Chapter 55, a battlefield of carnage.
Xiao Jue's face hardened, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at the two people in front of him who were being affectionate.
The suns on both sides throbbed, and he felt all the blood in his body rushing upwards.
The dual rage of having one's possessions tainted by another and being betrayed by the woman one loves instantly overwhelms one's entire being.
At this moment, all he wanted was to kill Xiao Che with his own hands!
How could he? How dare he!
He did it on purpose!
He knew from the start that he had followed him, and lured him to see this scene before him!
Yes, he should have thought of that sooner.
People from Lanling have naturally more sensitive hearing than ordinary people. Moreover, Xiao Che has practiced martial arts since childhood, so his hearing is naturally not bad. How could he not notice that someone was following him?
It's laughable that he thought he was completely oblivious, believing he could uncover their secret affair. Little did he know, this was all a trap set by him, a snare to lure him into a trap.
Perhaps it goes beyond that. At the banquet, he and Yan Jiarou exchanged flirtatious glances. Wasn't he afraid that Yan Jiarou would see them? Or was it all intentional?
He wanted him to see it, wanted him to come out, wanted him to witness this scene.
Yan Jiarou did not reveal anything to him about her relationship with Xiao Che. In other words, she did not intend to confront him in the short term. Although she was temporarily bewitched by him, she must still have a place for him in her heart.
Perhaps he has some leverage over her that forces her to obey him.
Xiao Che couldn't sit still any longer, so he impatiently devised a plan to make Yan Jiarou discover their affair, forcing her to make a choice.
At this time, it is crucial not to lose your composure.
Yan Jiarou hasn't said she doesn't want him yet, so how can he say he's giving up first?
But... will she choose him?
It was Xiao Che again!
The thought of the second possibility made him want to kill him immediately!
He took a deep breath and tried his best to suppress the anger that was about to erupt from his chest.
As reason gradually returned, he realized that impulsiveness could not solve any problems, and at this moment, he must not go forward and clash with Xiao Che.
Firstly, if he were to confront Xiao Che, he would certainly be no match for him. Moreover, if the commotion were to escalate, Emperor Wei Yuan at the birthday banquet would likely find out about it.
Even if the commotion wasn't too big and didn't attract any attention, they all made excuses to leave midway through the meal. They would inevitably have to return to the banquet later. If they were injured or had bruises on their faces after the fight, it would definitely be noticed.
If Emperor Wei Yuan were to find out about Yan Jiarou and Xiao Che's secret rendezvous at the rockery, he might be so engrossed in taking elixirs that he might just issue an imperial decree on the spot to bestow a marriage upon the two of them.
Secondly, Yan Jiarou is timid and easily frightened. If he were to appear and question her now, she would be terrified and at a loss, leaving her with no choice but to rely on Xiao Che. In a moment of confusion, she would choose him instead.
Wouldn't that mean he was pushing her towards him?
No, we must not be so reckless.
This matter needs to be considered carefully. Even if he wants to confront Yan Jiarou face to face, he should do so when Xiao Che is not around.
After figuring this out, Xiao Jue glared at him one last time, then turned and left dejectedly.
——
At the artificial mountain pass, Xiao Che caught a glimpse of Xiao Jue walking away out of the corner of his eye. A lazy smile curled at the corner of his lips as he finally let go of Yan Jiarou.
“Okay, baby,” he said, “I’m done kissing.”
Yan Jiarou leaned against him, panting, her chest heaving.
Xiao Che stroked her face and said with a smile, "Yan Yan, you did very well tonight."
Yan Jiarou looked up at him, her porcelain-white face still flushed, her eyes glistening with tears, her lips swollen and red. She asked blankly, "Your performance... was not bad?"
"Yan Yan was very well-behaved today, I'm so happy." Xiao Che kissed her forehead and said softly, "Would you like any reward?"
"Rewards?" She had just been satiated by his blood and didn't have any immediate needs, so she couldn't think of anything. "I...I don't know...are there any rewards I can choose from?"
If possible, she wanted him to bring her some trendy storybooks from outside the palace, or some new pastries from Liufangzhai... He had much easier time leaving the palace than she did.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che seemed to have thought of something, but he looked at her with a half-smile and asked, "Do you really want me to help you choose?"
Yan Jiarou, not understanding, nodded hesitantly.
She was also curious about what options Xiao Che could offer her, perhaps even better than what she had in mind. If possible, she wanted him to take her out of the palace to play, just the two of them. Xiao Che often went out of the palace, so he must know where the most fun places were.
She looked at him with bright, expectant eyes.
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, looking at the innocent-looking little rabbit. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he suddenly felt like teasing it.
He leaned down slightly, looking at her with a mischievous grin: "Then, I'll reward you..."
As he spoke, he leaned close to her ear and whispered something.
This caused Yan Jiarou's blush to return, her cheeks turning crimson and her earlobes becoming so red they looked as if they could drip blood.
She bit her lip tightly, looked up at him with shame and indignation: "You... Xiao Wenqi, what nonsense are you talking about!"
She reached out and shoved him: "You're such a jerk! This isn't a reward!"
She glared at him, her cheeks puffed out: "You lied to me... I'm never talking to you again..." She turned to leave, but her arm was suddenly pulled from behind, and she was forced to fall back into his arms.
"Where did I lie to you?"
Xiao Che pinched her waist and asked casually.
"How can this not be a reward?" He leaned down to look her in the eye, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't serving you good enough? It's not like I'm having sex with you."
"You...you still dare to say that!" Yan Jiarou's face flushed red. "Why do you think about these things all the time!"
Xiao Che scratched her chin with his fingers and chuckled softly, "You're not even my imperial sister yet, you're just too cute. So cute that I can't help but want to tease you the moment I see you. If I don't do something, I'm afraid I'll be killed by your cuteness."
Yan Jiarou naturally couldn't understand what these incoherent words meant. At this moment, she would never have imagined that she would treat her beloved little rabbit in the same way, unable to resist pinching, kissing, and hugging it, teasing it from time to time, and sometimes even scaring it.
She couldn't resist because it was just so cute.
But she couldn't think of that at the moment, so she just muttered in dissatisfaction, "What is this?"
Xiao Che kissed her in a hoarse voice: "Yan Yan, I only do this for you."
Yan Jiarou didn't buy it and turned her face away: "Hmph, it's still a big □□."
Xiao Che turned her face back to him, amused, and said, "I haven't done anything yet, and you're already calling me that? Well, since that's the case..."
He curled his lips into a smile, deliberately trying to scare her: "If I don't do something, I'll really be letting you down by calling me that."
As he spoke, he smiled and approached her. Yan Jiarou was forced to retreat, but after only two steps, she was pinned against the stone wall. With nowhere left to go, she could only look up at him pitifully, "Third...Third Brother..."
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, and with his long, slender fingers, he gently loosened the sash at her chest. Her full breasts, which were already quite swollen, spilled out as soon as the restraints were loosened.
Xiao Che's fingers were beautiful, fair and slender, like jade bamboo. Coupled with his aloof temperament, even his fingers exuded a cool and ascetic aura, not to be profaned.
Yet these very fingers were now covering her...
Yet his expression remained completely devoid of any emotion or desire, as if he were merely playing with an ordinary object.
This only made her look more confused, with reddened eyes, and she seemed utterly vulnerable to being provoked.
She gasped, instinctively glancing around, and said nervously, "No...not here..."
Xiao Che's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Not here?"
"Oh, I see..." He chuckled slowly, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Yan Yan wants me to do this to you in another place, right?"
That wasn't what she meant at all. Hearing this, she glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed: "You..."
"What about me?" Xiao Che smiled, shamelessly saying as usual, "You really don't want to try my suggestion? I guarantee it'll be amazing. You'll know once you try it."
He lowered his voice, his tone ambiguous: "The people of Lanling are naturally far more talented at this than the people of Wei. You've heard plenty of rumors about it. Don't you want to experience it for yourself?"
Yan Jiarou's eyelashes fluttered, her face flushed red, and she raised her hand to push him away forcefully: "I don't want to!"
Xiao Che was pushed back a step, but he wasn't angry. He just smiled and looked at her, teasingly saying, "Silly girl, I'm personally serving you. Others would beg for this. You don't even want such a good thing. Aren't you silly?"
Yan Jiarou didn't believe it: "No! You're just trying to bully me, I won't fall for it."
How could you lick that place with your tongue... Xiao Che is a master of deception!
After saying that, she gave him a wary look, turned around, and ran away quickly.
Xiao Che watched her departing figure and slowly curved his lips into a smile.
Recalling her blushing and shy appearance just now, I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.
Nothing is more fun than teasing a rabbit.
——
Back at his seat, Xiao Jue tried his best to suppress the violent emotions within him, pretending that nothing had happened.
But the hand holding the cup couldn't help but tremble slightly.
After an incense stick had burned, Xiao Che and Yan Jiarou returned to their seats one after the other.
Yan Jiarou's face was still flushed, and her beautiful eyes were glistening with tears. After sitting down, she kept her head down and her hands were clasped together, looking guilty no matter how you looked at it.
Fortunately, apart from Xiao Jue, no one was secretly observing her at this moment.
In contrast, Xiao Che remained calm and composed, maintaining a distance from others and showing no sign of anything amiss.
But when Xiao Jue's gaze fell on him, he deliberately adjusted his collar, revealing a faint red mark on the side of his neck.
Making such a mark in such an ambiguous area really looks just like a hickey.
Because of his pale complexion, like the first snow of winter, any trace of skin was very obvious on him.
The red mark was now proudly displayed on his neck, a testament to the deep affection he had shared with the person who had left it.
Xiao Jue's eyes were sinister, and his hand, hidden under the desk, clenched tightly.
——
The next day at 3:45 AM, Yan Jiarou had just gotten up, finished washing and dressing, and was having her meal at the table.
She had drunk a little wine last night and slept exceptionally soundly, but she had many dreams. She wondered if it was because of the lewd things Xiao Che said to her last night, as her dreams were becoming increasingly indecent...
When I woke up, even though I had slept for quite a while, I felt as if all my energy had been drained, and I was still lethargic and listless.
She planned to take a nap after finishing her breakfast.
During this period, she did indeed become increasingly sleepy.
Just like when she was bitten by a wild fox and felt a strange longing for Xiao Che, but had not yet tasted his blood, she was just as listless.
Later, she tasted his blood, and Xiao Che was more cooperative than she had imagined. With a doting attitude, he almost gave her whatever she wanted. She could have as much blood as she wanted. During that time, nourished by his blood, she was indeed radiant and glowing.
But perhaps it was Xiao Che's indulgence that made her lose control and demand excessively, and gradually, her threshold seemed to be getting higher and higher.
Not only did the frequency of blood draws increase and the intervals become shorter, but now, although his blood can still soothe her restlessness, it no longer makes her feel as particularly happy as before.
She could barely maintain her normal state, just enough to prevent her from having an attack or losing control.
But that's not enough, far from enough.
This insufficiency left her with a persistent sense of unease deep within her heart, which only subsided when she saw Xiao Che and had physical contact with him.
It's so annoying, why can't Xiao Che stay by her side all the time?
what to do.
She seemed to desperately need something new to fill the void.
It seems that what she is obsessed with is no longer just Xiao Che's blood.
But she didn't know what this new thing was. She only knew that only Xiao Che could give it to her. She was confident that Xiao Che would not refuse her whatever she wanted. Unfortunately, she didn't even know what she wanted, which made her feel extremely irritable.
——
Yingxue handed her the milk and then placed a piece of cheese pastry on the plate in front of her. She rested her chin on her hand, looking listless. Just as she was about to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth, a palace maid rushed in and reported, "Princess, I saw His Highness the Crown Prince walking hurriedly from afar at the door. It seems he is heading towards our Chenghuan Palace."
Yan Jiarou had previously instructed that if it was Xiao Che, he should be allowed to come in directly; but if it was Xiao Jue, he should be informed immediately so that she would have time to pretend to be asleep or slip out through the side door of the side hall.
She promised Xiao Che that she would never see Xiao Jue again.
That's why the palace maid came in specifically to report.
Yan Jiarou was taken aback by his words. She looked up and met Yingxue's gaze, her brows furrowing. "Isn't it just the end of court? What is he doing here?"
Yingxue said, "Yes... You came to see the princess immediately after court. Is there something urgent?"
Yan Jiarou placed her hands on the table, supporting her round cheeks, and let out a frustrated sigh: "Ugh, so annoying."
It's so annoying. She's already feeling unwell, and why does the Crown Prince have to come and make things worse? At this moment, she doesn't want to see him at all.
She simply didn't have the energy to deal with him; just thinking about it made her feel exhausted.
She knew this was wrong; that was her beloved Crown Prince brother, how could she find him annoying?
She knew the principles of conduct well. Her father had taught her so much. She had also studied in the palace, where lectures were held for the princesses. She knew that people should know shame, not be untrustworthy, not be heartless, and even less should they be fickle or indecisive.
She knew the reasons, but she couldn't control herself. When she heard that Xiao Jue wanted to see her, she just felt annoyed.
Just like how she knew it was wrong to be entangled with Xiao Che, she still gradually fell into it, and even showed a tendency to become more and more obsessed.
Perhaps it's just because she's sick, and nothing else—that's the only way she can comfort herself now.
She clearly loves Xiao Jue, but she can't live without Xiao Che.
She hated herself for being so indecisive.
Unfortunately, many things are beyond our control.
She sighed and turned to Yingxue, saying, "Yingxue, I'm not feeling well today, so I won't go out to avoid him. Just tell him I'm still sleeping."
Yingxue nodded and led the palace maid out.
She lost her appetite and got up to go back to bed, pretending to be asleep.
——
When Yingxue reached the palace gate, she bumped into Xiao Jue, who was rushing towards her. His expression was not good. He only glanced at her coldly and said in a deep voice, "I want to see Jiarou."
Yingxue paused for a moment, then curtsied to him and said what she had prepared beforehand: "Your Highness, the princess is unwell and may not be able to receive guests."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jue's eyes flashed even colder, and he sneered, "Is it inconvenient to receive guests, or inconvenient to see me?"
Yingxue was startled and was about to say something when Xiao Jue suddenly reached out and shoved her away violently: "Get out of my way! Do you have a death wish?"
Yingxue stumbled from the push, and when she regained her balance, her eyes showed not only fear but also astonishment. Xiao Jue was always gentle, modest, and polite; how could he be so violent today, as if he were a completely different person?
She sensed something was wrong and quickly knelt down, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me!"
Xiao Jue merely snorted coldly and was about to walk forward when he suddenly seemed to remember something, stopped, and turned to look at a palace maid kneeling at his feet.
"You," he kicked her, "go to Hanguang Palace and find Xiao Che. Tell him that Jia Rou needs to see him and that he should come over immediately, do you hear me?"
This... isn't this asking her to deceive the Third Prince? Deceiving a prince is no laughing matter, and besides, if the princess finds out, she'll be angry too...
Thinking this, he trembled and did not reply immediately.
Xiao Jue, however, lacked such patience. Seeing that she didn't reply, he kicked her hard again, knocking her to the ground: "I'm asking you a question, are you deaf?!"
Yingxue could tell that the Crown Prince was acting very strangely today, and he was in a state of extreme violence. If she didn't go along with him now, something bad might happen. So she quickly gave the palace maid a wink: "Qiushuang, the Crown Prince is asking you a question. Answer him quickly!"
Xiao Jue's kick was forceful; Qiu Shuang felt as if two of her ribs had been broken. She endured the pain and knelt down again, hurriedly saying, "Yes, I heard you, I'll go right away."
After saying that, he hurriedly and unsteadily got up and walked towards the door.
Fine, being blamed by the Third Prince and the Princess is better than being killed by the Crown Prince now.
——
Hearing the door creak open from the outside and footsteps approaching, Yan Jiarou turned over sleepily, her voice thick with nasal tone: "Yingxue, how is it? Has the Crown Prince left?"
But Yingxue didn't reply for a long time. Yan Jiarou felt strange and slowly opened her eyes. She saw a tall figure standing at the head of the bed.
Upon seeing the person's face clearly, she jolted awake and sat up abruptly from the bed, all sleepiness instantly gone: "The...Crown Prince?"
Xiao Jue's face was gloomy as he stared at her intently: "Royal sister, do you really not want to see me?"
"No...no..." Yan Jiarou subconsciously fiddled with her hair. "I was just...just a little surprised..."
Xiao Jue narrowed her eyes, a gesture she always made when she felt guilty.
"An accident? The fact that I got to see my imperial sister is the real accident, isn't it?"
"If I hadn't barged in today without a care in the world, were you planning to hide from me for the rest of your life?"
Yan Jiarou was in a state of utter confusion, stammering and unable to speak: "Crown Prince, I..."
Xiao Jue sat down on the edge of the bed, quietly scrutinizing her. The girl's face no longer held the fervor and love of the past; now, she didn't even dare to look up at him.
He gave a sarcastic smile, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her close to his face: "Then who do you want to see, Xiao Che? Have you forgotten how he treated you before? He bullied you at every turn. Didn't you used to hate him the most? Why have you completely changed now?"
"You like him that much? So much that you completely disregard the things he did to you in the past?"
He looked at her and suddenly said quietly, "Actually, you've liked him for a long time, haven't you? Just like other women, you can get aroused just by looking at him. The so-called dislike you had before was just disliking that he didn't like you. So once he started to show you affection, you were completely infatuated with him. If he beckoned you with his finger, you would rush to him, right?"
Yan Jiarou looked up in surprise: "You..."
She swallowed hard, clutching the blanket tightly: "I, I didn't..."
Xiao Jue sneered, then suddenly leaned in and kissed her fair neck hard.
Yan Jiarou was terrified and struggled to speak, "Your Highness, what are you doing... let me go!"
Xiao Jue raised his head from the side of her neck and smiled sinisterly: "What, Xiao Che can kiss you, but I can't? When Xiao Che kissed you, did you also pretend to be a chaste and virtuous woman, or did you look at him with infatuation, letting him take what he wanted? Last night by the rockery, I saw you and Xiao Che."
Yan Jiarou's head went blank, her ears rang, and her lips trembled, unable to utter a word: "I...you..."
Xiao Jue's expression grew increasingly ferocious as he spoke, tightening his grip on her wrist and twisting it violently as he said, "Yan Jiarou, I treated you with all my heart, yet you cheated on me with Xiao Che! How could you face me like that! You shameless hussy! You promiscuous hussy!"
Such humiliation would be unbearable for any woman.
Yan Jiarou's face turned deathly pale, and she trembled with anger. She raised her hand and slapped Xiao Jue across the face.
The slap made Xiao Jue turn his face slightly to the side, and it also brought him to his senses, making him realize that what he was doing now would not achieve his goal.
Yan Jiarou has always responded better to gentle persuasion than force; he had to find a different approach.
——
Xiao Che was about to leave the palace when he ran into Qiu Shuang as soon as he stepped out of Han Guang Hall.
Upon seeing him, Qiu Shuang quickly stepped forward to bow, and then said, "Your Highness, the princess requests your presence for a chat, saying... saying there is something important to discuss."
Xiao Che was taken aback, then laughed: "She just woke up and already wants to see me?"
Qiu Shuang looked up at him, blushed, and quickly lowered her head again. He was too handsome, especially when he smiled, which was mesmerizing. She didn't dare to look at him, and of course, there was another reason: she felt guilty and was afraid that he would see through her.
Fortunately, Xiao Che did not suspect anything and only asked, "Why are you here today?"
In the past, we always came by the reflection of snow.
However, he only asked casually, and after asking, he turned and walked towards Chenghuan Palace without waiting for her reply, clearly not caring about the answer.
Qiu Shuang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and followed after him.
——
Inside Chenghuan Palace, Yan Jiarou looked at Xiao Jue with disbelief: "You... what did you say? The Empress... the deposed Empress has passed away?"
Xiao Jue nodded dejectedly, his eyes filled with sorrow: "Yes, it happened this morning. Father didn't even go to see her, just randomly pointed to a date for the burial, and wouldn't even let her be buried in the mausoleum... Ha, my mother loved him her whole life, and after her death, she couldn't even be buried beside him..."
"I know what he's thinking. He only wants to be buried with Jiang Chenyu. Ha, but no matter how noble the rank of a Noble Consort is, she's still just a Consort! After death, she can only be buried in the Imperial Mausoleum. He shouldn't even dream about it!"
Realizing she had lost her composure, she raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes and tightly grasped Yan Jiarou's hands, saying, "So, Jiarou, I couldn't take this blow, that's why I'm emotionally unstable. You...you won't blame me, will you?"
"I just... I just can't accept it right now... Mother is gone, and you've fallen for someone else... Father has never valued me. In this world, there's nothing left for me to cherish. Since that's the case, I might as well go with Mother. On the road to the underworld, at least I'll have someone to look after me..."
Yan Jiarou's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and she quickly grasped his hand with her small hands, saying, "Crown Prince, please don't think like that. I will stay with you, I will always stay with you. So you are acting so strangely because of the death of the former Empress. If that's the case, how could I blame you? Please don't overthink it."
"You said you would always be with me," Xiao Jue asked tentatively, looking at her. "Then... what about Xiao Che?"
Yan Jiarou was stunned, her mind in turmoil: "I...I don't know..."
But Xiao Jue was going through the most painful time because of his mother's death. At this time, she must not upset him. She had not even seen clearly those feelings that she could not explain. So she should put them aside for now: "It's not what you think between him and me. The reason why I am intimate with him is because I have a strange disease and I need his blood to cure it."
Then he told him the whole story, from beginning to end.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jue seemed to realize something: "No wonder I saw blood on your lips near the rockery last night..." He had thought it was because Yan Jia was too passionate and acted too intensely.
It turns out that she approached Xiao Che only to obtain his blood.
His eyes lit up instantly. He grabbed Yan Jiarou's shoulders and said with a mixture of joy and eagerness, "So Jiarou, you haven't changed your mind, right? You still love me, don't you?"
Yan Jiarou's eyes darted around, a hint of guilt creeping into her gaze, but at this moment, she could only nod reluctantly.
Xiao Jue was overjoyed and pulled her tightly into his arms, his voice trembling with emotion: "Jiarou, I knew it, I knew you would never betray me..."
"By the way, you just said that the mute doctor cured someone else of this strange illness, is that right?"
"Yes, but he doesn't seem to be able to cure me..."
"It's the same strange illness. Since he can cure others, why can't he cure you? Don't worry, I'll help you find a way."
He released Yan Jiarou, pressed her shoulders, and looked down at her, saying, "Since you only approached him to get his blood to cure your illness, once you're cured, he'll no longer be of any use to you, and you can ignore him anymore, right?"
Yan Jiarou's expression showed some struggle: "I...I haven't thought about it...Besides, this illness is probably incurable..."
"Is it that it can't be cured, or do you simply not want to be cured at all?" Xiao Jue lifted her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye: "Jiarou, I'm begging you, give me a straight answer, okay? Otherwise, I really don't want to live in this world anymore."
"Besides, have you forgotten the vows you made to me? Have you forgotten the principles of conduct that your father and your teachers taught you? How could you betray them? How could you be so fickle and unfaithful? Jiarou, tell me, you're not that kind of person, are you?"
Yan Jiarou's lips trembled, and the color drained from her face little by little.
Yes, she is not that kind of person, and she doesn't want to be.
All she could hear were Xiao Jue's repeated questioning and pleas, as if if she didn't say those words, she would become an unforgivable sinner for all time, and Xiao Jue would be utterly disappointed in her and no longer want to live in this world.
Unable to do anything else, Yan Jiarou closed her eyes with trembling hands and repeated what he had said before: "I have never had any romantic feelings for Xiao Che. I only use him as medicine. Once I recover, he will be of no use to me. At that time, I will naturally no longer pay attention to him."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door was kicked open.
Xiao Che stood at the door with a gloomy face and an extremely terrifying expression. With each breath, he exuded a murderous aura.
The moment Yan Jiarou saw him, her mind went blank, her face drained of color, and she turned deathly pale.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
