She retreated to the corner, hugging her arms. Her body was rigid, and the word "refusal" was written all over her face.
Bai Zhi and Luo Cen were still polite. "Miss, we are just following orders. Please don't make things difficult for us lowly servants."
However, their expressions were rather cold.
Being the crown prince's concubine was a dream come true for many noble ladies in the capital. They couldn't understand why Song Wanchu was so reluctant.
Was there any man better than the crown prince in the world?
He had power and prestige, and above all, he was a handsome, upright, and devoted gentleman.
In their eyes, Song Wanchu was being rather ungrateful.
But since the crown prince had given his orders, they didn't dare to be disrespectful to her.
"I have something to say to the crown prince. I'll wait for him to come back."
Song Wanchu's nerves were tightly strung. She couldn't compromise. Once she agreed to "bathe and change clothes", it would mean that she was tacitly consenting to be intimate with the crown prince.
Bai Zhi tried to persuade her earnestly. "Miss, since ancient times, women have dressed up for those they love. If you freshen up a bit, when the crown prince returns and sees you looking radiant, he'll be in a better mood, won't he?"
Song Wanchu shook her head firmly. "I don't have romantic feelings for the crown prince."
Bai Zhi and Luo Cen exchanged a surprised look.
No woman had ever dared to reject the crown prince so straightforwardly.
They could easily overpower this stubborn girl by force, but the crown prince had specifically emphasized that they weren't allowed to use violence against her.
They were caught between two powerful masters, and it was really hard for them as obedient servants.
The two sides remained deadlocked.
Until the voice of Xiao Anzi singing the announcement came from outside the house. "His Highness the Crown Prince is here!"
The door opened, and Bai Zhi and Luo Cen knelt on the ground facing outward.
The wind blew the candle shadows, and a tall and slender figure rushed in somewhat impatiently.
As soon as the crown prince entered the room, he eagerly searched for Song Wanchu. Seeing her hiding in the corner in a defensive posture, his eyes darkened slightly.
She was still wearing the same clothes she had come in. He glanced at Bai Zhi and Luo Cen out of the corner of his eye, looking displeased.
"It's this commoner girl who refused to bathe and change clothes. Please don't blame the two aunts, Your Highness."
The crown prince's lips moved expressionlessly. "Get out."
Bai Zhi and Luo Cen were relieved as if they had received an amnesty. When they left, they even looked at Song Wanchu gratefully.
The room was deathly quiet. The crown prince stared at her face in silence and walked towards her step by step.
His tall shadow filled the narrow corner, pressing down on Song Wanchu like a mountain. She hid her right hand behind her back, gripping the dagger tightly. Sweat kept oozing from her palm.
The crown prince reached out his hand and gently stroked her eyebrows and eyes. His tone was soft. "What happened at the banquet scared you, didn't it? It won't be peaceful outside for a while. I'll be more at ease if you stay by my side."
The way he spoke had already completely regarded Song Wanchu as his woman.
The warmth in his palm gradually became hot, burning her skin like fire. Song Wanchu turned her head slightly. "Please send this commoner girl back to the Chu family, Your Highness."
"Back to the Chu family?" The crown prince chuckled lightly, with a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Wait for Liang Yuzhou to snatch you away and hide you where I can't find you? Wanchu, you still have expectations for him, don't you?"
A feeling of helpless exhaustion welled up from the bottom of Song Wanchu's heart. She was a human being, not an object. She had her own thoughts. Why did these men keep fighting over her?
The crown prince looked at her eyebrows and eyes lovingly. His fingertips brushed across her rosy lips, and his Adam's apple rolled a few times.
"Wanchu, my promise to you will never change. It doesn't matter if you're not willing or don't understand now. We have plenty of time. I have all the time in the world. My love for you can withstand any test."
His breath gradually quickened. He had been suppressing his desires to the extreme and urgently needed an outlet. He lowered his head and kissed her. Song Wanchu turned her face away, and his kiss landed on her ear, sending a shiver through her body.
The crown prince forcefully grabbed the back of her neck. His eyes were full of surging desires. "Wanchu, I've waited for this moment for too long. I won't let you escape again!"
Song Wanchu panicked and pushed against his chest. The man's breath became fierce. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them against the wall, and his knee pressed against her struggling legs.
It was too easy for a hungry tiger to catch a little white rabbit.
The only free part of Song Wanchu's body was her right hand. Her hand was shaking violently. In this moment of despair, she wanted to stab the dagger into her own chest.
Just as his kiss was about to land, he heard the soft sobbing of the woman in his arms.
She stubbornly bit her red lips. The corners of her eyes were wet and red, full of panic and resistance.
"Liang Yuzhou treated me the same way back then."
Those memories of being forcibly taken over were like thorny vines, climbing crazily upwards, tightening around her and stabbing her.
Those were the memories she wanted to seal away forever, but the strong possessiveness of the man in front of her made those past scenes flood back into her mind.
Just recalling those past pictures made her feel so ashamed that she wanted to die.
What was the difference between what the crown prince had done today and what Liang Yuzhou had done back then?
He was just a bit gentler than Liang Yuzhou, which was due to his personality, but the essence was the same.
The crown prince's face suddenly froze.
Song Wanchu's hot tears fell on his palm, burning painfully.
"Your Highness has always scoffed at Liang Yuzhou's former domineering and autocratic ways, hasn't he? I've finally managed to get out of that painful past and regain my dignity as a human being. Does Your Highness want to create the same kind of memories for me and make me constantly remember that I'm like a trophy being fought over by men?"
"I've never regarded you as a trophy..."
The crown prince was eager to defend himself, but only halfway through his words did he realize that he had fallen into the topic trap set by Song Wanchu.
He changed the subject and let out a long, helpless and heart - wrenching sigh. "Wanchu, you're just relying on the fact that I like you and won't hurt you, so you dare to be insolent!"
The crown prince's favor was something that many noble ladies yearned for.
But the one he loved most was avoiding him, and even comparing him to Liang Yuzhou.
She might as well just call him a brute.
The person he had been thinking about day and night was in his arms. As long as he wanted, she was within his reach.
Once they had an intimate relationship, Wanchu would be his woman for the rest of her life.
He slowly removed his hand from the back of her neck and took a small step back, keeping a distance from her.
He knew that he would definitely regret his decision tonight, but Wanchu's sad tears and heart - rending accusations made him reluctant to use force.
He surrendered. He was defeated by his own feelings.
He pushed open the door and looked back deeply. "Wanchu, one day, you won't be able to reject me anymore."
After the door closed, Song Wanchu hugged her own body and slowly slid down along the wall.
The charcoal fire in the room was burning brightly, but she felt as if she were in an ice cellar. She hugged her knees tightly and curled up into a ball, but still didn't feel a trace of warmth.
When her vision was blurred with tears, the face of Liang Yuzhou suddenly popped into her mind.
And his affectionate and lingering eyes.
Patta—
Suddenly, a soft sound came from the quiet room.
A chill ran down Song Wanchu's spine, and all the hairs on her body stood on end.