best medicine, and I’ve heard the pear preserves from the southern shops are excellent for treating colds…”
Seeing her speak so seriously yet nonsense, Shen Que laughed, pinching her cheek.
“If you exercised more, it wouldn’t be so easy to catch a cold. I haven’t been ill for many years.”
—You truly don’t fall ill, but you die early.