The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

It was already late at night when they returned to the mansion.

Xie Yanzhao carried the dizzy Shen Tinghe with brisk steps and went straight into the bedroom.

The lanterns under the eaves cast his tense profile in the corridor; though silent, each step seemed to carry a suppressed anger.

Yuan Chi quietly tugged at Qingdai's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, what's wrong? You seem to be shrouded in a layer of cold air."

Qingdai glanced at the closed door and sighed softly, "It's more than just cold."

He was late returning home, was drunk outside, and had an affair with another man.

Every single thing they did was completely beneath His Highness's bottom line.

Only her Crown Princess, who is usually pampered and spoiled, always thinks that His Highness has no temper.

Inside the room, Xie Yanzhao gently placed Shen Tinghe on the bed. His movements seemed steady, but his eyes were filled with darkness.

He gave the order to the outside world, his voice devoid of any emotion: "Bring a bowl of hangover soup."

"Yes." Qingdai responded and withdrew, quickly bringing over a soup bowl, placing it on the table, and then quietly closing the door and leaving.

Xie Yanzhao sat down by the bed, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and brought it to her lips: "Yuanyuan, open your mouth."

Shen Tinghe, still half asleep, leaned closer, sniffed, then frowned and recoiled in disgust: "It smells bad...don't want it."

Xie Yanzhao stared at her for a moment, then suddenly sneered, raised his hand and drank the soup in one gulp. He then leaned down, pinched her chin, and kissed her.

The warm, bitter soup was poured into her mouth by his hot lips and tongue. Shen Tinghe groaned and struggled a little, but eventually swallowed it down, and then unconsciously smacked her lips.

She was unusually clingy after getting drunk. Sensing his familiar scent, she restlessly snuggled closer, crawling into his arms on all fours, and softly murmured, "Brother, hug me..."

Xie Yanzhao's eyes darkened further as he deftly unfastened their outer robes, leaving only their silky inner garments.

He leaned against the headboard, letting her rub against his chest like a kitten, but his expression remained calm and his emotions were unreadable.

Watching her walk right into the trap.

Only when Shen Tinghe was practically clinging to him did he suddenly grab her waist, trapping her firmly in his arms. His thin lips brushed against her ear, his voice low and husky, like an echo from an abyss.

"Jiaojiao, do you think you can get away with this by getting drunk?"

Before he finished speaking, his hand had already landed.

With a crisp "snap," a hot, tingling sensation was left on her buttocks through the thin fabric.

Shen Tinghe exclaimed in surprise, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.

Then came a few more light slaps, which hurt and confused her. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she kept shrinking into his arms.

Because in her subconscious, only Xie Yanzhao's arms were safe.

Xie Yanzhao's heart softened when he saw her completely dependent on him.

He lowered his head and bit her shoulder lightly, leaving a faint red tooth mark. His voice was incredibly dark: "Jiaojiao knows best how to manipulate me."

The kisses fell softly, winding from his neck to his chest, lingering on that soft spot he had always longed for.

Their clothes had come undone at some point, and the red curtains hung down, concealing the increasingly heavy breathing and flickering candlelight in the room.

It was as if he wanted to imprint all the jealousy, worry, and lingering fear he felt tonight into her body in this way.

By the middle of the night, Shen Tinghe had completely sobered up and was left only with broken sobs and pleas for mercy.

She sobbed, pleading with him intermittently, "Husband... I was wrong, please forgive me... I won't do it again..."

She was only a little late, and she already got a spanking, why is she being "punished" again?

Xie Yanzhao pulled her even tighter, his sweaty chest pressed against her smooth back, kissing the delicate skin behind her ear in a deep voice.

"Jiaojiao, I've taught you... you have to accept the punishment when you make a mistake. If you don't learn your lesson, you'll do it again next time."

The night was long, and the temperature inside the red tent was scorching, until the sky turned a hazy bluish-gray.

As the morning light streamed through the gauze window, Shen Tinghe was too weak to even lift a finger, and nestled limply in his arms.

Xie Yanzhao had already put on his clothes and gotten up, bringing over a bowl of warm porridge, and carefully feeding it to her lips spoonful by spoonful.

She lay there with her eyes half-open, drowsy, and obediently opened her mouth to swallow. If she swallowed too slowly, he would patiently wipe the soup stains from the corners of her mouth.

The man who seemed ready to devour people alive last night has disappeared. Now, his eyes are gentle and his movements are soft.

Only when she occasionally shifts her body and feels the soreness in her waist and legs will she vaguely recall that some "punishment" seems to still be continuing.

And those hands that fed her porridge last night had stroked every inch of her trembling skin with a completely different force.

After finishing the porridge, Shen Tinghe fell into a deep sleep.

Half-asleep, she vaguely felt Xie Yanzhao wiping her wounds with gentle, slow movements. The coolness from the ointment gradually dissipated, soothing the slight pain on her skin.

When she woke up again, she was already lying in a carriage.

The car bumped slightly, and outside the curtain, the wilderness and distant mountains gradually receded.

She was held firmly in Xie Yanzhao's arms, his arms wrapped around her waist, his palms pressed against the thin blanket beside her.

Shen Tinghe opened her eyes and first saw his well-defined jawline. Then, she looked up and met his gaze as he intently read the letter.

He held an unfolded letter in his other hand, his brow furrowed, his gaze lingering on a few lines.

The situation in Lingzhou is not optimistic.

The disaster relief funds are still missing, and Lin Yao, who has collected evidence of corruption by Lingzhou officials over the past two years, has also disappeared without a trace.

Xie Yanzhao had already sent a message to Wu'an County, ordering Shen Chengbo to make arrangements in Lingzhou first.

Looking at his focused profile, Shen Tinghe felt that bit of anger welling up inside her again.

She suddenly ripped open the shirt on his shoulder and bit down hard on his firm muscles.

Xie Yanzhao's eyes flickered, a hint of a smile flashing across them.

He put down the letter, placed his hand on the back of her head, and spoke in a low, indulgent voice:

"Bite slowly, Yuan Yuan."

Shen Tinghe loosened her grip, glanced at the clear teeth marks, and said in a muffled voice, "You're so mean."

Xie Yanzhao pinched her chin, forcing her to lift her face.

He looked into her eyes, and the gentle facade faded slightly, revealing a hidden gloom.

"Yuan Yuan, if you get involved with other men again, the punishment will be even more severe."

Shen Tinghe had always known that Xie Yanzhao was extremely jealous, but she never took it to heart.

She grew up in a hospital in her previous life and had very little experience interacting with people.

Shen Tinghe didn't realize that simply speaking to a strange man had resulted in her sleeve being touched. This might go beyond just being jealous.

She pouted, feeling for the first time that marriage was not a good idea.

In the past, when he was angry, he would only punish her by making her copy books and practice calligraphy; now, however, it's all that kind of torment that makes her weak in the waist and trembling in the legs, which she simply can't bear.

Her body was still sore and weak, yet he still pinched her face and scolded her.

Shen Tinghe didn't speak, but just stared at him pitifully with her wet eyes.

Such a gaze was more effective than any words. Xie Yanzhao's expression softened, and the irritation in his heart suddenly dissipated by more than half.