Chapter 68 Drinking Water "This tent isn't soundproof; people will hear us..."
Hearing this, Su Panyue blinked and muttered, "There isn't one now, but there will be one in the future, right?"
“There will never be anyone else,” Xie Lanzhou said, looking into her eyes.
Those deep eyes rarely showed emotion; they were filled with seriousness, and Su Panyue stared in a daze.
Xie Lanzhou smiled and tapped her forehead, repeating:
"There was no one else before, and there won't be any in the future. I'm doomed for you in this lifetime."
So Su Panyue smiled, tilted her head slightly to look at him, and asked, "Does Your Majesty mean that you won't love me in the next life?"
Xie Lanzhou raised an eyebrow and picked up a piece of food for her. "Hurry up and eat."
But his true feelings were laid bare:
[You want me to admit I've wanted to be with you for all eternity? Don't I have any pride?]
Hearing his thoughts, Su Panyue smiled, her eyes crinkling, then suddenly remembered something and asked:
"By the way, when are we going to remove the curse?"
Xie Lanzhou asked, "Are you in a hurry?"
"Of course I'm not in a hurry, but don't you think this is a bit much? You have no secrets left."
"It's alright," Xie Lanzhou said calmly, picking up his chopsticks to begin his meal.
Su Panyue temporarily put the matter out of her mind and picked up a piece of braised goose and put it in his bowl.
"Try this braised goose. It used to be my favorite. This chef does it so well."
Xie Lanzhou obediently took a bite, not paying attention to whether it was good or not. She remembered the chef she had mentioned, who was said to have been specially recruited from the countryside by Shan Mingyuan to cook for her.
That damn man did do one good thing after all.
Hearing his thoughts, Su Panyue asked, "Have you locked up Shan Mingyuan?"
[Ha, it's more than just locking them up.]
Su Panyue was startled by his sinister thoughts and looked up in surprise, "Are you going to kill him?"
Xie Lanzhou lowered his eyes, concealing the fierce look in them, and suddenly felt that it was necessary to remove the curse as soon as possible.
“Although he locked me up, he didn’t harm me. In the short month or so since he took office, he hasn’t done anything to harm the people. Is death really the only way out for him?” Su Panyue couldn’t help but say.
Xie Lanzhou remained silent, her eyes lowered, only her barely suppressed inner voice emanating from her:
You're actually taking his side? His biggest mistake was taking you away from me!
How could someone as hypocritical as him be worthy of your support?
Su Panyue put down her chopsticks, took his hand, pulled him out of his jealousy, and said earnestly:
“You're the only one in my heart. My speaking up for him is simply because I don't think he deserves to die. He is somewhat selfish and hypocritical, willing to abandon anyone for power, which isn't wrong, so…”
She didn't say anything more, but simply cupped Xie Lanzhou's face in her hands, staring at him intently with hope in her eyes.
"You two grew up together, and he knows you so well; he'll steal you away from me!"
Hearing his thoughts, Su Panyue couldn't help but pinch his cheek: "You banished him far away, I never want to see him again."
Xie Lanzhou remained silent for a long time before finally agreeing.
"Eat some more. You've lost so much weight lately, your face is all thin." Su Panyue picked up her chopsticks again and put some food on his plate.
"You're disgusted with me?" Xie Lanzhou said, feigning hurt.
"Of course not!" Su Panyue rolled her eyes at him lazily and warned, "Stop thinking about this and that, okay? I can hear you!"
Xie Lanzhou, his mind filled with lust, felt no shame whatsoever. Instead, he grabbed her hand and asked, "Have you rested enough?"
Su Panyue blushed and scolded playfully, "Didn't you say there was no rush? Saying there's plenty of time, it was all a lie!"
"Of course I'm not in a hurry, but there are some things that are beyond my control." As he spoke, he grabbed Su Panyue's hand and pulled it down.
"You, you, you! How could you do this?" Su Panyue withdrew her hand as if she had been burned, her almond-shaped eyes wide open.
The two of them were clearly eating, how could he do that?
The man picked her up in his arms, and Su Panyue kicked her legs, protesting softly, "We're still eating!"
"I'm not eating, I'm eating you." As he spoke, Xie Lanzhou carried her into the inner room.
...
This time, Xie Lanzhou indeed changed the sheets himself and lay back down contentedly.
Su Panyue was exhausted. Half asleep, she felt the warmth beside her. She subconsciously moved a couple of times towards him, but he pulled her into his arms.
"How about we go and remove the curse the day after tomorrow?" The man's deep voice sounded in her ear. Su Panyue couldn't open her eyes and hummed in response.
When Su Panyue woke up again, it was already noon the next day. Xie Lanzhou was nowhere to be seen, presumably busy with something else.
Feiyan helped her get ready, and after lunch, Guibo came looking for her.
"I think you're a lucky man, to have survived such a calamity." He stroked his beard as he walked in.
Su Panyue couldn't help but say, "Have you forgotten that when I first met you, you said I was going to have a major disaster?"
Uncle Gui squinted at her with one eye, then suddenly lowered his voice and asked in her ear, "Do you think strangling someone to death counts as a major disaster?"
Su Panyue had just taken a sip of tea when she heard his words and almost spat it all out.
It's been so long since she was reborn that sometimes she doubts whether what she thought was a rebirth was just a dream, and as more and more things happen now, it's gradually becoming blurred. She never expected that someone else would bring it up.
Seeing her reaction, Uncle Gui laughed, "You little girl, you're really lucky."
Su Panyue quickly dismissed the palace servants and pulled him down to sit.
Her voice trembled with surprise, "How did you know?!"
"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." Gui Bo shook his head and said, still not satisfied, he continued, "I also know that the person who killed you in your past life was Xie Lanzhou's Seventeenth Bodyguard."
Su Panyue covered her mouth in surprise, "How could this be?"
Uncle Gui had an expression of anticipation, "So you didn't know?"
Su Panyue slowly shook her head, a surge of inexplicable anger and grievance welling up inside her. Were the emperor's secret guards so great? Did they think they could just kill people whenever they wanted?
She got up angrily, ready to confront Xie Lanzhou, but was stopped by Gui Bo.
"You're leaving already? Aren't you going to ask what I came here for?"
Su Panyue stopped and asked in confusion, "Is there anything else?"
Uncle Gui nodded. "That's for sure."
"Xie Lanzhou told you about setting off tomorrow to remove the curse, right?"
Su Panyue tried hard to recall what Xie Lanzhou had told her after the incident last night, and it seemed that such a thing had happened, so she nodded.
"Are you really willing to remove the curse?" Gui Bo asked seductively. "After the curse is removed, you won't be able to hear his thoughts anymore."
Su Panyue looked at him suspiciously: "But this Gu worm in the body is ultimately a hidden danger."
"No, no, no, I have a way to lure out the large Gu worms and leave a group of small Gu worms behind. It won't have any impact, and you can still hear what he's thinking," Gui Bo said with a smile.
Su Panyue became alert. Given Gui Bo's never-give-up nature, there must be something fishy going on.
"What's in it for you?" she asked.
Gui Bo chuckled and said, "I can regularly collect and plant Gu for you two. How about we win each other out?"
"Aren't you just using us as vessels for your Gu practice?" Su Panyue couldn't help but raise her voice.
"Oh dear, keep your voice down, don't let that King Yama hear you." Ghost Uncle hurriedly closed the window before turning back to explain, "You two have already adapted to this Gu worm and it won't cause any harm. If there is any harm, it's just that you'll have to live and die together. It's not that you two are unwilling, and you even get an extra benefit: you can hear his thoughts."
"Being by the side of this tyrant is so useful; you'll never have to worry about him lying to you again."
Su Panyue couldn't help but frown. "He's both the King of Hell and a tyrant. If you're so afraid of him, why would you dare to use his body to raise Gu? Aren't you afraid he'll kill you first?"
Uncle Gui shook his head. "That's why I'm telling you, as long as you nod, this can be done."
Su Panyue rolled her eyes at him. "That's absolutely impossible."
“I understand him perfectly, so what does it matter whether I listen to what he’s thinking or not? Just give up on that idea.”
Gui Bo was so angry he jumped up and down, "He could have his own guards kill you, and you still say you're on the same page? I'm doing this for your own good!"
Su Panyue ignored him and went straight out to find Xie Lanzhou.
After asking the palace servants, Xie Lanzhou was told that he was in the military camp discussing matters with the generals. The Lu Kingdom's palace had long since changed hands, but he had no intention of moving in. Su Panyue had asked him once why, and he said that he disliked the place where Shan Mingyuan had lived because it was unclean. Therefore, he would rest at Su Panyue's place at night and go to the military camp to discuss matters during the day.
When Su Panyue arrived, Shouxi was guarding outside the tent. Upon seeing her, he immediately turned and went inside to report.
Su Panyue didn't want to disturb them and tried to stop them, but before she could, Shouxi came out to tell His Majesty that he wanted her to go in.
So she lifted the curtain and entered the tent. Inside were the same few familiar generals. Upon seeing her, they all bowed and said, "Your humble servants greet Your Majesty the Empress."
Su Panyue looked at Xie Lanzhou, who was sitting at the table, with a puzzled expression. The latter waved his hand, dismissing everyone.
When only the two of them remained in the tent, Su Panyue asked, "Why did you call the Empress along?"
Xie Lanzhou pulled her to sit on his lap, wrapped his arms around her waist, buried his face in his chest and looked up at her, "The decree to make her empress has been issued. We will hold the empress coronation ceremony after we return from removing the curse."
Mentioning the removal of the curse, Su Panyue remembered the purpose of her visit, pushed his face away as he rubbed against her, and said seriously, "Don't you have a bodyguard named Seventeen?"
Xie Lanzhou's attention was entirely on her, so he casually replied, "Yes."
Su Panyue was even more annoyed. She grabbed his ear and made him raise his head, asking, "Does he only listen to your orders?"
Xie Lanzhou looked at her, puzzled, and replied, "I'll listen to you now."
"I want to see him," Su Panyue said directly.
Xie Lanzhou frowned slightly. "I sent him out."
"What did you go to do? Did you go to kill someone?" Su Panyue pressed.
Xie Lanzhou was somewhat at a loss for words. It was true that he had sent Seventeen to kill someone, and the person killed was none other than Shan Mingyuan, who had been exiled. He had originally planned to have him die during his exile, but he hadn't expected Su Panyue to suddenly ask about it today.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I'll call him back, but you have to tell me why you want to see him first?"
If he were to plead for Shan Mingyuan's life, he wouldn't mind killing him himself.
However, Su Panyue said in a serious tone, "I was killed by your secret guards, the one named Seventeen."
"Huh?" Xie Lanzhou asked, puzzled.
"It was...it was a dream. I dreamt that he killed me. Did you arrange it?" Su Panyue pouted, looking aggrieved.
Hearing that it was a dream, Xie Lanzhou breathed a sigh of relief and asked jokingly, "Then what did you do that made him want to kill you?"
Su Panyue's mouth moved faster than her brain, and she replied, "I'll go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to seduce you."
She regretted it as soon as she said it, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Looking at Xie Lanzhou, he smiled brightly, "My beloved concubine is even trying to seduce me in her dreams. You really have a heart. You don't need to go to such lengths in the future. Just say the word, and I'll be willing to be your slave."
He emphasized the words "cow" and "horse" with particular emphasis, and coupled with his suggestive gaze, Su Panyue immediately realized something and couldn't help but reach out and lightly pat his face.
"This tent isn't soundproof; people will hear us!" came the woman's embarrassed and annoyed voice.
"No, every time you come I send people to clear out the area within a five-mile radius, so no one will hear anything. Don't worry."
"What do I need to trust? Hey, this won't do! Get up!"
"I said I'd do anything for you, you've worked so hard, it's not too much to ask for a drink of water, is it?"
Then all that remained were the woman's sobbing whimpers, and the wind rustling through the tents.
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Author's Note: Yueyue is truly a girl with very sound values, and Zhou is a hopelessly romantic person [doge emoji].
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