Their soft lips touched, and Su Qingcai inexplicably tasted a hint of alcohol. Just that little taste was enough to make him dizzy and intoxicated.
Su Xiaoning had never kissed anyone before, nor did she have any experience in this area in modern times. She kissed Su Qingcai awkwardly, but she couldn't get the hang of it. She only lightly touched his lips, and the lingering kiss made Su Qingcai's heart restless.
Su Qingcai couldn't wait any longer, so he grabbed Su Xiaoning's head, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her instead.
The new kiss was long and intense. Su Xiaoning subconsciously wanted to struggle, but when she thought that the person opposite her was the one she had been longing for, she obediently remained still, intoxicated by the sea of desire.
The two kissed passionately, both deeply moved. Su Qingcai felt a strange reaction beneath him, realized something was wrong, and quickly released Su Xiaoning.
Su Xiaoning was already sitting on Su Qingcai's lap. Her face was flushed, and she felt dizzy. As soon as she was pushed away, she hugged Su Qingcai's neck again.
"Su Qingcai, I... I don't want to be separated from you in the future. If the Emperor doesn't want us to be together, then let's have a proper selection of consorts. I'll participate, okay? Don't worry, I will definitely beat everyone else and rightfully become your consort!"
Her eyes were dreamy, yet they shone with an undeniable light, like the bright moon and stars, captivating all who beheld them.
Su Qingcai found Su Xiaoning extremely cute. He nestled in the crook of Su Xiaoning's neck and chuckled softly.
"Hmm... I believe you."
His best choice for his principal wife was Su Xiaoning, and he had always trusted her.
Su Xiaoning giggled foolishly. Her wild thoughts had already flown off to who knows where. She just kept laughing, and then her head tilted to the side and she fell asleep in Su Qingcai's arms.
Her breathing was shallow, her face flushed, and nestled in Su Qingcai's arms like a quiet cat, making Su Qingcai's heart itch.
Su Qingcai's throat tightened, suppressing his dangerous thoughts. He got up, scooped up Su Xiaoning, and carried her back to his room.
He gently placed Su Xiaoning on the bed, but soon after leaving, he remembered something and suddenly turned back, planting a kiss on Su Xiaoning's forehead.
Su Qingcai glanced at Su Xiaoning with some lingering affection before leaving with a heart full of tenderness, turning back every few steps as he went, clearly reluctant to part.
...
One night passed.
Su Xiaoning slept very comfortably and woke up without any headache. She even remembered everything that happened last night.
The scene of her confessing her feelings to Su Qingcai and kissing him was still vivid in her mind, making her face flush again.
Before the blush had faded, the door suddenly opened, and Su Qingcai walked in.
Seeing Su Xiaoning's flushed face, he teased, "What? You didn't feel anything when you were doing those things and saying those things last night, but you're shy now?"
"You're still making fun of me..." Su Xiaoning muttered, covering herself with the blanket and refusing to see Su Qingcai.
Su Qingcai burst into laughter, his laughter particularly hearty. He tapped on Su Xiaoning's bed and said with a smile, "Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Hurry up and get up and get dressed. I'll take you somewhere."
"Then you go first. Do you expect me to watch you change?"
Su Xiaoning's muffled voice came from under the covers. Su Qingcai shook his head and smiled, then quickly left. "I'll wait for you outside. You'd better hurry."
After he left, Su Xiaoning got out of bed, quickly washed up and changed her clothes. Once she was in perfect condition, she opened the door and called Su Qingcai in.
Su Qingcai didn't go back into the room. He glanced at Su Xiaoning's attire, nodded in satisfaction, and took her hand to walk out.
Su Xiaoning walked unsteadily and asked curiously, "Where are you taking me?"
"The Imperial Palace," Su Qingcai replied succinctly.
"What?!"
Su Xiaoning's eyes widened, but she was already powerless to resist and was directly pulled onto the carriage heading to the palace.
A quarter of an hour later, in the Imperial Study.
The emperor stared at the two uninvited guests before him, his voice neither warm nor cold.
"I remember you were under house arrest today, weren't you? You still dared to sneak into the palace with people. Aren't you afraid of being punished by me?"
"If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, I will have no complaints. However, this matter has nothing to do with Su Xiaoning, so I hope Your Majesty will not punish her." Su Qingcai smiled faintly and pulled Su Xiaoning in front of the emperor. "Come and meet Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, greetings..." Su Xiaoning never expected that Su Qingcai would bring her directly to see the emperor. She had no idea about etiquette and didn't even know where to put her hands.
The emperor stared at Su Xiaoning without speaking, his expression revealing neither anger nor remorse.
In that instant, Su Xiaoning's mind drifted back to many romance novels she had read before, where the emperors were almost always the main villains, constantly preventing the male and female protagonists from falling in love. Oh no, could this emperor also be going to break up the couple...?
As Su Xiaoning was lost in thought, the emperor suddenly nodded to Su Qingcai and uttered two words.
"good."
Su Qingcai felt relieved. He pulled Su Xiaoning down to kneel and said earnestly, word by word, "Your Majesty, Su Xiaoning and I have confessed our feelings for each other. We are each other's beloved and wish to be husband and wife for life, never to be separated. It is my fault for bringing her to see Your Majesty today, but I only ask that Your Majesty abandon the selection of concubines and grant us marriage."
He brought Su Xiaoning here so that the emperor could see her with his own eyes, to see his precious darling, and to express his feelings to the emperor.
The emperor, of course, knew what Su Qingcai was thinking. He remained silent, his expression seemingly filled with heavy thoughts.
After a long pause, he lowered his head and said, "I can no longer interfere in your affairs, but the selection of concubines cannot be abandoned."
"Why?" Su Qingcai frowned and asked anxiously.
The emperor sighed and said, "You know how chaotic the court is right now. So many people are watching your selection of concubines, hoping to make a big fuss about it. Although you are selecting concubines regardless of their status, this is still a competition among the noble ladies of the capital. I just want to use this selection to get a clear picture of the situation in the court. If you agree, I will certainly guarantee that I will not stop you."
This is a showdown. The emperor will use this selection of concubines to find out what he wants to know, and Su Qingcai and Su Xiaoning will no longer face their biggest obstacle.
Su Xiaoning and Su Qingcai exchanged a glance, knowing they had no other choice, and nodded in agreement.
The conversation went fairly well. The three discussed some details, and to avoid attracting attention, Su Qingcai quickly left with Su Xiaoning.
On the way back, Su Xiaoning and Su Qingcai held hands the whole time. The sun was shining brightly, just like her mood.
She believed their future was bright, and she was unafraid of any difficulties or obstacles. As long as he was there, everything would be alright.
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