Rumors had it that the prince stayed away from women, though exaggerated, it was not far from the truth. At least in this life and the last, he didn't really care about women.
It can be said that he truly stayed away from women, but that didn't mean he didn't understand these things.
Su Mo'er's words had reached this point, even a fool could understand her meaning.
Moreover, Zhao Jinghuan was not a fool, so he instantly reacted.
Thinking of this, a faint shadow appeared on his handsome face, and his low voice carried a gentle scolding, "Small brain, but a lot of thinking!"
Su Mo'er was instantly a little flustered, "Your Highness, what do you mean? Did I do something wrong and make you angry?"
As she spoke, her eyes were filled with a mist of tears, ethereal and moving.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Jinghuan couldn't help but feel a headache, "Don't cry, you did well."
After a pause, he added, "It's just, you did too well."
The latter remark was quite significant, but how could Su Mo'er fail to understand it?
In an instant, her small face blushed, gradually engulfed in the mature and seductive look of a ripe peach.
She shyly said, "Your Highness misunderstood, I entered the prefecture's mansion as a dancer specifically to serve Your Highness. It's only because it's Your Highness, that I would act like this..."
Seeing her charming and bashful appearance, Zhao Jinghuan felt as if there were slender threads gently tickling his heart, causing a slight itch.
"In the future, you don't have to be like this," he coughed softly, lowered his head, and unfastened her shoes and socks.
Instantly, Su Mo'er's fair and delicate feet came into view. Her feet were small, almost covered by Zhao Jinghuan's hand, and her toes were round and shiny under the faint light.
As he held them, the warm and smooth skin seemed as if it wanted to drill into his heart along with the gentle touch, causing Zhao Jinghuan to pause involuntarily.
The prince did not have the kind of hobby she had in mind, and Su Mo'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She should have been happy, but the prince's words also meant that he had no intention of consummating the marriage.
In that case, if she were to serve him in bed, wouldn't it be useless?
Thinking of this, her heart was at a loss, and she didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved.
Seeing him holding her feet in his palm, Su Mo'er felt even more embarrassed and annoyed, and instinctively moved a bit.
Zhao Jinghuan was brought back to his senses by her movement, realizing that he had been staring at a girl's feet, and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
But on the surface, he remained composed, and casually placed his large palm on Su Mo'er's delicate ankle, saying, "I see that your lower limbs are not well, probably a result of the dancing earlier."
His tone was calm, indicating that he had long been aware.
While surprised, Su Mo'er also felt somewhat embarrassed, and explained, "The time was too short, and I am not proficient in the skills, I must have made a laughingstock of myself in front of Your Highness."
She also flattered, "It is really Your Highness who observes keenly, making me greatly admire."
Whether he understood or didn't care, he responded calmly, "Not knowing one's own limitations, if you know you are not proficient, why step onto the stage?"
Feeling somewhat wronged, Su Mo'er had intended to wait until she had mastered the craft, yet time waits for no one.
However, she smiled, "Your Highness is right, I will strive to practice diligently in the future and avoid making mistakes again next time."
Curious, she asked, "Your Highness, is my injury serious?"
Zhao Jinghuan realized that Su Mo'er didn't take his words to heart, and her casual attitude surprised him.
Finding it amusing, he decided to play a trick on her, saying sternly, "It can be serious. If not properly taken care of, you could lose the use of your foot."
This statement startled Su Mo'er, "It's that serious, ah..."
But before she could finish, she couldn't help but cry out in pain, as Zhao Jinghuan was rubbing her ankle with medicinal wine.
Though she knew he did it for her own good, she couldn't help but cry and whimper, "Your Highness, you, you hurt me..."
Zhao Jinghuan's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was not good, "You can't even bear this little pain? Do you not want this foot anymore?"
Despite his words, Su Mo'er clearly felt that the strength of his rubbing gradually diminished until it was within her tolerance.
Looking at the man in front of her, she felt warm and curious. People always said the prince was cold and distant from women, but at this moment, he didn't seem as frightening as the rumors made him out to be.
Thinking while asking, "Your Highness, is it really that serious?"
But Zhao Jinghuan glared at her, "What do you think?"
How could she know? There had been times when she sprained her foot before, and it hadn't been as serious as he said.
But seeing his serious expression, Su Mo'er started to doubt. The great prince surely wouldn't deceive her over such a trivial matter.
Thinking this, she panicked, "Then, what should I do..."
Seeing her like this, Zhao Jinghuan stopped teasing her, "You don't need to worry. After I give you a massage, you just need to rest for a few days."
She sighed in relief, and Zhao Jinghuan helped her with the massage and prepared to help her put on her shoes and socks.
Feeling shy, Su Mo'er pulled her foot back and blushed, "Your Highness, there's no need to trouble yourself, I can do it myself."
Not arguing with her, Zhao Jinghuan just went along and cleaned his hands, saying, "You have difficulty with your legs, so you don't need to attend to me today, go home and rest."
Upon hearing this, Su Mo'er slightly stiffened. What did the prince mean by this? Was he asking her to leave?
She couldn't allow that! She was the only one who had been this close to the prince today. If she were to leave now, she would not only be laughed at, but also her plan to get close to the prince would be ruined.
She couldn't leave like this!
Her mind raced, and she quickly made a decision. Even if she couldn't serve the prince tonight, she would definitely stay here for the night!
As long as they were in the same room, as a man and a woman alone, there might be an opportunity!
This was the only way to gain an advantage!
This idea flashed through her mind just as Zhao Jinghuan approached her. Su Mo'er's eyes sparkled, and she stood up immediately. But as soon as she landed on her tiptoes, her face changed, and she exclaimed as she lunged towards Zhao Jinghuan.
Zhao Jinghuan reacted quickly, almost instinctively dodging the oncoming Su Mo'er, but realizing that she was just a delicate young girl, he forced himself to remain calm and reached out to hold her in his arms.
Seeming to be shocked, Su Mo'er's chest heaved up and down, and she quickly said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Li Gonggong happened to walk in at that moment and witnessed the scene and heard Su Mo'er's words, causing a shiver to run down his spine. He stared at the two with suspicion in his eyes.
Subconsciously, he looked at his master and thought to himself that Su girl was truly captivating.
The three simple words, when uttered by Su Mo'er, lingered in his mind like a lingering dream, soft and charming.
Even though he didn't care much, he already found it difficult to resist, let alone a normal man. But he didn't expect that his master was not a normal man. At this moment, he was holding the charming girl in his arms, frowning as if nothing was affecting him.
Li Gonggong couldn't help but marvel at his master's self-control! As he thought this, Su Mo'er got up from Zhao Jinghuan's embrace and stood still. Just as she lightly touched the ground with her tiptoes, she cried out in pain, and once again lunged towards Zhao Jinghuan.
"...", Zhao Jinghuan caught her and his resolute and handsome brows furrowed even more, "What's wrong?"
Su Mo'er then raised her watery eyes, slightly raised her eyebrows, and softly said, "Your Highness, my feet hurt so much that it feels like I'm being stabbed by a knife when they touch the ground. Tonight, I'm afraid I can't go back."
Seeing him frown at her words without any other reaction, Su Mo'er's eyes flickered, and she bit her lip, pleading softly, "Your Highness, can I not go back tonight and stay here instead?"
The plea in her eyes evoked tenderness from Zhao Jinghuan. After a moment, he sighed lightly and said, "Fine!"
He then called, "Li Lu!"
The nearby eunuch, Li, had been eavesdropping and immediately stepped forward, bowing his head, "I'm here. Your Highness, what are your orders?"
Zhao Jinghuan said, "Arrange a room for the night...Until...Oh, I realize I don't know the name of the young lady here."
Su Mo'er quickly said, "My surname is Su, and my name is Mo'er."
Zhao Jinghuan nodded, "Tonight, Miss Su will stay here."
Hearing this, Li Lu couldn't help but admire Su Mo'er's shrewdness. Not only was she embraced by His Highness, but she also got to stay the night?
He secretly gave Su Mo'er a look of admiration and then affirmed Zhao Jinghuan's instructions before leaving.
Listening to their conversation, Su Mo'er couldn't help but feel disappointed. She had hoped to stay in Zhao Jinghuan's room, but it seemed unlikely now.
But then she thought again. Even if she couldn't stay in his room, having a chamber arranged for her by the Crown Prince himself was not bad. It was better than going back to the Yanshui Pavilion. She knew that Rome wasn't built in a day, so she suppressed her restless heart.
Seeing her dressed in thin clothing, Zhao Jinghuan paused and draped a cloak over her before lifting the shy Su Mo'er and, with Li Lu, entered another room, where he set her down and gave some instructions before leaving.
Watching Zhao Jinghuan disappear, Su Mo'er couldn't help but touch her injured ankle, which was as warm as the calloused palms of his hands. At that thought, a sweet feeling emerged in her heart.