Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Wan Linlang followed Eunuch Shi'an into the study.

She looked up and saw Prince Jing sitting upright at the desk.

The faint, enticing fragrance of an aphrodisiac wafted into her nostrils. A smile bloomed in Wan Linlang's eyes, and she grew even more confident.

Prince Jing felt inexplicably irritable, and his words carried impatience: "You come to see me so late at night—what is this urgent matter you have to say?"

Wan Linlang took a deep breath. "Your Highness, I am with child."

Prince Jing was taken aback at first, and after a moment, his emotions were complicated.

To say he was happy... there was certainly some of that.

But Wan Linlang had only attended to him once, on the night he was drunk, and she had used some underhanded methods.

Every time Prince Jing recalled that incident, he was filled with anger.

With these conflicting emotions intertwined, his feelings were naturally complicated.

Wan Linlang knew well that if she wanted to win Prince Jing's favor, she had to confront that hurdle from that night.

She steeled herself and said, "Your Highness, it happened that night."

Prince Jing looked at Wan Linlang with indifferent eyes, his expression unreadable. "If you are with child, that is a happy occasion. You could have sent a young maid to report it, or at least waited until tomorrow to tell me."

"But it is already late. Why go through all this trouble?"

Wan Linlang lifted her head, her resolute, clear eyes brimming with tears.

"Because I wanted to see Your Highness with my own eyes and plead my case for what happened back then."

"Even if Your Highness wants me dead, at least let me die knowing the truth."

Prince Jing frowned at this. "What's all this talk of death and dying?"

In his mind, however, he thought, *Does Fang Shi still have the nerve to bring this up?*

Wan Linlang gritted her teeth. "Yes, that day I did apply a drug on my body meant to arouse desire!"

Hearing this, Prince Jing sneered, "You dare admit it?!"

Wan Linlang looked at Prince Jing, her voice choked with tears. "I admit my fault. But that day, I also had my grievances."

"I only wanted to seek your favor. How could I dare do something so reckless?"

Wan Linlang wept as she spoke. "The drug I used could only enhance harmony between lovers, but it could never stir desire in someone who felt nothing. It was originally meant only as a bedroom play."

"What truly threw Your Highness off balance was another kind of drug!"

Prince Jing's eyebrow twitched, and the anger in his heart began to dissipate slightly. "Another drug?"

"Exactly!" Wan Linlang quickly nodded. "Your Highness must have been drugged that day, but the dosage was light. It just so happened that I came to seek your favor, and the two drugs combined caused Your Highness to lose control."

"If Your Highness does not believe me, you may investigate the place where you ate and drank that day."

"If I have spoken a single false word, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"

When Wan Linlang swore, her red-rimmed eyes held a glint of ruthlessness.

After speaking, she looked at Prince Jing with a grievance-filled expression.

"I have always adored Your Highness, which is why I willingly entered the prince's manor as a concubine."

"But after entering the manor, Your Highness inexplicably ignored me, and the people in the manor treated me harshly and bullied me."

"I had no choice but to come and beg for Your Highness's favor. By chance, I attended to you that night. I was afraid, but also happy."

Wan Linlang wiped her tears as she wept. "But who knew that Your Highness would be angry with me, yet not punish me, leaving me with no one to turn to."

"I did not want to die an unjust death in the inner courtyard without knowing why. And since I now carry Your Highness's child, I came to take this gamble."

Prince Jing looked at Wan Linlang with a complex expression.

Wan Linlang's method of currying favor was indeed unsavory, but it was not a major offense.

It mainly wounded Prince Jing's pride, causing his displeasure.

Now that she had brought it all out into the open and wept so pitifully, Prince Jing's anger had mostly dissipated.

He only said calmly, "The ground is cold in winter. Stand up first."

Wan Linlang's eyes lit up in surprise. "Has Your Highness forgiven me?"

Prince Jing said nothing, so she dared not ask further, taking it as his tacit consent.

She slowly rose and stood before Prince Jing, sobbing, "I dare not ask for too much. I only hope that Your Highness will not dislike the child I carry because of me."

Prince Jing looked at her with indifference. "As long as you behave yourself, I will treat him the same as the rest."

A joyful smile spread across her face.

After a moment, she wiped the smile off her face, her expression slightly uncertain. Her gaze swept over the candle beside her.

"Your Highness, there is something I am unsure whether I should say."

She was being too obvious, and Prince Jing followed her gaze to the candle. "You may choose not to say."

Wan Linlang was stunned by his retort, realizing she was not suited to beating around the bush in front of Prince Jing.

She walked softly to one of the candles and brought it to the desk.

Wan Linlang asked softly, "Does Your Highness feel restless and feverish?"

Prince Jing's eyes sharpened, the menace in his eyes as sharp as a blade, nearly cutting into Wan Linlang's skin.

She was so frightened that she immediately curtsied. "I only noticed it after being

At this moment, she dared not admit to Prince Jing, so she could only wait for an opportunity.

An opportunity that would allow her to get away cleanly.

After what felt like an eternity, Prince Jing called out coldly, "Shi An!"

Eunuch Shi'an glanced at Shiqie Wan, who seemed to have been crying moments ago, with no surprise on his face.

"What are Your Highness's orders?"

Prince Jing said, "The road is dark and slippery now. Light the way and escort Shiqie Wan back to her courtyard."

A flicker of surprise crossed Shi'an's eyes; he mused that this Lady Wan was truly capable.

She kept still when she did nothing, but once she acted, she made the Prince put aside past grudges.

Having him personally light the lamp and escort her was essentially telling the entire household that the Prince valued Shiqie Wan and that no one in the back courtyard should treat her poorly.

Eunuch Shi'an, of course, dared not underestimate such a person.

He walked up to Wan Linlang with a smile, "Lady Wan, shall we go?"

Wan Linlang curved her lips into a smile and said in a very gentle tone, "Then I'll trouble Eunuch Shi'an."

After Shi'an escorted Shiqie Wan away, Prince Jing stared darkly at the candle flame in front of him, idly toying with the jade thumb ring on his finger.

After a moment, he called out, "Jing Wu, let's return to the front courtyard."

Jing Wu was taken aback, "Yes!"

When she learned Prince Jing was leaving, Shiqie Han was both resentful and fearful.

She resented Wan Linlang for ruining her plans and feared Prince Jing had discovered something, which was why he was leaving now.

She stepped out with her attendants, "My Prince, the roads are covered in snow at this late hour. Why are you leaving?"

"Have I done something wrong that displeases Your Highness?"

Shiqie Han's watery eyes brimmed with anxiety.

Prince Jing gave her a sidelong glance and said calmly, "It has nothing to do with you. I just remembered some official business I need to handle."

Seeing Prince Jing's resolve, Shiqie Han had no choice but to grit her teeth and see him off: "The roads are icy with snow. Please do take care, Your Highness."

Prince Jing nodded, his tone softening slightly, "It's cold outside. You should go back too."

"I'll come see you again when I have time."

Shiqie Han put on a show of shyness, lowered her head, and softly replied, "Then this servant will await Your Highness."

Once Prince Jing had gone, the pretend shyness on Shiqie Han's face vanished immediately.