Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Softer, the Child Is Still Sleeping
A man’s heart should be iron to his dying day.
Yet, the same affair touches different hearts in different ways.
He told himself he had seen every kind of weeping beauty: those on the verge of tears, those as lovely as pear blossoms in the rain, and those who cried their hearts out.
Just a few days ago, the breathtakingly beautiful Princess Consort Wei had sobbed uncontrollably in front of Hongsheng Hall, and he had felt nothing but annoyance.
Only this pure little lotus could make her tears seep into his heart, one drop at a time.
In the teahouse, she had defied him again. He had a thousand cruel ways to make her admit her fault and submit in an instant.
But the moment he saw her red-rimmed eyes and trembling shoulders, he couldn’t bring himself to act. He couldn’t find it in his heart to be truly cruel and punish her.
Emperor Wu Su closed his palm around the jade pendant, holding it up to the lamplight for a closer look.
A smirk played on his lips. "Have I lost my memory? I thought this five-color thread was broken. Now it seems to have mysteriously mended itself."
Ji Qingwu’s fingers fidgeted together. The tips were still red from the force she’d used to weave the cord.
Emperor Wu Su raised an eyebrow and continued in a leisurely tone, "Not only is it repaired, but it has gained a delicate little lotus flower."
At the point where the five-color thread had snapped, an exquisite, multicolored lotus flower was now nestled.
The petals overlapped in layers, each one outlined in gold thread. It was clearly a work of painstaking effort.
Emperor Wu Su couldn’t help but recall when he had first entered the room. She had been a petite figure in a powder-blue nightgown, her profile serene and gentle in the lamplight, and his vexation had immediately begun to fade.
Then, when he saw what she was so earnestly focused on...
Any anger he felt, no matter how great, simply vanished.
He had stood by the door, watching her with rapt attention for as long as she had been weaving.
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze darkened. "You stayed up this late just to mend this?"
Ji Qingwu’s face burned with embarrassment, and she desperately wanted to flee.
’She didn’t know what had possessed her. With her eyes open or shut, all she could see was this broken five-color thread.’
’So she’d stayed up to work on it, only to be caught in the act by the uninvited Emperor. She couldn’t understand her own bizarre behavior. Perhaps she just couldn’t stand to see something she’d made be destroyed.’
Seeing her head droop to her chest, Emperor Wu Su, his eyes as dark as polished lacquer, said simply, "Put it on me."
Ji Qingwu lifted her head and asked naively, "Didn’t Your Majesty say you didn’t want it?"
"When did I ever say that?"
’He hadn’t said it, but his actions had made it clear.’
’Back in the teahouse, he’d torn off the jade pendant, thrown it at her, and stormed off in a rage. To this day, Ji Qingwu didn’t dare recall the Emperor’s terrifying expression from that moment.’
Seeing her mind wander again, Emperor Wu Su gazed down at her face.
He said in a low voice, "To take without asking is considered theft."
’Theft? But isn’t this jade pendant her property?’
Emperor Wu Su was showing her the true meaning of suffering in silence.
He didn’t press the point. His gaze was sharp as he said, "Since you’ve stolen my jade, there must be reciprocity."
Ji Qingwu fell into his trap. "What kind of reciprocity?" ’What could she possibly have in this room that the Emperor would want?’
In a cool voice, he spoke words of amorous poetry.
"Why, stealing jade... and stealing fragrance."
Ji Qingwu’s face instantly flushed crimson.
Amusement filled Emperor Wu Su’s eyes. He remarked thoughtfully, "You look far more pleasing with a red face than you do with red eyes."
It dawned on Ji Qingwu what he meant.
’Your Majesty the Emperor is startling with a cold expression,’ she thought, ’but his smile is even more nerve-racking. His presence alone is a trial for my poor heart.’
The warm candlelight bathed Emperor Wu Su’s handsome features, making even his cool eyes seem as gentle and lustrous as jade.
Her heart fluttered, and she hastily changed the subject. "Doesn’t Your Majesty want the jade pendant put on?"
He gently placed the jade pendant on her lap as he drew closer.
He must have been standing by the door for a long time; there was no chill of the outdoors on him. Even his robes had taken on the fragrance of the incense in her room.
Ji Qingwu, kneeling on the edge of the chaise lounge, picked up the jade pendant and leaned forward slightly.
Her fingertips accidentally brushed against Emperor Wu Su’s waist. It felt nothing like a woman’s soft resilience; it was hard and powerful.
Ji Qingwu tried her best to avoid touching him, her entire body tensing up.
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze was dark and inscrutable.
From this angle, as she leaned forward in her loose nightgown, her collar gaped open, and his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the dazzling expanse of pale skin.
She was oblivious. As she tied the pendant, her movements caused the soft curves of her chest to tremble slightly.
Sensing the breathing above her grow heavier, Ji Qingwu quickened her pace.
Beads of sweat formed on the tip of her nose as she whispered, "Your Majesty, it’s done."
Ji Qingwu sat up straight and began to retreat.
He leaned down, pressing a hand to her back, his large palm sliding down to her waist.
Ji Qingwu was only in her nightgown; the outer robe she had draped over her shoulders had long since slipped off. She flinched, scalded by the heat of his palm.
The hand continued its descent, then gave her bottom a squeeze that was neither light nor heavy. A soft cry escaped Ji Qingwu’s lips.
She was immediately met with a "kind" reminder from the Emperor.
"Quiet now. The child is still asleep."
Startled, Ji Qingwu quickly glanced toward the bed curtains. Jiu Jiu was fast asleep, showing no signs of waking.
She struck his shoulder, a mixture of shame and anger.
’He knew the little girl was sleeping, yet he still dared to grope her so shamelessly.’
’But she regretted it the moment she did it. Who dared to strike the Emperor? It was a crime of lèse-majesté, punishable by death.’
She immediately turned her head to carefully study his expression, checking to see if he was angry.
Emperor Wu Su let out a low, bewitching chuckle.
She was like a cornered little animal, eyes wide, baring its tiny claws in what it thought was a fearsome display, only to end up scratching him right where he itched the most.
Emperor Wu Su’s heart softened, but his hands did not.
He took the chance to give her a few more squeezes. After getting his fill, he said with satisfaction, "Am I too easygoing? You even dare to bully me now."
Though she was clearly the one being thoroughly bullied, Ji Qingwu could only endure it with a guilty conscience.
She bit her lip, refusing to make a sound.
He sighed contentedly. "How did it grow to be like this? As supple as tender tofu."
She looked up, dazed, her eyes misty. Then she heard his rich, low whisper in her ear.
"Hold on tight."
’Hold on to what? What did he mean?’
Ji Qingwu found out soon enough. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped.
With a single arm, Emperor Wu Su lifted her effortlessly from the chaise lounge, as if she weighed nothing at all.
The world spun before Ji Qingwu’s eyes. To keep her balance, she grabbed onto his broad shoulders.
Her breath was a soft whisper, strands of her hair brushing against his neck. The fresh, clean scent of her skin after her bath grew more potent.
The muscles in Emperor Wu Su’s arm tensed, and he suddenly gave her a little bounce, as if he were placating a child.
Afraid she would fall, Ji Qingwu immediately threw her arms around his neck, pressing her upper body tightly against his firm chest, completely dependent on him.
Emperor Wu Su felt like he was holding a light, soft cloud. He tightened his arm, pulling her even closer.
From this position, Ji Qingwu could look down on him. Surely no one had ever seen the Emperor from this angle before. She could see every flicker of emotion on his face.
His gaze fell upon her neck, meticulously tracing the line of her collarbone before dipping below the crossover collar of her nightgown.
Emperor Wu Su’s gaze darkened.
He looked up, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and said in a low, husky voice, "Ah Wu, I have far more patience for you than I ever expected."
