"I'm a little upset," Shen Qingqing tilted her head up, her small face full of indignation. "That guy used us."
The previous clashes had been evenly matched, with both sides sustaining injuries.
But this time, she had been purely used as a pawn by Pei Xi.
The large palm covering her cheek slid to the back of her head, cupping it. She tilted her head up slightly, and a gentle kiss landed on her forehead.
"This person is useful."
"You mean Nicole?"
Fu Jingshu nodded.
Shen Qingqing propped up her chin, deep in thought. "But if Pei Xi did this, he must have anticipated Nicole's anger..."
He would have follow-up plans and damage control.
Fu Jingshu pondered, "We can take a shortcut."
Something flashed through Shen Qingqing's mind, but she couldn't grasp it. Anxiously, she scratched her hair and flopped onto the bed.
Before she could figure it out, her back dipped.
She was pressed down, unable to breathe properly. "What are you doing!"
Fu Jingshu braced himself on either side, his hot breath spraying onto the back of her neck, raising goosebumps.
"How long has it been?"
Shen Qingqing shrunk her neck. "It's not convenient here."
She hadn't forgotten that there was a camera in this room. That's right, she had noticed it from the very beginning, but had pretended not to.
Fu Jingshu took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "Then remember to compensate me."
Shen Qingqing nodded emphatically.
Only then did Fu Jingshu get up, pulling her up with one hand. He whispered in her ear, "After this is over, we'll leave this place."
"Mmm."
Shen Qingqing climbed up, nestled into his embrace, her lips moving as she silently said something.
Fu Jingshu's eyes deepened. He glanced subtly at the camera in the corner, then cupped her head and kissed her.
In the room at the end of the corridor.
Pei Xi sat on the sofa, swirling the red wine in a goblet. A large screen hung on the wall in front of him.
On the screen were a man and a woman, kissing passionately.
He watched for a few moments before looking away, focusing on the wine in his cup. The butler behind him also glanced at the screen with a blank expression.
"Your Highness, it's getting late. You should rest."
Pei Xi suddenly asked, "Do you think they discovered anything?"
The butler shook his head. "Probably not."
After a day like this, the couple had shown no abnormalities, and they hadn't let them meet King or the old man.
Pei Xi chuckled softly.
The butler looked confused. "What is it?"
"You," Pei Xi took a sip of red wine, savoring the aroma. "Some things can't be judged by their surface. These two are not simple people."
A guess surfaced in the butler's mind. "Could it be that they discovered the camera long ago?"
They had bought the latest model of hidden camera, equipped with a temperature sensor that could change its color according to the surrounding environment.
Such cameras were difficult to detect.
Pei Xi swirled his wine glass. "As a couple, who wouldn't be intimate for an entire night?"
He had expected to see something explicit, but in the end, he saw nothing. The couple slept soundly and peacefully that night.
As a man himself, he could tell that Fu Jingshu was by no means an ascetic. Therefore, there could only be one reason for their lack of intimacy.
The butler gasped. "But these two showed no flaws in their behavior."
"Alright, it seems there's no good show tonight."
Pei Xi put down his wine glass, feeling somewhat bored.
The butler quietly withdrew and closed the door.
The next day, Shen Qingqing was awakened by a lively commotion. Looking out the window, she saw a crowd of people bustling below, carrying pastries and champagne.
A warm body pressed against her from behind. Shen Qingqing said indifferently, "The succession ceremony today is quite lively, but I wonder if it will proceed smoothly."
She glanced up at the sky.
Dark clouds were gathering, and as she opened the window, a biting cold wind blew in. The sound of the wind was like mournful cries in the air.
Shen Qingqing shook her head. "It seems the heavens are not cooperating."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Fu Jingshu went to open it. It was Pei Ji. Seeing them still in their casual clothes, he said, "Hurry and change. Everyone will be heading down soon."
Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "How is your body?"
Pei Ji patted his arm. "Don't worry, my body is fine. The antidote he gave me is real."
Shen Qingqing sneered. "Would he dare not give you the real antidote? If something really happened to you, he, as the one who invited you to the island, would be held responsible."
Even if he could convince the King to help him, he couldn't convince so many ministers, nor could he silence the public. To ascend to a high position, one had to be mindful of rumors.
"Let me take another look."
Pei Ji trusted her implicitly and, hearing this, extended his hand without hesitation.
After the examination, Shen Qingqing withdrew her hand. "Your poison is completely gone now. However, because the poison had been in your body for too long, your body is still somewhat weak and requires good rest."
In simple terms, eat well and replenish your nutrients.
Pei Ji nodded, diligently taking note. "Okay, I understand. Then you two should also hurry and change. Come down with me."
"Wait for us at the door," Shen Qingqing said.
"Okay."
When Pei Ji came out, he was prepared to wait for them for nearly an hour. Men changed quickly, but women took more time to apply makeup and dress up.
However, in less than 20 minutes, the two of them emerged.
Pei Ji looked at Shen Qingqing's face doubtfully. "Did you put on makeup?"
He looked for a long time but couldn't tell if she had or not.
Shen Qingqing's natural beauty was simply too good. Her features were exquisite and elegant, and her skin was in excellent condition, as if she were a peeled egg.
Her eyelashes were long and thick, and her lips were naturally rosy.
Shen Qingqing raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Whether I've put on makeup or not, I'll still be the most beautiful one here."
"That's true."
Pei Ji didn't deny it. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he received a cold glance. He looked at Fu Jingshu with a hint of helplessness.
"Don't worry, I have no other intentions towards her."
Perhaps this explanation worked, as Fu Jingshu stopped looking at him and his gaze returned to the red figure beside him, staring intently.
Focused and devoted.
People were coming and going downstairs, jostling each other, very lively. The succession ceremony hadn't started yet, and the King and the other princes hadn't arrived, so the atmosphere wasn't too tense.
Pei Ji said in a low voice, "Once Father arrives, the atmosphere will change drastically. You probably haven't had breakfast yet. If you're hungry, go have some pastries. Otherwise, you won't be able to eat once the succession ceremony begins."
Shen Qingqing was actually not hungry at all, and had no appetite for those pastries. "I'll eat when I'm hungry. I don't want to eat now."
As they were speaking, the King appeared.
He was accompanied by Pei Lie and Pei Xi. Both sons were handsome, possessing completely different styles, and their expressions were diametrically opposed.
Pei Xi wore a gentle smile, as warm as jade.
Pei Lie was expressionless, his handsomeness akin to a noble young master walking on clouds, utterly untouched by worldly dust.
As soon as the King appeared, those who were chatting gradually fell silent, and the atmosphere began to change. The King raised his hand.
The hall fell completely silent. The succession ceremony had begun.