Chapter 32 She missed him so much. His kiss was urgent and domineering, his fingers...
"Gu Xi, open the door."
It's him!
Gu Xi, inside the house, heard this long-lost voice and felt a sudden urge to cry.
"I have something to tell you, Xiao Che, he..."
The door suddenly opened, and she stood inside, her thin frame slightly red, as if she was trying her best to hold back something.
The two looked at each other, and for a moment they were speechless.
Xiao Heng spoke first: "Xiao Che has won a great victory in the border town and will arrive in the capital in about half a month." He smiled bitterly, never expecting that he would have to rely on news of another man to see her now.
Gu Xi hummed in agreement, but the tear she couldn't hold back finally fell, blurring her vision.
She saw his anxious expression, saw him stride into the house, and saw the door being gently closed from the outside.
He held her tightly in his arms, and the familiar scent of ambergris instantly enveloped her.
She greedily absorbed his scent, feeling wicked for insisting on driving him away yet clinging to this fleeting tenderness.
She already knew about Xiao Che's return to the capital; the news had spread throughout the palace.
She opened the door only because she wanted to see him too.
She missed him terribly.
Zhao Fuquan's words seemed to give her an excuse, allowing her to comfortably fall into the gentle tomb he had personally built for her.
Feeling the dampness in his arms, Xiao Heng pulled her away, looked at her tear-streaked face, and asked softly, "Why are you crying again?" His eyes seemed to show pity.
Gu Xi looked up at him, and seeing the person she had been longing for day and night, her tears flowed even more profusely.
Yes, why is she crying again? How did she become so prone to crying? She never used to cry, whether she fell and hurt herself, was sick, or was bullied outside.
Why is it that when I face him now, my tears flow like a broken string, and I can't stop them?
Has she fallen in love with him? Fallen in love with this passionate yet ruthless emperor?
She shouldn't have fallen in love with him.
He wasn't sincere with her; she was nothing more than a pawn. How could she fall in love with him?
But she seems unable to control her heart; what should she do...?
Xiao Heng carried her to the bedside, sat her on his lap, cupped her face in his hands, and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips.
She rubbed her palm against his palm affectionately, her expression full of grievance.
After days of longing, he finally couldn't resist kissing her. In the instant their lips met, the emotions he had been deliberately suppressing seemed to find an outlet, clamoring wildly for her!
Regardless of who she cried for that night, this moment is ultimately for herself.
Unlike last time, his kiss was urgent and domineering. His fingertips ran through her dark hair, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his. He irresistibly pried open her defenses, his long-suppressed desire penetrating her inch by inch, conquering her like an invader, ruthlessly stealing her breath.
His kiss was deep and fierce, as if to punish her for her estrangement, or as if to confirm her existence in this way.
He only let go of her when he heard her let out a soft hum.
His voice was hoarse, with a hint of gritted teeth: "Will you still try to get rid of me in the future?"
Gu Xi was so dizzy from the kiss that she was panting heavily.
She didn't speak, but buried her face in the crook of his neck and shook her head sullenly.
Her unconscious affectionate gestures pleased him, but he had no intention of letting her go. He raised his hand and gently held the back of her neck, forcing her to look at him, demanding an answer.
"Um?"
Gu Xi lowered her eyes and remained silent. Her face was already flushed from the kiss, and she was now gently biting her lower lip with her pearly teeth. Her eyes were like those of a fawn as she looked at him, completely unaware of how alluring she looked at that moment.
He finally couldn't hold back and lowered his head to kiss her again. His intense breath enveloped her, and Gu Xi trembled slightly from the kiss, beginning to awkwardly respond.
At that moment, it was as if a voice was telling her, "Just let yourself sink like this, what's wrong with being a pawn?"
"Good girl..."
Xiao Heng's lips curled slightly. Her reaction teased him little by little, intensifying his primal desire. He wished he could tear her apart and devour her right now.
The candlelight flickered inside the room, and the temperature in the air suddenly rose.
He laid her down on the bed, his fingertips tracing along her slender shoulder, down her spine to her waist, his warm fingertips gently caressing her side, causing the person in his arms to tremble.
Xiao Heng felt the slender waist in his hand, as if it would break if he exerted the slightest force.
He suddenly stopped moving, suppressing his surging desire.
"Too thin..." His voice was hoarse, his eyes still brimming with lingering emotions.
Gu Xi was still in a daze and had no idea what had happened.
"Too thin...gain some weight first." He buried his head in her neck and sighed softly.
Gu Xi seemed to suddenly understand the meaning behind his words, and her face flushed even redder.
Xiao Heng didn't stay that night, but he came to dine with Gu Xi every day after that, no matter how busy he was.
Gu Xi ate more and more under his half-coaxing and half-forced approach, and her face gradually became rounder.
That day, Gu Xi had just sat down and taken a couple of bites of breakfast when Xiao Heng arrived again.
"Am I late today?" Xiao Heng raised an eyebrow and glanced at the half-eaten pastry in her hand. Usually, she would wait a while.
Gu Xi shook her head: "Your Majesty need not come to accompany me every day."
Xiao Heng's face immediately darkened.
Zhao Fuquan's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't even enjoyed his comfortable days for long; he hoped things wouldn't...
Gu Xi knew from Xiao Heng's reaction that he had misunderstood, so she quickly explained, "What I meant was that Your Majesty doesn't need to travel so much every day. I will eat well." Weiyang Palace is really not close to Qianqing Palace.
She lowered her eyes and continued, "Your Majesty, please come and visit me when you have time." If he came every day, she was afraid that she would fall deeper into his arms. Once she got used to his company, she would be very sad if one day he no longer needed her.
Xiao Heng's expression finally softened.
"I'm happy to," he said calmly.
Gu Xi had no choice but to give up.
Xiao Heng ate a few bites, then suddenly looked up: "What you said makes sense. I really shouldn't be traveling too much..."
Gu Xi thought he had figured things out and was about to speak when she heard him continue, "You will move to the Qianqing Palace in a few days." After his tour, he resolved those troubles.
"Huh?" Gu Xi was stunned.
"You don't want to?" He frowned, as if he would get angry with her if she refused.
"That's not what I meant, it's just..." But the Qianqing Palace is where the Emperor lives, how could a concubine live there?
"It's settled then."
Gu Xizhen regretted making that suggestion; she should have just asked him to make more trips every day! If she really moved in, who knew what people would say about her—that she was a femme fatale? That she was spoiled and arrogant?
Even if he intended to use her for something else, he didn't need to make such a big fuss.
Thinking of this, Gu Xi's eyes darkened.
*
Gu Xi had just come out of Cining Palace. She had just finished breakfast this morning when the Empress Dowager sent someone to invite her over.
It seems that the news of Xiao Heng's frequent visits to her palace has spread throughout the palace recently, and the Empress Dowager is trying to subtly probe her relationship with Xiao Heng.
She could tell that the Empress Dowager was intentionally trying to bring her and Xiao Heng together. Xiao Heng also seemed to be deliberately showing his interest in her in front of the Empress Dowager, which was why he pulled her along to put on a show for her at the rockery that day.
Gu Xi smiled bitterly, not understanding what she had that made them go to such lengths for her.
Thinking this, she unknowingly walked to the vicinity of the artificial hill. Suddenly, a thought struck her: would she meet him here again today?
She led Zhuyin to the rockery, when suddenly a stray cat darted out, startling her. Just as she was about to cry out, she heard voices coming from behind the rockery, and Gu Xi quickly covered Zhuyin's mouth.
“It was just a stray cat…” the man said.
"What is Your Majesty thinking? Wasn't it supposed to be Consort Li accompanying you? Why was it changed to Consort Gu instead?" the woman asked.
Gu Xi was startled when she suddenly heard her own name, but she tried her best to remain calm.
The woman deliberately lowered her voice, but the voice was familiar; she seemed to have heard it before... It was the person who had spoken with Xiao Heng at Cining Palace that day!
The "master" they were referring to must be Xiao Heng.
I don't know if I'm too lucky or too unlucky, but I always seem to have the chance to stumble upon his secrets.
"This is the Lord's will; do as He says."
"Yes, has the master said how to deal with her in the future?" the woman asked.
“The Lord has not given any instructions, so do not speculate.”
"yes."
After everyone had gone far away, Gu Xi and Zhu Yin came out from the artificial hill.
"Miss, were you the person they were talking about? Who is the master they were talking about?" Zhu Yin asked worriedly. What were these people going to do to the young lady? She was a little farther away than the young lady and only heard a few words.
"Hmm, I don't know either." Gu Xi lowered her eyes, not telling Zhu Yin that the person was Xiao Heng.
She knew all along, didn't she? There's nothing to be sad about, but why does my heart ache?
What will he do with her? She was also curious to know how he would deal with her.
They were just talking about the inspection tour, and it sounded like Xiao Heng was planning to replace her with himself. A thought suddenly occurred to Gu Xi: since they all wanted to use her, why didn't she take advantage of their situation?
After returning to Weiyang Palace, the two looked worried and troubled.
Seeing this, Hua Yue quickly started talking to them to cheer them up: "Your Majesty, Sister Zhuyin, Sister Cailian, do you know why I entered the palace?"
"Why?" Zhu Yin asked curiously.
"Don't laugh when I tell you," Hua Yue said mysteriously, "because I love to eat so much! My family simply couldn't afford to feed me, so they had to send me to the palace!"
The three women's expressions immediately turned serious. This was not funny; they only felt heartache.
"No wonder you go to the imperial kitchen every day!" Zhu Yin tried to break the silence.
"That's right! Otherwise, I would have eaten all of Her Majesty's share!" Hua Yue said proudly.
Seeing that the three of them were not laughing but looking serious, Hua Yue suddenly understood what they were thinking: "You don't need to be sad for me. My family loves me very much. My mother is saving all the money I send home for my dowry!"
Zhu Yin chuckled: "You're so young and you're already thinking about getting married?"
"Sister Zhuyin, you don't want to?"
A face suddenly flashed through Zhu Yin's mind, and a blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks. That person was handsome and refined, not someone she could even dream of.
"I don't want to! I want to stay with Miss forever!"
“It is Your Majesty!” Hua Yue corrected.
"It's Miss!"
Then the two started chasing and fighting in the yard again.
Gu Xi smiled and shook her head, then looked at Cai Lian standing to the side and asked, "Cai Lian, I've never heard you mention your family before."
“Your Majesty, Cailian lives in a water town in Jiangnan. Her mother is the only one in the family, and Cailian has been living with her mother since she was a child.”
Gu Xi held Cai Lian's hand tenderly and said, "When you leave the palace and get married in the future, I will prepare a dowry for you." She suddenly remembered that she didn't have many valuable items in the palace, and continued, "If I don't have enough, you can take my letter to the Gu family in the east of the city, and my parents will definitely prepare everything for you."
"Your Majesty, this is inappropriate..."
"Cailian, you don't need to stand on ceremony with me. You have all treated me very well, and I have long regarded you as family."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Cailian was deeply moved, and tears seemed to well up in her eyes.
at night.
Gu Xi sat on the couch waiting for Xiao Heng. He had arrived rather late tonight, perhaps delayed by something.
She accidentally fell asleep on the couch and didn't wake up until Xiao Heng picked her up.
She rubbed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and mumbled, "Your Majesty, you've come?"
Xiao Heng hummed in agreement.
He sat her down on the edge of the bed and was about to kneel down to take off her shoes and socks when Gu Xi suddenly hugged him.
She buried her head in his chest and said in a muffled voice, "Your Majesty, I just had a dream that you no longer love me."
“It’s just a dream, it doesn’t count,” Xiao Heng said, frowning.
"Your Majesty, if one day you truly no longer love me, will you harm me?" She still wanted to believe in him, to believe that he would not harm her.
"No." He would love her.
"Yes, Your Majesty." I believe whatever you say.
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Author's note: Writing intimate scenes really makes it easy to get writer's block [laughing and crying emoji]
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