Nong Nu Jiao

Cen Lingyi followed into the bathhouse and stood quietly by the door with her head down.

The bathhouse was shrouded in mist, and the jade-paved pool was filled with warm water, prepared by the servants specifically for Yan Chenghui to cool off in the summer.

"What are you waiting for?"

Yan Chenghui stood by the bath for a moment, then turned to look at her.

Cen Lingyi looked up at the sound, her fingers clenched in a cold grip, and slowly walked towards him.

Standing in front of him, she smelled the scent of Madam Sun on him again. She suppressed the churning in her stomach and didn't frown, but her lips were pressed together until they turned white.

She held her breath, pinched the jade belt hook at his waist with her fingertips, and untied it using the method he had taught her last time.

She carefully felt the buttons on his clothes and slowly untied his robe.

Yan Chenghui's gaze fell on her face, which was so close to his. Her face was pale and translucent, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her fingertips deliberately avoided touching him, as if afraid of touching him even slightly.

The outer robe was removed, revealing an ivory-white inner garment, and the unique fragrance of Madam Sun fell to the ground.

She was finally able to breathe smoothly.

She raised her dark eyes, carefully pinching a small sash of his inner garment and pulling it outwards, refusing to touch him at all, as if he were some untouchable filth.

"Are you looking down on me?"

Yan Chenghui grasped her slender wrist.

"This servant wouldn't dare."

Cen Lingyi withdrew her hand, took a step back, lowered her head, and wiped her wrist on her side.

By what right or status does she despise him?

He is the Crown Prince, and his concubine lives in Yunxiang Courtyard. Isn't it only natural for him to touch Concubine Sun?

Not only should she not dislike it, she shouldn't have any thoughts about it.

She was just a wet nurse, a servant, doing what her master told her to do.

She kept telling herself that all the way there.

But when she actually went up to serve him, she couldn't help but think of the scene she had overheard while kneeling there.

She simply couldn't control herself and really didn't want to touch him.

But coincidentally, he also disliked her and didn't want her to touch him.

Yan Chenghui turned his head to look at her, and slowly took off his undergarment.

Seeing her submissive and humble appearance, yet revealing a stubborn streak deep down, he snorted coldly and turned away.

The sound of water brought Cen Lingyi back to her senses, and she couldn't help but look up.

Yan Chenghui stood naked in the water, the clear water washing over his lean waist.

He had a pale complexion, a straight back, broad shoulders, long legs, and well-defined, smooth muscles all over his body.

Unlike before, there were several crisscrossing, hideous scars on his back.

Judging from the marks, it must have been some time ago. The wound has healed, leaving only a scar that will not disappear.

"How did you get that injury on your back...?"

Cen Lingyi blurted out a question.

As soon as she asked the question, she raised her hand to cover her mouth, wishing she could slap herself.

Asking this question was entirely subconscious.

He hated her, but she couldn't be so heartless; she had to admit that she still cared about him.

He loathed her to the core, yet she still tried to show concern for him; wasn't that just humiliating herself?

Besides, their relationship is no longer what it used to be, so what right does she have to care about him?

When she asked about the scars on his back, Yan Chenghui slowly turned his head and stared at her coldly. His brows and eyes were as sharp as unsheathed swords, and his dark pupils seemed to have been tempered with ice, unfathomable and devoid of any light.

The bathroom was completely silent, as if a huge boulder was pressing down on you.

Cen Lingyi was so overwhelmed by his anger that she couldn't lift her head.

"What's it to you?"

After a long silence, he spoke coldly.

He looked down at her with his chin raised, his dark eyes filled with only cold disgust and impatience.

"This servant misspoke."

Cen Lingyi lowered her head.

Yan Chenghui ignored her.

Cen Lingyi heard the sound of water and, out of the corner of her eye, saw him sit in the water, splashing water with his fingertips.

Scenes from past summers flashed through my mind.

He took her to a summer resort in the suburbs.

There is a hot spring pool there.

He taught her how to swim there when she was a child.

In the days leading up to their wedding, they consummated their marriage.

Those days were the happiest time in her life.

Let's call it "as inseparable as glue and honey".

That day, he specially made her a close-fitting undergarment out of snow-white silk, saying it would be best for swimming, and coaxed her into wearing it in the water.

She swam around in the hot spring pool, then walked towards him from the water, only to find him staring straight at her, his eyes unblinking.

She couldn't help but look down at herself and saw that her soaked undergarment clung to her skin, its texture almost transparent, revealing her completely naked body to him.

It turned out that the clothes made of snow silk, apart from being a bit shinier, were no different from ordinary undergarments.

But once it gets wet, it becomes transparent and can't hide anything.

He deliberately caused trouble.

She blushed instantly, her whole body turning pink. She ducked to hide in the water, but he grabbed her waist and pressed her against the hot spring wall, turning her over and over, never satisfied.

He kissed her again and again, calling her "my darling" and "my sweetheart." He whispered in her ear, nibbling her earlobe, saying she was the most beautiful girl in the world, and showering her with sweet words.

He forced her to promise him that she would be with him for all eternity and never be separated.

The vow remains.

But just now in Yunxiang Courtyard, right in front of her, Madam Sun nestled in his arms.

He put his arm around Madam Sun's waist, served her food, and spoke to her softly.

She knelt on the ground, the coquettish words of Madam Sun from the bedroom still echoing in her ears.

She heard him coax Madam Sun, saying "Don't move," and "Be good"...

A sharp pain shot through her palm, bringing her back to her senses. Without realizing it, she had pinched her own palm until it bled.

She lowered her eyelashes and stopped glancing at him.

His embrace had sheltered others, his body had touched the warmth of others. Even if he was handsome, it had nothing to do with her anymore.

"Did I tell you to come here and stand here?"

Yan Chenghui leaned against the jade wall by the bathtub and turned to ask her in a cold voice.

Cen Lingyi shifted her gaze elsewhere, took a bath towel, and slowly stepped forward to stand behind him.

Her gaze fell on his broad back, his pale skin glistening with water droplets, one or two of which occasionally fell, a truly pleasing sight.

But she had no interest in appreciating it at all. After what happened at Yunxiang Courtyard, she was completely numb, both physically and mentally.

She remained motionless, like a wooden sculpture, instinctively soaking the bath towel in warm water, slowly wringing it out, and then placing it on his back.

Her movements were light and slow, her entire hand hidden behind a bath towel, deliberately avoiding touching his skin.

She doesn't deserve to touch him, nor does she want to.

Yan Chenghui glanced at her sideways.

She lowered her long, dark eyelashes, pursed her lips, and stared at the movements in her hands. Her posture was respectful, but her eyes were extremely distant.

Her hand rested lightly on his back through the bath towel, as if afraid of absorbing even a trace of his scent, unwilling to exert any force, only doing it perfunctorily out of necessity.

"Was this how I treated you when I served you back then?"

He curled his lips into a sneer, his words laced with sarcasm.

Cen Lingyi's pale face flushed.

He had just slept with someone else, then forced her to listen outside the bedroom, and made her serve him while he bathed.

Now, he still brings up things from the past.

Once upon a time!

After they got together, he was always the one who bathed her, dried her hair, and styled it for her... He never did anything perfunctory.

But now, with so many women around him, he had her serve him a bath as soon as he got off Madam Sun's bed.

Have these things happened before?

It's ridiculous that he compares the present to the past.

As she listened to his sarcastic words, she recalled past events, and the present situation lingered in her mind. Her mind was in turmoil, as if it were about to explode, and she felt a dull ache in her heart.

She unconsciously clenched the bath towel in her hand, and without realizing it, she used force. The rough surface of the linen towel rubbed firmly against his broad shoulders.

"Cen Lingyi, did you do this on purpose?"

Yan Chenghui winced in pain, his body stiffening slightly. He turned around, frowning as he stared coldly at her, displeasure rising in his dark eyes.

Cen Lingyi noticed the fresh red scratches on his shoulder, snapped out of her daze, quickly withdrew her hand, pursed her lips, and knelt down before him.

"This servant made a mistake; please punish me, Your Highness."

She saw the wound, and a dull pain shot through her chest. Her vision blurred, and she almost collapsed.

These scars are very similar to the ones she left on him before.

After their first time together, having tasted the pleasures of intimacy for the first time, he became interested and would pester her whenever he had the chance, day and night.

In the heat of passion, she couldn't withstand his domineering presence, and unconsciously scratched his shoulder with her fingertips, leaving shallow marks.

He often suffered new wounds on his back and chest from her.

At that moment, their love was at its peak. He held her, who was covered in sweat, and coaxed her gently, his eyes full of doting affection.

Back then, he never said a harsh word to her, and would even deliberately show off his scars to make her blush and her heart race.

The tenderness and affection of the past are now matched by the irony and embarrassment of the present.

The old and new images clashed violently in her mind, causing her face to turn pale, her eyes to instantly turn red, and her chest to ache so much that she could hardly breathe.

"Punishment?"

Yan Chenghui got up and walked straight out of the bath.

He stood in front of her.

She saw water droplets fall along the clean lines of his calves, clinging to his sharply defined ankles, glistening and translucent.

"Raise your head."

He gave the order in a cold voice.

Cen Lingyi trembled all over, buried her head tightly, and refused to look up.

He was naked.

She knew what she would see if she looked up at that moment.

This is not something she should be watching.

"You're upset when I touch other people?"

Yan Chenghui, his long, wet eyelashes drooping, stared expressionlessly at the top of her head, her black hair piled high.

"This servant wouldn't dare."

Cen Lingyi's eyes were terribly sore, but her tone was extremely calm, as if she really didn't care about this matter at all.

"You dare not? Is there anything you dare not do?"

Yan Chenghui sneered.

"This servant is not sad."

Cen Lingyi's fingertips trembled slightly as she held back her tears and tried her best to maintain the obedience expected of a maid.

What a fine "I dare not" and "I have no" they have.

She really didn't care!

No wonder she chose Lu Huaiyou back then and left so decisively.

With a loud crash, Yan Chenghui kicked over the copper basin beside him, spilling water all over the ground.

Cen Lingyi trembled, lowered her head and knelt on the ground without flinching, letting the water flow over and soak her skirt.

"You used to restrain me every day, not allowing me to get close to anyone else. Only after leaving you did I realize that other people are considerate, sensible, gentle and lovely, a hundred times more pleasing than your pretentious and boring self."

Yan Chenghui looked down at her, his chest rising and falling slightly, his tone cold and indifferent, devoid of any emotion.

The words spoken were piercing to the heart, each sentence cutting to the bone.

A sudden realization struck Cen Lingyi, and all color drained from her face. His words felt like sharp blades piercing her chest, causing her excruciating pain.

It turned out that her body couldn't handle it, and her frequent half-hearted attempts to please him were just being coy.

She wouldn't always do whatever he wanted; it was boring.

Now, he has done all the things she refused to do with others, and he still compares them to her.

She knelt on the ground, motionless, feeling as if she had fallen into icy water in the dead of winter, her body stiff and only feeling the biting cold.

"Didn't you say you were willing to serve me?"

"Get up and take it off."

Yan Chenghui parted his lips slightly and gave the order in a cold voice.

In just two short sentences, he inflicted the utmost humiliation.

Cen Lingyi tried to move, but her body seemed to be frozen in place, unable to move an inch.

My heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, each beat bringing forth a fine yet sharp pain.

He had just done the most intimate thing with Madam Sun, and compared her dullness to the gentleness of others.

Not content with treating her like that, he wanted her to undress and serve him with the bodies of other men he had touched, in order to humiliate her.

She knew that he didn't actually want to touch her.

He wanted her to experience the consequences of abandoning him, to admit how boring and worthless she was, and to wantonly crush her last remaining dignity.

He looked down at her coldly, without uttering a word.

While waiting for her to get up, she took off her clothes and went to serve him.

Instead of always indulging her and being considerate as before.

She stood up, but everything in her vision was blurry, and she couldn't make out his figure.

She bit her lip, the stinging pain keeping her conscious.

She slowly raised her hand and reached for her sash.

"Why are you looking so long-faced? I'm here to please you."

Yan Chenghui stared at her deathly pale face.

The words, once spoken, were devoid of warmth or pity, conveying only condescending scrutiny and an unquestionable command.

His words were like a resounding slap across her face.

To him, her sadness and despair were nothing but a disappointment.

Unable to bear such humiliation any longer, she suffered a sudden surge of anger and her mind collapsed.

The blur before her eyes turned into darkness, a lump formed in her throat, and everything went black as she fell straight backward.

"Cen Lingyi!"

With her last shred of consciousness remaining, she saw a figure rushing towards her, followed by a cry of alarm, seemingly coming from a very, very far away place.

"Don't touch me..."

With her last ounce of strength, filled with despair and heartbreak, she whispered three words.

She thought he was dirty.

*

In a daze, Cen Lingyi returned to the Grand Tutor's mansion, which had not yet suffered any misfortune.

Her mother sat in the main house, looking at her with a loving expression.

"mother……"

Overwhelmed with resentment, she threw herself into her mother's arms.

"You silly girl, always stumbling and falling like this, how can I keep going..."

Her mother embraced her, her warm hands resting on her back, patting her gently and tenderly.

Yan Chenghui sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes were dark and his chin was covered with stubble.

"Even in this state, you still have such a temper."

He whispered something and gently patted her back as he put his arm around her.

The wound in his heart throbbed faintly, and he raised his hand to press the scar.

Back then, she not only abandoned him, but also almost took his life.

He had never been as hot-tempered as she was, yet he still allowed her into the Eastern Palace.

"Mother, Lingyi misses you so much..."

Cen Lingyi nestled in his arms, murmuring aggrievedly, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

She was so tired, and her mother's embrace felt so warm.

She wanted to fall asleep like this and never wake up again.

"Mommy will hold you, just have a good sleep..."

Mother's fingertips were warm as she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and smoothed the furrows between her brows.

"Everything will eventually pass. Looking back in a few years, none of this will seem like a big deal..."

Her mother gently gathered her hair and spoke the words she had once taught her.

Cen Lingyi's tense body slowly relaxed, and she was immersed in a reassuring warmth.

"Jiaojiao, be good, drink your medicine."

She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard someone calling her.

The tone was like a mother's, but the voice wasn't.

Her mind was foggy, unable to think or discern anything, so she obediently opened her mouth and drank the medicine.

Then, a sweet taste appeared in my mouth.

My mother fed her honey water; that's how it was when she was little... She always had honey water to drink after taking her medicine...

She fell into a deep sleep again.

After an unknown amount of time, Cen Lingyi slowly opened her eyes as her consciousness returned from the dream.

Before her was a blue canopy. She was momentarily dazed, but then recognized it as a side room of the Mingde Hall.

She shifted slightly, feeling as if something heavy was pressing down on her, a soreness that seemed to seep from her very bones.

Her mouth was filled with a strong, bitter taste of medicine, which made her frown.

"Hmm..."

Beside her, Yan Huaijiao's voice came.

Cen Lingyi turned her head at the sound and saw the little one lying beside her, stretching out his soft white hand to her, babbling as if he wanted to talk to her.

"Your Highness."

Cen Lingyi turned to the side with some difficulty and reached out her hand to him.

"Hmm..."

Yan Huaijiao grabbed one of her fingers, and the little one, whose two tiny teeth had already sprouted, grinned.

Looking at his innocent smiling face, she felt her broken body and soul healed for a moment by the little guy.

Yan Huaijiao grabbed her fingers and put them in his mouth.

"No, why are you so greedy?"

Cen Lingyi's eyes were kind and gentle as she gently stroked his hair.

"Young lady, you're awake? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Lingzhi heard the sound and came in. Seeing that she had her eyes open, she was overjoyed and quickly went up to ask her what was wrong.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

Cen Lingyi smiled at her, her eyebrows curving upwards.

But the smile was weak, making it all the more heartbreaking to see.

"His Highness has summoned the imperial physician to treat you, and he's still here watching over you." Lingzhi's eyes were red-rimmed. "Miss, I think His Highness still cares about you."

Otherwise, why would His Highness have summoned several imperial physicians overnight to examine the young lady's pulse?

Moreover, the girl slept for a day and a night, and His Highness stayed here to guard her for a day and a night without closing his eyes.

It wasn't until the imperial physician came to examine the young lady this morning and said that she should be fine that His Highness, at Yun Que's urging, returned to his inner palace to rest.

"What do you care about?" Cen Lingyi smiled, her gaze falling on Yan Huaijiao's small face: "He's just afraid that if I die, he'll have nowhere to vent his resentment."

Speaking of Yan Chenghui, she recalled his words to Madam Sun by the bathhouse.

A dull ache slowly crept into my heart again.

"No, His Highness is guarding..."

Lingzhi was quick to explain.

"Lingzhi, let's not talk about him anymore."

Cen Lingyi interrupted her.

Right now, she didn't want to hear anything about Yan Chenghui.

I don't even want to mention him.

That would remind her of the humiliations he had inflicted on her before.

"Yes." Lingzhi dared not say anything more, got up and poured a cup of water: "Miss, have some water to soothe your throat."

"What did you feed the young prince?"

Cen Lingyi took the teacup, took a sip, looked at Yan Huaijiao beside her, and asked her softly.

This little one gets fussy if she doesn't see her for a while, and she nurses very frequently.

She had been unconscious for so long, and when she woke up, Yan Huaijiao didn't bother her for milk. She must have been fed by Lingzhi.

"I ate some of the milk squeezed out by those two wet nurses, and also ate rice oil. I just had a few bites of lotus root paste." Lingzhi told her in detail about Yan Huaijiao's diet.

"Your Highness is amazing! You can eat so much by yourself now. Did you get annoyed?"

Cen Lingyi smiled, her fingertips caressing Yan Huai's fair and delicate little hand, feeling an indescribable fondness for this little guy.

He's grown up and no longer completely dependent on her breast milk; he can already eat some things on his own.

"Why doesn't he cry?" Lingzhi said, "He cries and fusses when he can't see you with his eyes open, but he's well-behaved as long as he lies next to you and looks at you."

It's strange, I've never seen a child so attached to its wet nurse.

Even if other people's children are breastfed by wet nurses, they are still closer to their biological mothers.

Perhaps it's fate that the young prince and the young lady are destined to be together; the young prince's affection allows him to protect the young lady within the Eastern Palace.

"Naughty."

Cen Lingyi smiled and gently poked the little guy's tender little face.

Yan Huaijiao grinned at her again.

"Young lady, it's time for your herbal medicine. We've finished decocting it, and it should be lukewarm by now. I'll go get it for you."

As Lingzhi spoke, she got up and started to walk out.

"Wait a moment."

Cen Lingyi called out to her.

"What's wrong, young lady?"

Lingzhi turned to look at her, puzzled.

"Who paid for the consultation and the medicine?"

Cen Lingyi struggled to sit up and leaned against the headboard to ask her.

"It should be recorded in the Crown Prince's account, right?"

Lingzhi thought for a moment and said.

The imperial physician was summoned by the prince through Yun Palace, and the medicine was also obtained by Yun Palace; she hadn't really paid attention to this matter.

"I won't eat it."

Cen Lingyi leaned against the headboard, her tone gentle yet resolute.

She would not spend a single penny of the Crown Prince's money.

"Young lady, you're sick, how can you not take your medicine..."

Lingzhi's eyes widened in surprise and worry.

Cen Lingyi said slowly, "My money is in a box in the corner of my old residence. Take it and ask someone to get me two doses of medicine."

"Young lady, why are you doing this to yourself..."

Lingzhi almost shed tears.

She knew the girl was stubborn, and the imperial physicians all said that the girl's fainting was caused by anger attacking her heart.

His Highness must have said something nasty again, which made the girl so angry that she fainted.

But now that things have come to this, why bother, young lady?

She really hoped the girl wouldn't be so stubborn and would just give in to His Highness, so she could at least suffer less.

"Listen to me."

Cen Lingyi leaned against the headboard and took a deep breath.

She felt as if her whole body was filled with lead, she couldn't muster any strength, and she got tired after just a few words.

"Yes." Lingzhi nodded with tears in her eyes. "By the way, Miss, you are ill and unable to take care of His Highness. I can't manage on my own, so His Highness asked someone to call Banxia to help take care of His Highness."

"Um."

Cen Lingyi lowered her eyes and nodded slightly.

She didn't care about these things.

She only needs to wait for Lu Huaiyou to find clues about the child before she can leave the East Palace.

However, the Second Prince was pressuring her to spy on Yan Chenghui in order to obtain information in exchange for clues about the child.

Perhaps she could try to spread some false information to Lu Huaiyou?

Corridor.

"You won't drink it but you still make me stay up for so long, do you think you're some kind of rich heiress...?"

Banxia muttered discontentedly as she picked up the half-bowl of herbal medicine that was drying by the small stove, intending to pour it further away.

"What are you doing?"

Yan Chenghui's indifferent and clear voice rang out.

Banxia was startled and almost dropped the bowl in her hand.

She quickly composed herself, curtsied, and said with her head bowed, "Your Highness, Nurse Cen refuses to drink this medicine, and I was just about to throw it away."

Her heart was pounding like a drum, wondering if His Highness had heard what she had just said.

"Give it to me."

Yan Chenghui reached out his hand to her.

Banxia quickly stepped forward and respectfully presented the bowl of medicine with both hands.

Yan Chenghui took the bowl and walked straight to the side room without saying a word.

Banxia dared to raise her head at this moment, looking at his tall and upright figure. Even his back view exuded a kind of domineering aura and his usual solemnity.

She stared at it for a long time, unable to come back to her senses.