Chapter 81 Incense of Tranquility It turns out that she had always been in the Eastern Palace…
Jiang Geyun pushed open the door.
As if always waiting behind the door, a servant stepped forward, bowed to her, and asked, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
Jiang Geyun closed the door.
This wasn't the first time she'd seen such a scene, but occasionally, out of sheer disbelief, she'd try to take another look. Clearly, she was indulging in wishful thinking again.
No matter when, there is always someone waiting behind the door.
Even at some random time in the middle of the night, as long as she opened the door and took a few steps, someone would follow her and gently persuade her to go back. Compared to when she left the "Cheng Mansion", the guards were much tighter and more unscrupulous, practically blatant.
While standing by the lakeside pavilion of the Hua family, thinking about the distance between Jingzhou and the capital, Jiang Geyun considered many ways to escape.
The skills she learned and practiced were not empty words; beyond anger and sadness, she also felt a sense of anticipation, as if accepting a challenge.
However, none of the many ideas were put into practice.
Right there and then, while she was still adjusting to the unfamiliar gaze of the person in front of her, the surroundings suddenly seemed to turn upside down like a galaxy, and a magnificent and wondrous space like outer space replaced the tranquil lake surface and the brightly lit lakeside pavilion.
Everything shifts and turns in all directions, past and present seem like an illusion.
In the whole world, only she and he remained constant.
Jiang Geyun had never seen such a large-scale "borrowing of a passage through the underworld" before, either in reality or in the prison's records. She even felt that it could no longer be called "borrowing a passage through the underworld." Su Heng's use of that space made it seem as if he were the master of that place.
Before she could gain a clear enough understanding of her upcoming situation, Jiang Geyun's first reaction was a thirst for knowledge. This move looked really good, and she wanted to learn it.
Once the dust settled, the "Cheng Mansion," a place that felt both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar, came into her view. Fireflies danced in the air; it was the waterside pavilion where she and he often went for walks.
It is the "Cheng Mansion".
No.
—It is the Eastern Palace.
It turns out that she had always lived in the Eastern Palace.
The stench of blood still lingered in my nostrils from the pavilion in the middle of the lake, but the world before me had changed beyond recognition. The surroundings were both incredibly familiar and utterly strange.
How could she have been so oblivious to this extraordinary scale and those obviously outrageous objects in the past?
She clearly saw everything and had the corresponding common sense, but she just couldn't connect these things together. It was as if some kind of cognitive filter had been added to her. She inexplicably believed that this was Mirror Lake in Lianzhou and the Cheng family mansion.
Thinking about it this way, she didn't even know what her wedding would actually look like.
The white dragon said that He had come to see her when she was getting married, but she had no recollection of it whatsoever.
What kind of place did she live in the past? How much of it was real, and how much was fake? Did she really live a truly authentic life?
No, no, no, no, everything is wrong.
Is what I'm seeing now really real? Could it be another illusion? Could the system have altered my perception? Could it be that the mission failed, and since the system wasn't destroyed... she's already dead?
No……
Could it be that the book itself is fictional?
Once doubts arise, everything seems less secure.
The impact came slowly, but it was massive enough.
Jiang Geyun's hands trembled uncontrollably.
He was completely unaware, or rather, appeared to be completely unaware.
His Highness the Crown Prince affectionately grasped her hand and said, "My lady, you should rest early."
...
As Su Heng said, Jiang Geyun got a good night's rest.
Then, I regained my energy during the system's countdown announcement.
Regardless of whether what she sees is real or fake, the life she wants to live has always been certain. Even without thinking too far ahead, this is certain—she needs freedom and authenticity.
She wanted to dismantle the system and refuse to do missions in the past because of this idea, and she does now as well. She wants to leave this place and, at the same time, get rid of the thing in her chest.
Jiang Geyun stared into thought as she looked at the door she had closed.
The villain's strength is unfathomable, but he entered the path early, and she had seen him back then.
Yes, she had seen him back then.
...Now, recalling that scene makes her feel a pang of sorrow and heartache.
In short, Jiang Geyun convinced herself not to boost others' morale and diminish her own! Su Heng was currently ahead, but the future was uncertain! Whether she could escape was also unknown!
Let's think about the help she can get!
Zhang Jing...
exclude.
This person is clearly a henchman of the main villain. Even if you want to play the victim and try to evoke her compassion, you still need to be able to see him. After last night, she said she was not sure where she was recuperating, so even meeting him would be difficult, let alone persuading her.
Pei Xueyi?
It has been taken down.
Although the relationship between the main villain and the Hua family is unknown, the fact that the venue has been lent out suggests that something is not simple. The best outcome would be that Pei Xueyi is now a free person, but even so, she is still in Jingzhou. With her abilities, she certainly cannot turn the tide and come to the capital in an instant. By the time she returns, Jiang Geyun's own condition will be hard to predict.
As for Mu Jin, the same applies. She's in Lianzhou Prefecture, which means the same applies to Abbot You. Being so far away, he can't offer help even if he wants to. The same goes for Wu Er. Even if Jiang Geyun uses his life to force him to help, he still has to be able to come to the capital of Great Zhou first...
She thought she had accumulated a lot of support to protect herself and someone else, but it turned out that the other person didn't need protection at all, and it even made everything she had accumulated seem so insignificant.
well……
However, the conditions are that you have sufficient ability to assist, and that you are in the capital...
An answer slowly emerged in Jiang Geyun's mind.
She touched her chest thoughtfully.
Just then, the door was opened.
The newcomer met her gaze, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled gently.
His smile contained no negative emotions such as coercion, intimidation, or threats; on the contrary, it was incredibly relaxed, even somewhat indulgent.
In the past, she had seen such a smile countless times, and she had also shown such a smile countless times.
But in this setting, where both of them knew that everything had turned upside down, this smile—so distinct, so gentle, yet so different from their usual smiles—sent a chill down her spine.
She called out instinctively, "My husband."
As soon as she said it, she couldn't help but cry out in her heart that she had made a mistake!
She had originally intended to call him "Your Highness" or something else, but unexpectedly, although the man's appearance had changed, the deep-seated familiarity made her subconsciously utter this... a title she would only use when begging for his forgiveness.
We agreed not to boost others' morale and diminish our own!
Jiang Geyun closed her eyes helplessly.
She wasn't in a good mood, but Su Heng was different.
He took Jiang Geyun's hand and led her to the table, saying gently, "I still have some official business to attend to. My wife, why don't you rest first, or come with me?"
Jiang Geyun withdrew her hand and turned to the servant who had followed Su Heng in. The servant was carrying calming incense and was about to make the incense seal when he began to loosen the ash.
In the past, Jiang Geyun would take the initiative to go up and watch the servants make incense to relieve stress, but now... she is very suspicious of the true purpose of this so-called "calming incense".
She stood before the incense burner and raised her voice, saying, "You may leave now."
Jiang Geyun did not consult Su Heng's opinion.
Taking the initiative was also a way to indirectly verify the true purpose of the calming incense by observing his reaction.
Was her recent state of being lost in a sea of smoke related to this incense?
Su Heng did not stop them, and the servants obeyed and left.
When only the two of them were left in the room again, Su Heng stepped forward, bent down from behind her in an almost embracing position, picked up the gray pawn, and said, "She didn't do a good job?"
Jiang Geyun moved out of his embrace, turned around, and looked at him silently.
Su Heng chuckled and continued the work that the servants hadn't finished. Holding the ash press, he slowly turned it around to press down the incense ash. He said, "Then I will light the incense for you, my lady."
Jiang Geyun had already walked around the table and was about to leave.
Su Heng's move caused her to stop in her tracks for a moment.
She gritted her teeth, sat halfway on the other side of the table, leaned over, and pressed his hand down while searching for his lips with her own.
Her idea was impromptu, a crude attempt to obstruct him. She thought this sudden action would surprise him, but to her surprise, he cooperated by stopping and moving in sync with her movements, pulling her into his arms, tenderly capturing her lips, and letting out a soft laugh.
Jiang Geyun realized something was wrong, stopped what she was doing, and barely managed to push him away, ending the kiss rather abruptly.
Su Heng did not stop her, and looked at her with a smile.
He always stopped just before she felt uncomfortable.
Jiang Geyun sometimes really doesn't know how to react.
Just as she was about to lose her temper, he stopped and began to look at her innocently. The emotions that had not yet been aroused were extinguished, and he could no longer find a suitable reason to vent them.
For example, regarding her recent "confinement," he only said it was to find a way to get rid of the evil spirits and that he was worried about her health, so he had people keep her company. Letters and official documents could still be sent to the Eastern Palace, and her communication with the outside world was not hindered.
If she insists on going out and can withstand the constant presence of servants without being disturbed, then she can go out, but...
So subtle, so ingenious, it perfectly captured her personality, creating a "prison" tailor-made for her.
Jiang Geyun took a deep breath and stared at him intently.
—She just doesn't want to light this incense today.
She began tracing his chest with her index finger, moving down to his belt, where she brushed across the cool jade and gently hooked it.
She looked up and smiled, "No need, and the lights don't need to be turned off either. I haven't told my husband before, but I prefer bright places."
Su Heng's eyes suddenly turned deep, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
The next moment, Jiang Geyun was suddenly pushed onto the table.
He looked down at her from above; her dark hair was flowing, and her snow-white skin reflected a warm light under the lamp. On the rustic table, she looked like a hidden scroll of beauty.
He has always been like this: seemingly gentle, but actually aloof and dignified, and not one to be refused.
Jiang Geyun subconsciously tried to avoid his gaze and turned her head away, only to coincidentally see the familiar screen again.
The screen is not located near the bed, so unless it's a "special case," you're unlikely to see it.
Jiang Geyun bit her lip, memories related to it surfacing. Once, twice, but now it was like this, something she never imagined before. Last time…
Su Heng lifted her chin, turned her face back, and positioned her correctly.
His usually clear and noble voice became somewhat hoarse as he said, "Since my wife has said so, then let's watch closely."
Jiang Geyun's face flushed red instantly.
She suddenly realized that Su Heng's fingers were actually very beautiful.
She had noticed before that his fingers were long and well-defined, with a thin layer of calluses covering the fingertips and the base of his thumb, concealing immense strength.
However, she doesn't actually need to secretly observe his hands now, because she will have a more profound experience soon.
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Author's Note: Just testing the waters with the reviewers...
P.S.: I specifically reviewed the material last night, and the planned content was definitely enough to finish the two-in-one chapter. But today, this miserable office worker had to work overtime again… My boss dumped a huge task on me with less than ten minutes left before I was supposed to leave work. After finishing it, I was so exhausted that I felt like I was about to fall asleep. So, the wording and sentence structure in this chapter might not be very good, and there might be some typos. I'll revise it tomorrow. If it doesn't need much revision and I don't have to work overtime, I'll try to update one chapter tomorrow. I'll write more over the weekend [crying emoji].
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