So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

The windows of the waterside pavilion faced the opposite shore of the lake, and the servants in the East Garden, having received some orders, hurriedly withdrew.

Crossing the ebony bridge and standing in the shadows on the opposite bank, you can see the lights in the waterside pavilion lit up for a short while before going dark again.

Xie Yan leaned against the big tree, not knowing what he was thinking, staring at the window with an inscrutable expression.

As if sensing something, the person inside pushed open half of the window.

In the dim light, two intertwined figures unexpectedly collided with his eyes. The woman had her back to him, so he couldn't see her face clearly. He could only vaguely see the charming smile in her profile, and the alluring Chu-style beauty that emanated from her very being.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his veins bulged.

The cold wind from the lake blew past, and Ning Yu was forced to kiss him. She frowned and tremblingly raised her hand to push him away, "It's cold, let's go back inside."

Xie Xun raised his cold, deep eyes, piercing through the thick darkness and looking towards the opposite shore of the lake. His usual pretense was completely gone, replaced by a chilling possessiveness.

Hearing the sound from his arms, he grabbed her waist with one hand, lifted her up, and kissed her fiercely with his lips and tongue.

Ning Yu was afraid he would get angry, so she didn't dare to avoid him. She sobbed and turned her head to try to breathe, the sounds coming out of her mouth were intermittent and not very clear.

She came out of the washroom wearing a thin undergarment, which made things convenient for him. Xie Xun's hand went directly into her bodice.

"What did your older brother say to you?"

The gentle voice slithered into Ning Yu's ears like a venomous snake, sending shivers down her spine. She struggled to keep up with the situation.

"The Crown Prince is gentle and mild-mannered. He only asked if I was alright and said nothing else."

"Really?" He pinched her hard.

Ning Yu winced in pain and looked up at him.

Xie Xun lowered his gaze, looking at her flushed cheeks and dazed eyes. "You sneaked in just to say hello?"

"He is a gentleman of the highest order, so naturally he would not do anything unreasonable. It's just that his wound reopened when he came, so I found him some gauze and he changed the dressing himself."

A paragon of virtue?!

A flash of sarcasm crossed Xie Xun's eyes as he looked across the lake. "So you're saying I'm no good?"

They were naturally barbarians who, like the Liang people, wore their hair loose and their robes fastened on the left.

Ning Yu touched her neck, where he had bitten her, and it still hurt a little. She pretended not to hear him and ignored him.

Why aren't you saying anything?

"It's so cold, the wind is getting into my clothes, let's go back inside."

It was late autumn, and the night wind was still quite cold. Xie Xun closed the open window, leaving only a small crack, spread her legs apart, wrapped them around his waist, and pressed down on her forcefully.

From the opposite shore of the lake, one could see the moonlight illuminating the two intertwined shadows. Xie Yan's impulsive steps faltered at some point, and a suppressed pain flashed in his eyes.

"Your Highness, the gifts have all been sent out."

A flash of coldness crossed his eyes as he strode back towards the Ink Academy. He sent word to the messenger, "Go to Liangzhou immediately to prepare the documents and household registration. Send my order to the Liangzhou prefectural governor at full speed. The change of registration documents must be delivered within three days."

"Yes."

Inside the waterside pavilion.

Tears welled up in Ning Yu's eyes, and she was pressed down on the table, her whole body flushed an unnatural red.

Xie Xun showed no pity, roughly grabbing her wrist and whispering in her ear, "Look up."

Ning Yu subconsciously looked up following his voice and saw herself in the mirror. Her body trembled violently, and she immediately lowered her head and covered her face.

A cold sneer came from behind her, but she bit her bright red lips and remained silent.

"You're making me sound like the bad guy who broke you two up." He leaned down and bit her earlobe. "Look at yourself in the mirror. Did I force you to do this?"

Ning Yu knew he was averse to meeting alone with her, and when he asked her but didn't get any answers, he started humiliating her in bed.

A cold, sarcastic laugh flashed through her mind as she tried her best to suppress the trembling in her body, ignoring his emotions.

Xie Xun's displeasure intensified, and with a forceful movement, he flipped her over and pressed her close to him, their breaths mingling so tightly they could hear each other.

Ning Yu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she subconsciously opened her eyes to look at him, taking a sudden step back.

The veins on Xie Xun's forehead bulged, and with a forceful pull, he drew her back into his arms, their bodies pressed tightly together.

"My elder brother is thinking of you; he came to see you as soon as he woke up."

The sarcastic voice made Ning Yu not want to pay any attention to it.

"You've been acting all obedient with me for so long, are you actually missing him too? Let me guess, what were you two doing in the house?"

"Shut up." Ning Yu couldn't take it anymore. "Nothing happened between us, we just exchanged a few words."

Of course nothing happened. The marks on her body were all his doing. If something had actually happened, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't want to kill them.

The intense aura emanating from him caused the surrounding atmosphere to plummet. Xie Xun pinched her soft flesh with such force that it seemed he wanted to kill her.

There were so many people in the East Garden, and she didn't call for help. She really deserves to be punished.

Did he say he wanted to take you away?

A chill ran down Ning Yu's spine as she felt a sudden jolt in her heart. Xie Xun's silence only confirmed his suspicions. The oppressive atmosphere made the whole room feel suffocating.

"Xie Xun." She looked at him. "The Crown Prince asked me about my future plans, but I told him to just pretend I was dead. He knows what I truly feel."

The indirect gesture of goodwill made Xie Xun pause, and he lowered his eyelids to look at her.

Ning Yu's eyes were undisguised. "I won't go with him, otherwise I wouldn't be in Dongyuan now."

Xie Xun's scalp tingled from her grip. Hearing her words, he couldn't help but lower his head and bite her lips, their tongues entwining in a passionate kiss.

Ning Yu responded to him, hugging his arm.

Perhaps pleased by her actions, Xie Xun softened considerably, only whispering a warning in her ear, "Don't let me find out you lied to me."

"I won't lie to you."

"You are not allowed to see him again."

Meetings are inevitable in the Xie residence. It would be best for my elder brother to return to the Northwest. A strange light flashed in Xie Xun's eyes.

Ning Yu wrapped her legs around his waist, buried her face in his neck, and hummed softly before quickly changing the subject.

"Now that the matter is resolved, you can stay here peacefully. No one will dare to cause you any trouble."

And then what? Following him without any status or identity, parading around the Xie family with that face, making Xie Yan feel embarrassed?

A flash of self-mocking pain crossed Ning Yu's eyes; he had never considered her difficulties.

Yes, he has been widowed in a high position for too long, how could he have any desire to lower himself to the mortal world? As long as she is by his side, that's enough. Her dignity and face don't matter, and how she lives in this East Garden doesn't matter either, as long as she is with him!