Chapter 36 Physically and Mentally Damaged "Your Majesty, can you trust me now..."
Inside the sleeping quarters of Weiyang Palace.
Gu Xi opened her eyes with difficulty, and what came into view was the familiar green gauze curtain, with a faint medicinal fragrance lingering in the air.
She stared blankly upwards.
Mu Yunqi is dead.
The image of Yun Ke's tear-streaked face flashed before her eyes. How could she explain this to her? Would Yun Ke forgive her?
What right does she have to ask for her forgiveness?
"Awake?" A deep voice sounded in her ear, and she knew it was Xiao Heng without even looking.
"Get up and drink your medicine."
Gu Xi turned her head away and buried her face in the pillow; she didn't want to see him right now.
"obedient!"
"I won't drink it!" Her voice was full of resistance.
"Gu Xi!" Xiao Heng called out in a deep voice, clearly having run out of patience.
Gu Xi suddenly sat up, glaring angrily at Xiao Heng: "Why didn't Your Majesty kill me too!"
"Ha... Fine," Xiao Heng laughed in exasperation, her anger, which she had just suppressed, reignited: "Zhao Fuquan!"
Upon hearing the summons, Zhao Fuquan, who was outside the door, hurried in: "This servant is here."
"Go to the prison right now and beat Mu Yunqi to death!"
Gu Xi was stunned. Mu Yunqi wasn't dead?
She asked tentatively, "Is Physician Mu still alive?"
"That won't be the case for long," Xiao Heng said through gritted teeth, urging Zhao Fuquan, "Hurry up and go! Don't come back to see me unless you're dead!"
"No!" Gu Xi quickly stopped her, "I'll drink it."
The fact that he didn't kill Mu Yunqi meant that he trusted her a little bit. Thinking of this, her mood improved.
She found a comfortable sitting position, took Xiao Heng's hand, brought the soup spoon to her lips, and began to drink it spoonful by spoonful.
His hands were warm, and the warmth emanating from his fingertips soothed her heart.
Xiao Heng's expression gradually softened.
Zhao Fuquan didn't say a word the whole time and quietly withdrew.
He knew this matter wasn't over yet; His Majesty truly wanted to kill Mu Yunqi, but he held back for the sake of Consort Gu. Fortunately, she suddenly fainted, otherwise he might already be dead.
"I've finished drinking." Gu Xi looked up at Xiao Heng expectantly, as if asking for a reward.
He was distracted by her gaze, but he suppressed the urge, put down the bowl, and got up to leave.
Gu Xi felt a moment of disappointment, but quickly grabbed his hand and asked, "Your Majesty, could you please release Physician Mu?" Mu Yunqi was too badly injured; he wouldn't last more than a few days. Even if Xiao Heng didn't kill him, he could only wait to die in prison.
Xiao Heng suddenly sneered. He thought she was reluctant to part with him, but it turned out it was because of that man again.
He turned to look at Gu Xi, and the coldness in his eyes chilled her to the bone.
She slowly loosened her grip and let go of him.
Xiao Heng left.
She had to go to the prison again to bring Mu Yunqi some medicine, hoping he could hold on until the truth came out.
After lunch, Gu Xi led Zhu Yin and Hua Yue to the prison, holding the medicine she had made when she first entered the palace. She had only managed to make this medicine with Mu Yunqi's help, originally intending it for her brother on the battlefield. She never expected it to come in handy now; she wondered what kind of twist of fate this was.
"Eunuch Zhao, could you please deliver this medicine to Physician Mu for me?"
"Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for me. If the Emperor finds out, my life will be in danger." Zhao He was filled with remorse. He had already been punished with a stick for letting the person in without permission, and it still hurt.
Gu Xi immediately deflated. What could she do? She couldn't let Zhao He get dragged into this. She paced back and forth anxiously.
It seems we can only return to Weiyang Palace and reconsider our options.
The moment Gu Xi turned around, her gaze suddenly froze. She saw Xiao Heng standing not far away, looking at her without saying a word. The coldness in his eyes sent chills down her spine.
"Your Majesty..." Gu Xi called out timidly.
Xiao Heng did not respond to her, but calmly ordered, "Guards, tie up those two maids and send them back to Weiyang Palace. I want to interrogate them myself!"
Before Gu Xi and the others could react, several eunuchs accompanying Xiao Heng had already tied up Zhu Yin and Hua Yue. Just as they were about to cry out for mercy, strips of cloth were stuffed into their mouths, and they could only make "woo-woo" sounds.
Gu Xi's face turned pale instantly. She rushed forward two steps, her voice urgent and fearful: "Your Majesty, what are you doing? Release them at once!"
Xiao Heng didn't even raise an eyebrow. He stretched out his long arm, grabbed her waist, and gently pulled her forward, hoisting Gu Xi onto his shoulder. His movements were so fast that she didn't even have a chance to struggle.
"Ah!" Gu Xi exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, let me go! Please put me down..."
Xiao Heng carried Gu Xi back to Weiyang Palace, ignoring her pounding and shouting all the way until they reached the palace gates before putting her down.
Gu Xi, who had just landed, felt dizzy and staggered into Weiyang Palace, clutching her skirt. But as soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she suddenly stopped.
She stared in disbelief at the scene before her: Huayue and Zhuyin were being pressed down on a bench, and a merciless wooden stick was striking them repeatedly, drawing blood from the wounds.
Their hands and feet were bound, and broken sounds came from their mouths. Through the strips of cloth, she couldn't tell if they were crying out in pain or begging for mercy.
Her hands and feet instantly turned ice-cold, and her mind went blank.
Xiao Heng appeared beside her without her noticing, gently embracing her. The subtle force jolted her awake like a thunderclap.
Gu Xi pushed Xiao Heng away with all her might and ran towards Zhu Yin and Hua Yue, shouting hoarsely, "Stop...stop it now..."
But the executioners wouldn't listen to her; they dared not hurt her. She could protect one but not the other. Those sticks felt like they were hitting her heart, and she felt as if her heart had shattered.
Zhu Yin looked at Gu Xi with reddened eyes, while Hua Yue was crying so hard she was almost sobbing.
Gu Xi knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing heavily to Xiao Heng, tears streaming down her face, "Your Majesty, please, please stop hitting me..."
Xiao Heng frowned when he saw her kneel down: "Get up!"
"Please stop hitting me..." Gu Xi just kept kowtowing, and red marks quickly appeared on her forehead.
Xiao Heng quickly walked to Gu Xi's side, pulled her up, bent down to pat the dust off her knees, and then lifted her up in his arms.
"Alright, I won't hit you anymore. Be good and don't go looking for that guy surnamed Mu again, okay?"
Gu Xi closed her eyes, tears welling up and streaming down her cheeks: "Alright, I will stay in Weiyang Palace from now on and will not go anywhere else."
Xiao Heng carried her into the house. Gu Xi looked back at Zhu Yin and Hua Yue, who were severely injured, and felt an overwhelming heartache.
"Your Majesty, may I apply the medicine for them?" Her voice was hoarse from crying.
"Zhao Fuquan will make the arrangements, so you don't need to worry about it. From now on, you only need to think about me and pay attention to others."
But they weren't strangers; they were her closest and dearest people, the people who had grown up with her. How could he possibly understand?
The person she loved most hurt the person she was closest to; it's absurd to think about.
Xiao Heng thought she was still worried, so he said, "Don't be afraid, it's just a minor injury, you won't die. They held back."
Gu Xi's mind exploded with a "boom." So he knew they were important to her, and he just wanted to force her and imprison her.
She felt as if all her strength had been drained away in an instant, leaving her with nothing but emptiness and void.
Xiao Heng placed Gu Xi by the bedside and took out a bottle of medicine from her cabinet. He remembered that her maid had taken it from here last time.
He opened the medicine bottle, twisted out the ointment, and applied it to her knees and forehead.
"From now on, you are not allowed to kneel, not to anyone, not even to me. Do you understand?"
Gu Xi nodded numbly.
After applying the medicine, Xiao Heng lowered his head to kiss her, but suddenly remembered something and called out to the door. A moment later, Zhao Fuquan brought in a basin of water.
"Remove those things from your face, and never put them on in front of me again." He wanted her to belong to him alone, body and soul!
Gu Xi was startled, but her face remained calm. He knew it after all; she had guessed it long ago, hadn't she?
Gu Xi said calmly, "Your Majesty, the things on my face can't be removed with just water."
Xiao Heng was slightly taken aback. So that's how it is. No wonder she could never be seen with any trace of tears, no matter how much she snuggled in his arms or cried her eyes out.
Gu Xi got up and sat down at the dressing table. She took out a thin bamboo strip from the brocade box and carefully lifted the fake cartilage on her face. Then she took out a bottle of medicine from the drawer, poured it on a towel, and prepared to wipe it off.
Xiao Heng suddenly took the handkerchief from her hand: "I will."
His movements weren't gentle; they were even somewhat rough. In the past, she might have cried out in pain, and he would have comforted her. But today, she said nothing, silently letting him wipe her until her skin turned slightly red.
Gu Xi recalled her father's advice before she entered the palace and asked, "Your Majesty, may I only reveal my true face when I am in Weiyang Palace?" She didn't know how long he would imprison her, perhaps a few days, or perhaps a lifetime. She just wanted to make things clear.
Xiao Heng nodded. He hadn't originally planned to let her appear in front of everyone in her true form so soon.
After a while, Gu Xi revealed his true colors, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement.
Gu Xi stared blankly at herself in the mirror for a moment. She had almost forgotten what she looked like. Ever since she was almost discovered that night, she had never taken her things off again.
Xiao Heng stared at her face for a moment, his gaze gradually becoming infatuated.
He suddenly wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close to him, and with the other hand he supported the back of her neck, then lowered his head and kissed her.
His warm lips covered hers, his kisses sometimes careful, sometimes urgent, their breaths mingling as their lips and tongues intertwined.
Looking at the woman in the mirror, lost in a passionate kiss, she suddenly felt a pang of self-loathing.
I hate myself for being so heartbroken by him, yet I'm still captivated by his scent.
His kisses grew increasingly passionate. He pulled her towards the bed, his arms around her waist, and the two of them fell onto the bed together, the quilt crumpled under their weight. He held her above him, his kisses continuing, until she let out a soft moan before he released her slightly.
She was breathing softly on the bed, her hairpins already removed, her dark hair cascading down the bed, making her skin appear even more radiant and flawless. Without her covering, her complexion was even more delicate and rosy than usual. Her lips were slightly parted, and her peach blossom eyes shimmered with a captivating light, every inch of them alluring him.
He could no longer suppress his desire and pressed himself against her again, kissing her even more urgently. In the heat of the moment, he suddenly murmured, "Has he ever seen you like this?"
Gu Xi's body suddenly stiffened.
It turns out he never believed her.
What kind of person was she in his heart?
Is he a person without any sense of propriety, righteousness, or shame?
Is she someone who can lay hands on anyone?
Why did he humiliate her like that?
Xiao Heng felt the stiffness in the person in his arms, stopped moving and looked at her.
The disappointment in her eyes was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, completely killing his enthusiasm.
"What are you disappointed about? Disappointed that I'm not the person you're thinking of?"
Gu Xi remained silent; she no longer argued.
Anyway, he doesn't believe her.
Her silence seemed to Xiao Heng as a tacit agreement.
"Do you hate me? Hate me for breaking you two up?" He snatched her away, first Xiao Che, and now Mu Yunqi. Who else will come after her? No matter who else comes along, she can only be his!
Xiao Heng got up from her and was about to leave.
Gu Xi stopped him, suddenly kneeling up and staring blankly at him. She cupped Xiao Heng's face in her hands, making him face her. His stubble stung her hands, but she didn't care. She lowered her head and kissed him as he had kissed her. She kissed him clumsily, occasionally bumping his teeth, but he didn't stop her, letting her kiss him like that.
Xiao Heng finally couldn't resist her teasing and took the initiative, kissing her.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, whether from holding back or from embarrassment, it was hard to tell.
He kissed her passionately, and she couldn't help but respond emotionally. At their most intimate moment, tears suddenly streamed down her face.
"Your Majesty, can you trust me now?"
She loved him and was willing to give herself to him, but when she asked those questions, her heart ached so much she could hardly breathe.
Xiao Heng froze on the spot, kissing away her tears and repeatedly saying sorry.
Gu Xi continued, "Your Majesty, can you promise me that you will never harm the people around me again?"
"Okay, I promise you." He kissed her again and again.
"Your Majesty, if I told you that the person I was thinking of that night was you, would you believe me?" Zhu Yin told her today that he came to see her the night she had a high fever. She didn't remember what she said, but if she was thinking of someone, that person would only be him.
Xiao Heng remained silent for a moment, then replied, "I believe you."
Gu Xi's eyes darkened.
That brief silence told her that he didn't believe her.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will take root and sprout.
He now only believes that she and Mu Yunqi did not have an affair, but he does not believe that the person in her heart is him.
She forgot that their relationship started with deception. He used her, and she kept things from him; there was never any trust between them.
She herself went down the wrong path and fell in love with the wrong person. As a pawn, she fell in love with the person playing the game, which caused her to suffer both physically and mentally.
She regretted it; she didn't want to love him anymore.
That night, Xiao Heng stayed at Weiyang Palace for the first time. She had nightmares all night, and every time she woke up, he was in her arms. He kissed her forehead again and again, trying to comfort her.
But that once broad and warm embrace no longer makes her feel at ease.
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The author's note: The reason why the male lead doesn't believe the female lead loves him is not because he's deliberately made stupid, nor is it for the sake of being cruel. As the story progresses, all the seemingly illogical parts will be explained.
Auditor, you're driving me crazy! [laughing and crying emoji]
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