Chapter 135: Using Wine as a Pretext

He stood up, extinguished the two lamps, and returned to the bed.

The room dimmed. He pulled back the quilt and embraced the sleeping figure from behind. His chin rested on the crown of her head, his chest pressed firmly against her slender back, fitting together without a single gap.

Even though it was so warm, he could not fall asleep.

A sigh escaped his lips, catching even himself off guard. Almost immediately, a hand rested on the back of his, the gentle touch helping him relax.

Xue Xue stirred, waking in a haze. She turned slowly in his arms, buried her face against his chest, and breathed in his scent.

"I won't leave, Ziqing," she murmured, rubbing against him. Her voice was thick with sleep, sounding almost like a playful pout.

The room was silent, filled with the scent of the night.

When she heard no response for a long time, she assumed he had fallen asleep and nestled against his chest again, ready to drift off.

Suddenly, however, he turned her over and pinned her beneath him. Without giving her a chance to speak, he covered her lips with his own. His kiss was clumsy and frantic, causing Xue Xue to let out a soft cry of pain.

The kiss came as abruptly as a summer storm at night, catching her completely off guard.

One of her hands gripped the clothes at his waist tightly, while the other hung limply against the pillow. Her long hair spread out beneath her like a fan of silk.

He held her and kissed her for a long while, until the only sound in the room was their ragged breathing.

"Did I frighten you? I'm sorry." He rubbed his forehead against hers, his voice as soft and gentle as ripples on a spring pond.

"What is wrong with you?" She reached out to stroke his long hair, sensing that he was troubled.

Her fingertips moved aimlessly across his scalp, a touch that made his skin tingle.

"You have no idea... your hand is teasing me." He lifted his head slightly and pinched her chin. "If you tell me to stop, I will listen."

With that, he pinched her chin and kissed her again, his breath filled with lingering tenderness.

Xue Xue instinctively tightened her fingers in his hair, refusing to let him have his way.

Ji Wuqing stopped, looking at her with a hint of grievance.

"I... I didn't say stop. So, I'm saying stop now... Mmph..."

Her words were cut short as he kissed her again, silencing everything.

He kissed her with intense sincerity and passion, a deep intimacy blooming between their lips. Xue Xue closed her eyes; there was no shyness, no panic, no confusion left.

Everything was real. He was kissing her, and she had no desire to pull away.

Slowly, their robes slipped away, the red and white garments discarded on the floor, tangled together as if trying to merge into one.

"Ziqing..." she finally whispered, hooking her arms around his neck and gazing at him with hazy eyes.

He responded with deep, lingering kisses, as if she were honey he wanted to melt into.

He kept kissing her, denying her any chance to speak.

Only when everything had finally calmed did he hold her close, his large hand gently stroking her back. He whispered into her ear, "Xue'er, I love you so much..."

Exhausted by his intensity, Xue Xue was still somewhat drowsy, but she answered him earnestly, "I love you too..."

***

The next day.

The sun outside was bright; compared to the persistent drizzle of the past few days, it was a beautiful, clear day.

When she woke up, Ji Wuqing was gone. She was alone in the bed. She felt a momentary sense of loss; they had been inseparable lately.

She rolled over, remembering the events of the previous night, and felt a slight ache in her body.

However, she was dressed, and the bedding was clean and comfortable, a testament to his thoughtfulness.

She smiled and prepared to get up.

Yuzhi was waiting outside. Xue Xue dressed herself before letting her in to help with her hair.

"Why didn't you sleep a little longer, Your Highness? When the King left, he specifically instructed me not to wake you." Yuzhi beamed. She saw how devoted the King and Queen were to each other and was genuinely happy for her mistress.

It wasn't just the King's favor; anyone could see that the King could not live without her. What delighted Yuzhi was that the Queen was just as devoted to him.

"I had enough sleep," Xue Xue said with a smile, feeling a bit bashful. "When did the King leave?"

"He left around the hour of the Rabbit, before the sky was even bright," Yuzhi replied. "It seems there have been new developments in the Wu Kingdom, and the King went to oversee things."

Speaking of the war, Yuzhi looked worried. Regardless of the reason, it was better to avoid war if possible.

Inside the Ji Kingdom's camp.

"Yu Bufan, you have a lot of nerve!" With a slap, a document was thrown onto Yu Bufan. Although Ji Wuqing’s strength was considerable, it wasn't a weapon, so it caused no harm.

"This subordinate acted thoughtlessly. Please punish me, Your Majesty." Yu Bufan picked up the document and knelt.

"Tell me, how did Zuoqiu Liye respond to you?" Seeing his demeanor, Ji Wuqing calmed down. He sat on his chair and asked thoughtfully.

"I did not expect him to remember that yesterday was Luyi's birthday. So, I failed to borrow the Bamboo Flower Wine. He said he had already given it to Luyi to drink."

"I never imagined that you and Zuoqiu Liye were both such sentimental men," Ji Wuqing chuckled.

Didn't Zuoqiu Liye boast about being a "heartless emperor"? Yet he showed such deep devotion to his imperial sister.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I am not like Zuoqiu Liye. This will never happen again... there will be no next time." Luyi's birthday had passed; he would not make the same mistake twice.

"I will let this pass for the sake of your devotion. See that you conduct yourself accordingly."

After Yu Bufan made several promises, he left. Shortly after, Luohua walked in carrying a medical kit.

"Yu Bufan seems like a calm and intelligent man, but I never expected him to be so trapped by his emotions. To go to such lengths for someone who is already dead—even thinking of borrowing wine from Zuoqiu Liye—it’s quite something." Luohua placed the kit on the table, his tone playful.

"Hmph, is that what you call an intelligent man?" Ji Wuqing shook his head, offering no further comment.

Luohua stopped talking about Yu Bufan. He inspected the wound on Ji Wuqing’s shoulder and laughed, "It seems you didn't listen to my advice. Do you really want to lose the use of this shoulder and arm?"

The wound was healing well, but for some reason, it had split open again. The hard scab had cracked, revealing raw red flesh and faint traces of blood.

"You aren't afraid of the Queen finding out?" Luohua teased.

"And if she does?" How would she find out? He had left early in the morning.

"I hear that leads to separate beds."

"..." The King was momentarily choked. "Check my wrist, how is it?"

"It’s recovering quite well," Luohua said, looking at the wrist and the terrifying scars there. "However, the marks left by the Thousand-Legged Centipede are hard to erase. You shouldn't mind that, right?"

He didn't mind, naturally. But every time Xue'er touched the scars on his wrist, she would pause, which made him feel uneasy.

"How is your internal energy lately? Has it improved?"

"Yes," Ji Wuqing nodded.

"You must be careful using the centipede to increase your internal energy. You must take the medicine I gave you on time, or the residual poison will be impossible to suppress. If the poison flares up one day, even I won't be able to help you." Luohua spoke solemnly. "If you can't remember to take your medicine, I can tell the Queen; she will certainly supervise you well."

"Why don't you go back to the Cheng Kingdom?" The King retorted immediately.

"No hurry," Luohua said with a smile.

"Aren't you afraid your little princess will tear the roof off your palace?" Ji Wuqing teased.

"She can't."

"And what about your little imperial brother?"

"..." Luohua looked at him. "Your Majesty should get some rest. I’m afraid this shoulder will need a long time to heal."

Indeed, he still had a score to settle with Zuoqiu Liye. Their grievances were truly endless; it seemed he would have to settle them one by one.

Inside the Wu Kingdom's camp.

"My Lord, was that person truly Yu Bufan? The Yu Bufan from the Yu Painting House?" She had heard about the events of the previous night—that the Ji Kingdom general named Yu Bufan had sent a message to borrow Bamboo Flower Wine.

While the story sounded absurd, if that man was the Yu Bufan she knew, then everything made sense.

"How would I know which Yu Bufan you are talking about?" Zuoqiu Liye didn't look up, his expression devoid of surprise.

He sat quietly, flipping through a book, though his eyes remained blank; he wasn't really reading.

"You must have known from the start, My Lord. Yet here I was, worrying needlessly." Gongshen Ling'er suddenly realized something. He was a Zuoqiu; how could he not know who was fighting for the Ji Kingdom?

Still, it surprised her that Yu Bufan would serve the Ji Kingdom. After all, he was a man of Wu, and Luyi was a princess of Wu.

"Have you forgotten? Everyone in the Yu Painting House was executed by my decree. As for this 'Yu Bufan,' he is merely an enemy of the Wu Kingdom, nothing more." Zuoqiu Liye finally looked up. "Do not bother me with such trivial matters again. Do you understand?"

"Ling'er understands." She lowered her head, feeling that something about the situation was strange.

She walked out of the tent, her expression distant.