Chapter 12, Chapter 12: Can I have a hug?
Chi Ying trembled all over, almost unable to speak coherently: "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell? I'll send someone to fetch a doctor for you..."
Yan Xuecui opened her eyes at this moment. Her originally dark and empty pupils were surrounded by blood vessels, like a caged beast, filled with extreme anxiety and resentment.
There's another kind of longing that Chi Ying can't see through.
She didn't know if this was a sign of impending madness; perhaps King Zhao really was, as the rumors suggested, a violent and unpredictable madman.
Chi Ying endured the pain in her wrist and was about to call out to Aunt Fangchun to come in when the man loosened his grip, his voice sounding slightly tired and hoarse: "Don't call anyone in."
The sound, like fine snowflakes falling softly on the window screen, with a delicate, broken quality, strangely dispelled some of the fear in her heart.
"Your Highness, you..."
Yan Xue closed her eyes and slowly calmed herself down.
He thought he wouldn't be easily swayed by this woman, but when she lay beside him, her warm, long breaths lingering in his ears, and the tranquil, gentle scent of orange blossoms filling his nostrils, he felt an overwhelming restlessness and longing surging within him, almost uncontrollable, even though she was so close yet untouchable.
Until his fingertips grasped the warm skin of her wrist, the unbearable thirst beneath his skin was slowly soothed, and light began to pour into the dark and empty territory before him, filling his barren senses.
But the yearning in my heart is like a barren ravine, every nerve screaming for more.
After a long silence, he heard his own voice, barely able to contain itself: "Excuse me... can I hug you?"
Upon hearing this, Chi Ying froze, her heart skipping a beat.
Hug me, give me a hug?
Does it mean exactly what it says, or does it mean he wants to consummate the marriage again?
Yan Xuecui clearly sensed the girl's hesitation, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips.
"I heard that when the imperial decree of marriage was first issued to you, you were unwilling to marry me, and even declared that you would rather die than marry me. Now that you are unwilling to be close to me, I have no reason to blame you. It is I who have forced you to do something against your will."
Chi Ying's face immediately turned pale, and a chill ran down her spine.
Given Chi Yingyue's personality, she probably really did say such a thing. But now that she has taken Chi Yingyue's place, she must give King Zhao an explanation. Otherwise, her statement "I would rather die than marry" would be enough to convict her of treason.
After realizing this, Chi Ying's back was covered in cold sweat, her legs went weak, and she almost knelt down to beg for forgiveness, but he held her wrist so she couldn't move.
Having no other choice, Chi Ying could only brace herself and explain, "Your Highness, I believed those absurd rumors back then, unaware that Your Highness was such a refined and noble man. I was momentarily confused and may have said some outrageous things, but I had absolutely no intention of rebelling against Your Highness. Thanks to the careful guidance of my parents, I have long since regretted my past mistakes and have completely reformed. Now that I am married to Your Highness, my heart is naturally bound to you alone. I admire Your Highness, I love Your Highness, and my heart and eyes are filled with only Your Highness. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness..."
She was sobbing uncontrollably, her voice trembling uncontrollably, clearly terrified.
If someone else were to say these words of repentance in front of him, he would find it incredibly annoying and wish he could snap their neck so they could never speak again.
But her voice was gentle and clear, like a spring flowing over barren land, nourishing things silently, which made him want to listen more.
For example, at today's dinner table, she was unaware of his rules and patiently introduced the dishes to him. Instead of finding it annoying, he found it gentle and comforting.
Yan Xue rubbed her delicate wrist, recalling the report from the guards earlier.
For the past two or three years, Madam Yin has been looking for a husband for her daughter, often taking her to banquets and gatherings held by noble ladies in the capital, hoping to find a husband from a high-ranking official's family.
Later, when Emperor Yongcheng was selecting consorts for his princes, this girl from the impoverished Earl's family, though not qualified to be the prince's principal wife, was more than qualified to be a concubine, and thus was included in the list.
On the day the palace sent a spies, they reported that when Emperor Yongcheng made the final decision on the selection of Princess Zhao, both the Empress and Consort Li were present, and that someone must have been pulling strings behind the scenes.
Emperor Yongcheng probably also considered that he was blind, and it would be a waste for an ordinary noblewoman to marry him. The eldest daughter of the Earl's family was an excellent choice.
Compared to the other princesses who came from prestigious families and had illustrious backgrounds, the Changyuan Earl's Mansion was in decline. Changyuan Earl Chi Mingxiang was now only a fifth-rank official in the Court of State Ceremonies, which was of no benefit to him in the court. This was exactly what the other concubines and princes wanted.
Since the Empress had no children, it was highly likely that Consort Li would scheme to give her son, Prince Xuan, a girl from the Chi family, whose family background was the least prominent.
The secret manipulation and cultivation likely occurred in the months leading up to her marriage; otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why Chi Yingyue's personality changed so drastically after her marriage. She must have been harboring a mission and secretly plotting something.
The only thing he still couldn't figure out was how either Consort Li or Prince Xuan, Yan Yun Shen, had managed to train such a woman whose voice and physical touch were so perfectly suited to his tastes.
Even he himself didn't know what kind of woman he would like, which is really quite interesting.
Yan Xuecui chuckled lightly, "Your Highness is too kind. If I wanted to investigate the remarks made that day, why wait until tonight?"
Chi Ying: "..."
He said both good and bad things.
This person is always like this; he appears gentle and kind, but his words always have a hidden sharpness, catching people off guard.
She was now in a dilemma. Her wrist was held by him, and although the force was not strong, she could not break free. She dared not break free, otherwise wouldn't that confirm her rejection and disgust for King Zhao?
Yan Xuecui sighed deeply, closed her eyes, and said in a distinctly hoarse voice, "My long-standing illness just flared up again. Did I frighten you?"
Chi Ying immediately asked, "What is Your Highness's chronic ailment? Should we summon Imperial Physician Lin?"
Yan Xuecui: "It's alright, I'm used to it."
He called this symptom a chronic illness, which could be considered a disease in a way.
As Lin Yuanpan once mentioned, there was a favored concubine in the harem of the previous dynasty. She was originally very much loved by the late emperor and often served him with her beauty. However, because she always monopolized the late emperor's attention, she aroused the envy of everyone in the harem. Later, she was tricked and lost all the emperor's favor. She was lonely and cold every night and developed epilepsy.
Judge Lin had seen that case before and remembered it well. The concubine frankly admitted that she did not intend to compete for the emperor's favor, but rather she desperately longed for the late emperor's embrace and caresses. Even if she did not see him for half a day, she would feel intense unease and anxiety.
At first, the late emperor was deeply in love with her, but he was busy with state affairs and could not visit the inner palace often. As a result, she developed a desire for more. Later, when the emperor's favor was gone, she cried every night and could not sleep. This led to an epileptic seizure, and she suffered greatly before dying in depression.
Yan Xue Cui vaguely sensed that her symptoms were very similar to those of that concubine.
His prolonged emotional distress led to a decline in his mental state. He knew he harbored unspeakable desires: a longing for warmth and for someone to be by his side.
But as a prince, he faced endless struggles and infighting from birth. Before the cold dragon throne, there was no affection between brothers and sisters. He felt only wariness and hatred towards everything around him.
Judge Lin even boldly suggested that he find a suitable woman to keep by his side, but he had an almost physiological aversion to women who climbed into his bed with ulterior motives.
Only in front of this woman could he suppress the desire growing in his very bones, and he even felt a longing to get close to her.
Chi Ying noticed the fine sweat on the man's forehead and hurriedly took a handkerchief to wipe it away for him.
He was unwilling to summon the imperial physician, so she tentatively asked, "Is there anything I can do for Your Highness?"
Yan Xuecui pursed her thin lips, seemingly exhausted, and did not answer.
Chi Ying suddenly remembered what he had just said, asking her to hug him... Could that make things better?
Although she was unwilling to be intimate with him, she knew in her heart that if he, the dignified King Zhao, were to force himself on her, how could she possibly escape?
Moreover, seeing his slightly rapid breathing and the restraint he seemed to be suppressing, it was clear that he had no intention of further intruding when he grasped her wrist. And she had just sworn to the heavens that she would "revere Your Highness and love Your Highness"...
Thinking of this, Chi Ying became even more embarrassed, but after hesitating for a long time, she finally leaned down and gently hugged the man's waist.
At the same time, he clearly felt his body tremble.
Her heart pounded, and she instinctively shrank back, thinking she might as well let go. But then a weight suddenly pressed down on her lower back, and the man pulled her into his arms.
Chi Ying's mind went blank for a moment, and then she was suddenly pulled into his arms without warning.
The man's breath was deep and hot; even through his not-so-thin nightgown, one could clearly feel the violent heaving of his chest, and a burning heat rose between them.
Chi Ying's cheeks were flushed, her whole body was tense, and every breath she took was accompanied by a heart pounding like a drum.
Lying against the man's overly firm and powerful chest, she had nowhere to put her hands and feet, and could only tightly grip the blankets. This position was really uncomfortable, and she was so hot that she couldn't breathe. She tried to move a little.
The man seemed to realize this and slightly loosened the pressure in his palm. Chi Ying noticed a small gap in front of her and thought he no longer needed her. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and moved her body slightly, but was suddenly pressed down on her shoulder by the man. Before she could react, his heavy, hot body had already rolled over and covered her.
Chi Ying's tense back pressed against the bed, her long, thick eyelashes trembling.
The man buried his face in her neck, his hot, rapid breaths whispering in her ear, sending shivers down her spine and making her limbs go limp.
A note from the author:
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Random red envelopes continue! [glasses][glasses]
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