Chapter 352: Now, Immediately, Get in Here
Tao Wanxin had become drowsy since her pregnancy, and was usually ready for bed not long after dusk.
She had just blown out the lamp and closed her eyes when she heard a rustling sound at the door.
Tao Wanxin feigned sleep. Hearing the deliberately softened footsteps, her eyelashes twitched.
For countless days and nights, she had longed for him to visit. So, the moment he stepped into the inner chamber, she knew who had come to Jinmo Residence just from the sound of his footsteps.
The sound of breathing came from just outside her bed curtains, followed by the soft clinking of the beaded screen being lifted.
Beneath the quilt, Tao Wanxin’s hands nervously clutched the sheets.
A warm palm cupped her face.
Zhao Minghong’s thumb gently caressed her cheek. Tao Wanxin’s fingers gradually relaxed, and she began to feel drowsy again.
As she drifted off, she heard his voice, so low it sounded like a sigh.
"Wanyin... what am I to do?"
His tone was filled with regret and anguish.
Zhao Minghong’s gaze was profound. He had no intention of telling her the truth about Su Fengyue’s case, not wanting her to recall the painful, humiliating events of the past.
Yet, by a strange twist of fate, this very issue had caused a misunderstanding between them that had lasted for years.
Zhao Minghong’s breathing quickened as he cursed his own impulsiveness and callousness.
A shattered mirror can’t be made whole again. They could never go back to the way things were, back to when they were newlyweds.
With her eyes still closed, Tao Wanxin’s mind was on something else entirely.
’The sensation of his hand on my face feels like a warm electric current running through my skin.’ The baby in her womb seemed to sense it too, and shifted slightly.
Tao Wanxin let out a soft, short hum, and Zhao Minghong immediately snatched his hand back.
In the darkness, he guiltily rubbed his neck, then waved a hand in front of her eyes.
Tao Wanxin didn’t know what Prince Yong had meant just now. ’What am I to do? Is it about some trouble with his official duties?’ But one thing was certain—he was in distress.
The pitch-black night, the soft bedding, and Prince Yong’s gentle touch just now made Tao Wanxin yearn for the dry warmth of his hand.
A hand reached out and took his. All five of Zhao Minghong’s fingers went stiff.
’She found out!’
Tao Wanxin had intended to use the grip on his hand to sit up, but with a tug of her right hand, she unexpectedly pulled Prince Yong down onto the bed.
He nearly crashed right on top of her.
Her heart still pounding, Tao Wanxin patted her chest and shifted toward the inside of the bed, making a large space for him.
She sat propped up against the far side of the large bed, a look of bewilderment on her face. ’Have I gotten too heavy during my pregnancy?’
’Or... is Prince Yong that weak?’
Zhao Minghong’s expression flickered between dark and pale. Fortunately, the room was unlit, so she couldn’t see a thing.
His voice was laced with indignant shame as he blurted out, "You dare pull a man into your bed without even seeing who he is?"
The moment the words were out, Zhao Minghong wanted to slap himself.
Tao Wanxin gave him a strange look. She could only make out his silhouette as she said, "Of course I knew it was you, Prince."
Zhao Minghong drew a sharp breath, his chest tightening with frustration.
The two were on opposite sides of the bed, but fortunately, he was tall and had long arms. He rolled onto his side and managed to grab her hand.
Tao Wanxin felt her wrist being gripped and pulled toward him as warm breath tickled her palm.
SLAP!
The sound was crisp and clear. He hadn’t held back.
Tao Wanxin’s eyes flew wide with shock, her palm stinging fiercely.
’Never mind my hand, what about the person who was hit? His face must be bright red.’
"Prince, you... you..." Tao Wanxin was at a loss for words.
Zhao Minghong didn’t let go. He pulled her wrist again, guiding her hand toward his own mouth.
"From now on, if I ever say such wretched things again, you hit me. Alright?"
This time, Tao Wanxin was prepared. She pulled her hand back sharply, so it only landed gently on his chin.
In the darkness, Zhao Minghong’s eyes were startlingly bright as he said, "Wanyin, don’t hold back."
"It’s not that..."
"Not what?"
Tao Wanxin said softly, "Even if you don’t mind the pain, Prince, my palm still hurts."
Zhao Minghong paused, then pressed her hand firmly against his face, his lips landing right in her palm.
"Does it hurt? Let me soothe it for my Princess Consort."
Aside from the hand he held captive, Tao Wanxin’s whole body was trembling faintly.
’Who soothes a sore hand with their lips?’
The words Ji Qingwu had said during the day surfaced in Tao Wanxin’s mind, and a wave of heat washed over her.
Tao Wanxin suddenly snatched her hand back. A flicker of bewilderment crossed Zhao Minghong’s face. ’I wasn’t finished soothing it.’
She asked, "Did you come straight here after you returned, Prince?"
Zhao Minghong nodded and grunted in affirmation.
Tao Wanxin said, "It’s late, Prince. You should go bathe and rest for the night."
Zhao Minghong said, "I want to stay with you a little longer. No, that’s not right. I want you to stay with me a little longer."
Tao Wanxin said, "But I’m ready to sleep."
Zhao Minghong reluctantly sat up. The curtains blocked all the moonlight, so no one could see the dejected look on his face.
He got out of bed, looking back with every step, unwilling to leave.
Tao Wanxin’s fingers gripped the edge of the quilt tightly as she tracked Prince Yong’s position by the sound of his footsteps.
It took Zhao Minghong an eternity to finally reach the door.
A soft female voice drifted clearly to his ears from the inner chamber.
"There’s still hot water in the bathing chamber at Jinmo Residence."
The moment she finished speaking, Tao Wanxin heard a loud THUD.
’Did he trip?’
She sat up, parted the bed curtains, and peered toward the door, but couldn’t see a thing.
Zhao Minghong leaped up from the floor, kicked the threshold, and turned with a goofy grin toward the bathing chamber on the west side.
Zhao Minghong couldn’t tell if the water in Jinmo Residence was hot or not. His entire body was already burning up; even a soak in ice water couldn’t have extinguished the heat he felt.
Ice water couldn’t quench it, but a sudden imperial edict from the palace did.
It was Eunuch Little Dongzi from the imperial court, come to deliver a decree.
The lamps in Jinmo Residence were lit, revealing Prince Yong’s dangerously dark expression.
Little Dongzi glanced at Prince Yong’s face, took a breath, and said, "Prince, this servant is here to relay His Majesty’s verbal command. He requests that you come to the palace to report on the trial of Su Fengyue."
Zhao Minghong asked, "Does it have to be tonight?"
Little Dongzi replied, "Right now. Immediately." He added in a low voice, "His Majesty is furious. I urge you not to delay, Prince."
Tao Wanxin, having changed her clothes, came out as well. Overhearing their conversation, she walked to Prince Yong’s side and said softly, "You should hurry, Prince."
Zhao Minghong’s gaze was fixed on her face. With an outsider present, he gave a soft cough and hinted, "Then, about what we agreed to..."
Tao Wanxin replied, "We’ll wait until you return, Prince."
Zhao Minghong left in high spirits. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought he was on his way to the palace to receive a reward.
Only when he reached the gates of the Diligent Governance Hall did Prince Yong realize Little Dongzi hadn’t been exaggerating.
He could feel Emperor Wu Su’s fury before he even set foot inside the hall.
Li Yuzong stood at the hall entrance, hardly daring to breathe. When he saw Prince Yong, his face was a mask of misery.
Zhao Minghong’s scalp prickled. "How angry is my Imperial Brother?"
Li Yuzong pressed his lips together and shook his head grimly.
"Get in here!"