Xiao Jin cupped her cheeks, and the two sat facing each other, his forehead gently touching Song Lingxi's forehead, their breaths almost audible between them.
"Is Xi'er sleepy?"
Looking at Song Lingxi's listless eyes, Xiao Jin, who had intended to tease her, felt a pang of heartache. It seemed that he had indeed gone a bit too far last night.
"I'll carry you to rest for a while."
After Xiao Jin finished speaking, he swept Song Lingxi's small body up in his arms, startling the girl into screaming repeatedly.
"Ah—Your Majesty—"
Out of instinct, Song Lingxi wrapped her arms around Xiao Jin's neck, but she withdrew them as soon as she realized what was happening.
Xiao Jin keenly noticed this, and when he looked at Song Lingxi, his eyes were thoughtful, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Is Xi'er afraid of me?"
His voice was deep and husky, sounding like a devil's whisper to Song Lingxi, making her small body stiffen.
"No...no."
Song Lingxi stammered. She was indeed a little afraid of Xiao Jin. Last night, she was blinded by anger and took the initiative to ask Xiao Jin for a kiss and seek intimacy.
However, now that she's clear-headed, Xiao Jin is just a high and mighty emperor to her, not much different from a stranger.
Moreover, Xiao Jin exuded an imposing aura, and his eyes, capable of intimidating all the court officials, made it impossible for anyone to look him directly in the eye. How could Song Lingxi not be afraid?
Therefore, Song Lingxi lied, but she didn't expect that her true feelings could not be hidden at all and would be exposed in front of Xiao Jin.
She lied.
Xiao Jin could tell at a glance that Song Lingxi was not being sincere, and his heart sank.
The book says that to win a woman's heart, you have to sleep with her. He naively thought that as long as he had physical contact with Song Lingxi, she would fall for him.
but--
That's not true at all; he couldn't see a single trace of love in her eyes!
Xiao Jin tightened his grip on Song Lingxi's hand. His passionate heart felt as if it had been doused with cold water, and his entire being turned cold.
Song Lingxi belatedly realized that Xiao Jin was staring at her. His gaze was so intense that it was impossible to ignore, making her heart tremble involuntarily.
Xiao Jin held her without moving, and the two of them fell silent, the atmosphere in the room becoming quiet.
...
Song Lingxi was somewhat confused. What was wrong with the Emperor? Had she offended him with her actions just now?
And his eyes really scared her.
Fear?
Song Lingxi suddenly recalled that the emperor had asked her if she was afraid of him, and she had replied no, but her voice was trembling.
You must have been caught lying just now!
What can be done to remedy this?
After a while, Song Lingxi shakily reached out her hand and wrapped it around Xiao Jin's neck, resting her head on his shoulder.
Song Lingxi's soft, sweet voice rang out against Xiao Jin's chest: "I was wrong, Your Majesty, please don't be angry."
Her soft, sweet voice was like ice in the summer heat, refreshing and cooling, instantly extinguishing Xiao Jin's rising anger.
Seeing that Xiao Jin did not respond, Song Lingxi boldly looked directly at his face. Generally speaking, looking directly at the emperor's face is a great disrespect, and Song Lingxi would not dare to do so unless absolutely necessary.
But angering the emperor wouldn't end well either; both would result in beheading. Therefore, Song Lingxi disregarded all that and boldly did it.
"emperor……"
Xiao Jin lowered his head and immediately saw Song Lingxi's timid eyes. Those clear eyes contained trepidation, unease, and confusion, but no love.
But the girl didn't feel there was anything wrong with her behavior. She still looked at him timidly, her eyes seeming to speak, pleading for reconciliation.
Xiao Jin remained silent for a while, trying her best not to soften her heart, but it was all in vain. In the end, she could only helplessly succumb to her little eyes.
He muttered helplessly, "This little one, is she sure I'll soften up, that's why she's staring at me with those big, bright eyes?"
"Let's go."
Xiao Jin did not answer her question about whether he was angry. Instead, he carried her to the soft couch and pulled her into his arms as he sat down.
Xiao Jin half-embraced her, his arms tightly around Song Lingxi, as if he was afraid of losing her.
He recalled Song Lingxi's clear eyes, and a deep sense of resentment welled up inside him. He tightened his embrace, as if he wanted to meld Song Lingxi into his own flesh and blood.
"hiss--"
Song Lingxi felt like she could hardly breathe. She had been silently enduring it, but now she couldn't help but cry out in pain.
Xiao Jin quickly released his arm, realizing that he had strangled her too hard. He then lifted her clothes and saw the red mark he had left.
The red mark was particularly noticeable on her snow-white skin, which made Xiao Jin's eyes flash with a hint of heartache and regret.
"Does it hurt?"
Xiao Jin's large hand traced across the skin of her abdomen, sending shivers down Song Lingxi's spine, and the original sense of innocence was transformed.
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
Song Lingxi used both of her small hands to hold Xiao Jin's large hand to stop him from causing trouble. At the same time, a hint of nervousness flashed in her eyes, afraid that refusing him would anger him.
Xiao Jin naturally saw the fear in Song Lingxi's eyes and sighed helplessly, not understanding why he had become like this in her eyes.
"Xi'er, why are you afraid of me? You will be my only empress in the future, so why are you so afraid of me?"
Xiao Jin's words struck Song Lingxi like a resounding bell, leaving her momentarily stunned.
Empress, the only empress, what does that mean?
"Your Majesty... what Empress?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com