mesbooks Chapter 395 His Highness the Crown Prince is Outstandingly Talented (33)
Chapter 395 His Highness the Crown Prince is Outstandingly Talented (33)
Looking at the familiar, tense standoff before him, Lin Shen felt as if time had reversed, returning him to those days when he often had to step in to mediate.
A deep sense of helplessness welled up in my heart, mixed with a long-lost warmth that I hadn't even noticed myself.
He took a light breath, interrupting the silent exchange of blows between the two.
"Alright." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar soothing power, causing Lin Lisheng and Yun Qing to turn their attention to him almost simultaneously.
Lin Shen stood up, the moonlight outlining his youthful figure with a halo of radiance.
The gentle smile that had graced his face after the reunion had faded, replaced by a calm expression, even tinged with a hint of weariness.
"It's getting late. After all this commotion, everyone should go home and rest," he said calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
He did not explain why he had been resurrected or how he became the Crown Prince "Lin Shen".
The truth behind this is related to the rules of the Quick Transmigration Bureau, a secret that must never be revealed to outsiders.
However, when faced with these two people with whom he had a deep connection, he was equally unwilling to fabricate lies to cover it up.
So he chose to remain silent.
This silence seemed particularly subtle at that moment.
It was like a thin mist, enveloping him, both isolating him from further investigation and leaving a blank space for speculation.
He believed that with Lin Lisheng's obsession and Yun Qing's intelligence, they would have a thousand ways to interpret this unspeakable "truth," and perhaps that would be more acceptable to them than any reason he had fabricated.
His gaze swept over the two people with different expressions.
Lin Lisheng's eyes held lingering elation and anxious anticipation, while Yun Qing's face remained calm and composed, though his tightly pursed lips betrayed his inner turmoil.
Lin Shen knew that if he lingered even a moment longer, the suppressed flames of war between the two would reignite, and he would be at the center of it all.
It had always been this way; he was used to it.
To avoid another round of pointless arguments, or rather, to avoid being caught in this troublesome "sandwich" situation as soon as he returned, Lin Shen made a decision.
He didn't look at them again, turned around and walked calmly out of the pavilion. His clothes fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and his figure, silhouetted against the shadows of the stones and the flowing moonlight, appeared both clear and somewhat distant.
"I'm going back to the East Palace."
Leaving those words behind, he turned and left without looking back, leaving the space filled with complex emotions and unsolved mysteries to the two people still locked in a stalemate in the pavilion.
Lin Lisheng subconsciously took a step forward, seemingly wanting to chase after him, but when his gaze fell on Lin Shen's resolute departing figure, he stopped abruptly.
He knew Lin Shen well; if he pressed him for answers or followed him now, it would only backfire.
He clenched his fist, feeling the lingering warmth of Lin Shen's hair on his palm. His heart was torn apart by a mix of immense joy at regaining what he had lost and the stifling feeling of not being able to possess or express it immediately.
Yun Qing watched silently as Lin Shen disappeared from sight, his fingers tracing the rim of his teacup slowly coming to a stop. Lin Shen's silence was within his expectations; there must be a huge secret behind it.
But in any case, it's best that the person is back.
He glanced indifferently at the emperor beside him, whose breathing was unsteady. He felt little joy at victory, only a calm as if the dust had settled, and... a assessment of the future situation.
The night breeze blew again, dispersing the brief commotion and standoff in the pavilion, leaving only two men with different thoughts and a silent moonlight.
Lin Shen walked alone on the way back to the East Palace, the palace lanterns casting his shadow long and short.
He looked up at the bright moon in the sky, his heart filled with a sense of clarity, yet also a touch of turmoil.
Well, now that I'm back, I have to face these people and these things eventually.
As for those two... let them guess.
He quickened his pace, temporarily leaving behind the turmoil.
……
Inside the East Palace's sleeping quarters, most of the candles had been extinguished by the palace servants, leaving only a few flickering candles in the corner, stubbornly dancing with a faint light, barely dispelling a corner of darkness, but leaving a vast expanse of hazy gloom.
The palace was quiet, save for the regular dripping of the water clock, which marked the deep night.
Lin Shen had already taken off his outer robe, wearing only a plain white inner garment, and lay on the large bed.
The mental turmoil of the past few days and the confrontation in the artificial pavilion tonight have taken a toll on his energy.
The brocade quilt beneath him was soft and carried a faint, elegant fragrance. He closed his eyes, and his initial chaotic thoughts were gradually overwhelmed by exhaustion. After a while, his consciousness became hazy, and he fell into a state of half-sleep.
The moon was high in the sky, and its clear light shone through the carved window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Just then, a black figure, almost blending into the night, silently slipped in through the half-open window like a ghost.
His movements were light and agile, and he landed without making a sound, clearly demonstrating his excellent skills.
The dark figure paused briefly in the dimly lit hall, its sharp gaze immediately locking onto the bed shrouded in layers of gauze curtains.
He approached slowly and silently, like a hunter closing in on his sleeping prey.
Long, slender fingers parted layer after layer of soft gauze curtains until the scene on the bed was completely exposed to their eyes.
The person on the couch was lying on their side, their slender figure outlined under the thin blanket.
Perhaps because the bedchamber was warm and cozy, or perhaps because of an unconscious movement in his sleep, one of his ankles peeked out from the edge of the blankets, exposed to the dim light of the moonlight and the soft glow of the night.
Her ankles were beautifully shaped with well-defined bones, and her skin, set against the white silk undergarment, was dazzlingly white, like the finest mutton-fat jade, exuding a delicate fragility and a silently alluring fragrance.
The shadowy figure's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and a thick, dark color welled up in his deep eyes.
He licked his slightly sharp canine teeth, a mix of possessive and destructive impulses raging within him, a desire to leave his own deep mark on that flawless white expanse.
He leaned down, his warm, large hand gently encircling that slender ankle with an irresistible force.
The delicate touch from his palm made his breath catch in his throat slightly.
He lowered his head, leaned closer, like the most devout believer, yet with a blasphemous intent, and pressed his lips against hers.
First came the gentle, tentative nibbling, like a feather brushing against the skin.
Then, the slightly protruding canine teeth began to slowly grind that delicate skin with just the right amount of force.
It didn't hurt, but it brought waves of subtle and unfamiliar tingling, like an electric current, that quickly rose up along my ankle.
Even in their sleep, the person on the bed felt this strange invasion.
He frowned uneasily, uttering a muffled murmur in his throat. His ankle, which was being held captive, instinctively tried to pull back, wanting to escape this shackle that disturbed his peaceful sleep.
Sensing his resistance, the shadowy figure paused, then slipped its other free hand under the thin blanket, gently and rhythmically patting his back in a soothing manner, the movement carrying a strange familiarity.
At the same time, a deep, hoarse voice, as if suppressing countless emotions, rang out in the quiet air.
"good……"
It was just a simple word, yet it seemed to carry some kind of magical power, or perhaps the soothing gesture and sound combined to form a signal hidden deep in memory.
The person on the bed gradually relaxed, the pulling motion stopped, the furrowed brows gradually unfurled, and the breathing became long and steady again, as if they had fallen into a deeper sleep once more.
Feeling the body's submission beneath his palm, a hint of triumphant, almost manic satisfaction flashed in the shadowy figure's eyes.
He lowered his head again and continued those gentle yet persistent kisses, as if to confirm the real existence of the person in front of him and to firmly imprint his own scent on the treasure he had regained.