Half-hidden, half-concealed.
She held a pipa, half-concealing her face.
If he hadn't stopped her from bowing, things might have been better. With his body exposed, Tongsu would have turned away, giving him time to get dressed and tidy himself up.
But since he knelt down so hastily, she could only accept his bow and gaze at him until he stood up.
"It's alright, Marquis of Zhenbei, please rise."
As he knelt, all the muscles in his body stretched inch by inch along with the bones he was attached to, making them appear even more solid and well-defined. Kneeling on the ground, the candlelight illuminated the scars on his bare upper body and back.
Scars and arrow wounds, some deep and some shallow, crisscrossed, looked particularly ferocious and chilling in the magnificent palace.
What's most heartbreaking is the fatal wound near his heart, which looks like it was left by nine arrows—if it had been just a little off, it would have been a fatal injury that even a celestial being couldn't save him from!
"Marquis Zhenbei, please get up and change your clothes..."
Before Tongsu could finish speaking, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded outside, seemingly sneaking towards the house!
The man's expression changed abruptly. He suddenly stood up, took two steps forward, wrapped his arms around Tongsu's waist, pressed her against his chest, and quickly retreated. He extinguished the candlelight with one hand, grabbed his clothes, and hid deeper into the room.
At the same time, Qinghe's astonished cry rang out from outside the door: "Who are you? Get out! This is not something you can do—"
The reprimand abruptly stopped, and with a muffled thud, Qinghe's body slumped to the ground, while the newcomer also carefully collapsed in front of the door.
"His Majesty's head maid is here; His Majesty must be inside."
Tong Su's heart skipped a beat.
The voice of the person speaking...
It's Young Master Qian!
"There's a lot of stuff in the wine. She's just an inexperienced young lady, hehehe... how could she possibly withstand it? Once we call in those male favorites, the things the Ninth Prince asked us to do will all be done!"
"Why--"
"What's wrong? Why do you look so reluctant? Do you know how important this is? Don't let it delay His Highness's plans!"
"No, I didn't mean I wouldn't disobey His Majesty's orders. I meant—since His Majesty is going to lose his virginity eventually, it's better to...better to..."
"Are you crazy! How dare you think such a thing! That's His Majesty! You wanted to enter the palace back then, but His Majesty refused, and you were furious, weren't you?"
"What 'Your Majesty'? She's just a puppet, she has no power whatsoever, who's afraid of her? But she is truly beautiful, far more beautiful than any of my concubines or maids—don't you want to experience what it's like to be the emperor?"
"...If anyone finds out, we're dead."
"Don't let anyone know. Leave as soon as you're done, leaving a room full of male lovers. No one will find out! She's drunk that wine and completely unconscious. How would she know who it was?"
Upon hearing such an insult, Tong Su trembled with rage, her face turning red as if about to bleed. She wished she could immediately leap up in fury, draw her Tai'a sword, and cut off the heads of those people!
The more she moved, the tighter the man held her, his breath hot against her ear: "Don't make a sound."
He held her waist with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, leading her silently into the dark room. At that moment, the palace door creaked open, and the two men sneaked into the room to light candles.
"That palace maid isn't dead, is she?"
"She's still alive; we might need her later. Quick, let's find Her Majesty; she's probably already unconscious."
Tong Su's back was pressed tightly against the man's naked chest.
Solid and hot.
She could almost hear his steady heartbeat, and his breath enveloped her. Her initial rage and despair were gradually calmed by An Fudi. She let him hold her and silently hid under the bed in the inner palace.
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