The Princess Cannot Escape: The Cunning Prince Is Not to Be Messed With

Chapter 232 Going to Sea

The early autumn wind always felt like it was mixed with ice, stinging her face. Yin Quan rubbed her aching arms, realizing that she was indeed not cut out for dancing. In just a few days, she felt like she had been trampled by a thousand donkeys.

"Miss, it's cold outside. The Prince may have been delayed by something at the palace. Why don't you go inside and wait?" She glanced at the gray-blue sky and wondered why her right eyelid was twitching more frequently today.

"Then you go in and warm up the soup first, I'll wait a little longer." Harina knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he went inside first. Yin Quan thought about the dance steps Chu Fengyue had taught her during the day, and started to take steps, but her body was like an old tree that couldn't bend at all. She slipped and fell straight to the ground.

Just as she was about to fall flat on her face in an unseemly manner, her waist suddenly tightened, and a white ribbon flew up, pulling her into a familiar and warm embrace.

"Xiahou Ying, have you been keeping a mistress lately? Why haven't I seen you for days?" Before she could finish speaking, her lips were stopped by a cold touch. The fingers, glowing with a bluish-white moonlight, were icy cold and devoid of any warmth. Yin Quan frowned.

"Why are you so cold? Don't you know to put on more clothes when it's cold?" Before she could properly show her virtuous wife and loving mother side, she suddenly felt a tightness in her body as Xiahou Ying wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"I'm leaving soon, and the carriage is already prepared outside the city." Yin Quan's heart skipped a beat for a second, and she used all her strength to barely create a gap between the two of them.

Before she could even speak, her face flushed red, Xiahou Ying frowned and said...

"No."

What's going on? Is Xiahou Ying a mind reader? Why does she always feel like she's invisible in front of him?

"Xiahou Ying! I warned you, from now on you have to take me with you wherever you go! Otherwise... otherwise... I'll go find that scoundrel surnamed Gu again!" Yin Quan knew that her past with Gu Lounan was a taboo subject for Xiahou Ying, and it had never failed her. She didn't believe that Xiahou Ying wouldn't obediently give in.

Xiahou Ying ignored her and carried her to the inner room. As he passed Harina, he simply said, "Bring dinner into the inner room."

This time, the servants in the manor stared in astonishment. For Xiahou Ying, who was usually so punctual and disciplined like a Virgo, to actually go to the bedroom to eat was unprecedented. Yin Quan pinched his waist hard in disbelief, blinked her bright, star-like eyes, and asked incredulously.

"Does it hurt? Are you really Xiahou Ying?" Xiahou Ying remained silent, frowned as he looked at her for a moment, then moved his slender fingers to her waist and began to untie her belt.

How can someone so righteous and awe-inspiring do such a shameful thing in broad daylight? What's going on here?

"Weren't we moving a little too fast...? I think we should..."

Xiahou Ying looked up at her seriously, "Should what?"

Yin Quan was practically going crazy. He looked so righteous, yet it all seemed like blatant seduction. Yin Quan unconsciously swallowed. Was he trying to use his body to make her submit?! They underestimated her. She was, after all, the most famous top lawyer in S City!

He held down Xiahou Ying's restless hand, "Hey! Who taught you to seduce me like this? Let me tell you, I'm not falling for that!" A handsome face suddenly loomed closer, catching Yin Quan off guard. Although it wasn't the first time she had seen him so closely, his deep, unfathomable eyes still captivated her.

Those bright red, luscious lips seemed to be constantly tempting her to commit a crime. As if possessed, Yin Quan pounced on him, pinned Xiahou Ying down, took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and stomped her foot.

"I'm going all out today! Xiahou Ying, you practically delivered yourself to my doorstep, so don't even think about playing hard to get with me again. Don't worry, my beauty, I'll treat you well!"

Yin Quan aimed at Xiahou Ying's lips and kissed him without hesitation. However, with a thud, her lips went numb. Xiahou Ying, like a nimble koi, suddenly leaped to the ground and stood by the bedside, frowning and looking at her helplessly.

"What are you thinking about every day?" Yin Quan gritted her teeth.

"Xiahou Ying, you've tricked me again!"

Seeing her pouting and angry expression, Xiahou Ying felt a gloom in his heart dissipate by half. He tucked a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear. "It's getting cold. I want to check how your wound is."

Yin Quan unconsciously touched her shoulder, "It doesn't hurt anymore..." Xiahou Ying took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve, "The wound will always feel uncomfortable when the weather is cold. Apply this when it feels uncomfortable." Xiahou Ying's unusual behavior made Yin Quan even more uneasy.

"Xiahou Ying, tell me the truth, where are you going this time?" Xiahou Ying turned around and said casually, "I'm just going to Qiong County in the surrounding area to pick up something."

"Retrieve something? What could be so important that it would trouble the esteemed Prince Duan?" Xiahou Ying opened the door, and the group of figures outside nearly stumbled. Harina smiled somewhat awkwardly, while the white-clad guards outside collectively looked up at the sky. "Um... Your Highness, the meal is ready..."

Xiahou Ying glanced at it indifferently, "Since when did the Prince Duan's mansion lose all its rules?"

Everyone knelt down, saying, "We will go to receive our punishment immediately." Xiahou Ying closed the door, placed the food on the table, and beckoned to Yin Quan.

"Didn't you say that if you could have dinner in the bedroom, it would be worth dying for?" Yin Quan pouted. It was just a casual remark to annoy Xiahou Ying back then, but he actually took it so seriously. The more seriously he took it, the more uneasy she felt.

Her lawyer's innate sensitivity told her that this matter was definitely not that simple. She put away her playful expression and said, word by word, "Xiahou Ying, are you hiding something from me?"

"Do you still believe me?" It's that same question again. Why does he always use that same question to brush her off? Does he really think she's so worthless that she needs his protection?

"Xiahou Ying, are you going to protect me by stabbing me in the back? Or are you going to continue showing off your fake affection with Qin Chang'an to protect me?" The barb in her words left Xiahou Ying speechless. Did his protection really hurt her so much? But what could he do?

Now that things have come to this point, it's no longer just about his life and death, but about both of them. He absolutely cannot allow anyone to harm her in the slightest.

“Gu Lounan will be going with me, so you won’t have a chance to run away with him.”

"Xiahou Ying!" He turned around, picked up the porcelain spoon, blew on it to cool it down, swallowed it, and then offered it to her in person. His long eyelashes were like the wings of a seagull. Such a steadfast and unyielding man, yet she saw a hint of compromise in his eyes.

Yin Quan had to harden her heart; she wanted to be someone who fought alongside him, not a useless person who could only cower behind him forever.

His cool lips, carrying a burning breath, mixed with the aroma of porridge, rushed into her body. His cool fingers climbed up her waist, as if declaring his ownership, and the kiss was long and lingering.

Only when the porridge was completely crushed between his lips and teeth did Xiahou Ying reluctantly leave, letting his greedy lips lick them and sigh softly.

"Good girl, I won't listen to Wei Jun anymore." This time, Yin Quan really couldn't sit still. Even Wei Jun was left behind for her, so things were definitely not that simple.

She grabbed his collar tightly, her eyebrows furrowed, and her voice trembled slightly. "Xiahou Ying, if you don't take me with you, I'll kill myself!" Before she could finish speaking, a sharp pain shot through her neck, and her small hand, which had been clutching Xiahou Ying's chest, fell limply to her side. Yin Quan stared at Xiahou Ying with wide eyes, utterly incredulous.

"You actually..." Looking at that stubborn little face, Xiahou Ying gently placed her on the bed, tucked her in, and lingered to kiss her rosy lips before reluctantly leaving the inner room.

Wei Jun had been waiting outside the door for a long time. Xiahou Ying glanced at Wei Jun out of the corner of his eye and said, "After I leave, you just need to take good care of her. If anything goes wrong, you don't need to come to see me."

Wei Jun's expression shifted, and he said in disbelief, "Your Highness faces great danger this time, and I am willing to accompany you on your voyage." Xiahou Ying's face darkened, and Wei Jun felt the temperature around him plummet.

"I don't want to say it a second time, but it is still necessary to use all the resources of the capital to protect her at any time."

Xiahou Ying ignored Wei Jun and went straight to the study. At that moment, a man in a blue robe stood in front of the study with his hands behind his back, a strand of black hair moving without wind. Only after seeing Xiahou Ying did his expression change slightly.

"Junior brother, you've finally agreed to come with me to see Master?"

Indeed, the person who arrived was Qin Nian, who had disappeared for some time. Xiahou Ying pursed his lips and remained silent.

"If I return alive, I will go with you to see Master. If anything happens to me, take Yin Quan to Master. Only there can I feel at ease." Qin Nian's deep pupils narrowed slightly.

"You know the rules of the Heavenly Mystery Sect; outsiders are not allowed to go up the mountain."

With a flick of his white sleeve, Xiahou Ying sent an ancient wooden hairpin hurtling towards Qin Nian's chest. Qin Nian caught it steadily with a pinch of his two fingers, without dodging or flinching.

"This is what my master owes my mother. He will naturally allow it when he sees this." Although Qin Nian didn't know what the connection was between these people, the image of a pretty woman flashed through his mind, making him hold the wooden hairpin tightly in his hand.

"I will protect her."

Hearing his promise, Xiahou Ying finally felt relieved.

"Someone will arrange your identity in the next few days, but it's best not to show your true face to avoid causing me unnecessary trouble. Before I give you my notice, Yin Quan is not allowed to step out of the capital."

The feeling of giving one's last words made Qin Nian somewhat uncomfortable. "Perhaps I can go with you." Xiahou Ying remained silent, hurrying out of the palace. Gu Lounan leaned against the carriage outside, smiling wickedly.

"Oh, so you've finally let our little Quan Quan go?" Xiahou Ying's figure moved slightly, and a hole the size of a bowl appeared in the carriage under Gu Lounan.

"Keep your mouth shut, or I won't hesitate to take it away for you."