138 · Chapter 138

Having made up her mind, Yan Jiarou removed the contraceptive sachet early that day. For the next few days, she went to see Xiao Che every night. After several days, Xiao Che remained radiant, even more so than before. She, however, seemed drained of her energy, like an honest scholar in a storybook who had been seduced by a vixen all night, knowing full well that excessive indulgence would harm her health, yet unable to resist the temptation.

Fortunately, Xiao Che hadn't let her serve him during the day for the past few days for some reason, which allowed her to catch up on sleep.

She was a heavy sleeper since she was a child. After being tormented by Xiao Che at night, she could sleep for the entire day the next day. She would only slowly wake up after nightfall, have some food, and then Yingxue would help her with her hair and makeup.

As Yingxue combed her hair, she looked up at Yan Jiarou's face in the bronze mirror, which appeared even thinner than a few days ago, and frowned. "Master, aren't you too tired... His Majesty is really something, how can he be so..." so unrestrained. She had seen it all the time when she dressed her these past few days; every inch of her body covered by clothing was covered in suggestive marks, clearly from being sucked and bitten. His imprints were still visible on her breasts, along with various marks of pinching and groping. She wondered what kind of pleasure he had, even rubbing the inside of her thighs...

How is this any different from torture?

Xiao Che was clearly taking revenge on Yan Jiarou!

Yan Jiarou, however, remained oblivious, still looking innocent and naive. She even spoke up for him, saying, "It's okay, Yingxue. I did it willingly. I don't blame him. Besides, I'm not in pain. Rather than him ignoring me, I'd rather he treated me like this. I could hold him and secretly kiss him. I really like it."

Yingxue felt even more sorry for you and sighed, "Princess, you are too naive, that's why he bullies you like this."

Yan Jiarou simply shook her head.

Night had fallen, and all was quiet except for the sounds that had just ceased in the emperor's bedchamber.

Yan Jiarou, drenched in sweat, leaned against Xiao Che's chest. Xiao Che's large hand encircled her slender waist, while his other hand gently stroked her smooth, white back.

She leaned against him for a while, until her breathing gradually calmed down, then her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she said cautiously, "Your Majesty... I want to go back..."

Xiao Che paused, frowning slightly: "Why are you going back so early tonight?" Usually, after the event, she would lie down until he went to the morning court.

"I have something to do tonight," she said softly. "A palace maid I'm on good terms with is sick, and I promised to take care of her tonight." This was, of course, just an excuse, because she wasn't wearing a contraceptive sachet tonight and was afraid Xiao Che would find out, so she wanted to leave quickly after it was done.

Yan Jiarou has always been a meddlesome, soft-hearted woman. She used to take extra care of the palace maids around her. As for being spoiled and willful, she only acted out towards her brothers. Therefore, Xiao Che did not suspect anything. However, the little rabbit felt so good in his arms that he couldn't help but feel unhappy about letting go. He clicked his tongue and said, "What? You only know how to take care of others, but you don't care about me?"

"You?" The little girl looked up at him expectantly, and said hesitantly, "But you're not sick..."

"How can you say you're not sick? You're so slutty, always trying to seduce me. I want to sleep with you all the time. Doesn't that count as being sick?" He smirked and asked lazily, "Little rabbit, I've gotten sick because of you. Are you going to do anything about it?"

This was utterly unreasonable. She wanted to argue, but for a moment she didn't know what to say. Her face flushed red, her lips trembled, and she looked at him with anger but dared not speak.

The thought that he was saying these words to "Yunrong" made her lose all desire to flirt with him, leaving only bitterness in her heart.

Xiao Che caught a glimpse of her expression and lost all interest in teasing her. He relented and said, "Alright, alright, go ahead." Just as she was about to get up, he hugged her from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, turned his face to her side, and gently nuzzled her. He said in an ambiguous tone, "I'm not that petty. I'll let you go back tonight, and you can make it up to me tomorrow night, okay?"

Yan Jiarou hurriedly agreed and was eager to leave. When she got up to get dressed, she found Xiao Che sitting on the headboard with his arms crossed and a casual smile on his lips, watching her with a relaxed air.

I admired her awkwardness and her shyness.

Yan Jiarou noticed his gaze sweeping over her inch by inch. He slowly curled the corners of his lips, his gaze casual yet possessing a predatory quality. His Adam's apple bobbed slowly, like a lurking wolf, as if he were about to pounce and devour her at any moment.

The gaze was burning hot, almost tangible, and wherever it passed, one's body felt hot.

“You…” Yan Jiarou’s face flushed slightly. She wanted to say “Don’t look at me,” but she didn’t dare. She could only brace herself and get dressed under his gaze.

He looked at her like that, and she felt nervous and shy. She just wanted to cover herself up as soon as possible, but she made a mistake in her haste. The ties of her jacket got tied into a knot that she couldn't untie and was almost in tears.

Xiao Che was watching Xiao Tu get dressed, wrapping herself up little by little. But when he saw that she was fully dressed, he became rather disinterested.

Tsk, she looks best when she's not wearing anything.

It's such a waste to dress up a rabbit with such a physique.

She should wear nothing and be with him all day long...

Hmm, if she misbehaves in the future, it's not impossible to do this: lock her up, don't let her wear clothes, and then...

Just as he was getting distracted, he suddenly caught a glimpse of her with a furrowed brow, looking down and struggling angrily about something.

Is this... an accidental knot that's completely undone?

Just like she would do.

He chuckled softly, stood up, walked to her side, and bent down to take the button from her hand: "Silly bunny."

“A knot that’s impossible to untie isn’t untie, but you can’t just pull it forward, understand? You have to do it like this…” He said, pulling the rope back and slowly untying the knot. Then, with his slender fingers, he gracefully tied the ribbon for her: “It’s Little Rabbit’s favorite bow, isn’t it?”

Yan Jiarou nodded haphazardly.

She really does like bows; what young girl doesn't like bows? I imagine Yunrong is the same.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered that time when she was hunting in Lishan. She was driven into the dense forest by that crazy horse, and Xiao Che chased after it on horseback to save her. Her clothes were torn open by branches, and he was just as skillful as her, using the stem of a small white flower to fasten her clothes back on.

If time could turn back, she definitely wouldn't have been so bad. Back then, she would have confessed her feelings to him and been with him properly, and then none of this would have happened.

She and he would never be in this situation today.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs"...

A wave of bittersweetness washed over her, and she couldn't help but bury her face in his chest, tightly hugging his waist.

Xiao Che reached out and gently patted her back, asking with a smile, "What's wrong? Don't want to leave?"

Just as he was about to say a few more teasing words, his gaze inadvertently fell on her waist, only to find that it was noticeably emptier than usual.

He immediately grasped her shoulders, his expression grave, and asked, "Why aren't you wearing a contraceptive sachet today?"

Yan Jiarou trembled violently upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. She stammered, "I...I forgot...I suppose it won't matter if I don't wear it for a day occasionally..."

She broke free from him with force and turned to run away.

Suddenly, Xiao Che's cool voice came from behind: "Stop."

Yan Jiarou paused, then steeled her resolve and decided not to listen. After all, once she stepped out of that door, she would be Yan Jiarou, not Yun Rong, and he wouldn't be able to catch her.

She could just stop sleeping with him from now on. Anyway, she was probably pregnant tonight. She had used some tricks to make Xiao Che lose control and ejaculate inside her. After they finished, she even used a pillow to prevent Xiao Che's semen from leaking out. Maybe she was already pregnant.

However, the next moment, an extremely cold voice came from behind: "Yan Jiarou, stop!" The voice was cold and deep, clearly indicating that she was already angry.

Yan Jiarou was struck dumb, frozen in place.

What did he just call her?

He knew it was her!

When did he find out? If he knew, why didn't he expose him?

His mind was in turmoil, and he stood there blankly until he came to his senses, when Xiao Che was already right in front of him.

A shadow fell over his eyes, his face turned cold, and a trace of malevolence surfaced from the depths of his pupils: "Lying?"

He suddenly raised his hand and pinched her face. His hand was large and easily covered half of her face. His fingers tightened and held her cheek tightly: "Yan Jiarou, you lied to me again?"

"Forgot? It was clearly done on purpose. Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror and see how stupid you are? Your emotions are written all over your face, and you still dare to lie? I'm afraid you used up all your best acting skills when you tried to kill me, didn't you?"

"Why would you do this? Hmm? Did you think that because you're pregnant with my child, you have leverage to blackmail me?"

"How many times have I told you? I brought you to my side to get revenge for humiliating you. Don't you feel guilty towards me? Then why don't you atone for your sins! Wouldn't it be better to just let me vent my anger? Why do you lie to me again? Why can't you just be obedient? Look at you, either you impersonate someone else to get into bed, or you use tricks to get pregnant. You're always thinking of underhanded ways. You don't even have the patience to coax me properly. Every word and action of yours is calculated. You say you truly love me, how can I believe you?"

“I…I didn’t scheme…” she cried, shaking her head. “Xiao Che, believe me, I didn’t want to use the child to blackmail you…I never thought of that! I just…I just wanted a child with you…I know it’s wrong to keep it from you, but I…I’m sorry, Xiao Che, please don’t be angry, okay? As long as you promise me this, I’ll do whatever you say from now on…”

"You want to have my child?" Xiao Che sneered, grabbing her chin and lifting it up: "Who do you think you are? Do you deserve it?"

Yan Jiarou's lips trembled, and all the color drained from her face.

He was furious. He hated her for lying to him, and he hated that she couldn't stay obedient for long and then became disobedient again. He couldn't let go of those hurtful words in the snow, that icy, piercing blow. The more he loved her, the more he hated her. Now, her disobedience was like a snake in a cup, stirring up his darkest and most painful memories. He said sarcastically, "Do you know why I didn't expose you even though I knew you were the one who slept with me?"

"Because I want to see just how despicable you really are. Yan Jiarou, you pretend to be another woman to climb into my bed, and you do it every night. You really have opened my eyes."

Yan Jiarou looked at him with shock and pain in her eyes: "I like you, that's why I couldn't bear to reject you, how... how could you..."

"What? You like me? You like me for betraying me again and again? You like me and lie to me? Yan Jiarou, is this what you call liking someone? Didn't I tell you to be obedient and well-behaved? You were only behaving yourself for a short while, and now you've already reverted to your old ways?"

Yan Jiarou bit her lip and carefully climbed onto his arm: "Xiao Che, I'm sorry, please don't be angry anymore. I was wrong, I'll be obedient from now on..."

Xiao Che glanced at her. Seeing that she was willing to back down, the anger in his heart dissipated a little. Looking at her tearful and heartbroken appearance, he also felt that his words had been a bit harsh, and his tone softened unconsciously: "You said it yourself."

Yan Jiarou nodded quickly.

Xiao Che looked at her, wiped away the tears on her cheeks, pinched the back of her neck and kissed her forehead, and said in a hoarse voice, "Be good."

Yan Jiarou nestled into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, savoring the rare warmth.

Yan Jiarou, nestled in his arms, trembled and abruptly raised her head, staring at him in disbelief: "Xiao Che, you... what is this...?"

Xiao Che gently brushed her temple with his thumb and said softly, "Alright, it might be a little bitter. Who told you to ask for trouble by not wearing the sachet properly? I can't take your place to suffer now. Drink it obediently, and there will be a reward."

Yan Jiarou's eyes widened suddenly, her emotions surging: "I! I don't want any reward! I'll be obedient from now on, except for this! I must give birth to it! I want our child!"

"Give birth to it?" Xiao Che scoffed, "It's still nothing, yet you're so sure of it. What? Have you gone mad with greed?"

He frowned and said, "What kind of child is a little girl having? You're still a child yourself! Do you know what suffering goes into childbirth? You don't understand anything, yet you keep saying you want a child. Do you think having a child is as enjoyable as sleeping with me?"

"I know! I'm willing to suffer, all I want is a child with you!"

"Nonsense! You weren't born to suffer."

Amid the argument, footsteps approached from outside. Xue Zhi entered carrying a bowl of dark medicine. Yan Jiarou glanced at it, her face turning deathly pale. She turned to Xiao Che, crying and pleading, "No... Brother, I beg you... No... I don't want to drink it... I don't want to drink that..."

"Be good, listen to me."

Xiao Che frowned, reached out and took the bowl of medicine. With a hardened heart, he pinched Yan Jiarou's cheek and poured the entire bowl of medicine into her stomach.

Yan Jiarou ran out of the Zichen Palace in tears. She thought she would never talk to Xiao Che again. If he wouldn't forgive her, then so be it. Anyway, she didn't want to see him again.

Perhaps losing her child is a good thing; her child wouldn't want such a heartless father.

Even though I tried to comfort myself with these words, I was still incredibly sad inside.

Perhaps she was crying too hard, and the medicine was so bitter it was nauseating, that she ran for a while longer before finally vomiting in the grass as she passed a green corridor.

She vomited for a long time, almost bringing up bile. After vomiting, her mouth was filled with the bitter taste of the medicine, which was really nauseating. Only when she could vomit no more did she slowly get up and walk back to her residence.

After that night, she was almost heartbroken. Even though she was now just a palace maid, she no longer served the emperor and spent her days lying in bed, unconscious.

Xiao Che didn't hold it against her. Instead, he gave her many interesting and fun items, as if they had been recently collected from the common people. In the past, she would have liked them very much, but now she had no interest in them at all. Ironically, she had only drunk a bowl of contraceptive medicine, but for some reason, it was as if Xiao Che had personally aborted her child, and she had experienced the pain of losing a child.

Xiao Che often came to see her. He treated her much more gently and would give her comforting things like kisses and hugs. Although Yan Jiarou was still angry, she accepted these comforts without hesitation. So whenever Xiao Che thought he had coaxed her, she would kiss and hug him while bringing up the old topic again: "I want you to give me another child."

Xiao Che naturally disagreed.

So in the end, it always ended on a sour note.

She drifted along in a daze for two months, and then one day she suddenly started vomiting frequently, especially after eating a little meat.

Yingxue, observing her reaction, pondered for a moment and then frowned, saying, "Master, are you pregnant?"