Before he said anything however, he suddenly thought of something
He cleared his throat, his voice trembling slightly as he addressed Hua Jing.
"May I ask the Seventh Consort…" he began, his tone measured, "…what happened that led you to be in this state? How was it that you fainted?"
The question hung heavily in the air, and everyone's attention shifted immediately to Hua Jing.
The maids, who had been cautiously lingering by the walls, perked up. Their eyes gleamed with curiosity, eager for any morsel of gossip that could later ripple through the palace corridors.
Zhao Yan's gaze sharpened, his piercing eyes boring into Hua Jing's face.
He leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable, but his presence loomed like a shadow.
Hua Jing swallowed, her mind whirring.
What should I say? she wondered, glancing around the room.
She couldn't just blurt out that her soul had momentarily left her body.
No one would believe her.
And with Zhao Yan's intense scrutiny, she knew the slightest slip would have consequences.
Her gaze shifted to the scattered mess of the room—the broken furniture, overturned basins, and the disheveled bedcovers.
Perfect.
Her eyes lit up momentarily as a plan took shape.
Eureka.
Feigning fatigue, Hua Jing let out a soft sigh and plopped back onto the bed.
She rested one hand lightly against her forehead, her lips trembling as if recalling a harrowing ordeal.
The room collectively leaned in closer, their curiosity now fully piqued.
Zhao Yan's brow furrowed as he watched her.
Hua Jing turned her gaze to him, but his piercing stare was too much.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her eyes.
Her cheeks flushed faintly, though whether it was from nervousness or part of her act, no one could tell.
With a weak, almost trembling hand, she lightly tapped Zhao Yan's chest.
"The prince…" she began, her voice soft and hesitant, almost shy.
Zhao Yan stiffened slightly, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in closer. "What?"
Hua Jing's lashes fluttered as she looked away, biting her lip.
Zhao Yan was speechless
How was it that she was like this now?
He wondered.
Her voice dropped into a seductive, yet timid tone.
"He… he was rough," she whispered, her words barely audible.
The room fell silent.
The words lingered, and it took a moment for everyone to process their meaning.
When they did, the effect was immediate.
The Royal Physician coughed, nearly dropping his tools!
The apprentice froze, his face turning bright red as his hands fumbled clumsily with the bag.
The maids?
Their faces burned crimson as they exchanged wide-eyed glances.
One of them gasped softly, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she turned away to hide her growing blush.
Even Zhao Yan, unshakable as he usually was, seemed momentarily caught off guard.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.
Hua Jing ignored him while her lashes fluttered again, and she looked down, her fingers idly playing with the hem of her sleeve.
Her entire demeanor was coquettish, her acting flawless.
She was not a top actress of her generation for nothing!
Fan the flames? No problem!
"The prince…" she murmured, her voice growing even softer.
She hesitated, as if too embarrassed to continue.
"…was so rough," she repeated, her cheeks turning an impressive shade of pink.
The maids' blushes deepened, their imaginations clearly running wild.
The Royal Physician coughed again, louder this time, as he pretended to busy himself with his tools.
Zhao Yan, meanwhile, felt a vein in his temple begin to throb.
His gaze swept the room, noting the pointed stares and faint smirks aimed in his direction.
They're actually buying this nonsense!
Hua Jing, sensing that her act was working, went in for the final blow.
She cast a quick, shy glance toward Zhao Yan before lowering her gaze again, as if the memory of their supposed "rough" interaction was too much for her to handle.
"I'm so tired…" she whispered, leaning back dramatically against the pillow.
Her hand covered her eyes as if shielding herself from the weight of her own fabricated emotions.
Zhao Yan's jaw tightened.
He could feel the judgmental stares of the room boring into him.
The maids were barely containing their giggles now, their eyes sparkling with the promise of scandalous gossip.
The Royal Physician cleared his throat again, his composure struggling to return.
"Well, Your Highness…" he said hesitantly, glancing nervously at Zhao Yan.
Before he could continue, Zhao Yan spoke, his tone cold and cutting.
"We are husband and wife now. What is there not to expect?"
The room went silent again.
Everyone was left speechless.
Even Hua Jing, who had been riding high on her theatrical performance, blinked in surprise.
She hadn't expected Zhao Yan to play along—at least not like this!
Her cheeks flushed even deeper, though this time it wasn't entirely an act.
Zhao Yan straightened, his piercing gaze sweeping the room.
"Even if you are husband and wife..."
The Royal Physician started, "I think it is quite important to restrain yourself a little!"
Zhao Yan's jaw tightened but the royal physician was not done!
'The Seventh Consort is just but a young lady, and the prince, well, you…"
The Royal Physician paused, reluctant to continue.
He didn't want to outright say that the prince already had experience with his six other wives, while his new wife was just a young lady who may not have experienced such things before.
Thiss was still very new to her!
The Royal Physician felt a pang of pity for the Seventh Consort especially when he looked and saw some red marks on her neck and hands!
Exercising restraint was the best option right now.
Look at what he had done!
The Seventh Consort had even fainted, and her soul had momentarily left her body.
The physician's gaze shifted to the prince, his expression torn between caution and disapproval.
It was as though he were looking at some wild beast.
There was something like admiration in his eyes, but most of it was pure caution.
The prince could not believe this!