After thinking for a moment, Shen Qianyu slowly began to speak.

“I don’t know if it’s because Qin Rao is a product of impropriety that she attracted divine punishment, leaving her without knowledge or sensation since childhood.”

“I once saw with my own eyes her walking barefoot through a palace hall covered in shattered glass, blood flowing freely along the way, yet she showed no reaction whatsoever.”

Hearing this, Song Wan was somewhat shocked. She had never heard of such a person existing.

“She cannot perceive anything. Having no pain, she likely also cannot feel pleasure.”

“But for some unknown reason, after Qin Rao reached the age of hairpinning, she took in countless bedchamber guests. When I left Nanqing, she was even sleeping in the same sleeping quarters as Qin Zhan.”

Song Wan blinked, her cheeks flushing crimson. This Nanqing imperial family was truly… truly depraved and filthy beyond measure.

Not knowing what he remembered, Shen Qianyu sneered. “Qin Zhan is also mad—cruel by nature yet extremely doting toward this blood sister of his. Because Qin Rao was born with defects, she often took pleasure in tormenting others. Not long after I arrived in Nanqing, I witnessed her heating iron stools red-hot and forcing palace maids to sit on them.”

“I still remember the sounds of flesh searing that rang out after those palace maids sat down.”

Seeing Song Wan’s brows knitted tightly, Shen Qianyu raised his hand to gently cover her ears.

“Forget it. Why speak of such things to you?”

“I want to hear.”

Song Wan covered the man’s palm with her hand and smiled. “I want to hear, and I want to know what kind of life Your Highness lived during those years in Nanqing.”

“Whether bitter or sweet, Wan’er wants to know.”

Her face carried a gentle smile, her voice as soft and gentle as water. Shen Qianyu couldn’t help but hum softly in response.

“If Wan’er wants to hear, I’ll speak of it.”

Moved to his very core by Song Wan’s words that she wanted to know about his past, Shen Qianyu drew her into his embrace, his tone unconsciously softening.

“Qin Zhan dotes greatly on this sister and has never cared what she does. The female officials and palace maids in Nanqing’s palace were originally daughters of official families, but later on so many died that gradually no one was willing to send daughters into the palace, so the maids were selected from the common people.”

“Women from common families… their circumstances were even more dire.”

“Sitting on iron plates, lying on branding irons, being scalded with boiling water—such things were enacted daily in Nanqing’s rear palace. At that time, I felt that above Nanqing’s imperial palace pervaded nothing but the resentful energy of those who died unjustly.”

Song Wan pressed her lips together. Only after a long while did she say, “I fear that Qin Rao wanted to use this to feel others’ pain—watching others in unbearable agony, as if she too could feel it.”

Shen Qianyu nodded. “Perhaps so.”

“Did she ever harm you?”

When the Crown Prince had lived precariously under the identity of Ji Rong, she had seen the scars deep into bone on his hands and feet. Thinking about it now, eighty to ninety percent were likely related to this Qin Rao.

Song Wan lowered her eyes, concealing the disgust within them. One without a heart of compassion is not human. This person Qin Rao was worse than pigs and rats.

When she raised her head again, she wrapped her arms around Shen Qianyu’s waist and murmured softly, “She hurt Your Highness too, didn’t she?”

Shen Qianyu hesitated for a moment. He didn’t know whether he should tell Song Wan about the suffering he had once endured.

As a grown man, he didn’t really think much of it, and he couldn’t remember much of those long-past events anyway. However, Song Wan wanted to understand him, and he also wanted to reveal all of himself to her.

Some things she would know sooner or later.

Shen Qianyu picked her up and walked to the canopy bed in the room that he had never dared look at more than once.

Song Wan was somewhat surprised. Before she could feel embarrassed, she saw him dismiss Heng Zhi, Heng Wu, and the others.

“There’s something you should know.”

She sat on the edge of the bed. Shen Qianyu crouched halfway before Song Wan, grasping her hand and placing it inside his clothing.

The man’s skin carried a burning temperature. Song Wan’s fingertips moved slightly, feeling the rises and falls of uneven scars beneath her fingertips.

As she touched them, she suddenly paused.

“Do you want to look?”

Song Wan pressed her lips together. After a moment, she nodded.

Shen Qianyu stood up. The man’s tall frame enveloped her in shadow. Song Wan watched as he reached to his waist and untied the bright yellow sash.

His clothing slipped down, revealing his lean, muscular torso covered entirely in scars. A long scar ran from his left shoulder to his waist and abdomen—who knew what had gouged out this mark—fine, neat, and of similar lengths. On his shoulder was also branded a large character for “slave.”

Song Wan only felt as if someone had tightly gripped the tip of her heart. The pain made her instinctively cover her chest.

“Wan’er…”

Shen Qianyu faced away from her, his voice carrying a faint nasal tone. “Are you afraid?”

Song Wan shook her head but couldn’t make a single sound. The man couldn’t hear her response and turned around anxiously. Only when he crouched down did he discover tears welling in Song Wan’s eyes.

“Does it hurt?”

The young woman extended her soft palm, stroking the scars on his shoulder again and again. A tingling sensation spread from the depths of his heart throughout his entire body. Shen Qianyu’s body trembled violently—his legs nearly went weak, almost causing him to collapse to the ground.

“Don’t… don’t do that.”

His face turned red, his words faltering.

Song Wan was still feeling heartache. Seeing him like this, only a few words floated through her mind: he’s still in pain.

“Let me touch them. Do they still hurt now?”

The gentle caress fell upon his shoulder. Shen Qianyu wrapped his arms around Song Wan’s waist and carried her onto the canopy bed. As if resigned to fate, he lay on his side next to her, adopting an appearance of letting her touch and look as she pleased.

However, he kept his face turned away, not daring to meet Song Wan’s gaze.

Song Wan paid him no mind, focusing intently on carefully examining the scars on his body. From his shoulder to his waist, she carefully stroked every inch.

Her heart ached more and more. She even began to hate Qin Rao, whom she had never met.

The young woman’s soft fingertips traced across the man’s lean back. Shen Qianyu’s body grew increasingly rigid, until his taut flesh became like an iron plate. Only then did Song Wan come slightly back to her senses.

She withdrew her hand. As she separated from the emotions of heartache and anger intertwined, heat slowly crept across her face.

“I’m sorry.”

With rationality returning, years of upbringing made her feel ashamed to face the current situation. Song Wan covered her face and struggled to sit up.

“Don’t.”

Shen Qianyu turned over to circle her beneath his arms, then pulled her into his embrace. The two pressed closely together. Shen Qianyu mumbled, “Wan’er, touch me more.”

“…”

Song Wan’s face exploded in crimson as she too became flustered and at a loss.

She wanted to get up. Shen Qianyu was unwilling to give up their moment of intimacy, but his arm had just instinctively moved when he quickly restrained himself and let go. He feared Song Wan wouldn’t like it.

Song Wan sat up, not daring to turn back to look at the bare man.

“Won’t Wan’er touch me anymore?”

The man lay on the bedding, his tone full of regret and reluctance.

Song Wan turned her head. Seeing his eyes full of pleading, she truly couldn’t help but laugh aloud with flushed cheeks.

“Your Highness…”

“Mm.”

He hummed with ambiguous meaning, staring at Song Wan without blinking. She sighed helplessly, her eyes showing several traces of indulgence as she bent down to gently stroke the Crown Prince’s cheek. After thinking for a moment, she lowered her head and lightly placed a shallow kiss upon that glaring brand of the character for “slave.”

Shen Qianyu trembled violently and suddenly turned over to pin Song Wan beneath him.

“Wan’er…”

“Mm?”

Shen Qianyu stared into Song Wan’s eyes. Seeing them filled entirely with the young woman’s tender affection, his heart grew sweet. He too lowered his head and pressed his kiss upon the lips he had longed for.