Chapter 702: Scalp Tingling

Xin Rui placed the floral tea in front of each of them, then offered a sweet smile and slowly withdrew.

The Crown Princess frowned, but ultimately said nothing. Given that their discussion concerned the Crown Prince's upcoming important examination, it was crucial that their deliberations remain confidential to prevent any leaks.

As for Zu An, he was, after all, an official of the Eastern Palace, not entirely an outsider. A brief stay should be fine.

Most importantly, it was Consort Bai who had invited her. Although Consort Bai often vied with her, she was still the Crown Prince's consort and had given birth to his eldest son. The Crown Prince's future was her future. In this critical moment, there was no reason for her to cause trouble.

She took a sip of the floral tea, and a refreshing aroma lingered in her mouth. As she swallowed, it gradually spread through her limbs, calming her agitated mood.

Zu An was also drinking tea, secretly observing her.

Her bright eyes, snow-white skin, and luscious cherry lips were striking. A faint hint 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 situation, she maintained a perfectly straight posture, exuding an air of grace.

It had to be said, the Crown Princess was indeed a rare beauty.

At this moment, he finally understood the meaning of "beauty that could be savored." Especially with the fragrance of the floral tea, it was as if he was smelling her natural scent.

A blush slowly crept onto the Crown Princess's cheeks. She felt his gaze and thought, "How can this fellow be so ill-mannered?"

Rage points from Bi Linglong +22+22+22...

However, calling him out now would only create an awkward situation for everyone and make future interactions more difficult.

She had been wondering how to win him over, and now it was clear.

Having been beautiful since childhood, she had long understood how to leverage her looks. It was simply that she hadn't encountered anyone who required her to use her charm before.

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. But using her beauty to speak gently to him and win him over was always an option.

Thinking this, she parted her red lips slightly and asked, "Lord Zu, how did you come to know Miss Chu?"

Zu An was momentarily stunned, not expecting her to ask about this. "It's quite a coincidence," he began. "One day, I was bathing in a pool in the wilderness when a woman suddenly fell from the sky, landing right in my arms."

"Oh?" The Crown Princess, who had intended to simply make polite conversation to establish rapport, instantly became interested. "Was that Chu Chuyan? How did she fall from the sky?"

Seeing her eyes sparkle with curiosity, Zu An thought, "I just casually made up a 'fallen from the sky' story, and you believed it." He, too, became more amused and elaborated, "Oh, there was a cliff nearby, and she jumped from it."

"Forgive me, my dear Chuyan, for making you a prop."

"What? She tried to commit suicide?" The Crown Princess covered her mouth, utterly bewildered as to why Chu Chuyan would do such a thing. She had long heard of Miss Chu's reputation; she was a stunning beauty, and her brief stay in the capital had captivated countless noble youths.

More importantly, she was a cultivation genius, with few peers who could rival her.

Why would a woman so blessed with favor and talent attempt to take her own life?

"Oh, it seemed she had learned that her family was arranging a marriage for her with someone, and in despair, she contemplated ending her life," Zu An replied casually.

The Crown Princess was quite shocked, wondering who the Chu family had initially intended for her to marry. She considered various possibilities but dismissed them all.

After a moment, she suddenly looked downcast. Chu Chuyan's experience resonated deeply with her, as she too had been forced into an arranged marriage by her family, compelling her to marry a fool.

However, she lacked Chu Chuyan's free spirit to choose death.

"What happened then?" Her spirits seemed to sag.

"Then I happened to save her..." Zu An casually spun a tale inspired by the plot of *Titanic*, adapting it slightly for her.

The Crown Princess had only asked out of idle curiosity, not expecting such a convoluted and extraordinary story. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she listened. "No wonder she defied everyone to choose you as her husband. Others thought it was a case of a beautiful flower... *cough cough*, but now I understand her choice."

Wasn't such a love story exactly what she had often fantasized about in her youth? Sadly, those youthful romantic sentiments had long been sealed deep within her heart, never to be opened again. Now, hearing his story, she felt transported back to her prime, when she still dared to dream.

Seeing her looking so lost in thought, Zu An was bewildered. "You're the Crown Princess, after all. Shouldn't you be more worldly? How can a simple *Titanic* story move you this much?"

Speaking of which, Chuyan also seemed to enjoy stories like "The Overbearing Sword Immortal Falls in Love with Me," didn't she?

He suddenly realized he could become a great literary figure in this world. Copying some of the poignant love stories from his previous life would surely attract a large number of female fans.

Hmm, perhaps he could even visit brothels without spending money, like Liu Yong... *cough cough*, that's not the point!

He looked towards the beautiful and dignified woman on the other side. "Crown Princess, how did you and the Crown Prince meet?"

Ordinarily, the Crown Princess would never answer such a question. Perhaps she was moved by his story, or perhaps something else stirred her emotions, but she hesitated before replying, "Our meeting was not as dramatic as yours. It was simply an arranged family marriage. The Emperor valued the Bi family's influence and wanted to secure our loyalty to prevent us from aligning entirely with Prince Qi. My father also wanted to hedge his bets to ensure the Bi family's invincibility, so he agreed to the marriage..."

Listening to her narrative, as if she were recounting something unrelated to herself, he could feel the melancholy in her voice from afar. He couldn't help but ask, "Do you love the Crown Prince?"

"He is the Crown Prince, and I am the Crown Princess. I can only love him; I have no other choice..." Her expression suddenly shifted, as if she realized she had let her guard down. "You are overstepping. I do not wish to hear such words again."

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

"Why isn't Consort Bai here yet!" The Crown Princess felt a surge of irritation and unconsciously loosened her collar. "Don't you feel it's a bit warm today?"

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

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

"Damn it, we've been set up!" Zu An bit down on his tongue, trying to stay awake, and mustered his vital energy to expel the poison. Unfortunately, the drug was too potent to have much effect. He vaguely saw a woman enter, then grab his collar and drag him towards the Crown Princess.

After that, he remembered nothing.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Zu An felt he was dreaming. He dreamt he was holding Chu Chuyan; her body was truly soft and smooth. *Huh,* but shouldn't her body be cold?

And the feel and size didn't seem quite right...

Could it be Manman? No, Manman had gone home; how could she be here?

Or Dandan? She wouldn't be back for a while, would she?

*Wait*, this woman somehow resembles the Crown Princess... Since he was dreaming of her?

Hold on, the Crown Princess!

A sudden realization flashed through his mind as he recalled what happened before losing consciousness, and he instantly jolted awake.

The sight before him made him completely stiff.

A naked woman lay in his arms. Her skin was as delicate 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 alluring.

At any other time, he might have considered himself incredibly fortunate, but at this moment, his overwhelming sensation was one of pure, scalp-tingling horror.

For the woman lying naked in his embrace was none other than the Crown Princess.

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

---

Tonight, I took my child to basketball training. There was practically no free time all day, so I had to write by the basketball court with my laptop. The bigger kids on the adjacent court kept dropping basketballs, and each time, I heroically slapped them away with my hand. The only time I messed up was when I was distracted, notifying everyone in the group about an update. A basketball hit me squarely in the face, knocking my glasses off. When I picked them up, they were bent out of shape... Sigh, does this count as a work injury? Luckily, I have thick skin; I didn't get a nosebleed.