CHAPTER 265: CHAPTER 263: ARE YOU DELIBERATELY PLAYING WITH ME?

Lu Ying couldn’t resist reaching out, using his fingertip to pinch her small braid.

Shen Yinning turned her head away, her braid delicate and smooth, slipping through the man’s fingers like a fishtail.

She was slightly annoyed, "You refuse to agree with me?"

Lu Ying rubbed his fingertips thoughtfully. "You know well enough that I’m not that kind of person."

Shen Yinning retorted sharply, "You say it so convincingly, but I think you’re just reluctant to let go of Shen Yunxi, aren’t you?"

This was exactly the source of her anger.

During their trip to Shengguo Temple, Lu Ying had treated her with such tenderness and patience, even breaking the temple’s rules for her. She began to suspect that Lu Ying was merely using Shen Yunxi to deliberately provoke her, to make her jealous. Yet, what did he do afterward? He turned around and sent her straight onto Lu Shiyan’s boat!

Shen Zhaozhao could have any kind of man she wanted, yet she fell so hard for Lu Ying!

Her dignity, her pride, her feelings—he had crushed them all to pieces!

She could lose to any woman in the world, but she could never accept losing to someone as foolish as Shen Yunxi!

Shen Yinning glared venomously at him, grabbed the food box, and stormed out.

Standing at the doorway, she gave a cold command to the guards standing watch: "From now on, no one is allowed to bring food to the Crown Prince!"

She wanted to see for herself whether Shen Yunxi mattered more to him or his own life!

The girl’s spoiled and willful voice pierced through the door, landing in Lu Ying’s ears.

The man rubbed his temples.

He couldn’t figure out how he had ended up entangled with such a vixen.

Shen Yinning returned to the Zhaoyue Pavilion and buried herself in the study.

She imitated Lu Ying’s handwriting and wrote a letter to Shen Yunxi, asking her and Shen Xinghan to come to Lin’an City in person.

She then retrieved a jade pendant from a small box and carefully pressed it onto the letter.

This jade pendant was tied to her wrist by Lu Ying before she came to Lin’an, a token of the Crown Prince. Upon seeing it, neither Shen Yunxi nor Shen Xinghan would suspect her intentions.

However...

Her eyes fixed on the writing on the rice paper.

She could perfectly mimic Shen Xinglei’s handwriting, but she could never replicate Lu Ying’s style with complete authenticity.

Lu Ying’s calligraphy was uniquely his own—righteous and upright like the bright moon in the sky, strong and orderly like a pine tree on the cliff. It was an entirely different style from hers. She could imitate its form, but not its soul and elegance. Fooling Shen Yunxi would be easy, but there was no way Shen Xinghan would fall for it.

Frustrated, Shen Yinning crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it aside casually.

Unable to sleep well all night, she picked up a food box the next evening and personally made her way to Ciyin Temple.

Lu Ying hadn’t eaten all day, taking only sips of water.

When she entered, he was leaning by the window, reading a Buddhist scripture. His long, slender fingers contrasted against his chiseled features. The shimmering light on Qianyou Lake reflected off his silhouette, outlining a cold and somber profile in the sunset. His refined and aloof elegance was mesmerizing.

Shen Yinning closed the door behind her. "Have you thought it through?"

Lu Ying put down the scripture. "Thought through what?"

Shen Yinning pursed her lips, "It seems you’re really not interested in eating anything."

Lu Ying stroked the scripture, seriously looking at the girl stepping into the room.

Today, she hadn’t braided her hair but instead styled it into a high cloud bun, adorned with two golden jade hairpins and fresh pale pink roses tucked at her temples. Her smooth, fair forehead and neckline were exposed, and she wore a narrow-sleeved short jacket in light yellow. She radiated youthful charm, blended with the springlike spirit of Jiangnan.

Shen Yinning placed the food box on the table, tapping her finger against the tabletop as if weighing her options on what to do with him.

After a long while, her eyes settled on his left arm.

A flash of malice danced in her phoenix-like eyes as she suddenly pressed a hidden mechanism on the wall.

With a thunderous crash, the rollers on the ceiling activated, and the mystic iron chains that had bound Lu Ying’s hands and feet rattled sharply.

In no time, the chains tightened, forcing Lu Ying into a spread-eagle position against the wall.

Shen Yinning approached him, "I’ve always been curious about the kind of poisonous insects Your Highness has planted in yourself. Today, I can finally find out."

Lu Ying warned, "Shen Yinning."

Shen Yinning acted like she hadn’t heard him. Confident he couldn’t break free from the iron chains, she swiftly rolled up his sleeve.

Unwinding layer upon layer of white gauze, she revealed his muscular arm, which was riddled with a maze of old and new scars—dozens of them crisscrossing his skin!

She was astonished. "You planted dozens of poisonous insects in yourself? Are you insane?"

Lu Ying took a deep breath and did not reply.

Shen Yinning’s curiosity deepened. "You’re not sick or injured, so why mess with such sinister things? I’ve been researching ancient books recently and heard that some poisonous insects can enhance physical capabilities. Could it be that you’re pursuing a stronger body? Or perhaps you think the martial arts of the Central Plains aren’t enough for you, and you want to study Miaojiang witchcraft to gain a power that strikes terror into others?"

Lu Ying lowered his gaze, avoiding her eyes, his voice chillingly cold. "None of your concern."

"However," Shen Yinning continued, unfazed by his lack of cooperation, "I don’t think you’re the type to pursue overwhelming strength by resorting to forbidden methods. Lu Ying, how many secrets are you hiding?"

Faced with her probing, curious gaze, Lu Ying repeated, "None of your concern."

Shen Yinning chuckled lightly.

Admiring his restrained posture, she suddenly lifted her slender finger.

Her delicate fingertip landed on his chest, drawing slow, teasing circles. "Truth be told, you’re the most compatible with me when it comes to intimacy... That day, when it rained over Qianyou Lake, I thoroughly enjoyed spending that indulgent afternoon with you on the pleasure boat..."

Her gaze dropped from Lu Ying’s eyes to his thin lips.

Rising on tiptoe, she kissed his lips.

Lip to lip, one warm, the other cool.

Her soft palm rested on his broad shoulder as she tilted her head slightly, her crimson lips parting, indulging in a wanton exploration. Their breaths melded together, like fiery roses colliding with icy mint leaves, creating an intoxicating blend on this spring evening.

Her kissing was expert.

Lu Ying lowered his long lashes.

Bound by the iron chains restricting his hands and feet, he could only let her do as she pleased with his lips.

Her breath lingered just inches from him, her faintly powdered cheeks exuding a floral fragrance, mingling with her warm exhalations, wrapping around him in delicate threads.

Gradually, she ignited something within him, drawing him into taking the initiative to explore her lips and tongue.

Just as his breathing became heavier, Shen Yinning suddenly withdrew, leaving only half an inch between them.

Her alabaster-like fingertips slid along his neck and down, tracing over his throbbing Adam’s apple before traveling downward.

She glanced mischievously at the slight bulge of his intricately embroidered robe, then shifted her gaze back to his face.

His ears were tinged red, his thin lips were flushed and moist, and his usually cold and dark eyes were now clouded with lingering desire and heat. A few strands of his disheveled hair fell over his forehead, his collar slightly undone. Bound high by chains, his hands and feet only added a layer of restrained sexuality to his appearance.

A prisoner in his own plight.

She curved her lips, her voice soft yet mocking. "The Crown Prince, as radiant as the moon on the mountain and as pure as snow on the peak—who would have thought you’d ever look so disheveled and out of control..."

Lu Ying lifted his lashes, his usually composed and noble visage displaying no ripple beyond the desire in his eyes. "Did you deliberately toy with me?"

Shen Yinning leaned close to his ear, lowering her voice to a flirtatious whisper. "I enjoy toying with Your Highness. I’ll come again tomorrow."

With that, she left the room with a sly smile—

Only to hear a soft "click" behind her.

She turned back.

Outside the window, the setting sun danced over the far end of Qianyou Lake.

At some point, Lu Ying had undone the shackles on his wrists.

The raven-colored imperial robe draped shadows across the room, like a dark deity unfurling black wings, engulfing the entire Buddhist tower.

As the sun sank into the lake, the black night swallowed the expanse of Liang Garden.

Lu Ying’s face was obscured by the night, his hands languidly massaging the bruises on his wrist. "Toying with me, enjoying my disheveled state—does it amuse you?"