The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 86 Mother and Daughter
Qin Yan followed Feng Zhan to a secluded ferry landing along the lower reaches of the Qing River, far from Sanhe Town. They dismounted, and Song Zhi walked to the riverbank, retrieving a small bamboo whistle from his pocket. He placed it to his lips and blew softly. Soon, a two-story merchant ship emerged from the light mist on the river, slowly docking at the ferry.
Feng Zhan and Qin Yan dismounted, and Shen Ying, holding the reins, walked a few steps closer to Qin Yan.
“Master, it seems… we left behind Young Master Gu…”
Qin Yan glanced at Shen Ying, then returned her gaze to the bow of the ship.
There were only black-clad guards on the deck, with no sign of a woman.
The group boarded the ship, which quietly departed from the shore, leaving no trace of their presence.
At the bow, Feng Zhan asked the guard, “Where are they?”
The guard immediately understood that His Highness was asking about the couple.
“They’re in their room,” the guard replied.
Qin Yan’s eyebrow arched slightly. They?
Feng Zhan turned around and extended his hand toward Qin Yan, “The deck is slippery, let me hold your hand.”
Before Qin Yan could respond, Feng Zhan had already taken her hand and started walking forward.
Qin Yan allowed the man’s assertive action, perhaps because she was used to it, or maybe… something else.
Behind them, Song Zhi thought to himself…
His Highness is getting better at this.
————
Feng Zhan and Qin Yan walked slowly along the outer corridor of the second deck, heading toward a room near the stern of the ship, guarded by two black-clad guards. Qin Yan understood immediately that this must be their destination.
As they approached, they suddenly heard a man’s voice from inside the room, barely containing his anger yet still loud enough to be heard:
“Shen Shiying, are you planning not to marry me? Were you just planning to sleep with me and then leave?”
Both Qin Yan and Feng Zhan stopped in their tracks, then exchanged a glance, seemingly in tacit. Qin Yan’s expression was slightly uneasy and guilty. Just then, she felt a sharp pain in her hand—Fei Zhan had squeezed her delicate hand tightly.
Feng Zhan’s expression turned cold and stern. He was now uncertain whether it was a good idea for Qin Yan to meet her mother. These two women were clearly alike in certain ways.
Suddenly, a lazy, seductive female voice came from inside the room, “Didn’t you enjoy it?”
Both Qin Yan and Fei Zhan stiffened. That comment…
Then came a loud bang as the door to the room shook violently.
Qin Yan narrowed her eyes and, along with Feng Zhan, stepped forward. Just as they reached the door, the two guards extended their hands to stop them.
Before Qin Yan could act, they heard the man’s voice again, low and dangerously enticing, “Now that you’ve had a taste of me, do you think any other man could satisfy you?”
After some suspicious sounds, the door began to rhythmically shake and creak.
Qin Yan frowned and called out to the person inside, “Mother?”
“Get lost,” a cold, mature male voice responded.
Both Qin Yan and Feng Zhan’s pupils constricted, and the atmosphere around them grew instantly icy.
“Yan Yan? Mm…” The female voice returned, now mixed with intermittent, stifled moans.
“Mother will come find you later, mm… ah…”
Qin Yan…
Fei Zhan…
The two of them exchanged awkward glances, their expressions turning a bit unnatural, clearly uncomfortable. They turned and walked away.
————-
Outside the room, the two black-clad guards stood expressionless, as if they were accustomed to such scenes.
Just inside the door, a tall, mature man had pinned a seductive, alluring woman against the door. Her clothes were half-off, and her long, fair neck was arched back, though the friction between her back and the door made her brow furrow slightly.
In a deep, husky voice, the man asked, “Uncomfortable?”
Shen Shiying narrowed her eyes, which were filled with a flirtatious gleam, and cast a half-playful, half-coquettish glance at him.
The man let out a low, rumbling laugh, his chest vibrating as he chuckled. Then, he scooped Shen Shiying up in his arms, turned around, and carried her to a round table in the room. With a swift motion, he swept the tea set off the table, setting Shen Shiying down on the edge of the table. He leaned in close but didn’t move further.
Shen Shiying’s eyes were filled with desire, though there was also a hint of dissatisfaction in her expression.
The man’s usually stern, mature, and ruggedly handsome face darkened.
“You are not allowed to see your daughter’s father,” he warned.
“Make me satisfied first, then we’ll talk,” Shen Shiying responded, her face flushed, her brows slightly knitted.
The man’s eyes grew darker still as he sighed inwardly, realizing that it could only ever be her.
Inside the room, the atmosphere turned wild and intoxicating…
———-
In Feng Zhan’s room, Qin Yan sat in a chair, quietly sipping her tea.
Song Zhi entered, carrying a tray. “Your Highness, it’s time to change your bandages.”
Qin Yan paused slightly at this, raising her eyes to look at Feng Zhan, who was sitting on the couch with his legs apart.
Feng Zhan returned her gaze and said, “I’m injured.”
Qin Yan’s brow twitched slightly—was the Taizi… being coy?
Song Zhi immediately understood his master’s intention. He turned to Qin Yan and respectfully bowed. “Could I trouble Princess to assist His Highness with changing the bandages?”
Stepping forward, Song Zhi placed the tray with the bandages and medicine on the table beside Qin Yan. He then stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Qin Yan set down her teacup, glanced at the tray, and then looked up again—only to see that Feng Zhan was already unfastening his belt.
Qin Yan…
The Taizi was certainly taking the initiative.
———-
Feng Zhan removed his upper garments completely, revealing his muscular torso. His left arm, wrapped in bandages, showed faint traces of blood seeping through. He gazed steadily at Qin Yan.
Qin Yan sighed softly, stood up, and picked up the tray beside her. She walked over to the edge of Feng Zhan’s bed and sat down.
As she began to unwrap the bandages, fresh blood, tinged with a hint of darkness, started to flow from the wound. Qin Yan grabbed a clean bandage from the tray to staunch the bleeding, then carefully cleaned the wound, applied fresh medicine, and rewrapped it with new bandages.
“Was it poisoned?” Qin Yan asked in a calm tone as she tidied up the tray.
“It’s fine. It’s almost healed,” Feng Zhan replied, turning his head to look at her. He didn’t mention that the wound had reopened multiple times due to his vigorous riding earlier in the day, which caused it to look worse now.
Just as Qin Yan was about to stand up, Feng Zhan suddenly pulled her down onto his solid thigh, wrapping his arm around her slender waist.
Qin Yan frowned slightly and said flatly, “I’m not in the mood.”
Feng Zhan’s gaze darkened slightly. He understood that Qin Yan’s mind was likely still preoccupied with thoughts of her mother. Without saying much, he simply replied, “Let me just hold you.”
Feeling somewhat weary, Qin Yan allowed herself to follow Feng Zhan’s movements and lay beside him on the bed.
Feng Zhan pulled a velvet blanket over the two of them, wrapping them together. He then circled his arm around her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace. His warm breath brushed against the back of her neck as they both closed their eyes to rest.
————
An hour later, Song Zhi’s voice called from outside, “Your Highness, Miss Shen requests the presence of Princess.”
The two on the bed slowly opened their eyes simultaneously. Qin Yan was about to get up when Feng Zhan’s arm tightened around her in a show of displeasure. With a soft sigh, he finally released her, and the two of them rose.
Feng Zhan, unwilling to leave the two individuals unsupervised, accompanied Qin Yan to the door of Shen Shiying’s room. The door remained tightly shut.
Feng Zhan’s expression darkened—there were few in this world who could keep him waiting.
Soon, a tall, mature man with a commanding presence emerged from the room, his body still carrying traces of moisture. A sultry woman followed closely behind, also appearing to have just finished bathing.
Feng Zhan and the man exchanged cold stares, their eyes reflecting mutual discontent.
Shen Shiying’s appearance had not changed much from over a decade ago, though she now carried an air of mature allure. Qin Yan recognized her mother immediately.
Shen Shiying also recognized her daughter. Although Qin Yan’s features had matured significantly since she was five, the traces of her childhood face remained, and a certain instinctual bond confirmed to Shen Shiying that this was indeed her daughter, Qin Yan.
Shen Shiying spoke first, though she addressed Feng Zhan beside Qin Yan, “Prepare a separate room for my daughter and me.”
Feng Zhan’s expression darkened further—no one had ever ordered him around like this since his birth.
Sensing the tension, Song Zhi quickly intervened, “I have already prepared a room for Princess. Princess and Miss Shen, please follow me.”
Shen Shiying nodded in satisfaction and extended her hand toward Qin Yan. “Yan Yan.”
“Mother,” Qin Yan responded, but she didn’t make any additional movements. After all, it had been over a decade since they last met, and she was no longer a child. She wasn’t inclined to indulge Shen Shiying in playing the role of a doting mother.
Shen Shiying smiled and withdrew her hand. Over the years, she had occasionally learned about her daughter through letters from Junyan, and she knew that Qin Yan had always had a cool and distant temperament.
With Song Zhi leading the way, the group arrived at a room near the bow of the ship.
Mother and daughter entered the room in turn, and the door closed behind them.
Outside, Feng Zhan and the man exchanged another glance. Neither man relented in their oppressive auras. After a brief standoff, they turned and walked in opposite directions.
———–
Inside the room, Shen Shiying walked over to a soft chaise, leaned against the pillows, and settled into a comfortable position. She lifted her arm and gently beckoned, “Yan Yan, come here.”
Qin Yan merely glanced at her mother, then chose the chair closest to Shen Shiying’s chaise and sat down. She had no doubt that her mother’s original intention was to pull her into an embrace and cuddle her as she did when she was a child. Qin Yan suppressed a slight shudder—she would rather avoid that.
Shen Shiying let her daughter be and began to speak slowly, “Over the years, have you ever blamed me, Yan Yan?”
Qin Yan understood that her mother was referring to the time she left her behind and went away alone. But if it hadn’t been for dire circumstances, who would willingly leave their home and wander alone? Qin Yan held no resentment.
“Never.”
However, something else was weighing on Qin Yan’s mind. “Mother, was it because of Empress Dowager Xiao?”
Shen Shiying was both surprised and understanding. If Empress Dowager Xiao had once targeted her, it was no wonder she wouldn’t treat Qin Yan kindly either. “Has she troubled you?”
Seeing no change in Qin Yan’s expression, Shen Shiying didn’t press further. Some matters needed to be clarified once she returned to the capital.
Qin Yan felt more certain of her suspicions but chose to shift the topic. “Grandfather and Uncle are preparing the divorce papers between you and Father. What are your plans?”
Shen Shiying thought for a moment. “That’s fine. Let Shen Shiyan handle it on my behalf.”
Recalling the overbearing and somewhat childish man who was still irrationally jealous, Shen Shiying sighed with a hint of helplessness. “I’ll be delayed for a while longer. I won’t be returning to the capital with you this time.”
———-
Shen Shiying suddenly thought of the young man on the ship and smiled as she asked, “What’s going on between you and the Taizi?”
Qin Yan didn’t respond, resting her head on one hand as if she were about to close her eyes and sleep.
Shen Shiying had only a vague understanding of the situation between the two, but from what she’d observed in recent days, it seemed like the Taizi was more invested. However, today’s interactions suggested that Qin Yan might not be indifferent to him after all. This led Shen Shiying to speculate.
“Yan Yan, life can feel both long and short. Sometimes, it’s better to be a little selfish and enjoy the moment. Don’t worry too much about the future. If worse comes to worst, you can always leave with me.”
Qin Yan half-opened her eyes and looked at her mother, still remaining silent.
Shen Shiying furrowed her brows in confusion. “Could it be… the Taizi… can’t do it?”
Qin Yan…
What is her mother even thinking?
Shen Shiying raised her hand, curling her fingers as she lazily admired her brightly painted nails, her seductive eyes narrowing as she mused, “If that’s the case, forget it. A man who can’t bring pleasure to a woman—what’s the use of keeping him around?”
“Yan Yan, maybe you should try a few more to see who suits you best?”
Qin Yan…
Meanwhile, the Taizi, completely unaware of being criticized by his potential mother-in-law…
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