Chapter 24 A Morbid Affection for Tao
Tao Qingyang slowed down her movements as she tied Qin Song's cloak, turning her head to meet her eyes, as if hoping to hear some kind of answer she was looking for.
It was this slightly cunning look in his eyes that suddenly reminded Qin Song of the perfume he had smelled on him, causing him to feel an uncontrollable physical aversion.
Like a drunkard who has drunk a bowl of sobering soup, she finally snapped out of his seduction and immediately pulled herself away from his unpredictable tenderness.
She pushed his tall figure away and said sternly, "Tao Qingyang, save your tricks for the courtesan! As you can see, Lu Youchuan and I have already been intimate. After we return to the city, let's annul the engagement."
When Tao Qingyang heard the name "Lu Youchuan," his eyes narrowed slightly, but quickly returned to calm, even revealing a rare and genuine smile.
After taking off his cloak, he appeared more gentle in his plain brocade robe. He straightened his sleeves and said calmly, "I said I don't mind."
What does he care about? They didn't even finish what they started.
"Indulgent Fragrance" is not an ordinary medicine; it is a poison.
If something were to happen, Lu Youchuan would be full of energy and radiant, all his energy drained by the drugs, keeping him in a state of extreme excitement until he dies from excessive indulgence.
On the contrary, resisting and enduring will only make you weak and powerless, and you may even be unable to get out of bed, but that is temporary and you will recover in a few days.
Lu Youchuan's willingness to endure the agonizing desire rather than offend her is enough to prove how much he values her.
This is the most fun place.
Tao Qing looked up ahead, no longer looking at her, and no longer speaking.
Qin Song couldn't help but recall the events of last night—
...He lifted her onto the dressing table, then knelt down, supported her waist, and bent down to bury his face in her hands...
Qin Song's feet were firmly planted on his shoulders, his eyes glazed over. Several times he almost couldn't sit still before he finally looked up and wiped the water from his lips...
When Qin Song finally saw what she had been insisting on seeing, his eyes widened in shock; it was something no ordinary person could tolerate…
It was this subtle reaction that brought Lu Youchuan back to his senses. Like a criminal who had gone astray and turned back to the right path, he suddenly stopped what he was doing.
He pulled her into his arms, pressed his lips to the crook of her neck, and repeatedly said, "Wait for me to marry you," as if silently reciting some kind of firm belief.
His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing was erratic, his chest heaved violently, one hand held her tightly, the other hand fell down...
The muffled groan that escaped her throat completely shattered her usual ascetic and aloof demeanor.
Despite his impressive record, Qin Song seemed like a naive child, stunned and afraid to resist. Even the slightest movement from her could excite him even more.
Qin Song would remember that scene for the rest of his life; just thinking about it made him...
After a long time, her clothes became damp and sticky, and only then did he release her.
He carried her to the bed, buried his head in her arms, and reached out...
After she offered to help him, he smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, then gently patted the back of her neck, causing her to fall into a deep sleep without any warning.
·
The carriage sped along and soon returned to the capital. Outside, the sounds of people growing louder filled the air.
The city garrison guards hurriedly reported: "General, His Majesty has issued an urgent decree."
Tao Qing looked up and heard the sound, then frowned and remained silent.
The coachman raised his whip, caught in a dilemma: "General, shall we go directly to the palace?"
Qin Song also awaited his instructions, only to see him touch the mask with his right hand and then release it.
“Go to the Qin residence,” Tao Qingyang replied crisply.
The coachman's whip fell, and the carriage and horses continued their galloping, while the accompanying soldiers remained outside the city gate.
When the carriage arrived at the Qin residence, there was a commotion outside, as if a large crowd had gathered. Qin Song paid no attention to anything else, pushed open the carriage door, and was about to get out when she glanced outside. She immediately stepped back and neatly closed the door.
"Scared?" Tao Qingyang remained seated, but had put on a mask, as if he knew the scene outside the car and was certain that Qin Song would come back.
Qin Song was indeed very surprised. The palace eunuchs, the imperial guards who should have been standing guard in front of the emperor, and the onlookers surrounded the Qin residence in layers.
What exactly happened? It was even more closely monitored than by the Censorate.
"What are you doing?" Qin Song asked Tao Qingyang.
"Since Miss Qin hasn't returned all night, we must set up a stage to welcome the protagonist back."
His words were ambiguous, and Qin Song couldn't help but press, "What exactly happened in the palace?"
"Minister Lei's scandalous behavior in the palace is probably over now. As for the rest, I don't know for the time being, but given the current state of the Lei family, the Empress can't possibly leave no way out," Tao Qingyang said, then became inappropriate again, his gaze fixed on Qin Song. "Sister A Song has been missing for a night, which is perfect for making a fuss about."
It really was for her!
Qin Song had a vague idea that the people surrounding the Qin residence were from the palace, and it must be related to something happening in the palace.
She escaped from the net last night, and the palace is still unaware of the situation. In addition, Yun Qian is nowhere to be found. If something happens, she is the perfect scapegoat.
But what should we do now? Showing ourselves rashly might just lead us into a trap.
"Take me back to my residence," Qin Song said tentatively, looking at Tao Qingyang.
Tao Qing looked up at her with a nonchalant gaze: "How should I deliver it?"
He was asking how he should respond when people in the palace asked him questions after he left.
"Do whatever you want."
After speaking, Qin Song bent down and walked over, obediently sitting in her lap, closing his eyes and leaning against her chest, pretending to be unconscious, and no longer responding.
Perhaps it was because she was too direct, Tao Qing's hand, which was resting on her knee, unconsciously clenched for a moment.
Qin Song didn't elaborate on the specifics, but Tao Qingyang was unwilling to annul the engagement with her and probably wanted everyone to know that they had been together last night, which would conveniently distance her from the unclear situation in the palace.
He's just holding the title of fiancé; he can always find a way to annul the engagement later.
Qin Song had her eyes closed, but she could still feel Tao Qing's gaze fixed on her face, moving across it as if it were a physical object, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
He stared at her for a long time, then finally chuckled softly before raising his hand to support her waist, back, and knees, and lifting her up in his arms.
The car door opened again, and the cold wind lashed at my face, stinging my skin. A cacophony of noise erupted from the throng of people, making it feel like I was in a theater.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Tao Qing, holding the beautiful woman with her eyes closed in his arms, walked step by step into the encirclement of the officials.
A group of people immediately surrounded them.
"It's General Tao... Oh dear, Miss Qin is back too!" The eunuch from the palace spoke first, staring at the woman in his arms, and was overjoyed at the sight of the woman he had been waiting for.
But Tao Qingyang's words made him frown again, "Miss Qin has caught a cold and is unconscious. Please allow her to leave, sir."
"Unconscious?" The young eunuch was startled and immediately turned to the guard general behind him, ordering, "Quickly, quickly summon the imperial physician."
Just as the general was about to send someone off, Tao Qingyang interrupted, "Your Excellency, please wait. The situation is urgent. Let's have the physician from the Qin family take a look first."
A distant water cannot quench a nearby fire, and summoning the imperial physician would indeed take time. The young eunuch did not press the matter, but stared at the two of them in their postures, and asked helplessly, "Then... what, what exactly is going on here?"
Tao Qingyang, with his broad shoulders and astonishing strength, held Qin Song steadily and effortlessly in his arms. Facing the probing questions of the crowd, he spoke calmly: "Last night, after Miss Qin left the palace with my younger sister, the snowy night made the roads slippery, and she accidentally fell into the lake. Although I rescued her, I was trapped by the snow. It was freezing cold, and I spent the whole night there. Miss Qin is currently unconscious. Since her life is of utmost importance, please allow her to leave."
"You two were together all night?" the young eunuch asked thoughtfully.
"I am ashamed; it was my oversight that led me to this," Tao Qingyang said, sounding ashamed, but his tone was quite smug.
Everyone around, whether officials, eunuchs, or ordinary people watching the spectacle, was astonished, and for no reason, hundreds of strange stories about lonely men and women spending the night together came to mind.
Qin Song had anticipated this, but still felt that Tao Qingyang was being hypocritical and had gotten the better deal.
Qin Song was indignant. He placed his hand lightly on her chest, then, using the loose robe as cover, he pinched her chest hard.
"Forehead…"
Tao Qing let out a strange cry of pain through his teeth, and the little eunuch immediately looked at him with sharp eyes, "General Tao, what's wrong?"
"I lost my composure. I was bitten by a kitten yesterday, and it still hurts a bit." He was strong and muscular, and even when Qin Song pinched him, he didn't sway in the slightest. Instead, his tone sounded somewhat excited.
He was like an impenetrable fortress, letting her pinch and bite him as if it were just a tickle. Qin Song decided to give him another hard pinch before letting go.
The young eunuch, completely unaware of what was happening beneath the clothes, was only concerned with his mission. He chuckled awkwardly twice before getting back to the main point: "His Majesty is still waiting for Miss Qin. With Miss Qin in this state... what should we do?"
Tao Qingyang deliberately tightened his embrace around the person in his arms: "Miss Qin is seriously ill and unable to see you. If you have nothing urgent to attend to, you may return first."
The young eunuch was caught in a dilemma, and almost tiptoed to inquire about Qin Song's situation:
"General Tao, you may not know this, but a major incident has occurred in the palace. The Crown Prince has gone missing, and the Empress has been poisoned. It is uncertain whether she can keep the imperial heir. Yesterday, everyone's whereabouts were investigated, but only Miss Qin and her maid had the opportunity to commit the crime, and..."
He stopped speaking cautiously halfway through his sentence.
The Crown Prince is missing? The Empress is poisoned?
Qin Song lay in Tao Qingyang's arms, listening carefully to the young eunuch's words. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. How could it be such a coincidence?
But since it was just a few sentences without any beginning or end, Qin Song couldn't figure it out.
He continued, "This matter is very troublesome. Lord Qin just came out of the Dali Temple and then requested to enter the palace, but that is not enough to appease His Majesty's anger. If I go back empty-handed, I'm afraid I will be punished. If Miss Qin really can't wake up, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Miss Qin's maid to come to the palace with me first."
Her father went to the palace again? No wonder there was such a big commotion at the gate but no sign of her father. Qin Song began to regret pretending to be sick. Since her father was in the palace, what harm would it do for her to go to the palace?
But it would be too fake for her to suddenly wake up now. She secretly tugged at Tao Qingyang's clothes, signaling him to quickly change the subject.
Tao Qingyang clearly felt the movement of the person in his arms, but he only glanced down at them, and after a wicked smile, he said calmly, "Coincidentally, Miss Qin got separated from her maid after entering the palace, and the maid's whereabouts are still unknown. Don't worry, Eunuch, I will enter the palace later and will personally report the situation to His Majesty."
As soon as he finished speaking, he carried Qin Song, ignoring the officials blocking the doorway, and steadily moved forward. The two imperial guards holding spears at the gate hesitated whether to stop him when they met Tao Qingyang's gaze, but in the end they timidly stepped aside.
Entering the mansion is not the same as leaving it, so why would we be afraid they'll run away?
As soon as they stepped into the mansion, the Qin family's servants and servants quickly surrounded them, hurriedly making arrangements and then turning pale with shock at the two men's behavior.
But matters have priorities, and even the upright and unyielding Zhao Bo didn't rush to say anything more, leading the two back to Qin Song's boudoir.
As soon as he entered the room, no longer worried about being watched by spies, Qin Song immediately jumped down and said urgently, "My father is in the palace. I'll go into the palace with you."
Upon seeing this, Uncle Zhao, unaware of what was happening, widened his eyes and asked, "Miss, are you alright?"
Without bothering to explain further, Qin Song took a step and walked out, but Tao Qingyang was one step ahead of her, going around to the front and blocking her way.
Qin Song was walking too fast and suddenly bumped into his back.
"Ouch." He cried out in pain again, and a few faint bloodstains appeared on the fabric of his clothes on his back.
"You, your injury hasn't healed yet?" Qin Song carefully took half a step back.
Tao Qingyang calmly closed the door and turned around.
The pain of the reopened wound on his back didn't seem to bother him. On the contrary, his eyes held a suppressed excitement mixed with a morbid lust, as if he wanted her to thrust into him a few more times, preferably tearing his flesh apart and torturing him mercilessly.
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The author's note: Lu and the girl didn't go all the way, but the girl did. I don't like drugs causing the first night. I prefer that the more you can't control yourself, the more you should try to control yourself. At the right time, when both of you are fully conscious, things will naturally fall into place.
When they truly come together, Tao Qingyang will completely break down.
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