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Yun Shi was raised among powerful aristocratic families. She was neither proud nor boastful, but gentle, elegant, and wise. In her three years as Crown Princess, she had been virtuous and proper, never making a mistake. Her maternal family, father, and brothers were all safe and well.
The only flaw was that she was often reprimanded for having no children. In private, everyone had begun to say that her position as Crown Princess was like a castle in the air and would soon be taken from her.
But no matter how harshly they spoke, she simply pretended not to hear.
The Crown Prince, cold as jade and aloof, had never cared about the matter either. At night, the only thing he said to her in bed was, "Bear with it."
Just like being held in his arms, those words carried no warmth.
Song Heng sat at the height of power, stern and imposing, disciplined in his desires and strict with himself. To him, marrying a consort or taking concubines had nothing to do with their beauty. It was all about maintaining balance and securing his power.
The Crown Princess was gentle and sensible, and he would not mistreat her.
Until one day, he saw with his own eyes the Crown Princess meeting his younger brother, who had returned from the border after being presumed dead. Her eyes brimmed with tears, filled with the joy of having found what she had lost. Even her feet seemed ready to leap forward.
Song Heng valued his reputation. He did not expose her in front of everyone, and his expression did not change in the slightest. He only slowly lowered his umbrella, shielding half her figure.
Then he lifted his eyes to the man, who also seemed eager to step forward. "Call her Imperial Sister-in-Law."
**
In their three years of marriage, the two of them shared a bed only once at the start of each month. The rest of the time, they left each other alone. For three years, it had been as regular as clockwork.
Yun Shi knew it was because he feared she would grow too greedy and cling to him.
But now, the Crown Prince, who had always been so composed, had become wanton and insatiable, as if he were a different person.
Dawn was breaking. Inside the curtains, Song Heng ignored the person pushing him away. The pressure of his fingers as he wiped her cheek grew heavier.
"Crying this much, are you made of water?"
"He came back alive, but have you thought about who was the one clinging to me that day?"
"What can't you take? It's been three years, and you're only saying you can't take it now?"
The Crown Princess had once had a past romance with someone else. Song Heng had always known, but she was already his wife. If he wanted her, she could go nowhere.
# Contract Marriage / Taking by Force / Male Lead's First Time
Theme: Letting Go
