Chapter 55

On that day, Qing Ying did not return to the inn where he had stayed before, but instead, relying on his new identity as the cousin of Nicholas II, moved into the Winter Palace, the living quarters of the imperial family. Compared to the Berlin Palace, which was built during the Kingdom of Prussia 150 years earlier, the Winter Palace far surpassed it in both luxury and artistic charm. Living in such an environment for a long time, one would unconsciously acquire a touch of elegance and nobility. Even the devilish young Sonia, who usually behaved with impeccable grace and dignity in front of others, was no exception. Her elegant and dignified demeanor left Qing Ying, who had seen her true self, utterly astonished.

The next day, Sonia fully embraced her girlish nature and became Qing Ying’s full-time tour guide.

St. Petersburg is located in the northwest of Russia, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, at the mouth of the Neva River. The city is composed of over 100 islands, connected by more than 700 bridges, creating a picturesque landscape. Known as the "Northern Venice" due to its canals, islands, and beautiful scenery, the city was founded by Peter the Great in 1703. Empress Elizabeth invited top architects and craftsmen from Italy to build the Hermitage Museum, Smolny Cathedral, and the grand palaces in Tsarskoye Selo. Catherine the Great and Alexander I vowed to make St. Petersburg the most beautiful capital in Europe. They hired French designers for the Academy of Arts, British designers for the Pavlovsk Palace, and Italian designers for the Russian Museum and theaters. Russian master craftsmen designed the Kazan Cathedral and the Admiralty for Alexander. The blend of architectural styles from various countries made St. Petersburg a dazzling jewel of the Russian Empire for over 200 years.

On the first day of their acquaintance, Sonia, not knowing Qing Ying’s character, was somewhat cautious in her behavior and speech. As they gradually became more familiar, and upon discovering that Qing Ying did not inherit the proud and arrogant personality of Wilhelm II, but was instead very easy to talk to, Sonia immediately treated him like a treasure, fully revealing her devilish true self. She often bossed around the exceptionally handsome Qing Ying, "enslaving" and using him; when she was happy, she would drag, pull, pinch, and squeeze him, which became a common occurrence. Eventually, almost every part of Qing Ying’s arms was bruised from Sonia’s pinches. Seeing her sweet smile as she cheered, Qing Ying felt like rebelling several times, but remembering that he was on Russian territory, he could only grit his teeth and endure it in anger.

One day, Sonia forced Qing Ying to accompany her shopping and used him as a mobile storage for her purchases. After four hours, Qing Ying’s hands, arms, shoulders, and neck were laden with all sorts of clothes and toys, his face almost completely obscured, leaving only his eyes visible to see the road. Returning to the Winter Palace, Qing Ying’s feet ached, and his entire body felt like it was falling apart. Entering Sonia’s bedroom and seeing the large pink bed, Qing Ying felt like he had found a savior. He leaned forward and threw the nearly hundred bags onto the bed. After doing this, Qing Ying felt dizzy and weak, collapsing onto Sonia’s bed, not wanting to get up.

"Hey, what a pretty box, and there’s a photo inside? Hmm, let me see... Oh, this fool isn’t you, Eitel?" Qing Ying was extremely tired, lying on the bed and about to fall asleep, but at Sonia’s last words, he suddenly jolted awake, springing up from the soft bed. Focusing, he saw Sonia holding a brocade box in her left hand and looking at a black-and-white photo about three inches long in her right hand. Qing Ying’s heart raced as he reached into his pocket, only to find it empty!

"That’s my photo, give it back!" Qing Ying, in a panic, reached out to grab it, but Sonia was faster, turning gracefully and leaving his hand empty. As he anxiously tried to retrieve the photo, Sonia covered her mouth and giggled, "I just want to let you know, it fell out of your inner pocket by itself, so I didn’t peek. Hehe, I didn’t expect this fool to look so good in a photo."

Qing Ying reached out again, trying to get the photo back, but Sonia stood on tiptoe, holding it above her head, and looked at him provocatively. The girl, who was already 175 cm tall and well-developed, was nearly a head taller than Qing Ying. After a few attempts, Qing Ying gave up, sitting on the bed and sulking. Seeing the young man sitting there dejectedly, with a pile of items he had bought for her on the bed, Sonia felt a bit guilty after a moment of satisfaction. She quietly put the photo back in the box and pushed it toward Qing Ying.

"Hey, don’t be so stingy. I just looked at your photo, that’s all. I’m giving it back to you." Sonia gently nudged Qing Ying’s hand with the box and whispered in his ear. Her soft voice and the strong scent of her perfume calmed Qing Ying’s anger. He glared at Sonia and put the box back in his pocket.

"Hey, the person in the photo is you, right? Who’s the girl next to you? She’s so beautiful." Sonia’s bright eyes sparkled with unprecedented curiosity, and there was a hint of jealousy in her voice. As the most beautiful girl in the Russian court, Sonia had always been very confident in her appearance. Suddenly seeing a foreign girl in the photo who was just as beautiful and seemed so close to this fool, she felt a twinge of jealousy. Teenage girls instinctively don’t have much good feeling toward other pretty girls, and the clear beauty of the girl in the photo instantly aroused Sonia’s curiosity and competitive spirit.

Qing Ying gently stroked the edge of the box, his eyes showing a hint of nostalgia and melancholy. He said softly, "This is a girl I met in Qing China in the Far East. We spent some of the most beautiful days of our lives together. We fell deeply in love and promised to meet again in the Far East." As he spoke, Qing Ying smiled, his expression returning to normal. He looked at the sparkle in Sonia’s beautiful eyes and asked curiously, "Hey, why do you care about this? What does it have to do with you?"

"Of course it matters! I’m your cousin, so I have to care about my nephew’s life." Thinking that this young man was only a little over 12 and already had a romance in a foreign country, Sonia was very indignant. She pinched Qing Ying’s thigh in frustration. Seeing him wince in pain, the girl laughed, feeling much better. After a moment of smugness, she suddenly leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "Hey, did you do that kind of thing with her? You know, that kind of thing."

Seeing Sonia’s cheeks flush and her shy, embarrassed expression, Qing Ying, who had been subjected to her physical dominance, was taken aback. After a moment, he realized something and decided to get back at her. Facing Sonia’s question, he nodded with a strange smile and whispered, "Of course, we did. We did it several times every night."

"Ugh!" Hearing Qing Ying’s confirmation, Sonia’s face turned even redder, filled with disbelief, excitement, shock, and a hint of jealousy. She bit her lip and said, "But I heard that kind of thing can make a girl pregnant... Do you really want to be a father at 12?"

Qing Ying chuckled and leaned in, whispering in Sonia’s ear. After a moment, the girl’s ears were red. Facing Qing Ying’s smirk, she suddenly shrieked, pushed him onto the bed, and straddled his waist, pinching and squeezing his waist fiercely. "Pervert! You’re a pervert! At such a young age, you’re already doing that kind of thing, it’s disgusting! Your thing can actually make someone eat it!"

Poor Qing Ying had only intended to tease the girl and make her look foolish to get back at her for the days of bullying, but he didn’t expect Sonia to get so angry and resort to physical violence! Seeing Qing Ying struggling on the bed, the girl huffed and suddenly exerted her strength. Her long, smooth legs clamped tightly around Qing Ying’s waist, and her right arm wrapped around his arms like an iron hoop. She leaned in, her face inches from his, and showed her trademark devilish smile. Then, she provocatively reached out with her left hand and pinched the soft flesh on his waist.

"I’ll call you a pervert, a pervert! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I won’t be Sonia!" The girl pinched Qing Ying’s body fiercely, causing him to scream in agony. He tried to resist, but every part of his body was held down by Sonia, leaving him unable to move.

Just as he was about to give up, the door to the bedroom suddenly opened. Qing Ying forced his eyes open and looked toward the door, seeing an elderly man in a tuxedo standing there, his face full of shock and disbelief. Hearing the commotion behind her, Sonia, who was straddling Qing Ying, turned her head and exclaimed, "Uncle Trutchenko, what are you doing here?"