After she finished asking, Xiu Yuan fell silent...
If he refused Miss Qi, would His Highness dock his pay?
He pondered with his clever little mind, then picked up the torch from the base of the wall, took out a flint from his bosom to light it, and said to Qi Huan: "Please."
This underground passage was even longer than the one they had walked before, with an uneven floor and low, cramped ceiling.
Walking through it, Qi Huan kept her eyes down, carefully watching her steps, while her thoughts churned like boiling water.
So this was the real tunnel, without so many refinements, just a simple and hidden passageway.
Only the path she frequently walked would Shu take such pains to clear of obstacles.
Qi Huan's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her heart full of emotion.
The moment she saw Li Shuchen, she couldn't help but throw herself into his arms like a bird returning to its nest, tightly embracing his waist.
Seeing this, the hidden guards of the prince's mansion all gaped in shock.
This woman was so bold!
She dared to leap straight into His Highness's arms!
They widened their eyes, waiting to see His Highness throw her out to feed the dogs.
In the end, they realized they were the ones who looked like dogs.
Li Shuchen wrapped his arms around Qi Huan's soft waist, his gaze naturally falling on her face. Seeing the mist in her eyes, his heart immediately clenched: "Why are you crying?"
Qi Huan nuzzled into his chest shyly, answering in a muffled voice: "I suddenly realized you're even better than I imagined, I'm crying from emotion..."
"...Little crybaby."
After speaking, Li Shuchen bent down to lift her up in his arms, intending to carry her inside to avoid the guards constantly peeking at her.
His gaze inadvertently fell on her shoes, and Li Shuchen paused, ordering: "Prepare hot water, and fetch a pair of women's shoes and socks from the storehouse."
Qi Huan poked his firm chest, her red lips slightly pouting: "I never would have guessed, Shu. You have a hobby of secretly collecting women's shoes and socks?"
Li Shuchen punishingly pinched her waist, saying in a low voice: "They're all prepared for my little jealous one."
There were still more than eight months until Qi Huan's mourning period ended, but the prince's mansion had already started actively preparing things for her.
Shoes, socks, clothes, jewelry, and hairpins - the storehouse was already piled with many such items.
Li Shuchen carried her back to the room, placed her on the bed, and his long, jade-like fingers removed her shoes and socks, putting them into a copper basin filled with warm water.
He had noticed dark marks on her shoe uppers earlier and guessed there was standing water in the tunnel.
Sure enough, the soles of her shoes were soaked through.
"The tunnel needs repairs..."
Qi Huan took the silk cloth he had placed aside, wiped the water from her jade feet, and quickly climbed onto his bed, shaking her head like a rattle drum: "No need, no need, I'll just bring a pair of rain boots next time!"
"Shu, I'm not as delicate as you imagine. Let's save some money, be good."
The rising tone of her last word "good" was like a kitten's paw, scratching into Li Shuchen's heart.
Li Shuchen's eyes darkened as he sat on the bed beside her.
Noticing how soft and comfortable his bed was, Qi Huan leaned back and lay down, as if sinking into soft clouds, letting out a contented sigh.
Li Shuchen immediately lay down beside her, supporting his head with his arm. His phoenix-like eyes seemed to have flames dancing in them as he suddenly aimed for her rosy, tender lips and leaned in to press against them.
His hot breath fell on Qi Huan's face, and the ticklish sensation spread like wildfire, igniting her entire being.
She hooked her arms around Li Shuchen's neck, her slender arms entwining him like vines. Without avoidance or retreat, days of longing transformed into a surge of passion as she ardently responded to him.
Only when she gradually found it hard to breathe did she gently push him away.
Li Shuchen rolled to his side, pulling her into his embrace.
His low, husky voice sounded above her head: "Why did Qi Huan suddenly come over? Is something the matter?"
"Mm!" Qi Huan raised her smiling face to look at him: "Something of utmost importance."
"I missed you!"
"It's my fault, I've been busy these past days and didn't come to see you." Li Shuchen stroked her back, coaxing gently: "Give me just a little more time."
"You don't need to hurry, I'll secretly come to see you when I miss you, okay?"
Faced with her bright, watery eyes, Li Shuchen swallowed and uttered a "Okay."
Nestled in his broad embrace, Qi Huan recalled what she had heard this morning and couldn't help asking: "Shu, now that both the silver and the princess have been kidnapped, will the Emperor gather another batch of silver and send another princess for the political marriage?"
"He won't." Li Shuchen's confident gaze fell on her black hair: "Soon, the Emperor will have his hands full with his own troubles."
Qi Huan let out a soft "Oh," and exclaimed admiringly: "Shu is the cleverest, I look forward to seeing what happens."
Suddenly praised, Li Shuchen's lips curved upward, his tone light as he said: "It's all thanks to the incompetence of my opponents."
"Among the clever civil officials and capable military generals in the capital, most have been ruined by the Emperor. Of those sycophants left, few truly have any ability."
"Moreover, Eunuch Feng by the Emperor's side, who enjoys the Emperor's trust and whose words carry weight, is not only greedy for money but also a filial son. I found his mother who had been separated from him during the natural disaster years ago, so he's willing to work for me."
"As for Li Yuanxiu, the two princesses for the political marriage are his full sisters. When he finds no other way, he will certainly send people to secretly rescue his two sisters. After he's expended his efforts, Yan Qinghe will then jump out to reap the rewards, greatly increasing the chances of success."
Qi Huan asked puzzledly: "Aren't you afraid Li Yuanxiu will take the silver back as well?"
"Given his character, he won't." Li Shuchen was confident.
However, he would firmly pin the blame for stealing the silver on Li Yuanxiu.
By then, a series of sparks - false accusations, extortion, forced marriage, patricide - would be buried between Li Yuanxiu and the Longshun Emperor, and the fire would only grow fiercer.
He wanted to force the Shun Prince's Mansion to rebel.
This would lead to a direct confrontation between the Shun Prince's Mansion and the Xuanping Marquis's forces, crushing one side and weakening the other. At the same time, he would use Li Yuanshan's mouth to reveal a shocking secret, after which he could naturally reap the benefits as a bystander.
Once he cleared away the obstacles, he could then marry Qi Huan with peace of mind, leaving no danger for her.
Li Shuchen's eyes surged with dark light, but when he looked at Qi Huan again, they returned to their clear and gentle state.
"Qi Huan, tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. Shall we go out to see the lantern market?"
"Will you accompany me?"
After he had hummed an affirmative in his husky voice, Qi Huan realized she had touched the wrong place while feeling for his abs.
"Host, did you do that on purpose?"
"What nonsense are you... speaking the truth about." After the slip of the tongue, she hurriedly corrected herself: "What nonsense are you talking!"
She swore she really didn't mean to, but lust is a double-edged sword. She didn't get to feel his abs, but ended up being pounced on instead.
...
As evening approached, she said with reddened eyes and a slightly hoarse voice: "I need to go home now. I have to be back before dark, otherwise my grandmother and the others will worry."
"Mm, I'll take you back."
Li Shuchen fastened her belt for her, carried her off the bed, and escorted her back to the tea house.
Upon returning to the Song Mansion, it was just in time for the evening meal.
Having expended too much energy today, Qi Huan ate an extra bowl compared to usual. Rubbing her belly and letting out satisfied burps, she wanted to take a walk to aid digestion but her waist and legs were sore and weak, so she had to give up the idea.
She put on a serious face and wrote forcefully in her diary: "Terrible review! Shu is impossible to deal with, he promised to stop once but didn't keep his word at all!"
However, the next day.
As soon as the sun set, she ran to Qingsong Hall to inform Old Lady Song that she wanted to go out to see the lanterns!
