Chapter 124: Alluring

He abruptly turned his head to gaze at that piece of fluttering pink gauze.

Xiao Jingyuan could hardly believe his own ears.

How could he hear that long‑yearned "langjun" here?

No, he must be dead drunk.

Shen Shuangning could not possibly be here.

Xiao Jingyuan raised his hand, pressing his icy‑white fingertips hard against the throbbing vein on his forehead, shook his head, casting aside the absurd thought, lest a single wicked idea arise and cause an irreparable mistake.

In his heart he noted a debt against Prince Chen.

But just then, a hand reached out from within the curtains and grabbed his hand hanging at his side; it turned out the woman had sat up at some point.

Xiao Jingyuan, already top‑heavy and unsteady unlike his usual immovable self, was pulled and his whole body toppled sideways onto the bed.

With a "bang," his head struck the wooden frame at the head of the bed, which somewhat cleared his mind, and he was instantly shocked and angry.

Before he could even see the woman's face clearly, he tried to push her aside, but as he raised his hand he suddenly froze.

Immediately a fragrance of magnolia blossoms wound around his nostrils, threads entwining him.

He looked at the woman straddling him, and his breath caught.

Even in the dim light her stunning beauty could not be hidden, like a bewitching demoness; in a daze he thought he saw his former life's crown princess consort.

Xiao Jingyuan found it hard to believe that it was truly Shen Shuangning; despite his brilliance and strategic mind, he could not fathom why he would see her here.

At this moment he could hardly think calmly, but one thing was certain: this was surely Prince Chen's doing.

Immediately a surge of anger rose in Xiao Jingyuan's heart—damned Prince Chen, how dare he abduct her here?!

She still had no clothes on—who had taken off her garments? Before he arrived, what might have happened to her?

If it weren't for his arrival, what would happen afterward?

If earlier he had merely been dissatisfied with Prince Chen, now Xiao Jingyuan had already spawned killing intent toward him!

After only a moment of distraction, his sash was hastily undone.

Xiao Jingyuan turned his hand, which had been hovering in midair, and seized Shen Shuangning's wrist; his Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he finally said, restrained and suppressing himself: "Ningning, no."

No.

If that happens, you will hate me even more.

Shen Shuangning seemed to catch his voice, her motion paused, and she softly called: "Xiao Jingyuan."

Xiao Jingyuan replied: "It's me."

Shen Shuangning, aggrieved, said: "But I feel awful."

Xiao Jingyuan could see that she had been drugged, just as when they first met in this life.

But the circumstances were different now—he lacked the power to send her to the Hall of Skilled Hands for detox, and Mu Yu was not present; he dared not, as before, have her drink his blood to fight poison with poison.

Moreover, Prince Chen's men were guarding outside, making it a problem to take her out—truly an unsolvable predicament.

Xiao Jingyuan had no choice but to reach out, encircle her slender waist that could not be encompassed in one hand, press her against himself, and then softly say by her ear: "If you are willing, you may use me for relief; but when you wake tomorrow, you must not turn against me and deny the debt—you will be responsible to me."

Shen Shuangning's head was a mush; she did not know how much of his words she had actually heard.

She only felt an unbearable heat all over, her brows knotted in discomfort, a feeble moan escaped her throat, and unconsciously she uttered his name again.

She clutched his collar with both hands, the depths of her eyes shimmering, seeming to hold a mix of pleading and irritation.

Xiao Jingyuan felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen from her allure, the thread of reason in his mind tightening further; in this drunken state it was truly difficult.

He cherished her and also desired her, unwilling to hurt her, let alone overstep while she was not sober.

Even though they were husband and wife in a past life, in this life they should keep things distinct; if they were to indulge in intimacy, it should be after marriage, not now.

Xiao Jingyuan admitted he was no gentleman, yet when it came to intimacy he was extremely traditional and rigid; only she could make his composure collapse again and again.

Should we do it?

But she does not like him now and is still avoiding him; if they really did it, once she awakens tomorrow she will likely hate him even more......

Yet seeing her in such distress, tears streaming, he felt deeply reluctant; if he let things continue, would he not harm her body?

It seemed there was no other way.

Xiao Jingyuan let out a soft sigh, finally raised his hand, gently grasped her nape, protected her head, and carefully turned her onto her back beneath him.

In the dimness, Xiao Jingyuan's ears flushed red.

Not long after, his dark‑blue brocade robe fell away, piled in layers beside the bed, together with a pink dudou embroidered with intertwining lotus vines.

The curtains were swayed, completely blocking the light of the lone lamp outside, leaving only the deepening shadows within the curtains and the sound of their intertwined breaths.

In this life Xiao Jingyuan had never experienced carnal relations, never put it into practice; even if he had dreamed of it many times, when the moment truly arrived he was inevitably awkward, and being quite drunk made it impossible for him to maintain his usual calm composure.

Prince Chen's strong liquor packed a real punch; he even felt a bit willing but unable.

"Are you capable or not?"

Shen Shuangning seemed to complain.

Xiao Jingyuan's motion stalled; no man would want to hear those words on the bed, especially from the woman he loves.

Though it was a question, it was a tremendous humiliation.

Xiao Jingyuan wanted to defend himself, but the next moment she flipped and pressed him beneath her.

Raising his eyes to see Shen Shuangning's rare display of passion, Xiao Jingyuan suddenly found the taste of being controlled by her not bad, so he swallowed the words on his tongue.

He merely raised his hand to grasp her soft, slender waist, his fingertips sinking into her delicate skin, openly accepting the waves she brought.

The room's orchid fragrance quietly blossomed.

The flower branches swayed and trembled, softly singing, beautiful beyond description.

That night, they exhausted themselves in amorous entwining.

"My lord, the deed is done, and the commotion is not small."

Prince Chen had just finished the hangover soup when he heard his subordinate return to report; he couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile and said proudly, "Food and sex are natural—who among those with a weapon between their legs can avoid women? It's not like they're eunuchs or monks. The heir of the Yan Prince's Manor merely looks like a respectable gentleman."

Prince Chen snorted coldly: "Let him have his fun; that's also doing him a favor."

The subordinate asked: "May I ask, Your Highness, what should we do next?"

"The fish has taken the bait; naturally we must wait to haul in the net." Prince Chen, sitting sprawled on the soft couch, gave the order: "First thing tomorrow, summon my nephew and tell him I have an invitation for him."

Prince Chen's nephew is naturally the present Crown Prince.

June 18th is the day to welcome and marry Song Xizhi.

The Crown Prince has lately been busy with wedding preparations; by rights he should be marrying the person he loves, fulfilling a wish, and ought to be overjoyed.

But for some unknown reason, as the wedding date approaches, he feels a growing sense of loss and regret, unable to feel any joy.

Especially seeing the Crown Princess supporting her frail body, personally laboring without a word of complaint, the Crown Prince feels a suffocating heaviness in his chest.

"I intend to take a concubine, and you truly have no reaction?"

The Crown Princess looked at him somewhat surprised: "Is there something I've done wrong?"

The Crown Prince is usually gentle and refined, never losing his temper, but lately he has been somewhat moody.

The Crown Princess secretly wondered, perhaps he dislikes that she hasn't been thorough enough in her treatment of Song Xizhi? But she follows protocol; putting it nicely, taking a concubine is merely taking a concubine.

Even in ordinary noble households, the rules and etiquette for taking wives and concubines are clearly defined, let alone the imperial family.

Moreover, above the Crown Prince there is a nominal stepmother, Empress Wang, who watches over him and will not tolerate the slightest mistake.

The Crown Princess helplessly tried to console: "I know the Crown Prince values her; I've already arranged the best I can. If he still feels something is amiss, we can wait until Miss Song joins the household and then gradually make up for it—this way we won't give anyone cause for gossip."

Before she could finish speaking, the Crown Prince flicked his sleeve and left.

The servants of the Eastern Palace all say: Miss Song hasn't even moved into the Eastern Palace yet, and the Crown Prince is already giving the Crown Princess a cold shoulder; once Miss Song becomes a concubine, won't the Crown Princess be merely nominal?

The Crown Princess simply pretended not to hear those idle rumors.

After leaving the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince boarded his carriage, bursting with anger, and headed for the Cloud Pavilion.

As for Prince Chen, his imperial uncle, the Crown Prince isn't close to him, and he doesn't know why the prince sent someone early this morning to summon him.

At dawn, Xiao Jingyuan woke first; turning his head, he saw Shen Shuangning sleeping soundly, her face turned toward him.

He half rose, reached out to brush the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead, and lightly stroked her cheek with his fingertip, showing a hint of intimacy.

Immediately he also noticed the delicate pink marks left by last night's lovemaking on her smooth, snow‑white neck; his gaze fell there, then trailed down beneath the thin spring blanket to see the rising and falling contours of her body, utterly enticing.

A man in the morning is far from ordinarily sensitive, and having just tasted intimacy, a restless fire inevitably stirs in his lower belly.

Last night's ecstasy, forgotten after sobering up from the drink, was hardly a good experience; all he remembered was that his Ningning had been very proactive.

If I recall correctly, she still harbored some dissatisfaction toward me.

He chalked this debt up to Prince Chen as well, and vowed to reclaim it with interest someday.

Shen Shuangning was exhausted from last night, her strength not yet restored; in her sleep she felt a weight press upon her, a scorching body clinging to her, that eager posture like a dying traveler in the desert craving a pool of water.

Shen Shuangning instinctively lifted her hand to block him, but he easily seized her wrist, pinned it above her head, and spread her legs apart with his knees.

The man's lips landed on her collarbone; his throat, hoarse as if burned by fire, murmured entreaty and plea: "Can I? Ningning?"

Shen Shuangning closed her eyes, seeming to answer in the affirmative.

"Call me your husband."

"Husband..."

The attendants at the Cloud Pavilion had already risen early and were bustling about; footsteps could be heard outside, along with faint murmurs of people.

Dawn light slipped through the window crack, falling on the gauzy canopy, and mist‑like settled on the man's no longer aloof brows and eyes, his breath suffused with heat.

After a while, Shen Shuangning's lips exhaled a few gasps; though she kept her eyes shut, it felt as if an invisible hand were dragging her consciousness into another realm.

Thus she saw herself married, everything before her awash in festive red silk, yet the sensation felt utterly unfamiliar.

Moreover, the perspective was strange; she felt as if she lay confined in a narrow, square space, unable to move.

Then someone sang aloud: "Heaven and earth, dark and light; yin and yang separated. Now, relying on the Old Man Under the Moon's red thread, we bind this yin affinity, joining as husband and wife; the Shen and Xie families are united, the wedding vow consumed by fire, the yin contract sealed, to renew former affinities..."

The voice rose and fell, distant then near, as if the surroundings were shrouded in indistinct clouds of mist.

The scene shifted to the bridal chamber, candles blazing, a spring night's fleeting moment.

The man pressed her onto the soft bed, but when she tried to study his face, she was startled to discover it was actually Pei Zhi!

His eyes no longer held the gentle spring breeze; instead they harbored shocking obsession and anguish.

"You are mine." he said, half his face hidden in shadow, seeming like another person altogether—certainly not Xiao Jingyuan.

"Master Pei..."

Shen Shuangning cried out uncontrollably, her voice mingling with gasps, inevitably sounding overly alluring, like a deep‑yearning call.

Xiao Jingyuan's motion stalled, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head.

His blood turned cold in an instant.