CHAPTER 359: CHAPTER 357: BROTHER LU YING IS MINE AND MINE ALONE

Bright red blood spurted out from the severed finger!

Shen Yunxi let out a heart-wrenching scream, clutching her wound and curling up on the ground, her whole body twisted in agony like a pretzel!

Her body convulsed and twitched, the excruciating pain pierced through her being, and finally, her eyes rolled back as she fainted completely!

Shen Xinya’s face was also splattered with blood droplets.

She covered her mouth, incredulous: "Cous... Cousin... You’re a lady of noble standing, how can you... how can you be so crude and vicious? Eldest sister merely said a few more words to you, we are sisters of the same blood, how could you be so ruthless? Everyone says sisterly bonds are deep, how can you turn against each other for a man?"

Shen Yinning smiled faintly: "Shen Xinya, you’ve been bullied by Shen Yunxi for so many years, seeing her in such a miserable state today, you must be thrilled in your heart, right? Why pretend to be so innocent here?"

Shen Xinya’s face went pale: "Cousin, I don’t understand what you’re saying."

"If you truly cared about Shen Yunxi, you should be holding her and crying right now, begging someone to fetch the Imperial Physician, not standing on the side making sarcastic remarks." Shen Yinning sheathed her sword, "You can’t even act well, no wonder you’ve been bullied by a fool like Shen Yunxi for so many years."

Shen Xinya was speechless.

Shen Yinning turned to Lu Ying: "If you go for the Imperial Physician now, perhaps it’s still in time to reattach those fingers for her. Lu Ying, do you want to fetch the Imperial Physician for her?"

Lu Ying looked at her.

He remembered that when Shen Yinning was young, despite being spoiled and domineering, she was not cruel, always having the innocence of a little girl, fearing the sight of blood, even covering her eyes when she saw women killing chickens by the river during outings.

But now, she had cut off three of her cousin’s fingers herself and managed to remain composed.

Last spring, Shen Yinning returned from Gan State to the Capital.

He had kept her hidden away, wanting her as his Forbidden Fruit.

But he forgot she had been away from the Capital for three years.

What had she experienced in those three years? He only knew from her letters.

But, what if she lied in those letters?

He knew nothing at all about her three years away.

Lu Ying said: "Terms."

Shen Yinning walked up to him, gently pinched his chin, and after a moment’s scrutiny, she smiled: "I want you to enter the Commandery Princess Mansion and be my Forbidden Fruit."

The garden was silent.

Gui Quan and De Sun were so shocked they didn’t dare to breathe.

What did they just hear?!

Princess Zhaoning actually demanded their Crown Prince be her Forbidden Fruit?!

What an utter humiliation!

Does she not want her life!

Princess Zhaoning was as beautiful as a flower, yet her behavior resembled that of a book’s wicked villain forcibly seizing a maiden!

Bai Ling and the rest of the Eastern Palace Guards held their breath, staring incredulously at Shen Yinning.

The summer sun shone glaringly white, piercing through the branches of the pomegranate tree onto Shen Yinning’s face, her skin as white as jade, the Haitang flower by her temple vibrant and dewy, and her slender hand that grasped Lu Ying’s chin wore a light pink satin ring adorned with pearls and peonies.

The girl was arrogant, insufferable.

From the fallen daughter of sinful ministers to her current position as Princess Zhaoning, she indeed had the credentials and capital to be arrogant.

Lu Ying’s brows furrowed lightly: "Shen Yinning."

"Unwilling?" Shen Yinning raised a brow slightly, "I can afford to wait, but I’m afraid Shen Yunxi may not be able to. She’s devoted to you, how can you bear to let that little girl remain with only seven fingers from now on?"

Shen Xinya urgently said: "Your Highness, Shen Yinning is saying this to humiliate you, don’t fall for her tricks! If Eldest Sister were awake, she certainly wouldn’t want you to lower yourself to her!"

Shen Yinning ignored her, patiently waiting for Lu Ying’s decision.

As she expected, after a moment, Lu Ying said: "I agree to your terms."

Shen Yinning smirked lightly.

She didn’t believe Lu Ying agreed because he sympathized with or liked Shen Yunxi.

He just felt a sense of responsibility towards Shen Yunxi.

That’s just the kind of person he was.

Lu Yu didn’t care about Lu Ying’s life or death, so with Lu Zhengliu’s secret help, Shen Yinning easily took Lu Ying out of the Cold Palace, imprisoning him in one of the pavilions in the Shen Garden.

The court officials were completely unaware, except for Gui Quan and a few insiders, who thought the deposed Crown Prince was still in the Cold Palace.

It rained tonight.

After her bath, Shen Yinning came to the pavilion bedchamber.

Hundreds of golden candlelights illuminated the room brightly.

Shen Yinning drew aside the dark red embroidered silk curtains, Lu Ying’s wrists, ankles bound with iron clasps, even his neck in an iron ring, the chains firmly embedded in the walls, allowing him to move only within the bounds of the canopy bed.

The youth had hair like smooth satin, his black tunic open, exposing defined pectoral muscles and abs, his narrow waist with enticing lines, lower body covered only in silk cloth, his slightly parted long legs provoked unrestrained imaginations.

Shen Yinning kicked off her embroidered shoes, swept her hair to one side, and nonchalantly climbed onto the bed.

She glanced at Lu Ying.

In the half-lit bedchamber, the outlines of the man’s excellent bone structure were traced in light and shadow, the bridge of his nose high and straight, jaw angles distinct, his narrow eyes and light lips reflecting alluring lustrous hues under the candlelight, the chains wrapped around his body adding to the chaste sexiness.

Shen Yinning’s palm rested on his pectoral muscle: "Lu Ying-ge is handsome, no wonder so many young girls fancy you—but from now on, Lu Ying-ge belongs to me alone."

She wore no makeup, her brows and eyes smiling.

After swapping roles with Lu Ying, she realized the joy of having someone she adored all to herself—it’s no wonder men in this world loved polygamy yet forbade their wives and concubines from having affairs.

Lu Ying said: "Shen Yunxi’s wound—"

"Shut up." Shen Yinning extended an index finger, pressing it dominantly against his lips, "From now on, you’re not allowed to mention other women in front of me, understood?"

The girl had just bathed, her finger carried a faint hint of flower-scented powder.

Lu Ying’s eyes were profound.

Since he came to power, it had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to him like this.

Shen Yinning was pleased with his obedient demeanor: "I’ve already dispatched the Imperial Physician to reattach Shen Yunxi’s fingers, whether it succeeds depends on her luck. For now, we have more important matters to attend to."

The girl was delicate and light-footed, naturally seductive.

Lu Ying’s eyes grew even deeper and darker.

Shen Yinning noticed his reaction, gave him a meaningful glance: "Saying with your mouth you won’t like me anymore, yet your body’s reaction is very honest."

Lu Ying’s brows knitted tightly, his fists clenched unnaturally.

He didn’t know why he reacted this way.

He had never been lustful, when Shen Yinning was in Gan State for those three years, he could count the number of times he had engaged with Eastern Palace concubines on one hand, yet her return...

Staying away was fine, but whenever he got close to her on the bed, his body was uncontrollable, every inch of him clamoring with desire.

"Princess."

Suddenly, Haitang knocked on the door from outside: "Master Cui wishes to see you!"