Chapter 48. Please feel free to offer your guidance.

She didn't want to make such a sacrifice, but she still had to maintain her relationship with Prince Yan, Pei Xi, and absolutely couldn't let the two of them turn from love to hate.

The whole world fell silent, as if only the sound of rain and their lips pressed together remained. At first, during the forceful kiss, he was clearly caught off guard, his gaze fixed on her. Yuan Chaolu trembled with fear, closing her eyes to avoid his gaze. This unease, this feeling of being constantly exposed, heightened her sensory awareness.

I can clearly feel her breathing, her heartbeat, and the temperature of her lips.

She released Xiao Zhuo's lips, her breath ragged, stray hairs brushing against her red lips. Looking down at the man, she saw a faint mark on his lips where she had bitten them.

She was already out of breath, but he was about to open his mouth again, so Yuan Chaolu had no choice but to meet him head-on and seal his lips with hers once more.

The sweet and delicate aroma of spices filled the tent, causing a strange reaction in her body. Yuan Chaolu gradually got used to the fragrance, but a fire was burning inside her, making her desperately want to relieve it.

Each kiss felt like a net enveloping her, making her almost drown in it, slowly succumbing to its power.

Unlike when he was with the Prince of Yan, the young man was always too immature. Now, in the night, the moonlight outlined the slender figure of the man in front of him. Compared to his younger brother, the emperor was full of mature masculine charm.

Their breaths were hot and scalding, their love intense and passionate. She always held the upper hand, but when he came to his senses, she suddenly switched sides and became aggressive in her kiss.

Yuan Chaolu's breathing was completely under his control. Like a drowning fish, her eyes gradually became hazy. In her suffocation, she pulled her hand out of his palm, finally pounded on his shoulder, pushed him away, and panted as she lowered her head, saying, "Your Majesty, where are you ill? This humble woman sees that Your Majesty is clearly very well."

Xiao Zhuo said softly, "It's because you healed me well. It seems I don't need any miracle doctors. Next time I have a serious illness, I'll just have my cousin treat me."

Yuan Chaolu's hair fell across his face, a few strands of black hair landing on his cheeks and lips.

In the dim light, their eyes met, and they could hear each other's rapid heartbeats.

He reached out and grabbed her hands, placing them behind her back. As a man who had practiced martial arts for many years, she was no match for him. Yuan Chaolu was unable to break free, and her cheeks flushed red.

Another question came from outside the tent. Yuan Chaolu had to keep the man in front of her calm while also answering his questions. She was really overwhelmed.

Seeing that Xiao Zhuo was about to speak again, Yuan Chaolu had no choice but to step forward and block his lips with her body, thus freeing herself to answer the person outside the tent.

"It's raining heavily, Your Highness Prince Yan and Lord Pei should go back first."

This sudden closeness caused Xiao Zhuo to stiffen abruptly. Yuan Chaolu could feel the outline of his high nose bridge through the soft silk robe.

Xiao Zhuo looked up at her, his sword-like eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Yuan Chaolu was truly helpless, her eyes filled with a mixture of shame, anger, and grievance, but she saw his gaze burning like torches. Then, he lowered his head, burying his entire face in front of her clothes, and took a deep breath. Her body suddenly tensed up.

Her high, straight nose moved slowly through the soft silk fabric, and she trembled even more violently, only able to whisper, "Don't make a sound yet."

But she hadn't expected the Emperor to kiss her with his lips. At first, it was just a light touch, but it gradually turned into a fierce storm. The heat penetrated her thin silk clothes, burning her face until it turned as red as a blush, and her breathing became more and more rapid.

She wanted to break free, but fearing to alert those outside the tent, she could only lean forward, pulling his face even deeper into her embrace. Every turn of Xiao Zhuo's body made her heart tremble. After several entanglements, she felt completely lost and could only let him do as he pleased.

The person outside the tent asked, "Morning Dew, did you go hunting in the forest this afternoon?"

Yuan Chaolu was weak and dizzy, unable to answer. Feeling pressure on his lips, he was forced to say, "No, no, in the afternoon..."

Upon hearing this, the two people outside the tent exchanged a glance.

But soon, the woman coughed a couple more times: "Is there something you have to talk to me about now? I'm really tired..."

This soft, weak sound, as if she were enduring immense pain, escaped from her lips.

“If the Second Miss is truly feeling unwell, I will immediately go and summon the imperial physician for her,” Pei Xi said.

"I'll go instead," said the Prince of Yan.

"Your Highness, please wait." Pei Xi raised his hand to stop him, raindrops dripping down his chin. He stared at the tightly closed curtains.

She's acting really strangely tonight, constantly making excuses. In the past, she would have welcomed the two of them in long ago.

Pei Xi frowned and reached up to the bed curtains.

Inside the tent, Yuan Chaolu finally resisted and pulled her hand away, but she did not cover the emperor's lips, because the emperor's hand had already reached for her skirt.

Those hands, with their long, slender fingers, were the kind of hands that could paint portraits and pluck strings. Now, they reached deep into the silk, caressing the girl's skin as if plucking strings.

She felt her whole body burning, her arms wrapped around the emperor's neck, her fingertips slowly digging into his skin, her heart feeling as if it were being held captive by the hand that wielded power.

"Morning dew?" someone called out from outside the tent.

"Lord Pei..." The voice was extremely strange, as if it were sobbing.

Outside the tent, Xiao Luozhi glanced at Pei Xi and lowered his voice, saying, "Why don't we go back first and talk about it tomorrow?"

Pei Xi did not move. He raised his hand to lift the tent flap, and as the flap was lifted, a rich and sweet fragrance wafted out.

Xiao Luozhi assumed it was just ordinary incense burning in the tent and didn't notice the person beside him. After smelling the fragrance, his expression suddenly changed—

The scent was so familiar, exactly the same as the aphrodisiac incense Pei Xi had received that evening.

A sliver of light suddenly pierced through the remaining light emanating from Yuan Chaolu in the room. Her body trembled, and she was quickly drawn into the emperor's grasp, all her senses converging. Amidst the subtle fragrance, her face flushed like spring, and she slumped into his arms, the surrounding air seeming to thicken and become scorching.

In particular, the moment Yuan Chaolu uttered the title "Lord Pei," she sensed the Emperor's subtle displeasure. She was completely at his mercy, while the culprit, with his imposing jade crown, impeccable attire, and composed demeanor, appeared to be a gentleman of impeccable character.

"Who is on your mind right now?" The voice was clear and elegant, yet it carried a seductive quality.

Yuan Chaolu bit her lip tightly, refusing to utter a word, when she suddenly felt his fingertips lightly flick, causing her whole body to tremble like a zither string.

Outside the tent, the rain poured down, and inside, the humid air was suffocating. She held his other hand, feeling as if a thousand ants were biting her body, her spine both tingling and itchy. She gritted her teeth, paused for a moment, and finally said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty."

This unfamiliar reaction struck her as odd...

Xiao Zhuo's fingertips traced her burning cheeks. "Not your fiancé, Lord Pei, but me?"

Yuan Chaolu, feeling ashamed and unwilling, wanted to silence him with a kiss, "It's Your Majesty..."

"really?"

Yuan Chaolu didn't want to listen at all, so she could only kiss him again. As they entangled, they rolled on the bed. Her skirt had already come undone at the beginning, and the bedding was wet and stained with a dark color.

Her mind was truly in a state of utter confusion; she had forgotten to reply to the person outside the tent and asked, "What if Pei Xi comes in?"

Xiao Zhuo said, "Just say that I am giving you acupuncture to cure your nightmare."

Who would believe that? Yuan Chaolu thought.

He finally withdrew his hand and slowly wiped his slender fingers with the ribbon of her skirt. A bright streak on his fingertip was dazzling and reflected in Yuan Chaolu's eyes, causing her to subconsciously turn her eyes away.

"Didn't you say you were going to learn acupuncture techniques to dispel nightmares? I'm free tonight, I can teach you."

His eyes were clear, and he spoke with great righteousness, as if he were truly willing to impart his knowledge. Before Yuan Chaolu could even shake her head, his fingertips had already landed on her waist and abdomen.

Xiao Zhuo said, "First, the acupoints on the waist and abdomen, this is the Guanyuan acupoint."

He nodded and asked, "Do you understand?"

Yuan Chaolu nodded, but then she heard the Prince of Yan's voice from outside the tent: "Chaolu, are you really alright?"

Yuan Chaolu reluctantly replied with a "hmm".

Once the footsteps of the two men had finally faded away, Yuan Chaolu breathed a sigh of relief, turned her face, and glared lightly at the emperor.

"No need for Your Majesty's instruction. Tomorrow, I can learn a thing or two by looking at the acupoint diagrams Your Majesty has drawn."

Xiao Zhuo leaned over, picked up the candle from the bedside, lit it with a tinderbox, and said gently, "It's not that I insist on teaching her, it's just that my cousin is always too slow in learning."

Yuan Chaolu grasped his hand, "The Prince of Yan and Pei Xi just left. If we light the lamps now, they will surely notice."

Xiao Zhuo remained silent, still holding the candlelight and looking down at her. The warm yellow light enveloped the girl's body. Yuan Chaolu, embarrassed, raised her hand to cover her front. He leaned down, his other hand passing through her loose hair, and gently touched an acupoint on her neck. "This is a key acupoint for calming the mind."

Yuan Chaolu felt as if those fingertips were carrying invisible sparks of electricity, shooting from the back of her neck all the way down her spine, causing her to involuntarily tense up.

The sound of rain outside the tent grew louder, much like the beating of her heart.

Xiao Zhuo seemed not to hear her and continued to point out acupoints to her. From his angle looking down, the girl's cheeks were delicate and beautiful, and her warm breathing was already disordered.

Xiao Zhuo's fingertips slowly moved down her neckline, stopping at the hollow of her collarbone, feeling her skin tremble slightly. "Here."

Not only that, he even took her hand and let her experience it for herself.

"Here, and here... do you remember?"

Yuan Chaolu gently shook her head, completely forgetting about acupoints and meridians. Her mind was filled with the feeling of male oppression that came with the clear bamboo fragrance that enveloped her when he approached.

Overwhelmed with desire, she pressed her forehead against Xiao Zhuo's shoulder and neck, like a small animal, clinging to him, and uttered a sweet, coquettish voice: "Your Majesty..."

She had gradually become familiar with the fragrant mist, and even felt that the rich aroma in the hall could be even stronger.

She breathed into his ear, feeling the man's body tense for her.

"Your Majesty, I have another important matter to ask of you."

Yuan Chaolu maintained her integrity, and for her plan to succeed with Helan Zhen, the emperor's approval was still required.

Xiao Zhuo looked at her, gesturing for her to speak.

"It is Your Majesty's golden lion. I really like it very much. May I borrow it from Your Majesty to take care of it for a day or two?"

Unconsciously, her fingertips wrapped around his belt, pulling him closer little by little until his body pressed completely against hers.

She had indeed misunderstood him before and taken advantage of him quite a bit, but now that she was repaying her debt, she naturally wanted to ask him for some benefits.

Xiao Zhuo hesitated for a moment, and was about to ask when Yuan Chaolu said, "Will Your Majesty teach my sister how to use acupuncture points?"

She took his hand and touched the spot he had just touched.

"Is it here? Or here?" She gently rubbed her skin. "Will Your Majesty grant my request?"

As the candlelight flickered, Xiao Zhuo looked up into her eyes and asked, "The Golden Lion is my pet, as everyone knows. If you were to take care of it, what would your status be?"

"What kind of relationship do you have with me?"

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The author's note: Demanding recognition and recognition.