Chapter 21 - Want To Spend Another Night
Sheng Li was furious upon hearing the statement against him. "A cruel man like him?" the crown prince murmured and saw Ying Lili was going to step outside. Right away, he stood up from his seat and walked towards Ying Lili. Even if the crown prince had drunk a lot, he was in his right mind and state. Ying Lili reached out her hand to open the door when she was turned by the crown prince.
Both of her hands were pinned against the wooden door by the crown prince. They were glaring at each other when Sheng Li leaned closer to Ying Lili's lips. "Why do you annoy me so much? First, you seduced openly your so-called first brother, then you instead of listening to your husband told your maidservant about our relationship. Later, you convinced the Empress to organize a wedding night for us. The words I told you on the wedding night are not digestible to you that's why you planned all this, right?" Sheng Li asked one question after the other from An-Ying Lili.
"You are still on that? I told you I did not seduce the first brother. Do you think of me as that kind of woman? Undoubtedly, you have low thinking. Furthermore, it shall not matter to you what am I doing or what am I not!? I did not tell anything to her majesty either. Why would I ask for a night with you when I want to run away from you?" Ying Lili queried Sheng Li.
"Because you are afraid that I might abandon you," Sheng Li replied.
Ying Lili snickered. "Why would I be afraid? Sheng Li, you are the one who is coming at me. You are the one who forced yourself on me- earlier in the day and then a few moments ago. You do not own me, neither you have any right on me. So, stop thinking that I will ever listen to you," Ying Lili asserted and kicked Sheng Li on his one leg.
His grip loosened from Ying Lili's hand when she got a chance to run away from there. Sheng Li chuckled just seeing the moves of the woman. Before Ying Lili could again go out of his chamber, she was carried up by the crown prince in a bridal style. She struggled in Sheng Li's embrace when she was thrown on the mattress. Ying Lili moved backward and was hit against the wall because the bed was quite smaller, attached to the sidewall, unlike the bed in her room.
Sheng Li pulled Ying Lili's one leg, pulling her towards him. Hovering over Ying Lili, Sheng Li spoke. "This is the best way to end the rumors, and trust me if you ever acted recklessly then I will not spare you. Till now, I am lenient with you because I do not want a kind woman like you to see this cruel man's other side," Sheng Li said in quite a threatening tone.
Ying Lili with a stutter said, "D-do not do anything to me."
"Why? You shall pleasure your husband as well," Sheng Li with a smirk said and leaned further closer to her. Ying Lili was stiffened by Sheng Li's weight, unable to move even an inch. Sheng Li noticed the crown princess was quite scared just by the thought he could do something to her.
Sheng Li chuckled. "If I had to do anything to you then I would have done by now," Sheng Li's words felt weird to Ying Lili when she heard him further saying, "You do not want me to touch then why do you act so strong in front of me? Did I not tell you that I do not like feisty women? But, then I am not a man who will punish you by throwing myself on you. That's one pathetic way other men use, but not me. For you, I have discovered a better way. By punishing the people close to you."
Ying Lili found that Sheng Li's anger had gone away while talking to her, and he did not harm her in another way which relieved her a bit. But punishing people close to her. She recalled how Su Binxi was taken away by him so, did he mean he would punish those maidservants when they did not even do anything.
"You are using a cowardly way to punish me," stated Ying Lili.
Sheng Li sheepishly smiled. "You naïve woman! You did not get my words. Well, let's sleep. It is late night," said Sheng Li as his eyes were getting heavy because of the hangover of the wine he has consumed and pulled the blanket up, covering them with that. Sheng Li moved from over Ying Lili's body and turned away his face. Ying Lili was pleased that Sheng Li did not do anything to her.
She dragged herself towards the wall, turning to the wall not wanted to be close to Sheng Li. "Do not leave tonight if you do not want to spend another night with this ruthless man. This is the least a cruel man like me can expect from a kind woman like you," Sheng Li pronounced. His eyes were closed as if he would fall asleep anytime.
Ying Lili found that the crown prince had turned gentle towards her. "Kind persons die," Sheng Li murmured, which Ying Lili heard. She was confused about why he said that. The crown princess turned to the crown prince and saw a teardrop rolling down his cheek. This confused her. She lifted her hand and reached it towards Sheng Li's cheek. The finger was going to touch the cheek of the crown prince when he caught it.
Ying Lili blinked her eyes in nervousness as Sheng Li caught her finger and looked at her. She thought he had fallen asleep but to her surprise, he was still awake. Both were peering into each other's eyes. "You did not see or hear anything. Forget this face," Sheng Li pronounced with the blood-red eyes. Ying Lili did not dare to ask anything more and pulled her hand back, but Sheng Li did not let it go.
"L-leave," Ying Lili said in a low voice. Sheng Li left her hand and turned her head away. Ying Lili was bewildered by what she just heard. "Did he actually cry?" she wondered, continued staring at the crown prince who had turned his back towards her.