Best friends dressed up in ancient times to become mistresses? You run, I run too!

The man's hot lips brushed intimately and almost imperceptibly against Liu Zhiyi's neck.

She whispered sweetly in her arms, "Qingqing, it feels so swollen down there, it's so uncomfortable."

"My dear~~~"

Liu Zhiyi felt as if her heart had been clenched, and she couldn't help but twitch her lips.

Are all men who have tasted the forbidden fruit this repressed and twisted? Just a glance at him made her blush, but now her eyes are sparkling, and she's acting like a puppy, actively courting him.

Liu Zhiyi felt a shiver run through her heart as she gazed into his deep, affectionate eyes, her mouth suddenly going dry. She inwardly sighed, thinking how increasingly alluring this man was.

Just thinking about his injuries made her resolutely refuse his advances.

"No, strenuous exercise will cause the wound to reopen. How about I help you with my hand?"

Song Hanchuan was unwilling to give in, and he carefully harassed her, his narrow phoenix eyes filled with suppressed resentment and pleading grievances.

"Can I be gentler?"

"My dear, my love~~~"

"I want to... give it a try."

After speaking, his handsome face flushed red, his gaze slowly swept over the base of his thighs, and then he looked expectantly at Liu Zhiyi.

Liu Zhiyi gave him a cool sidelong glance. Did he even know that he had almost ruined his body?

Even at this point, you still dare to think about those romantic and sentimental things? Do you really want to die under the peony flowers, so that you can be a romantic ghost?

"If you say no, then no."

"Not just today, not until you're healed. Either I help you with my hands, or you take care of it yourself with your hands. You choose."

Song Hanchuan paused.

His clear eyes were wet, like a pitiful little dog. He pouted, hugged Liu Zhiyi tightly in his arms again, and remained silent in a huff.

Liu Zhiyi pushed him, somewhat puzzled.

"you……"

"do not move."

The man spoke in a hoarse, low voice, then took a deep breath, gripped Liu Zhiyi's slender waist tightly with his large hand, and leaned his entire body against her thin, frail shoulder.

His lips brushed against her slender, fair neck, as he breathed heavily, suppressing his anger.

The hoarse voice said pitifully,

"Don't move, let me hug you, just a hug, it'll be over soon."

Liu Zhiyi blinked, obediently remaining still, but a warm feeling welled up inside her.

What touched her most about Song Hanchuan, a powerful minister, was that he genuinely respected her.

He will listen carefully to her ideas, respect her choices, and support her career. In this era of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, he will fully support her in pursuing business.

No matter what it is, he will fully support her if she wants to, and he will never force her if she doesn't want to.

Even in matters of the bedroom, he occasionally acts spoiled, but most of the time he is obedient and well-behaved.

Liu Zhiyi could roughly understand his unease and inferiority complex, and she also knew that his eagerness to be intimate with her was actually an urgent desire to prove to her that he could give her everything a normal man could give her.

Ultimately, he was afraid that she would soften her heart towards Pei Yun Chu and choose to forgive him.

Because he knew in his heart that Liu Zhiyi had once been attracted to Pei Yun Chu.

This has always been a source of anxiety for him; he becomes incredibly sensitive whenever it's touched upon. Liu Zhiyi has explained it to him, but he still doesn't feel very secure.

Liu Zhiyi was also helpless about this, so she could only free one hand to gently pat his back and comfort him silently.

The man gently closed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips, and held Liu Zhiyi comfortably, humming softly.

It wasn't until much later that he slowly raised his head, reluctantly pulled away from her embrace, exhaled a deep breath, and gently touched her forehead with tender affection.

Liu Zhiyi asked him,

"Are you feeling better?"

The man turned his head away somewhat embarrassedly, coughed lightly, and said, "N-nothing, I'm tired after a long night. Why don't you lie in my arms and sleep for a while?"

Liu Zhiyi ignored him and instead asked,

"Why hold it in? You can really relieve yourself with your hand."

The man chuckled twice, giving Liu Zhiyi a meaningful look. "Qingqing seems to know quite a lot."

Liu Zhiyi: ...

His expression carried a hint of resentment.

"Ahem, I'm not a fool, I know what you say is true, but... this is, after all, my first time. I still hope that on our wedding night, when we are fully united... ahem..."

"Xiaoyi, in a few days it will be our wedding. On that day, you will be dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, with ten miles of red bridal procession. I want you to be the most beautiful and happiest bride in the whole world."

Liu Zhiyi felt comforted.

They looked at each other, and their faces turned red at the same time.

……

When Shen Ningzhu stepped into the capital again, she had been waiting at the city gate for a long time, her eyes filled with anticipation. Finally, she saw a familiar figure and rushed forward with a beaming smile. However, she didn't notice that in the crowd, someone was watching her back with eyes full of resentment.

"Xiao Yi—"

Shen Ningzhu tried to climb into the carriage without any regard for the consequences, but was pulled back by a masked man next to her.

He immediately turned his head in displeasure.

"What are you doing? Let me go."

She tried to shake him off, but the man held her tightly, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free.

"The couple was sitting in the carriage, and you just crawled in like that. Is that appropriate?"

Shen Ningzhu calmed down immediately after thinking about it. Just then, Liu Zhiyi opened the car door and jumped out.

She ran up to Shen Ningzhu, told her she was fine, then spun around in place, demonstrating to her best friend that she was truly alright. Then, her expression dimmed for a moment, and she said…

"This time it was a close call, but I'm fine. It was Song Hanchuan who was in trouble."

Shen Ningzhu recalled the scene when she and Jiang Xuanyan found Song Hanchuan at the bottom of the cliff that day, and her heart tightened. She immediately urged her best friend to return to the Prime Minister's residence.

He then hurriedly said to Jiang Xuan Yan beside him,

"Quickly order someone to summon the imperial physician to the Prime Minister's residence. Song Hanchuan must not be harmed."

Jiang Xuan Yan didn't delay and immediately gave Jiang Yi a wink, who quickly left.

Liu Zhiyi got back into the carriage, and Shen Ningzhu and her entourage headed towards the Prime Minister's residence without saying a word.

In the crowd, Xia Zhi spat softly.

"Pah, I thought she was so powerful, not even listening to her master, mistress, or her own parents. Turns out, it's just that her maid has gotten close to the Prime Minister."

"What a pair of vixens! Besides using their looks to seduce men and manipulate them, what else can they do? What makes them so arrogant?"

"The people I despise most in my life are those like them. They are a disgrace to us women."

Beside her, Shen Ningxue's hand, hidden under her sleeve, clenched tightly, her eyes surging with intense hatred and resentment.

Why?

Why is it that even though she has regained her identity, she still can't get the life she wants?

Why is it that Shen Ningzhu, a lowly peasant girl, lives a more glamorous life than this noblewoman?

She was clearly the pampered young lady, and all the wealth, luxury, and comforts should have belonged to her.