The strong and vigorous body of that man pressed down on her, his firm and sturdy muscles, hot skin sticking together, thin yet sexy lips, cold but unusually soft...
She came to her senses, clutching the thick quilt in front of her, her eyes gradually focusing.
Looking at Yin Lan in front of her, and glancing down at the faint and vivid purplish marks on her own hands and chest...
She was suddenly fully awake from her dream, and panicked in her heart.
"How did I... Where is Jiang Yin?"
Seeing that she could speak, Yin Lan smiled and said, "Miss, don't worry. Young Master Jiang was taken back by Eldest Miss. It was the Prince who sent Miss back to Twilight Snow Studio."
Gu Ying clenched her hands tightly, clutching the quilt beneath her. That violent poison... How could she have recovered so quickly?
Unless someone... helped her.
The fastest way to help her was to be intimate with her...
Her cheeks heated up uncontrollably. She looked at Yin Lan hazily and asked uncertainly, "Did I... did the Prince and I..."
Yin Lan didn't feel awkward to say it either. She was the oldest in this yard and a woman of experience. She knew women had to go through this.
Moreover, the bride price from the Duke's Residence had already been delivered ostentatiously to the Earl's Residence. With such a grand procession, not only the Earl's Residence, but probably the whole Bianjing would spread the news after tonight.
The Prince wanting to marry Miss is set in stone.
"Don't be afraid, Miss." Yin Lan stroked the back of her hand gently and consoled her panic in a soft voice, "The Prince has proposed today with the bride price to the Old Madam. Miss is already the Prince's fiancée. This matter is justified and there is nothing to worry or be afraid of."
She thought Gu Ying was just a young girl, going through this for the first time... Of course she would be afraid.
Afraid that she would be concerned about her chastity, thinking negatively, Yin Lan laughed again, "Just a bit earlier, but still reasonable. After all, the situation was critical then. If the Prince didn't detoxify Miss, I'm afraid Miss's body would have been damaged... That medicine is extremely malicious to a woman's body. Once damaged, she may not be able to conceive in the future... This is all for Miss's wellbeing."
Yin Lan thought she had said it very well, giving advice from experience to the young girl.
But unexpectedly, as the girl on the bed listened, her eyes reddened and she cried silently.
Yin Lan panicked for a moment, quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, "Don't cry, Miss... The Prince is very good. Giving yourself to the Prince, you can enjoy blessings in the future."
There were misty tears in Gu Ying's eyes. Her mood was complicated.
She didn't expect that in this life, through a twist of fate, she gave her first time to him.
In two lifetimes, what happened between them was always in a muddled situation.
In the previous life, it was because he took an aphrodisiac.
In this life, it was because she took poison.
Gu Ying sighed longly. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be angry at him, hate him, or be grateful to him.
Just as Yin Lan said, if it wasn't for him, she was afraid she would have been humiliated by Jiang Yin today, which was even more unbearable than death.
"Yin Lan, I—" When she opened her mouth, she realized her voice was too hoarse.
She vaguely remembered, when it reached the climax, he was like a mad beast attacking fiercely, truly unbearable.
Although she... was not an inexperienced young girl in some ways, under his intense attack, she still cried out weakly.
The more she cried, the more unrestrained he tormented her...
In the end, she couldn't even moan. She could only make whimpering cat sounds.
Gu Ying felt somewhat ashamed and aggrieved, both angry and sad, but more than that was still a feeling she couldn't describe herself, stifled, like a huge boulder pressing on her heart, suffocating her.
She didn't expect to entrust her feelings to any man in this life, only wanting revenge wholeheartedly.
But now... she was full of chagrin.
Thinking of the child Yin Lan mentioned, she panicked immediately. Grabbing Yin Lan's hand tightly, misty-eyed, "Yin Lan, please help me do something now..."
Yin Lan, gentle yet strong, could always give her the greatest support, "Miss, tell me."
Gu Ying pursed her lips and made up her mind. In a hoarse voice, she said, "Can you think of a way to make me a contraceptive decoction."
Yin Lan was surprised. She didn't expect such a young girl to already know so much.
She didn't miss the gaze of a mature woman in Gu Ying's eyes and was even more puzzled in her heart.
Could the young miss be possessed by an evil spirit?
How could those world-weary and grieved eyes belong to a teenage girl...
Feeling distressed for her, Yin Lan earnestly advised, "Miss, you can't take this medicine recklessly."
"It's fine." Gu Ying smiled with tears rolling down her cheeks, very calm, "Yin Lan, I can't conceive his child. I also...don't like children."
Zhao Changdu didn't listen to what Gu Ying said after that.
He had profound inner strength and extremely sharp ears, but when she said she couldn't conceive his child, he suddenly felt dizzy and didn't hear anything.
By the time he regained his senses, Yin Lan had already walked out with a solemn expression.
She must have gone to find a way to make the contraceptive decoction.
He raised his eyes slightly and looked at the blushing woman leaning on the bed through the window latticework.
He stared at her rain-washed pitch-black pupils. A sudden unknown chill rose in his heart, not exactly unhappy, just feeling uncontrollably irritated.
He turned and left.
Huai An looked at his master's cold face in bewilderment and quickly caught up in a few steps. Together they jumped onto the roof and left Twilight Snow Studio.
Walking on the deserted streets at night, Huai An still felt something was wrong with his master. His face changed ever since leaving Twilight Snow Studio, but when he entered, his eyes still held warmth.
But now, the chilling aura around him was like an iceberg, making people feel uneasy.
"Master? Is Second Miss alright?"
Touching a raw nerve.
Zhao Changdu's face darkened as he glared at him with phoenix eyes, "Don't mention her."
Huai An immediately shut his mouth and made a shushing gesture.
The two returned to the Duke's Residence. The two ferocious stone lions crouched at the door. The plaque of the Duke's Residence hung high, and two carved floral red lacquered columns stood in front of the gate with several ornate palace lanterns hanging under the eaves.
The nearly fifty-year-old steward Zhao Sheng was still respectfully waiting at the door in the heavy snow.
Seeing Zhao Changdu return, Zhao Sheng bowed and came up, "Young Master, the Duke asked for you."
Zhao Changdu strode in with his long legs, "No time."
Zhao Sheng's face was expressionless as he followed Zhao Changdu and conveyed stiffly, "The Duke said that even if he can't make the decision for Young Master's marriage, as his son, Young Master should at least inform the Old Duke."
Zhao Changdu's face completely darkened.
