Leng Yu Yan turned around and pinched his waist, which was rock-hard with muscle. She swung her hand and gave him a slap. "Not fair, I can’t get a grip. Can I pinch you?" She lifted her lashes to look at him, her beautiful eyes clear and brimming with a smile. Ye Yiheng laughed and cried at the same time: "Go ahead and pinch." His voice was almost doting. A sly flicker crossed the depths of her eyes. Seeing this, Ye Yiheng’s handsome brows knit together slightly as he felt her soft fingertips on the side of his waist, her fingers twisting the flesh and giving it a fierce twist. "Hisss..." he reached out and pinched her delicate and petite chin, "Using such force, huh?" His voice was mischievously teasing, with the intonation gently rising at the end. "Wasn’t it you who agreed to let me pinch?" she said, blinking innocently. Ye Yiheng hummed lightly, bent his head, and began to nibble on the slightly open collar of her neck. Pain on the neck, and the sensation of teeth grazing skin was exceptionally clear in the depth of the night. She pushed at his shoulders in a panic: "Ah, what are you doing?" Her voice was plaintive and melodious, clearly containing a cry. Hearing this, Ye Yiheng raised his head to look into her eyes. The girl’s eyes seemed to contain a pool of autumn water, her eyes brimming with tears, and even the outer corners of her eyes were tinged with an inviting red. He pressed his fingertip onto the neck where he had been kissing, and indeed, a red mark had appeared on the fair skin. It disappeared when pressed, then reappeared as soon as his fingertip moved away. He hadn’t even been that forceful, how come it was red already? Leng Yu Yan looked back into his eyes and also scrutinized his expression carefully. His face was expressionless at the moment, making it hard to guess what he was thinking... And even harder to fathom his thoughts. For some unknown reason, she felt a bit nervous. Leng Yu Yan swallowed: "Let’s sleep, don’t forget about the early morning court session tomorrow, Your Highness." "That’s true, tomorrow’s early morning court is crucial. Yanyan is anxious to marry me; how could I not comply?" "Nonsense, Your Highness can just announce an indefinite postponement of the wedding tomorrow." "It is I who am anxious to marry you!" Leng Yu Yan felt both shy and annoyed: "I’m done with you, I’m really going to sleep." With these words, she turned around frustrated, hugging the duvet and creating a not insignificant distance between them. Ye Yiheng looked at her from not too far away. His phoenix eyes darkened, suppressing the thoughts in his heart. He waved his arm, and the candlelight was extinguished in unison. He really couldn’t understand why, when he first met her, he truly wanted to crush her to bits, yet he couldn’t help but be drawn to her. The more time they spent together, the harder this uncontrollable feeling was to restrain. Later on, in order to keep her by his side, he calculated every move, schemed to control everything, all to lure her into his embrace. He was both manic and cold-hearted, and even the most amiable smiles couldn’t hide the chill and sternness emanating from his soul. Sometimes he thought vilely and impatiently how good it would be if she were as ruthless and decisive as he was, so they could fall together. But she was the light in his life! For her, he was willing to take the most upright path, to be the gentle, pure, and good Crown Prince she spoke of. Whatever she liked about him, he could be. If she liked him cold-hearted, he would be cold-hearted. If she liked him warm and gentle, he could smile even more beautifully than that scoundrel Ji Qingyu. But at times, unintentionally, he would reveal his most primal sternness... At the break of dawn, Ye Yiheng left the Prince Zhenbei Mansion without a sound and returned to the Eastern Palace. Crown Prince had to wear the Python Robe and golden crown to attend the early morning court. Thus, under the service of a group of eunuchs, Ye Yiheng changed his clothes. As Ye Yiheng turned around, raising his arm, the hem of his inner clothes lifted to reveal a curve. It was just a fleeting glimpse, but Song Guo’s sharp eyes caught sight of the love mark. Song Guo waited for his fellow eunuch servants to leave before asking Ye Yiheng, "Your Highness, why is there a mark on your waist?" Ye Yiheng didn’t hide it from him, saying outright, "Yanyan pinched it." Song Guo asked with a smile, "Did Your Highness bully the Commandery Princess?" It must have been that His Highness bullied the Commandery Princess, and she resisted, that it turned out . "I wouldn’t bear to bully her." "So Your Highness is willing to let the Commandery Princess bully you?" Ye Yiheng chuckled and shook his head, not just anyone could bully him, but as for her, he was indeed willing to let her do so. Seeing that his master didn’t answer, Song Guo asked again, "Does Your Highness want to apply some ointment?" Tonight, he had to keep the love mark for a certain lady to see. Thinking of this, Ye Yiheng added, "Tell me, how can we make the love mark look even more pitiful?" Song Guo answered with a smile, "Your Highness’s skin is fair, the love mark is already very evident." As if understanding the intention of the Crown Prince, Song Guo added, "The Commandery Princess will surely feel heartache when she sees it!" Ye Yiheng nodded in pleasure, "Very good!" By the time Leng Yu Yan woke up, it was already broad daylight. The person next to her was long gone, and the warmth of his presence had faded, indicating he had left early. Suddenly, she touched her neck, got out of bed, and went straight to the dressing mirror. The collar of her nightgown barely concealed a hint of red. She pulled down the collar slightly, revealing a rather conspicuous red mark. Fortunately, the red mark could be hidden under the collar, saving her the trouble of covering it with powder. At this moment, in the court, Lai Taihong stood at the head of the military officers, with Lai Ran beside him. As the Crown Prince, Ye Yiheng stood at the forefront of all the princes. The Emperor declared in a clear voice, "With the presence of Old Prince Zhenbei and Prince Zhenbei here today, let us set the wedding date for the Crown Prince and Princess Beilan." The Emperor had previously announced to the world the Crown Prince and the Prince Zhenbei Mansion’s contributions in saving the royal carriage and that Princess Beilan was to marry Crown Prince Ye Yiheng. It was reported just yesterday that the entire household of Prince Zhenbei Mansion had come to the capital city, an obvious indication of their intent to set the wedding date and to see Leng Yu Yan and Ye Yiheng’s wedding proceed. Now it was commonly known that the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, despite past grievances, had saved the royal carriage. Furthermore, the elite soldiers of the Northern Garrison had always been stationed in the suburb of the capital; thus, he truly couldn’t do much to the Prince Zhenbei Mansion. At least, for the moment, he couldn’t meddle at all. Therefore, it was best to let the Crown Prince and Leng Yu Yan get married soon, so that he could dispose of the Crown Prince as early as possible. The rationale for deposing the Crown Prince was well known to everyone. As the Father Emperor, to do so after his grand wedding was already a great mercy. When the time came, he believed that the common people would stand by his side, for a blind and sickly Crown Prince was detrimental to the continuing prosperity of Tiancheng. Reflecting on this, the Emperor asked the Qintian Bureau, "According to the birthdates and horoscopes of the Crown Prince and Princess Beilan, what day would be the most auspicious and beneficial for their wedding, for the country, and for all the people?" The minister of the Qintian Bureau stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, there are several suitable days for marriage in the fourth month, but they clash with the zodiac signs of His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Beilan. According to their birthdates and horoscopes, the best day for the wedding is on the second day of the fifth lunar month." The Emperor looked towards Lai Taihong and Lai Ran, "What are your opinions, esteemed ministers?" Last night, Lai Taihong and the Old Princess Consort had consulted the calendar and favored the second day of the fifth month. It was a coincidence, for the Qintian Bureau had chosen the same day. Now that the Emperor was asking for their opinions, Lai Taihong, holding his handkerchief, bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, this minister agrees." Lai Ran also spoke up, "This minister agrees as well." Beneath the eye veil of Ye Yiheng, his phoenix eyes slightly stirred. Today was the third day of the fourth month, not even a month away from the second day of the fifth month, this date would do. At that moment, Lai Taihong spoke up again, "Your Majesty, my eldest grandson, Li Yuyue, has his heart set on Ninth Princess. May we also set their wedding date at the same time?"