Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

The night rain tapped against the window, each sound mournful and piercing. The air inside the Listening Rain Pavilion seemed to freeze, and the candlelight flickered wildly in the wind, casting elongated shadows that appeared ghostly and distorted.

Looking at the resolute anger in Li Yunrui's eyes, Li Chengze saw a pride that said, "I'd rather die than live in dishonor."

The dignity of the eldest princess was her bottom line. She could dirty her hands for the sake of power, but she would never humiliate her precious body by doing despicable things just to survive.

However, Li Chengze was not angry.

On the contrary, the devilish curve of his lips became even more pronounced.

He clapped his hands lightly, the applause sounding particularly crisp in the quiet study.

"Slap, slap."

From the shadows, a black-clad, expressionless assassin from the Luo Wang organization appeared like a ghost.

He held a delicate purple copper basin in his hands, filled with warm water that was steaming, and a few petals of unknown fragrant flowers were floating on the surface.

The man in black gently placed the copper basin on the footstool in front of the soft couch, then his figure flashed and disappeared into the darkness again, as if he had never been there.

Li Chengze stood up from the armchair, his bare feet stepping onto the soft carpet, and walked step by step toward Li Yunrui.

He reached out and gently patted the soft couch beside him, which was covered with an expensive fox fur, in a soft tone.

"Auntie, come sit here."

Li Yunrui looked at him warily, her body tense, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

She couldn't figure out what Li Chengze was up to. The basin of water was there, emitting warm steam, but it looked like a trap with its mouth wide open.

"What are you going to do?" Li Yunrui's voice was hoarse and trembling slightly.

"I don't like to say things a second time." Li Chengze lowered his eyelids slightly.

She gritted her teeth, dragged her heavy steps, slowly walked to the soft couch, and sat down stiffly.

The moment she sat down, Li Chengze did something that she, and even the entire Daqing, could not have imagined.

This usually lazy, unruly, and arrogant second prince actually bent down slowly and squatted down in front of her!

"Chengze, you..." Li Yunrui's pupils suddenly contracted, and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He subconsciously tried to pull his foot back.

"Don't move."

Li Chengze's hand suddenly shot out and firmly grasped Li Yunrui's ankle.

That hand was long and fair, yet as cold as ice.

Li Yunrui shuddered, a chill running from his ankles straight up to the top of his head.

She had never had her ankle touched like this by a man before, not even Lin Ruofu back then, who had ever made such an intimate yet aggressive move.

"Auntie's feet have traversed the white marble steps of the deep palace, stepped over the gold and silver-strewn floors of the imperial treasury, and even crossed borders to tread on the snow of Northern Qi..." Li Chengze said, his head bowed, his voice low and unreadable, "She must be very tired, right?"

As he spoke, he gently placed his other hand on Li Yunrui's shoe.

Under Li Yunrui's shocked and almost stunned gaze, Li Chengze gently removed her cloud-patterned shoes embroidered with golden phoenixes, followed by her snow-white silk stockings.

When her perfectly maintained bare foot, as white as mutton fat jade, was completely exposed to the air, Li Yunrui felt an unprecedented sense of shame, as if it was not her foot that was being stripped bare, but her soul.

"What a beautiful pair of feet," Li Chengze exclaimed sincerely, gently stroking the instep of her foot with his fingertips as if he were playing with a rare treasure.

He didn't give Li Yunrui time to react. He picked up her jade-like foot with both hands and gently and slowly pressed it into the warm water.

"Splash—"

Water splashes lightly.

The warm water instantly enveloped his icy feet, and the stark contrast made Li Yunrui let out a suppressed groan.

Li Chengze lowered his head, his expression terrifyingly focused. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his pale wrists, and dipped his hands into the water, scooping up a handful of warm water to pour over Li Yunrui's calves.

Then, his fingers began to gently massage the soles of her feet and between her toes.

His movements were slow, delicate, and could even be described as gentle.

The tingling sensation of fingertips gliding over the soles of the feet, accompanied by the warmth of the water, spreads throughout the body along the nerve endings.

Li Yunrui froze completely.

She sat on the high, soft couch, watching her nephew, who was usually at odds with her but now held the power of life and death over her, washing her feet.

What is this?

Humiliation? Appeasement? Or some kind of madman's quirk?

Li Yunrui's mind was in chaos. She tried to find a trace of mockery or ridicule on Li Chengze's face, but all she saw was calm, a stagnant calm.

"Auntie, is the pressure appropriate?" Li Chengze suddenly raised his head, his deep, abyss-like eyes staring straight into hers.

Li Yunrui opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She felt as if her throat was blocked with cotton.

"Looks like it's appropriate." Li Chengze chuckled to himself, then lowered his head to continue what he was doing. "Aunt, do you know? When I was little, my mother used to wash my feet like this. Back then, I thought it felt so good to be served. But as I grew up, I realized that serving others actually has a different kind of pleasure."

"alright."

After an unknown amount of time, Li Chengze finally stopped what he was doing.

He picked up a clean white cloth from the side and carefully lifted Li Yunrui's feet out of the water, meticulously drying every drop of water.

Then, he picked up the shoes and socks that were placed aside and patiently helped her put them back on, just as he had done when she took them off.

After doing all this, Li Chengze stood up and casually tossed the cloth into the copper basin.

"Splash!"

The splashing water landed on the hem of his black clothes, staining it with a dark color.

He walked to the other side of the soft couch, sat down with an air of nonchalance, leaned back against the soft pillows, and resumed his lazy and casual demeanor.

He slightly raised his chin, his gaze sweeping over the basin of water that was already somewhat murky, before settling on Li Yunrui's delicate face, which was flushed slightly.

Li Chengze stretched out his right foot, twitched his toes slightly, and smiled.

"Aunt, it's only right to reciprocate."

"It's your turn."

boom!

These three words exploded in Li Yunrui's ears like a thunderclap.

At this moment, it is no longer a simple humiliation, but an "exchange," a "fairness."

He, as a prince, washed your feet; as your aunt, do you still have to put on airs?

Li Yunrui looked at Li Chengze's bare foot.

That foot, which was usually barefoot, appeared somewhat pale, with a broad sole and long toes. It was stretched out boldly in front of her, awaiting her service.

Li Yunrui was struggling internally.

Pride is screaming, and reason is collapsing.

If Li Chengze had directly pressured her earlier, she might have had the courage to fight to the death. But now… those feet that he had just gently caressed now felt incredibly heavy, making it hard for her to breathe.

She knew she couldn't escape.

From the moment she stepped into this study, even from the moment she wrote that secret letter of treason, she had already lost.

Li Yunrui slowly and with great difficulty bent her noble waist.

Her movements were as stiff as a rusty puppet.

She stretched out her hands, which she usually used only for pointing out the flaws in the country and manipulating power, and reached tremblingly towards Li Chengze's feet.

When her fingertips touched Li Chengze's cold skin, Li Yunrui closed her eyes, and two lines of clear tears silently slid down her cheeks.

Li Chengze looked at the woman kneeling at his feet and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He didn't speak, but simply enjoyed the moment quietly.

Li Yunrui's hands were soft, but her movements were clumsy.

She had clearly never done anything like this before; her fingernails would occasionally scratch Li Chengze's skin, causing a slight sting.

But Li Chengze didn't care.

"Auntie's technique is still too clumsy," Li Chengze suddenly said, his voice lazy. "But it's alright, there's plenty of time."

Li Yunrui paused.

Her eyes were extremely complex.

"Yes……"

She responded in a low voice, which was unusually hoarse.

This time, she was much more compliant.

The two remained silent for a while.

The water had gone completely cold.

Li Yunrui dried his feet with a cloth.

Li Chengze wasn't wearing shoes; instead, he stood barefoot on the carpet and stretched.

"Thank you for your hard work tonight, Aunt. It's getting late, Aunt should get some rest. Oh, and that account book..."

He pointed to the account book on the table, a page of which had been torn out:

"Let's continue tomorrow morning."

"Um"

Li Yunrui nodded.

Li Chengze strode away, saying, "I won't bother you any longer, nephew."

After saying that, he strode out of the room.

…………

The night was as dark as ink, and the candles in Tingyuxuan had long since burned out, leaving only wisps of smoke swirling between the beams and pillars.

The water in the basin had long since turned ice-cold, and the reflection in the copper basin was shattered. Li Yunrui remained kneeling, her hands hanging limply at her sides, her fingertips still lingering with the lingering warmth of Li Chengze's ankles, the residual warmth of her broken bottom line.

Outside, the sound of wind and rain seemed to grow louder, pounding against the windowpane like a silent mockery.

Li Yunrui slowly raised her head, her beautiful eyes, which always exuded shrewdness and madness, now seemed somewhat empty.

She looked at the tightly closed door, as if she could see the barefoot figure of the young man leaving through the thick wooden planks.

"Reciprocity is key..."

She muttered to herself, her voice hoarse as if it had been sanded.

These four words were like a spell, deeply imprinted in her mind.

Throughout her life, she manipulated power and controlled people's hearts, considering herself the most lucid madwoman in the world.

She maintained a perfect facade in front of Emperor Qing, briefly showed tenderness to Lin Ruofu, and played the role of a loving aunt in front of the Crown Prince.

But no one has ever been like Li Chengze.

He tore open her skin and saw the decay in her bones, but he did not despise her. Instead, he played with the mess with great interest.

His tenderness when washing her feet was genuine, as was his coldness when forcing her to wash her feet.

This extreme contrast, like a precise scalpel, severed the connection between her and the high and mighty princess of the past.

She lowered her head and looked at her feet, which Li Chengze had just carefully wiped.

For some reason, the warmth and tingling sensation of that moment lingered in her heart for a long time, even giving her a strange sense of attachment.

"We're crazy..." Li Yunrui's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile, but there was no hysterical madness like before. Instead, he looked exhausted. "We're all crazy."

She slowly stood up, her knees aching from kneeling for so long. She supported herself as she walked to the table.

On the table, the ledger with a page torn out lay there quietly, like evidence of a crime awaiting judgment.

Li Yunrui reached out and gently stroked the rough paper of the account book with her fingertips.

She sat down and picked up a pen.

There was no anger, no resentment.

She began to grind the ink, and the ink spread in the inkstone, just like the thoughts that were spreading in her heart at that moment.

……

The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

In the back garden of the Second Prince's residence, the air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and flowers.

Li Chengze was still wearing a loose robe, without a crown, and his long hair was casually draped over his shoulders, exuding a lazy air.

He lay half-reclined on the soft couch in the pavilion, holding a scroll of unknown historical anecdotes, reading it with great interest.

On the small table beside him was a plate of crystal-clear grapes and a stack of newly organized account books.

"Nephew."

A clear, cold voice rang out.

Li Chengze didn't look up, but casually turned a page of his book and said indifferently, "You've arrived?"

Li Yunrui walked slowly into the pavilion. Today, she had changed out of her usual gorgeous and complicated palace dress and was wearing a simple moon-white long dress. Her hair was also styled in a simpler way, with only a white jade hairpin in her hair.

She lost some of her sharp, vibrant colors and gained more of a gentle, docile charm.

If you ignored the occasional glint of brilliance in the depths of her eyes, she would look exactly like a lady from a respectable family.

She walked up to Li Chengze, but instead of sitting down as usual, she gave a slight curtsy, a gesture that wasn't quite standard, and then stood quietly to the side.

"Sit down." Li Chengze pointed to the stone bench opposite him.

Li Yunrui sat down as instructed, her gaze falling on the stack of account books. She said softly, "The account books are ready. Take a look."

Li Chengze finally put down the book in his hand and sat up straight. He picked up the stack of account books, glanced through them casually, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"Auntie is indeed a master of financial management. Her handwriting is beautiful and her ideas are clear. Even if you look into it, you won't find any flaws."

He picked up a grape, but instead of eating it himself, he held it to Li Yunrui's lips.

Li Yunrui's body stiffened slightly.

The purplish-red grape was right next to her lips, still warm from Li Chengze's fingertips.

She knew this was yet another of Li Chengze's mischievous tests.

But she only hesitated for a moment.

The next moment, she slightly parted her red lips and took the grape into her mouth.

The juice burst in my mouth, so sweet it was almost cloying.

"Is it sweet?" Li Chengze asked with a smile.

"Sweet," Li Yunrui replied softly, swallowing a grape.

"Auntie, let's go to Tingyuxuan."

"Um"

Li Yunrui nodded obediently, then slowly stood up. Seeing Li Yunrui put away her rebellious and sharp edges and show a docile appearance, Li Chengze's smile deepened. He stood up, followed behind Li Yunrui, reached out and picked up a strand of hair, held it in his hand, and gently played with it.