Chapter 55: Removing the Insect

“The Prince means you agreed?”

The person in his arms looked up at him with bright eyes. Pei Ji inexplicably felt a flutter in his chest.

If it weren’t for the others around, he really wanted to hold her tighter and kiss her.

He suppressed his emotions and murmured in agreement.

Jiang Huaiyue didn’t expect him to be so easy to talk to today. Excitedly, she hugged his neck and kissed the corner of his lips: “Thank you, husband. Take your time eating the snacks. I’ll leave first.”

The warm touch vanished in an instant. The delicate features before him radiated joy from within, leaving him dazed.

His palm moved slightly; the light green sash brushed past his hand, and the faint sweet scent she carried lingered in the air.

As Jiang Huaiyue ran off, she noticed the other tables had empty teacups, and a deep meaning flickered in her eyes.

The study fell completely silent. Three people emerged from behind the screen. He Lan clicked her tongue twice: “That ‘husband’ sounded really sweet just now.”

Shen Yanli and Xiao Qingrong both wore smiles.

Pei Ji glanced coldly at him. He Lan walked over to the peach blossom cakes on the table: “Give me a piece to eat.”

Before he could reach out, Pei Ji’s cold voice came: “Don’t want your hand anymore?”

He Lan pouted in annoyance: “So stingy.”

Turning back to his chair, he saw Pei Ji put the snacks back into the box.

Thinking to himself, he’s so possessive he won’t even share a piece of cake.

And he was so righteous, saying that if he liked someone, he’d kill them. From what he sees, that’s not going to happen.

Pei Ji ignored his thoughts and spoke directly: “When will the coffin arrive?”

Counting the days, the fake corpse should be arriving soon.

Xiao Qingrong lifted the corner of her mouth: “In three days.”

Watching them talk, He Lan had a lingering doubt — after they kill Jiang Jingchen, who will actually take the throne?

One is cunning and ruthless, the other sly as a fox. They really seem like a pair who appreciate each other.

After Jiang Huaiyue left the study, she thought about the empty teacups she saw and felt a lingering doubt.

But after thinking for a long time, she couldn’t figure it out, so she let it go for now.

Back in her room, she told Qiuchan to prepare things, then took out the insect control device that Chu Nanxi had given her.

Opening the lid, she stared at the writhing dark insect inside and thought about the one still inside her body. A wave of discomfort rose.

Qiuchan prepared the materials, and Jiang Huaiyue said: “Close the door.”

Knowing what the princess intended, Qiuchan cautiously closed the door and approached: “Princess, will this really work?”

“Only one way to find out.” Jiang Huaiyue picked up a dagger on the table, bit her lip, and extended her hand, slicing her palm.

The moment the wound was made, fresh blood instantly flowed out. The insect inside the bottle seemed to sense it, writhing wildly and making rustling sounds that were eerie to hear.

Jiang Huaiyue gritted her teeth against the pain in her palm and waited quietly. After a while, a swelling appeared on her fair arm, slowly moving toward the wound.

Qiuchan didn’t dare even to breathe and kept staring intently. After several breaths, the insect came out from the wound and suddenly dropped into the pool of blood.

“Burn it with fire.” Jiang Huaiyue took a cloth to press the wound.

Qiuchan used tweezers to pick the insect out and put it into a prepared container, then lit a piece of paper with a fire folder and threw it in, covering the lid immediately.

After finishing the treatment, she looked at Jiang Huaiyue’s hand: “Princess, Qiuchan has applied the medicine for you.”

Jiang Huaiyue nodded, letting Qiuchan tend to her wound.

“Qiuchan, discreetly clean up the blood later, don’t let others see it.”

“Princess, rest assured, Qiuchan understands.”

Qiuchan looked at the wound where the skin was curling slightly and felt sorry: “Princess, it must hurt a lot.”

She carefully wiped away the blood around the wound, then sprinkled golden wound medicine on it and bandaged it up.

Jiang Huaiyue knew Qiuchan cared about her and smiled: “It’s okay. The poison from the insect is neutralized, no longer controlled by others. You should be happy for me.”

Since leaving the capital, she was completely free. Everything here no longer concerned her.

“The princess is right. It’s me who misunderstood,” Qiuchan said, hearing her princess’s words, beginning to look forward to the days ahead.

She hoped everything would go smoothly, and the princess would avoid disasters in the future.

After dinner, Jiang Huaiyue sat under the corridor, looking up at the moon. The moonlight was bright and beautiful, tree shadows swayed in the breeze, and the manor was peaceful.

Pei Ji entered the courtyard and saw the scene. Petals drifted down, a woman leaned against a red pillar, looking up at the sky with a hint of melancholy in her eyes, evoking sympathy.

Hearing the movement, Jiang Huaiyue looked up and saw the young man in white standing expressionless. The moonlight illuminated his handsome face like a celestial being.

She thought for a moment and softly called out, “Husband, are you done with your work?”

After all, he had just promised to help her the day before. She wanted to give him some goodwill, just in case he suddenly changed his mind—it would be a loss if that happened.

Pei Ji lifted his eyelids, sat down beside her with a flick of his robe: “Why not come inside?”

Jiang Huaiyue smiled: “Just finished dinner, came out to see the moon.”

Hearing her, Pei Ji looked at the moon, still a little crescent, not yet full: “Pretty?”

“Not pretty?” Jiang Huaiyue turned to look at him as she spoke.

Her eyes were very bright, so bright Pei Ji could even see his reflection in them.

His gaze flickered, and he parted his thin lips: “Pretty.”

Their eyes met. Jiang Huaiyue subconsciously tried to look away but was quicker as he cupped her face, not letting her avoid him.

Their lips touched, warm breath on her face. Jiang Huaiyue’s hand on her knee clenched instinctively.

Soon, very soon, she could leave completely, no longer needing to carefully please him. She faintly smiled and placed her hand around his neck.

Pei Ji’s hands moved to hold the back of her head, one on her waist. The sweet fragrance from the woman kept drifting into his nose, making his breath unstable.

After a while, he stopped kissing. Jiang Huaiyue, blushing and breathing heavily, nestled in his arms. She clearly saw the desire in his eyes and couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

No matter how handsome or powerful a man is, he can’t escape worldly desires.

Pei Ji bent down and lifted her horizontally, stepping into the house.

When Jiang Huaiyue was put down, she accidentally touched her wounded hand and couldn’t help but hiss softly: “Ouch~”

Seeing this, he quickly grabbed her hand. Looking at the wound bleeding slightly, he frowned: “How did you get hurt?”

Jiang Huaiyue lowered her eyes: “I promised Ayuan I’d carve a puppet and accidentally cut myself.”

Pei Ji paused: “She’s a child. Why are you taking it so seriously? Are you stupid?”

Saying this, he called outside: “Mo Ying, bring Song Ke here.”