Chapter 6: Do as You're Told

“I’ve invited him again and again, yet he continues to refuse—what does he take me for?”
“If it were anyone else, I’d have had him killed long ago!”
“He must be impotent! Yes, that must be it! Facing such a stunning beauty as myself, he won’t even spare me a glance—he’s nothing but a useless wretch!”
“Ha! The Great Zhou is doomed! The end is nigh!”
Lin Yaoxue could do nothing but rage in helpless fury, venting by smashing whatever she could get her hands on.

Ye Cheng looked up, scanning the surroundings, and found that Ye Rou and the other palace maids and eunuchs had long since vanished.
He couldn’t help but secretly scoff.
What a bunch of unreliable cowards.
Clearly, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. They were well accustomed to Lin Yaoxue’s tempers—at the first sign of her anger, they’d flee as though their feet were slick with oil, terrified of incurring her wrath.
“I’d better get out of here too!”
Ye Cheng prepared to quietly slip away—if he inadvertently drew her ire, he’d be the one to suffer.

But just as Ye Cheng was making his escape, Lin Yaoxue’s voice suddenly rang out: “What’s this? Am I so fearsome in this state? Even you want to run away?”
Ye Cheng quickly donned a smile. “Your Highness, it just occurred to me that I left something stewing at home—must hurry back.”
Lin Yaoxue’s delicate brows drew together, her tone sharp. “Nonsense! Such a feeble excuse, and you expect me to believe it? Didn’t you boast about your massage skills earlier? I’d like to try them now.”
Ye Cheng was momentarily stunned—what’s this about? Wasn’t she just scolding him for making trouble?
He dared not agree and hastily declined, “Your Highness, there are still rules between men and women. This would be an intimate contact, and as the Crown Princess, I wouldn’t dare offend you.”

She sneered, “The Crown Prince is your master, but I’m not? You’ll do as you’re told. Don’t forget, I hold your secret in my hands. The identity of the former dynasty’s crown prince is enough to have you executed.”
His attempt to evade only stirred Lin Yaoxue’s contrary nature. A cold smile played on her bewitching face.

Ye Cheng was left speechless.
That wretched predecessor—why reveal his true identity to the Crown Princess? Now Lin Yaoxue had him in the palm of her hand, to be toyed with at her leisure.
“But I am still a man—such a massage would inevitably involve physical contact…”
He truly didn’t dare serve the Crown Princess; she was indeed a beauty, but a dangerous one.

“No, you’re nothing but a eunuch,” Lin Yaoxue scoffed.
Anger flared in Ye Cheng’s heart.
You little vixen, just you wait!

“If you wish for a massage, Your Highness should first bathe,” Ye Cheng said.
“So troublesome. Everyone else has left, so you’ll attend me in my bath,” said Lin Yaoxue.

“Me?” Ye Cheng faltered. “That’s hardly appropriate.”
“You’re just a eunuch—what’s the harm? Come here,” she pressed.
Left with no choice, Ye Cheng followed Lin Yaoxue into the bathing chambers.

A pair of shapely, slender legs slipped into the pool—her skin was smooth as the finest jade, her curves both graceful and enticing, her silhouette indistinct beneath the water’s surface.
Raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders; that delicate, alluring face was now bared before Ye Cheng without a trace of reservation.

Beautiful.
Utterly, breathtakingly beautiful.
Ye Cheng’s blood surged; he nearly had a nosebleed then and there.

“Tell me, Ye Cheng, for the sake of restoring your homeland, you became a eunuch—so you’ll never have descendants. You must have married before entering the palace, yes?”
Suddenly, Lin Yaoxue’s curiosity was piqued.

“Your Highness, I am not yet married,” Ye Cheng replied.

“You’re not married?” Lin Yaoxue was clearly surprised. Then, an odd smile appeared on her lips as her gaze dropped to his lower half. “Your sacrifice is truly great. From this day on, you and I shall be honest with one another. You belong to me now, and you must be loyal. Remember, only I can help you reclaim your throne.”

Ye Cheng heard nothing of her talk of restoration; his eyes were fixed upon her.
Ah, what a waste of such beauty.

After a while, Lin Yaoxue finished bathing and changed her clothes. She asked Ye Cheng, “What comes next?”

“Please, lie face down on the mat,” Ye Cheng instructed.

“Will this work?” Lin Yaoxue felt a flutter of nerves.
Though she appeared calm, her heart was pounding.
She had never been this close to any man before; the Crown Prince had never touched her, and she remained a virgin.
Today, yet again snubbed by the Crown Prince, she acted out in anger, wanting to be intimate with another, to shame her absent husband.
Alas, Ye Cheng was only a eunuch, not a true man.
If only he were, she might have let him have his way today.

Had Ye Cheng known her true thoughts, he would have been utterly dumbfounded.
Even if the Crown Princess was willing, he’d never dare—if the Crown Prince found out, he’d be dead for sure.

“That’s fine. For this massage, you must relax; don’t be tense—simply do what feels comfortable. Imagine yourself in a fragrant garden full of birds and flowers,” Ye Cheng said.
He could hardly believe that the techniques he’d picked up from frequenting massage parlors in his previous life would come in handy now.

“You really do have quite a few tricks up your sleeve,” Lin Yaoxue commented.

She closed her eyes, her long black lashes trembling, betraying her unrest.
She tried to picture herself in a world of birdsong and blossoms.

When Ye Cheng’s large hands gently pressed against her soft back, a shiver ran through her, and for a moment she resisted. But recalling the Crown Prince’s indifference, she endured.

From her smooth, jade-like spine down to her thighs, her body’s curves were flawless. Ye Cheng hadn’t expected the Crown Princess’s skin to be so exquisitely tender, as smooth as silk, the sensation utterly delightful.

Heh, what a windfall—this beauty put every starlet from his past life to shame.

Lin Yaoxue gradually let her guard down, a strange new feeling spreading through her heart.
It seemed Ye Cheng’s skills were not unfounded.
It was… truly pleasant.
No wonder the Crown Prince let him handle his massages.

Leaning close to her ear, Ye Cheng caught the intoxicating fragrance of her hair and exhaled a gentle breath against her skin.

The warm breath sent a shiver through the Crown Princess; her body turned languid, a restless heat rising within her.
Her delicate cheeks flushed crimson.

A soft moan escaped her lips.
She turned her face to the side and found his handsome features so close, and shame overwhelmed her.

Where on earth had this rascal learned such tricks?

Seeing that the moment was right, Ye Cheng had Lin Yaoxue turn over to face him.

Her cheeks were aflame, her limpid eyes glistening with emotion, a misty sheen gathering in their depths.
Lin Yaoxue had never experienced anything like this—she was still a maiden, after all.
Now, she found herself unable to let go.
Besides, Ye Cheng was just a eunuch, not a real man.

She did as Ye Cheng instructed.
Ye Cheng’s eyes widened.

In that instant, all hesitation vanished and his hands moved to cover her—

“You insolent wretch, how dare you!”
Lin Yaoxue’s brows shot up in fury, her voice thunderous.