Chapter 190: The Heart in Suspense Finally Died

Xiao Li took the horse for several laps, patting it only after she’d had her fill of running. Chi Yan obediently came to a stop. She swung herself off the horse and walked forward, and Chi Yan followed at her heels, occasionally lowering its head to nuzzle her back.

Anyone who wasn’t blind could see the horse’s acceptance and affection for her.

And yet, some people had bad eyesight.

Liu Xueyin sneered, "She’s so wicked, even a beast can’t stand her."

Mu Yunzhu looked at her as if she were an imbecile.

Xiao Li paid them no mind at all. Having earned the horse’s approval, she simply led it away.

Lou Yan had been watching her the entire time. When no one was looking, he quietly followed Xiao Li.

"Princess."

Lou Yan walked to Xiao Li’s side, his gaze locked on her, his eyes filled with a deeply hidden, obsessive desire. "It has been a long time since the Princess has seen this servant."

Ever since last time, he hadn’t even been allowed into the Princess Mansion. And since Xiao Li rarely went out, he had no way of seeing her.

Hateful as it was, his unique status meant that without the Emperor’s command, he could not openly visit her. He didn’t even dare let anyone know what kind of relationship he had with the Princess.

At that moment, Xiao Li’s heart and eyes were filled with the majestic, domineering horse beside her. She didn’t even see Lou Yan.

"Yang Jun, give him a token."

With that, she swung herself onto the horse and rode away.

Yang Jun took out a token and handed it to Lou Yan. "This is a new Token for the Princess Mansion. It grants access through the two side gates, but not the main entrance."

Finally able to enter the Princess Mansion, Lou Yan wasn’t as happy as he’d imagined. The Princess hadn’t even given him a second glance. ’Am I less important than that horse?’

Lou Yan snatched the Token and turned to leave, his aura cold and violent, as if he were on his way to kill someone.

Yang Jun: "..."

’Seriously, the relationship between the Princess and this Chief Eunuch... hmm... I don’t get it, but I’ll respect it.’

Watching Xiao Li disappear completely, Mu Yunzhu realized something: she... seemed to have been abandoned by Xiao Li again...

It was only then that Mu Yunzhu finally found a word to describe Xiao Li’s attitude toward her—perfunctory.

Xiao Li had been perfunctory with her from the very beginning. The first time, she had simply thrown valuables at her, wishing she would just take the things and leave. This second time, in a different place, she had left even more directly, without so much as a backward glance.

Mu Yunzhu was angry, but she also found Xiao Li fascinating. It was the first time she had ever wanted to understand another woman so much.

She slowly rolled her eyes to glance at Xiao Jingyu. "Cousin, if you could win over a sister like that, what great enterprise could you not achieve?"

Xiao Jingyu’s body stiffened for a moment, but he continued forward as if nothing had happened.

’It wasn’t a matter of whether he could win her over. Before he could even react, they had already clashed several times.’

Liu Xueyin, however, looked at Mu Yunzhu and said self-righteously, "You are wrong to think that way, Princess. A leopard can’t change its spots. We will never associate with such an insidious and vicious person!"

Mu Yunzhu’s gaze swept over Liu Xueyin’s face. She thought herself righteous, but the hatred twisting her features was an ugliness no mask could hide.

’Insidious and vicious?’

’The Chi Rong people firmly believe that prized horses have spirits. A master who can earn a prized horse’s recognition upon first meeting is like a great eagle soaring through the sky, or a swift wind sweeping across the plains. They could never be described as ’insidious and vicious’.’

’Then again, how could someone like Liu Xueyin possibly understand?’

Meanwhile, the Emperor, upon learning that his horse had been abducted: "..." The last of his hopes was extinguished.

He knew it. Once Xuanyang set her sights on something, there was no escape.

He raged impotently. "That’s my horse!"

He wanted to be furious with Xiao Li, but she was his most beloved sister. Yet if he just let it go, he felt he couldn’t swallow his indignation.

"No, I can’t just let this go!"

The Emperor mulled it over and finally came up with a plan. "Someone! Go to the Princess Mansion and issue a decree! For the banquet the day after tomorrow, tell Xuanyang to bring her horse to participate in the race. If she loses, she must return the horse to me!"

The Chi Rong had sent two prized horses. Although the Emperor wasn’t fond of riding or archery, he couldn’t help but admire them. So he had set a date for a horse racing exhibition between the two nations, partly to entertain the Empress Dowager.

This was why the horse trainers had been working against the clock to train the horses. But who could have expected Princess Xuanyang to just snatch the horse and run off with it?

The Emperor sneered. ’You stole my horse? Fine, then you’ll race for me. And if you lose, I’ll make you pay!’

----

SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH.

A snow-white body rose from the bathtub. Water streamed down milky-white skin, tracing soul-stirring curves.

The maids didn’t dare to look for long. They quickly took a cloth to gently dry her off, then helped her into her clothes, one layer at a time.

Xiao Li came out and lay on her side on a chaise, letting a maid dry her hair. She casually picked up a book and opened it.

As she became absorbed in her reading, she suddenly felt the pressure on her hair change.

A pair of hands was gently combing through her hair. The movements were meticulous, not pulling on a single strand, but the palms were dry and warm—clearly not the hands of a maid.

Xiao Li didn’t even lift her head, continuing to read until the person had tied up her hair. The hands then traveled down her shoulder and forward, finally enclosing her own.

A kiss landed by her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "Princess."

Xiao Li slapped his hand with her free one. "Insolent."

Lou Yan moved to stand in front of her. Instead of the dark purple robes he usually wore, he was dressed in a pure, deep red.

It was a cross-collared robe, and as he moved, the lapels parted slightly, revealing a hint of the firm muscle and sharply defined collarbones within.

The fleeting glimpse was captivating.

Xiao Li’s gaze succumbed to the temptation and lingered there for a moment. She slowly raised her head, her eyes sweeping past the slight curve of his lips to meet his, which held a hint of a triumphant smile.

He was blatantly showing off. He was smug, and he wanted to seduce her.

Lou Yan’s face was almost too delicate; a real smile on him would look a little strange. But this faint, triumphant smirk made him look wicked and demonic, and inexplicably seductive.

Especially when paired with that glimpse of allure—just the tip of the iceberg—and the memory of the muscles she had once touched beneath his clothes. The mere thought was a libidinous temptation.

With all this sexual tension, who would believe he was a eunuch... albeit, not a very authentic one.

Xiao Li put down her book and started to get up, but the collar of her silk night robe slid off her shoulder, baring it completely.

Instantly, a certain someone’s gaze turned scorching hot.

Xiao Li languidly pulled the robe back into place and sat up straight. "Wipe your drool."

’The moment he sees me, he’s like a wolf that’s spotted meat, practically drooling with greed. It’s unbearable to watch.’

Lou Yan grabbed her snow-white, jade-like foot and pulled it directly into his lap. "Forgive me, Princess. I truly cannot control myself."

If he had never entertained the thought, he could have remained pure of heart and desire, utterly unmoved. But having had a taste, the craving was now a torment that gnawed at his bones, making every moment an agony.

Xiao Li’s foot was forced inside his robes, and instantly she felt it press against something solid and scorching hot.

"Hiss..."

Someone couldn’t take it. His tall frame bent over, the corners of his eyes flushing red. He looked at her, his gaze full of provocation and seduction, like a demon poised to devour her soul. "I beg the Princess for her pity."