She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Jiang Ruining could hardly miss the sourness in his voice, but she pretended not to understand and said nothing. Instead, she pushed him down, lay on his chest, and traced circles on his chest with her soft fingertips, slowly slipping them inside his folded clothes: "Your Highness... do you really want me to touch you that much?"

Xiao Che let her do as she pleased, his breathing unsteady, like he was on a volcano, yet he enjoyed the intensity she brought: "You don't want to?"

Jiang Ruining's hand stopped moving. Through his clothes, she rested her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling with a clear and charming light: "Xiao Che, I didn't sleep well last night..."

Just half a sentence.

She wouldn't tell him why she hadn't slept well, leaving him to guess.

But I'm also pretty sure he'll think that way.

Xiao Che grabbed her waist, lifted her up, and brought their noses together. He opened his shirt and invited her, "Jiang Ruining, bite me."

Jiang Ruining blinked.

It was surprising that he would make such a request.

She lowered her head and kissed his Adam's apple.

Her Adam's apple bobbed slowly beneath her lips, her heart pounded, she was deeply aroused, her skin felt hot, and the cool fragrance emanating from her body became rich and intense, like a top-grade aphrodisiac!

As her kiss landed, his hands tightened around her body, his breathing quickened, and he repeatedly whispered her name: "Jiang Ruining..."

Jiang Ruining was very satisfied with this result, which showed that she had influence over him.

Then, as he wished, he left kiss marks on his neck and bite marks on his collarbone. They weren't very deep, but they wouldn't fade for three to five days.

In order to prevent the traces she left behind from disappearing, no matter how busy he was, he would still come to her to "renew his subscription".

It could be considered a different kind of invitation from her to him.

After leaving her mark, she kissed his thin lips again, but this time it was a gentle, light peck, unlike the previous intense kiss that seemed to want to devour him.

"Does it hurt?" Jiang Ruining's fingertips traced the bite marks on his collarbone.

Xiao Che held her, turned to face her, and said, "It doesn't hurt." Then he kissed her forehead and repeated, "It hurts."

Jiang Ruining rested her head on his arm, her face flushed.

Because I understood his second repetition of "pain".

Xiao Che touched her face, unable to put it down.

The two lay there quietly, embracing each other, without saying a word, feeling comfortable and content.

Much later.

Xiao Che asked her, "When will you be able to come out after we go back?"

Jiang Ruining: "Let's rest for a few days first! We've been playing for so many days, we're quite tired." She paused, "We might not get any rest, we still have to deal with my maternal grandparents' nagging, we'll be quite busy."

She's not dead; my grandmother will definitely find a way to bring Madam Jiang back.

Even though she was disappointed in her daughter, she was still a mother and couldn't just abandon her child; she also had to consider the reputation of the Liu family.

If people find out that the Liu family has a discarded wife, the whole family will lose face.

Furthermore, Jiang Huai is the most prominent among the dozen or so sons-in-law of the Liu family in this generation. The estrangement between the couple is also a blow to the in-law relationship.

Xiao Che frowned.

How many days of rest?

One or two days, or seven or eight days?

He took her hand, and with her fingers, he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his well-defined chest muscles to her—a blatant seduction: "Don't you want to go to my study? Didn't you say you wanted to see me work hard for you again?"

Jiang Ruining: "Why does it sound like you're the one who wants it more?"

Xiao Che's "hmm" was filled with a desire to devour her.

"I want to!" He buried his face behind her ear. "Jiang Ruining, I want you. These past few nights, I've been dreaming about what we did in that room."

Jiang Ruining, having read many novels, was full of experience in imagining things, and asked him a question very softly.

Feeling a little ashamed, she covered his eyes.

Xiao Che's cool lips curved slightly, hinting at a smile, and he let out a deep "hmm" through his nose.

Jiang Ruining received the answer, and her feelings were somewhat indescribable.

I held his hand in my hand and felt its warmth.

I noticed a faint blush on his pale skin.

Is he... shy?

As if she had discovered a new continent, she laughed in surprise, then raised an eyebrow mischievously: "When I gave you a chance, you withdrew quickly, so why the rush now?"

Xiao Che pulled her hand down, his amber eyes showing surprise, followed by a playful and amused expression of being teased and punished: "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Yes! I was deliberately being mean!" Jiang Ruining admitted, beaming with pride. "What are your plans, Your Highness?"

What can Xiao Che do to her?

Aside from spanking her little bottom a couple of times, the only other way to get back at her is to do the opposite!

As for what constitutes retaliation...

Jiang Ruining felt this very deeply!

When I got off his carriage, my legs were weak! My collarbone ached! My back was numb from all the rubbing!

Gritting her teeth, she mumbled and cursed, "That dog of a man is so stingy!"

It's just that he kept her inside for more than half a month, is it really necessary to "retaliate" against her like this?

And wouldn't he feel even worse by "getting revenge" on her like this?

I really don't understand his thought process!

Upon arriving in Beijing.

Before they even got home, they heard the news that the Northern Liao people would soon enter the capital.

Jiang Ruining's leisurely expression gradually turned cold: "They've finally arrived..."

Chu Jin rode alongside her and, noticing the dangerous look in her eyes, asked in a low voice, "Do you know anyone from Northern Liao?"

Jiang Ruining shook his head: "I don't know him, but someone will definitely get into trouble during this marriage alliance."

Chu Jin frowned.

No one likes danger to happen, and they hate trouble caused by outsiders even more!

With her keen mind, she quickly came to a conclusion after considering the answer in her heart: "Northern Liao is being attacked from both sides. The delegation came to the capital to ask their crown prince to marry the princess of Great Zhou as his crown princess, in order to keep Great Zhou from joining the war."

"Currently, the only princess of marriageable age in the palace is Princess Rong'an, the Empress Dowager's youngest daughter. The Northern Liao are ambitious and ruthless; they certainly won't genuinely accept a Crown Princess from the Great Zhou. Once the national crisis is resolved, the princess sent for a political marriage will undoubtedly die!"

"The Empress Dowager certainly wouldn't want her own daughter to die, so she'll definitely find a way to create a princess to be sent as a bride for a political marriage!"

Jiang Ruining praised, "She's definitely the female lead; she's so smart!"

"Their target could be me, or it could be Lingyi."

A look of surprise flashed across Chu Jin's brow.

Ningning is too clever and has ruined the Empress Dowager's plans several times. It's not hard to guess that the Empress Dowager wants to get rid of Ningning without fighting.

But why would Lingyi possibly plot against her?

But soon, she thought of a possible answer.

The Xie family!

The Xie family has completely offended the Regent and the Zheng family. Their only option is to pledge allegiance to the Empress Dowager. Choosing Princess Rong'an as their relative for marriage is their way of offering their allegiance to the Empress Dowager!

The Xie family now deeply resents Ningning and the Zheng family, and they will definitely find a way to take revenge.

"I'm afraid the portrait has already been presented to the Northern Liao delegation, and your story has been embellished and told to them! This is a hint to the Northern Liao people!"

"The Northern Liao are only temporarily appeasing the Great Zhou, but they don't want to offend it. So they'll be sensible and take the opportunity to ask for a woman other than Rong'an in marriage!"

Jiang Ruining closed her eyes.

Yes!

Because the Northern Liao was facing attacks from two sides, because the Northern Liao would definitely kill the Crown Princess who was to be married off in the future, and because the Northern Liao needed to recuperate after the war, they hoped that the Great Zhou would only send a subject's daughter.

Even if the Crown Princess, who was born a subject, is eliminated after the expulsion of the foreign lands, it will not provoke the wrath of the Great Zhou.

In the book, the Empress Dowager chose Zheng Lingyi for two reasons: first, because the Zheng family was tactless, and second, because Rong'an had read Xie Lanheng's book.

Seeing that she remained silent, Chu Jin knew he had guessed correctly and continued, "When foreign delegations enter the capital, there will inevitably be a palace banquet. Once inside the palace, they are standing on the Empress Dowager's territory. If they want to escape from the machinations and retaliate, they will likely need the Prince's help!"

"Ningning, find an opportunity to see the Prince before the palace banquet."