cold clothes

On a clear winter morning, Zhao Qun, dressed only in a white shirt, practiced with a spear. The collar was loosely undone down to his waist, revealing most of his well-developed chest muscles. His skin, still flushed from exercise, radiated warmth, and even from half a meter away, one could feel the heat emanating from him.

The image of a monkey's back and a wasp's waist, and youthful vigor, is vividly embodied in the phrase.

The sudden movement startled Leng Yi, who had just woken up. Coming to her senses, she hurriedly, laboriously, and reluctantly looked away from his chest muscles and bowed to Zhao Qun.

"You're interested in guns too?"

"Eh?"

Leng Yi looked up in confusion. Zhao Qun held the spear in front of him. Leng Yi stared at the silver spear, then realized something and couldn't help but laugh.

Is this the thought process of a martial arts fanatic? He actually wants to discuss spear techniques with his concubine.

Leng Yi forced a smile and said, "I have been learning swordsmanship from my master since I was a child and have never touched a spear, but I would like to learn spear techniques."

"Really? Let's try it out," Zhao Qun said, pushing the spear in front of Leng Yi.

Leng Yi took the gun as if possessed, and the moment Zhao Qun completely let go, Leng Yi's body involuntarily leaned forward—this gun is so heavy!

Zhao Qun immediately grabbed Leng Yi's arm. He took a half step forward, and Leng Yi also fell forward, resulting in Leng Yi's face pressing against Zhao Qun's chest.

Leng Yi: "..."

Zhao Qun straightened Leng Yi's clothes, then said with slight surprise, "Your face is so red, is it from the cold?"

Hearing Zhao Qun's honest-sounding words, Leng Yi began to suspect that he was doing it on purpose. Did he really not see why she was blushing? Also, this spear was so heavy, it must weigh twenty or thirty pounds. She didn't expect it to be so heavy, which is why she couldn't hold it steady. It wasn't that she couldn't lift it.

"I'm not afraid of the cold, but Your Highness, you need to go back to your room and put on some clothes. You'll feel cold once you've sweated it out," Leng Yi said, bowing her head and gripping her gun tightly.

Zhao Qun couldn't help but chuckle softly, "You're quite good at putting on a brave face."

“I wasn’t trying to be brave,” Leng Yi’s face flushed slightly, her unseen legs trembling involuntarily, “I can handle this weight very lightly, easily…”

"Miss Ningbi is truly impressive."

"You still call me Miss Ningbi? Uh, no, I am not worthy of Your Highness's title."

"Then, Ningbi, how would you like me to address you?" Zhao Qun took the gun back and leaned slightly forward to ask Leng Yi.

The Third Prince didn't refer to himself as "this prince," and instead asked her how she should address him.

When Leng Yi looked up, she saw Zhao Qun's smiling eyes very close to hers, and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "How presumptuous of me, how presumptuous of me, how presumptuous of me..."

But she could no longer ignore the Third Prince's attitude.

She needs to face her identity squarely. Even if she is an undercover agent, her priority is to play the role of the Third Prince's kept woman well. She has to be a femme fatale!

Thinking it over, Leng Yi lowered her eyes and stammered, "Your Highness may address Ning Bi as whatever you wish to be addressed to her."

After saying that, Leng Yi wanted to bite her tongue and commit suicide. What was she saying? Could someone with her limited abilities be considered a source of trouble?

Zhao Qun pondered for a while, which made Leng Yi even more flustered.

To be fair, someone like her wouldn't flatter or fawn, nor would she be charming or alluring, and she wouldn't be clever or witty either. If she didn't have a beautiful face, how could she emulate Xi Shi and Diao Chan?

After a short while, Zhao Qun finished his thought and uttered two words: "The Empress Consort—"

“That’s impossible. Even if I have my own selfish motives, I have to consider the bigger picture. I can still try to make you my concubine,” Zhao Qun said. “So you are now my prospective concubine, so you can’t call yourself ‘this humble servant’ anymore.”