Ji Lingchuan raised his head. Before his eyes appeared a peerlessly beautiful face as gorgeous as a blooming rose.
It was very familiar. It was none other than Song Yihuan, his sister-in-law whom he had just met during the day.
At this moment, in his dream, her hair was in disarray, cascading down her back. She was wearing a dress embroidered with gorgeous hibiscus flowers, but the dress was already in tatters, hanging loosely on her body and barely covering her body, which was as plump as a full moon and fairer than moonlight.
Under his teasing, a mist gathered in the corners of her eyes, and teardrops hung on her curly eyelashes, making her look both pitiful and alluring.
His gaze landed on her crimson lips. The man's eyes darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed. He rubbed his thumb against the corner of her lips forcefully, then lowered his head and kissed her domineeringly.
Their lips and tongues clashed, entangled inseparably. Deprived of breath by the man's dominance, she had nowhere to lean and could only cling tightly to him.
Letting go of her lips, Ji Lingchuan left one clear mark after another on the depths of her neck, as if he wanted to brand the person in front of him completely with his mark.
Her slender arms wrapped around the man's neck. The contrast between her snow-white skin and his bronze skin, tanned from years at the border, was stark. The visual impact and the faint fragrance of apricot blossoms made the man's breathing grow hotter and more labored.
The flowers in the grass were in complete disarray under their movements.
The crushed flower juice stained her body, leaving streaks of flower marks, but he wiped them away one by one, leaving behind only his own marks.
The strong fragrance of the flowers mixed with the delicate fragrance of apricot blossoms. He looked up at her, who was becoming even more charming in the moonlight, and the wildness in his heart was completely ignited.
He clasped her slender waist tightly, leaving her nowhere to escape.
On this vast grassland, under the bright moon, he took her on a wild ride.
Her delicate yet not overly coquettish gasps filled Ji Lingchuan's ears.
"Your Highness..."
"My Lord..."
Suddenly opening his eyes, Ji Lingchuan sat up abruptly from the bed. He subconsciously looked to his side, but there was nothing there. He was the only one in the entire room.
This was not the grassland and flower bushes under the open sky, but his bedroom in the Jingtao Courtyard of the Prince Ning's Mansion.
Coming back to his senses, Ji Lingchuan felt his heart pounding violently. His whole body was hot, his mouth was dry, and his body was completely soaked in sweat, making him feel sticky. But he didn't feel tired at all. Instead, he was as energetic as if he had run hundreds of miles.
The scenes from the dream were still vivid before his eyes, and the soft call of "My Lord" still echoed in his ears.
It was exactly the same as the night of their wedding night when his wife had called him in his ear.
Realizing what kind of dream he had just had, Ji Lingchuan's face turned as cold as ice in winter.
It was simply absurd!
Was it the influence of last night's affair?
Ji Lingchuan raised his hand and rubbed his temples forcefully. His heart was filled with restlessness and desire that he couldn't vent.
Song Yihuan.
He murmured this name in his heart.
He had to admit that this illegitimate daughter from the Marquis's Mansion did have some skills. She had managed to disrupt his usually calm heart to such an extent!
He prided himself on having great self - control, but he had stumbled over this woman again and again. Why was that?
Opening his eyes, Ji Lingchuan called out for Fuzhou in a hoarse voice, "Prepare water immediately. I want ice - cold water. The colder, the better."
Fuzhou had served Ji Lingchuan for many years and had never seen the young master ask to soak in ice - cold water for two consecutive nights.
This strange request instantly dispelled Fuzhou's drowsiness. His gaze shifted downward, and when he saw something, he immediately reacted, "I'll go right away!"
Ji Lingchuan soaked in the ice - cold water for a full hour before finally suppressing the evil fire in his body. By this time, the sky had completely brightened.
Because of that absurd dream, Ji Lingchuan was a bit late when he went to the Songhe Courtyard to pay his respects to the Princess of Prince Ning. As soon as he arrived outside the Songhe Courtyard, he saw a figure walking towards him from afar.
Blocked by the tree shadows, he couldn't see the person's face clearly. He only thought that the figure had a slender waist and a swaying gait, somewhat similar to the person in his dream.
Ji Lingchuan's heart pounded violently, and he couldn't help but hold his breath.
But when the person walked out of the corridor and revealed her true face, Ji Lingchuan's heart sank abruptly.
It was Song Nanxin.
Ji Lingchuan realized that he had felt a moment of disappointment. He averted his gaze awkwardly, planning to enter the Songhe Courtyard before her.
But it was too late.
Song Nanxin walked towards him quickly, looking delighted.
"My humble self pays respects to Your Highness. May Your Highness be in good health." After curtsying, Song Nanxin stood up and moved closer to him, looking adoring, "Your Highness..."
Just as her hand touched his sleeve, Ji Lingchuan took a step back imperceptibly, clearly showing his resistance.
Song Nanxin missed and couldn't believe that Ji Lingchuan was even colder towards her than before. She looked up, looking hurt, "Your Highness, has my humble self done something wrong?"
Meeting her hurt eyes, Ji Lingchuan felt a bit embarrassed.
He knew she was wronged. She hadn't done anything wrong. The one in the wrong was him. He had failed to resist the temptation of another woman, acted out of line, and had improper thoughts.
He also knew that the woman standing in front of him was his wife. He should respect and protect her and not let her be wronged in the slightest.
Moreover, she might very well be the childhood friend he had met back then. Emotionally and morally, he shouldn't be so cold to her.
But at this moment, he didn't have the slightest inclination to play the part.
Ji Lingchuan had to patiently explain, "It has nothing to do with you. I've had too many things to deal with recently, and there are still several difficult problems that I haven't solved."
Before Song Nanxin could say anything, he turned around and walked inside, "Let's go. It's time to pay our respects to the Princess. Don't keep her waiting."
Song Nanxin intuitively felt that his avoidance wasn't because of the reason he had given, but she knew too little about him to tell if his words were true or false. She could only stamp her foot unwillingly and follow him.
After paying their respects to the Princess of Prince Ning, Song Nanxin affectionately took the princess's hand and probed,
"I heard that Your Highness met Yihuan and Xuan'er yesterday. Did they do something wrong to upset Your Highness?"
"If they did something wrong, I, Xin'er, would like to apologize to Your Highness here first."
Hearing that familiar name, Ji Lingchuan subconsciously looked up at Song Nanxin.
Song Nanxin frowned, looking self - reproachful. She looked every bit the kind elder sister.
The Princess of Prince Ning twirled her Buddhist beads and said with a frank smile, "I just called them over for a routine inquiry. After all, they are from our in - law's family and have been living in the mansion for so long. I should get to know their situation. So I didn't send someone to call you."
"However, I was quite surprised when I met those two children yesterday. Your younger sister has a photographic memory and writes beautifully."
The Princess of Prince Ning praised her without reservation.
Hearing this, Song Nanxin couldn't help but feel jealous.
But the next moment, Ji Lingchuan's voice rang out beside her,
"I've heard that the Princess of the young master has been doing well in her studies at the Imperial College. I'm sure she's no worse than Miss Song Si."