Chapter 138 Want to Escape
"Once you have made up your mind, no one can change it."
"I have made things clear for you today. You have to walk the rest of the way on your own."
She paused, her gaze returned to Qin Xiu's face, with a hint of warning:
"This girl is very thoughtful and defensive. If you barged in like this today without a care in the world, and you yelled without a care in the world, you could have pushed her into a corner."
"Be careful not to use fire to burn ice, as it may backfire. How to make her willingly untie the knot in her heart is what you should focus on most. Forcing a melon to grow is not a sweet one."
The sharpness in Qin Xiu's eyes faded a bit, and was tinged with a hint of gloom.
Of course he knew that her defenses were as heavy as a wall of iron, and he also knew that his actions today were tantamount to an impulsive act of secretly revealing their relationship.
He nodded silently, his voice low: "I understand, thank you for your help, sister."
In the warm room of the side hall, there was the elegant fragrance of goose pear blossoms.
Qingdai deftly brought out a brand new, equally simple yet high-quality moon-white palace dress, and also brought a warm towel.
"Miss Jiang, do you think this set suits your taste?" Qingdai said in a gentle voice.
Jiang Qingning took the warm, wet handkerchief and wiped the tea stains on her skirt.
The dark water marks spread stubbornly and could not be wiped clean no matter how hard I tried.
Seeing that she was distracted, Qingdai took the handkerchief considerately, squatted down and wiped her personally, saying gently:
"Don't panic, young lady. The prince has always been like this. He is also straightforward with the queen. He didn't mean to offend you. The prince's love for you is clearly seen by everyone in the palace, including us servants."
"You didn't see it. It was raining so hard outside. When the prince rushed in just now, the hem of his robe was soaked. I guess he got a summons from the queen and rushed here without even having time to change his clothes..."
This realization hit me hard somewhere in my heart, and it was followed by endless panic.
I had just made up my mind not long ago, but now I’m unwilling to face it.
She was alone, how could she dare to endure his passion?
"Girl, it's okay." Qingdai's voice brought her back to her senses.
The tea stains on the hem of the skirt had been cleaned up as best as possible, but a faint mark still remained.
She changed Jiang Qingning into a moon-white palace dress. The plain color made her skin look whiter than snow. The coldness and aloofness between her eyebrows were now tinged with a thin layer of melancholy, like a lotus after the rain, which made people feel pity for her.
"The Empress and the Prince are still waiting for the girl in the main hall." Qingdai reminded softly.
Jiang Qingning took a deep breath and forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions.
The woman in the mirror still had a cold look in her eyes, but there was a little red at the corners of her eyes.
In the main hall, the atmosphere was different.
Concubine Qin had moved to a round rosewood table covered with an embroidered tablecloth, on which were placed several plates of exquisite snacks.
Qin Xiu stood a few steps away from the table, with his back to the palace door and his hands behind his back, looking at the gloomy rain outside the window. When he heard footsteps, he turned around and looked in the direction of the sound.
Their eyes met.
His burning gaze paused for a moment on Jiang Qingning's face, then quickly moved away and fell on her new moon-white dress.
Concubine Qin's gaze moved between the two of them, her eyes smiling with understanding.
She personally picked up the jade pot and poured two cups of tea. The amber tea soup rippled in the white jade cups, and the fragrance was overflowing.
"Qingning, sit down quickly and calm down. Chengyuan, you sit down. Why are you standing there like a door god?" She said with a teasing tone.
Qin Xiu walked to the table as he was told, but did not sit down immediately. His eyes were still fixed on Jiang Qingning.
Jiang Qingning lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze, and walked to the seat designated by Concubine Qin and sat down.
Concubine Qin spoke slowly, "This tea is the Rain-Previous Longjing tea, a new tribute from the south of the Yangtze River this spring. Your Majesty has gifted me some. Please try it."
Jiang Qingning picked up the teacup and took a sip. She could clearly feel Qin Xiu's gaze, which was filled with a burning and inquiring look.
That look made her feel very uncomfortable and confused.
The gilt enamel clock in the corner of the hall made a regular ticking sound, and every gentle sound struck Jiang Qingning's tense nerves.
Finally, after looking at the two silent people, Concubine Qin put down her teacup with just the right amount of tiredness.
"It's getting late, the palace gates will be locked soon."
She looked at Qin Xiu and said gently, "Chengyuan, please escort Qingning out of the palace. Ning Pavilion is adjacent to Duke Qin's Mansion. Please ensure she is safely there."
Qin Xiu immediately stood up and bowed, "Yes, Madam."
Jiang Qingning stood up as if she had been pardoned, and knelt down to salute: "I will take my leave, and thank you, Your Majesty, for the tea."
Concubine Qin nodded slightly: "Go ahead, be careful on the road."
The two walked out of the palace in silence, one in front and one behind.
The stone lanterns on both sides of the official road swayed in the night wind, casting flickering light and shadows.
The bluestone road stretched out beneath their feet, and it was so quiet that only the faint sound of their clothes rubbing against each other could be heard.
Qin Xiu's tall figure walked half a step diagonally in front of her, deliberately slowing down his pace to keep a distance from her that was neither too far nor too close.
Silence was like an invisible net, enveloping the two of them.
At this moment, Qin Xiu suddenly stopped.
Jiang Qingning was caught off guard and almost bumped into his broad back. He hurriedly stopped and looked up at him.
Qin Xiu turned around, and the dim light of the palace lantern outlined his angular profile, half of which was hidden in the shadows, making it look even deeper.
He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on her face. His eyes looked even deeper and more complex in the night, as if a silent undercurrent was surging deep within them.
"Jiang Qingning, the miasma of Lingnan couldn't kill me, and the attacks from the capital couldn't kill me either."
Jiang Qingning looked up in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about.
He took a step forward, and the oppressive feeling brought by his tall figure made her involuntarily take a half step back, her back almost touching the cold palace wall.
"Jiang Qingning, I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid..."
Jiang Qingning took a step back and leaned his back against the wall.
His voice lowered even lower, with a determination that cut off all escape routes: "Jiang Qingning, I'm just afraid that you... don't want me."
Jiang Qingning subconsciously turned around and walked towards the palace gate, but the plain oil-paper umbrella in his hand was knocked down by an irresistible force, falling on the wet and cold stone slabs, splashing tiny water droplets.
She looked up in surprise and instantly met Qin Xiu's eyes, which were as deep as a cold pool.
He held a large black umbrella in his hand. The broad umbrella completely isolated her from the cold rain above her head.
"you……"
Jiang Qingning had just uttered a word when he subconsciously stepped back, his back suddenly hitting the cold palace wall.
Qin Xiu followed closely and took a step closer.
The tall body trapped her firmly under the umbrella and in the small space in the corner.
"Want to escape?" His low voice sounded.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
