Chapter 6: Against One’s Will

Darkness fell before his eyes. Yun Chu widened his gaze…

Li Yunli clenched his fists and averted his gaze to distract himself.

Yun Chu had not tied his hair tonight. The soft, jet-black strands draped over his shoulders, complementing the flowing, translucent night robe he wore. His broad shoulders and narrow waist were faintly outlined, swaying ever so slightly before her eyes…

He had no intention of being seductive, yet the faint, delicate fragrance trailing behind him was unavoidable.

In the end, Li Yunli did not look away.

Yun Chu took two steps forward but dared not walk past Li Yunli. Instead, he stopped at her side.

The tinkling sound of a bell ceased, pulling both of them back to reality in an instant.

Li Yunli cleared her throat and noticed Yun Chu lowering his head.

Even with his head lowered, he was slightly shorter than her. Standing this close, she could still easily see his expression.

She turned and walked toward the bedchamber.

Yun Chu immediately followed.

The sound of the bell rang again with his movement, making him feel like a cat whose fur was about to stand on end, stripped of any sense of security.

He gritted his teeth tightly.

This feeling—buried deep in his memories—was a reminder of the days he had been humiliated. After finally achieving revenge, he had thought he was close to forgetting it all.

Yet now, looking back, he found himself reliving it again.

The only difference was that, armed with the memories of what would come, he knew he would eventually have his revenge. Because of this, the humiliation did not weigh as heavily on him as before.

He walked up to Li Yunli’s bedside and saw her turn to gaze out the window.

Yun Chu knew the proper protocol. According to tradition, he should now kneel before her bed, wait for her to sit down, help her remove her boots, and assist her in lying down.

After that, he was to remove his own clothing and join her under the covers.

But that was only after he had been thoroughly trained into submission.

At this moment, he was merely in his second year at the palace.

According to his memory, during this time, despite enduring countless torments, he had still held onto his pride. Whenever he was summoned and forced into bed, he had always resisted fiercely.

Of course, given the princess’s brutal nature, such resistance was utterly futile.

Almost every time, Li Yunli would order him to be beaten with a staff. He would endure the pain, collapse in a pool of his own blood, and ultimately, nothing would come of it.

After countless repetitions, the servants and guards in the palace had all become accustomed to the process.

When Yun Chu entered earlier, he even noticed that the inner palace guards had already prepared the punishment bench and canes by the door.

So, if he were to act according to his usual habits, he should be fighting back with all his might.

Yun Chu weighed his options and decided that resisting now would not be worth it.

A wise man does not suffer immediate losses. The princess’s canes were not to be taken lightly.

But if he simply gave in…

Yun Chu studied Li Yunli’s back, swallowed nervously, and was about to kneel.

But before he could make a move, Li Yunli suddenly turned around.

“Sit.”

Yun Chu froze.

He didn’t react until she looked at him, then motioned toward the bed.

“Sit.”

Only then did he press his knees together and obediently sit on the edge of the bed.

Li Yunli took a deep breath. Standing by the window for a moment had been enough to cool her thoughts and regain composure.

She was a merchant—sharp when it came to gains and never ashamed to acknowledge her own greed.

Yielding to the desires that greed brought and daring to chase after profit was the nature of a businessperson.

And beauty was no different from profit.

Li Yunli had to admit, whether in looks or physique, the man before her was exactly to her taste.

She was at the prime of her life, and it was only natural that she would feel stirred.

But she wasn’t foolish enough to let lust cloud her judgment.

This man was the protagonist of the original story. Without fully understanding him and ruling out potential dangers, she would not act recklessly.

“I inquired about it. The servants misunderstood this morning—you were not punished by my orders.”

Li Yunli sat by the bed, making a seemingly casual remark.

Yun Chu lowered his gaze. Though confused by her words, he still replied, “I understand. Thank you, Your Highness.”

“I never ordered your punishment. In the future, do not accept punishments that were not meant for you.”

Her voice was calm—neither gentle nor harsh.

But to Yun Chu, the meaning behind her words was different.

He thought about it and concluded that she was declaring her authority.

She was telling him: You belong to me. No one else is allowed to touch you.

This, he could accept. After all, he was, in name, her consort.

So he nodded. “Understood.”

Li Yunli raised a brow. “Do you really understand?”

“I will listen to Your Highness in everything.”

Yun Chu was exceedingly obedient.

Right now, he just wanted her to move on to the next step. The golden bell beneath him was pressing uncomfortably against his skin.

He looked up, his long, fox-like eyes tinged with a faint red, stealing a glance at Li Yunli.

Her breath hitched at his gaze, but she quickly cleared her throat and suppressed her thoughts.

She couldn’t let things remain so ambiguous.

“It’s been a long day. You must be tired as well. I’ll have another set of bedding sent in—rest well tonight.”

Yun Chu, who had been nodding along, suddenly paused.

Send what?

Bedding?

Why?

Dumbfounded, he glanced back at the single quilt on the bed.

What does she mean?

Li Yunli ignored him and called out, “Someone, come in!”

The guards outside had been standing by, expecting another flogging session. Hearing the summons, they immediately grabbed their staffs and burst into the room.

“In position!”

“Your Highness…”

Yun Chu whispered timidly, like a frightened kitten.

Li Yunli blinked at the two guards, choosing to ignore their misunderstanding.

“Tell Zhilan to bring another set of bedding. What are you two doing?”

The guards exchanged glances, unable to grasp the situation.

One of them cautiously peeked inside.

Yun Chu was leaning against the bed, lazily lifting his gaze toward the guard.

His eyes were sharp and cold, slicing through the guard’s curious look like a blade.

The guard shivered and quickly lowered his head.

The wind was changing.

The two of them stammered out a response and hurriedly left, taking their punishment staffs with them.

Before long, Zhilan arrived with two maids, carrying fresh bedding.

She assumed the original set had been dirtied in the scuffle. When she tried to step inside to help lay it down, Li Yunli reached out and took it herself.

Zhilan, perceptive as ever, promptly dismissed the servants from the courtyard, giving the royal couple privacy.

By midnight, the entire palace knew that the princess had personally dismissed her attendants to spend the night with the consort—without punishing him.

Everyone speculated: Could the consort finally be winning her favor?

The only one frustrated was Yun Chu himself.

Watching Li Yunli set the bedding on the other side, he realized—she truly intended to sleep separately.

A storm brewed in his heart.

Just what was this woman playing at?