Chapter 9

~The next day~

Jun Zechen woke up feeling dazed. His head throbbed painfully, as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at his brain. His chest felt heavy, making it hard to breathe.

He frowned and slowly opened his eyes.

When he looked down, he saw a woman sleeping quietly in his arms, wearing only a thin undergarment.

In an instant, memories from the previous night rushed back like a tidal wave.

His mother had drugged him and sent him to Xiyan Palace. In his hazy state, he had said something about consummating his marriage with Su Jingyao. Then, he had pressed her beneath him, kissing her passionately.

And after that?

His gaze slowly moved to his own bare body. A wave of uncertainty hit him—had they really spent the night together?

A dark, cold look filled Jun Zechen’s eyes. Without hesitation, he shoved the woman in his arms away.

Su Jingyao was startled awake by his sudden action. Her eyes, still hazy with sleep, fluttered open like delicate flower petals covered in morning dew.

But in the next moment, the confusion disappeared. She quickly wrapped herself in the blanket and sat up, about to speak—only to be cut off by Jun Zechen’s icy voice.

“I never knew my concubine was so skilled at deception,” he said, his tone as sharp as a blade.

“Tell me, are you satisfied with what happened last night?”

His voice was as cold as the northern winter wind, each word piercing Su Jingyao’s heart like a shard of ice.

She was already annoyed from being rudely awakened. Was she being too kind to this man?

Lifting her chin, she met his gaze steadily. Her clear, sharp eyes seemed to pierce through his soul.

Her red lips parted as she spoke, her voice crisp, “I have a clear conscience.”

She paused briefly, then continued in an indifferent tone, “I know my status is lowly and unworthy of serving Your Highness. Therefore, last night, I did not taint your purity. Please rest assured.”

A flicker of disbelief flashed through Jun Zechen’s eyes. He stared at Su Jingyao, searching for any sign of deceit on her face.

But she remained calm, her expression unreadable.

After finishing her words, she threw off the blanket without hesitation. Her movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation or shame. She stepped lightly onto the cold floor, her posture graceful, like a lotus flower swaying in the breeze.

She casually picked up a robe from a nearby rack and slipped it on with practiced ease. Though her movements were unhurried, they carried an unintentional allure.

Her bare feet touched the cold floor as she walked toward her dressing table, step by step, as if nothing around her mattered.

Through the screen, Jun Zechen could see her sitting at the table, picking up a comb, and slowly running it through her long, ink-black hair. Her movements were gentle and elegant, like a painting coming to life.

Watching her slender back, a wave of regret suddenly surged in his heart.

The harsh words he had spoken earlier felt like knives—cutting her deeply and mercilessly.

And he… had already hurt her so many times.

But what exactly had happened last night?!

If he hadn’t touched her, then how had the effects of the aphrodisiac worn off?

Jun Zechen thought hard, but he couldn’t figure it out.

His lips pressed into a tight line as he fell into deep conflict, his furrowed brows revealing his struggle.

He wanted to ask the delicate woman he had just hurt, but every time he tried to speak, the words got stuck in his throat. He didn’t know how to begin.

Slowly, he got out of bed, his movements hesitant, as if torn between doubt and regret.

He Dressed in a Simple White Robe

Jun Zechen casually put on a plain, moon-white robe. The hem swayed lightly with his movements, and the wide sleeves draped at his sides like flowing clouds.

His jet-black hair, usually neat, was now slightly disheveled. A few strands fell across his forehead, brushing against his sharply defined face, adding an air of unruliness to his usual refined appearance.

His brows furrowed deeply, forming a clear crease between them. His expression revealed his inner turmoil and conflict.

His gaze wandered, sometimes lingering on Su Jingyao’s dressing table, then shifting away again. His feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground—he wanted to approach her, yet he couldn’t take that step.

A deep sense of regret and confusion filled his eyes. His hands clenched into tight fists, his knuckles turning pale from the pressure. The veins on the back of his hands stood out, pulsing faintly beneath his skin.

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to calm himself first and stepped out of the bedroom.

Outside, Miaoyun had been waiting. When she saw the crown prince emerge, a fleeting look of surprise crossed her eyes as she recalled her mistress’s instructions from the night before.

She quickly stepped forward, bowed, and greeted him softly, “Your Highness, I wish you good health.”

Jun Zechen waved a hand dismissively. “Rise.”

Miaoyun straightened and asked, “May I ask how Your Highness is feeling today? Last night, my mistress had you take the ‘Bai Du Qing’ pill. I hope there are no side effects. Eunuch Anshun has already been sent to fetch the imperial physician for you.”

“Bai Du Qing?”

A flicker of doubt crossed Jun Zechen’s mind. His brows furrowed even deeper.

Miaoyun continued, “Your Highness, Bai Du Qing was part of my mistress’s dowry. Lady Su spent a great sum to obtain it from a renowned physician. It can neutralize most poisons.”

Jun Zechen was stunned, though his expression remained unreadable.

He had never expected that Su Jingyao would rather give him such a precious antidote than share a bed with him.

But if he had taken the antidote, why had they woken up this morning so intimately entangled, their clothing in disarray?

Unable to make sense of it, he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and turned back toward the bedroom. He needed to get answers from Su Jingyao.

He walked silently, his steps light as a shadow, until he reached the screen behind which her dressing table stood.

Jun Zechen was tall, and even without stepping past the screen, he could see Su Jingyao’s reflection in the bronze mirror.

She had her head lowered slightly, her shoulders trembling. Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls, falling endlessly from the corners of her eyes.

She was crying…

A heavy weight pressed against Jun Zechen’s chest. A deep, stifling ache spread through him, like needles pricking his heart.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped past the screen into the room.

Hearing the sound, Su Jingyao quickly wiped her tears away.

She lowered her head even more, almost pressing it against her chest, before rising to greet him with a graceful bow.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Her voice was tinged with suppressed sobs, faint yet unmistakably heartbreaking.

Jun Zechen instinctively raised his arm, as if to help her up, but midway, he pulled back his hand.

“Rise.”

Su Jingyao slowly straightened, standing tall, but she kept her head bowed, as if trying to hide her sorrow and grievances.

Jun Zechen knew exactly what she was feeling. He had spoken harsh words to her before, yet she had never cried in front of him.

“Why are you crying in secret?”

His voice carried an unfamiliar gentleness, something even he hadn’t noticed.

Su Jingyao stood still, biting her lip lightly. The faint mark left by her teeth revealed a subtle mix of stubbornness and grievance.

After a long pause, she finally whispered, barely audible, “I… couldn’t hold it in.”

“If you feel wronged, why don’t you explain everything? And why not cry in front of me?”

Wouldn’t crying in front of him make him feel guilty?

Her tear-reddened eyes resembled the last hues of a fading sunset, stirring an inexplicable sense of pity.

Her gaze, clear and pure as if washed by spring water, held a hidden trace of sorrow.

After a brief silence, she lifted her eyes, their autumn-water depths meeting his.

“Because I only cry in front of those who care for me. Crying in front of someone who doesn’t would only make me a joke.”

Her voice carried a quiet strength, mixed with helplessness. Every word seemed to be forced from deep within her heart.

Jun Zechen’s fists clenched tighter, his knuckles turning white. His lips pressed into a thin line as he stared at her with a complicated expression.

Did he not care for her?

Then why did his heart ache now?

“If you gave me the Bai Du Qing, then why were we… in such an intimate state this morning, with our clothes in disarray?”

Jun Zechen asked directly, his eyes filled with doubt.

Su Jingyao’s body trembled at his words. Her tear-filled eyes shimmered like stars in the night sky, her long lashes quivering slightly.

“Shouldn’t Your Highness be asking yourself that?”

Her voice held both grievance and sorrow, each word heavy with pain.

Jun Zechen knew that, under the influence of the drug, he had pressed her beneath him, unable to control himself.

But after taking the antidote, he had no recollection of what happened. Had he still clung to her, refusing to let go?

“I… I misunderstood you. You—”

Before he could finish, Su Jingyao cut him off coldly.

“I know Your Highness only cares for the Crown Princess. In the Eastern Palace, I have only ever seen her as a sister. You are her husband, and no matter what, I will never have anything to do with you.”

Her voice was as cold as ice, but there was also a firm determination in it.

She slowly turned her head away, no longer looking at Jun Zechen, but she still needed to explain things clearly.

“Last night, His Highness was sent to Xiyan Palace by Aunt Jinhua. When I noticed something was wrong with His Highness, I immediately sent a maid to call my sister, hoping she could take him back to Qiluan Palace. But I waited and waited, and my sister never came.”

“I don’t know if my sister misunderstood something, but His Highness should go and explain everything to her as soon as possible. As for what happened this morning, I have already let it go and don’t mind it anymore.”

After speaking, she lowered her head again, standing still like a beautiful but lonely statue, quietly waiting for Jun Zechen to leave.

At that moment, Jun Zechen’s thoughts changed.

He stared at the woman before him, and all his doubts faded away.

Maybe, in her heart, he was the person she disliked the most.

If she had truly wanted to seduce him, last night would have been the perfect chance.

But instead, she used Bai Du Qing, a special medicine prepared by her mother, just to remove the poison affecting him.

Now, Jun Zechen finally understood—it wasn’t that he refused to consummate the marriage. She never wanted to in the first place.

Jun Zechen’s eyes locked onto the top of Su Jingyao’s head.

Just as she said, he should go to Qiluan Palace and explain everything to Ling Yue.

But her cold rejection felt like a freezing wind piercing through his body, making his heart restless.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Jun Zechen’s gaze darkened. He took a determined step forward and, without hesitation, reached out his right hand to lift her chin.

Su Jingyao had no choice but to raise her eyes and meet his gaze.

“Concubine Su, have you forgotten your duty? You were granted to me by my father. How dare you say you have nothing to do with me?”

Jun Zechen’s voice was cold and commanding. He was the Crown Prince. Even if he was wrong—so what?

He could reject anyone, but no one had the right to reject him. No one dared to defy him like this!

He leaned in slightly, his presence exuding an overwhelming pressure.

Su Jingyao’s eyes were full of confusion and grievance. She bit her lower lip lightly, and her trembling body revealed her frustration.

Slap! A sharp sound echoed in the air.

Su Jingyao firmly pushed his hand away and quickly stepped back.

Jun Zechen’s face darkened instantly, like a storm about to break.

“Concubine Su , do you not understand what it means to respect your superior? Is this how the Su family raised you?”

Su Jingyao had endured his harsh accusations again and again. At last, tears streamed down her face like a broken dam.

“Your Highness, what do you want me to do? On the very first day I married into the Eastern Palace, you made it clear that I should not interfere with your relationship with my sister. Haven’t I done enough?”

Her voice trembled, like a sorrowful nightingale, heartbreaking to hear.

Tears slid down her pale cheeks, sparkling like pearls before falling to the ground.

“How exactly do you want me to fulfill my duty as a concubine ? Ever since I came here, you have doubted and humiliated me over and over again. I don’t even know what I did wrong.”

Her voice rose slightly, carrying traces of despair.

Then, in a whisper, she added, “If Your Highness truly dislikes me, I would rather never appear before you again…”

Jun Zechen’s heart trembled at her words.

Even he did not know what he truly wanted. He never wanted to marry her and had avoided any interaction with her. But now?

Seeing her so heartbroken, hearing her desperate words—he didn’t want this.

He didn’t want them to be like strangers.

Jun Zechen’s lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t know where to begin.

After a long sigh, he slowly reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face.

“I was wrong today. From now on, I will not doubt you again. You have done well. Everyone says the daughter of the Su family is the model of a noble lady, and today, I finally understand that only you truly deserve that praise.”

“As for the medicine you used on me, I will find a way to get you another one.”

With those words, Jun Zechen turned and left.

Once his figure disappeared from view, Su Jingyao slowly raised her hand and wiped away the last of her tears with her fingertips.

Then, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

It was a subtle but triumphant smile—cunning, calculating—like a clever little fox who had just successfully trapped its prey.

Indeed, the hunter had finally ensnared the prey in her carefully set trap.

Jun Zechen continued walking toward Qiluan Palace, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

When he reached the entrance, he stopped and looked up at the plaque that bore the words Qiluan Palace.

The golden letters shimmered under the sunlight, but they could not dispel the darkness in his heart.

In the past, every time he came here, his steps were light, his expression full of joy and ease.

But today, every step felt heavy, as if weighed down by something unseen.

He stood there, his brows tightly furrowed, the two thick lines forming a deep knot—showing the turmoil inside him.

After hesitating for a moment, Jun Zechen finally stepped into Qiluan Palace.

From a distance, Ling Yue saw him coming.

But unlike before, today, he no longer had his usual bright smile.

As he got closer, Ling Yue smirked and said with a hint of sarcasm,

“Did Your Highness sleep well last night?”

Her tone carried mockery and dissatisfaction.

Hearing her words, Jun Zechen’s frown deepened, and his face showed helplessness.

“I did not have any relations with the concubine last night.”

Hearing this, Ling Yue remained outwardly calm as still water, but inside, her heart was already surging with waves of turmoil.

She could hardly believe that even at this moment, Jun Zechen was still trying to deceive her.

Did that mean the words she personally heard last night were all just her imagination?

Her husband had pinned another woman who resisted him beneath him, affectionately calling her “Yao Yao,” and declaring that Su Jingyao was his woman and had no right to refuse him.

At this moment, Ling Yue only felt utterly ridiculous.

Her eyes welled up with tears, filled with grievance and pain.

She had always been fiery by nature, and now she could no longer suppress her emotions. She abruptly stood up.

Her sharp voice rang out, “Was it that you didn’t want to be with her, or that she didn’t want to be with you? Does Your Highness not know the truth?”

Jun Zechen’s expression instantly darkened. He stared intently at Ling Yue, his gaze deep and unreadable.

“Yuer, do you understand what you are saying?”

Under his intense gaze, Ling Yue slowly lowered her head. Her lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to speak but didn’t know where to start.

The anger and pain in her heart intertwined, making it impossible for her to remain calm.

She wanted to lash out at this man who had hurt her, but she also feared that their argument would drive him away completely.

She was afraid that their love would be worn away by quarrels until nothing remained.

Jun Zechen gazed at her, watching as she hung her head in silent grievance. His heart softened.

His tone eased as he said, “Last night, it was Mother Empress who drugged me and sent me to Xiyan Palace.”

“I have always had you in my heart. But you have yet to conceive a child, and Mother Empress and Father Emperor keep pressuring me. Concubine Su is the legitimate daughter of Minister Su. Since she entered the Eastern Palace, I have neglected her for nearly a month—for you.”

Ling Yue’s eyes widened in shock, staring at Jun Zechen in disbelief. Her voice trembled as she asked, “So, Aze, are you here today to tell me that you will no longer neglect Concubine Su?”

“Yuer, as the Crown Prince, I cannot shirk my duty to continue the royal lineage. Even if I do not favor Concubine Su, Mother Empress and Father Emperor will continue to grant me more concubines—Concubine Li, Concubine Wang… Do you expect me to marry them all just to leave them as ornaments?”

Ling Yue opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words. Tears welled in her eyes and silently rolled down her cheeks.

Jun Zechen watched her cry in silence, and a flicker of pain flashed in his eyes.

He instinctively reached out to wipe away her tears but hesitated midair before withdrawing his hand, sighing instead.

He had failed to keep his promise, but he also harbored resentment in his heart—why couldn’t Ling Yue conceive a child? If she had been able to, even if his parents pressured him, he would have had grounds to resist.

But now, he had no choice but to accept it.

From childhood, he had been taught the ways of the imperial family. He knew he could never abandon the need for heirs for the sake of a single woman. As the Crown Prince, having children was not just a personal matter—it was a duty tied to the stability of the kingdom.

Ling Yue’s eyes slowly lost their light, turning vacant and lifeless.

She even began to blame herself—why was she the one who couldn’t bear a child? Her body trembled slightly, evoking pity.

Jun Zechen couldn’t bear it. He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

His hand gently stroked her back. Ling Yue clung to him desperately, as if holding onto her last lifeline. Fear filled her heart—fear that this man would leave her.

That fear was like an endless abyss, dragging her down, deeper and deeper.

“Aze, it’s all my fault that I can’t bear a child. Otherwise, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Aze, you should favor Concubine Su. I won’t blame you.”

“But Aze, will you fall in love with her?”

Hearing her final question, Jun Zechen’s body stiffened. A flicker of pain flashed through his eyes.

He tightened his embrace around Ling Yue and answered firmly, “No.”