The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as she picked up the incredibly sour pastry she had bitten into with her other hand and offered it to his lips.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, the meaning couldn't be clearer.

Xie Yanzhao felt helpless, but a hint of indulgence flashed in his eyes. He took a small bite from her hand.

Even his handsome face couldn't help but twist slightly, his brows furrowing.

Before Shen Tinghe could even laugh out loud, Xie Yanzhao suddenly grabbed the back of her head and kissed her again.

Shen Tinghe frowned as she endured the bittersweet kiss.

Xie Yanzhao licked his lips, still wanting more.

"I am petty, and Yuan Yuan knows it now. If I see you getting close to him again..."

He whispered something close to her flushed earlobe, in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Shen Tinghe's face flushed bright red, and even her neck turned pink.

Xie Yanzhao was physically strong and had a strong addiction; he always kept his word, making it difficult for her to resist him each time.

She wanted to skip this dangerous topic, so she shifted uncomfortably in his arms, grabbed the memorial he had just been reading, and her voice still trembled softly.

"Shall I...shall I read the memorial to you? You...you listen."

On the spacious chair, Shen Tinghe was repositioned by him, sitting with her back to him between his legs, her petite body completely nestled in his broad embrace.

Xie Yanzhao wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Shen Tinghe's soft voice slowly echoed in the study as she read through the dry political documents.

She always did whatever she wanted in front of him.

This confidence stemmed from Xie Yanzhao's own indulgence; he never cared about the empty formalities of the harem not interfering in politics.

With her soft, gentle voice and delicate fragrance, Xie Yanzhao gradually became captivated.

He couldn't help but turn his head and plant delicate kisses on her fair and delicate neck, lingering and nibbling.

Only when a tingling, itchy sensation ran down her spine did Shen Tinghe shrink her neck and try to avoid it, her voice carrying an unconscious hint of coquettishness.

"Hey... are you even listening?"

Xie Yanzhao chuckled, tightening his grip on her, his voice hoarse beyond belief: "Yuan Yuan is so domineering, how can your brother listen to a single word these days?"

After saying that, he grabbed her waist and with a little force, spun her around in his arms, so that she was sitting face-to-face on his lap.

Their breaths mingled, and they were so close that they could see the slightest ripple in each other's eyes.

Shen Tinghe's heart pounded like a drum, and the zither in her hand slipped and fell onto the carpet with a "thud." She clearly felt a change somewhere.

The two pressed close together, and Xie Yanzhao whispered in Shen Tinghe's ear, "Let's just rub against each other like this. It's not dark yet, and Yuan Yuan definitely won't allow it."

Shen Tinghe could only blush and bury her face in his neck, not daring to move an inch.

In recent days, the hottest topic of conversation in the teahouses, taverns, and streets of the capital has been the disfigurement of the second daughter of Minister Shen.

The rumors grew increasingly intense, and the details became more and more bizarre and horrifying.

At first, it was only said that strange spots had appeared on his face, but it gradually evolved into "his face was covered with dense black spots, which was hideous and terrifying, and those who saw it could not sleep at night."

If this is false, Miss Shen should simply go out openly and show her face in public, and the rumors will be dispelled.

However, after the selection banquet, Shen Yunlan kept to herself and claimed to be ill. This avoidance of seeing people almost confirmed the rumors of her disfigurement in everyone's eyes.

In fact, Shen Yunlan's face was truly disfigured.

She still feels like she's in a nightmare. The day after the selection banquet, she discovered a small, light brown spot the size of a coin on her left cheek.

I assumed it was from touching something unclean or from developing a rash, and by the second day of using the medication, the marks had faded.

She had just breathed a sigh of relief when she woke up on the third day and looked in the mirror. Not only had the original blemish become darker and larger, but the same black spots had also appeared on her right cheek, forehead, and even neck!

The medicine was useless. In just a few days, her once beautiful face became mottled and terrifying. Dark brown patches covered her fair skin, creating a stark and shocking contrast.

The Shen family tried their best to suppress the news, but somehow it still got out.

Just as Shen Yunlan was hiding in her boudoir, afraid to see anyone, the imperial decree from Consort Ming arrived from the palace.

The imperial decree was worded tactfully, showing consideration for Miss Shen's "suddenly contracting a serious illness, which may harm her health and make marriage inadvisable." To allow her to recuperate in peace, the decree was issued to dissolve her engagement with Prince Xie Xuancheng.

Having lived in the deep palace for so long, Consort Ming was incredibly astute. She had a vague idea of ​​who was behind it.

She also took this opportunity to keep her son, Cheng'er, away from these scourges.

Inside the "Lanying Pavilion" where Shen Yunlan resides in the Shen family mansion.

"Crash—Bang!"

The sounds of porcelain vases and jade artifacts shattering mingled with the woman's sharp, piercing curses, penetrating the tightly closed doors and windows.

"You vile woman! It must be that poisonous He Qinghui who framed me! She was jealous that I was chosen as a concubine; she must have used some underhanded means!"

Shen Yunlan swept everything she could smash off the dressing table, shattering the bronze mirror into pieces that reflected countless fragmented, grotesque faces covered in black spots.

She dared not look closely, grabbed a brocade pillow from the side and threw it forcefully toward the door.

"I'm finished... completely finished! My face is ruined, I'm gone, and now the whole capital is laughing at me! He Qinghui... He Qinghui! I'm your sworn enemy! I won't rest until I've torn you to pieces!"

Normally, she was most jealous of her cousin Shen Tinghe, who always shone brighter and outshone her. But when the time came, her remaining rationality became unusually clear.

As the Crown Princess, Shen Tinghe has everything she wants. In her eyes, I am probably not even as good as an ant. Why bother to go through all this trouble to harm her?

Only He Qingsui has the motive and the opportunity to make a move!

Shen Yunlan focused all her resentment and fear on this imaginary enemy, as if in this way, her unvented pain would have a clear outlet.

In the courtyard, Madam Shen stood side by side with her eldest daughter, Shen Yunshu, who had rushed back to her parents' home. Listening to the incessant crying, cursing, and shattering sounds coming from inside the house, both of them looked very grim.

Madam Shen clutched her handkerchief, wiping her eyes, which were devoid of tears, her voice trembling with sobs and deep resentment.

"Shu'er, what are we going to do? Your sister's position as a concubine is gone just like that! And her face... Oh dear, what bad luck has befallen our second branch of the family!"

Hearing her mother repeatedly refer to her as "second wife," Shen Yunshu felt even more irritated.

Many years after the family split up, the father had long since established his own household and risen to the rank of Vice Minister. However, the mother was still indulging in the old dream of relying on the Prince of Dingshan's mansion. She would often refer to herself as the "second wife," wanting to take advantage of the situation but also feeling resentful.

"Mother," Shen Yunshu said coldly, with a hint of barely perceptible weariness.

"I am not a miracle doctor and cannot cure my sister's face. The manor is in such a mess right now. You should think about how to appease my sister and discipline the servants to prevent the rumors from escalating. There are still a lot of matters waiting for me to handle in the Marquis of Boyang's manor. If there is nothing else, I will return first."

After saying that, she nodded slightly, turned around and left, her steps crisp and without the slightest hesitation.

She had long since lost all hope in her family.

The father was ambitious but incompetent, always busy with his own affairs; the mother was short-sighted and spoiled her children; the younger brother was uneducated and ignorant of worldly affairs; and the younger sister was even more spoiled, foolish, and prone to causing trouble.

A large family, ambitious beyond measure, yet lacking the matching ability and vision, is like a lump of mud.

They would only think of their daughter when they needed her, the wife of the Marquis of Boyang, to maintain appearances, or when they had caused trouble and needed to clean up the mess.