Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Shui Rong was frowning as he leaned back in his chair, pondering the suspicions surrounding the King of Chu and Su Xiaoxiao's background, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table.

Suddenly everything went black, and a pair of soft, delicate jade hands gently covered my face.

The warmth of my palm seeped through the thin clothing and into the area around my eyes, carrying a slightly cool and smooth sensation.

Immediately afterwards, a clear and delicate voice rang in my ear, tinged with a coquettish tone and accompanied by a sweet fragrance.

That was Qin Keqing's unique incense, mixed with the jasmine scent in her hair, instantly dispelling the gloom in the study:

"Your Highness, guess who I am?"

Shui Rong felt a warmth in her heart, the worry between her brows instantly vanished, and a doting smile curved her lips. She deliberately drew out her words, teasingly saying:

"Such a charming voice, such soft hands, who else could it be but my Qing'er?"

"What? You guessed it right away, it's not fun at all~"

Qin Keqing gave a coquettish hum, and slowly removed her delicate hand from his eyes.

She spun around, like a willow swaying in the breeze, and nestled into his arms, her hair brushing against his neck, tickling him slightly.

Shui Rong's heart tightened, fearing she might lose her balance and fall. He quickly reached out and firmly wrapped his arms around her slender, supple waist.

My palms touched her warm fabric, and I could clearly feel the slenderness of her waist.

He lowered his head, his nose brushing against the top of her hair, inhaling deeply her fragrance, then leaned down and gently kissed her soft lips.

The kiss was gentle and tender, the tone full of affection:

"Qing'er, why are you back so soon? Daiyu is gentle and kind, and you two get along very well. Why didn't you stay at the Lin residence a little longer?"

Qin Keqing snuggled closer to him, gently patting his chest with her small hand, her expression a mix of coquettishness and a hint of jealousy:

"Your Highness also said that Lin Daiyu is so beautiful and talented, it's easy to like her just by looking at her. Your Highness is simply a womanizer!"

"Haha, is my Qing'er jealous?"

Shui Rong chuckled softly, then gently lifted her up in his arms, before turning and sitting back down in the chair, letting her sit securely on his lap.

He gently tapped her forehead with his fingertips, his eyes full of smiles.

"Is my Qing'er not pretty enough? In terms of looks and charm, who in the capital can compare to you even a fraction?"

Qin Keqing blushed at his words, but remained defiant, reaching out to hook her arm around his neck and saying sweetly:

"So what? The Prince still has Lin Daiyu in his heart."

"So what if I'm thinking about it?"

Shui Rong lowered his head, his nose touching hers, his tone ambiguous yet certain, "Anyway, my Qing'er likes me the most, doesn't she?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Keqing noticed that his body was gradually getting hot. The warmth seeped through his clothes, making her cheeks even more flushed.

She lowered her head slightly, burying her face in his neck, her breath filled with the scent of his ambergris, her voice soft and sweet like a kitten's:

"Your Highness, why is your body so hot? Could it be... that I've aroused you?"

As she spoke, she deliberately swayed her waist slightly, her pert buttocks brushing against his lower abdomen, a sly smile flashing in her eyes, carrying a hint of deliberate seduction.

Shui Rong's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, a surge of heat rising in his heart. He reached out and gently patted her pert buttocks.

He patted her so hard she trembled slightly, his tone a mix of helplessness and indulgence: "Be good, don't be naughty."

"Your Highness~"

Qin Keqing raised her head, looking at him with her moist almond-shaped eyes, her eyes filled with resentment.

It made a soft, kitten-like whimpering sound in its throat, looking so cute and alluring that it was impossible to bring oneself to scold it even slightly.

Seeing her like this, Shui Rong felt even more aroused, but he still patiently stroked her long hair, his tone softening:

"Qing'er, how are you getting along with Daiyu? She's sensitive, so please don't take it to heart if you neglect her in any way."

Mentioning Lin Daiyu, Qin Keqing toned down her coquettishness somewhat, leaning against him, her tone filled with genuine admiration.

But then she deliberately leaned forward, her soft breasts pressed tightly against his chest, carrying an obvious seductive meaning:

"Miss Lin is indeed exceptionally intelligent and talented; I am far inferior to her."

She paused, then looked up at him, a sly glint in her eyes, her voice soft and sweet, tinged with a hint of jealousy:

"And, Your Highness, Miss Lin really likes you."

"Her boudoir was filled with letters written to her by the prince, each one neatly tucked away, showing how much the prince cherished her."

Shui Rong's nose twitched slightly; she could clearly smell the sourness in her tone, and she couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips again, his tone tinged with a mixture of helplessness and affection:

"My silly Qing'er, are you jealous of Daiyu? Perhaps I don't cherish you enough?"

He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his fingertips tenderly caressing her delicate skin, his tone both solemn and ambiguous:

"These days, we have shared a bed, and even though I am moved, I have never truly possessed you. Isn't this restraint enough to show my love for you?"

"With Qing'er's beauty and charm, how could anyone else resist the urge to taste your alluring flavors after all these days?"

"The prince also said!"

Qin Keqing playfully punched him, her eyes filled with joy, her tone tinged with a hint of grievance.

"That night, my snow-white feet and wrists were hurt terribly by the prince."

As she spoke, she deliberately lifted her foot slightly, and her two slender lotus feet, adorned with embroidered shoes, slid out from under the hem of her robe.

The exposed skin was as smooth as jade, and the embroidered shoes swayed gently on his legs, exuding irresistible allure.

"You're such a little devil."

Shui Rong chuckled softly, hugging her even tighter, burying his face in her neck, and inhaling deeply her fragrance.

Without saying anything more, he simply held her quietly, feeling the softness and warmth of the person in his arms.

Qin Keqing leaned against him, a satisfied smile on her lips.

She was well aware of her own appearance.

The fact that Jia Zhen coveted her back then is the best proof of that.

If she hadn't met Shui Rong, she might have already fallen into the abyss and never again had such peace and affection.

This kindness and love are etched into her very bones.

The two embraced tenderly, the candlelight in the study still flickering, illuminating their intertwined shadows, creating a scene both tranquil and intimate.

The air was filled with sweet affection, dispelling all the gloom and sorrow.

After an unknown period of tenderness, Qin Keqing gently raised her head, her gaze falling on the remaining map marks on the table, and asked curiously:

"Your Highness, when I came in, I saw you staring at a piece of paper. What is it?"

Shui Rong gently pinched her small mouth with her fingertips, her tone slightly teasing:

"It's just a map, what? My lord, do you expect me to learn how to read maps and help me out?"

"Um!"

Qin Keqing nodded emphatically, her eyes filled with anticipation, and she reached out to hug his neck, her tone sincere.

"Your Highness, I also want to learn and help you. Could you teach me to read and decipher maps, just like you taught Miss Lin?"

Looking into her eyes with anticipation and earnestness, Shui Rong's heart softened, and she hugged her even tighter. After a moment of silence, she slowly nodded.

"Alright, I'll teach you."

He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead, his tone tender yet solemn:

"However, teaching you is slightly different from teaching Daiyu."

"Daiyu grew up in Jiangnan, so I taught her mostly about southern layouts; as for Qing'er, I'll teach you about the Northwest, shall I?"

"Okay, okay!"

Qin Keqing was overjoyed and couldn't help but kiss him hard on the lips, her eyes full of joy, like a child who had received a reward.

Shui Rong looked at her like this and felt a deep sense of doting affection.

He was never the kind of pedantic person who confined women to the backyard and only knew how to entertain them. His inherent egalitarianism made him unwilling to wrong anyone around him.

He knew that women in this era had a low social status and little access to literature and practical skills, but he couldn't change the entire era.

But they can do their best to make the people around them live more freely and with more dignity, and have what they want.

Qin Keqing leaned against him, her eyes gradually becoming moist, tears glistening and sliding down her cheeks, dripping onto his clothes.

She was filled with gratitude, grateful to God for letting her meet Shui Rong, and grateful to this man who not only gave her a stable life.

They showered her with love and affection, and were willing to teach her to read and write, and to help her become a better person.

This would have been something she never even dared to dream of before.

She envied Lin Daiyu, envying her birth into a scholarly family, her freedom to read, and her ability to exchange poems with the prince.

"Qing'er, what's wrong?"

Shui Rong noticed the dampness on her clothes and quickly looked down. Seeing the tears in her eyes, she panicked and gently wiped them away.

He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her eye, wiping away the warm tears, his voice filled with urgency:

"Did I say something wrong? Or do you not want to learn things from the Northwest?"

"No, Your Highness."

Qin Keqing shook her head, reached out and hugged his neck tightly, her voice choked with emotion, yet full of sincerity:

"Your Highness, you are so gentle and treat me so well, what should I do? I'm afraid, afraid that I'm not good enough for you, afraid that I won't be able to learn well and help you..."

"Silly girl, don't cry."

Shui Rong gently stroked her back, his voice so tender it could melt hearts, and then lowered his head to give her a light kiss on the lips:

"Meeting you is my blessing. You are so wonderful, how could you not be good enough for me? As for your studies, take your time, I'm not in a hurry. I will always be there for you, teaching you, okay?"

"Um!"

Qin Keqing nodded vigorously, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, leaned against him, and showed a bright smile on her face, like the sunshine after the rain, dazzling and touching.

Looking at her smile, all the worries in Shui Rong's heart vanished. He lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, his tone full of affection:

"Alright, stop crying. You must be tired from your journey back. Go back to your room and rest for a while."

"I'll go to the library and pick out a few light books for you, starting with supernatural tales and folk stories. Once you've mastered those, I'll get you military treatises and summaries of political achievements, okay?"

"good!"

Qin Keqing smiled and nodded, then reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, kissing him on the lips. She said sweetly, "Then Your Highness must come back soon, I'll be waiting for you~"

"Alright, I'll be back soon."

Shui Rong chuckled softly and gently patted her waist. "Good girl, get down. I'll take you back to your room."

Qin Keqing obediently got off his lap, but still held his hand tightly, her fingertips clenched, her eyes full of dependence and joy.