Chapter 582: Chapter 582: He Wanted to Force a Kiss As he grew, his parents took care of Ye Yiheng even more than they did for their own son. From childhood to adulthood, they were always competing, whether actively or passively; the instances were too numerous to count. And now, he had once thought that, given time, Leng Yu Yan would naturally understand the difference between him and Ye Yiheng. One had a cold disease, but it was negligible. While the other was blind and frail, unable to protect not only his position as Crown Prince but even his life itself. He waited and waited, hoping that she, with her cleverness, would eventually see the good in him and willingly fall into his embrace. But what he waited for instead was the news of them spending a night together, in intimate closeness. Leng Yu Yan rebuked, “Ji Qingyu, what nonsense are you talking about?” Ji Qingyu’s lips curled into a cold sneer, “I’m not talking nonsense. If Ye Yiheng’s way worked, wouldn’t you have become completely his woman?” Leng Yu Yan moved to walk out, but didn’t anticipate her arm being grabbed by him. Ji Qingyu didn’t give her a chance to react and, with a strong pull, yanked her towards him. With a man’s strength naturally greater than a woman’s, she involuntarily leaned into him with such a tug. Just as she was about to fall against his body, Leng Yu Yan twisted her wrist and struck out with her palm. Ji Qingyu took the blow to his chest, and, bearing the pain, bent his lips to press a kiss instantly. The sudden action made Leng Yu Yan’s hairs stand on end. She tilted her head and dodged to the side. But Ji Qingyu tried to grab the back of her head. If he managed to hold her head, her chances of counterattacking would shrink. In that critical moment, she spun around, her palm slicing like a knife, aiming decisively at the nape of his neck. The moment Ji Qingyu fell, a gentle and warm smile returned to his face. “Ah Yan, he will always treat you , and I can never bear it.” As he spoke, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood that splattered onto the hem of Leng Yu Yan’s skirt. With a thud, he collapsed heavily. Leng Yu Yan stood in shock on the spot. “Reluctance is true affection; domination is just possessiveness. If I hadn’t allowed it, do you think you could have dodged my kiss?” He said, squeezing out a weak smile, then slowly closed his eyes. The moment he grabbed her, if he wanted to kiss her, the kiss would have landed, wouldn’t it have given her the chance to strike out? And when he tried to grab the back of her head, if he hadn’t deliberately slowed his move, how could he have given her the chance to spin and strike him? Today, he was gambling that she had feelings for him. Leng Song, who was outside, heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground and quickly entered. “Master, what’s happened to you?” Leng Song hurried over and helped Ji Qingyu up. Seeing Leng Yu Yan standing there in a daze, Leng Song bowed his head and sighed, “Master’s cold disease has acted up, yet his heart is still concerned about the Commandery Princess. However, the Commandery Princess doesn’t seem to care for our master, so he had to look for the Ninth Princess, hoping to learn of the Commandery Princess’s recent well-being from her.” Leng Yu Yan’s mind went blank, but as she came back to her senses, she reached for Ji Qingyu’s pulse. Sure enough, it was the signs of a cold disease acting up. “Help him to the bed in the side hall, I’ll give him acupuncture.” Leng Yu Yan looked at her own hands, had she been too heavy-handed? The force she’d used was clearly only meant to push him away, but his coughing up blood was real. In her suspicion, Leng Yu Yan thought of the pill she’d used to detoxify Ye Yiheng; although it could counter cold poison, it had other purposes too and was unsuitable for Ji Qingyu. As Leng Song helped Ji Qingyu to the side hall, Ye Jiu returned. Seeing this scene, Ye Jiu grabbed Leng Yu Yan and asked in astonishment, “What happened?” Leng Yu Yan didn’t hide it from her and said directly, “He wanted to do ‘that’ to me, so I struck him with my palm and chopped him with the edge of my hand on the back of his neck.” Ye Jiu covered her mouth and whispered softly, “He tried to force a kiss?” Leng Yu Yan remained silent. Ye Jiu nodded, “I understand now, he definitely tried to force a kiss.” Leng Song had already placed Ji Qingyu on the bed, and seeing the Ninth Princess and Commandery Princess talking at the door, he didn’t want to interrupt. Becoming very anxious, he couldn’t help but ask, “Commandery Princess, will you still perform acupuncture?” Hearing this, Ye Jiu and Leng Yu Yan entered the room and came to the bed. “Cousin Qingyu, don’t use the trick of injuring yourself.” Ye Jiu looked straight at Ji Qingyu lying on the bed, her gaze full of inquiry. Leng Song explained, “Princess, how could my Commandery Prince use such a trick? He wasn’t even aware that the Commandery Princess was here. He just came today to deliver a parrot to Your Highness.” Leng Yu Yan took the silver needles from her sleeve and inserted them into Ji Qingyu’s body through his clothes. Seeing this, Leng Song asked, “Isn’t it necessary to remove my Commandery Prince’s clothes?” Ye Jiu proudly said, “The skill of the Commandery Princess’s acupuncture is formidable, so it’s naturally possible.” Leng Yu Yan spoke indifferently, “It’s not that formidable. It’s because Prince Qing himself doesn’t have a severe cold disease, that’s all.” She didn’t want to have too much contact with him. “I was wrong to strike hard, but you were also in the wrong. Had you not made the first move and spoken rudely, I…”, Leng Yu Yan muttered under her breath while performing acupuncture, “Your Highness and you were both infected with the cold poison, and it was your Ji Family who found the antidote. That antidote was given in half to His Highness, and with such a favor, hence I’m performing acupuncture now.” “Qingyu, I always considered you a friend,” the tremble in Leng Yu Yan’s voice hinted at a choke, “You were the first friend I made when I came to the capital.” “I don’t want our friendship to sour.” “However, the current development of events is beyond my expectation. If possible, I wish you and His Highness could get along well, and return to your previous harmonious ways.” Leng Yu Yan slowly spoke, knowing that Ji Qingyu could hear her. Xiaoshan, having eaten and drunk his fill left the side hall, and seeing the liveliness in the side palace, he came over to look. At this moment, Ji Qingyu slowly opened his eyes and said gently, “But, it was I who first met you, Ah Yan. How can you choose not to choose me?” Seeing him wake up, Leng Yu Yan withdrew the needle, “There’s nothing about meeting first or meeting later. If it needs to be discussed, then perhaps it’s from a past life.” The bad karma from a former life led to her continued entanglement with Ye Yiheng in this one. “Ah Yan, your heart is so cold, to even use such lies from a past life to deceive.” Ji Qingyu laughed bitterly, the fresh blood curling along his pale chin, strikingly sad. Leng Yu Yan put away the silver needles and after speaking to Ye Jiu, she promptly began to walk away. Ji Qingyu struggled to sit up from the bed, “Ah Yan, will you truly not choose me?” Leng Yu Yan paused in her step, and without turning back said, “Prince Qing, please stop saying this! I am the future Crown Princess Consort, and even without the imperial engagement, I have only ever considered you a friend. It seems now that we can’t even be friends anymore.” Ji Qingyu spat out blood again, his elongated hand reaching out in the direction of Leng Yu Yan, “Ah Yan!” Back at Prince Zhenbei Mansion, Leng Yu Yan was feeling very low. Ye Yiheng saw this and therefore asked Xiaoshan. Xiaoshan narrated everything he had witnessed and then said, “It’s mostly likely a case of self-harm by Prince Qing.” Being able to tell that Ji Qingyu was feigning his injuries indicated that the young white-haired boy was not simple, and Ye Yiheng’s eyes flickered slightly, “I understand, you may leave now.” Xiaoshan took a deep look at the silent Leng Yu Yan sitting to one side before leaving. Leng Yu Yan, with her cheek propped in her hand, thought about what Ji Qingyu had said, wondering if his reluctance was genuine affection or simply possessiveness. And what about Ye Yiheng’s feelings for her?