Chapter 55

The next second, a soft touch came from her lips.

He actually kissed the person in front of him on the cheek!

In that instant, he realized something was wrong, abruptly released Si Yanmo's hand, and separated from her.

A strange urge was urging him inside. He realized something was wrong, got up to open the door, but found it wouldn't open.

"Old Wu! Old Wu!" he shouted Wu Guan.

There's definitely something wrong with this room. He shouldn't... he shouldn't be so frivolous.

But it was Consort Qin's voice that came from the doorway, "Stop shouting, I locked the door and lit the incense."

"Mother?" Zhou Yanqing was stunned for a moment, then realized her mother's plan.

The intense heat radiating from his body was driving him crazy. He was terrified he might do something outrageous. For the first time, he roared at his mother, "Stop making a scene! Open the door!"

He glanced back at Si Yanmo, whose breathing was also unsteady under the influence of the incense, and her face was already flushed with an unnatural red. If this continued, it was obvious what would happen when a man and a woman were alone in a room together.

But he loved Si Yanmo, so he couldn't let her suffer.

How could he possibly take advantage of someone when they were both unconscious?

Seeing that the person outside the door didn't move, and that his steps were starting to falter, the impulse within him was becoming more and more obvious.

He simply used acupressure on himself to seal his meridians, which helped him regain some of his senses. He kicked the door open and shouted, "Call the witch doctor!"

The moonlight, though dim, trembled at the loud bang.

"You!" Consort Qin was truly exasperated. Looking at her son, who was staggering out of the room, she scolded, "You're already married, so why can't you... The Third Prince's wife is already pregnant!"

It turns out that she returned to Qin to give Zhou Yanqing a child.

She desperately wanted Zhou Yanqing to gain the Southern Emperor's approval, thinking that if nothing else worked, the Southern Emperor would surely like him once he had a grandchild. However, someone else beat her to it.

Unfortunately, her own son had been drugged by Si Yanmo, and not only was he unwilling to take a concubine, but he also insisted on consummating the marriage with her only if she agreed.

She couldn't wait any longer. If she delayed any longer, and the Third Prince's Consort gave birth to the eldest son, she would have no chance at all. So she went to the black market and bought a kind of incense called "Night Serenade". It was said that it only needed to be lit for 15 minutes and was a long-lasting medicine that could maintain its effects for about half a year.

Now that the die is cast, this kid actually dared to kick the door open! It's going to drive her crazy!

When the witch doctor arrived, Si Yanmo was already delirious. She felt unbearably hot and tried to tear off her clothes in a daze, but Zhou Yanqing stopped her.

"Be good, don't move!"

He grabbed the woman's flailing hands and gently coaxed her in a low voice.

Although Zhou Yanqing had sealed his meridians, the incense had been burning for an unknown amount of time and its effects were too strong.

At this moment, he was holding his beloved in his arms again. Her body fragrance, mixed with the lingering scent of Ye Shengge, filled his nostrils, making him wish he could hold her in his arms and crush her right now.

He only begged the witch doctor to come up with an antidote as soon as possible, otherwise he would really lose control of himself.

When it rains, it pours...

The witch doctor examined the two men's symptoms, his brow furrowed. "Your Highness, this..."

"Stop beating around the bush, just say it!" His patience had reached its limit.

The witch doctor, fearing that the man might get so angry that he would chop himself up, quickly explained the name and origin of the medicine to him.

"This Night of Revelry is a secret medicine of Lanyu. Once poisoned, there is no antidote, and the effects will last for six months, with recurring relapses."

"So you mean you want me and the Queen to just endure this?"

As he spoke, the person in his arms, already tormented, kept leaning against him, their hands wandering inside his clothes, their voice trembling with sobs, "Hot..."

As night fell, Zhou Yanqing had already taken off her outer garment, leaving only a thin long gown over her inner garment.

Si Yanmo's stillness was fine, but the moment he moved, a ticklish sensation rose in his fingertips. He felt all the fire within him gather in his lower abdomen, and if this continued, he truly wouldn't be able to hold back.

"Is there really no other way?"

The witch doctor was also baffled. "Your Highness, you and the Queen are deeply in love and are husband and wife. There's really no need for you to hold back!"

Honestly, the antidote is clearly between us, so why torture each other like this?

"Besides, this Night Song is extracted from multiple love poisons, which is already harmful to the body. If it's not dealt with, I'm afraid my body will be too weak to last more than a few times!"

That means there's nothing we can do...

Zhou Yanqing was truly exasperated with her own mother. She was terrible at judging men, but she was always right when it came to finding this kind of medicine.

"Get out!"

Seeing that the person in his arms had flushed cheeks and that her clothes had been mostly removed during the time the witch doctor had been examining her, he sent everyone out.

We must never let anyone see her like this!

It's bad for her reputation.

Before leaving, Consort Qin was still trying to persuade her: "The witch doctor said..."

"Get out!" he roared. He rarely spoke harshly to his mother, but today he had lashed out at her more than once. "My affairs are none of your business from now on!"

The flickering candlelight seemed to depict the erratic heartbeats of the two people.

The girl's slender hands wrapped around his neck, her head buried in his neck, occasionally nuzzling him gently, "It hurts..."

Nightly revelry made his senses more acute; even Si Yanmo's every breath was enough to stir his nerves.

Zhou Yanqing's Adam's apple bobbed as she tried her best to control her desires.

He wanted to help her seal her meridians as well, but he also knew that such a forceful approach would be more harmful to her body than simply enduring it like this.

Si Yanmo was already frail and sickly, and she had been injured a few days ago. If she did this once, she might be able to handle it, but if it flared up again, she probably wouldn't be able to withstand it.

He cupped the girl's face in his hands and spoke in a low, husky voice, "Amo, Amo, can you still recognize who I am?"

To be honest, he would naturally be willing to do this, as she was his beloved girl, and he wished he could take her into his womb right now.

But because of this, he needed to know Si Yanmo's attitude, and he wouldn't overstep his bounds if she didn't want to.

Si Yanmo had already lost consciousness and had no idea who the person in front of her was or where she was.

All she knew was that it was hot, very hot, but strangely, the person holding her was cool. As long as she got closer to him, even closer, it wasn't so hot anymore.

She thought she must have a fever to be so hot.

Then you should find a cool place to clear your head.

The closer she got to the man, the cooler her body felt, but her head became even more dizzy. Her only thought was to have the man hold her, and then get closer and closer, as close as possible, so close that no one could separate them.

She simply ripped open her clothes, hoping to cool herself down and perhaps that would help her sober up.

Zhou Yanqing was startled by her actions and hurriedly pulled the blanket over her.

He finally understood: the girl had completely lost consciousness, and only the effects of the drugs remained.

He gritted his teeth and let go of Si Yanmo, staggering to a corner. Perhaps if they stayed away from her, they could both calm down.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated.

Si Yanmo felt like she was on fire after leaving him, hot, uncomfortable, and in pain. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she looked at him with a pitiful expression, her voice trembling, "Don't go..."

The girl's sobs softened his heart, and soon even the acupressure stopped working.

He knew that the cure for them was each other, but... he wouldn't allow himself to do it.

Si Yanmo's sobs grew louder and louder, and she even struggled to get to him.

Fearing the person would fall, he went to the bedside and caught them.

Seeing Si Yanmo's tearful face, he felt both heartache and pain. Finally, he gritted his teeth and gently patted the woman's face, "Amo, call my name."

Tormented by the effects of the drug, Si Yanmo didn't want to pay attention to him at all. She just wanted to snuggle into his arms and try to get some coolness from him.

He took a deep breath, told himself to stay calm, and repeated, "Amo, call my name."

After repeated attempts, Si Yanmo's consciousness was finally brought back somewhat. Her blurry vision cleared a little, and she spoke in a tearful voice, "Zhou... Zhou Yanqing..."

"Yes, it's me." Finally hearing her response, Zhou Yanqing rewarded her by kissing her palm and coaxing, "Listen to me, I have a plan, but I need your agreement before I can touch you."

Si Yanmo was in extreme distress at this point, and she would agree to whatever he said.

Zhou Yanqing needed a response, so he leaned close to the girl's ear and said softly, "Before we got married, a nanny told me that it was okay to use my hands. Now you're telling me that, can you accept it?"

Si Yanmo took a moment to react before grabbing his hand and making a nasal "Mmm".

With her permission, Zhou Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief, her voice hoarse, "Don't hate me, Amo."

The candlelight flickered, and the sachet the girl had given him earlier had fallen to the ground at some point. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhou Yanqing's forehead.

He was helping Si Yanmo, but he himself was also nearing his breaking point.

He was telling himself not to have any other thoughts. He was just the girl's "antidote" right now. As for himself... he was already throbbing painfully somewhere, and he had to shift his attention.

At that moment, he caught a glimpse of the dagger the girl often kept under her pillow. He picked it up with his other hand, drew it from its sheath, closed his eyes, and slashed a bloody line down his upper arm.

The pain seemed to bring him back to consciousness.

"As long as it works..."

As long as she's alright...

He didn't know how much time had passed, but the daylight had already brightened, and the effects of the medicine finally wore off. The girl had fallen asleep in his arms.

The man had countless wounds on his shoulder, and blood flowed down his shoulder, mixing with the water stains on his hands.

He seemed oblivious to the pain, settling the girl down before gently embracing her. His lips were already pale as he tenderly kissed her forehead, his eyes brimming with affection, as if nothing else existed around him.

After lingering like that for a while, he asked Wu Guan to bring in a bucket of water.

He first gave Si Yanmo a quick cleaning and then called in two maids to change the bedding before treating the wound on his own arm.

Last night, Zhou Yanqing was so focused on Si Yanmo that she didn't feel the pain. But now, the pain is rising, and the side effects of Ye Shengge have amplified her senses. Zhou Yanqing, who didn't feel pain when she broke her leg as a child, is now gritting her teeth in pain.

He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead haphazardly, bit the white cloth and pulled hard to tighten the wound.

The next moment...