"I hope you have the ability to protect her!" Dongfang Zhan coldly uttered a sentence, his gentle gaze instantly turning as deep as a still pool.
"Dongfang Zhan, do you like Li Xue, or do you want to use her?" Dongfang Heng asked coldly. The Dongfang Zhan he knew would never fall in love with any woman.
"Whatever you think it is, that's what it is!" Dongfang Zhan replied casually, subtly dismissing the question.
A gentle breeze swept by, and his blue figure vanished, leaving behind his icy warning: "Dongfang Heng, the struggle between us has only just begun!"
A cold wind suddenly picked up, whipping up dust and rattling windows. Dongfang Heng looked in the direction Dongfang Zhan had disappeared, his dark eyes unfathomable. Dongfang Zhan had dropped his disguise and was preparing to confront him head-on.
A warm, soft touch came from his arms. Dongfang Heng looked down and saw Shen Lixue sleeping peacefully in his arms like a kitten. Her beautiful face was fair with a rosy glow, her eyebrows were relaxed, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she was dreaming of something happy.
His jade-like fingers gently stroked the corners of her slightly upturned lips. He truly wanted to see that bright smile for a lifetime!
Before leaving, Dongfang Zhan challenged him to a duel. Shen Lixue was his fiancée and was among those Dongfang Zhan targeted. He didn't know what methods Dongfang Zhan would use, but he would definitely protect Shen Lixue and ensure that nothing happened to her.
Dongfang Zhan's attacks were ruthless and unpredictable, making them impossible to defend against. Rather than waiting for others to attack, it was better to take the initiative and catch Dongfang Zhan off guard.
As the sun set, Shen Lixue's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, looking up to meet Dongfang Heng's infinitely magnified handsome face: "Did you sleep well?"
"Great!" She slept from noon until sunset, several hours in total, how could she not sleep well?
Shen Lixue muttered to herself, slowly sitting up. Looking at the octagonal pavilion and the pond in front of it, smelling the fresh water vapor, she was slightly taken aback: "How did we end up in the courtyard?" She was clearly asleep on the soft couch in her room.
Looking down at herself, she saw that she was wearing a semi-transparent white coat, which belonged to Dongfang Heng.
"It was a bit stuffy and poorly ventilated inside, and it got a bit hot in the evening, so I carried you here." Dongfang Heng also stood up and embraced Shen Lixue. "It's very refreshing and quiet here; very few people come here!"
“I know!” Shen Lixue nodded. During the day, the weather was hot, and the servants stayed in their rooms to cool off, rarely coming out. When the sun set, they were busy preparing dinner. Besides, this place was where the masters cooled off, and the servants wouldn’t come here unless there was something special.
"Li Xue!" A soft voice called from above.
"What is it?" Shen Lixue asked, puzzled. She looked up and saw her soft, cherry-like lips being tightly held and sucked. The faint scent of pine resin permeated her mouth and nose, and an ambiguous atmosphere swirled between them.
Dongfang Heng's kiss was intense yet tender, light and gentle, completely engulfing Shen Lixue's breath. His arms tightly encircled her small waist, locking her in his embrace, taking her breath away slowly. She struggled to breathe, her face flushed red, and her soft gasps turned into heavy panting.
"Dongfang... Heng..." Shen Lixue gasped for breath, protesting in dissatisfaction. A hint of charm welled up in her cold eyes, captivating and alluring. Her ambiguous tone had no intimidating power whatsoever.
Dongfang Heng not only didn't let go, but hugged her even tighter and kissed her even deeper, as if he wanted to embrace Shen Lixue into his very bones and never separate her again.
"I'm... suffocating..." Shen Lixue pushed Dongfang Heng away, her angry gaze passing over his arm. She saw two people standing not far away. The young man turned his head to look at the pool next to him, while the older man did not look away, smiling as he looked at her and Dongfang Heng.
"Dongfang Heng... The old prince is back!" Shen Lixue exclaimed in shock, hurriedly pushing Dongfang Heng away. Her face was flushed red, as if it had been smeared with rouge. She and Dongfang Heng... had been caught red-handed by the old prince and Dongfang Xun.
Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened. He moved away from Shen Lixue slightly to calm his thoughts, then turned to look at the old prince and Dongfang Xun outside the pavilion: "Grandpa, elder brother!" The two of them really came at the worst possible time.
"We've come at the wrong time, sorry to disturb you, please continue!" The old prince chuckled, supporting Dongfang Xun's arm as he prepared to leave. The look in his eyes as he looked at Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue was one of gratification and ambiguity. The two of them were so intimate and loving; perhaps in less than a year, he would be able to hold his great-grandchild.
"You guys chat, I'm going back to my room first!" Shen Lixue's face was flushed red, she pulled her coat tighter around herself, and ran out of the pavilion as if fleeing, heading towards Maple Pine Courtyard.
"Heng'er, hurry up and chase after them!" the old prince encouraged Dongfang Heng.
"Grandpa is alright?" Dongfang Heng carefully examined the old prince. His complexion had regained some color, and he looked much better than before. His body also seemed to be getting stronger, and he was no longer as frail as before...
"It's nothing, it's nothing. After taking the Cold Stone Flower that Li Xue picked, I'm mostly recovered. Just make sure to rest, and there won't be any more problems!" The old prince waved his hand, his ambiguous gaze fixed on the Maple Pine Courtyard that Shen Li Xue had run into: "Heng'er, try your best to marry her as soon as possible!"
The old prince didn't mind getting married because of pregnancy; he just wanted to hold his great-grandson as soon as possible.
"Good!" With Dongfang Xun taking care of the old prince, Dongfang Heng was not worried and strode into Fengsong Courtyard.
"Xun'er, learn from your younger brother!" The old prince looked at the lone Dongfang Xun and began to lecture him.
"I haven't met a woman I like yet!" Dongfang Xun said softly, supporting the old prince.
"Your second brother's personality is just like yours, indifferent yet composed. He won't take the initiative to pursue girls. Your father has good taste; the daughter-in-law he chose is just what your second brother wanted. If he had known this earlier, he would have arranged a marriage for you as well. Now you would definitely be inseparable..." The old prince sighed, listing the Holy Prince's lack of consideration and feeling sorry for Dongfang Xun.
She didn't see the dimness in Dongfang Xun's eyes, but gently shook her head, a bitter smile faintly appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Inside the Fengsong Courtyard, Shen Lixue took off her strapless dress and put on a flowing silk skirt. When Dongfang Heng entered the room, she was standing in front of the dressing table, putting the scattered jewelry back into the jewelry box one by one.
Dongfang Heng frowned: "You want to go back to the manor?"
“Mm!” Shen Lixue nodded, closed the jewelry box, and put it in the drawer. There were many pieces of jewelry in the Zhanwang Mansion, so she didn’t need to take them back and forth.
Dongfang Heng held Shen Lixue tightly around the waist and breathed softly into her ear: "Grandpa won't laugh at you!"
"It's not because of what happened just now!" Shen Lixue looked up at Dongfang Heng: "Your illness is cured, and we're not even married yet. It's not right for me to live in the Holy King's Mansion every day!"
In ancient times, women valued their reputation most. It was fine for Shen Lixue to stay at the Holy King's Mansion for a few days under the pretext of taking care of Dongfang Heng. However, if she stayed for a long time, it would inevitably attract criticism.
"Two more months!" Dongfang Heng buried his face in Shen Lixue's neck, greedily inhaling the unique scent that belonged to her.
"It will all pass soon!" Shen Lixue carefully examined every corner of the room. "Dongfang Heng, remember to help me find the wooden box and the wooden figure when you have time!"
"Alright!" Dongfang Heng nodded perfunctorily, his handsome face lightly brushing against Shen Lixue's beautiful profile: "I'll escort you back to your residence!"
"No need." Shen Lixue shook her head: "Your grandfather and your eldest brother just returned to the palace. Your family is having a reunion dinner. It's only a short distance, I can take a carriage back by myself!"
Zi Mo came to the door, his eyes anxious. He looked at Shen Lixue, but hesitated to speak.
"Be careful on the road!" Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened, and he released Shen Lixue.
"I'm leaving now!" Shen Lixue looked in the mirror, carefully examined herself, and finding nothing amiss, she took light steps and left the room.
Watching Shen Lixue's slender figure walk out of Fengsong Courtyard and disappear outside the door, Dongfang Heng looked at Zi Mo, his obsidian-like eyes unfathomable: "What happened?"
---Aside---
~（>_