Hard to Swallow

With the Southern Duke's estate on the verge of being confiscated, Nan Yu, a commandery princess, went to great lengths to disguise herself as a maid and escape to seek help. She went to the Ministry of Rites, hoping to find her childhood friend, who held the post of Vice Minister there. But in her panicked confusion, she somehow stumbled into the bedchamber of Pei Zhuo, the Prince Regent. In the quiet chamber, Pei Zhuo sat in the shadows, his captivating peach-blossom eyes a cool crimson, his tone exceptionally cold. "Is this how the esteemed commandery princess of the Southern Duke's estate begs for help?" Nan Yu knelt on the floor and closed her eyes. Her face, radiant as a lotus flower, was utterly bloodless. She bit her lower lip and slowly loosened her sash, speaking with difficulty. "This humble Nan Yu may be as delicate as a willow, but perhaps I can still be of some use." Pei Zhuo intervened, and the Southern Duke's estate was saved from disaster, but Nan Yu was trapped at his side. When Pei Zhuo learned that the person Nan Yu had originally wanted to ask for help that day was her childhood friend, not him, he took her to the upper floor of the Ministry of Rites pavilion. Below them, her upright, jade-like childhood friend sat at his desk working. Upstairs, separated by only a wall, Nan Yu was held in Pei Zhuo's arms, her clothes half undone as she endured him. A sound escaped her unintentionally. Pei Zhuo leaned close to her ear, smiling with dazzling abandon. "Shh, be quiet. Or is it that you want to make enough noise for him to come up and see what we're doing?" A clever, resilient commandery princess x a possessive Prince Regent Theme: Always be honest with yourself about what your heart truly wants.