Although years of reforms had relaxed the strict requirements for female chastity in Qingyun, Hai Qing was raised in a respectable family. Even in a moment of passion, she ultimately didn’t go to the final step.
She rose from the soft couch, tidied her disheveled hair with clean hands, and then went to wash her hands thoroughly in a basin outside.
Ji Mingchen still lay on the pillow, dazed. This was his first taste of such deep pleasure. Looking at Hai Qing now, he felt she was different from before.
Previously, he saw Hai Qing as noisy and overbearing. Now, the light falling on her profile made her face appear especially alluring.
His throat tightened as he slowly sat up on the couch.
Hai Qing brought him a cup of tea, her face showing no unusual expression. She said, “Your Highness grew up facing challenges, yet you lack even this basic caution against others.”
Ji Mingchen was about to answer when she chuckled and nodded, “Indeed, a delicate young girl calls you ‘Your Highness’ and you melt, how could you think of being cautious?”
Wei Ling was desperate, so she had to find someone to rely on. Ji Mingchen was the best choice. Though her methods were somewhat dirty, it was understandable.
“You…” Ji Mingchen couldn’t understand, “Is this your only reaction?”
It was their first time encountering such a situation, shouldn’t she blush at least?
Hai Qing looked at him puzzled, “What reaction does Your Highness expect? This time it was me, next time if it’s someone else, the Queen Mother will surely make you marry her.”
Ji Mingchen narrowed his eyes, “So if it’s you, I don’t need to marry?”
“You never saw me as a woman anyway, just consider it helping a brother out. I’m not so desperate to marry that I’d use this to force you to wed me,” Hai Qing waved her hand. Even in her nonchalance, she felt somewhat uncomfortable and turned away, muttering, “Consider it a learning experience. Next time if someone else is tricked, I can also—”
Before she could finish, her wrist was firmly grasped.
Hai Qing turned back in surprise to see Ji Mingchen’s eyes filled with anger. He said coldly, “You’re not allowed to help others like this!”
Slightly choked, Hai Qing laughed, “Your Highness is quite controlling.”
“I…” Ji Mingchen looked at her helplessly, “I’ll go back to the palace now to ask Father Emperor and Mother Empress to arrange our marriage.”
Hai Qing’s expression cooled, her eyes half-closed, “I said I have no intention of forcing marriage with this. Your Highness can leave, pretending nothing happened.”
“That won’t do. You’re a lady from a noble family, how could I take advantage of you like this?” He stood up, quickly tidying his clothes and walking out, “Wait for me!”
Hai Qing reached out to stop him, but he ran like the wind, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
If it had been earlier, Hai Qing would have been overjoyed that Ji Mingchen was so eager to marry her. But under these circumstances, she couldn’t even raise the corners of her mouth.
Outside, the night was deep, and the palace was silent. Ji Mingchen walked quickly, thinking that perhaps he had grown up with Hai Qing and was too familiar with her, making it difficult to accept her as his wife at first.
But after they became intimate, he found it wasn’t so hard to accept. When the drug took effect, he couldn’t bear Wei Ling’s approach, yet he traveled far to find Hai Qing. So in his heart, he had always considered Hai Qing his own.
Just thinking about Hai Qing being intimate with someone else in the future made his heart clench. Rather than being jealous later, he might as well marry her now.
A smile gradually appeared in his eyes as Ji Mingchen excitedly rushed to Zhaoyang Palace, pushing open the doors and calling out, “Mother—”
Before he could finish, a black dragon rushed out, violently knocking him into the courtyard outside the hall. Its deep blue eyes stared at him, angrily snorting.
Then someone quickly came out, grabbing him and dragging him far away.
“What are you doing?” Ji Bozai glared at him with a stern face.
Ji Mingchen felt wronged, “Your son came to discuss something with you both.”
“Has the underworld come under your jurisdiction too, that you come to discuss matters at this hour?”
“…No, I just decided who I want as the Crown Princess.”
“I don’t care who you choose. Coming to disturb your mother’s sleep in the middle of the night is asking for a beating.” Ji Bozai kicked the back of his knee.
Ji Mingchen knelt, caught between laughter and tears.
He had forgotten that his mother was a light sleeper. Once she fell asleep each day, his father would guard her like a big tiger, not allowing anyone to disturb her. Barging in and calling out like this, it was only because he was their son that his father hadn’t twisted his head off.
Sighing helplessly, he knelt properly, “Then I’ll wait for Mother to wake up.”
Ji Bozai pointed to a corner in disgust, then turned to leave.
“Father,” Ji Mingchen suddenly called out, asking curiously, “With so many people in the world, how did you initially know that Mother was the only one you wanted?”
There was a moment of awkward silence in the air.
Ji Bozai turned back, raising his chin proudly, “That’s because I have good taste. I set my eyes on your mother at first sight.”
“Then later, Father, didn’t you encounter anyone else who moved your heart?” Ji Mingchen tilted his head, “After all, they submit many portraits and send people from various places every year.”
“No,” Ji Bozai replied without hesitation. “Ordinary beauties can’t compare to even half of your mother.”
Ji Mingchen immediately felt his father was truly impressive, choosing his mother at first sight and spending half a lifetime together, without a single wayward thought. It was truly single-minded, a love stronger than gold.
However, before he could praise them, the distant palace doors opened again.
“Your father has seen all kinds of women, naturally he can pick the best,” Ming Yi said lazily, wearing a cloak and yawning.
A chill ran down Ji Bozai’s spine. He glared at his son again, then strode over to tighten Ming Yi’s loose cloak, “Did we wake you after all?”
“I wasn’t asleep anyway,” Ming Yi walked over, looking down at the kneeling Ji Mingchen. “Your chosen Crown Princess, is it the Hai family’s daughter?”
“Yes,” Ji Mingchen nodded. “I want to marry her.”
Ming Yi nodded, sitting down on a chair brought by palace servants, and looked at him seriously, “It’s not difficult to allow, but first tell Mother, what about the Wei family’s daughter in the palace?”
Remembering Wei Ling, half of Ji Mingchen’s face darkened, “She’s too scheming. What she’s after isn’t me as a person, but my status and position. I can’t afford to marry such a woman. We can add some dowry for her and find her a good family.”
Ming Yi snorted with laughter, “Now you understand clearly. Then why did you initially drive the Hai girl out of the palace?”