Chapter 11 [11]
【11】
"Hold you?" The deep voice seemed to carry a hint of surprise.
"My body is soft, so it should be very comfortable to hold me..."
Lu Zhiwan loved sleeping with her stuffed animal; its softness gave her a sense of security. While it was unclear whether the emperor was insecure, judging by his fondness for holding hands, he probably wasn't opposed to physical contact with her.
"Your Majesty, why don't you give it a try?" Lu Zhiwan lowered his voice: "There's nothing to lose by giving it a try anyway..."
The curtains fell silent again, and just when her heart was beating fast, the hand that was against her forehead finally moved away.
"If I remember correctly, you are from Yuezhou?"
The topic jumped so quickly that Lu Zhiwan couldn't help but be stunned. Why did he suddenly ask this? Confused, she nodded, "Yes."
Xiao Jingting: "I had no idea that the people of Yuezhou were so open-minded."
Lu Zhiwan: “…” It turned out that he was setting a trap for her and mocking her.
But she was at least half an entertainment industry figure. She had thick skin, and didn't take this little taunt to heart. Moreover, she had a love-brained persona: "Your Majesty, you are wrong. It's not that the people of Yuezhou are open-minded. I used to be very reserved and conservative, but after meeting Your Majesty, I have changed a lot. I wonder if Your Majesty has ever heard the saying that when you like someone, you can't help but want to get close to him. I think that's the case..."
After hearing this, Xiao Jingting couldn't help himself and raised his hand towards her face.
I pinched it and it’s not thick.
I touched it and it wasn't hot.
Was this woman frightened by Dahua and Erhua, or has she mastered the art of lying to perfection?
The warmth of the man's fingertips seemed to still remain on her delicate cheek. Lu Zhiwan said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"
Xiao Jingting rubbed his fingertips without saying a word. He was about to ask her to lie back down and have a good sleep when she suddenly remembered, "There's no harm in giving it a try."
If he doesn't object to holding her hand, then hugging her is also okay?
Thinking of this, Xiao Jingting pursed his lips slightly, and after a while, he raised his hand and reached out to the hazy and petite outline beside him.
Seeing that he hadn't said anything for a long time, Lu Zhiwan had given up hope. Just as she was thinking of saying something to save face, she felt an irresistible force grab her shoulders.
The hug came suddenly and at the wrong angle. Her nose hit the man's hard chest directly. She screamed in pain and her eyes became moist. Didn't this damn man know to say hello in advance? What if her nose was dislocated!
"What's wrong?" A man's deep voice came from above his head. Because of the close distance, Lu Zhiwan could clearly feel his hot breath brushing across his forehead, making him feel itchy and inexplicably hot on his cheeks.
"Nothing...nothing." She might have complained in her heart, but she wouldn't have dared to curse him. Lu Zhiwan tilted her head, and when the pain in her nose eased a little, she realized how stiff their hug was. It was completely different from the intimate embrace between lovers. She felt like a hostage held hostage by Xiao Jingting, ready to be strangled to death at any moment.
"Your Majesty, this is not the way to hold me." Lu Zhiwan twisted in his strong arms, trying to adjust her position: "Please loosen up a little, it's too tight, I can hardly breathe."
Xiao Jingting's jaw tightened slightly. Ever since he could remember, he had never hugged any living creature except the cats in Jinli Garden...
The feeling in her arms at this moment was strange and new to him.
His arms were stiff, but he listened to the words of the person in his arms and slowly loosened them. Soon, the fragrant and soft body of the woman melted into his arms in a more comfortable way.
This warmth and fulfillment made him feel an indescribable emotion. He didn't expect that she looked so delicate and petite, and it was really comfortable to hold her in his arms.
"How do you feel, Your Majesty?"
"..." Xiao Jingting lowered his head slightly, and rubbed his chin against the woman's soft hair. The elegant and pleasant scent of powder rushed into his nose, making his breathing slightly disordered.
The arm around her shoulders tightened, and his voice was deep: "It's okay."
Not bad? Lu Zhiwan tilted her head, her ear just touching the man's chest.
After a brief silence, the corners of her rosy lips couldn't help but curl up. She was indeed a tsundere. If that was okay, why was her heart beating so fast?
Just as she was about to speak, trying to induce the man to take a further step, the large hand on her shoulder suddenly moved down along her body.
Where the hot palm passed by, Lu Zhiwan's breath was slightly hitched. Could it be that this hug opened up his Ren and Du meridians in love affairs, allowing him to learn it without any guidance?
Just as her heartbeat became more intense, the hand stopped at her slender waist and embraced it.
Lu Zhiwan held her breath and waited patiently for a long time. Seeing that he didn't move, she frowned and called out softly, "Your Majesty?"
The hand on her waist pinched gently, and she let out a soft moan. Xiao Jingting closed his eyes and said calmly, "If you say another word, I will send you to Jinli Garden to accompany Xiao Caiyun. She is about to give birth and needs someone to look after her at all times."
Thinking of the little leopard who was in prenatal anxiety and had a strong maternal instinct, Lu Zhiwan said, "..."Okay, she turned off the microphone.
That night, Lu Zhiwan felt like he was being roasted by a huge furnace and slept soundly all night.
When she woke up the next morning, the long-legged stove was gone. Only Aunt Qiu Rong smiled and said to her, "If you're still sleepy, go back to sleep. His Majesty has issued a special order that unless there are special circumstances, you don't need to go to Yonghe Palace to pay your respects to Concubine Gu."
No need to greet? This is great news!
Lu Zhiwan's joy was no less than the day before when he had been promoted twice. Just as he was about to say something pretentiously, "Ah, this isn't great," he heard Aunt Qiu Rong continue, "His Majesty has also granted you the Lifeng Palace as your new residence. The Lifeng Palace is located not far behind the Yangxin Palace. In the future, whenever His Majesty wants to see the Concubine, or summon her to sleep with him, it will be much more convenient than the Liuxia Pavilion. To be so valued by His Majesty, it seems your good fortune is yet to come."
Lu Zhiwan felt a little overwhelmed after receiving two pieces of good news in the morning.
Although I didn’t sleep well last night because I was hugged by the Emperor Bear, the rewards are so generous. Not to mention a bad sleep for one night, it’s worth it even if I have to stay up late every day!
She was so excited that she didn't even think about taking a nap. She threw off the quilt and got out of bed, eager to go see her new home.
As Aunt Qiurong had said, Lifeng Hall was in a prime location, a mere incense stick's worth of walking distance from Yangxin Palace. While not as spacious and elegant as Concubine Gu's Yonghe Palace, it was vastly superior to Liuxia Pavilion. The main hall was bright and spacious, while the side halls and rooms were well-proportioned. The overall style was elegant and simple. A large area of crabapples and hydrangeas grew in the front yard, and in April, they were in full bloom, a crisscross of pink and white, with birds flitting and butterflies dancing, a scene full of life.
By the time Lu Zhiwan arrived, Xia He had already arranged everything in the palace with the palace maids. Now that her position had risen, her palace had also been upgraded, and the number of palace maids serving her had increased from five to fifteen.
After Xia He and fourteen other palace maids paid their respects to Lu Zhiwan, they accompanied her to visit the new house.
"Master, this time we have finally found happiness after all the hardship!" With no outsiders around, Xia He showed no sign of hiding her joy. Tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled at Lu Zhiwan, "With your majesty's grace, no one will dare to bully you anymore."
Lu Zhiwan hated to see others cry in front of her, especially girls. She felt a little sad when Xia He cried, and then she thought of the honest original owner who was murdered in the deep palace, and she couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.
The master and servant stared at each other, feeling sentimental for a while. Then a palace servant came from outside the hall to report: "Master, Concubine Zhao from Changchun Palace has come to pay her respects."
Lady Zhao? The original owner's fellow villager, what was she doing here?
Lu Zhiwan wanted to say no, but as the words reached his lips, his mind suddenly flashed back to the time when the original owner was bullied by Lady Zhao. Just because the deceased was gone didn't mean the perpetrators could live in peace and without retribution. The pain that Zhu had inflicted on others would eventually come back to haunt him.
Slowly rolling up his sleeves, Lu Zhiwan said, "Let her come in."
Xia He was slightly startled when she heard the calm order. She looked up and saw that her master's fair face, which had always had a cynical look in recent days, was now serious and solemn. She didn't know whether it was because of his different status or because of his gorgeous attire, but there was a kind of majesty and dignity that she had never had before in her graceful eyes and eyebrows.
Is this still the master she has served since she was a child? Xia He looked dazed, and it wasn't until Lu Zhiwan glanced at her again that she came back to her senses. She quickly lowered her eyes and responded, then turned around to pass on the order.
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