DTBCF Chapter 26

King Li had survived countless battles of life and death, so by all logic, his heart should have been as still as water. Yet, he found himself completely defenseless against this matter.

He squinted his eyes, suddenly feeling that the small Buddha hall and the surrounding scenery were incredibly beautiful, like something out of a dream.

At this moment, Song Jiaoyue was equally stunned by the righteous words of the woman inside.

For someone to have such a clear understanding of the situation was rare enough, but what was even more impressive was that she was using these words to advise the future lady of the house.

Everyone in the capital knew about King Li and Miss Lin’s engagement.

While it was true that the Lin family was marrying above their station, King Li, Long Heng, had returned from war with a tarnished reputation, especially rumors of him mistreating women. As a result, many families who had once envied the match now felt relieved that their daughters wouldn’t have to marry such a brute.

But Song Jiaoyue knew it was all nonsense.

Still, through her words, he realized this woman had an unusual insight, even pointing out that someone was deliberately stirring trouble. This was beyond what most women could fathom, especially for a concubine.

When he heard that Miss Lin had escaped and that Madam Xiu was injured, Song Jiaoyue gently patted King Li’s shoulder, only to see his entire body tense. Then, as if he hadn’t heard anything, King Li turned and walked away.

His expression remained unchanged, and his steps were steady, without the slightest hint of chaos. Song Jiaoyue furrowed his brow. Was he unmoved? They say it’s easy to seize a kingdom but hard to find a confidante, especially a rare one like a soulmate.

If a man could find such a confidante, it would be his greatest happiness. Yet, his friend seemed so indifferent. What could he possibly be thinking?

Long Heng wasn’t as cold as he appeared. His fists had been clenched the whole time, only relaxing once he returned to his room and calmly bid farewell to Song Jiaoyue. It wasn’t until then that he could finally breathe a sigh of relief and fully regain his composure.

How had he even managed to walk back? His heart had been pounding the entire time.

He sat alone in the meditation room, but even in a cross-legged position trying to meditate, he couldn’t quiet his mind.

Her words kept replaying in his head, her voice like a gentle breeze swirling in his mind, refusing to dissipate.

Long Heng wanted to calm down and stop thinking about it, but how could he not understand the impact her words had on him? It was not something easily brushed aside.

A concubine had defended him so fiercely in front of his future wife. What mattered most was how deeply she believed in him.

If it had been a man, he wouldn’t have thought much of it. Men, with their understanding and broader perspectives, might see through things more clearly. But she is a woman, raised in a scholarly family. What could she possibly know about politics?

Yet she believed in him, even to the point of thinking the rumors were nothing more than malicious attempts to sow discord.

For a woman to choose to trust a man like that—could it be that she had feelings for him?

Previously, he had thought, how could a woman confined to the inner chambers know whether such rumors were true or not?

So, he had planned that when his future wife came into the household, he would find a way to explain things to her. After all, she would be the one spending her life with him, and no matter what, he had to make her believe in him.

But now he realized that there were women who believed in him without needing any explanation.

So why did his fiancée choose not to trust him? She was the daughter of an official, a noblewoman. How could her insight be worse than that of a commoner?

How should he face her tomorrow? She had sent him a gift; should he return one in kind?

He was deeply conflicted, as matters like these were incredibly difficult for a man with no prior experience in romantic affairs.

And yet, at that moment, he hadn’t even thought about his fiancée’s escape, having completely pushed it out of his mind.

It wasn’t until the next morning that he remembered he had gone to check on that woman last night, and it seemed she had been punished by being denied a meal.

An inexplicable sense of guilt welled up in him, and he hurriedly sent a servant to inquire about her situation. If she hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, he would have some food sent over.

Just as the servant left, Song Jiaoyue came by. He, too, hadn’t slept well. Though he hadn’t dwelled on it, something had been tugging at his heart, making him feel unsettled.

“The abbot has been waiting for a long time. Though we are mere mortals, we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

With a slight smile, Song Jiaoyue wondered if his friend had a heart of stone. How could he not be worried about her injury? Yet, it wasn’t his place to bring it up, so he suppressed his thoughts.

Just as they were about to leave, the servant came rushing back, looking flustered. “Your Highness, they say that Madam Xiu was injured, and she’s still bedridden.”

“How did she get hurt again?” King Li hadn’t expected to hear this first thing in the morning and furrowed his brow. “I’ll go check on her. Apologize to the abbot for me,” he said, hastily departing.

Song Jiaoyue chuckled, “So, he does care after all. Strange that he didn’t hear it before.” Shaking his head, he went to explain to the old monk.

Long Heng hadn’t expected the woman to be so easily injured. Wasn’t she supposed to be a beauty? Weren’t beautiful women usually quite resilient? He furrowed his brow as he pushed open the door to her meditation room.

In his mind, she was already his woman, and after yesterday’s events, she had become lodged in his heart, so he hadn’t hesitated to push open the door.

He hadn’t anticipated that the meditation room would be different from his estate, just a small room where, upon opening the door, one could immediately see the bed. On the bed, Xiaoshi was applying medicine to her mistress. The place where she had been injured the day before was just below her neck, on the upper chest.

The area was bruised, and as Xiaoshi applied the medicine, she had to open her mistress’s robe and pull down her undergarment slightly.

Now, spring was spilling out, and the room was filled with a delicate fragrance.

Madam Xiu, already exceptionally beautiful, had a figure that lived up to her role. Even without revealing everything, the sight was enough to make Long Heng’s whole body tense, his blood boiling. He quickly turned around and slammed the door shut.

That pale, jade-like neck, that deep cleavage, those snow-white curves—they made his head spin. He had never felt this way, not even when seduced by spies who had bared themselves fully.

Why did just seeing her, still clothed, make him so agitated?

His servant nearly bumped into him as he hurriedly turned around. Curious, the servant asked, “What happened to Madam Xiu?”

“Did you see anything?” Long Heng suddenly narrowed his eyes and glared at the servant.

“I saw nothing, Your Highness,” the servant quickly replied, sensing that if he admitted to seeing anything, his master might kill him on the spot without hesitation.

Long Heng didn’t know where his anger had come from, but he knew that if anyone else had seen what he just saw, he would have killed them. Back in the room, Xiaoshi suddenly sneezed, feeling a chill run down her spine.

Meanwhile, Madam Xiu remained calm. As a modern woman, she was used to wearing short skirts and revealing clothing, so she wasn’t particularly bothered.

Moreover, she hadn’t shown much just now. What impressed her more was Long Heng’s gentlemanly reaction. Still, she was curious about why he had come. She adjusted her robe and gave Xiaoshi a signal.

Xiaoshi tidied up the room before opening the door and bowing to Long Heng. “Your Highness, Madam Xiu invites you in.”