Chapter 16 He was truly afraid.
After Xiao Lingdang left, the hall fell into a deathly silence.
Chen Yanqing collapsed to the ground, his back soaked with cold sweat.
In less than a month, he had already teetered on the brink of life and death several times.
The terror of being kidnapped and imprisoned, the excruciating pain of being pierced by a sharp blade, the despair of being forced to take poison...
Each near-death experience was like being slowly cut by a dull knife, gradually eroding his will.
Although he wasn't extremely wealthy or powerful in the first half of his life, things went relatively smoothly...
Wherever they go, they are treated kindly by those around them, and everything they do seems to be divinely aided.
In his entire life, he had never encountered such a terrifying person, like an invisible net that tightly enveloped him, from which he could not break free.
Chen Yanqing quietly raised her eyes and met Li Yuanzhao's ambiguous smile.
The candlelight flickered in her eyes, reflecting a deeper meaning that he couldn't decipher.
"Scared?"
She suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, yet it sent a shiver down Chen Yanqing's spine.
He instinctively wanted to deny it, but found that his fingers were still trembling uncontrollably.
Yes, he was really scared.
I'm afraid of this woman who can be all smiles one moment and then kill me without batting an eye the next.
Li Yuanzhao was currently observing the person in front of him with great interest.
Such a useful "talent" seems like a waste to keep him locked up in a dungeon and never see the light of day.
Since he can't be killed, does keeping him by my side also mean that he can keep me alive?
It would be a real shame not to use such a good amulet.
"Alright, get up." She suddenly spoke, her tone unusually gentle. "Why are you kneeling?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yanqing felt a chill run down his spine.
In just a few short interactions, he had already figured out this woman's temperament.
Behind every unusual display of gentleness, there might be someone plotting how to take his life.
Seeing that he still looked as stupid as if he had been poisoned, Li Yuanzhao instantly lost his patience.
"Didn't you hear what I said?"
These words actually relieved Chen Yanqing.
Yes, this is her true self.
He stood up quickly as if granted a pardon, but even though his body was tense with fear, his back remained straight.
Li Yuanzhao sneered, "He still has some backbone."
"All that happened some time ago was just a test for me to see if you were up to the task."
What does that mean? Chen Yanqing looked up in shock, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
“Now…” she said, a slight smile playing on her lips, “Congratulations, you have passed the test.”
A test? Is killing them every time you see them a test?
Does killing someone mean failing? Or does not killing someone mean passing?
Isn't that a bit too simplistic and crude?
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his voice dry, "May I ask, Princess, what was the result of passing the test...?"
Has he finally become worthy of being her lover?
"I bestow upon you the honor of serving as my personal bodyguard."
She said it lightly, as if it were a great blessing.
So you were just a bodyguard?
Chen Yanqing glanced subconsciously at Ru Mo, who was standing in the shadows.
How many times did this man endure her knives before he became her personal bodyguard?
"What? You don't want to?"
Chen Yanqing was already trembling with fear at those words, and almost reflexively cupped his hands, saying, "This humble subject is willing."
Li Yuanzhao then smiled with satisfaction.
"Very well, from now on you belong to me. I need you to protect me with your own life. Can you do that?"
Would you risk your life to protect her?
Chen Yanqing smiled bitterly to himself.
He almost lost his life to her several times, but now he has to protect her instead?
He opened his mouth, wanting to ask if she could guarantee she wouldn't kill him again, but when he met her cold gaze, he swallowed his words.
"Yes, Your Majesty... Your subordinate obeys."
“However…” Li Yuanzhao suddenly changed the subject, “I don’t really like your appearance.”
Chen Yanqing looked up abruptly, incredulous.
This is the first time in his life that someone has ever said they don't like his appearance.
Since his youth, his face has been recognized as handsome.
From village girls in the Jiangnan water towns to courtesans on the banks of the Qinhuai River, and then to the young ladies of local prefects, who didn't favor him?
This is the first time someone has said they don't like it.
Li Yuanzhao said casually, "Let Xiaolingdang help you revise it properly."
Little Bell has a unique skill: he can make a fake human skin that can be worn on the face and looks exactly like a real person, which can be used to change a person's appearance.
Wearing this will make it easier to take him out.
As for what the face was made of and whether it would harm her body, that was not within her consideration.
Chen Yanqing looked at the undeniable strength in her eyes and knew that resistance was futile.
He took a deep breath, bowed, and accepted the order, saying, "I will obey Your Highness's commands."
Li Yuanzhao, however, was weary. "That's it, let's go."
Chen Yanqing was taken away by Ru Mo and handed over to Xiao Lingdang.
Upon hearing the princess's request, Little Bell quickly found what the princess wanted from his pile of bottles and jars.
As soon as the substance was applied to her face, Chen Yanqing felt a redness, swelling, and stinging sensation, as if she had been poisoned.
Not long after, Little Bell handed him the mirror.
He took it and looked at it; the image reflected in the bronze mirror startled him.
Her face shape is still the same, with no change, but she seems to have changed as a whole.
Her facial features underwent a dramatic change; her original peach blossom eyes became phoenix eyes, and her lips became thin and long.
Although he was still good-looking, he couldn't help but feel that he didn't look as masculine as he did before, with a devilish look exactly like Xiao Lingdang.
So this is what she likes?
Little Bell instructed, "This human skin cannot come into contact with water, otherwise it will lose its effectiveness."
Chen Yanqing was shocked, "Can't it come into contact with water?"
Does that mean he has to endure this kind of torment every time he appears in front of Li Yuanzhao?
Little Bell nodded, said nothing more, and showed a slight regret on her face.
What he didn't say was that the human skin was mixed with drugs and could not be used for a long time, otherwise the toxins would enter the body and erode the flesh, and the person would die from facial ulceration within three months.
However, what did that have to do with him? He would just do whatever the princess ordered.
Chen Yanqing sighed and put the mirror down.
That's enough. I'm already lucky to be alive. What's the point of having any shame?
However, as long as you can survive, you'll have no shortage of opportunities to turn your life around.
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