I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 552 Xie Jing Line: Kissing

"Xie Jing! What are you doing!"

Li Sheng exclaimed in surprise, but before she could finish speaking, he had already hugged her tightly and stepped into the carriage.

The car was dimly lit, and his presence was so close that it carried a kind of crazy stubbornness that Li Sheng had never felt from anyone else since she could remember.

Her eyes widened, and before she could react, he had already gently placed her on the cushion. When she looked up, she met Xie Jing's eyes.

"You just left like that? Without even leaving me a word?"

"You're never coming back, are you? Once the Wuli tribe's matter is resolved, I'm no longer of any use to you, are you?"

Xie Jing couldn't help but think in that direction.

Li Sheng approached him in the first place because of the Wuli tribe.

Now that the matter with the Wuli tribe has just been resolved, she's leaving...

He actually thought, thought she also...

In retrospect, it was all just wishful thinking on his part.

Li Sheng stared at Xie Jing in front of her, momentarily stunned.

Since we met, he has always been restrained and calm.

Now his eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse, as if it were being forced out of his throat.

This was the first time she had seen him angry, and with such raw, undisguised emotion.

He was angry with her.

She looked at him, feeling a mix of panic and heartache.

Seeing her silence, Xie Jing suddenly took another step closer, almost trapping her in the cramped space of the carriage.

Their breaths were almost touching.

Startled, Li Sheng immediately raised her hand to press against his chest, and could clearly feel the violent pounding of his heartbeat beneath her palm.

“I’m not running away…” she said urgently, “nor do I want to leave just because things are resolved.”

Li Sheng quickly took out a letter from her bosom and handed it to him.

“My father is seriously ill, and I have to go back. I originally planned to wait until I saw you before leaving, but I was too busy with other matters that day, so I thought I would write a letter after I got to the inn, explaining the situation in detail, and then have someone deliver it to him…”

Xie Jing finished reading the letter with a furrowed brow, and the tense anger in his eyes gradually dissipated.

Immediately afterwards, he stepped forward and hugged her tightly.

"I was almost scared to death that day."

"I'm afraid you'll just leave like this and never come back."

"I was afraid you disliked me, so you didn't even leave a word."

"What I fear even more is... that you've been using me from the very beginning."

He paused, then hugged her even tighter.

"Li Sheng, don't leave me, okay?"

"Stay by my side and let me marry you."

"Let's stay together forever, okay?"

Li Sheng's heart was pounding so hard it was almost audible.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes glistened with tears.

"I want to be with you forever."

Li Sheng lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting a light shadow, her lips glistening with moisture from the emotional turmoil she had just experienced.

Xie Jing's gaze fell on her lips, tightening inch by inch.

She was so beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful.

Xie Jing slowly bent down, his gaze deep and intense.

Li Sheng noticed his approach, her eyes widened slightly, but she did not back away.

The next moment, Xie Jing kissed him.

His kiss landed on her lips, at first just a light touch, as gentle as a feather.

But then, the control was completely shattered. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her deeply into his arms.

Li Sheng was caught off guard and fell into his arms.

He held her lips in his mouth, nibbling and sucking them little by little, their breaths lingering, their lips and tongues intertwined.

His lips pressed against hers, moving back and forth, kissing her again and again, his tongue lightly brushing against the crease of her lips.

Li Sheng trembled slightly, unable to bear it, and hooked her arms around his neck.

Her response was a little clumsy, but it softened Xie Jing's heart completely.

The carriage curtain swayed slightly in the wind before gently falling back down.

Xie Jing pinned her against the cushions and kissed her repeatedly until Li Sheng was slightly out of breath, her cheeks burning, and her eyes glazed over.

She raised her hand and gently grasped his collar, calling out softly.

"Xie Jing..."

Much later, Xie Jing slowly released her, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling passionately.

Half an hour later, the carriage curtain was finally lifted.

Xie Jing got out of the carriage and then carried Li Sheng down from it.

Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were slightly swollen.

Qingbai was standing to the side waiting when he looked up and saw the two of them like this, and he froze.

He paused for a moment, then immediately turned his head away.

Oh dear, young master, it's broad daylight!

You! You! Oh!

Xie Jing glanced at him, then took Li Sheng's hand and went straight into the inn.

After entering the inn, Xie Jing instructed the waiter to prepare a quiet private room, and then personally took out paper and pen and laid them on the table.

He quickly wrote several letters.

One letter was addressed to Qin Jiuwei and Xie Yanli, explaining their whereabouts and the reason for going to Wuli; the other was sent to Wen Ziyan, instructing him on the upcoming matters and arrangements in the capital.

After finishing writing, he handed the letter to Qingbai, saying, "Send these letters out immediately, one back to the Prince's Mansion and one to Wen Ziyan."

After receiving the letter, Qingbai withdrew.

Xie Jing turned his gaze and saw Li Sheng sitting on the couch, still somewhat dazed, with a lingering blush on her face.

Noticing Xie Jing's gaze, Li Sheng slowly came back to her senses, then suddenly realized a problem, "When are you going back?"

"I'm not going back."

“I’ll go with you to the Wuli tribe.” His gaze was gentle yet incredibly earnest. “To propose marriage.”

"Propose marriage?" Li Sheng was stunned, her heart pounding.

Then his fingertips gripped the hem of his clothes tightly.

Xie Jing noticed that something was wrong with her expression, took a few steps closer, squatted down to look at her, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Li Sheng pursed her lips and spoke in a low voice, "Our Wuli tribe does not intermarry with outsiders."

"Anyone unscrupulous like my second uncle would think of scheming to marry me off to Wen Ziyan. But the truly law-abiding Wuli people all know—"

“If a woman insists on marrying a man from another tribe, she will be expelled from her tribe.”

Xie Jing stepped forward and pulled Li Sheng into his arms, gently patting her back with his other hand, as if comforting a frightened little animal.

"It's alright, leave this to me, I can handle it."

Li Sheng buried her face in his chest and nodded gently.

She knew he wasn't one to make empty promises.

If he says he can do it, then he really will.

The carriage resumed its journey, entering the winding mountain road and heading southwest.

After the two talked things out, the previously suppressed emotions were no longer hidden, and Li Sheng mostly leaned on Xie Jing's chest.

"When did you start liking me?" she suddenly asked.

Xie Jing looked down at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "Guess?"

Li Sheng pouted, "Hmph, fine, don't tell me then."

Xie Jing chuckled helplessly and hugged her tighter. "It must have been the night of my coming-of-age ceremony when I saw you going home alone."

"So early? You weren't very nice to me back then."

"I didn't realize it was liking at the time."