602 The Secret About the Past 220

"I like everything about you. Hubby, I want to give birth to your child," she said, draping her arms around his neck.

Tuoba Gucheng lowered his head and began kissing her neck, the warmth of his lips spreading down her body.

Lin Shishi was quivering with a stiff tension in her body. A fire was burning within her.

She opened her mouth slightly, trying to catch her breath as it quickened.

She took a deep breath at the instant that he lifted her pajamas.

"Are you feeling nervous?" he asked.

Lin Shishi nodded and answered, "A little."

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"No… I haven't."

She could not stop flinching and quivering while his fingers wandered all over her body.

Under the dim, yellow light, he gazed at her face without a single tinge of desire or lust in his eyes.

All of a sudden, the lamp was switched off. "Why did you turn off the lights?" Lin Shishi asked.

"I don't like having the lights on."

He spread her legs open and moved closer toward her. Lin Shishi clutched onto the sheets tightly, preparing herself both physically and mentally.

She flinched in immense pain the moment he entered her.

Tuoba Gucheng thrust his hips forward once more, causing her to shriek loudly.

It was almost deafening.

Clearly, it must have been excruciating for her.

Having heard the agonizing shriek from next door, An Xiaoning thought that something had happened and hurriedly tiptoed out of her room toward Tuoba Gucheng's door, where she stood quietly to listen.

She turned red with embarrassment the moment she heard the noises coming from inside and returned to her own room.

Thinking that Tuoba Gucheng would definitely have a long night, she decided to sneak out, using the excuse of taking a breather.

She continued to stroll along the compound and gradually made her way toward Tuoba Shuo's door.

She entered stealthily.

He had yet to go to bed. Upon sight of her, he smiled widely and asked, "Why have you come at this hour?"

"Well, I'm only free at times like this. I'm not sure if there's a secret chamber in Shi Xiaoyu's room so I'd like to seek the opportunity to verify it. I haven't taken a day off yet this month. Do you have a solution to help me enter the room again?" she asked, sitting cross-legged on the praying mat.

Tuoba Shuo answered, "You took a huge risk by sneaking in the previous time. I'm afraid it'd be a Herculean task to try and enter again. We don't know if your mother is alive or dead at present. But regardless of whether she's alive or not, I reckon only your father and Shi Xiaoyu know the truth. We have to come up with another solution to make them speak up about something that happened so long ago. I think the only way for you to get a shot at finding out the truth is to enter the mansion again. Your chances would be slim if you simply stay by Gucheng's side all day and wait for an opportunity to come by. Well…"

He took out a book from his pocket and handed it to her. "Keep this with you properly, perhaps it'll come in handy when the time is right."

An Xiaoning took a close look to see that it was a book about hypnosis.

After flipping through the content of the book, she was greatly taken aback since it definitely could not be found on the market.

"How did you get your hands on such a book?"

"I used to have a very close friend whom I've been secretly trying to find ever since I moved out of the mansion at the entrance. He is an expert in hypnosis. Decades have passed since I first knew him. I reckon he must have broadened his knowledge in the field even further. I requested for him to give this book to me. He said that the book is a quick fix, which is to be used on someone when they're sleeping."

An Xiaoning browsed through the book agitatedly and looked at him again. "Awesome, I'll definitely pick up the skills taught in this book."

Tuoba Shuo looked at her and said with a smile, "That friend of mine initially refused to give me the book. I had no choice but to tell him that I needed it because I was trying to find out the truth about your mother. We were extremely close in the past and he's very clear about my situation as well. I guess he gave it to me because he took pity on me. He also instructed me to burn the book after I've mastered the techniques of hypnosis, so as to prevent it from landing in the hands of others. After all, the techniques taught in this book are very different from that of those sold on the market."

"I understand, rest assured."

An Xiaoning held the book tightly in her hands, as if she had just attained a precious gem. Why didn't I ever think of picking up hypnotic skills in the past?

Seems like it was the most feasible solution for now.

"Once you've mastered the techniques of hypnosis, I'll find a chance to send you in. I'll leave the rest to you afterward."

She nodded earnestly and said, "I understand."

—

When An Xiaoning woke up the next morning, the pair of newlyweds were already having breakfast.

They woke up exceptionally early that morning.

Lin Shishi was glowing with her radiant, rosy cheeks, and she allowed her hair to drape down her shoulders. She was dressed in a long, blue dress and continually helped Tuoba Gucheng to the dishes.

Upon An Xiaoning's arrival, Tuoba Gucheng looked up to glance at her before continuing to have his breakfast.

An Xiaoning had spent the whole of last night reading the book and barely caught any shuteye. She was dragging her feet across the room, haggard and weary.

However, her under-eye circles could not be seen since she was wearing the skin mask.

While she was out with Tuoba Gucheng, she was so fatigued that she hung her head low throughout and bumped into him accidentally as a result.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," she apologized as soon as she snapped out of her trance.

"It's alright." He scanned her from head to toe.

The male bodyguard burst into laughter and asked, "Mu Ning, what did you do last night? Why are you so sleepy?"

"I didn't sleep too well last night," said An Xiaoning, causing Tuoba Gucheng to steal a few more glances at her.

"Why not?" asked Tuoba Gucheng.

Since she could not tell him that she had been reading the hypnosis book, An Xiaoning had no choice but to answer, "No particular reason. I just had insomnia and didn't sleep well."

"Why did you have trouble sleeping?"

An Xiaoning did not know how to answer him and thus remained silent.

Surprisingly, he did not probe further. After achieving his agenda, Tuoba Gucheng suggested that they take a boat trip around the lake.

"You guys may go back first. Mu Ning is a good swimmer, she can stay behind with me."

The male bodyguards looked at each other in puzzlement and answered in unison, "Yes, Your Highness."

"There's no harm in asking one or two more bodyguards along, Your Highness," An Xiaoning suggested.

"No need for that. Can't you see that there are only two seats on the boat?"

An Xiaoning had no choice but to follow him onto the boat alone.

The boat was manually powered and would require both people to pedal at the same time.

They were supposedly required to wear a safety life vest. However, the stubborn and willful Tuoba Gucheng refused to do so because he felt that it looked hideous.

Being a good swimmer, An Xiaoning decided to follow suit since a life vest wouldn't make a difference for her anyway.

After boarding the boat, they began pedaling and surged toward the middle of the lake.

"I think such boats are meant for couples or siblings."

"So it's not meant for us? I'd like to have some time alone by myself and a bodyguard to accompany me. What's wrong with that?" he asked with raised brows.

"That's a valid reason, but why do I feel like you're not looking to just spend some time alone by yourself? Your Highness, you have something to say to me, don't you?" she questioned, turning to look at him.

"Did you… hear something last night?" he asked, pursing his lips.

An Xiaoning chuckled and answered, "Yeah, are you referring to the sounds of you and the Princess Consort getting intimate with each other?"

Noticing the sullen expression on his face, as if he were about to fly into a rage, An Xiaoning stopped smiling and added, "I didn't eavesdrop on purpose, the soundproofing system of the walls are just not that great."

"Did you lose sleep because of this?" he probed.

An Xiaoning was at a sudden loss for words. Did he seriously think I lost sleep because I could hear them getting intimate…?