Chapter 705: Head Tingling

Xīnruǐ placed a cup of floral tea in front of each of them, then smiled sweetly and slowly withdrew.

The Crown Princess frowned but ultimately remained silent. The discussion concerned the Crown Prince's crucial examination, and their deliberations certainly couldn't be known by more people to prevent information leaks. As for Zu An, he was, after all, an official of the Eastern Palace and not entirely an outsider. It should be fine for him to stay for a short while. The most crucial point, of course, was that White Consort had invited her. Although White Consort typically vied with her, she was ultimately also a consort of the Crown Prince and had borne his eldest son. The Crown Prince's future was her future. At this critical juncture, there was no reason for her to cause any mischief.

She took a sip of the floral tea; a refreshing aroma lingered in her mouth and, as she swallowed, gradually spread throughout her body. Her anxious mood began to calm down.

Zu An also drank his tea, all the while secretly observing her. With bright eyes, snow-white skin, and lusciously red lips, a faint trace of sorrow lingered between her brows, adding a touch of softness to her usually majestic demeanor. What was even more remarkable was that, despite the circumstances, she still sat with her back perfectly straight, exuding immense grace. It must be said, the Crown Princess was truly a rare beauty. At that moment, he finally understood the true meaning of "a feast for the eyes." Especially with the floral tea's aroma, it felt as though he was inhaling her natural fragrance.

A faint blush gradually spread across the Crown Princess's cheeks. She felt his gaze and thought, "How can this fellow be so ill-mannered?"

Enrage points from Bi Linglong +222222…

However, addressing it openly now would clearly create an awkward situation for everyone and make future interactions more difficult. She had been pondering how to win him over, and now the path was clear. Beautiful since childhood, she had long mastered the art of leveraging her beauty. It was simply that she had never before met anyone who required her to use it. Of course, she wasn't planning to use a honey trap on Zu An; as the dignified Crown Princess, she wouldn't debase herself to that extent. However, it was always possible to use her charm to speak gently with him and subtly win him over.

With this thought, she parted her red lips and asked, "Master Zu, how did you come to know Miss Chu?"

Zu An was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a sudden question. "It's quite a coincidence, actually," he began. "One day, I was bathing in a pond in the wilderness when, out of nowhere, a woman fell from the sky right into my arms."

"Ah?" The Crown Princess had merely intended to chat casually to show her cordiality, but hearing this, she became instantly intrigued. "Was that Chu Chuyan? How did she fall from the sky?"

Seeing her eyes sparkle with curiosity, Zu An thought, "I just casually spun a tale about someone falling from the sky, and you believed it?" So he, too, got into the spirit of it and nonchalantly fabricated, "Oh, there was a cliff nearby, and she jumped down from it."

"My dear Chuyan," he thought, "please forgive me for using you as a prop."

"What? She tried to commit suicide?" The Crown Princess covered her mouth, utterly perplexed as to why Chu Chuyan would do such a thing. She had long heard of Miss Chu's renowned beauty, a peerless stunner who, after only a brief stay in the capital, had countless noble youths dreaming of her. Crucially, she was also a cultivation genius, with very few of her peers able to surpass her. Why would such a blessed and adored woman attempt suicide?

"Oh, at the time," Zu An replied casually, "she seemed to have learned that her family was arranging a marriage for her. Overwhelmed by despair, she contemplated ending her life."

The Crown Princess was somewhat shocked, pondering who the Chu family had initially intended to marry her to. She considered various possibilities but dismissed each one. After a moment, she suddenly grew melancholic, as Chu Chuyan's plight resonated deeply with her. She, too, had been forced into an arranged marriage by her family, marrying an imbecile. It was simply that she lacked Chu Chuyan's uninhibited spirit, unable to choose death as an escape.

"What happened next?" she asked, her spirits somewhat dampened.

"Later, I happened to save her..." Zu An casually spun a story, adapting elements from "Titanic" to recount to her.

The Crown Princess had only asked casually, yet she was enthralled to hear such a dramatic and extraordinary tale. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she said, "No wonder she defied all objections to choose you as her husband. Everyone else thought it was a case of a beautiful flower... *cough cough*... but now I understand her choice."

Wasn't this precisely the kind of love story she had often fantasized about in her youth? Unfortunately, those youthful romantic sentiments had long been sealed deep within her heart, never to be reopened. Now, hearing his tale, she felt as though she had returned to her blossoming youth, when she still dared to dream.

Seeing her lost in thought, Zu An was dumbfounded. "You're the Crown Princess, after all," he mused, "shouldn't you be more worldly? A simple story like 'Titanic' moved you this much?" Come to think of it, Chuyan also seemed to enjoy stories like 'The Overbearing Sword Immortal Falls in Love With Me'? He suddenly realized he could become a great literary figure in this world. If he simply plagiarized some of the poignant love stories from his previous life, wouldn't he attract a large number of female fans? Hmm, maybe he wouldn't even need to spend money at brothels, just like Liu Yong... *cough cough*, that's not the point!

He looked at the beautiful and noble woman on the other side and asked, "Crown Princess, how did you and the Crown Prince meet?"

Ordinarily, the Crown Princess would never have answered such a question. Perhaps moved by his story or something else, she seemed unsettled. After a moment's hesitation, she replied, "Our meeting wasn't as dramatic as yours; it was simply a family marriage alliance. The Emperor valued the Bi family's influence and wanted to win us over to prevent us from fully siding with King Qi. My father also wanted to hedge his bets, ensuring the Bi family's invincibility, so he agreed to this marriage..."

As she recounted the story, speaking as if about something entirely unrelated to herself, the despondency in her voice was palpable. He couldn't help but ask, "Do you like the Crown Prince?"

"He is the Crown Prince, I am the Crown Princess. I can only like him; there are no other choices..." Her expression suddenly shifted as if she realized she had lost her composure. "You've overstepped your bounds. I don't wish to hear such words again."

Seeing her revert to her usual aloof demeanor, Zu An found it pointless and resumed drinking his tea.

"Why isn't White Consort here yet!" The Crown Princess felt a surge of irritation and couldn't help but loosen her collar. "Don't you feel it's a bit warm today?"

"It is indeed a bit warm," Zu An agreed, feeling the heat himself. "But that's strange; it's already dusk..."

As they spoke, both their expressions changed abruptly. They immediately stood up, intending to leave, but as soon as they did, a wave of dizziness swept over them, and they involuntarily collapsed into nearby chairs, losing consciousness.

"Damn it, we've been set up!" Zu An bit his tongue, trying to stay conscious, and rallied his primal energy to expel the poison. Unfortunately, the drug was too potent to be of much use. He vaguely saw a woman walk in, then lift him by his collar and move him towards the Crown Princess. After that, he knew nothing more.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Zu An felt he was dreaming. He dreamed he was embracing Chu Chuyan. "Chuyan's body is truly soft and smooth," he thought. "Huh, but shouldn't her body be cold?" And the feel, the size, it wasn't quite right... Could it be Manman? No, Manman had returned to her hometown; how could she be here? Or Dandan? She wouldn't be back anytime soon either. "Huh, this woman somewhat resembles the Crown Princess..." he thought. "Since I'm dreaming of her?"

Wait, the Crown Princess!

A flash of insight struck him, and remembering what happened before he fainted, he instantly woke up, startled. Seeing the scene before him, his entire body stiffened.

A naked woman lay in his arms, her skin as fine and smooth as satin, more fragrant than the floral tea itself. Her face was exquisitely flawless, and the faint blush on her cheeks made her even more captivating. At any other time, he might have even considered himself fortunate for such a romantic encounter. But at this moment, his overwhelming feeling was one of shock—a scalp-tingling terror. For the woman lying naked in his arms was none other than the Crown Princess.

As if sensing his movement, the Crown Princess slowly opened her eyes.