The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

Xie Yanzhao let out a soft, ambiguous hum, tightened his arms, and pressed her against him without any gap.

The soft curves clung tightly to his hard body.

"Yuan Yuan, you don't need to do anything dangerous. I'll take care of all of that."

His Yuan Yuan will be protected under his wings, free from worries and with a smile on her face every day.

"I'm fine..." she mumbled.

"Smack!" I received another light but not heavy slap on my buttocks.

Xie Yanzhao's voice deepened: "It will be too late if something happens later."

He held her tighter, his chin resting on the top of her head, and whispered something in her ear.

There was a chilling hint of obsession in his words: "If anything happens to you... I really will go mad."

Shen Tinghe took it as a loving whisper in the heat of passion, snuggling closer to him for a more comfortable position, a sweet smile unconsciously curving her lips.

Xie Yanzhao's statement was not an exaggeration at all.

She had never seen the dark side of him that was capable of devouring everything, after he completely shed his gentle facade.

If Shen Tinghe didn't exist, and if this world didn't have this unique chain that could restrain the ferocious beast, he didn't know what he would have become.

Xie Yanzhao is like a ferocious beast.

Shen Tinghe was the animal tamer to whom he willingly submitted.

"I wonder... how is that person? Has he woken up yet?" Shen Tinghe was still thinking about this matter even in her drowsy state.

Xie Yanzhao pulled the quilt up high, covering her completely, and kissed her eyelids: "That's not something you should worry about. What you need to do now is to go to sleep."

Shen Tinghe pouted unhappily in his arms, but finally succumbed to the overwhelming weariness and closed her eyes.

...It's all his fault for being so unrestrained, which is why he stayed up so late.

The next morning, the study was filled with the fragrance of incense. Shen Chengbai respectfully reported the events of the previous night to Xie Yanzhao.

"Your Highness," Shen Chengbo placed several account books with dark bloodstains on the edges, along with several secret letters, on the table.

"These are the pieces of evidence found on Zhao Yin. They contain irrefutable evidence of Li Qu's embezzlement of disaster relief funds and his disregard for human life."

He turned to look at Shen Tinghe, who was sipping sweet soup, his gaze gentle and smiling: "We were able to obtain the key evidence so smoothly this time, thanks to A-Yuan's quick thinking and decisiveness."

"Zhao Yin?" Shen Tinghe put down her porcelain spoon, looked up, and asked, "Is that the young lady's name?"

"Exactly." Shen Chengbo nodded.

Xie Yanzhao's gaze swept over the account books, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table: "How is that person now?"

"He has woken up. Although his injuries are serious, his life is not in danger."

Shen Chengbo's expression turned serious: "According to her, she was originally a spy planted by Lord Lin Yao in Li Qu's inner circle years ago. After being discovered by Li Qu, the two separated and fled. Lord Lin handed over all the evidence to her and personally lured away most of the pursuers. Now her whereabouts are unknown, and her fate is uncertain. Zhao Yin also doesn't know where Lord Lin went."

As he spoke, he looked at Shen Tinghe and said, "After examining her pulse, the doctor said that she had lost too much blood and was poisoned by a rare toxin. If someone hadn't used extremely skillful acupuncture techniques to seal her vital points and temporarily slow the poison's attack on her heart, and hadn't given her a very potent life-saving pill to keep her vital energy up, she would never have survived until she was treated. I never imagined that our Yuan Yuan would have such miraculous medical skills."

The Shen family all knew that Shen Tinghe loved to read medical books and pharmacopoeias, but they thought it was just a pastime. Who would have thought that she actually had such a unique skill?

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanzhao gently grasped Shen Tinghe's hand, his fingertips tracing the delicate back of her hand, his gaze calmly fixed on her.

"I had no idea when Yuan Yuan learned this skill of saving lives through acupuncture?"

Shen Tinghe's eyelashes trembled slightly, then she raised her face, trying to appear relaxed and natural.

"Having read so many medical books, I naturally understand the principles. Last night, the situation was critical, and I didn't have time to think much before trying it out. Perhaps... I really do have some innate talent for medicine."

She downplayed the dramatic rescue, attributing it to chance.

Only she herself knows where her medical skills came from.

That's what I learned in the hospital in my previous life.

She didn't have a Western medicine certificate and couldn't perform surgeries, so she studied traditional Chinese medicine in depth, experimenting with acupuncture and medicine on herself to integrate the theories.

Having lived two lives, she has dedicated a total of forty years to the study of medicine.

She may lack clinical experience, but when it comes to theoretical foundation and resourcefulness, she is confident.

But Xie Yanzhao was such a perceptive person, how could he not notice her unusual behavior?

He didn't expose her, but instead lowered his eyes and gently played with her soft, boneless fingers.

His eyelids were lowered, just enough to conceal the deep, fleeting glint in his eyes.

No problem.

He allowed his Yuan Yuan to harbor some harmless little secrets.

In any case, no matter what secrets she had, she couldn't leave him.

Unaware of the undercurrents beneath the brief silence, Shen Chengbo laughed loudly, brimming with pride: "Truly worthy of being a daughter of the Shen family!"

Shen Tinghe's eyes lit up as she looked at her elder brother: "Then, brother, haven't I done a great service this time?"

"Of course!" Shen Chengbo affirmed.

"It's more than a great achievement; it's a lifesaver. If you hadn't unexpectedly saved Zhao Yin, these crucial pieces of evidence would probably have fallen into Li Qu's hands."

Upon receiving affirmation, Shen Tinghe immediately turned to Xie Yanzhao, her delicate chin slightly raised, her eyes gleaming with a smug "Praise me!" expression, like a triumphant kitten.

Looking at her like this, Xie Yanzhao finally showed a genuine, helpless yet indulgent smile in his eyes, and said gently, following her wishes, "Yes, my Yuan Yuan is the most amazing."

After praising him, he raised his eyes and glanced indifferently at Shen Chengbai, who was still standing there.

The meaning in his eyes couldn't be clearer.

What are you still standing here for?

Shen Chengbo received this silent order to leave, and smiled bitterly to himself, but could only respectfully bow and say, "If there is nothing else, this humble subject will take his leave to arrange the search for Lord Lin."

Seeing her brother about to leave, Shen Tinghe instinctively tried to stand up: "Brother, I'll go with you..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Yanzhao pulled her back to his side with a long arm around her waist, and she fell back into his lap.

He took her right hand, his fingertips gently tracing the base of her thumb and the tip of her fingers, his tone gentle yet authoritative: "What's the rush? Yuan Yuan, you haven't practiced your calligraphy yet."

"But I want to talk to my older brother for a while..." Shen Tinghe tried to negotiate.

"Lord Shen is on urgent business and needs to find Lin Yao immediately. How could he have time to chat with you?" Xie Yanzhao's reason was convincing and watertight.

Shen Tinghe wilted slightly: "Alright... so are we really going to practice calligraphy today?"

"Of course you have to practice."

Xie Yanzhao lowered his head, his lips brushing lightly against her sensitive earlobe, his breath warm.

"If I find that your handwriting has deteriorated in the slightest... you will be punished."

As the last word faded, he placed a light kiss on her delicate neck.

Shen Tinghe's face immediately scrunched up: "Tyrant... tyrannical."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanzhao was not annoyed at all; instead, a hint of pleasure flashed in his eyes.

He leaned down and gently bit the soft earlobe with the tip of his teeth, grinding it delicately.

Her voice, held between her lips and teeth, possessed a captivating magnetism: "Insulting the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess's crime is compounded."

He pronounced the words "one degree more serious than the crime" very slowly and heavily, with the last syllable rising in pitch. It was clearly not a reprimand, but rather announcing some kind of chilling "reward".