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

Chapter 71 Kick him to the ground

Yin Quan glanced at Wei Jun subtly, then nodded slightly in acknowledgment, saying nothing more. The white-clad guard, quick-witted as ever, understood immediately upon seeing that she had brought her assistant. After a brief salute, he vanished in an instant, his figure as swift as lightning.

Seeing this, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiahou Ying, who simply pursed his lips and turned to walk into the house, deliberately ignoring her meaningful gaze.

This was the second time that Yin Quan and Xiahou Ying had shared a room and slept together.

The next day, Yin Quan woke up very early. The first thing she saw when she woke up was Xiahou Ying's eyes, which could emit a hazy, cold light like jade even in the dim environment.

"You're awake. Can you get off me now?"

A clear, melodious voice, as pure as the first snowflakes, drifted into her ears. Hearing this, Yin Quan, who was still half asleep, was suddenly awakened. She turned her head and found that, without her noticing, she was wrapped around him like an octopus, with one of her legs seemingly draped over something inappropriate, which made her feel a sense of shame she had never felt before.

Her cheeks flushed, and she jerked back her hands and feet as if she had been electrocuted. Then, she kicked Xiahou Ying out of the bedding.

Caught off guard, he was kicked onto the cold, hard stone floor. His face turned cold, and he steadied himself almost instantly. He then stood up even faster and looked down at the person curled up in the blankets.

"That was an accident! I didn't mean to kick you..."

Stretching her neck to defend herself, Yin Quan hugged the blanket, her voice growing softer and softer, even her gaze softening. Finally, she turned her head away, not daring to look at him.

Heavens above... she really didn't mean to kick him...

It really was just an accident! It was a conditioned reflex!

She wasn't fully awake yet...she was sleepwalking! She must be sleepwalking!

A sudden wave of fear washed over Yin Quan, who broke out in a cold sweat and was momentarily at a loss. Just as she was feeling uneasy, she heard his indifferent yet calm voice: "Look at me."

"Huh?" She subconsciously looked up, followed the sound, and involuntarily swallowed.

He...isn't angry?!

He's not angry at all?!

Did he eat something bad last night?!

As Yin Quan stared in bewilderment at those long, narrow, and deep black eyes, Xiahou Ying's voice rang in her ears again.

"You have eye boogers."

"Xiahou Ying! You bastard! Go to hell!" Yin Quan roared, jumping up and grabbing whatever was at hand, throwing it at him, from blankets to robes to pillows, nothing was spared.

Wei Jun, who was guarding the door, heard the constant noise coming from inside the house early in the morning. He first twitched his lips, then turned it into a sigh.

My master would actually say such things...

Miss Yin has truly changed my master quite a bit.

As Wei Jun pondered this, he lowered his gaze, his expression hardening. He turned to his left and bowed respectfully, saying, "This humble servant greets the Grand Preceptor."

Upon hearing the sounds coming from outside the room, Xiahou Ying's facial features, which had just begun to soften, suddenly returned to their original sharp and clear appearance. At the same time, he also slightly relaxed the grip on Yin Quan's wrist.

The two exchanged a glance. Yin Quan pursed her lips, quickly pulled her wrist out of his calloused palm, then gestured with her chin toward the door and said, "Someone's coming. Go out and greet them!"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Ying stared at her for a long time, chin in hand, before a smile played on his lips.

As he stared at her like that, Yin Quan felt a chill run down her spine and her scalp tighten. When she came to her senses, she found herself being pulled to the door and standing in front of Gu Lounan, who was shrouded in a magnificent crimson robe and whose beauty was otherworldly and otherworldly.

Gu Lounan glanced down at Yin Quan, who was standing next to Xiahou Ying, and subtly raised an eyebrow. A wicked glint seemed to gather in the slightly upturned corners of his eyes, but he did not show any surprise, as if he had expected this all along.

"Wei Chen..."

He quickly averted his amused gaze, and before Gu Lounan could speak, Xiahou Ying interrupted him, saying, "These past few days have caused the Imperial Preceptor much trouble. I can depart for the capital today."

After listening, Gu Lounan nodded slightly, gave a casual reply, turned around and walked forward, quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

As the elegant yet restrained figure in crimson purplish-red faded from view, Xiahou Ying turned to look at Yin Quan, about to speak, but she had already turned around before him, hiding most of her body behind the door, and said with a smile, "I'm changing my clothes first, you can't peek, or you'll be struck by lightning!"

After saying that, she slammed the door shut in front of Xiahou Ying and Wei Jun, the master and servant, with a swift and decisive action.

Upon seeing this, Wei Jun immediately twitched his lips.

This Miss Yin... how come she even locked her master out...?

The white-clad guard, filled with trepidation, almost instinctively glanced at his master, only to be startled and shudder.

The master is actually laughing!

Master... is actually laughing?

Opening his eyes, Wei Jun's lips twitched, and his temples twitched as well, making his chest feel tight and his head throb. He couldn't quite process what was happening for a while.

Just as he was puzzled, Xiahou Ying's cold voice, as sharp as snow on a high mountain, rang in his ears: "Wei Jun, come downstairs with me."

Bowing his head to accept the order, Wei Jun, though somewhat puzzled, silently began to walk.

Hearing the sound coming from outside the door, Yin Quan paused in tying her belt, then continued what she had been doing.

They chose to return to the capital by water again. With the protection of the Imperial Preceptor and his two accompanying armies, the journey was smooth sailing, and the group finally arrived at Zhaoyang three days later.

On the day of his arrival in the capital, Xiahou Ying did not return to his residence to rest. Instead, he went to the palace with Gu Lounan and did not return to his residence until 9 PM.

As usual, Yin Quan sat on the steps outside the front hall, directly opposite the main gate of the Prince's Mansion. She leaned against the dark chestnut door frame with her arms crossed, looking as if she had fallen into a deep sleep. Long Jue held a lantern and stood guard beside her.

Seeing that lake-blue figure that almost blended into the dark chestnut door frame, Xiahou Ying pursed his thin lips and looked down at her.

The candlelight was dim, enveloping Yin Quan and casting a hazy glow that traced a crescent moon arc across her thick, curled eyelashes, like sunlight illuminating jade. It exuded a serene beauty that momentarily captivated the viewer, like spilled water that could never be recovered.

His eyes flickered slightly, his brow furrowed, and he glanced at Long Jue almost imperceptibly. The latter quickly understood and retreated. Only the two of them remained on the short, five-step stone staircase outside the main hall.

Silently sitting down next to Yin Quan, Xiahou Ying took off his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders. He then stared at her intently for a long time, his deep, cold black eyes flashing with dark light, sometimes like a raging storm, sometimes like a turbulent wave, but finally returning to calm after a short while.

"Ah Quan... I'm sorry, I can't give you the freedom you want."

As he spoke, he reached out and gently pulled Yin Quan into his arms, planting a kiss on her smooth forehead.

"The path I have taken is one of no return once I have embarked on it. Do you know that you are the most unexpected surprise on this path?"

The voice of Xiahou Ying, clear and slightly hoarse, reached her ears. Yin Quan, who was already awake, kept her eyes closed, but she didn't know when, but a salty taste rose in her throat.

The usually taciturn Xiahou Ying spoke a lot, contrary to his usual behavior. Whether it was because Yin Quan was asleep or for some other reason, at this moment, although his tone was soft and his voice was cold, the restraint that slowly emerged between each word was heart-wrenching.

Even when he carried her back to the bedroom, Yin Quan did not open her eyes. This continued until dawn, when she finally woke up from her pretense of sleep.

Xiahou Ying was not by his side, and even the bedding was cold, so he must have been up for a long time.

Lying flat on the bed, she stared at the dark blue curtains, her thoughts a jumbled mess, unable to make sense of them for a moment.

Last night, she suddenly heard far too much; one night was simply not enough time to think about and process it. It felt as if an incredibly hard bone was stuck in her throat, impossible to swallow or spit out, causing her throat to bleed and constantly oozing out a salty, metallic taste.

Feeling agitated, Yin Quan suddenly pulled the blanket over her head. Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Pushing open the door, Xiahou Ying walked to the bedside and stood silently, his gaze lowered as he looked at the curled-up quilt. A semi-transparent, hazy light rose from his clear, dark eyes, as cold as a deep pool under the moon, like pearls or morning mist, always exuding an aura of majesty and coldness that kept strangers at bay.

"woke up?"

With a barely perceptible twitch of his thin lips, Xiahou Ying sat down beside the rolled-up blanket as he spoke, a faint blue light emanating from his brows, shimmering like the morning star.

Hearing his voice, devoid of any emotion, Yin Quan, who was muffled under the quilt, pouted and suddenly sprang up, throwing off the quilt and lunging at him. Unexpectedly, the latter suddenly stood up at this moment, causing her to miss her target and nearly fall off the edge of the bed.

"Did you hear everything I said last night?"

Just as she was feeling down, a chilling question suddenly floated down from above, landing like snowflakes on the back of Yin Quan's neck, making her shiver.

She reluctantly got up, hugged the quilt, looked up, then turned her head away and muttered softly, "You already know, why are you asking..."

Seeing her slightly pouting lips, Xiahou Ying's brows furrowed, and a surge of heat suddenly welled up in his heart, instantly sweeping through his limbs and bones, surging and crashing between his lungs like a raging storm, lingering for a long time. With a thought, he slightly parted his thin lips, but was interrupted by Yin Quan.

“Ah Quan…”

“Little Yingying, do you know that you look more handsome when you smile?” Yin Quan pressed her index finger against Xiahou Ying’s rose-colored thin lips, then smiled and lifted two fingers upwards, continuing, “If you always have a stern face, your good fortune will slip away…” Her eyes were smiling, and her pair of dark, star-like eyes were bright and dazzling, shining directly into Xiahou Ying’s unfathomable, cold black eyes. In an instant, his mind went blank, and the words that had been lingering in his heart for so long vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.