CHAPTER 173 — WILLINGLY
Tang Kexin's mind simply… stopped.
For a heartbeat, she couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't even process the fact that her clothes — her actual clothes — had vanished without her noticing. One moment she'd been arguing, the next she was half‑naked beneath him.
This treacherous man. This absolute menace of a human being.
Before she could gather her outrage, his mouth was on hers again — sudden, hot, consuming. Her entire body jolted, muscles tightening instinctively, breath catching in her throat.
"Ye Lanjue, you bastard!"
The words tore out of her, but her voice betrayed her — trembling, breathless, threaded with something she didn't want to name. It wasn't the fiery, sharp‑edged fury she expected. It was softer, unsteady, almost… pleading.
And he heard it.
Of course he did.
His hand slid behind her head, fingers threading into her hair, holding her still. She tried to turn away, but he didn't let her. He didn't force her roughly — that wasn't his style — but he held her with a quiet, unshakeable certainty that made her pulse stutter.
Her body, already tense, suddenly softened. Heat pooled low in her stomach. Her breathing grew uneven, shallow.
It felt disturbingly familiar — like that night in the temple, when she'd been drugged and helpless.
But she wasn't drugged now.
She knew she wasn't.
So why did her body feel like this?
"Ye Lanjue, you— you bastard…"
Her voice cracked again, breath hitching between the words. The rejection was there, but it was tangled with something warmer, something she didn't want to acknowledge.
Outside, in the shadows of the courtyard, Lie Ying stood frozen.
He could hear everything — every muffled curse, every breathless sound.
He was sweating.
His Master had told him: Do not intervene unless she calls for help.
She wasn't calling for help.
She was cursing — loudly — but not calling.
He hovered, torn between duty and panic.
Inside, Tang Kexin felt her lungs tighten. His kiss deepened, stealing her breath, stealing her thoughts, stealing everything. Her mind blurred, her body trembled, and for a terrifying moment she couldn't think at all.
When he finally pulled back, she gasped, dragging in air like someone resurfacing from deep water.
"Ye Lanjue, I swear I'll kill you," she hissed, glaring at him with all the fury she could muster.
But her limbs wouldn't obey her.
Her strength had deserted her completely.
A sudden, absurd thought flashed through her mind —
Is this how he felt that night in the temple? Helpless? Furious? Unable to move?
The idea stunned her.
Outside, the feisty guard nearly burst through the door.
Kill the Third Prince? Can he? Can he really?
He was sweating bullets.
Inside, Ye Lanjue only smiled — a slow, wicked, devastating smile.
"Alright," he murmured, voice low and intoxicating. "This king is willing."
He didn't give her time to argue.
His mouth found hers again, and her body melted helplessly beneath him.
Her resistance crumbled.
Her breath hitched.
Her fingers curled into the sheets.
He shifted, lowering himself over her, and she felt the full weight of him — warm, solid, inescapable.
"Ye Lanjue…" she breathed, half‑growl, half‑plea.
"Be good," he whispered against her lips. "Don't be afraid."
The words hit her like a shock.
She had said those exact words to him in the temple.
Karma.
Retribution.
The universe laughing in her face.
The air in the room thickened, heated, blurred. She couldn't tell whose breath was whose, whose heartbeat was pounding so loudly. Everything tangled together — her anger, his desire, her confusion, his certainty.
Outside, Lie Ying finally understood what was happening.
He lowered his head, face burning, and quietly retreated.
He didn't need to hear any more.
---
Afterwards
When it was over, Tang Kexin lay limp, eyes half‑closed, body trembling with exhaustion. Ye Lanjue looked down at her, a soft, satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
She looked utterly spent.
He slid an arm beneath her and lifted her effortlessly.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, barely able to open her eyes.
"Taking you to bathe," he murmured, brushing his lips against her ear.
She didn't argue.
She couldn't.
Her body felt boneless, her mind foggy.
The warm water soothed her, but she was too tired to even lift her head. She let him wash her, too drained to protest.
"Ye Lanjue," she muttered eventually, eyes half‑open, "you planned this, didn't you?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he smirked.
"It seems your strength has returned," he said lightly. "Shall we continue?"
"Ye. Lan. Jue."
She growled his name through clenched teeth.
He kissed her before she could say anything else.
The bath did not remain a bath.
---
The Next Morning
Tang Kexin didn't know when he stopped.
She didn't know when he carried her back to bed.
She didn't know when she fell asleep.
She only knew that when he rose the next morning, she couldn't even lift her eyelids.
He leaned close, his breath warm against her ear.
"Wait for me to return."
Then he left.
The moment the door closed, Tang Kexin's eyes snapped open.
He planned everything.
He had lied to her.
He had let her misunderstand.
He had tricked her into marrying him.
And then he had—
Her face burned.
Her body ached.
Her pride screamed.
Whoever said he liked men — I'll kill them.
Except… no one had said it.
She had assumed it.
And he had let her.
She tried to sit up — and nearly collapsed.
Every muscle in her body protested.
Her bones felt like they'd been dismantled and reassembled incorrectly.
"Ye Lanjue," she muttered under her breath, "you absolute bastard."
She forced herself upright, teeth gritted, and stumbled to the table. She grabbed a brush, inked it, and scribbled something quickly.
Just then, a maid entered.
"Your Ladyship, you're awake. His Highness left early. He said not to disturb you — to let you rest longer."
Tang Kexin smiled serenely.
"Today is the first day after the wedding," she said calmly. "We must pay respects to the Empress. It wouldn't do to be late."
Her eyes lowered, lashes hiding the storm gathering beneath.
——————-
CHAPTER 174 — A DIFFERENT BRIDAL CHAMBER, A DIFFERENT ENDING
The moment Tang Kexin stepped out of the bridal chamber, her legs nearly buckled beneath her.
She gripped the doorframe for balance, cursing under her breath.
How many times did that damned man go at it last night?
Her entire body felt like it had been dismantled and reassembled incorrectly. She could barely walk. Her bones felt hollow. Her muscles trembled with every step.
Was he trying to wring me dry? Leave nothing but dust behind?
The more she thought about it, the more her irritation simmered.
The more she replayed the night, the more her chest tightened with a mix of fury and humiliation.
"Princess, shall I prepare the carriage?" a maid asked, hurrying over.
Tang Kexin nodded stiffly. "Yes. Quickly."
The girl scurried off, and Tang Kexin forced herself forward, each step a reminder of Ye Lanjue's shamelessness. She hated how her body still felt warm, how her legs still trembled, how her mind kept replaying moments she wanted to forget.
Never again, she told herself. Never again will I let him touch me.
But her body still ached with the memory.
---
The Escort
"Princess, are you heading to the palace?"
A familiar voice approached — the steward, the one Ye Lanjue trusted most.
He looked genuinely surprised to see her awake.
His Highness had specifically instructed everyone not to disturb her, assuming she would sleep late after… everything.
"Yes," Tang Kexin replied coolly. "I'm going to pay respects to the Empress."
The steward bowed. "His Highness said that if you woke early, I should escort you. I'll prepare the carriage immediately."
He hesitated, studying her expression.
She was calm — too calm.
On the morning after a wedding, most brides were shy, glowing, flustered.
But Tang Kexin looked… indifferent.
Perhaps embarrassed, he reasoned.
Princess Consort was still a young woman.
Tang Kexin's lips curled faintly — a cold, humourless smile.
Of course Ye Lanjue arranged for someone to watch me. He's terrified I'll run.
As if a single steward could stop her.
Even if Ye Lanjue himself stood guard, she would still find a way to escape.
But outwardly, she remained serene.
"Thank you," she said simply.
The steward hurried to prepare the carriage.
---
At the Palace Gates
When they arrived at the palace, Tang Kexin stepped down gracefully, hiding the stiffness in her legs.
"You may return," she told the steward. "I'll leave with His Highness later."
The steward blinked. "Your Ladyship, His Highness instructed me to wait for you."
Tang Kexin tilted her head, her smile faint but sharp.
"You're waiting for me? Then what do we need His Highness for?"
Her tone was light, but the meaning was unmistakable.
The steward's eyes widened slightly.
He understood.
"Yes… of course. I'll return first. Your Ladyship and His Highness will leave together."
He bowed and left.
Tang Kexin turned toward the palace, her expression smooth — but her eyes glinted with cold satisfaction.
---
Ye Lanjue Returns Home
After morning court, Ye Lanjue strode out of the main hall, heading straight for his carriage. His eyes scanned the area automatically — no carriage from his manor, no steward, no sign of Tang Kexin.
He frowned.
He had assumed she would still be asleep. After last night, she should have been exhausted. He certainly hadn't expected her to wake early.
He rushed home.
The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he ran into the steward.
"Where is the princess? Still asleep?" Ye Lanjue asked.
The steward blinked. "Your Ladyship entered the palace. Did you not see her?"
Ye Lanjue froze.
"She… entered the palace?"
"Yes. I escorted her myself. She said she wished to return with Your Highness, so I came back first."
Ye Lanjue stared at him, stunned.
After everything that happened last night… she was this obedient?
Was she not angry?
Not upset?
Not avoiding him?
Or was this simply how women behaved after marriage?
Did they become more compliant once they shared a room?
But if she truly intended to return with him… why hadn't she waited?
Something felt wrong.
He turned sharply and left.
---
The Empress's Palace
Ye Lanjue reached Kunning Palace at record speed.
Inside, he found the Emperor and Empress — but not Tang Kexin.
His stomach dropped.
He bowed. "Your son greets Father and Mother."
"Where is Xin'er?" the Empress asked immediately, looking behind him. "Why have you come alone? Has she not arrived?"
Ye Lanjue's heart clenched.
She hadn't come at all.
The steward had said she entered the palace.
But the Empress hadn't seen her.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
The Emperor chuckled. "Did you tire the girl out yesterday?"
Ye Lanjue forced a stiff smile. "Your son will return to the manor to check on her."
He bowed and left quickly.
---
The Empty Room
He stormed into the bridal chamber.
Empty.
Cold.
Silent.
His chest tightened painfully.
He searched the room — nothing.
Then he saw the slip of paper on the table.
He snatched it up.
The handwriting was unmistakably hers.
"Since it was all a scam, you and I owe each other nothing."
Ye Lanjue's jaw clenched.
One sentence.
One sentence to erase everything that happened between them.
Damn woman.
She was ruthless.
He knew he had lied to her.
He knew he had tricked her.
But he hadn't expected her to run — not like this, not so soon.
He had assumed that once they married, once they shared a bed, the rest would fall into place.
But Tang Kexin was not a woman of this era.
She didn't think like the women of the imperial court.
She didn't accept fate simply because "the rice was cooked."
She had no intention of staying.
The steward entered behind him, saw the note, and paled.
"Master… should we check the Prime Minister's Estate?"
Ye Lanjue's eyes were cold.
"You think she'd run there?"
The steward swallowed. "Then… what should we do?"
Ye Lanjue's voice dropped to a dangerous calm.
"Inform General Wu. Seal the city. Quietly. No one leaves."
The steward bowed and ran.
"What if she's already left the city?" he called back.
"Impossible," Ye Lanjue said sharply. "She's clever. She wouldn't leave so quickly."
But even as he said it, doubt gnawed at him.
She didn't follow common logic.
She didn't behave predictably.
And hours had passed.
If she had left the city…
He would catch her.
And when he did—
He wanted to see exactly how far she thought she could run.