Chapter 185 - 183: I Don’t Want It Anymore

Words : 1184 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 185: Chapter 183: I Don’t Want It AnymoreThe Emperor’s voice was like a stabbing blade: "Throw it into the incense burner to burn, so it won’t be an eyesore." In that moment, the young Lu Ying already understood, what was an eyesore to the Emperor wasn’t the painting. It was him. Jealousy, like wild grass taking root, began sprouting in his heart on that New Year’s Eve. He was jealous of Lu Shiyan and Lu Zhengliu, jealous of the love the Emperor showed them. And yet, he was also the Emperor’s son, but he wasn’t even worthy of eating a bowl of dumplings with his father. The bustling New Year’s Eve, for him, was nothing but a cold and lonely sleeping chamber. Later, he watched as the Emperor personally educated Lu Shiyan and Lu Zhengliu, teaching them horseback riding and archery. He was like a ghost that couldn’t stand the daylight, hiding in the shadows, spying on their fatherly love, their family reunions. Within the bed curtains, the girl sobbed, unable to speak clearly: "Lu... Lu Ying brother..." Lu Ying leaned forward to take in the fragrance of her neck, one hand supporting her waist, while tears from the girl fell onto the back of his hand. Scalding hot. "You’re crying..." Lu Ying’s hoarse voice halted his movements. He casually pulled a silk ribbon and wrapped it around Shen Yinning’s eyes, tying it behind her head. He pressed her waist, intentionally keeping a bit of distance, his voice urgent, like a drowning man seeking driftwood: "Shen Zhaozhao, did you love Lu Shiyan? Did you love him?" Shen Yinning only cried. Her sobs were muffled, tender and delicate like a little oriole. She was crying because he bullied her. Her eyes were covered, her world enveloped in darkness. The darkness, laden with unease and danger, unconsciously drove her to move closer to Lu Ying, seeking warmth and a sense of security from him. Yet the response she gained was a low, ambiguous chuckle. Lu Ying observed her in her disheveled, helpless, yet seductive and alluring state. From his perspective, it seemed she was insatiable, willingly throwing herself into his arms. He suddenly recalled a spring banquet from his youth. Back then, Shen Yinning was the most prominent young lady in the Capital. Not only was she born into an esteemed family, her beauty had been eye-catching since childhood, winning the affections of concubines who frequently invited her to palace banquets. The Princes adored her even more. They ignored the other young girls, attending only to her as they flew kites together. And as for him back then, quiet and reserved as always, he naturally wouldn’t join such frivolous activities, opting instead to stand beneath the willow trees and watch. Lu Jiazhe was there too. At that time, he was still young, a tiny child unable to wedge himself into the Princes’ group. He could only stand beside him, chirping excitedly in his childish voice: "Brother Lu Ying, did you see that? Sister Shen is so pretty! Her smile is even more beautiful than the peonies blooming in spring!" Lu Ying ignored him. Just then, Shen Yinning’s kite broke free and got caught in the willow tree beside him. The Princes who surrounded her immediately filled with excitement, shouting from afar and ordering him to climb the tree to retrieve the kite. At that time, Shen Yinning wore twin chignons, her youthful face still carrying traces of baby fat, beautiful and lively. She was dressed in a pale green upper garment paired with a red pomegranate silk skirt, standing aristocratically at a distance, watching him with the demeanor of a demanding lady awaiting her kite. But he thought to himself, as a noble scion of the Imperial family, why should he run errands for a girl he didn’t know? Not to mention, that girl struck him as arrogant and unlikable. So, with a stern face, he stood motionless, as if he hadn’t heard their calls. In the end, it was Lu Shiyan who came running over to retrieve the kite. Smiling, he handed the kite back to Shen Yinning, and the crowd immediately burst into cheers. Lu Jiazhe was beside himself with excitement: "Brother Lu Ying, everyone says Sister Shen is definitely going to marry Brother Shiyan one day! Look at them, such a perfect couple!" Lu Ying silently stared at the distant "golden boy and jade maiden." Even at that young age, he already knew the Emperor intended to name Lu Shiyan as the Crown Prince. And as everyone knew, Shen Yinning, with her noble lineage and peerless beauty, was destined to be the future Crown Princess Consort. She and Lu Shiyan were made for each other. She would become Lu Shiyan’s Crown Princess Consort. At that time, that was what everyone believed. Even the palace maids and eunuchs, usually oblivious to outside affairs, knew that the Second Prince Lu Shiyan and the Shen Guogong Mansion’s Bright Pearl, Shen Yinning, were a couple approved by the Emperor and Lady Zhang, the Noble Consort. They would marry, have children, and one day ascend the thrones of Emperor and Empress hand in hand. That was what everyone thought back then... Lu Jiazhe, seeing his silence, couldn’t help but ask in his crisp voice: "Brother Lu Ying, why don’t you say something? Don’t you approve of Brother Shiyan and Sister Shen being together? Sister Shen is so beautiful, I think only she is worthy of Brother Shiyan!" For some reason, in that moment, he unexpectedly replied: "Beautiful? I don’t think so." As his words landed, Shen Yinning happened to pass by nearby, surrounded by admiration. The young girl’s eyes reddened instantly at his remark, glaring at him in grievance before running off in tears. The Princes, convinced he had made Shen Yinning cry, ostracized him for a long time over such a trivial incident. The bed curtains hung low, casting dim shadows. Lu Ying extended his rough, calloused fingertip and slowly caressed her spine; when he saw her trembling lightly, a fierce glint flashed in his narrow eyes. The once-proud Bright Pearl, who had lost all her support, ultimately failed to marry Lu Shiyan. She never became the Crown Princess Consort or the Empress. Back then, none of them could have imagined that the arrogant young girl would one day become his kept Forbidden Fruit, tamed to his whims. Lu Ying couldn’t decipher his own emotions. Recalling the past and comparing it to the present, when Shen Yinning and Lu Shiyan secretly met behind his back, he felt a surge of agitation—or rather, the murky rage of betrayal dominated his thoughts. Like a sudden summer storm battering banana leaves. "Brother Lu Ying... please don’t..." Shen Yinning’s voice rose and fell in response to Lu Ying’s actions. Even the blush spreading across her porcelain skin stemmed from his touch. Her world confined by darkness, she had lost all senses except for the pleasure and pain dictated by Lu Ying’s whims. It felt as if, in this tiny world, the only one she could rely on was him.

Chapter 185 - 183: I Don’t Want It Anymore

Comments (0)