Chapter 74 Not Letting Her Back Down
Just as he was about to make a move and signal, a warm current suddenly rushed towards him.
Immediately afterwards, his thin lips, which were slightly cool, were gently covered by a soft and warm touch.
In an instant, his body tensed up as if struck by an electric current, and his previously relaxed hands clenched tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
At this moment, Yi Mingyu's mind was exceptionally clear; he knew exactly what they were doing. With his strength, he could stop it all immediately with a simple step back.
However, the indescribable stirring in his heart made him involuntarily choose to follow his inner desires; driven by selfishness, he really didn't want to stop there.
Gu Qingxu held the oil-paper umbrella steadily in her hand, tilted her slender neck slightly, and gently pressed her lips to his thin lips.
She hadn't expected his lips to be so cold, which reminded her of the night he had stood in the rain.
Her lips touched his, but she herself had no experience and only touched him lightly before instinctively wanting to pull away.
The hard-won warmth seemed to be about to leave, and in Yi Mingyu's mind, countless voices seemed to be clamoring and frantically shouting to hold onto this rare warmth.
Just as Gu Qingxu's lips were about to leave, his hand, which had been hanging by his side, instinctively and quickly gripped her slender waist.
Then, with a sudden burst of strength, he pulled her tightly into his embrace. Lowering his head slightly, his lips, still carrying the scent of Gu Qingsu, impatiently pressed down once more on her warm, rosy lips.
Gu Qingxu's eyes widened slightly, and the oil-paper umbrella that she had been holding steadily slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground with a thud.
She felt her waist being held tightly by him, as if locked in iron clamps, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free for a while.
Yi Mingyu's tall figure completely concealed her. His dry, thin lips lingered on hers, as if touching the sweetest dew in the world, intoxicated by it, unwilling to leave.
Their breathing gradually became heavier, their warm breaths mingling and dispersing in the drizzling rain.
Gu Qingxu's half-closed eyelashes were quietly dampened by the fine rain and mist, like flower petals covered with dew in the morning, making her appear even more serene and captivating.
Her warm hand unconsciously rested on his shoulder and arm. She expected to feel a chill, but she was surprised to find that his body seemed even hotter than hers.
Yi Mingyu gently pecked at her, his tightly closed eyes slowly opening slightly. Gu Qingsu's half-closed eyes immediately entered his deep and turbulent gaze.
His thin lips stiffened slightly, and the heat surging through his body left him somewhat at a loss, as if all the blood in his body was boiling at this moment.
Upon realizing what he had done, a shy blush instantly rose to his ears, and he slowly released her.
His mouth was so dry that he couldn't help but purse his lips and lightly lick them.
Watching her leave, Gu Qingxu finally took a deep breath. Just now, she had almost lost her breath and thought she was about to suffocate.
But when she tried to step back and create some distance, she realized that Yi Mingyu's large hand was still tightly gripping her waist, and she couldn't help but look at him.
The man panicked instantly when she looked at him like that. He awkwardly let go of her and slowly withdrew his hand, but his hand hung in the air, unsure of what to do, looking extremely embarrassed.
This was the first time Gu Qingxu had ever experienced something like this. Her heart, which was originally as calm as a still lake, was now like a stone had been thrown in, causing ripples to spread.
Facing Yi Mingyu, her expression became slightly unnatural for the first time. A faint blush appeared on her fair cheeks, and she felt a shyness she had never experienced before, making her momentarily unsure how to face the man before her.
After a moment of silence, she hurriedly picked up her fallen umbrella. Then, as if afraid of being discovered, she hastily shoved the umbrella into Yi Mingyu's hands, her voice trembling with urgency.
Here, take the umbrella.
After saying that, he hurriedly ran back to the mansion and disappeared from Yi Mingyu's sight.
After taking a few steps behind a pillar and making sure Yi Mingyu couldn't see her, she slowly reached out and gently patted her chest to catch her breath.
However, she was horrified to find that her heart was pounding wildly, like a runaway horse, and no matter how hard she tried to calm herself, she couldn't soothe her racing heart.
On the other side, Yi Mingyu's well-defined knuckles gripped the oil-paper umbrella Gu Qingsu had given him tightly, and an uncontrollable smile crept onto his lips.
The sunlight seemed to break through numerous obstacles, striving to pierce through the thick clouds and pour down. The continuous drizzle, as if receiving some kind of command, also stopped abruptly.
On the horizon, a colorful halo appeared for a moment under the refraction of sunlight.
The roses, glistening with dew, exuded a delicate fragrance under the gentle caress of the sunlight.
Yi Mingyu acted swiftly, arriving immediately with generous betrothal gifts to propose marriage. The gifts filled the entire courtyard, a dazzling array that nearly blocked the road.
Seeing this scene, although Cheng Shi did not want to give Yi Mingyu a good look, when she thought about how Yi Mingyu was able to come to annul the engagement without hesitation when the Yi family was in trouble, she was impressed by this young man.
With the wedding on the agenda, Gu Qingxu planned to go to the palace to properly thank Gu Qingming.
Gu Qingxu had never been to the palace, and had almost never seen anyone in the palace.
At this moment, when she saw her once kind and gentle elder sister dressed in magnificent palace attire, exuding elegance and nobility in every gesture, and radiating an innate majesty, she was stunned and dared not utter a sound.
Gu Qingming looked at her expression carefully, but the eight-year-old child in front of him had now grown into a tall and graceful figure. Gu Qingming felt a little uncomfortable standing in front of him.
She raised an eyebrow slightly and couldn't help but tease, "Little Wu can't even greet people anymore?"
When Gu Qingming asked her that question, Gu Qingxu finally came to her senses and quickly spoke up, calling out the title she hadn't used in a long time. Her voice was clear but also a little nervous: "Big sister."
A gentle light instantly appeared in Gu Qingming's stern eyes. With a smile, she pulled Gu Qingsu to sit down in front of her, reached out and gently patted her head, speaking softly.
"Xiao Wu has grown up."
Her tone was full of emotion, and her eyes seemed to be thinking about something. If she hadn't entered the palace, she might have been able to accompany her as she grew up.
There seemed to be an invisible bond of kinship pulling the sisters together. Before long, Gu Qingxu relaxed and began to talk with Gu Qingming.
During the pleasantries, Gu Qingming said, "I also want to thank you for helping the Yi family. The palace has everything we need. This is the first prize I won at the beginning of the year, a luminous pearl, which I'm giving to you, elder sister."
As she spoke, she handed over the luminous pearl she had prepared earlier.
Looking at the luminous pearl that still had a warm luster in the daytime, Gu Qingming knew that it was truly rare, and a warm feeling welled up in his eyes.
She shook her head slightly and said, "This is not my achievement. If my fourth brother hadn't presented the list, I wouldn't have been able to make the connection so easily."
"Then thank you all. Fourth Brother and Eldest Sister are both grateful," Gu Qingxu quickly said.
As the two were talking, a palace maid hurriedly came to deliver a message, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived in person and has already reached the Jade Pavilion."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingming frowned slightly. According to the route, they should arrive soon. With a thought in mind, she quickly instructed the palace maid to take the luminous pearl away and hurriedly ordered her aunt to send Gu Qingsu out of the palace.
Before he could even straighten his clothes, a loud voice came from outside the door announcing the Emperor's arrival.
Gu Qingming quickly stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty, I greet you."
"Ming'er, there's no need for such formalities." The Emperor helped her up.
He glanced around and couldn't help but ask, "I heard that my sister is coming to visit tomorrow, where is she?"
The Emperor learned early in the morning that her fifth sister was coming to visit, and he couldn't help but come to see the scene of the sisters' affection.
"His Majesty is late. My aunt just saw the person out," Gu Qingming said softly with a faint smile on his face.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor did not press the matter further. He simply pulled her into his arms and asked with concern, "How are you feeling?"
"It's alright," Gu Qingming replied softly, leaning gently against him.
"That's good. As long as you take good care of yourself, you'll definitely be able to conceive." The Emperor gently massaged her soft shoulders and arms, speaking with tenderness.
Gu Qingming responded with a sweet, agreeing smile, but beneath that smile lay a chilling clarity in her heart: she could never conceive, much less have children.
Since she was already the most favored imperial concubine, she had to give up something to gain something else.
Gu Qingsu was hurriedly led out by her aunt. Just as they were leaving, they saw the Emperor, dressed in a black dragon robe, standing tall and straight, followed by a few attendants, entering in a grand procession.
Just seeing that disappearing figure, Gu Qingxu felt an unprecedented sense of majesty, as if an invisible pressure was pressing down on her.
She couldn't help but feel a chill. Was this the palace? Just standing here made her feel breathless.
When Gu Qingming entered the palace, everyone said she was there to enjoy a life of luxury, but they forgot that when she first entered the palace, she was just a lowly concubine.
The path she took from a lowly concubine to the most favored imperial consort is unknown to anyone.
However, after only a few hours in the palace, Gu Qingxu felt that the atmosphere there was extremely oppressive.
But Gu Qingming stayed here for several years, and even intends to spend his entire life here.
Within these high red walls, what appears to be a place of wealth and luxury is actually a place where people are devoured without a trace.
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