Chapter 137: To Hell with Male Supremacy and Polygamy!

"Stomach pain? Ah, your stomach really is injured. Wait here, I'll have someone fetch the medicine." With that, Jin'er vanished in a flash.

After writing a prescription, Jin'er did not send a junior eunuch to fetch the medicine. Instead, she handed it to a guard with impressive martial arts skills, instructing him to return at the absolute fastest speed possible.

"Bear with it for a bit. Once the medicine is back, I'll brew it for you. Drink it and you'll feel better in no time." Jin'er sat beside Heling Feng, speaking with a hint of anxiety and unease.

Strange. Whenever she saw him angry or in pain, she used to feel thrilled. What was happening to her now? Why was she actually worried about him?

"I'm fine, it hurts just a little." Seeing Jin'er's furrowed brows, Heling Feng forced a smile to comfort her. Yet, beads of sweat the size of soybeans stood out on his pale face.

Jin'er bit her lip, took out her handkerchief, and carefully wiped the sweat from his brow.

Looking at the person so close at hand, whose face was filled with worry, Heling Feng felt an indescribable sweetness in his heart. To win such a tender side from her, to earn her heartache—what did this minor pain even matter? He would willingly endure this pain every single day if it meant this.

Before long, the guard returned with the medicine, and Jin'er flew off to the kitchen to brew it. After a flurry of activity, Heling Feng finally began to feel some relief after drinking the concoction.

"I'm sorry," Jin'er puffed out her cheeks, speaking with a hint of awkwardness.

"You silly girl, I did it willingly. It's not your fault." Heling Feng smiled, raising a hand to gently pinch her cheek. Realizing too late that the gesture was far too intimate, he hesitated briefly, withdrew his hand with a touch of embarrassment, and averted his gaze.

The cheek that had been pinched by him was now burning slightly. Jin'er cautiously raised her eyes to look at him, only to discover a blush tinging his profile. At nineteen, he was no longer a child in this era, but to Jin'er, he still seemed like an innocent young boy.

Upon reflection, it made sense. He had spent his whole life confined within the walls of a palace that was neither large nor small, his body frail. Aside from practicing martial arts, taking medicine, reading, and sleeping, his life was extremely simple, even if he lived amid supreme luxury.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Heling Feng suddenly turned his head, speaking in a slightly irritated tone, though his heartbeat skipped a beat for no reason.

Jin'er, who had been lost in thought while gazing at him, was startled by his sudden outburst. Just as she was wondering why his tone had shifted so abruptly, she noticed his crimson cheeks and the fleeting panic in his eyes, and she instantly understood.

"Do you think that suddenly acting fierce means I won't notice you're blushing?" Jin'er couldn't help but laugh softly.

"You! Who says I'm blushing!" Heling Feng protested angrily.

"Whether you are or not, you know in your heart, hehe, and I know too. Who would have thought that the lofty Crown Prince is actually a pure young man who blushes just from being stared at by a girl..." Before Jin'er could finish her triumphant teasing, she was suddenly pressed back against the chair by a swift movement from him, her half-open lips intercepted and captured in a kiss.

Her eyes widened in shock, her gaze locking onto a pair of furious eyes. (The author's note: See? You shouldn't push a pure young man too far...)

Recovering her senses, Jin'er panicked and tried to raise her hands to push him away, only to see those angry eyes slowly close. Immediately afterward, she felt a tingling, tickling sensation on her lips.

Expecting him to angrily bite her a couple of times, she never imagined he would kiss and suckle her lips with such gentle tenderness. Jin'er's breath hitched, her body growing inexplicably tense. She tried to push him away, but lacking the strength, she had to turn her head hard to evade his kiss.

However, before she could catch her breath, Heling Feng gripped her chin and turned her face back toward him.

"I suddenly realized that my stomach doesn't hurt at all when I kiss you. Today is my birthday—can you bear to make me suffer?" Heling Feng spoke softly, his narrowed eyes glowing with tenderness, passion, and a hint of grievance.

Listening to his soft-spoken words and gazing into those mesmerizing eyes that made her heart soften against her will, Jin'er was momentarily stunned. Taking advantage of her momentary trance, Heling Feng descended once more upon her exquisite lips, continuing to savor the marvelous taste from just a moment ago...

This was his first kiss, stemming entirely from innate emotional expression. Lacking advanced kissing techniques or flirtatiousness, he could only clumsily and simply kiss and suckle her lips, yet it was a heartfelt expression of his affection and cherish for her.

Jin'er's mind went completely blank, completely forgetting to resist for a moment.

Why didn't she feel repulsed? And why was there a feeling of her heart beating faster? Whenever he touched her hands before, she would instinctively shake him off. Could it be that she... had fallen in place with him?

Heavens, how could she be so fickle? Qingyue was still locked in the dungeon, and she still frequently found herself missing Mo Yan... Thinking of this, Jin'er violently pushed Heling Feng away, bit her lip, and made to stand up and flee, but Heling Feng grabbed her wrist.

"Jin'er, I like you, truly. I can feel that you aren't completely indifferent to me either. Can't you stop running away? Follow what your heart is telling you," Heling Feng said earnestly. Although his face appeared calm, the palm holding Jin'er's wrist was sweating profusely, and his heart was beating frantically with tension, terrified that she would coldly reject him and avoid him from then on.

With her back to Heling Feng, Jin'er bit her lip before suddenly shaking off his hand, turning, and sprinting away into the distance. "Jin'er! Jin'er..." The anxious calls behind her grew increasingly distant. Jin'er ran recklessly until she reached the edge of a lotus pond in the back courtyard, where she finally stopped.

Finding a flat patch of ground, she plopped down, staring blankly and conflictedly at the pool of withered lotus leaves, her mind in complete turmoil.

Now, recalling the day she first met Heling Feng—when he sat with closed eyes, silently shedding tears and choking as he asked the Emperor to give up on him—Jin'er had felt an inexplicable ache in her heart. Remembering all the times she had driven him to flushed embarrassment and boiling rage, only for him to be utterly powerless to argue back, she couldn't help bursting into laughter.

There was also the time he foolishly blocked a poisoned dart for her, his devout expression in the flickering candlelight, his cute flushed face, and... She suddenly realized that the memories of him weren't hateful at all. Instead, he sometimes seemed cute, sometimes foolish, and sometimes entirely endearing enough to evoke deep pity.

With these thoughts, Jin'er let out an exasperated sigh, threw her upper body backward, stretched out her legs, and lay sprawled flat on the grass. Silently gazing up at the blue sky above, a parade of familiar faces drifted through her mind.

Mo Yan, Ye, Qingyue, Heling Feng, and it seemed... even Tianyu? Heavens, she really was a fickle playgirl after all!

Rolling her eyes in vexation, Jin'er kicked her legs and pounded the grass with her fists, her expression a mix of internal conflict and depression. After venting this way for quite a while, she finally stopped in frustration.

Didn't she want to live a good life for herself? She had already suffered so much; why torture herself further? Even if she was unwilling or unable to be a heartless person, she couldn't let herself be weighed down by matters of the heart either. Heavens, you really something else—one moment dragging me to the gates of Hell and back, the next showering me with surprises, and now surrounding me with so many handsome men. What on earth are you plotting? Huh?

Well, look at her now: her eyes were dazzled, her heart was in chaos, and her future was shrouded in mist.

Sigh! It's a pity she wasn't the Empress; otherwise, she might actually have considered keeping all of them... The moment the thought crossed her mind, Jin'er froze, and then burst out laughing.

She really knew how to let her imagination run wild, haha... But to be honest, she actually envied the Empress of the Water Kingdom. Possessing supreme power, completely independent of others' control, living in luxury every day, and having hordes of handsome men waiting on her hand and foot—that must feel amazing, right?

***

After indulging in some private fantasies and silly laughter, the turmoil in Jin'er's heart seemed to dissipate considerably. Regaining her composure, she thought to herself: What was there to be conflicted or awkward about? So what if she fancied a few men at the same time?

Everyone loves beauty, and each of them was an exceptional dragon among men. Which woman could claim she wouldn't feel a ripple in her heart?

Setting aside the privileges of an Empress, in this world, men could have concubines by the dozen and arms full of beauties. Why should women be bound by rigid moral codes? Men could be fickle and unfeeling, yet a woman having deep emotions was considered a crime? To hell with male supremacy and polygamy for men! Even if she couldn't be an Empress, Jin'er would never submit to such ridiculous and unjust social conventions!

With a sudden carp-like leap, Jin'er sat up from the grass. Her expression was righteous and resolute, completely devoid of her previous hesitation and self-blame, as if she had been thoroughly reborn.

She had decided! From now on, she would live according to her own heart! Liking someone meant liking them; not liking someone meant the opposite. She might mask it on the outside, but she would never torture herself on the inside. Besides, she had already died twice—why worry about so much?!

"I finally found you." A slightly breathless voice came from behind, startling Jin'er. Turning around, she saw it was Heling Feng. Remembering that previous kiss, her heart couldn't help fluttering nervously again. Forcing herself to steady her nerves, she climbed up from the ground, dusted off her rear, and walked over.

"Let's go back." Jin'er walked past Heling Feng, speaking with an air of polite indifference. Although she walked ahead of him, she deliberately slowed her pace, leaving a distance of only two paces between them.

Heling Feng followed cautiously behind her, not daring to speak for fear that angering her would make her bolt away again. His speed couldn't match hers right now; chasing her all the way here had already left him panting.

The two walked in silence for a long stretch without exchanging a word, until Jin'er grew stifled with boredom. She stopped and turned around, preparing to break the awkward atmosphere herself. However, Heling Feng was walking with his head bowed in deep thought and hadn't noticed her abrupt stop, walking straight into her.

"Ah!" Jin'er lost her balance and tipped backward. Heling Feng's reflexes were quick enough; he timely bent forward and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Thus, Jin'er found herself leaning at a forty-five-degree angle in the crook of his arm, while Heling Feng looked down at her with nervous tension. For an instant, the entire world seemed to freeze.

After several seconds of stagnation, Heling Feng finally snapped out of it and hurriedly helped her stand straight.

"Does your stomach still hurt?" Jin'er lowered her gaze, stepping back a little from him as she asked the casual question.

"Much better." Seeing her proactively showing concern for him, Heling Feng felt a surge of joy, and most of his prior anxiety vanished instantly.

"Go back and lie down to rest. It's still a bit early for dinner." Jin'er glanced at him before turning to resume walking forward.

Heling Feng smiled faintly and took large strides to catch up, walking right beside Jin'er.

Even just like this, he felt immensely happy and fulfilled in his heart.

***

Dinner was extremely lavish, featuring all sorts of mountain delicacies and sea treasures. However, the large round table seated only three people: the Emperor, Heling Feng, and Jin'er. Heling Feng was accustomed to solitude, so every year his birthday was celebrated only with the Emperor in person, giving it the feel of an ordinary father-and-son bonding. But with the addition of Jin'er this year, the atmosphere felt entirely different.

"Father, Jin'er and I share the same birthday," Heling Feng said with a smile.

"Oh?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow and cast an amused glance at Jin'er. "You two really have quite a connection."

Jin'er smiled without saying anything. Strange, why did it feel like the old Emperor's gaze toward her had grown much kinder today?

The Emperor shifted his gaze between the two, a profound and knowing smile curling the corners of his lips. Hearing Ling Feng address her as "Jin'er," and observing the look in his eyes when he gazed at her, anyone who had been through life could easily tell that his precious son had truly fallen in love.

Heh, though this lass was wild and untamable, she was a remarkably good match for Ling Feng. Furthermore, she possessed incredible martial skills; them truly ending up together wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

"What is Father thinking about?" Seeing the Emperor lost in thought with a satisfied smile, Heling Feng asked with curiosity.

"Your lifelong affairs," the Emperor chuckled.

"Ah?!" Heling Feng was startled, then instinctively glanced at Jin'er, turning back to urge hastily, "Father, my health has yet to fully recover. There's no rush."

Though Jin'er was similarly surprised and felt an inexplicable discomfort in her chest, her expression remained calm and unruffled.

The Emperor noted Jin'er's composure, a flicker of doubt and worry crossing his mind. Could it be that Ling Feng's affection was unrequited?

"There's no rush indeed. Heh, I was merely thinking ahead," the Emperor smiled. "Oh, by the way, Jin'er, your friend Young Master Qingyue can leave prison tomorrow. As for Shiyuan, I understand his actions, but Yunshang is my daughter after all, and she now carries the responsibility for peace between the Tu and Jin Kingdoms. Therefore, I can only release Shiyuan after Yunshang safely arrives in the Jin Kingdom."

"The Jin Kingdom? Father agreed to the marriage alliance request from Jin?" Heling Feng asked in genuine astonishment.

Although Heling Feng rarely inquired about state affairs, the Emperor visited him often and would occasionally volunteer details.

"Indeed. The Jin Kingdom has raised this matter many times. Previously, I had no heart to deal with it, and fearing something might happen to you, I didn't dare marry Yunshang off. Now that your affairs have been cleared up, arranging this for her can be considered a very good outcome," the Emperor said with a sigh, not without heartache.

"Father, don't be sad. I also think this is a good solution." Although he despised Consort Zhen and her daughter, he understood the pain in his father's heart and had never intended to seek revenge by punishing them ruthlessly. Marrying her off like this was a win-win strategy.

Jin'er listened quietly, her previous worries vanishing in that instant. Heh, everything was finally resolved, though it was a pity Shi had to spend a few more days in prison.

After some conversation and a few cups of mild wine, the earlier gloom and melancholy dissipated. The three of them finished their dinner with laughter and chatter, after which the Emperor summoned musicians and dancers to perform pre-arranged songs and dances.

Watching the fluttering water-sleeves, Jin'er felt somewhat distracted. Compared to Qingyue's dancing, these performers lacked any real skill.

With much difficulty, she endured until the end. After sending off the Emperor, Jin'er hurried back to the kitchen to brew the medicine.

"Just let the servants handle it," Heling Feng walked over, looking at a yawning Jin'er with heartache as he spoke.

"It's fine." The Princess was still in the palace, and she couldn't afford to let all her previous efforts go to waste. Better safe than sorry.

"Then you go sit over there, I'll do it." Heling Feng stepped forward and crouched beside her, reaching to take the cattail-leaf fan from her hand, but Jin'er dodged him.

"Is your stomach still acting up? Sit down and rest, I'm fine." When Jin'er saw that he wouldn't budge, she shot him a sharp look and snapped, "I told you to rest, so go rest! Why are you dawdling so much?"

Heling Feng's eyebrows twitched, and he stood up obediently to sit aside.

Sigh! He had never met such a fierce woman, yet for some reason, he was the one afraid of her...

Turning back, Jin'er couldn't help the corners of her lips curling upward. This fellow truly had a tendency to enjoy being bossed around—ignore good words and she had to scold him.

After finishing the medicine, the two washed up early and prepared to sleep.

"Jin'er," Heling Feng lifted the beaded curtain and walked into the outer chamber.

Jin'er was just about to lie down. Seeing him walk over with a faint smile and his hands behind his back, she asked with curiosity, "What is it?"

"Today is your birthday too. Look, this is my gift for you." As he spoke, Heling Feng brought his hands from behind his back and handed an exquisite brocade box directly to Jin'er.

"A gift?" Jin'er was startled at first, then curved her lips into a smile. Hesitantly, she took the box and slowly opened it.

"So pretty..." Jin'er's eyes brightened as she murmured in admiration. Reaching in, she pulled out a red jade hairpin inlaid with numerous multicolored gemstones, watching it shimmer with a kaleidoscope of colors under the candlelight until her eyes felt dazzled.

"Do you like it?" Seeing the joy on her face, Heling Feng felt an indescribable sense of happiness and fulfillment.

"I love it. But..." The delight gradually fading from her expression, Jin'er looked up with embarrassment, "It's too precious. And I didn't even get you a gift."

"Silly girl, as long as you like it." With that, Heling Feng hesitated before reaching out to pull her into his embrace, lowering his head to whisper softly in her ear, "Didn't you make me a birthday cake? Even though we ate it, I will never forget it."

Holding the hairpin in one hand and the brocade box in the other, trapped within his embrace, Jin'er's heartbeat accelerated completely out of control. Such gentleness from him always left her struggling to adapt... and struggling to resist.

The room was very quiet, quiet enough that they could hear each other's breathing and heartbeats.

"Jin'er, your heart is beating so fast too..." Heling Feng lifted his head, looking at Jin'er with a half-smile as he spoke.

Hearing this, Jin'er's cheeks flushed red. "I did not." She turned to break free from his embrace, placed the hairpin back into the brocade box, and set it beside her pillow. Just as she straightened up, her back met a solid chest, and her waist was immediately encircled by a pair of arms.

Jin'er stiffened and froze in place, her heartbeat—which had barely begun to settle—going wild all over again.

At that moment, she felt him lower his head, followed by the sensation of his warm breath against her ear, making her shrink her neck and shudder slightly.

"Jin'er, I like you, I really like you..." he murmured softly, leaning down slightly further to gently kiss her earlobe.

A jolt of electricity rippled out from her earlobe, and Jin'er let out a soft gasp.

Sensing her sensitivity, Heling Feng tightened his arms around her, wishing he could press her directly into his heart. Her alluring voice felt like the softest feather brushing against his heartstrings, suddenly stirring an inexplicable desire within him.

Jin'er could feel something pressing firmly against her waist gradually changing, and her cheeks burned instantly. Panicking, she used all her strength to pry his hands apart, turning to push him back a step.

"It's late, let's rest." She averted her gaze, not daring to look at him, her heart fluttering frantically like a trapped fawn inside her chest.

Instead of turning away, Heling Feng stepped forward and raised his hands to grip her upper arms.

"Go away!" Feeling him press closer, Jin'er panicked and instinctively stepped back, forgetting that the soft couch was right behind her. Her heel caught on the edge, and with a startled cry, she tumbled backward, dragging Heling Feng down with her.

"Ah—" Jin'er let out a startled shriek, which was immediately muffled as Heling Feng, tumbling down on top of her, captured her lips in a kiss.

They lay there staring wide-eyed at each other for a long moment, neither daring to make the first move. Finally, just as Jin'er prepared to push him away, Heling Feng took the initiative, gripping her wrists and closing his eyes to kiss her with deep passion.

Jin'er breathed heavily. The soft sensation on her lips, mingled with a faint hint of medicinal fragrance, and his warm breath blowing against her face created an itchy sensation that only heightened her tension.

Still devoid of advanced technique, it was simply a gentle yet passionate intertwining kiss, but Jin'er was quickly left dizzy and defenseless. In the end, she slowly lost herself in it, parting her lips slightly to gradually return the kiss of her own accord.

Heling Feng trembled slightly, an indescribable excitement surging in his heart. Releasing her wrists, he gathered her into his arms and rolled over so that they lay facing each other on their sides.

Lacking the previous feeling of oppression, Jin'er felt much more comfortable. She wrapped her arms around his waist as well, gradually increasing her grip and returning his kiss with a rising warmth.

She liked him, and she liked the feeling of kissing him. She would no longer deceive herself or force her feelings away—wasn't this current feeling rather wonderful?