48 Lingering
◎Can I have something else?◎
The next day, Rong Qianyu left the palace to find him and arrived at his private residence. The last time she came was on that day, when he caught her. In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.
It was snowing that day, and it was her first time playing in the snow. The plum blossoms in the yard stood proudly in the snow, facing the flying snowflakes.
This time, as the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the lotus flowers in the pond are still blooming, but they no longer have the tall and straight appearance they had in midsummer. The ground is filled with the fragrant aroma of golden osmanthus.
Rong Qianyu was still furious at the moment. "If you have anything to say, tell me as soon as possible."
Xue Ji had set up a banquet outside the courtyard and prepared a table full of dishes. As they were served, plate after plate, he didn't even look up as he helped Qingyun arrange the dishes. "What did you say to the Queen?"
She said, "I will go back the day after tomorrow morning. I also have a mansion outside the palace."
Xue Ji paused, then casually put down his bowl and chopsticks. "Does that mean you're going back?"
"Master Xue can go with us."
She said this to clearly irritate him. Go together? What for?
Times have changed, and a year or so has transformed many people. Xue Ji couldn't help but sigh, "Your Majesty has truly changed completely. You're completely different from when I first met you. You've learned to be cunning and even use words to provoke others."
"It's all thanks to Master Xue's good teaching."
Xue Ji knew that what he did was inappropriate. He could tolerate Rong Qianyu ignoring him or scolding him, but he really couldn't stand such lukewarm teasing.
But after all, he was the one who made the mistake first. Although he felt unfair in his heart, he said nothing and picked up the bowl and chopsticks again. "Have you had dinner yet? Let's eat first."
Rong Qianyu responded indifferently: "I'm not hungry, if you have something to say, please tell me."
Xue Ji nodded. It was his own fault for making the other person angry. No matter what, he deserved it and could only bear it. There was no reason for him to get angry with a woman.
He pointed back and said, "Look who is that?"
Rong Qianyu naturally ignored him and was too lazy to look back.
Unexpectedly, a voice of "Princess" came from behind her, which made her stand there in a daze. It was the voice of an elderly woman. She hadn't heard this voice for more than ten years, but she still remembered it clearly.
She couldn't hold back her tears. She turned around and saw that it was her old friend. She hesitated for a long time before she dared to recognize her. "Aunt Pu? Aunt Pu!?"
"Princess!"
The day they parted was winter, the morning sunlight thin. It was the seventh day after her mother's death, and He Wanrou, then a noble concubine, had ordered the dismissal of all the palace maids who had served the empress. Rong Qianyu was less than six years old at the time, and suddenly, everyone close to her was gone. That day, she hugged Aunt Pu and cried for a long time. She no longer remembered when they had parted.
She had imagined the scene of meeting her again many times, but never thought it would be like this. Looking her up and down, she saw that her face was ashen, and she looked extremely old in her thirties. It was obvious that she had suffered a lot over the years.
She was no longer the gentle and pretty girl in Rong Qianyu's memory. She hugged the woman in front of her, and both of them burst into tears.
This is the birthday gift Xue Ji prepared for her.
"You...what's wrong with you?" She was so excited that she couldn't speak, her eyes full of heartache.
Aunt Pu said, "It was Master Xue who found me and took me in."
Rong Qianyu turned around with tears in her eyes and looked at Xue Ji.
"I found out about it when I investigated Aunt Fang's case last time, so I followed the clues and found her." It's better to give each other a way out than to be stubborn and insist on being stubborn.
"Aunt, are you doing well? Did He Wanrou give you a hard time?"
Although Aunt Pu looked haggard, she was gentle and open-minded. She forced a smile on her weathered face and said, "My leg was broken by the Queen Consort. I failed to protect the master and the little prince. Princess, you were so young and yet you were held hostage by the Queen Consort."
When she mentioned this, Rong Qianyu realized that her left leg was not very flexible. "So, how have you been doing these years..."
She wiped the tears from Rong Qianyu's face and said optimistically, "There is always a way to survive in a peaceful and prosperous era. I was always hunted by the Queen Mother in Rong State and almost lost my life once. After that, I went all the way north to the Great Zhou. I never thought that I would see the princess again one day."
"Why did my mother have a difficult delivery? How could she die of hemorrhage when she was fine?" This was the worry that had always been on Rong Qianyu's mind. She also knew that it was related to the Queen Mother He Wanrou, but she was too young at the time and was unable to do many things.
Aunt Pu suddenly burst into tears again, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly, "It was she who used incense on the Empress back then, and then falsely accused the Empress's mother's family of imperial relatives of monopolizing power. She was so angry that she used medicine slowly, which led to the lack of fetal energy and difficult labor."
She had been holding these words in for ten years before finally saying them out loud.
This was a detail that Rong Qianyu had never known. At that time, she only remembered that her mother was in a bad mood and often couldn't eat. Later, her mother died of dystocia.
"My maternal grandfather's family has been a family of high-ranking officials for generations. How could they have become so powerful? Didn't my father send someone to investigate?"
"It's all He Wanrou's fault, Princess! She instigated Your Majesty, causing the Empress's early death so she could take the throne!"
Knowing her enemy was right before her, she was powerless to do anything. He Wanrou had one daughter and two sons, and would become the empress dowager, second only to the emperor. While her mother died of depression, she enjoyed all the splendor and wealth.
Aunt Pu also saw Rong Qianyu's desire for revenge and said in a gentle tone, "Princess, you must avenge the Empress. The Empress died in vain, and your maternal grandfather's family was implicated. That evil queen He Wanrou deserved to die!"
"I need to think about this matter. My position in the Great Zhou is not very stable right now."
"But Princess, you must protect yourself first. Don't be reckless."
She nodded. "I know."
Xue Ji echoed from behind, "Don't worry, auntie, I will help the princess."
Although she didn't know who this person was, she knew he was of high status. Aunt Pu wanted to thank him, but Rong Qianyu stopped her, "Aunt, where are you resting now? Are you used to the food and accommodation?"
"Everything is fine. Seeing that the princess is living well now, I feel relieved."
"If you have any problems in the future, just go to him. Don't be polite to him, aunt."
Aunt Pu glanced at Xue Ji, feeling a little awkward. She could sense the closeness between the two, but she didn't dare ask any more questions. "Okay, it's getting late, so I'll go back first. Princess, please don't be anxious."
"Qingyun, send Auntie back." Xue Ji gave him another ten taels of silver. "Take this money and go with me to buy some things for Auntie. When you're done, find an inn where it's cool and cozy."
"Sir...sir..."
Xue Ji winked at him, and he immediately understood. He took Aunt Pu's arm and ran away, "I'm leaving, I'm leaving. I'm going to find a cool place. I won't be back tonight!"
After the two left, the yard became quiet again. Xue Ji and Rong Qianyu were still awkward. Xue Ji didn't even look at her. He had a plan in mind and drank all the wine on the table.
"Stand up." Rong Qianyu suddenly came up to him, startling Xue Ji.
"Get up!"
"do what?"
Rong Qianyu whispered in his ear: "Pay with your body!"
Xue Ji was confused, thinking that she was just saying it in anger and didn't take it seriously. In fact, he had also had some desire in his heart, but he quickly dismissed it.
Rong Qianyu forcibly pulled him up, "Are you coming or not? What are you afraid of? Isn't Lord Xue only interested in profit and doesn't care? Then we will act as if he doesn't care."
Xue Ji, like a child who had done something wrong, took the initiative to admit his mistake, "I just don't want you to get so close to Fu Hua."
Her attitude also softened a lot. "Of course I have my own plans. Didn't we agree on that?"
Xue Ji hung his head and dared not speak.
"What did you say to Cui Rumei? You want to write poems and paint on her, and you want to make sauce for her yourself. Are you going to stop her from getting close to Fu Hua? This is what Pan'er told me. I didn't expect that Master Xue is also a craftsman."
"Your Majesty..."
She came closer and whispered softly, "Thank you for helping me find my aunt."
Seeing that she seemed to have calmed down, Xue Ji regained his usual composure and said, "You like this birthday gift, right?"
Rong Qianyu smirked, pestering him further, whispering, "Can I have something else?"
"What do you want?"
"You can do whatever you want."
Xue Ji looked at the beauty in front of him, who looked particularly charming today. If her bright eyes cried and turned red, she would look so beautiful. If she could remain calm under such circumstances, she would be a true gentleman. However, he was never a gentleman.
He picked her up and carried her sideways towards the bedroom. He didn't know what was going on today, but it seemed that Rong Qianyu noticed something strange the moment she entered the room.
He was indeed reckless in this matter. In his impulsiveness, he had confusedly found Cui Rumei and taught her to compete for his favor. In fact, he didn't do it to deliberately anger her, but he was just depressed, but didn't know where or how to vent.
He was happy that Rong Qianyu was angry in her heart, but he also felt guilty. It was a matter of mutual benefit. You help me and I help you. There is kindness only when there is give and take. If there is no give and take, then it would cut off the future of both parties.
He had a hard life since childhood. He was originally a rich young man but fell into a useless person. His beautiful appearance concealed his fragile and humble soul.
This made him feel even more inferior. What kind of identity should he have to be able to get along with her openly and honestly? He was obviously full of love but couldn't express it. He obviously didn't want her to get close to Fu Hua but he had no position to protect her.
He immersed himself in the helpless joy of the moment, trying to numb himself and find the Xue Jiming who he used to look down on and was unpredictable.
Rong Qianyu became more mature under his training, which made Xue Ji smell danger. He thought about how she was getting close to Fu Hua and the scene of their lovemaking. Did Rong Qianyu also want to take the initiative like this? What about Fu Hua? Would she remain calm or take advantage of the opportunity?
Thinking of this, Xue Ji's eyes revealed a bit of melancholy. He used his remaining body to try to achieve perfect love.
He slowly moved closer, placed her on the bed, and enveloped her in his arms, the hot air from his rapid breathing spraying against her ears.
Her slender fingers brushed across his neck, and she tried to take off his clothes but was grabbed. Even when making love, Xue Ji never refused to take off even a little bit of his clothes, leaving only an undergarment on was already the limit.
Embracing each other, Xue Ji could smell the faint scent of jasmine on the hair of the person beneath him. "Your Majesty, have you bathed today and also used incense?"
The candlelight flickered, and there was no one around, only the sound of incense, cicadas, and each other's breathing.
He gently lifted her hair, stroked her earlobe and collarbone. She trembled slightly, feeling his rough passion, but still did not kiss, only tested, letting him grope her body.
A little crimson that was accidentally touched fell on the white silk. After the passion faded, the afterglow faded, the starlight dimmed, appearing and disappearing, and I quietly listened to the last chirping of the summer cicadas.
Rong Qianyu was wearing thin clothes, but Xue Ji beside her was neatly dressed. Her face flushed, and she turned over in a daze and hid in his arms.
Xue Ji looked at the person in front of him, who was sweating profusely and lying in his arms. This should have been the scene he wanted most in the past, but now he couldn't feel happy.
This entanglement, as Rong Qianyu said, is just a bargaining chip for each party to get what they need.
As for love, is there love?
More like a transaction.
The jade hook hung high in the air. Xue Ji boiled water and bathed alone. Exhausted, he looked at his mutilated body in the mirror, at his hands that had murdered and set fire to people. He was ultimately a useless man, so how could he dare to hope for such foolish words as "to win the heart of one person and to be together till old age."
He had never been so indecisive and fanciful before.
How could he possibly take the moon in the sky into his pocket?
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