Chapter 197 - 195: Lu Ying, I Hate You

Words : 1281 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Here is the requested translation of the text provided: ```html Lu Ying remained silent. He took out a handkerchief and gathered some snow from the branches. When the snow melted and soaked the handkerchief, he knelt down on one knee before Shen Yinning and carefully applied the handkerchief to her injured area. His voice was calm, without a ripple: "After a sprain, you need an ice compress to reduce the swelling before applying medicine." Shen Yinning looked down at the pristine black silk handkerchief on her ankle, the corner of which bore an embroidered character: "Ying." The cool sensation eased the swelling and aching heat caused by the sprain; it was indeed far more effective than directly rubbing medicinal oil. She looked at Lu Ying, who was crouched in front of her, a thousand feelings surging in her heart. As a child, everyone praised her beauty, except for him — he claimed he didn’t think so. She hated him and secretly incited the other princes to exclude him. Yet fate perversely bound her to him, making her his betrothed Crown Princess Consort. When she finally accepted the reality of marrying him, fate tore them apart two years later. It was a cruel twist of destiny: he married her younger sister in an elaborate procession, while she was reduced to being his clandestinely kept Forbidden Fruit. Under the hazy twilight, Shen Yinning’s phoenix-like eyes still carried traces of tears, resembling fragmented, glimmering starlight. She whispered, "Lu Ying, I hate you." Lu Ying lowered his gaze. His features — sharp and coldly handsome — cast profound, brooding shadows in the bitter winter night. His voice was low: "I hate you too." Their silence was interrupted by sudden commotion at the end of the flower path. With sharp ears, Gui Quan quickly lowered his voice to report: "Your Highness, it seems the Crown Princess Consort’s sedan chair is approaching!" Lu Ying glanced at Shen Yinning. With her sprained ankle, she couldn’t walk away, and Shen Yunxi would surely run into the two of them together. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Lu Ying scooped Shen Yinning up and carried her straight into a nearby rock garden. The grotto within the rock garden was narrow and pitch dark, devoid of light. Lu Ying relied on his exceptional night vision to avoid bumping into the jagged Taihu stones. As he was about to set Shen Yinning down, the woman clung tightly to him, exclaiming coquettishly, "Don’t put me down! Who knows how long it’s been since someone cleaned this grotto? The ground must be covered in moss and mud — filthy! I don’t want to dirty my embroidered shoes!" Blue veins throbbed on Lu Ying’s temple. Shen Yinning lived up to her name — even at a time like this, she cared about cleanliness. His voice turned cold: "I’m under no obligation to hold you forever. I’m letting go now." As he spoke, he truly loosened his grip. Shen Yinning immediately latched onto him like an octopus, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. The embroidered shoes on her feet might appear understated, but they were made of Shu brocade! She would never allow them to be soiled! Lu Ying’s expression darkened further. The woman was pressed intimately against his waist, and in such an ambiguous position no less. In the cloak of darkness, every sensation seemed magnified. He was all too aware of how soft and delicate the vixen in his arms was... He clenched his teeth: "Shen Yinning—" "Shh! She’s here..." Shen Yinning raised her index finger, pressing it against Lu Ying’s lips. Down the flower path, palace lanterns began lighting up one after another. Shen Yunxi sat lazily in her sedan chair, remarking idly, "I haven’t even had my fill of fun, yet the feast has already come to an end. Since there’s nothing else to do tonight, Lian Ye, go invite Princess Wu and her sister to the Eastern Palace to play leaf card with me." Lian Ye replied, "Your Grace, you’ve been playing cards for days over the New Year and lost quite a bit of money." "That’s because it’s fun." "But Your Grace, even your personal treasury has been depleted, and you’ve already lost your monthly allowance for this month." "What’s the matter? Just send someone to the Duke Mansion and ask my mother for some financial support." "But last month, you already asked for fifty thousand taels of patterned silver. At the time, Commandery Princess Qinghe was quite displeased. And since your eldest brother dotes on her so much, he’s since declared that you’re not allowed to ask the family for money for the next two months." "Hmph, my sister-in-law is just a wretched woman! She’s merely an outsider who’s been married into the family for three years and hasn’t even borne a son. What business does she have meddling in how I get money from my maiden family?! When I become Empress in the future, won’t they all have to rely on me to bring honor to our family?!" "..." The sedan chair gradually drifted farther away. Inside the rock garden grotto, Shen Yinning’s finger was still pressed against Lu Ying’s lips. She had always been proud and vain, her fingertips carefully smeared with peach blossom balm even in winter. That finger, warm and tender, rested lightly on Lu Ying’s lips. In the darkness, the peach blossom scent from her fingertip became vividly perceptible — intoxicatingly sweet in the damp cold of the grotto. His blood seemed to surge, restless and untamed. His throat bobbed involuntarily as patience slipped away. He turned and bit down on Shen Yinning’s finger, alternating between nipping and kissing, leaving faint teeth marks on her delicate skin. Shen Yinning’s pupils contracted sharply. Before she could react, Lu Ying had already pressed her against the stone wall of the grotto! She withdrew her finger, her breath quickening: "You—" Lu Ying lowered his head and claimed her lips, sealing away all her words. Their garments were discarded onto the Taihu stones. A length of white silk originally used to bind her chest stretched from the entrance of the grotto to its dim depths. Struggling to catch her breath, Shen Yinning noticed a hidden stone chamber in the depths of the grotto. A shaft of moonlight poured through a small circular gap at the top of the rock garden, illuminating the stone bed at the center of the chamber. Neglected for ages, the bed was strewn with dried leaves and twigs. Lu Ying brushed away the debris with a casual sweep, unfastened the jet-black fox fur cloak draped over his shoulders, and spread it out over the stone bed. Shen Yinning lay back against the fur, her gaze drawn to the gap above. Her brows furrowed slightly. She resisted, her hands trying to push against Lu Ying’s broad shoulders: "Not here—" Her pale, soft skin and the opulent jet-black fur formed a striking contrast. Her golden hairpin lay on the ground, dark tresses falling loosely around her, her eyes tinged at the corners with carmine, resembling a fox spirit from supernatural tales. Lu Ying, bare-chested, propped himself on one arm, his muscular frame taut like a coiled spring. Rain drummed against plantain leaves in rapid beats. Shen Yinning tried to suppress her voice, but it spiraled beyond her control. Her expression, once resistant, softened into rapture as she closed her eyes, ignoring the yawning gap atop the grotto. She gave herself over fully to Lu Ying, but he abruptly paused his movements with a wicked grin. Lowering his head, he lightly nipped her earlobe, his voice husky and sensual: "Just now, what did you say you didn’t want?"

Chapter 197 - 195: Lu Ying, I Hate You

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