The road back to the palace was peaceful.
The carriage was dark, and Xie Lang lowered his eyes and carefully lifted the veil from Wen Hemian's face.
She seemed certain that she wouldn't be caught, as her face was completely covered except for the veil, revealing skin as smooth and delicate as cream.
Three years have passed, and Xie Lang has changed a lot, but he has left almost no trace on her. Everything is still the same as before.
Her clear and exquisite eyebrows and soft, full lips were captivating. Perhaps because she was not feeling well, her brows were slightly furrowed, like a corner of the bright moon being rubbed, which reduced her cool and aloof demeanor.
Xie Lang had seen her dressed as a woman once, and remembered it clearly.
So much so that it can be recognized at a glance in a crowd.
"Once you return to the capital, be prepared to be caught by me."
Xie Lang's hoarse voice was tinged with bitterness. He blinked, his eyes greedily fixed on her, unwilling to look away for even a moment. He gently hugged Wen Hemian, feeling a little aggrieved, and nuzzled against her shoulder: "This time, I won't let you go again."
Three years ago, it was because of his negligence, his youthful recklessness and arrogance that he thought he could handle everything, little did he know that someone had already secretly cleared away the obstacles for him.
Wen Heming made this decision probably because he was forced by the situation, but it wasn't that there were no other solutions.
She simply didn't want him anymore.
But Xie Lang was unwilling to let go.
The carriage drove smoothly into the palace.
Seeing that His Majesty had returned without even staying overnight, Lai Xi was filled with doubt and uncertainty, not knowing what had happened. The guards driving the carriage also shook their heads repeatedly, not daring to say anything more.
The doubt reached its peak when they watched His Majesty carry someone off the carriage.
Lai Xi lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the Emperor's face. Out of the corner of his eye, he only caught a glimpse of a white hem of clothing flashing past him. That should be the person being held, but he was lying quietly in His Majesty's arms and could not hear a sound. He had no idea what was going on.
Lai Xi bowed and stood up, then quickly followed.
Then I watched helplessly as His Majesty carried the person into the side hall—the place where Lord Wen used to live in the palace!
Later, His Majesty also stayed there frequently, so it was always kept clean. The room was fully equipped and there was no dust.
Xie Lang held the person steadily and carefully placed them on the couch.
When I was young, I could never break free from her strength no matter what I did. But today, when I picked her up, I realized that she was thinner than I had imagined. She felt like a feather in my arms, so light that it made me feel uneasy, as if she would drift away if I wasn't careful.
"Lai Xi," the emperor coldly ordered, "go and summon a few palace maids to wait here."
As the emperor, Xie Lang's harem was constantly coveted by people, whether intentionally or unintentionally. With so many attempts to seduce him, he grew tired of it and eventually stopped allowing palace maids to serve him.
Wen Hemian is a woman, so he had to consider other options.
"You must be of pure mind. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you responsible."
A bead of cold sweat dripped down Lai Xi's forehead. He hadn't even found out the truth before he was sent away.
"yes."
After dismissing the irrelevant people in the hall, Xie Lang stared silently at Wen Hemian for a long time, his eyes still red with grievance. He raised his hand and forcefully wiped her lips, as if he wanted to pour out all the bitterness he had endured for the past few years.
But when he saw her furrowed brows, he suddenly felt a pang of pity.
After a while, he bent down and hugged her.
"Wen Hemian, you can't escape now."
...
Wen Hemian admitted that she was indeed not on guard against Xie Lang.
So much so that when they met again, she was horrified and never expected Xie Lang to attack her.
You can get caught off guard.
When I woke up, my neck was throbbing slightly. I opened my eyes groggily and saw a carved bed with curtains hanging down. I couldn't see the outside world clearly.
A faint fragrance wafted in the air, which seemed somewhat familiar to Wen Hemian. She snapped out of her daze and, after a while, propped herself up and sat up.
Before she could sort out her jumbled thoughts or look around, the first thing she noticed was the feeling of restraint on her left hand. When she looked up, she saw that it was a thin gold chain with a ring at the top fastened to her wrist. It was long, and she had to pull it a few times to get the rest out. The other end was tied to the foot of the bed.
She blinked slowly.
Locks, chains?
...Is Xie Lang planning to lock her up here?
With her right hand lifting the curtain, Wen Hemian was completely certain that she was now in the palace, in the side hall where she had lived before. The furnishings here were almost unchanged, yet there seemed to be some things that did not belong to her, which did not seem out of place in the hall.
Judging that the chain was long enough, Wen Hemian had no intention of forcibly breaking it for the time being.
It was broad daylight outside, and it looked like it was the next day. Wen Hemian didn't feel hungry at all. She didn't care if anything had happened that she didn't know about, and she put on her shoes and went outside.
We need to find Xie Lang first.
Last night's meeting wasn't pleasant. She didn't know Xie Lang's current attitude towards her, so she needed to confirm it. A face-to-face meeting was the best way.
As she approached the door, before she could open it, it was opened from the outside.
The figure of Xie Lang came into view. He was dressed quite luxuriously, in black embroidered with gold. Wen Hemian had never seen him before and guessed that he was probably a new piece made in the palace in recent years, since His Majesty the Emperor did not lack clothes.
Wen Heming's fingertips curled slightly as she heard him ask, "Grand Tutor, where are we going?"
If last night's words were spoken in anger, then the fact that he was still willing to call her Grand Tutor now... Wen Hemian calmed down a little and composed herself: "I was just about to go see His Majesty."
"No need to look anymore, I'm here."
Xie Lang chuckled softly, a laugh that, for some reason, sent chills down one's spine.
Wen Hemian had no idea how he had spent the past three years; this change felt very foreign to her. She couldn't help but purse her lips and say, "Okay, let's sit down and talk..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wen Hemian's vision blurred, and Xie Lang suddenly stepped forward and picked her up again. The sudden feeling of weightlessness made her heart race, and Wen Hemian's voice trembled as she lost her composure: "Xie Lang!"
Not long after I stepped out, I was back on the tatami mat. The bedding was soft and thick, and I didn't feel too uncomfortable when my back touched the bed. On the contrary, the pressure from the person leaning over me was even greater.
Xie Lang's expression was inscrutable: "What do you want to talk about? How I've spent the past three years? Why I haven't attended court? Or why... why I prepared this?"
His gaze fell on the gold chain on Wen Heming's wrist, and his expression instantly turned sinister, his face turning icy cold. His low voice seemed to carry a hint of accusation: "Wen Heming, you are really heartless."
That was three years, more than a thousand days and nights.
Wen Hemian opened her lips, about to argue, when the other person grabbed her chin and kissed her without saying a word.
Scalding hot.
It has an irresistible straightforwardness.
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