Volume One, Chapter Five: Your Highness, You Must Strive to Unite with the Prince!

Nanny Qin, standing to the side, lowered her head but perked up her ears. This was the first person in all these years to talk back to their Prince! She was truly worthy of being the Princess!

Xie Liwei let out a mocking sneer. "You think that just because you married into the Prince’s manor, you are truly my Princess? You are not even worthy!"

He looked at her with eyes full of scorn, as if such humiliation would be enough to make her retreat in the face of difficulty.

The next moment, Song Yaozhu lunged in front of him and reached out to cover his mouth with her hand.

"Pah, pah, pah! Our marriage was decreed by the Emperor himself. It is one thing for you to be dissatisfied with me, but if word of this gets out, people might think you have a grievance against the Emperor!"

The woman’s subtle fragrance wafted to the tip of his nose. He normally loathed the touch of others, yet his body did not reject her proximity; otherwise, the moment she had approached, he would have struck her away with a single blow.

Xie Liwei looked down at her. Her eyes sparkled with a triumphant glint, as if she were confident she could handle him. Where this confidence came from, Xie Liwei did not know, but a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: *I cannot lose.*

And so, before she could pull her hand away, he wrapped his arm around her slender waist and leaned down to meet her gaze. Sure enough, the triumph in the woman’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by panic and confusion.

"Princess, are you throwing yourself into my arms?"

The man’s low, husky voice unsettled Song Yaozhu. She suddenly realized that the Xie Liwei before her was no longer a child, but a mature and aggressive man. His arms were no longer the slender limbs of his teenage years; they were now imbued with a hard, powerful strength. The waist he held with one hand couldn't help but soften, and her heart leaped into her throat.

Song Yaozhu forced a smile, cursing inwardly: *You brat, you don't learn the good things, only the bad! Where is my big, fragrant, soft little brother of the past?*

But on the surface, she would never admit defeat!

Song Yaozhu placed both hands against Xie Liwei’s chest. It looked like a coy gesture of affection, but in reality, it was to quietly put some distance between them.

"Your Highness, so many people are watching!" she said with a feigned, coquettish pout. This was the most affected, pretentious performance she could muster, and she was certain it would make Xie Liwei lose all interest in her!

Just as she was confident she had disgusted him, Xie Liwei released his hold on her waist and whispered, "Then we shall wait until tonight, when it is just the Princess and me."

Song Yaozhu was so frightened by his words that she took two steps back. What was he joking about!

Seeing Song Yaozhu’s flustered appearance, Xie Liwei was satisfied. A mocking curve appeared on his lips: "What, is the Princess disgusted by me?"

"No, no, no! Your concubine is just shy, shy!" *I have to think of a way to avoid sharing a bed!*

Xie Liwei snorted coldly and flicked his sleeves as he walked away.

***

Nanny Qin cautiously approached Song Yaozhu. "Princess, you must work harder!"

Song Yaozhu looked at her, bewildered. Work harder at what?

"Our Prince is hard-mouthed but soft-hearted. Look, he didn't even scold you for touching the things in his room—that means he has you in his heart! Why don't you take this opportunity to consummate the marriage? Once you bear a little heir, the Prince’s heart will be firmly in your grasp!"

Song Yaozhu was struck dumb by her words and could only manage a dry laugh. "Hehehe..."

Which eye did she see Xie Liwei having her in his heart? She clearly saw the words "overestimating one's own capabilities" written all over him!

Thinking back, Xie Liwei’s actions just now were merely testing her bottom line. She had been too careless and had exposed her weakness. Song Yaozhu slapped her own forehead, filled with regret. *How did Xie Liwei become so skilled at putting on a show? It’s all my fault for being so unguarded around him. Sigh...*

Xie Liwei left the Listening Snow Courtyard and returned to his study. Inside, there was a hidden compartment; pushing aside the bookshelf in front of it revealed a niche. Hanging inside was a painting of a girl chasing butterflies.

Xie Liwei had painted this himself before Xie Wanqing’s marriage. The girl in the painting was charming, lively, and adorable. But looking at it now, Song Yaozhu’s face kept inappropriately surfacing in his mind.

A sense of shame, as if he had betrayed his elder sister, swept over him. He was actually searching for his sister's shadow in a woman like her! Aside from a slight resemblance, how could she ever compare to his sister?

Xie Liwei hated himself. He punched the stone wall, leaving streaks of blood behind, but that could not soothe the guilt in his heart. Thinking of how he had voluntarily hugged Song Yaozhu, he plunged his hands into a basin of water and washed them repeatedly. The water turned red with blood, yet he still felt he hadn't cleaned them enough.

To him, his sister was not just a sister; she was the unattainable luxury of his entire life.

When he was three, his father, the Prince of Qin, opened the city gates to protect his people, knowing full well he would die. He had entrusted his son to his close friend, Xie Lü—his sister's father. Xie Lü had registered the boy under his own name, telling the Xie clan that this was a son born to him during his travels. Xie Lü had lost his wife early and had only one daughter, Xie Wanqing, so the clan members didn't say much when they saw he had a son. Yet, his peers would constantly slander and bully him for being a "bastard."

His identity could not be spoken of, but his sister never resented him for the sudden appearance of a younger brother. On the contrary, she took great care of him.

With Xie Lü away on his travels year-round, he was naturally raised by his sister. Xie Wanqing taught him his lessons, taught him how to be a person, and taught him the meaning of the Way.

When Xie Wanqing was fourteen, she met Yuwen Wuji. From that day on, her gaze shifted from him to another man.

Xie Liwei’s feelings for Xie Wanqing were chaotic; he could not distinguish whether they were feelings of sibling love or romantic adoration. He could not voice his selfish desires and had to imprison them within his heart. Even after his sister died, those feelings continued to torment him, leaving him restless and unable to sleep.

He wanted to join his sister; how lonely she must be, lying all alone in the Xie family ancestral tomb. But before that, he had to uncover the truth behind her death and make Yuwen Wuji pay with his life!

Outside the study, Song Yaozhu paced by the courtyard gate, carrying a bowl of peanut sweet soup. Whenever they had fought in the past, she would brew a pot of sweet soup to coax him into a good mood. But since they hadn't actually fought this time, she felt a bit embarrassed. Still, remembering Nanny Qin’s constant urging, she made the trip.

Just as she was hesitating, she saw a page boy walk out carrying a basin of bloody water. Her heart skipped a beat. "Is the Prince injured?"

The page boy looked flustered and stammered, "The Prince... just grazed his hand a little..."

Song Yaozhu didn't believe for a second that a mere graze could produce so much blood. Without further hesitation, she stormed into the study.

Inside, Xie Liwei was sitting and reading. Seeing Song Yaozhu march in aggressively and slam the tray onto the table with a clatter, he looked up.

"Show me your hand!" she commanded, her tone firm and brook-no-argument.

Xie Liwei did not want to see this woman right now. "Get out!" he said coldly.

To his surprise, Song Yaozhu was not intimidated. Instead of leaving, she crossed the table to stand before him and reached out to grab his wrist.

Xie Liwei instinctively pulled back. Song Yaozhu missed, but tried again. Xie Liwei dodged several times, but she kept coming. Enraged, she slapped him on the shoulder and shouted, "Are you being childish or what!"