Chapter 288: Kiss This Prince

Chapter 288: Kiss Me Once

Cui Zhilan had fallen into this miserable state because of her, so she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

She threw off the covers and was about to get out of bed when Ling Wu quickly stepped forward to support her.

"Your Highness, Divine Physician Sun said you need plenty of rest to avoid putting the pregnancy at risk. If there's anything you need, just tell me, and I'll take care of it."

"I want to see the Prince." Jiang Shuning pushed her hand away. Her voice was quiet, but it carried an undeniable firmness. Seeing that she couldn't be dissuaded, Ling Wu's face was full of distress, but in the end, she could only follow closely behind her, her heart full of unease.

The door to the study was tightly shut, and the low murmur of Xiao Lingchuan's voice could be heard from inside.

Jiang Shuning pushed the door open.

The conversation inside abruptly stopped.

Xiao Lingchuan was seated behind the desk, discussing something with Ling Feng. When he saw her barge in, walking with such urgency, his brows instantly furrowed into a deep frown.

"You've just become pregnant—who allowed you to get out of bed? And walking so fast!" His voice carried suppressed anger, but his gaze cut sharply toward Ling Wu behind her. "How are you looking after the Princess Consort?"

"I was wrong, Your Highness." Ling Feng immediately bowed respectfully, then silently withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Jiang Shuning acted as if she hadn't heard his reprimand. She walked straight to the desk, staring hard at him, and asked word by word, "Why has Your Highness locked Concubine Cui in the dungeon? She is, after all, the legitimate daughter of Minister Cui, a noble lady from an aristocratic clan. To humiliate her like this—aren't you afraid of angering the Cui family?"

Xiao Lingchuan let out a light laugh, leaning back in his chair with a raised brow, his posture lazy and arrogant. "She dared to incite my Princess Consort to elope with her cousin, Prince Ning. Not taking her life outright is already out of respect for the Cui family. What, do I not even have the authority to discipline a concubine?"

"She did no such thing!" Jiang Shuning's voice suddenly rose. "Concubine Cui never instigated me! Everything was my own idea. Prince Ning simply agreed to take me away—it wasn't an elopement! If Your Highness is angry, you can take it out on me!"

The smile on Xiao Lingchuan's face instantly vanished, replaced by a dark scowl.

He stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow of overwhelming pressure that completely enveloped her.

"Is this how you beg?" His voice was as cold as ice.

Jiang Shuning felt a sharp pang in her heart.

She had almost forgotten—this man before her excelled at exploiting people's weaknesses to force submission.

The stubbornness and fury in her eyes gradually extinguished, replaced by a dead, ashen despair.

She walked around the desk, and halting three paces from him, she dropped straight to her knees.

"I beg Your Highness to show mercy and release Concubine Cui. She... was misled by your concubine and had no choice but to help me. Everything is entirely your concubine's fault alone."

She lowered her head, her posture submissive—she even changed how she referred to herself.

Xiao Lingchuan watched her kneel so humbly, and the fury in his chest, instead of abating, burned even fiercer.

"For her sake, you would stoop to such depths?" He laughed in anger, then bent down and grabbed her wrist, forcefully pulling her up from the ground. "Jiang Shuning, so you're still thinking about Xiao Huaijin!"

Jiang Shuning stumbled as he jerked her up, her wrist aching from his grip.

"Your concubine only wishes not to involve any more innocent people. Rest assured, Your Highness, I am now a caged bird with clipped wings—I can't escape. I only ask Your Highness... in light of the Cui family's many years of enriching the state treasury, please do not make things difficult for Concubine Cui!"

"Innocent?" Xiao Lingchuan snorted coldly, tightening his grip on her wrist. "Concubine Zhao heard with her own ears that Cui Zhilan encouraged you to elope with Xiao Huaijin! And now you tell me she's innocent?"

"Why does Your Highness only believe Concubine Zhao's one-sided account, and refuse to believe a single word from your concubine?"

Xiao Lingchuan leaned closer, his hot breath hitting her face, his eyes sharp as if trying to see through her completely. "Because there isn't a single truthful word coming out of your mouth!"

Her whole body stiffened, all the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat, unable to utter even a single syllable.

The study fell into a dead silence.

After a long moment, Jiang Shuning finally found her voice. She averted his piercing gaze and said quietly, "If Your Highness doesn't believe your concubine, then... how about sending Concubine Cui back to the Cui family? If she's no longer in the Jing Prince's residence, she'll have no chance to 'incite' me to leave. That way, Your Highness can rest assured, can't you?"

This was the best solution she could think of to free Cui Zhilan from this predicament.

Xiao Lingchuan stared fixedly at her. In his deep, unfathomable eyes, emotions churned, obscure and hard to read—like ink too thick to dissolve.

After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse, with a hint of probing intent.

"Is she that important to you?"

Jiang Shuning felt a slight tightness in her heart, momentarily unable to discern his true intentions.

She looked down, thought for a moment, then carefully chose her words before responding cautiously: "Your Highness is overthinking things. Your concubine simply doesn't want to owe anyone any more favors."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingchuan's gaze darkened, and the corner of his mouth curled into an ambiguous cold smile. "Since she's insignificant to you, then how I handle her is none of your concern!"

Jiang Shuning's heart jolted, realizing the trap in his words. She immediately changed her plea: "Your Highness, Concubine Cui... is very important to me! I enjoy talking with her. Since Xia Yan, no one has been such a perfect confidante for me. Please, for the sake of our friendship, spare her this once!"

Xiao Lingchuan's expression was inscrutable, his eyes deep as an abyss, and he gave a faint, ambiguous smile. "Since she's so important to you, then I can't let her leave. Let her stay in the residence and keep you company!"

Jiang Shuning was taken aback, then immediately realized she had been outmaneuvered. Rage surged in her chest, and she couldn't help but grind her teeth: "Your Highness, you..."

Before she could finish, Xiao Lingchuan turned his head and ordered coldly, "Guards, send Concubine Cui back to her quarters. From now on, she is confined to her room, with meals cut in half. If the Princess Consort wishes to visit, she must have my permission."

Ling Feng beside him bowed respectfully: "Yes, Your Highness!"

He then turned and left to carry out the order.

Jiang Shuning bit her lower lip hard, suppressing the fury in her heart, and said through gritted teeth, "Your Highness is indeed deep and calculating!"

"Tit for tat." Xiao Lingchuan looked languid, leaning back in his chair, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "The Princess Consort is no slouch herself—full of lies, and I haven't heard a single truthful word from you!"

Jiang Shuning was speechless. Though anger surged within her, she thought it over—at least Concubine Cui had been released from the dungeon. For now, she would have to endure being confined to the Jing Prince's residence.

She took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and made a low request: "Your Highness, may I go see Concubine Cui?"

Xiao Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint, teasing smile. "What did you say? I didn't catch that."

"I would like to go see Concubine Cui..." Before she could finish, Xiao Lingchuan suddenly pulled her close, and she tumbled into his arms, her body pressed unexpectedly against his chest.

He leaned in, bringing his ear close to her lips, his voice low and husky with suggestion: "Say it again. What do you want to do?"

Jiang Shuning's heart burned with rage; she wished she could bite his ear off.

But if she did, she probably would never have a chance to see Cui Zhilan again.

She suppressed her anger, gritted her teeth, and leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing against his lobe, her voice low and strained: "I... humbly beg Your Highness to allow me to see Concubine Cui."

Xiao Lingchuan seemed pleased with her reluctant obedience. His gaze darkened slightly, his eyelids half-closed, and his voice was husky and ambiguous: "Give me a kiss, and I'll grant your request."