Chapter 54 Just wait to die. My enemy already hates me to death, why should I pity you? ...
Night falls in the imperial palace, the sky is deep, the Milky Way shines brightly, yet sleep eludes me.
Feng Chen suddenly woke up with a start, sat up from the bed, his chest heaving violently, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
He raised his hand and lifted the brocade quilt, his gaze suddenly freezing, and finally he covered his face, remaining silent for a long time.
The scene in his dream was too vivid: Qiaoqiao beneath him, her beautiful eyes glazed over, just like that absurd night. Her breaths were like the song of a nightingale in a secluded valley, her soft hands like boneless vines, completely at his mercy. A soft "brother" was enchanting, a sweet "darling" was intoxicating.
Since escaping to the imperial palace, this beautiful dream has haunted me every night without ceasing.
The closer he got to his hometown, the more timid he became. So he was afraid to see her, even more afraid that she would ask him questions, and afraid that she would say she disliked him.
But is it really comfortable to hide like this?
Night after night, I am tormented by these agonizing thoughts, unable to sleep, and I always need to take several cold showers before I can finally find peace.
Shi Yunyu had already noticed his unusual behavior. The next day, by the lotus pond in the palace, she finally couldn't help but speak up: "Why are you doing this? What will the girl think? She'll just think you took advantage of her and ran away without a word of comfort. Let me tell you, she must be disgusted with you."
Upon hearing this, Feng Chen closed his eyes slightly and gritted his teeth, saying, "Then what can I do? Even if I don't run away, she will still hate me."
“Oh, that’s a different story!” Shi Yunyu said urgently. “You’re taking responsibility by daring to face her directly. If you keep hiding like this, she’ll think you don’t want to take responsibility.”
Feng Chen waved his hand, his voice weary: "You don't understand."
"Yes, yes, you know best, you know best!" Shi Yunyu lost her patience, annoyed by his words. She turned and left, muttering, "If you know so much, why haven't you managed to win someone over? You're so stubborn!"
At noon, the three of them had lunch together in the pavilion. A servant came quickly and handed a letter to Shi Yunyu.
After she finished reading, she glanced at Feng Chen out of the corner of her eye. He still looked absent-minded, as if he was so lovesick that he was barely alive.
Shi Yunyu put down the letter and casually said, "Qiaoqiao will arrive this afternoon."
"Ah!" Feng Chen suddenly stood up, his force nearly overturning the stone table. Cui Cheng was also startled by his unexpected action. Shi Yunyu slammed her hand on the table and rebuked him sharply, "If you continue to hide like this, you'll truly be unworthy of being a man!"
Upon hearing that her neighbor Yi Ruxu was going to the imperial palace to supplement historical records, Su Jinxiu took the opportunity to ask Shi Yunyu for advice and asked to go with him. Yi Ruxu asked her to dress up as his maid and change into a peach-pink dress, which accentuated her bright eyes and white teeth.
Su Jinxiu walked forward calmly, a few lingering red marks on her neck faintly visible, like peach blossoms after the rain, stirring the imagination. Feng Chen caught a glimpse of them, his heart filled with guilt and shame, and he quickly lowered his eyes, not daring to meet her gaze.
But Su Jinxiu ignored him and directly grasped Shi Yunyu's hand, her tone urgent: "Sister Yunyu, the screen will be started tomorrow, and I must ask you first before I dare to put my needle to work. Should I embroider a phoenix with peonies, or peonies with phoenixes? Palace affairs are complicated, and I hope you can give me some guidance."
Feng Chen was stunned.
He had initially thought she had come for him, and was secretly pleased that she didn't truly despise him. But now it seemed she genuinely had important business to attend to, so... perhaps she did ultimately loathe him after all.
Seeing the boy's shifty eyes and guilty look, Yi Ruxu couldn't help but wonder.
Shi Yunyu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "You should embroider phoenixes amidst peonies. In any case, logically and legally, the Empress is always above the Consort." She paused, then added, "And add some daylilies next to the peonies. Daylilies are also known as 'forget-sorrow' flowers, symbolizing a loving mother's affection, and also alluding to the Empress Dowager. In this way, the Empress will have nothing to say, and if the Consort dares to object, seeing that the Empress Dowager is also above her, she will not dare to say anything more."
Su Jinxiu's eyes lit up, and she beamed with joy: "Okay, Sister Yunyu, thank you!" After saying that, she turned to Yi Ruxu and said: "Brother Ruxu, let's go."
The two then left side by side, and Su Jinxiu never once glanced at Feng Chen.
"She...she just left like that?"
Feng Chen and Shi Yunyu looked at each other in bewilderment.
As night fell, Su Jinxiu rested in a side room of Yi Ruxu's courtyard. The imperial palace was located in the mountains and fields, much cooler than the capital. She scooped up a basin of water, carefully washed her face, then loosened her maid's double buns and combed her black hair in front of the bronze mirror.
The window frame swayed slightly, making a soft sound, but she merely lowered her eyes, completely unconcerned.
Then came a soft thud as footsteps approached, and the figure of the person was reflected in the bronze mirror.
Su Jinxiu's lips curled into a sneer: "Dressed in all black, you really think you're a thief? Well, you've always loved doing these petty thievery."
Feng Chen knew she was mocking him for being shameful, but he still walked straight up to her. Su Jinxiu had already prepared a backup plan; several sharp hairpins were laid out on the table, ready to teach him a lesson if he acted recklessly again.
Unexpectedly, Feng Chen suddenly knelt down beside her dressing stool with a "thump".
This time, it was Su Jinxiu's turn to be stunned.
Su Jinxiu frowned, slammed the comb on the table, turned her head and scolded, "Get up. You're not ashamed, but I find you an eyesore."
He was tall and slender, and even when he knelt down, he could still look her in the eye as she sat.
Su Jinxiu sneered: "The door was open for you, but you insisted on going through the window. Have you gotten used to doing bad things?"
Feng Chen wanted to argue, but kneeling before her, the delicate fragrance of orchids emanating from her body filled his nostrils. He looked at her almond-shaped eyes, filled with anger, flames flickering within them, her cherry-like lips moving as she spoke words of admonition. His heart fluttered, his gaze gradually becoming hazy. He swallowed hard, forgetting the words that were about to come out.
Seeing his absent-minded appearance, Su Jinxiu's anger flared even more. She suddenly stood up and was about to leave, but he grabbed her leg tightly.
Knowing she couldn't break free, Su Jinxiu stopped wasting her energy and simply glared coldly at him, saying, "What exactly do you want? Let's just be frank today. Don't worry, I will never ask you for anything because of that one night of passion. Not before, not now, and certainly not in the future. You also don't need to worry about whether your engagement will continue or whether your status as a noble young master will be tarnished because of this."
"Since we've come to this point, please proceed, young master. When you leave, please use the main entrance and refrain from trying to climb through the window again!"
"What window? What door? I've already come in, and I have no intention of leaving!"
Feng Chen held her legs, his arms supporting her hips, and stood up abruptly. He was already tall, and Su Jinxiu lost her balance when he lifted her up. She could only hurriedly bend down and hug his head tightly, her soft breasts covering his face.
He strode straight to the bed. If Su Jinxiu let go, she would lose her balance. Only when he put her on the bed could she struggle and kick his shoulder.
Feng Chen lowered his gaze to her feet, his eyes slowly sliding from her slender ankles to her fair calves, then to her undulating body, her chest, and finally to her flushed cheeks. His gaze seemed tangible, and Su Jinxiu felt her whole body burning, as if his clothes had been lifted layer by layer and his caresses had covered her skin.
“Cross the other leg over as well, just like that night,” he said in a low, hoarse voice.
Su Jinxiu hurriedly pulled her leg back, giving him the opportunity to step forward. He leaned down and pinned her beneath him, placing his hands on either side of her ears, gazing down at her.
"Get out." Her voice was as cold as ice.
"You don't despise me, do you?" he pressed urgently. "By leaving the door open for me to come in, you're giving me a chance to explain, aren't you?"
Su Jinxiu turned her face away, her tone indifferent: "No need to explain. I also made mistakes in this matter; I shouldn't have gotten drunk. I have no intention of lingering; I just want to clear things up and settle things once and for all."
"We're even again." Feng Chen chuckled softly, his laughter filled with mockery and resentment. "You want to settle things with me again? Su Jinxiu, do you think that's possible?"
He straightened up and looked down at her, his fingers gently sliding upwards from the bottom of her abdomen as if measuring something, before suddenly pressing down on a certain spot.
Su Jinxiu trembled at his touch and reached out to push him away, but heard his voice hoarse: "I'm already here, how can you say we're even?"
Su Jinxiu was stunned for a long time before she understood his implied meaning, and was instantly enraged by his shamelessness. He chuckled above her, his eyes playing with amusement like a cat toying with a mouse: "No matter who you called that night, it was me who went in. Su Jinxiu, you should accept this fact."
"What...what should I call you?"
"Are you still pretending to be stupid?" His smile vanished abruptly, a chill surging in his eyes. "You're calling out your Ah Qin's name. When you're at your happiest, you're calling out his name. Have you ever thought about how I feel? Just now you scolded me so harshly, do you know that I'm the one who feels most wronged? I tried so hard to make you happy, but you're calling out another man's name."
His hand unconsciously moved to Su Jinxiu's neck, his fingertips gently pressing on her fragile artery, the force almost imperceptible, as if he were weighing what force would kill her instantly, or as if he were enjoying the prey's trembling before death.
Su Jinxiu, however, was not afraid of him, certain he didn't have the guts. She merely frowned and glanced back, pondering the deeper meaning of his words. Had he completely rejected his former identity as "Wen Shiqin"? Had he despised him to such an extent that even in bed, he could only call her by the stolen name she had acquired later?
But she insisted on reminding him. Reminding him that he once had such an identity, reminding him that he was once a boy who depended on her for survival, without the illustrious power he has today, and without the entanglements of a marriage contract.
So she deliberately provoked him, her voice cold and indifferent: "I can't help it, he's all I think about. So even when we're making love in bed, I'm thinking about that boy, not you."
He didn't fly into a rage as expected; instead, he chuckled softly, a laugh that carried a chilling coldness, as if it came from the deepest hell.
"Fine, then you can just wait to die tonight."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com