Chapter 20 was no different; the palace servants inside Xianning Palace had not yet left…
The palace servants inside Xianning Palace had not yet left. Even though they kept their heads down and dared not breathe, their eyes darted around, and the scene could not help but make them have all sorts of wild thoughts.
Yang Liuqing was still wearing a slightly furry jacket, looking rather awkward, which seemed out of place with the magnificent and resplendent interior of the hall.
Yan Dibai propped one leg up to look at her, her fair right foot propped up on the small table. "Are you deaf? Then cut it off. Someone—"
Yang Liuqing quickly jogged forward, shaking off a string of mud from her dusty black cloth shoes.
Yan Dibai was extremely disgusted. "So dirty?"
Yang Liuqing stood obediently by the couch. Upon hearing this, she tucked her toes in and quietly hid the layer of ash on the black bricks under her feet.
This little action naturally did not escape Yan Dibai's eyes. For no reason, he stared at the patchwork sole with a frayed edge for a while, and suddenly laughed out loud.
Yang Liuqing's flesh tightened, and Yan Dibai said:
"You're quite interesting at times when you shouldn't be."
she:"…"
Not daring to respond, Yang Liuqing lowered her head even further. Yan Dibai waved to summon a maid:
"Go, strip off that tattered cloth from her body, lest it ruin my new clothes."
Yang Liuqing was confused when the maid rushed over and pulled her away to change into palace attire and style her hair in double buns. Then she was pushed back inside.
It had only been a short while, but Yan Dibai had grown impatient for quite some time. When Yang Liuqing came out again, she critically looked him up and down.
The boy beckoned with his index finger: "Come here."
It was warm inside Xianning Palace. Yang Liuqing was only wearing a thin layer of clothing, but she didn't feel cold.
The young emperor's orders could not be disobeyed. She walked up to him again, her lips trembling, unsure whether to speak. A slender arm suddenly wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. Yang Liuqing instinctively cried out in surprise, and before she could react and cover herself, she was already sitting in a warm spot.
Yan Dibai hugged her.
Yang Liuqing sat on his lap, her arms snaking like snakes, and in the blink of an eye, they tightly wrapped around his waist and abdomen.
Her back, clad in a thin gauze dress, pressed against his open chest, and she could vaguely feel waves of warmth emanating from her.
It's not hot; it's colder than hers.
Yang Liuqing's face was pale, but Yan Dibai still held her waist and rested his chin on the girl's thin shoulder.
"hehe."
His laughter was ambiguous.
Her lower back was icy cold, and her shoulder sockets ached terribly. Yang Liuqing's whole body was stiff, and she almost forgot to breathe.
Only the soft sigh of Yan Dibai, floating in the air, remains in my ears:
"So thin...so pitiful."
"You've become my attendant, and you still haven't had a taste of meat? The kitchen staff deserves to die! I'll kill them all and make them into mincemeat to feed you..."
He talked about bloodshed as if it were casual conversation; in the past, Yang Liuqing would have been somewhat afraid.
But after realizing that Yan Dibai was a non-human being, this fear inexplicably lessened.
Even though he was deliberately mocking her, Yang Liuqing's tense nerves were able to relax a little.
She remained silent despite Yan Dibai's teasing.
The boy was mischievous and playful, and he groped her for quite some time without the maidservant kneeling down in fear and begging for mercy. He couldn't help but find this strange. He then went to lift her clothes.
Yang Liuqing could no longer remain calm. She shivered violently and instinctively used her body to push away his caressing hand, resisting the violation.
She said the first thing she said upon meeting:
"Your Majesty... I am lowly and unworthy to be touched by your golden hand."
As he spoke, his shoulders shrank inward, displaying an extremely repulsive demeanor.
Yan Dibai's right hand was suspended in mid-air when suddenly, his face, which had been sunny and bright, was suddenly clouded with dark clouds.
Yang Liuqing had her back to everyone, so she couldn't see anything. But she could still feel the sudden stillness of the surging waves.
She subtly braced herself against the ground, trying to move a little further away. Yan Dibai pressed her down firmly again, his breath spraying onto her shoulders and neck.
He scoffed coldly, almost with disgust, though he still grinned: "Stop playing hard to get. I hate that trick the most."
Yang Liuqing frowned.
She had repeatedly stated that she had no romantic feelings for him, but the narcissistic young emperor insisted that she wanted to be his concubine, his woman.
No matter how you explain it, it doesn't make sense.
Although he had decided to temporarily give up on correcting this, his attitude of "I knew you were up to no good and were just putting on an act" was really unfriendly.
Yang Liuqing was also a little annoyed, and no matter how much he grumbled, she pretended not to hear him.
Yan Dibai arrogantly mocked her for a long time, and finally asked her a question:
"Don't think that you can escape my watchful eye with your every move."
The girl nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
Yan Dibai: "..."
For some reason, he became even angrier.
He immediately lost interest: "Bring the food."
Palace servants brought over earthenware pots of rice and beans, along with a small stove. Then they retreated. Yang Liuqing looked at the plate of brightly washed, five-colored beans and millet, when Yan Dibai kicked her in the back:
"Cook porridge for me."
The young emperor's heart was more unpredictable than the summer weather. Finally, he remembered why he had summoned her.
She felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders. She immediately went to start a fire and pour water, adding rice and beans when it boiled, and then squatted down to adjust the heat.
She turned her face to the side, steam rising from her cheeks, subtly softening her slender features. A layer of ethereal white light shone through.
At first glance, it looks like a blanket of pure white snow.
Yan Dibai had only glanced at it casually, but as Yang Liuqing squatted and tilted her head, her gaze suddenly became fixed on him, and then her temple twitched.
Bubbles are rising in the water.
When doing this, Yang Liuqing displayed a nimble and quick demeanor honed through long-term training, a style completely different from the leisurely and tranquil Xianning Palace.
Admittedly, it's rather absurd for an emperor to have a maid cook porridge for him in his bedchamber.
But the man, nestled in his fox fur coat, watched the entire thing unfold. Strangely, he showed no impatience; instead, he focused on the leaping flames, his dark eyes reflecting two murky red spots.
After a while, Yang Liuqing served the porridge, making sure it was cooled down with a spoon. Yan Dibai's pale face showed no trace of emotion.
He was looking at himself, his gaze unusually calm. His chest was so still it seemed he wasn't breathing.
She paused, then tentatively asked, "Does Your Majesty like porridge?"
The girl's voice was clear and melodious, enough to transport him back in time and bring back memories of the past.
As if waking from a dream, Yan Dibai's gaze at Yang Liuqing suddenly turned cold and sinister.
That expression... isn't quite right.
However, Yan Di closed her eyes briefly and smiled again:
"Feed me."
He said I am not the emperor.
"..." Yang Liuqing hesitated for a second, then, under his fierce gaze, she stretched out the spoon.
Then, everything spun around. The golden bowl crashed to the floor, and the boy straddled the girl. He brutally tore open her dress.
Yang Liuqing's eyes widened, and she hurriedly tried to break free. Yan Dibai struck her again, and she felt a chill as a pair of slender, straight legs were suddenly revealed on the bed.
He thrust his knee up, grabbed her thighs, and with a strength he seemed to possess, pinned Yang Liuqing down.
Yang Liuqing cried out sharply, "Your Majesty! Ugh—"
Yan Dibai covered the girl's lips tightly, his eyes filled with a mixture of innocence, unfamiliarity, disgust, confusion, and bewilderment as he searched between her legs.
His thick eyelashes trembled incessantly, and an unnatural flush rose on his pale face.
He frowned, deeply frowned. Then he relaxed his brows, his pupils trembling violently.
The beautiful young emperor thought at this moment:
Why?
The panicked face before him instantly overlapped with that of the girl from his childhood who had spread her legs in tears before him.
How many is this?
…Women are no different.
A note from the author:
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Thank you for your comforting words, everyone. I've recovered and am now in good spirits. I've thought a lot about this book, and I'm sure I'll finish it.
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