PNB Chapter 206 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (110)
Chapter 206 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (110)
The group followed her gaze and saw a group of girls gathered together.
One of them was painted by Lu Yu.
Lu Yuhua keenly noticed Lu Liruan's gaze and shrank back behind her.
Judging from her expression, Lu Liruan knew that she had been paying attention to her the whole time. Based on her years of understanding of the sisters, Lu Liruan didn't even need to guess; she knew exactly what she was talking about.
Something without a brain.
After spending a lot of time with Ji Shumin, Lu Liruan realized that she had become more and more critical in her speech. Sometimes, however, making harsh judgments about people or things made her feel very comfortable.
Basically, since losing their manners, their overall mental state has improved a lot.
Originally, Lu Liruan was not a person who spoke harshly, but later she would sometimes inadvertently say something mean and sarcastic, and Ji Shumin would click his tongue in disapproval.
There was even a hint of smugness in her voice: "Li Ruan has learned a few superficial things from me."
Is this some good news?
Lu Liruan didn't want to continue learning, but Ji Shumin was so enthusiastic that he would teach her some very vivid ways to insult people from time to time, which made Lu Liruan laugh uncontrollably.
These inexplicable things entered Lu Liruan's mind in a strange way, and she subconsciously learned and applied them flexibly.
Lu Liruan felt no guilt whatsoever when she said Lu Yu drew things that didn't have heads, because it was the truth.
If Lu Yushi had some sense of perception, Lu Yuhua was stubborn and didn't know why she didn't get along with her since childhood. Every time she saw Lu Yuhua, Lu Yuhua would try to cause trouble for her.
Since the Second Prince's incident, the second and third branches of the family have been keeping a low profile, afraid of being implicated.
Lu Yuhua continued to act this way, and it was unclear whether her family had given her any instructions.
Lu Wanyun had told her that Lu Yushi was able to enter the palace to become the Second Prince's concubine, which made Lu Yuhua extremely envious. She heard that Lu Yuhua had begged her parents to let her become the Second Prince's concubine as well...
As Lu Wanyun spoke, a look of disdain appeared on her face: "You still think about sharing a husband with your own sister and competing for favor with your own sister? You have no shame whatsoever!"
Lu Liruan did not comment on the relationship between the sisters, but just based on what she said, she didn't know how the second branch of the family dared to call themselves a noble family. Is this how they teach their children?
Just as the Fourth Prince's Consort was passing by, she overheard them talking about Lu Liruan: "Look at her haggard appearance, she must have had a hard time at the Third Prince's residence."
Lu Yuhua said sarcastically, "She loves to put on airs the most. We'll just have to watch her swallow her pride and suffer in silence!"
...The group dared not openly criticize the prince, but their words implied that the Third Prince, a sinister and eccentric individual, might be tormenting Lu Liruan in his residence!
They spoke as if they had witnessed Lu Liruan's miserable state firsthand.
"They're really strange; they can't stand seeing others do well at all." The Fourth Prince's wife frowned and spat lightly.
She was the most lively and daring among them, and at this moment she genuinely felt indignant on Lu Liruan's behalf.
"If you ask me, all that nonsense was spread by them. Li Ruan, quickly have someone tear their mouths apart!"
What she said was what had been circulating among the noble ladies of the capital: that Lu Liruan was having a miserable time, having to put up with the Third Prince's temper every day, and was completely out of favor...
Even worse, rumors circulated that the Third Prince had a strange temperament, and the two were completely incompatible... The Third Prince's wife had been living a life of widowhood, poor thing...
Where did Lu Liruan learn all this from?
It was from Xiao Xizi.
During that period, Ji Shumin was keen to inquire about anything and everything, from secret collusion between officials to gossip in the marketplace. He listened to all sorts of things with great interest, as if he were listening to a storyteller.
He even complained that the storyteller, Xiao Xizi, stuttered and was a downer, so he simply had someone write it down so he and Lu Liruan could watch it together.
One night before going to sleep, Lu Liruan changed into her nightgown and saw Ji Shumin leaning against the bed with a piece of paper in his hand and a half-smile on his face.
"What are you looking at?" Lu Liruan asked casually, taking the thing Ji Shumin handed her.
After glancing at it a few times, Lu Liruan's face flushed red from the base of her neck. She didn't know if being a spy required being meticulous, but all the vulgarities those people used were written on it.
Lu Liruan tossed the paper aside, but before she could utter a sound, Ji Shumin, who had come closer, grabbed her wrist and pinned it behind her back. With a slight effort, Lu Liruan had no choice but to straighten up, her slender neck right in front of him.
Ji Shumin slowly kissed him, his lips brushing against every inch of skin. The warmth and wetness of his lips sent a shiver down one's spine, and a soft, trembling sound escaped from his throat.
"No—uh!" The sound had barely escaped when a sharp tooth pressed against his throat and bit him. The stinging pain from the tooth was then soothed by soft lips and tongue, the sensation repeating itself until his whole body felt hot and weak...
Lu Liruan tried to struggle, but Ji Shumin wouldn't let her go. He used his body to hold Lu Liruan in place and used one hand to unbutton her clothes.
In the dim candlelight, the skin peeking out from the neckline was healthy and radiant, like the pearly hue of a newly opened oyster shell; a gentle touch would leave a faint blush.
Ji Shumin rubbed his face down along the opening of his clothes. His face was incredibly handsome. Before going to bed, his hair ribbon was undone, and his thick, dark hair made him look pale. The corners of his eyes and the tips of his ears were eerily red, like a seductive ghost.
Ji Shumin on the bed was particularly torturous. It was unclear whether it was related to his personality, but he always liked to rub against people's soft spots. The more Lu Liruan reacted, the more he stopped, seemingly enjoying tormenting her until she could not struggle.
He was always very patient. When the passion was intense, he would gently knead and kiss every inch of skin and every bone, making the person feel as if they were floating on clouds, oblivious to the time.
"You...what did you say?"
Ji Shumin usually liked to say teasing and affectionate things, but today, Lu Liruan vaguely heard Ji Shumin say something else, as if he was asking her something.
"Others might guess I have some strange quirks, but Li Ruan has experienced it firsthand. Do you think so?" He whispered in Lu Li Ruan's ear, his fingertips gently picking up the messy strands of hair and carefully tidying them up behind her ears.
Lu Liruan's mind was in such a mess that it felt like it was on fire; she had no ability to think at all. She shook her head haphazardly to indicate that she didn't know.
But Ji Shumin persisted, asking again and again, forcing Lu Liruan to give him an answer.
Lu Liruan's vision was blurry, everything was covered by a film of water, she couldn't see Ji Shumin's expression, and she couldn't tell what answer he wanted from his tone. How could she answer in a way that would please him and make him stop torturing her like this...
She tried to raise her hand to wipe away the mist in front of her eyes, but Ji Shumin grabbed her hand.
He seemed quite pleased to see Lu Liruan completely under his control, which greatly satisfied his unspoken possessiveness.
"No...no." In the end, Lu Liruan chose this answer, and then heard Ji Shumin chuckle: "Does Liruan really think so?"
"Ok!"
"Wrong." Ji Shumin happily kissed the corner of Lu Liruan's eye, tasting the faint salty flavor of the tears spreading on his tongue.
“They’re right. I didn’t expect to be found out… Well then, I won’t hide it from Li Ruan anymore.” He said slowly, then sighed regretfully, “I really didn’t expect to be discovered.”
Lu Liruan thought to herself: You're talking nonsense! You're just trying to take advantage of the situation!
The grip on his wrist suddenly loosened, and Ji Shumin held Lu Liruan's waist, his fingertips lightly pressing on her lower abdomen, as he slowly leaned down.
He kissed his way down from a tiny red mole the size of a grain of rice on Lu Liruan's left waist...
Lu Liruan found it hard to believe that the fact that her soul almost flew away was not an exaggeration. The feeling of overload on her body was so heavy that it felt as if her body no longer belonged to her and was at the mercy of others. Only the thoughts in her mind were still her own.
Ji Shumin was unusually different today. He was usually assertive, but in bed he was quite submissive, as if he had humbled himself so much that he would do anything for Lu Liruan as long as she was willing to be intimate with him.
Lu Liruan was not a woman who coveted beauty, but she was repeatedly bewitched by Ji Shumin, not only because of his appearance and demeanor, but also because she knew what kind of person he was.
To have someone as cunning and calculating as him, manipulating others like pieces on a chessboard, turning the world upside down with a flick of the wrist, submit to him like a clingy cat, would make one's mind tremble involuntarily.
Ji Shumin was happy to see Lu Liruan so infatuated with him. He was more interested in spiritual pleasure than physical infatuation, and he wanted his Liruan to be forever captivated and infatuated with him.
Today was different. Ji Shumin seemed to have reversed his personality, and their relationship had changed. Lu Liruan was so confused that she didn't know what had happened, so she could only go along with Ji Shumin.
“The rest is not right…” Ji Shumin murmured.
Lu Liruan had no idea what he was talking about. She had only glanced at the top part of the paper before Ji Shumin grabbed her.
“How could I possibly let Li Ruan be a widow... Li Ruan and I will be together through life and death.”
Lu Liruan barely recalled the phrase "living a widow's life," and thought to herself: That's not what it meant!
The next day, when Lu Liruan woke up, Ji Shumin, unusually, did not get up early. He listlessly snuggled against Lu Liruan's shoulder, looking utterly dejected.
Lu Liruan snorted and pushed him away: "Didn't you reveal your true nature yesterday and admit that you're not a good person? If you're not a good person, then stay away from me!"
“I’ve reformed today, so I hope Li Ruan will forgive me this time.” Ji Shumin never showed off his verbal skills to Lu Li Ruan, and readily agreed, pulling Lu Li Ruan to keep her from getting out of bed.
When Lu Liruan heard this so-called rumor, besides thinking that Lu Yuhua was indeed a fool, she also felt a little uneasy.
"Forget it, it's already gotten so boring that she's making up other people's stories. Let her have her way." Lu Liruan said with a faint mockery.
That's a good point.
Lu Yuhua has indeed been having a tough time lately. Because of the Second Prince's affair, the second branch of the Lu family is not well received. People who used to be friendly with them are now avoiding them.
The second wife took the opportunity to find her a good marriage, but before the betrothal, the engagement ceremony, and the exchange of birthdays could take place, the other party refused to acknowledge it and acted as if nothing had ever happened.
Lu Yuhua was also isolated by the noble ladies who used to call each other sisters. She felt indignant, wondering why others got all the benefits while she had to suffer along with them.
For a while, the atmosphere at home was so gloomy that she couldn't even leave the house.
Now that the Lunar New Year is over, I can finally go out and get some fresh air...
Encountering Lu Liruan at this flower-viewing banquet made Lu Yuhua even more uncomfortable.
Looking at Lu Liruan's slender and graceful figure, dressed in a moon-white long dress, standing under the tree, her face as beautiful as a fairy princess, I couldn't help but feel jealous.
Lu Liruan is thinner than before, purely because she and Ji Shumin stayed up late for a while.
Ji Shumin has gained a little weight thanks to her care, but she herself hasn't recovered much.
Fortunately, she was in good health. The old doctor took her pulse and said that apart from some excessive worry and excessive heart fire, she had no other problems.
Lu Liruan didn't pay much attention to it.
When Lu Liruan was sick before, she was even thinner and weaker than she is now, and she looked quite frightening. So, what she considers beautiful is having energy and looking healthy; she doesn't think she's particularly pretty now.
No one knows that Lu Yuhua was so jealous that she couldn't control her mouth after just one glance at her.
Most of those who gossiped with Lu Yuhua were from families less privileged than hers. Upon realizing that the Fourth Prince's Consort had overheard their conversation, they dispersed in a flustered and uneasy manner.
The flower-viewing party didn't end until evening.
The crowd gradually dispersed. A few girls, slightly tipsy, supported each other and whispered amongst themselves, laughing heartily at something amusing.
The maids following behind hurried along, afraid that if they weren't careful, their young mistress would fall face-first to the ground.
Lu Liruan initially denied it, saying she had a high alcohol tolerance.
At the time, Ji Shumin was ill, and Lu Liruan felt that her boasting would not be discovered.
But later it was discovered that even without using his full strength, Ji Shumin could still outdrink him...
After several drunken misbehaviors that allowed Ji Shumin to extract information about things she would never have said when sober, Lu Liruan has been ridiculed ever since. She has come to a clearer understanding of herself and will never try to be brave again.
This time, after only a few cups of wine, he felt slightly tipsy and couldn't help but hum a little tune as he followed several princes and princesses out to find his carriage.
Just as she reached the edge of the peach grove, Lu Liruan realized that the carriage she had come in with was gone.
She stood there looking around, when suddenly she spotted a familiar carriage. The person inside seemed to sense her gaze and waved.
Lu Liruan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. She recognized Ji Shumin at a glance. What surprised her was that Ji Shumin was actually willing to go out. Since leaving the palace to establish his own residence, Ji Shumin had only left the residence a handful of times.
The princes' wives next to Lu Liruan also saw it, but before they could react, they saw Lu Liruan happily heading in that direction, and only then did they realize what had happened.
The group looked at each other, all feeling quite surprised.
The other girls who came out later also noticed this, and after they saw Lu Liruan get on, the carriage slowly started moving.