Chapter 25: The Obsessive, Lustful Hostage Prince and the Doted, Haughty Princess (25)

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The young man’s tall, slender body did not move an inch. A muffled groan of pain escaped his throat, while his green, wolfish eyes remained fixed on her without blinking.

“Your Highness, please calm down. Do not harm yourself.”

Shu Yao was so furious that her breathing grew uneven, and a trace of color returned to her pale face.

She clenched her fists, her chest rising and falling. The sight caused the young man’s gaze to darken abruptly.

Shen Jingmu unconsciously licked his lips, the tip of his scarlet tongue flashing past.

Brat?

He found the woman’s unrestrained insult amusing. Even at the height of her anger, was this all she could manage—words with no bite whatsoever?

Neither painful nor threatening. It sounded more like flirtation.

Yet flirtation in a situation like this did nothing for him. It would have to be in bed.

Shu Yao angrily shut her eyes. She did not particularly want to look at him. The hot water in her head seemed to have boiled completely, roaring in her ears.

Rubbing her sharply aching temples, she glared at the young man and scolded, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and wash my feet!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Her stockings were removed, and a rough palm covered the sole of her foot. The scorching heat made even Shen Jingmu shiver.

Was her fever truly that severe?

Annoyed by his sluggish movements, Shu Yao arched her instep and was just about to kick him when the young man tightened his grip. His terrifying strength seemed capable of snapping the bones of her wrist with ease.

“If you dare use that much force again, do not blame me for having your head cut off!”

Hearing Shu Yao’s threat, Shen Jingmu lowered his head. The corners of his thin lips curved upward, and even his voice revealed unmistakable pleasure.

“Your Highness, rest assured. I know my limits.”

Her delicate, pale foot trembled in his palm. The slick softness of her skin stood in stark contrast to the young man’s broad, callused hand, creating a strikingly sensual contrast.

In the past, Shen Jingmu could never have imagined that one day he would be forced to wash the feet of the Jianning Princess, the woman he hated most.

Now, however, he found that he could accept it. He watched her tremble on the bed as she forcibly restrained her anger, the tips of her ears turning crimson from the suppressed sensations caused by his kneading.

Even he himself felt a dense, secret thrill rising within him.

Shu Yao had begun to sweat heavily. She could feel the dampness of the young man’s palm, though she did not know whether it was from the hot water or because he was sweating as well.

His knuckles brushed over her rounded toes, their tender pink nails trimmed neatly and cleanly.

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Shen Jingmu massaged her earnestly without deliberately tormenting her, leaving Shu Yao unable to find any excuse to make things difficult for him.

After a while, she stammered angrily, “Use more force! Haven’t you eaten anything?!”

Shen Jingmu: ...

If he used real strength, she would cry. If he did not, she would take advantage of him.

She was impossible to please.

Shen Jingmu did not grow annoyed. Lowering his voice, he let the final syllables trail off like a hook, provoking an unbearable itch in the heart.

“Is Your Highness enjoying the way this servant tends to you...?”

Shu Yao found his tone exceedingly strange. Even his expression was odd, as though he were in heat.

She cleared her throat uneasily, but her tone remained unpleasant.

“With such clumsy technique, you dare ask whether I am enjoying it?”

“Oh?” The young man raised his brows slightly. A chill surfaced in the depths of his eyes as he asked mildly, “Has the princess ever experienced anything more enjoyable?”

Without thinking, Shu Yao mocked him. “Which servant in my palace is not better at massaging me than you—ah!”

A sudden, aching pain shot through the sole of her foot. Shu Yao curled up in pain, her eyes reddening.

But at that moment, the young man had her most vulnerable point firmly in his grasp, leaving her completely unable to move.

Shen Jingmu lifted his head and looked at her with an obedient, harmless expression.

“What is wrong, Your Highness? Your eyes have turned red.”

He was asking despite knowing perfectly well!

Shu Yao looked toward the outer hall. “Come... ah!”

Another wave of aching pain struck the sole of her foot. A tingling sensation spread upward from it to her spine, then climbed along her back until her scalp prickled.

The young man tilted his head. His expression was innocent, and his thick, curling lashes trembled, casting a shadow over his eyelids.

“Please calm down, Your Highness. This is only the second time I have washed someone’s feet, so it is inevitable that I misjudged my strength.”

What familiar words.

Shu Yao was so furious that she laughed. She had just opened her mouth when the mocking retort she intended to make was once again cut off by the young man.

“The palace servants outside are cruel. Whenever they whip this servant, they use all their strength. I cannot even get out of bed for ten days to half a month afterward.”

“I was sent into the palace as a servant and a hostage. I thought that as long as I caused no trouble, I might remain safe on my own. But the harassment never stops. This servant’s heart aches.”

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“Your Highness is kindhearted by nature. Please forgive this servant just this once.”

Ten days to half a month unable to rise from bed?

Then who was it that killed the palace servants and hung their corpses up?

Shu Yao sneered, her tone peculiar. “And what makes you think I am kindhearted? Everyone in the inner palace knows that I am the most ruthless of all.”

Shen Jingmu smiled faintly, his eyes seeming to be steeped in poppy venom.

“Outsiders do not understand Your Highness. This servant does.”

“You certainly are confident.”

Shen Jingmu paid no attention to the sarcasm in her voice. He fell silent and continued massaging the acupoints in the soles of Shu Yao’s feet.

Wan Tao gently pushed open the palace door, her gaze sweeping over the young man kneeling on the floor.

“Princess, everything is ready. It is time for your bath.”

The foot washing had made Shu Yao sweat, and she already felt much better. At least the heavy pain in her head was gone.

She withdrew her foot and said without the slightest mercy, “Get out.”

Throw him away the moment he was no longer useful. She truly was heartless.

Shen Jingmu curled his damp fingers, the woman’s warmth still lingering upon them.

He respectfully withdrew. “Yes...”

The instant the palace doors closed, the obedience vanished from the young man’s face, replaced by undisguised possessiveness and viciousness.

He lowered his eyes to his reddened fingers.

They had been soaked in hot water for too long, and the wound had split open again, the flesh around its edges turned pale.

The warm, silky sensation of the woman’s skin remained impossible to dispel from his mind.

For some inexplicable reason, he found himself looking forward to tomorrow.