The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

Shen Tinghe pressed against his chest.

She looked into his turbulent eyes, and after a long while, sighed very softly.

It seemed like helplessness, yet also like indulgence.

This jealous man, if she doesn't coax him, he's probably going to be so angry he'll die.

Shen Tinghe's fingertips moved up his chest and finally stopped at the corner of his lips.

"I only said a few words to him, and my brother bullied me like this."

Her voice softened, with a slight tremor at the end, like a wronged little animal.

Xie Yanzhao always appreciated this submissive attitude.

But the shadow in his eyes did not dissipate; instead, it surged even deeper because of her show of weakness.

Xie Yanzhao: "The way he looked at you was off, and..."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, each word squeezed out from between his teeth.

"You treat him differently too."

This last sentence is laced with a heavy sense of jealousy and unease.

Shen Tinghe met his burning gaze, but instead of backing away, she moved even closer.

"Xie Yanzhao, we grew up together. Don't you really know who I hold dearest in my heart? Do you have to confirm it again and again... in this way?"

She took his hand and ran it over the marks, both new and old, on her neck and collarbone.

"Here, here, every single spot is marked by your handiwork. I am yours completely, long ago. Are you going to keep this bottled up inside...?"

Xie Yanzhao remained silent. Reason told him that he could not give up, but his body and emotions had already betrayed him.

He was easily soothed by her few words and tender touch, but he was tormented by this tug-of-war.

Shen Tinghe seized the moment when he wavered and took the initiative to kiss the corner of his lips, a light peck that carried the taste of blood and a sense of comfort.

"I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. If you don't believe me..."

She guided his large hand and placed it firmly on her left chest.

Beneath his palm, his heart pounded powerfully, each beat striking his palm and his heart.

"How about I take this heart out, lock it in your box, and watch over it day and night?"

Xie Yanzhao trembled violently; that stubborn shell of his was suddenly shattered by her vow, a mixture of blood and tenderness.

He closed his eyes, pressed his forehead against hers, and his breath was hot: "...You said it."

"Yes, I said so."

Shen Tinghe cupped his face in her hands, her thumb gently stroking the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.

"So, stop torturing yourself. You're in pain..." She pressed his hand against her chest again, "It hurts here too."

Xie Yanzhao finally broke down, pulling her tightly into his arms and burying his face in her soft neck.

It was a kind of ecstatic joy of regaining something lost, almost to the point of exhaustion, and an obsessive possessiveness that ran deep in their bones.

"Yuan Yuan," his voice muffled against her skin, damp with moisture, "I can't live without you."

Shen Tinghe hugged him back, gently soothing his back with her fingertips: "I know. I can't live without my brother either."

They embraced each other, and in the gradually calming rain and flickering candlelight, it seemed as if time stood still for them.

Just when Shen Tinghe thought the matter was finally over, Xie Yanzhao suddenly cupped her face in his hands.

The madness and vulnerability in his eyes had faded, replaced by a deep, almost bewitching calm as he intently held her captive.

"Then Jiaojiao told me,"

He spoke softly, yet it made Shen Tinghe's back straighten subtly.

"Who is Song Huaijing?"

When she mentioned Song Huailing, her eyes remained calm and undisturbed.

Her inexplicable abnormality towards Song Huailing could only stem from that "old friend" she had mentioned before.

Song Huaijing.

Xie Yanzhao was completely baffled.

He was certain that this name had never appeared in Shen Tinghe's life trajectory over the past twenty years.

But the implicit entanglement brought about by this name was like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

Compared to Song Huailing, this person, whom she had never met but who seemed to be rooted somewhere in her heart, was the "enemy" she should truly eliminate.

"Yuan Yuan wouldn't hide it from her brother, right?"

Xie Yanzhao gently stroked her cheek, his touch tender, but his gaze was unwavering.

Shen Tinghe even swallowed unconsciously.

That familiar, spine-chilling sense of crisis rose up along my tailbone once again.

She knew perfectly well that this was not a question that could be easily evaded.

With a flicker of her eyes, she suddenly went limp, snuggling closer into his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Brother, I'm hungry..." Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of coquettish complaint.

Xie Yanzhao's lips curled slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes, only a calm scrutiny.

"Yuan Yuan,"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his fingertips twirling a strand of her wet hair.

Changing the subject won't work.

"Can't we talk about it after we finish eating?"

Shen Tinghe looked up at him with her watery eyes, accusing him with a wronged expression.

"I'm so hungry, and my body aches and hurts... It's all my brother's fault~"

As she spoke, she took his hand and guided him to place it on her slender waist, as if hinting at something.

Xie Yanzhao's eyes darkened, and he pinched her waist softly with his fingers.

The little one is trying to play a delaying tactic, weaving a web of tenderness and affection.

Yeah.

He has plenty of time and patience to play this game with her until the very end.

No matter who Song Huaijing is, or how deeply he is hidden in the past, he will dig inch by inch, three feet deep, to completely eradicate him from her heart.

"Okay, let's feed my little darling first."

He finally spoke, his voice returning to its usual languid tone, yet concealing a sharp edge.

Xie Yanzhao pulled Shen Tinghe into his arms and took a soft nightgown to dress her.

After fastening the last sash, he called out, "Come in."

Hot water, towels, and perfume were silently served and then quietly removed.

During this time, Shen Tinghe's feet never even touched the ground.

After everyone left, Xie Yanzhao did not let her get off the bed. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, pulled her back into his arms, and picked up the bowl of bird's nest porridge that had been kept warm.

Shen Tinghe found this meal particularly "difficult".

One minute they say it's too hot, the next they say it's too bland.

After solving these problems, she then complained about the spoon.

"This spoon is no good, I don't like it. I want one made of jade."

She turned away in Xie Yanzhao's arms, refusing to eat, her tone spoiled and self-righteous.

If she were in the palace, let alone a jade spoon, Xie Yanzhao could have a whole set of jade bowls and cups brought to her immediately if she wanted them.

But now that he's in Yizhou, even if he orders someone to find jade and make it right now, it will still take time.

Xie Yanzhao showed no impatience, only letting out a soft sigh.

There was no annoyance in that sigh; rather, it sounded like indulgence born from helplessness towards one's own unruly child.

He put down the bowl, but did not loosen his grip on her. With his other hand, he turned her face, forcing her to look at him.

"Perhaps, once this road is repaired, we should immediately set off back to the palace. The palace has everything; even if Yuan Yuan wants a golden spoon inlaid with jewels, her brother can find it for her."

Shen Tinghe glared at him accusingly.

This is a blatant threat.

She was finding everything outside the palace fascinating and interesting, and was reluctant to go back.

"Xie Yanzhao!"

He picked up the bowl again, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and brought it to her lips once more.

"Do you want to eat now?"

Shen Tinghe glanced at him, then at the spoonful of porridge.

Finally, she opened her mouth in frustration and took it in one gulp, a hint of resentment still lingering in her eyes.

Xie Yanzhao smiled slightly, watching with satisfaction as she obediently ate her meal.

Yuan Yuan has been spoiled by him and has become somewhat pampered and willful. It's understandable that she sometimes disobeys him.

And he, as the husband, naturally had to patiently teach and gradually correct his mistakes.