Wei Qiang walked along the covered corridor all the way to Zhaohua’s residence, but the rain blowing in slantwise still dampened the hem of his clothes.

Seeing Wei Qiang arrive carrying moisture from the rain, Zhaohua was startled.

“Why did Your Highness come in the rain?”

Wei Qiang grasped her hand, only feeling that this slender hand was even colder than the raindrops striking his cheeks.

“You don’t want me to come?”

Zhaohua keenly perceived that this man was in a bad mood and smiled gently: “How could that be? I just didn’t expect Your Highness would come.”

As she spoke, she helped Wei Qiang remove his outer robe and handed it to a palace maid.

The palace maid was none other than Cuihong.

She held the moisture-dampened garment and watched longingly as Wei Qiang pulled Zhaohua’s hand and stepped into the inner chamber, her eyes full of jealousy.

The Crown Prince truly cared deeply for Consort Yu.

What was so good about Consort Yu?

Even if Consort Yu was an old acquaintance from the prince’s household and had some beauty, she wasn’t young anymore.

Today, when Qing’er was combing Consort Yu’s hair, she even plucked out two white hairs.

A woman nearly thirty years old—in an ordinary family, children would already be of marriageable age. Yet Consort Yu attended to the Crown Prince even more frequently than new favorites. How shameless.

The more Cuihong thought about it, the more her eyes reddened and her heart burned.

Her looks were outstanding. Even if she was one or two points inferior to Consort Yu, youth was enough to compensate.

Moreover, she had a similar build to Consort Yu. Considering the Crown Prince’s preferences, she had deliberately starved herself into a fragile, delicate figure.

But with Consort Yu present, the Crown Prince had never spared her an extra glance.

Thinking of these things, Cuihong couldn’t help but clutch the half-damp garment tighter.

“Cuihong, what are you daydreaming about?”

Cuihong suddenly snapped back to attention and smiled at Qing’er: “Nothing. I just didn’t expect His Highness would come with such heavy rain falling outside.”

Qing’er smiled: “What’s so strange about it? Who told our Consort to be so favored?”

When the master was favored, naturally those serving below had more comfortable lives.

Forget everything else—the food, clothing, and provisions here were immeasurably better than at the other concubines’ residences.

“Yes, being favored is truly wonderful.” Cuihong murmured in a voice too low to be heard.

They were both of lowly birth, yet Consort Yu lived a pampered and privileged life, while she had to carefully serve a consort who was born a maid, also worrying about being punished for any mistakes.

As a servant, where was there any comfort?

She didn’t even dare hope for the kind of favor Consort Yu had. As long as the Crown Prince took her in and allowed her to have servants like the other concubines from then on, that would be enough.

Heaven had given her a beautiful face—was such a wish excessive?

Cuihong put away the garment and gently stroked her tender, fair cheeks.

Outside, violent wind and sudden rain stirred restless hearts, but the atmosphere in the inner chamber was very warm.

At least Wei Qiang felt it was so.

He wore only a snow-white inner robe, his head pillowed on Zhaohua’s lap, letting those plain hands massage his forehead for him.

The perfectly appropriate pressure made his whole body relax. He sighed: “This headache ailment of mine is becoming more and more frequent.”

“Your Highness should take care of your health.”

Wei Qiang didn’t hear many considerate words, but he was accustomed to Zhaohua being this way.

In his heart, he knew all too clearly who the person he thought of was.

What he wanted from her had never been Zhaohua’s love, only her companionship.

If Zhaohua truly forgot Luo’er and became a woman who competed for favor and was jealous, then to him she would be no different from other women.

“Yu Niang.”

Zhaohua responded.

“Only with you can I feel somewhat relaxed.”

“That is this concubine’s honor.” Zhaohua lowered her eyes, her fingers moving from the man’s forehead to his shoulders, gently kneading his shoulders for him.

If her hands moved further inward, they could reach his neck.

She didn’t know how many times she had wondered if, using all her strength, she could strangle this person to death.

But in the end, she could only think about it.

Zhaohua’s gaze fell on the gold-inlaid seven-treasure bracelet at her wrist.

As her wrist moved, the bracelet also swayed gently along with it.

She curved her lips in a bitter smile.

She guarded this bracelet, and this bracelet also imprisoned her.

Keeping her in purgatory, unable to find release.

If Xiu Yue was truly at Youjian Tavern, perhaps she could find an opportunity to give the bracelet to Xiu Yue.

She had guarded it for twelve years—she was too tired. Let Sister Xiu Yue take over for her.

At that time, she would try to see if she could take this man along with her, drag him to hell to apologize to the Princess.

The man pillowed on her lap had sword-like brows and starry eyes—undoubtedly handsome.

But no matter how beautiful the skin, it couldn’t hide his disgusting hypocrisy.

If he truly cherished and valued the Princess so much, why did he do such unconscionable things?

Having done such things, why bother putting on such a devoted posture?

Thinking of these things, Zhaohua suddenly felt a weight on her hands.

A large hand grasped hers.

“Your Highness?”

Wei Qiang said nothing and pulled her down to lie beside him.

She didn’t know how much time had passed. The sound of wind and rain outside still hadn’t stopped when Zhaohua said softly: “Your Highness, you should return to rest.”

Wei Qiang opened his eyes and said lazily: “I won’t leave tonight.”

Zhaohua’s expression changed slightly.

Of course there was no rule that the Crown Prince couldn’t stay overnight at a concubine’s residence, but over all these years, the number of times the Crown Prince had spent the night with her was not many.

Sometimes she couldn’t help but suspect—could this man have detected her murderous intent, which was why he didn’t dare stay overnight?

“Then this concubine will go bathe.”

Wei Qiang nodded slightly. He seemed tired and didn’t open his eyes.

Zhaohua quickly went to the bathhouse and soaked in the wooden tub for quite a while before returning.

When she came back, the man seemed to be sleeping soundly, his breathing steady and long.

Zhaohua sat down and silently watched him.

After a good while, confirming that Wei Qiang was truly asleep, she tiptoed around to the head of the bed, pulled open a hidden compartment, and took out a small porcelain bottle.

The tiny porcelain bottle gleamed coldly in the candlelight, but not as coldly as Zhaohua’s heart.

She didn’t dare gamble even once more.

During these twelve years, she had actually been pregnant once.

At that time, she didn’t understand much and only knew to scrub her body over and over again.

But she still conceived. It wasn’t until her monthly courses were delayed by over ten days that it was diagnosed.

She still remembered that man’s excitement.

He had stroked her abdomen, filled with joy.

She knew what he was joyful about.

This self-deceiving man treated the fetus in her womb as his and the Princess’s child.

How delusional!

Behind everyone’s back, she desperately pounded her belly, forcibly beating this child out of her, and lay bedridden for several months before recovering.

Her heart ached. She was guilty.

She could not allow herself to become pregnant again.

Zhaohua poured out two pills and swallowed them.

A shocked cry rang out: “Consort, what are you doing?”

Zhaohua felt blood rushing upward. Her movements stiffened as she looked toward where the voice came from.

Cuihong rushed over and grabbed Zhaohua’s hand tightly, crying out in alarm: “Consort, how can you take medicine recklessly!”

The shout was so loud that even the other palace maid, Qing’er, heard the commotion and ran in.

Following behind Qing’er were even more palace attendants.

Wei Qiang turned over and sat up, frowning as he stared at Zhaohua and Cuihong, his voice terrifyingly cold: “What exactly is going on?”

Cuihong fell to her knees with a thump, holding up the small porcelain bottle she had seized from Zhaohua’s hand, and said loudly: “Your Highness, this servant discovered the Consort taking medicine—”

Wei Qiang interrupted her words with displeasure: “The Consort has a weak constitution. Does she need a mere servant making a fuss over her taking restorative pills?”

“Your Highness, the Consort takes this kind of medicine every time after receiving Your Highness’s favor!”