Shangguan Hong chuckled, reaching out with one hand to grip Ye Qingcheng's shoulder.
Ye Qingcheng struggled but was pulled into his embrace. He whispered, "Do you like it this way?"
"I absolutely do not!" Ye Qingcheng glared at him.
Shangguan Hong refused to release her. "Before, Xiao Wangye treated you this way, and you were obedient, weren't you?"
Ye Qingcheng scoffed, "You are nothing like him!"
Shangguan Hong nodded slightly. "Then I understand."
After a pause, he added, "Xiao Wangye had another method: to take you back and lock you up, forbidding you to go anywhere or see anyone. What he could do, I can too."
Ye Qingcheng froze.
And indeed, Shangguan Hong took her back to his mansion and then confined her.
For a moment, he thought he had truly become her Xiao Wangye.
It was mealtime again. A servant nervously carried food to the study for their Regent.
Everyone in the mansion now knew that ever since the Lady Qingcheng left, the Regent's temper had become unpredictable, prone to outbursts of rage.
No one could withstand such fury.
Therefore, even though the Regent possessed heavenly beauty, and delivering food to him allowed a glimpse of his peerless visage, it later became a perilous act.
The servant placed the food on the table and, bowing his head, said, "Your Highness, the meal is here. Please eat."
Xiao Wangye lifted his gaze from the scroll before him and glanced at the servant. "Has she returned?"
The servant flinched. "No, she hasn't."
After a moment of silence, Xiao Wangye suddenly swept his sleeve, sending the untouched meal crashing to the ground.
The bowls and plates shattered, the wine pot cracked, and the floor was covered in liquid and food.
The servant dropped to his knees. "Your Highness, please calm your anger. Lady Qingcheng, Lady Qingcheng is safe at Master Shangguan's residence. She is unharmed. Perhaps in a few days, once her anger subsides, she will return."
"Is that so? Was this not what you told me just a few days ago?" Xiao Wangye sneered.
"Yes, yes…" The servant practically prostrated himself on the floor, his voice trembling.
They say serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. But in truth, one doesn't need to be an emperor; being a Prince was terrifying enough.
Even that tiger wasn't as dreadful as Xiao Wangye.
As Xiao Wangye was about to erupt in anger, the servant, knowing his time was short, dared not speak, trembling.
Uncle Zhang hurried into the study, his face beaming with unconcealed joy. "Your Highness! Your Highness! Good news, very good news!"
"What good news?" Xiao Wangye cast a gloomy glance at him.
"It's, it's Lady Qingcheng! She's returned!" Uncle Zhang exclaimed.
Xiao Wangye started, as if hearing something impossible. He immediately stood up, asking nervously, "What did you say? Say it again?"
Uncle Zhang smiled. "Your Highness, you heard correctly. It's Lady Qingcheng. She's back and is in the main hall right now."
Without another word, Xiao Wangye strode out of the study, passing the servant still kneeling on the floor.
The servant, who had narrowly escaped death, breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
Thank heaven, and thank Lady Qingcheng.
Xiao Wangye entered the main hall and indeed saw Ye Qingcheng.
But she had her back to him, seemingly surveying the surroundings.
Unlike before, Ye Qingcheng was now dressed in simpler attire, like a dashing swordswoman, graceful and captivating.
"Qingcheng."
Xiao Wangye looked at her with softened eyes.
Hearing his voice, Ye Qingcheng turned around, her face alight with a brilliant smile. "Your Highness!"
"Is it really you?" Xiao Wangye dared not approach her, his tension leading him to ask such a question.
"It's me, Your Highness. Don't you even recognize your concubine?" Ye Qingcheng playfully chided him with a glare.
Then, Ye Qingcheng walked towards Xiao Wangye and, after a few steps, swiftly threw herself into his embrace.
The soft touch made Xiao Wangye feel ethereal and unreal. They had been apart for too long, and he hadn't held her in ages, making it difficult to believe at first.
"Your Highness, what's wrong? Don't you believe me, or do you not like me anymore?"
Ye Qingcheng tilted her head, looking at him with a wronged expression.
Xiao Wangye shook his head. "No, it's just that I can hardly believe it."
She smiled. "Believe what? Pinch my cheek. I'm real."
Saying this, she took Xiao Wangye's hand and placed it on her face.
Touched, Xiao Wangye indeed applied a little pressure, pinching her cheek.
Soft, smooth, it was truly the woman who haunted his dreams and occupied his every thought.
Xiao Wangye smiled, withdrew his hand, and hugged her even tighter.
"How is it? Your Highness, do you believe me now?" Ye Qingcheng said in a muffled voice, burying her face in Xiao Wangye's embrace.
"Mmm, I believe you." Xiao Wangye kissed the soft hair on her head.
Ye Qingcheng wriggled slightly. Xiao Wangye loosened his grip a little. She remained nestled in his arms, reaching out to draw circles on his chest. "Your Highness, I was wrong a few days ago. I shouldn't have argued with you, nor should I have said I wanted to kill you…"
Feeling a tickle in his chest, Xiao Wangye looked down at her.
She looked up at him, speaking with utmost seriousness. "Your Highness, say, can we go back to how things were? Just like before."
Before?
Xiao Wangye smiled bitterly.
He wished for it too, wished to go back to the past with Ye Qingcheng. But he now knew her true identity and clearly understood his feelings for her.
If he kept her by his side, wouldn't that be harming her?
"Your Highness, I know that your relationship with Gu Pan'er was just an act to make me angry," Ye Qingcheng continued. "I went to Master Shangguan's mansion actually to make you angry too. But you only visited me once, and then you never came again. Is it because you no longer care about me?"
"No, I just…" Xiao Wangye's heart stirred, wanting to defend himself.
He didn't not care about Ye Qingcheng.
On the contrary, he cared for her too much. When she was with him, he only thought of her well-being, hoping she would kill him and return to the Heavenly Court.
But when she was away, he was consumed by longing, wishing she would stay by his side forever and never leave.
He was helpless in the face of his feelings for her, unsure of what to do.
Ye Qingcheng gently placed her index finger on his lips.
She shook her head softly. "Your Highness, I actually know everything."
He stared at her, the warmth on his lips, a sensation he didn't reject.
"I know that you actually like me very much, don't you? Wanting me to kill you before was to let me return to the Heavenly Court, right?" She moved closer to Xiao Wangye.
Xiao Wangye felt his heart begin to pound rapidly.