Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Wushuang stood frozen in place, gazing in the direction he had left, her heart filled with unease. She felt that the command he had just given her was more disorienting than any military order she had ever received before.

Before long, the servants brought in clean hot water again, and steam filled the bath room once more. Then, another maid brought in a set of plain white satin nightgowns.

"The young master instructed his servants to help Miss Wushuang bathe and change her clothes."

Wushuang was used to being alone, and had never had anyone serve her so closely before.

"You can go out now, I can do it myself."

The maid put down the nightgown, quietly retreated, and closed the door behind her.

She was left alone in the bath room, surrounded by steam and warmth, but she couldn't relax at all. Her fingertips traced the soft nightgown, and the thought of dying in the bridal chamber as a concubine made her panic.

After dawdling through her bath, Wushuang wore a plain white nightgown. The smooth fabric clung to her skin, subtly outlining her graceful figure. Her simple and unadorned appearance only enhanced her ethereal beauty.

She hesitated for a long time in front of Ling Heng's room, wrapped in a cloak, before belatedly realizing that Linfeng Courtyard had not arranged a room for her. She had no choice but to take a deep breath and push open the door.

The room was eerily quiet; even the crackling of the burning candlelight was exceptionally clear.

"come over."

A deep voice came from the bedside in the inner room. Wushuang's heart tightened. She looked up and saw the prince leaning against the bed, holding a book in his hand. The candlelight reflected on his handsome profile, which trembled slightly.

She calmed her flustered mind, lifted her foot and walked over, all the composure she had cultivated in her daily life had vanished.

As she approached the bedside, Ling Heng suddenly closed his book, and his warm, strong hand gripped her wrist. With a slight pull, he drew her over and made her sit on his lap.

"Shi...Shizi?!"

Wushuang cried out in surprise, her blood seemed to freeze instantly, and she was held in his arms, her back began to tingle.

She had braved countless battles, killing and capturing enemies without the slightest fear, but she was terrified of such an intimate relationship with a man.

Her body stiffened, and she instinctively wanted to get up, but reason held her back. The person in front of her was Ling Heng, and she could not resist.

Ling Heng seemed oblivious to her panic, steadily holding her slender waist with one hand and slowly untying the cloak ribbons on her chest with the other.

He looked down at her, his eyes deep and dark, calm and undisturbed, devoid of any desire.

Wushuang's mind raced, and she instantly realized that the prince was teaching her how to adapt to the role of a concubine.

She slowly adjusted her disordered breathing, trying to relax her tense body, but before she could completely calm down, Ling Heng suddenly touched her cheek and leaned down to press down on her.

A warm breath suddenly enveloped her, and she trembled all over, her eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably, and she finally froze completely.

Through the thin fabric of her nightgown, his palm was warming her lower back. In a moment of haste, Wushuang suddenly reached out and frantically pressed her hand against his chest.

"Shi...Crown Prince?"

She wanted to ask, "Didn't we agree it was just an act?" But the words caught in her throat, and she swallowed them back, staring at him with wide, frightened eyes.

At this moment, Ling Heng suddenly chuckled softly, the chuckle was very shallow, only the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, and the bottomless calm in his eyes remained.

He didn't back away, nor did he remove her hand; he simply let her palm rest on his chest.

"You've been gone for a year. Today, let me, the young master, test whether your close combat skills have declined."

His words carried a hint of nonchalant playfulness, and as he spoke, his warm breath enveloped her temples, sending a shiver of tingling sensation through her.

Then, Ling Heng's aura suddenly subsided, and the ambiguous and oppressive feeling from before instantly transformed into a cold and sharp probing.

He suddenly leaned backward, grabbed her wrist with one hand, and pulled her along, causing her to stumble and fall into his arms. Their knees touched and their bodies intertwined.

Wu Shuang let out a low gasp and slashed back, but her fingertips only grazed the fabric of his shoulder. Ling Heng dodged to the side, and with his other hand, he loosely placed his hand behind her waist. It seemed light and casual, but in fact, it precisely blocked her escape route.

Wushuang gritted his teeth and bent his waist, trying to break free from the restraint. His nightgown sleeve slipped down, revealing a slender forearm. His movements were fierce, but he easily neutralized them.

Ling Heng wore a loose-fitting nightgown, the belt at his waist already askew from being pulled, his dark hair falling over his shoulders, yet his movements remained nimble. Wu Shuang wore a plain white nightgown that clung to her body, her long hair also disheveled. Her hands, once accustomed to wielding weapons, were now left empty-handed, each dodge punctuated by hurried tension.

The two were very close, and in the midst of their struggle, pillows were swept off the bed and porcelain cups on the small table beside the bed made a dull thud as they clinked together. Accompanied by occasional groans and the sound of clothes rustling through the air, the sounds were particularly clear in the quiet night. To those outside, it sounded like the most enchanting and passionate entanglement.

The candlelight flickered on the table, casting two overlapping and swaying shadows on the window.

The maidservants standing guard outside were already blushing and embarrassed, and they lowered their heads, not daring to listen any longer. Even Qingyun, if he didn't know the inside story, would probably have believed it to be true.

Inside the room, Wushuang was eventually pinned to the edge of the bed by Ling Heng, her back pressed against the soft bedding, her breathing slightly disordered.

Ling Heng leaned closer, one hand bracing against her side, the other gripping her wrists. The two were so close their noses touched, their breaths mingling, showing no signs of fighting, but rather a tender moment of passion.

For a moment, only the two of them were breathing heavily inside the room, while outside, all eyes were filled with fantasies. No one knew that the close-quarters combat just now had been covered up by the sounds of intimacy in the room.

"It seems that without my supervision, you have regressed quite a bit this year."

Ling Heng had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes remained fixed on his prey, without wavering.

Unable to break free from his grip on her wrist, Wushuang could only frown and remain silent. He was already on par with her in skill, while she was skilled with a sword and, unarmed, was at a disadvantage against a man's natural strength.

Ling Heng lowered his eyes, looking at her slightly flushed cheeks. His gaze suddenly stopped, and he abruptly turned his face away from the softness beneath him. He unconsciously loosened his grip on her hand, then rolled over and lay back on the inside of the bed.

"Your Highness..."

Wushuang turned her head and looked at him in confusion. The man who had just been firmly holding her back suddenly lost his aura, raised his hand to his forehead, and concealed the emotions in his eyes.

"It's late, go to sleep."

"Yes."

She was about to get up and go to the couch to rest when her wrist was suddenly grabbed and she couldn't move. She turned around in surprise and met his deep gaze.

"Sleep here."

He spoke calmly, paused for a moment, and then added:

"You need to get used to this identity as soon as possible."