The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat

Chapter 370: Chapter 371: There’s Nothing I Can Do About You

Li Ji fell into a long silence.

If he really didn’t care, why would he have rushed to the Duke Zhen Country Mansion immediately after learning of Princess Rouwan’s suicide?

Hua Manman took his hand and spoke gently.

"Don’t make a decision you’ll regret in a fit of pique."

Li Ji looked down at his hand in hers. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low voice.

"I’ll stay here with you."

Hua Manman shook her head. "There’s no need. You still have to accompany the Saint to Yuqing Mountain tomorrow to escape the summer heat.

If you suddenly change your mind and decide not to go, it will be difficult to explain things to the Saint.

Besides, even if the Saint doesn’t mind, the Commandery Princess’s resentment will still be there.

Your presence here will only make her feel worse.

That would do more harm than good for her recovery."

Her words were harsh, but they were the truth.

Li Ji was at a loss for words.

Hua Manman squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"I’m all you need here. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to take good care of the Commandery Princess for you."

Li Ji looked into her eyes.

He felt a boundless warmth radiating from her.

That warmth flowed into his heart, washing away the resentment Princess Rouwan had caused.

’It doesn’t matter if Princess Rouwan doesn’t love me.’

’I still have Manman.’

’She will always love me.’

Li Ji lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand.

"Alright. I’ll do as you say."

...

Feihua Zhenren had added some calming and sleep-aiding herbs to the medicine. Princess Rouwan quickly fell asleep after taking it.

Feihua Zhenren said to the others,

"Let’s all leave. Let the Commandery Princess get some proper rest."

Everyone did as they were told.

Hua Manman looked at Prince Zhao beside her and asked hopefully, "Are you planning to return to the Prince Mansion now, or in the morning?"

Li Ji replied, "In the morning."

Hua Manman was naturally delighted to be able to spend another night with Prince Zhao.

But she was still hesitant.

"But you have to leave for Yuqing Mountain tomorrow morning, and all your luggage is at the Prince Mansion."

Li Ji said nonchalantly,

"My luggage is already packed, so I don’t need to worry about it. I just have to wake up early tomorrow and head back to the Prince Mansion."

Hua Manman said, "Then you should get some rest. Sleep as much as you can."

Li Ji hooked his fingers with hers, leaned in, and whispered,

"I can’t sleep alone."

Hua Manman noticed several people looking their way.

It was one thing for them to be affectionate in the Prince Zhao Mansion—that was their home, after all.

But this was the Duke Zhen Country Mansion, and she was unfamiliar with most of the people here.

Being so intimate in front of so many strangers made Hua Manman feel a bit embarrassed.

She pulled her fingers back and grumbled under her breath,

"You’re not a child. Why do you need someone to coax you to sleep?"

Li Ji’s lips curved into a smile. "Then just pretend you’re coaxing a child, alright?"

He deliberately drew out the last word, his tone utterly seductive.

Hua Manman couldn’t resist his almost coquettish pestering and relented, her face flushing.

"I don’t know what to do with you."

The last time, Li Ji had ordered his men to remove everything they could from Haiyan Building and smash whatever couldn’t be moved.

Even after the butler had Haiyan Building cleaned, Princess Rouwan ordered it to be sealed off due to the conflict between her and Prince Zhao.

As a result, Haiyan Building remained completely empty and uninhabitable.

Fortunately, the Duke Zhen Country Mansion had plenty of spare rooms.

The butler had a room prepared, the one closest to the main courtyard, where Li Ji and Hua Manman would stay for the night.

Feihua Zhenren was given another room nearby to rest.

Li Ji was a member of this family, yet he could only sleep in a guest room upon returning. Hua Manman couldn’t help but worry that he might feel upset about it.

It turned out she was overthinking things.

The moment they entered the room, Li Ji pinned her against a folding screen and began kissing her relentlessly, his hands shamelessly roaming all over her.

’He didn’t look upset at all!’

Hua Manman grabbed his wandering hand and reminded him in a trembling voice,

"You have to get up early for your journey tomorrow. Don’t mess around. Let’s get to sleep."

Li Ji grabbed both her hands, pulling them up and pinning them above her head. His voice was hoarse as he spoke.

"It’s precisely because I’m leaving tomorrow that I need to seize every moment to be intimate with you.

I’ll be gone for at least a month or two. Won’t you miss me when I’m gone for that long?"

Hua Manman pressed her lips together, silent.

’How could I not miss him? Their feelings for each other were at their peak, just like newlyweds. Even a moment’s separation felt like an eternity, let alone one or two months.’

Li Ji gazed at her deeply, their lips brushing together in an intimate caress.

He murmured,

"Just once. Just once will be enough."

’If it’s only once, it should be fine,’ Hua Manman thought.

When he leaned in to kiss her again, she no longer pushed him away.

She tilted her head back, the slender column of her neck arching beautifully.

Her sash slid loose and fell away, the hem of her dress pooling at her feet. The candle on the table flickered, casting their entangled silhouettes onto the folding screen.

Seen through the translucent silk of the screen, it was like a hazy, dreamlike painting.

「The next morning.」

Hua Manman awoke to a room filled with morning light.

Her entire body ached terribly, especially from the waist down. It felt as if she had just run a marathon. Her legs seemed to no longer belong to her; they were practically numb.

At that moment, a classic scene from one of those CEO romance novels popped into her head—

’I’m like a broken rag doll that’s been played with...’

The system chimed in, ’Don’t worry. With a few patches, you’ll be good as new.’

Hua Manman said mournfully, ’Tong’er, you’ve changed. You’ve actually learned to be sarcastic.’

The system replied, ’...Who are you calling Tong’er?’

Hua Manman said, ’It’s my nickname for you. You can give me one too. ’Her Majesty the Queen’ has a nice ring to it, for example.’

The system sneered. ’I think ’Hua the Rag Doll’ suits you better.’

Hua Manman was left speechless.

Hua Manman was grief-stricken. ’Tong’er, you’ve really changed! You’re not my innocent, pure Tong’er anymore!’

The system shut down and went offline, no longer wanting to deal with her.

After teasing the system, the last vestiges of Hua Manman’s sleepiness completely vanished.

She struggled to climb out of bed.

The movement made her body ache even more intensely.

She looked down at the countless love bites covering her body and couldn’t help but curse under her breath.

’This just proves it again. Everything men say is bullshit, and you’re a fucking idiot if you believe them! He clearly promised it would be just once... but he just kept going, again and again, like some insatiable wolf. Where does he even get all that energy?’

’At least that bastard was thoughtful enough to clean me up while I was asleep.’

Just as Hua Manman pulled on her clothes, there was a knock at the door.

Si Yun’s voice drifted through the door.

"Princess Consort, are you awake?"

While slowly tying her sash, Hua Manman replied, "Mhm."

The moment the sound left her lips, she froze.

Her voice was incredibly hoarse, clearly from overusing it last night.

Hua Manman couldn’t help but curse again in her mind.

’That bastard!’