Shen Yingxue lay face down, her hazy thoughts beginning to clear. She coughed a few times, wanting to tell Mu Zhengnan that she would no longer bother him and that he should let her go, that she would fend for herself. But at that moment, the blood in her chest surged up, and whenever she opened her mouth, blood and foam would spill out. She could only make indistinct whimpering sounds and couldn't utter a single word.
The familiar scent of ambergris wafted in the wind. Shen Yingxue was startled and quickly looked up. A tall, slender blue figure stood with his back to her, gradually disappearing into the distance. Tears instantly blurred her vision, and she cried out in her heart, "Prince Zhan, Prince Zhan."
It turned out that Prince Zhan had been watching her all along. He still cared about her and liked her. If she hadn't provoked Mu Zhengnan, Prince Zhan would definitely have taken her back to his manor. She regretted it so much, she really regretted it. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she cried out urgently in her heart, "Prince Zhan, don't go, don't go!"
After the excitement subsided and the crowd dispersed, Qin Ruoyan, Mu Zhengnan, and Shen Yingxue disappeared at the end of the street.
Shen Lixue was about to return to the teahouse when a white robe flashed past her eyes. Her small hand was tightly held, and the familiar scent of pine surrounded her. Looking to the side, she saw Dongfang Heng standing beside her, his face as handsome as ever, but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of weariness.
"Dongfang Heng, are you alright?" He's been sleeping for so long, yet he still looks so tired. His condition must have worsened again.
"I'm fine. Now that you've finished your business, let's go back to the manor!" Dongfang Heng held Shen Lixue's soft, boneless hand and walked towards the carriage.
Whether it was Shen Lixue's imagination or not, she felt that Dongfang Heng's steps were heavier than before: "Back to the Holy King's Mansion, or the War King's Mansion?"
Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened: "The War King's Mansion!"
After Mu Zhengnan carried Shen Yingxue to the post station, Qin Ruoyan instructed the maids, "That woman is a third-class maid I recently recruited. Help her settle in!"
"Yes!" The maids responded and took the unconscious Shen Yingxue from Mu Zhengnan's arms, carrying her to the backyard.
With the burden on his shoulders lifted, Mu Zhengnan was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Qin Ruoyan's command rang out again: "Mu Zhengnan, you will serve me in bed tonight!"
Serving her in bed? He abruptly stopped rubbing his shoulders, his brows furrowing tightly. He was a dignified man; the princess of the Southern Frontier had married him, and she should be serving him well. Why should he serve her in bed? Did she even know about male superiority?
After frowning and pondering for a moment, he prepared to explain the rules of Qingyan to Qin Ruoyan, but she had already turned around and gracefully returned to her room.
A young maidservant stepped forward and curtsied to Mu Zhengnan: "Young Master Mu, the bathroom is over there, please follow me!"
Mu Zhengnan turned to look at the sky and said unhappily, "The sun hasn't set yet, it's too early to take a bath now!"
"Young Master Mu, you may not know this, but the princess is very particular about cleanliness. Any man who shares a room with her must undergo special cleaning. It's already getting late!" the maid said softly, gesturing for Mu Zhengnan to proceed: "Please, Young Master!"
Mu Zhengnan frowned deeply. Qin Ruoyan was a woman from the Southern Frontier, and her thoughts might be different from those of the Qingyan women. He had tried every means to get close to her for the sake of fame and fortune, and he couldn't give up halfway.
Although it's called "serving her in bed," it's really just me taking advantage. It's just that the title is more respectful. I can persuade her in the bridal chamber, explain the rules of Qingyan, and change her without her realizing it.
Moreover, once something happens between the two of them, Qin Ruoyan will be his woman, and his status as the Southern Frontier Prince Consort will be set in stone and can never be changed.
Consoling himself, he flicked his sleeves and strode forward.
A wooden tub filled with hot water was placed in the bathroom. Next to the tub was a small table with fine wine, fruit, and various pastries. Mu Zhengnan sat in the tub, enjoying the bath while eating fruit and snacks and drinking fine wine. His handsome face was slightly flushed.
"Young master, the water is getting cold. Please get up and take a bath in this tub!" The maids carried in another large tub, which was filled with water in a short while. The water was steaming and made one's eyes water.
Mu Zhengnan frowned, said nothing, and waited until the maids left before standing up from the tub and stepping into the new tub. A wave of heat filled the air, making his blood flow smoothly. He closed his eyes contentedly; two baths were quite nice.
A moment later, the maids came in again, carrying a wooden tub, which they filled with water once more: "Young master, please take a bath!"
Mu Zhengnan no longer just frowned; his eyes flashed with deep displeasure: "Just how many times do I need to take a bath?"
The maidservant curtsied politely: "Young master, one must bathe ten times before entering the princess's room!"
A thin layer of anger instantly flashed in Mu Zhengnan's eyes. Bathing him ten times, was she trying to make him feel dirty, or did she want to peel off his skin? Was Qin Ruoyan a germaphobe, or was she deliberately tormenting him?
"Bring all ten buckets of water here, I'll bathe in them all at once!" Mu Zhengnan snorted, forcibly suppressing his anger. He decided to let it go for now and teach her a lesson once they were in the bridal chamber.
An hour and a half later, Mu Zhengnan finished his bath, changed into a light blue outer robe, and went to Qin Ruoyan's room. He felt relaxed all over, and his blood and qi circulated rapidly. The anger in his eyes had long since disappeared, and a faint smile appeared on his face. Taking a bath ten times was not a bad thing.
Qin Ruoyan, wearing a white veil, sat gracefully in front of her dressing mirror, holding a wooden comb and gently combing her black hair. When she saw the handsome man in the mirror, her eyes sparkled.
Mu Zhengnan smiled slightly, stepped forward, and reached out to take the wooden comb from her hand: "I'll do it!" Combing one's hair in front of the mirror and drawing eyebrows under the lamp are the easiest ways to move a woman. He wanted to gradually seep into her life.
"Thank you!" Qin Ruoyan obediently handed the wooden comb to Mu Zhengnan, her face flushed with shyness.
Mu Zhengnan smiled slightly, preparing to comb her hair, when he inadvertently glanced at Qin Ruoyan's eyes. His eyelids twitched suddenly. How could those eyes be so... ugly? Bean-like eyes, on a woman's face, were truly unsightly.
Seeing Mu Zhengnan staring blankly into her eyes, Qin Ruoyan frowned deeply, reached out and snatched the comb: "You don't need to comb my hair, take off your clothes!"
Mu Zhengnan was taken aback. Such directness was truly remarkable; women from the southern border regions were indeed different.
"Okay!" Mu Zhengnan replied softly, gently pulling open the sash of his brocade robe. The smooth silk slowly slid down his tall body to the ground. Seeing the admiration in Qin Ruoyan's eyes, he smiled inwardly. He knew that Qin Ruoyan would be very satisfied with him.
A smug smile played on his lips as his large hand reached for the buttons on his collar, ready to unbutton them. Qin Ruoyan strode over, grabbed his collar, and yanked hard, causing all the buttons to pop off and fall to the ground with a thud, revealing his tanned chest. Her eyes gleamed with lust; what a muscular chest.
Qin Ruoyan was so impatient, showing no restraint whatsoever that a woman should have?
In the instant Mu Zhengnan was stunned, Qin Ruoyan had already torn off his inner garment, pressed him down onto the bed, and with a tug of her small hand, the white veil fell off, revealing her true face. Her crimson lips quickly came close to his thin lips.
"Ugh!" A strange smell rushed through his mouth and into his internal organs, making him feel nauseous and want to vomit. The small face so close to his eyes was even more shocking and disgusting. How could the princess of Southern Xinjiang be so ugly? Such a face could not be called human at all.
"Mu Zhengnan, what are you thinking about? Concentrate!" Qin Ruoyan snapped, quickly taking off her clothes and exposing herself to Mu Zhengnan.
Looking at the small body clinging to him, dark, ugly, slippery, and smelly, like a little black snake coiled around him, he felt a surge of turmoil in his chest. It was too ugly, too ugly. Any girl he could find in the brothel would be prettier than her.
"Mu Zhengnan, why don't you react at all? You're so useless!" Qin Ruoyan glared at him fiercely, then took out an aphrodisiac and stuffed it into his mouth.
A moment later, his body reacted. He knew the woman in front of him was disgusting and repulsive, but he couldn't control himself. He suppressed his disgust and made love with her.
After a struggle, he was exhausted and collapsed onto the bed, panting heavily. His body felt completely drained, limp and powerless. A pungent, fishy smell filled his nostrils. He frowned, no longer caring about whether Qin Ruoyan was a virgin. Just as he was about to gather his strength to leave, Qin Ruoyan rolled over and pinned him down: "You want to leave after just one time? You're useless. Let's do it again!"
"Princess, I was seriously injured during the day and I really don't have much energy!" Mu Zhengnan said with a bitter face, trying to avoid the question. He had no interest in Qin Ruoyan, who was even uglier than an ugly monster.
"If I say you can do it, then you can do it. Let's do it again!" A thin blanket was pulled down, covering the two of them. Under the undulating blanket, their movements continued without stopping, filling the room with an ambiguous spring atmosphere.
The candles on the table were mostly burned, and the candle wax dripped onto the table, creating an endless scene of spring.
The thin blanket was lifted, revealing Qin Ruoyan's flushed face and spring-like eyes. She sat up contentedly and let out a long sigh. Mu Zhengnan's taste was not bad.