The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 129 The tug of war between Xia Chenghao and Li Lingxuan

Li Lingxuan's fall seemed accidental, but it was actually a gentle trap she had carefully planned. She pretended to reach for the handkerchief, but deliberately bent over and put herself into Xia Chenghao's arms.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment. Xia Chenghao only felt a faint and elegant orchid fragrance coming to his nose. In front of him was Li Lingxuan's snow-white skin and blushing cheeks, and her panicked heartbeat was in his ears. All this was so beautiful that it seemed unreal, making him forget to breathe for a moment.

Li Lingxuan felt Xia Chenghao's strong heartbeat and secretly rejoiced. She secretly raised her eyes and saw Xia Chenghao's stunned expression. A sly smile flashed in her eyes, like a little fox who had stolen honey.

In order to prevent Xia Chenghao from discovering the flaw, Li Lingxuan hurriedly struggled to get up. Her delicate and boneless little hands gently pressed against Xia Chenghao's chest, but it seemed more like an invitation that she wanted to refuse but also to welcome.

"Your Highness, please forgive me, Lingxuan... Lingxuan didn't mean it..." Li Lingxuan's voice was as clear and sweet as a yellow oriole, but at this moment there was a barely perceptible tremor in it, which made her look even more pitiful.

Xia Chenghao finally woke up from his dream and quickly let go of her hand, but the moment his fingertips left her skin, he felt an indescribable sense of loss.

"Princess, don't be alarmed. It's my fault. I was too rude." Xia Chenghao explained in a panic, with a hint of self-blame in his tone, fearing that he had offended the beauty.

Li Lingxuan felt a little disappointed when she saw that Xia Chenghao did not take any further action, but she quickly adjusted her mood and hid this sense of loss deep in her heart.

She lowered her head, not daring to look into Xia Chenghao's eyes. Her long eyelashes were like two rows of small fans, hiding the complex emotions in her eyes.

"Princess, are you okay?" Xia Chenghao saw that Li Lingxuan's face was flushed and her breathing was rapid, and thought she was frightened. He asked with concern, his voice as gentle as the spring breeze in March.

"No...it's okay..." Li Lingxuan's voice was as thin as a mosquito, like a breeze blowing gently, stirring Xia Chenghao's heartstrings.

Xia Chenghao looked at the shy and lovely Li Lingxuan in his arms, a surge of blood rushed to his forehead, and his heart beat uncontrollably, as if it was about to jump out of his chest.

He couldn't help but want to speak, to tell her the true purpose of his visit to the Great Zhou. However, reason held him back at the critical moment, reminding him of his status. He couldn't easily reveal his feelings, let alone offend this beautiful woman. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging emotions in his heart, and tried to make his tone sound calm and natural, as if nothing had happened.

"Princess, actually, the reason I came here this time is..." Xia Chenghao just started to speak, but was interrupted.

Li Lingxuan's face suddenly changed, as if something extremely urgent happened. She exclaimed, "I... I suddenly remembered that there is another important matter that I must go back to deal with immediately!" As she said that, she was about to get up from Xia Chenghao's arms.

Xia Chenghao panicked and subconsciously reached out to support her, but accidentally touched her waist. Li Lingxuan screamed and fell into Xia Chenghao's arms again. This time, Xia Chenghao did not hesitate. He hugged Li Lingxuan tightly, feeling her soft body and faint body fragrance, and his heart was burning.

Li Lingxuan felt Xia Chenghao's strong heartbeat and was secretly delighted, but on the surface she pretended to be extremely panicked and struggled to get up: "Your Highness, please respect yourself! I...I really have something urgent to deal with. Please let me go!"

Xia Chenghao knew that he had lost his composure and quickly let go of Li Lingxuan, but his eyes were still fixed on her, unwilling to move away even a little.

Li Lingxuan straightened her messy clothes, lowered her head, not daring to look Xia Chenghao in the eye, and said softly, "Your Highness, let's stop here for today. I'll come back another day to ask for your advice."

After saying that, without waiting for Xia Chenghao to react, Li Lingxuan hurriedly left the garden, leaving Xia Chenghao standing there alone, savoring the ambiguity just now.

Xia Chenghao watched Li Lingxuan's departing back, feeling a mixture of emotions. He had wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to Li Lingxuan, but he didn't expect her to interrupt him. Could it be that she wasn't interested in him?

The more Xia Chenghao thought about it, the more strange it seemed. Could it be that his plan had been exposed, but he had never mentioned it to anyone?

He looked up at the sky, only to see that the originally clear sky had been covered with dark clouds, as if foreshadowing the impending storm...

Xia Chenghao returned to the guest house, his mind replaying the scene of his encounter with Li Lingxuan. His heart was swirling like a sea of doubt, growing wildly like vines. Li Lingxuan's half-hearted attitude, her sometimes shy, sometimes evasive glances, and her frantic "I have something important to attend to"—all felt like thorns, piercing his heart. As he recalled Li Lingxuan's voice, smile, and appearance, he couldn't help but wonder: Was this all a facade? Had he really misjudged her?

"Your Highness, you don't look well. Did you encounter any trouble with the princess?" The guard leader, Amu, asked cautiously, observing his expression. He had followed Xia Chenghao for many years and knew the prince's temperament well. Seeing him so hurried and frowning, he guessed something serious must have happened.

"It's okay." Xia Chenghao rubbed his brow, suppressing his surging emotions. Of course, he wouldn't tell Amu that he was so disturbed by a woman. If this got out, wouldn't everyone laugh at him? He was the crown prince of the Western Xiang Kingdom, and he had seen all kinds of beauties in the world. How could he fall for a princess from the Great Zhou Dynasty?

"Could it be that she approached me on purpose and wanted to use me?" A thought suddenly flashed through Xia Chenghao's mind, but he quickly denied it. Li Lingxuan was just a princess in the deep palace. What purpose could she have?

"Go and check who Li Lingxuan has met and what she has said in recent days. I want to know everything clearly, no matter how big or small!" Xia Chenghao ordered in a cold voice. He now urgently wanted to know the truth and what tricks Li Lingxuan was playing.

"Yes!" Amu took the order and left, secretly groaning inwardly. The palace of the Great Zhou was no place for them, the Xixiang, to run wild. Gathering information like this could lead to death if they were not careful! However, he also knew the Crown Prince's temper. If he failed to complete the mission, the consequences would be even more serious.

Xia Chenghao paced back and forth in the room, his mind replaying the scene of his encounter with Li Lingxuan. Her eyes, her tone, her movements, all of them actively plucked at his heartstrings, making him deeply drawn in, unable to extricate himself.

"What is it about her that attracts me?" Xia Chenghao was puzzled. He was proud of his handsomeness and martial arts skills, but Li Lingxuan's reactions were unpredictable to him. Sometimes she was passionate, and sometimes she was cold as ice, which made him completely confused.

"Could it be... I like... No, it's impossible! My Xixiang is now surrounded by powerful enemies. How can I have a home if I don't destroy the Great Zhou?" A bold idea suddenly popped up in Xia Chenghao's mind. He had never been moved by any woman before, but when facing Li Lingxuan, he found that he actually had such strong feelings.

"Damn it!" Xia Chenghao cursed and slammed his fist on the table. He would not allow himself to be swayed by his emotions, let alone lose to a woman!

Li Lingxuan, you'd better not play any tricks on me, otherwise, I will make you regret it!