[Fantasy] The Beauty's Tribulation (Complete) - 22-24

Three years

on the Qin-Chu border, at the Blackwater River.

Winters in the south are not as harsh as in the north, with its constant heavy snowfall. However, the bone-chilling cold of the southern drizzle is no less biting.

Qin Wei, wrapped in a half-wet cotton coat, wearily gazed behind him at the group of wounded soldiers struggling to move forward on the slippery mountain path, needing to support each other. A sudden sense of desolation washed over him. The wound on his arm, aggravated by the cold water, was burning painfully. Lacking suitable herbs, this old ailment had begun to fester and rot. Each time he cleaned the wound and changed the bandages, the sticky, foul-smelling blood and rotten flesh made him lose his appetite.

Qin Wei had lived a life of luxury and extravagance, showered with affection by the late emperor and even by the deposed emperor (Qin Hong). He was lazy and had always intended to live a life of pleasure and seclusion. If it weren't for witnessing his brothers and sisters, the direct descendants and concubines of the Qin royal family, being forced to their deaths by the treacherous officials of the "Number One Manor Under Heaven," and Emperor Qin Ao's incompetence and deception by corrupt ministers, he would never have needed to join forces with the Grand Marshal and raise an army.

But then he smiled self-deprecatingly. In just half a month, the 50,000-strong army he and the Grand Marshal had painstakingly assembled over a year to punish the wicked had suffered a series of defeats, leaving less than a hundred men.

Protected by his trusted bodyguards, he narrowly escaped. Whenever he considered rushing out to fight alongside his remaining soldiers, his strategist would advise him, "As long as we're alive, we can always fight again. Once we cross the border, we'll have plenty of opportunities." Such words were utterly unbelievable; not only did he not believe them, but even the strategist himself knew it was wishful thinking. This army of 50,000 was the last vestige of manpower Qin could muster. Once beyond the border, he would no longer be the high and mighty prince, but merely a lowly, subjugated slave, forced to live at the mercy of others.

He knew all this, but he was still afraid of death. The strategist's words gave his desperate, fleeing behavior a facade of forbearance.

"Your Highness!" A scout rushed to his horse, shouting in panic before even kneeling in greeting, "The road ahead is blocked by rocks!"

"What?" Qin Wei's face paled, and he nearly fell from his horse in shock.

"Report!" Another soldier ran over.

"Speak!" The strategist jumped off his horse, his eyes red, and grabbed the soldier by the collar, roaring.

"The mountain path behind us is blocked by rocks!" the soldier yelled, tears welling up in his eyes.

"It's over!" Qin Wei looked up at the small valley, surrounded by cliffs, and muttered to himself. He desperately wanted to order a breakout before the enemy moved. But the mountains were high and slippery; where could they break out? Like turtles in a jar, what could they do but wait to die?

"Your Highness, be careful..."

With a "bang," he didn't even hear what the person beside him said before an arrow struck him squarely in the chest. Turning around, he saw the man who had just called out to him, his throat pierced by an arrow, dead at his feet.

Then...

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Short, sharp sounds pierced the air, whistling past his ears, accompanied by a continuous stream of screams.

After an unknown amount of time, until only deathly silence remained, Qin Wei, leaning on his sword hilt, rose from the pile of corpses. Looking up at the countless arrows pointing at him overhead, he tore at his throat and shouted, "Pei Shiwu, come out and see me!"

The empty valley was silent except for the echo of his own voice.

"Pei Shiwu, you bastard, get out here…!" Before he could finish, with a "whoosh," a long arrow pierced his chest. Immediately, countless arrows rained down, their sharp tips embedding themselves in Qin Wei's flesh, leaving him riddled with countless thorns, almost like a hedgehog.

Qin Wei collapsed to the ground with a thud, struggling to open his eyes. Looking at the azure sky above, he suddenly felt that death wasn't so terrifying after all.

However, he was filled with resentment. After half a month of fighting, his family, confidants, and soldiers fell one by one, and he, the one who led them to their doom, hadn't even seen the face of their killers, let alone avenged them.

He was indignant, truly indignant.

... ...

"Young Master, shall we return to the manor or go to Qin?" After the soldiers cleared the valley, a lieutenant rode up to Shi Wu and asked respectfully.

"You lead the First and Second Route Armies back to the manor, and the Black Cavalry will come with me to Run Kingdom!" Shi Wu said, turning his horse and galloping away.

Author's Note: I stayed in the hospital for more than ten days. After being discharged, because my body hadn't fully recovered, my family strictly forbade me from using the computer for the next ten days, so I had to sneak around like a thief to go online!
Therefore, I haven't updated! I'm truly sorry for any inconvenience caused!
Next, I will try my best to update whenever possible. I really hope to finish this story this month.

-------------2009.08.06

Who are you at dawn?

Run Kingdom, twenty miles outside Jinzhou City.

This section of mountain forest, guarded by the most powerful troops in the land, has remained unchanged for three years—not a single flower, blade of grass, or tree has changed. The general in charge of guarding this place is Cheng Mu, who used to have an enviable nickname: "Ugly."

The sudden disaster of that year not only changed his fate but also the fate of many others. In that storm, the sudden appearance of the Ancestor not only saved the Black Cavalry, who were blamed for their negligence, from death but also allowed his derelict team of secret guards to survive. A divination became everyone's lifeline, and even calmed the three masters at the center of the storm. Meanwhile, his twelve secret guards were temporarily disbanded, with members returning to their former units. He, however, reclaimed his old name and returned to the eldest young master's command. Thereafter, he miraculously survived countless battles and carnage. After conquering Qin, when it was time to reward those who had rendered meritorious service and to bestow titles and honors, he resolutely requested to return to Runguo, to guard this quiet mountain forest.

Many of the soldiers who remained here, like him, had experienced the events of three years prior, but over the years, they had never uttered a single word about that day.

That memory, like the mountain forest before him, was covered layer upon layer by heavy snow.

Three years ago, the abyss that fell from the sky buried the young lady and over three thousand soldiers beneath the mountain. That day, he, the survivor, watched helplessly as the second young master's black hair turned white, and as the eldest young master rushed to the scene, futilely swinging his sword at the abyss again and again. That day, the sky was just as blue, but the forest later named "Seeking Return" was shrouded in an unfathomable darkness.

Tens of thousands of soldiers desperately dug at the foot of the mountain with their swords and axes, but for every rock they dug down, a new one would spring up in the same spot within moments.

One rock dug down, another grew, and so on...

Despair once again enveloped this invincible army.

However, no one expected that on the third day of the army's stagnation, the Mingchi Pond would suddenly vanish in the middle of the night. The 3,765 soldiers trapped at the bottom of the mountain lay neatly on the ground, their slumber rising and falling, none of them injured. Everyone went mad that day, embracing each other and weeping with joy.

However, this miracle did not happen to the young lady. The woman who, at the last moment, was surrounded by dozens of black cavalry and guards, left those who protected her behind, and disappeared without a trace along with her two pets and the Mingchi Pond.

No one could describe the utter devastation the eldest, second, and young masters felt upon hearing the news, their joy instantly turning to profound sorrow. They were so grief-stricken, so panicked, so filled with resentment… Even three years later, the memory still caused him a sharp pain in his chest.

And today, the third day of the second lunar month, is the same day as three years ago.

The second young master, now the Emperor of Qin, stands silently on the grassy field where Mingchi once rested, his white hair and white robes reflecting the sky. In the distance, leaning against a tree branch in the woods, gazing at the sky, lost in thought, is the third young master, who has been staying there for half a month. A few hundred meters further on, a long, drawn-out flute melody can be faintly heard coming from a mountain crevice. Without needing to investigate further, one knows it must be the fourth young master.

“Cheng Mu!” a voice suddenly called from behind.

Cheng Mu immediately turned around, respectfully bowed towards the source of the voice, and said, "Young Master!"

"Has anything unusual happened in the mountains these days?" Shi Wu's voice was flat; if one didn't listen carefully, one wouldn't detect anything amiss.

"I've already sent people to intensify patrols. I can guarantee that for the next six months, not even a mosquito will be able to fly out of here!" Cheng Mu had been by Shi Wu's side for quite some time, so he naturally sensed the expectation in Shi Wu's words. Therefore, he spoke firmly and answered with full confidence.

Shi Wu stood with his hands behind his back, offering no comment on such a guarantee. He simply gazed at the white figure in the distance for a long time before saying, "The Ancestor determined that Miss would definitely reappear in the mortal world in three years. She disappeared here three years ago, and now, three years later, this should be the place where she is most likely to reappear!"

With a thud, Cheng Mu knelt down on one knee, looked up at Shi Wu, and said in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, Young Master, I guarantee with my life that I will bring Miss back safely." Shi

Wu lowered his head, glanced at Cheng Mu, and finally walked up to him, patted his shoulder lightly, and said, "Don't disappoint me again!"

After a long while, as Shi Wu's lonely figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Cheng Mu slowly stood up, looked up at the azure sky, and sighed, "It's been three years, Miss. If you don't return soon, this world will be in chaos!"

*************I am a gorgeous scene dividing line***********************

Three months later.

Chu Kingdom, Rongshan, the sacred site for worshipping Heaven.

This was the first time that the new Emperor of Chu, Chu Wenheng (Tang Heng), worshipped Heaven and Earth as an emperor. The accompanying sacrificial officials alone numbered over a thousand. The procession was grand and solemn, and the journey was quite slow due to the large number of people and the chaotic nature of the group. This time, they were late again. Before they even entered Rongshan territory, night had fallen.

"Set up camp here!" the emperor ordered, and the entourage immediately busied themselves.

In the middle of the night, a commotion arose outside the main tent. The accompanying eunuchs immediately went out to quell it, but unexpectedly, after the eunuchs had been gone for almost half an hour, the noise not only didn't subside, but seemed to be getting louder.

Chu Wenheng frowned, put down the memorial in his hand, waved away the palace maids who came to serve him, put on an overcoat, and went out following the sound. Liu Hang, now the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, immediately followed alertly.

"What happened?" Chu Wenheng glanced at the dozens of soldiers lying on the ground, covered in wounds and groaning in pain, and asked in a deep voice.

A general with relatively minor injuries and a higher rank, who was standing nearby, immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee before Chu Wenheng, and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, when we were on patrol, we discovered a female corpse in a cave ahead! We wanted to go forward to investigate, but a fox and a black bear suddenly rushed out of the cave. The two beasts were fierce and ruthless, and in a few moments, they had injured us to this extent..." At this point, the general lowered his head in shame. It seemed that hundreds of soldiers, armed with swords and spears, could not withstand the two wild beasts. Instead, they were either beaten black and blue or burned and left barely clothed. Such a disgraceful incident was truly shameful and difficult to talk about.

"A female corpse? A black bear?" Chu Wenheng's voice rose, his expression suddenly changing. He grabbed the general's shoulders, his hands gripping them tightly, and shouted anxiously, "What did that woman look like?"

The general, startled by the emperor's sudden movement, was completely stunned, his mouth agape for a long while before he recovered from his shock. Meanwhile, another soldier answered the emperor's question.

"That woman, with fair skin and a delicate face, like a fairy, extremely beautiful!" the soldier replied, his voice filled with rapture. The other soldiers lying on the ground, upon hearing the woman's name, forgot their pain and echoed his sentiments.

**************I am a gorgeous CJ scene dividing line***********************

Chu Wenheng walked briskly through the forest, his mind replaying the descriptions of the woman in Shandong. His heart pounded, and his breathing became erratic. He had been on the throne for three years, preoccupied with family, state, and world affairs, yet he had never felt so anxious. His mind was filled with only one question: Was that a woman?

"Your Majesty, it's here!" The military officer leading the way stopped, pointing towards a faintly glowing cave in the distance.

Chu Wenheng waved his hand, signaling his accompanying soldiers to halt.

"You wait here. Without my decree, you are not to approach the cave!" With that, he walked alone towards it.

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not!" Liu Hang quickly blocked Chu Wenheng's path, bowing low and pleading, "Leaving aside the ferocity of those two beasts, the woman inside the cave… might not even be Miss Pei! Your Majesty, this servant believes it would be best to let Lord Yang enter the cave first to investigate!"

"Chief Steward Liu!" Chu Wenheng looked at the old man who had raised him, blocking his way, his tone slightly harsher.

"Your Majesty is of paramount importance, your life is tied to the fate of the nation, this danger cannot be taken!" Liu Hang, seemingly possessed by a leopard's gall, steeled his resolve and, disregarding everything else, knelt heavily with a thud. "This servant begs Your Majesty to reconsider!"

Seeing this, the others quickly knelt down, following suit: "Your Majesty, we beg you to reconsider!"

Chu Wenheng, already anxious upon seeing the cave, was suddenly enraged by Liu Hang's intervention at the last moment. His face darkened, but out of consideration for their past relationship, he suppressed his anger and, like a compassionate monarch, bent down to help Liu Hang up. Before Liu Hang could even stand steadily, the hand supporting him exerted a slight force, pulling Liu Hang half an inch closer, whispering something, and ending with, "Uncle Liu, don't stop me!"

As soon as Chu Wenheng finished speaking, Liu Hang seemed startled by something, taking several steps back before bowing slightly and stammering, "This servant dares not!" He then stepped aside to make way. In

the dim moonlight, Liu Hang watched Chu Wenheng's receding figure, feeling a chill run from his feet to his head, his heart sinking.

... ...

Chu Wenheng walked quickly, arriving in front of the cave in moments. His heart pounded, almost bursting out of his chest, his mind a jumble of thoughts, only one voice echoing: She's inside.

He rushed towards the cave, but just half a meter from the entrance, darkness suddenly fell, and he heard a series of rapid punches. He instinctively dodged, but before he could even take a step back, his knee buckled, and he was swept down by a powerful kick, falling heavily to his back with a thud.

"Awooo, awooo, awooo, awooo..." The dark figure stopped attacking his defeated opponent and instead danced and thrashed around him, clapping his hands occasionally in a joyous celebration of his victory. Such blatant mockery would have made anyone else feel utterly humiliated and would have angrily gotten up to fight again. But Chu Wenheng, covered in mud, sat on the ground, laughing heartily, his eyes gleaming, his mouth practically splitting into a wide grin.

"Daxiong!" he called out with a laugh!

The large black bear, which had been leaping and bounding around him, paused, then slowly approached Chu Wenheng, its large, dark eyes fixed on him for a long while before it sniffed him all over.

"Big Bear, don't you remember me? I'm Tang Heng!" Seeing that Big Bear hadn't responded for a long time, Chu Wenheng couldn't help but remind him. He then simply ripped off the golden crown from his head and brought his face close to Big Bear's.

"Awoo..." Finally, Big Bear licked his cheek, recognizing him as a familiar face.

After this affectionate exchange, Big Bear nibbled on Chu Wenheng's sleeve and led him into the cave.

From the outside, the cave looked like an ordinary mountain cave, but inside it was a completely different world. The cave was dry and clean, without any stuffy or damp smell. The surrounding walls were inlaid with strange stones that emitted a faint glow in the darkness, making everything inside the cave appear very tranquil under the soft light. A sweet fragrance wafted towards him. Chu Wenheng looked up and was surprised to see a small garden a dozen steps ahead. Various exotic flowers and plants grew luxuriantly, vying for attention with their vibrant colors. The half-meter-high branches and leaves dazzled his eyes and blocked his view.

"Awooo..." Da Xiong suddenly quickened his pace and ran towards the flower bushes.

Seeing this, Chu Wenheng immediately followed.

"Whoosh..." Suddenly, a wave of heat rushed towards him. Chu Wenheng quickly dodged the sudden burst of flames, brushing the flames off his clothes with his palm before swiftly drawing his sword from his waist.

"Who's there? Come out!"

From the flower bushes, a large fox, four feet long and entirely fiery red, slowly emerged. It stood gracefully on the highest branch, its head held high, its long, narrow fox eyes giving the human before it a disdainful glance. Suddenly, it flicked its tail and leaped high into the air. Immediately, a huge fireball crashed down towards Chu Wenheng's head.

"Da Xiong!" Chu Wenheng exclaimed in surprise.

With a soft "bang," the fireball was deflected by a dark shadow and landed on the wall, extinguishing instantly without igniting.

"Awooo..." Da Xiong raised his chubby paw, patted a tuft of singed fur on his head, and slowly approached the large fox that had landed. He lowered his head and whispered something in its ear. After a few words of "chirping and whimpering," the fox gave Pei Xiaolei a questioning look, then arrogantly snorted, turned its head, and leaped onto Da Xiong's back, disappearing into the flower bushes with him. Seeing this, Chu Wenheng quickly followed Da Xiong and the fox into the flower bushes. After walking several meters through the dense flowers, Chu Wenheng finally saw the woman he had longed for for four years on a stone bed in the center of the bushes.

"Xiao Lei!" he whispered, his slightly trembling fingers about to touch her peaceful face. A slight burning sensation ran down his fingertip, and a bright red welt appeared on the back of his hand. In the blink of an eye, the large fox was already blocking his way, its sharp front paws still bearing traces of fresh blood from the cut. It raised its paws and waved them a few times in front of Chu Wenheng, its threat palpable.

Only when Chu Wenheng wisely stopped and disappointedly withdrew his hand did the large fox, swishing its fluffy tail, leap onto the stone bed like a victorious general, and squat beside Pei Xiaolei. Its sharp nose nuzzled against Pei Xiaolei's sleeve, from which a pile of small, delicate items fell out. It picked up a red fruit about the size of its little finger and put it into Pei Xiaolei's mouth. Then it lay down around Pei Xiaolei, its fiery red fur gradually standing on end. A warm current emanated from the little fox, spreading throughout the cave. The unopened flower buds around the stone bed seemed to be stirred, their petals opening one by one, quickly transforming the cave into a vibrant, colorful spring scene.

A moment later, the fox's fur drooped, the warmth dissipating. It lowered its head and gently licked Pei Xiaolei's delicate face. Da Xiong leaned against the stone bed, its large, dark eyes gazing at them with hope. Although Chu Wenheng had been pushed out of the front row by Da Xiong, his height and wider vision allowed him to keep his eyes fixed on Pei Xiaolei.

Time ticked by… Before disappointment and panic could set in, she moved!

Her long, slender eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. Startled, she was immediately confronted by three magnified faces looming overhead. She stood there, stunned, for a long moment before regaining her composure. Her bewildered eyes scanned each face carefully, finally settling on the young man who had been smiling at her. She frowned slightly. A hoarse

, deep voice slowly rose from her throat.

"Who...are you?"

Before she could receive an answer, weariness washed over her, her eyelids closed, and she drifted back into a deep sleep. The noisy surroundings, though chaotic, did not disturb her sleep.

That day, Emperor Chu suddenly abandoned his entourage, leading only a troop of personal guards, and rushed to Rong Mountain overnight.

The next day, the accompanying personal guards, along with hundreds of soldiers and officials who had participated in or knew about the secret of the cave, were temporarily reassigned by Emperor Chu.

After that, those hundreds of people never appeared before anyone again.

Author's Note: I finally had some time, and JJ wasn't malfunctioning, so I've finally given out the points from the previous chapters! ~\(≧▽≦)/~
Dear readers, please check your inboxes! If anything is missing, please let me know! ~(@^_^@)~
There are too many comments to reply to individually! Thank you all for your support! (╯3╰)

-------------- August 12, 2009, evening . After half a month

of imprisonment

. Rongshan. Chu Emperor's Palace.

Chu Wenheng stood before a bronze mirror as tall as a person, staring intently at his own face. After a long while, he asked, "Chief Eunuch Liu, has my appearance changed much since three years ago?"

Liu Hang considered for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, this servant believes that apart from being taller and stronger, Your Majesty's appearance has not changed much."

Is that so? Chu Wenheng looked at himself in the mirror, his depressed mood not only not relieved, but deepened. If his appearance hadn't changed, why did she recognize Da Xiong and the fox at a glance after waking up, yet remain bewildered and stunned only by his own presence? If he hadn't finally succumbed to the torment and revealed his identity, perhaps she would have pondered for a long time…

The same "Tang Heng!" she uttered now sounded worlds apart. The lingering affection, reluctance, longing, and even faint sadness she once revealed when looking at him… now, no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find even a trace of it. Her undisguised aloofness constantly reminded him of the distance between them.

What had changed?

Chu Wenheng removed his dark yellow dragon-carved robe and put on a simple blue outer garment. He looked in the mirror, trying to make his smile more vibrant, before turning to ask, "Miss Pei, are you awake?"

"Your Majesty, Miss Pei is awake and is already practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard!" a woman dressed as an official immediately replied.

"Swordsmanship?" Chu Wenheng's expression changed upon hearing this, and he suddenly roared, "Who gave her permission to go out and practice swordsmanship?"

"Miss Pei said she'd been cooped up in the room for too long and insisted on going out. We...we simply couldn't stop her!" the official's voice trembled before he finished speaking. Miss Pei was human, so it was easier to reason with her, but the two beasts beside her were no gentlemen. Any palace guard who dared to block their way was met with a slap of their large hands, treated equally.

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Seeing the situation was turning sour, Liu Hang quickly gave a wink, dismissing the official who had been trembling on the ground in fear of offending the emperor. He then advised, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Didn't the imperial physician say a few days ago that Miss Pei's health was no longer a problem? Appropriate movement now would be very beneficial to her. Your Majesty need not worry so much."

Having calmed down, Chu Wenheng remained silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Uncle Liu, I'm not afraid of her poor health. I... I'm afraid that if she's too good, she'll fly away from me like a bird and never come back!" His long, low voice carried a hint of sadness.

"Your Majesty..." Liu Hang wanted to say something more, but seeing Chu Wenheng's dejected expression, he remained silent.

**************I am CJ's scene divider*****************

Pei Xiaolei leaped into the air, sheathed her sword, and landed slowly. The large bear she had been sparring with not far away let out a "roar," dropped its hammer, and came running over, obediently squatting beside her.

Pei Xiaolei took the towel handed to her by a palace maid, wiped the sweat from her brow, patted the bear's head, praised it, and played with it for a while. Then, she heard a high-pitched voice from ahead: "The Emperor has arrived!"

She looked up at the approaching group of people, her upright posture standing out among the kneeling crowd, neither kneeling nor bowing.

"Your Majesty!" She nodded only after Chu Wenheng approached, a gesture of respect. Direct descendants of the Pei family were not required to submit to the Chu royal family; they could use the terms "you" and "me" as equals, and were exempt from all kneeling rituals—a promise made to the Pei family by the founding emperor of Chu.

Chu Wenheng stared blankly at the woman before him, her face flushed from exercise, momentarily lost in thought, staring at her without answering. It wasn't until Liu Hang called her several times in a low voice that he snapped out of it.

"Your Majesty, did you call me for something?" Pei Xiaolei asked.

"No, I just happened to be passing by and thought I'd come and see!" Chu Wenheng turned his head away, not daring to look at Pei Xiaolei. For some reason, he suddenly felt a rush of heat to his head, and his face burned.

"Well, Xiao Lei, I have something to tell you!" he whispered, bowing his head.

Although Pei Xiao Lei noticed the change in his expression, she assumed it was just like hers, caused by the rush of blood from walking too fast. Without giving it much thought, she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please speak!"

Chu Wenheng glanced around, and Liu Hang immediately understood and excused himself, taking all the bystanders with him.

"Xiao Lei, actually, normally, um… you can just call me Tang Heng, no need for the honorific 'Your Majesty.' In front of you, I will always be… that Tang Heng!" Chu Wenheng lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, his words stammering.

Pei Xiao Lei found his behavior somewhat amusing, but she didn't agree to his request. Regardless of the past, now that he was the Emperor, she should address him appropriately. Besides, she was unfamiliar with the place and didn't want to break any taboos and cause trouble.

"Then I'll call you Your Majesty!" Pei Xiao Lei replied with a smile.

"I..." Chu Wenheng's heart was already pounding, and he had been trying to confess his feelings indirectly. Unexpectedly, Pei Xiaolei evaded the question, taking a roundabout approach. He paused, feeling his courage wane, and for a moment, he didn't know how to continue.

After a while, he took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and said as if gathering his courage, "If you're willing, I'll give you this face that resembles an old friend of yours!"

Huh?

Pei Xiaolei was stunned. She had received many gifts, but receiving her own face was a first. But strangely, what did she want his face for?

Seeing her confused expression again, Chu Wenheng, his face flushed, whispered, "Didn't you say I look a lot like an old friend of yours?"

"An old friend?" Pei Xiaolei was even more puzzled, and immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have no old friend who looks like you!"

Something collapsed in Chu Wenheng's heart. He stepped forward, pointing somewhat frantically at his face, and anxiously asked, "Only three years have passed, and you already look completely different? Look again, I...I..." He couldn't even finish his sentence.

Pei Xiaolei narrowed her eyes, displeased with Chu Wenheng's loss of composure, and took a few steps back, creating distance between them.

Chu Wenheng stood quietly, like a wax figure, silent and motionless.

After a while, seeing that his continued silence with his head down wasn't a solution, Pei Xiaolei changed the subject, saying, "Your Majesty, I have already disturbed you for some time. I think it's about time I took my leave tomorrow!"

"No!" Chu Wenheng reacted quickly this time, snapping back to reality in an instant. Without a second thought, he flatly refused.

Pei Xiaolei pursed her lips, frowning as she looked at him.

Chu Wenheng took a step back, unconsciously turning away to avoid Pei Xiaolei's probing gaze. After a long while, he adopted a sincere tone and slowly said, "It will take several days to reach the Number One Manor under Heaven. It's inconvenient for you to be alone. Besides..." He paused here before continuing, "I have also sent a message to the Number One Manor under Heaven, as you said, informing them of your whereabouts. If you leave now, they will be disappointed!"

"Then, how many more days will it take them to arrive?"

Chu Wenheng choked, falling silent.

Pei Xiaolei looked up at the dense trees surrounding the courtyard. In the sunlight, streaks of silver light occasionally pierced through the trees. She was all too familiar with this kind of light refraction from cold weapons under the sun.

She sighed softly; some things needed to be said.

"This place isn't far from the Number One Manor in the World. Even traveling slowly, it would only take ten days round

trip. It's been over half a month since His Majesty promised to relay my message back to the manor." "I... I was busy with official duties the other day and didn't realize I was late. I will never break my promise to you." Chu Wenheng stiffened, his words rushing out, but they came out too quickly, making him seem even more guilty.

"And this?" Pei Xiaolei picked up a leaf between her fingers, flicked her wrist, and with a "whoosh," it flew away.

A muffled groan immediately echoed from the distant forest.

Chu Wenheng's face paled, and his heart sank.

"Daxiong, Dingdang, let's go!" Pei Xiaolei didn't say anything more, called out to Daxiong, and led it towards the house. The fox, who had been sunbathing against a rock, saw this, stretched out its paw, yawned, jumped onto Daxiong's back, settled into a comfortable position, and continued sleeping as if no one else was there.

During this time, no one glanced at Chu Wenheng.

Left alone, Chu Wenheng closed his eyes in despair, his hands trembling slightly.

She had discovered him!

Chu Wenheng didn't know how he got back to his lodgings. After smashing the furnishings in the room, he sat dejectedly on the bed, propped his head up in anger for a long time, before finally taking a simple handkerchief from a delicate little box beside his pillow and tightly clutching it to his heart.

“Xiao Lei, I didn’t mean to lie to you, and I didn’t really want to imprison you. I just don’t want you to leave me. Don’t be angry, and don’t ignore me. As long as you don’t leave, I’ll agree to anything you want. Xiao Lei, do you know? I like you a lot! I’ve liked you a long, long time ago…!” As Chu Wenheng spoke, his gaze softened as he looked at the handkerchief. Gradually, he placed the handkerchief flat on the edge of the bed, leaned over it, and lay down on it as if he were pressing down on someone. He closed his eyes, slowly lowered his head, and kissed the handkerchief gently. After a moment, he arched his body slightly and reached into his pants…

“Hmph… Xiao Lei, I love you, hmm, hmph…” The bed curtains swayed slightly, and the panting mixed with moans and broken murmurs gradually became more urgent…

Liu Hang paced back and forth outside the door. The palace eunuchs, driven out by Chu Wenheng, huddled trembling to one side, watching Liu Hang, who had also been driven out, with even greater horror. They had never seen the emperor so angry before, but to the point of even driving out Chief Eunuch Liu was unheard of. Liu

Hang's face was terrible; more accurately, it had been terrible for the past two weeks.

He knew very well who Pei Xiaolei was. He didn't even dare to imagine the consequences of harming her. Not to mention the entire First Manor Society coming out in force, just any one of her sworn brothers would be enough to cause them a huge headache.

The emperor was playing with fire! And the fire was getting bigger and bigger. His infatuation with Pei Xiaolei was growing stronger every day; he couldn't tolerate anyone else. Previously, he had specially arranged for dozens of beauties of various kinds to... They tried various methods to deliver the items to the Emperor, but they were either dismissed as strangers or returned untouched.

Pei Xiaolei had no romantic feelings for the Emperor; he could see this at a glance. If he remembered correctly, three years ago, in the former Prime Minister's residence, Pei Shiwu and she had already consummated their marriage. The Emperor, who was with them at the time, probably knew this even better than he did. However, even so, the Emperor's infatuation with Pei Xiaolei remained unchanged, just as it was three years ago, and it had intensified even more three years later.

Who could have predicted that... that person who had been missing for many years, whom the First Manor of the World and the Qin Kingdom had searched extensively, almost turning the world upside down, yet still hadn't been found... window.open(child. Now, as if by some strange twist of fate, she has been brought before the Emperor. How could the Emperor not be overjoyed by such an arrangement from Heaven? In order to prevent the news of Pei Xiaolei's presence from leaking out, the Emperor even filled in the cave and killed all the hundreds of soldiers who knew about it! Now

, with the timing and circumstances in place, if the Emperor's wish cannot be fulfilled... he was truly afraid that the Emperor might do something else entirely. Pei Xiaolei sat in a chair, playing with a few petals in her hand, her expression somewhat solemn. The fox jumped down from a long couch, circled around to her feet, and squatted down, occasionally rubbing its head against her feet, acting coquettishly. Da Xiong lay on his back on the ground, bored, scratching his ears, rolling left and right. She was imprisoned! On the third day after waking up, Pei Xiaolei vaguely realized this fact. From the palace maids who attended her, she knew that she was now in In the Chu Kingdom's Rongshan Palace, the main event of the Chu Emperor's trip—the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven—was just days away. In the days leading up to this, she had sent Da Xiong and Ding Dang as the vanguard to try and escape the palace. The two little ones went full of enthusiasm but returned disappointed. This morning, after calming her mind and focusing her spirit for a moment, she was pleased to see that her inner strength had almost fully recovered. With a determined heart, she decided to go out herself and investigate. However, a small green leaf betrayed the layers of defenses hidden among the flowers and trees, extinguishing her will to force her way out. The last shred of hope in her heart was mercilessly torn apart. Chu Wenheng was, after all, Chu Wenheng, no longer the down-on-his-luck boy named Tang Heng who had fled with her in the wasteland. At that moment, she didn't want to see Chu Wenheng's panicked face, nor did she want to hear his carefully prepared explanations. Now, she was imprisoned; that was a fact. Now, what she needed to consider was how to leave this place as quickly as possible. "Three years!" she sighed softly. The palace was shrouded in mystery, and she couldn't glean even a single piece of information about them from the numerous maids, eunuchs, and guards around her. "Miss Pei, it's time for your meal!" An older female official entered, bowed respectfully, and reminded her. "Alright, set the table!" Pei Xiaolei snapped out of her daze and nodded amiably to the female official. She was never one to be difficult to serve. The female official clapped her hands lightly and shouted, "Set the table!" A dozen or so palace maids and eunuchs waiting outside, carrying various dishes, immediately filed in and quickly and neatly placed over a dozen exquisite dishes on the table. A variety of dishes, large and small, of different colors and shapes, filled the entire large table! Delicacies, gold and silver jewelry, silks and satins… all sorts of dazzling items were piled up in her room. To be fair, Chu Wenheng had treated her well materially these past few days. However, different places have different customs, and the food in Chu was really not to her liking. After hastily tasting a few dishes in front of her, she put down her chopsticks. This young woman… The senior female official, specially assigned to her by Chu Wenheng, was responsible for taking care of her diet and health. Now, seeing that most of the dishes on the table remained untouched, as usual, the official, with her neck craned, began her daily ritual of urging her to eat. Several minutes passed, the official's words began to repeat themselves, her voice gradually becoming hoarse, while Pei Xiaolei remained stubbornly unmoved. Da Xiong, however, had a soft heart. Seeing the official's throat practically burning from talking, he kindly pushed his water dish in front of her. This caused the official's face to flush red and then pale. Having no other choice, the official had to surrender and turned her attention to dessert, "Miss Pei, the kitchen has a new batch of chefs, and they've specially pickled some candied dates. Would you like to try some?" "Candied dates?" Pei Xiaolei paused, staring at the expectant palace maid for a long while before finally saying slowly, "Then let's try them!" The palace maid, overjoyed, immediately placed a small dish of candied dates in front of Pei Xiaolei. These dates were only the size of a thumb, not particularly appealing in appearance, but the familiar sweetness emanating from the flesh made Pei Xiaolei's mouth water. Pei Xiaolei picked up a piece, put it in her mouth, chewed it lightly, and her worried expression eased. After tasting one, she tried another, feeling her appetite had improved. She then picked up her chopsticks and tried a few more dishes. "These candied dates taste very good. Which chef made them?" After a while, Pei Xiaolei put down her chopsticks and asked the palace maid. "These candied dates were pickled by a newly hired cook in the kitchen named Liu. Would you like to see her, young lady?" The palace maid answered quickly, her usual humble voice now seemingly tinged with urgency. “Alright!” Pei Xiaolei glanced thoughtfully at the female official and agreed. “Yes, then this servant will invite her over immediately!” The female official immediately gave a signal, and a nimble eunuch beside her, upon receiving the order, immediately ran off. ... ... Pei Xiaolei never imagined that she would see Ruomei here, nor did she ever imagine that the female official who had always served her so attentively was actually Ye Yufu’s spy planted in the Chu Palace years ago.

However, if seeing Ruomei during the day was her biggest surprise of the day, then the man who suddenly barged in at night was her biggest fright of the day.

************I am the cj waiting for the male lead to appear ******************

It was night. Dark clouds covered the sky, and all was silent.

Behind the thin curtains, the sound of even breathing was soft and subtle, and her small red lips were slightly upturned... That night, she slept soundly.

The same lips, the same face, the same sleeping expression, the same her—for some reason, all of this made the man want to cry. He pursed his lips and stood quietly in front of her bed, staring at her intently.

After a while, she let out a soft moan in her sleep, turned to face the man in front of her, and half of the blanket on her body slid to the side with her movement.

He gently shook his head, pulled the blanket back up for her, and finally couldn't help but touch her face.

"Who?" a soft voice called out.

Before he could even touch her face, a cold hairpin was precisely pressed against his carotid artery.

Startled, he chuckled, "Madam, this hairpin isn't meant to murder your husband!"

"Ah..." With a gasp of surprise from Pei Xiaolei, the hairpin fell to the ground...

The dense clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and the moon shyly peeked out, casting a pale, luminous glow. The dim candlelight in the room flickered and gradually brightened.

"Third Senior Brother!" Pei Xiaolei stared blankly at the newcomer, only reacting after a long while. A mixture of surprise and joy welled up within her.

"Hmm!" he responded, his long, narrow, fox-like eyes brimming with a warm smile.

At that moment, the whole world fell silent.

She gazed steadily at him, and he gazed quietly at her.

"Shang!" After a long while, she called out again, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls.

"Why are you crying all of a sudden, silly girl!" As Pei Xiaolei cried, Neng Shang's eyes also reddened. Unable to find a handkerchief, he gently wiped her tears with his sleeve.

Perhaps it was the rough fabric of his night clothes, or perhaps it was because he hadn't comforted a woman in a long time. Soon, Pei Xiaolei's delicate face was slightly flushed.

After a while, Pei Xiaolei sobbed, tilted her head back, pulled her hand away from Neng Shang's, pouted slightly, pointed to the small red spot on her face where his sleeve had wiped her, and complained, "You hurt me!"

Neng Shang was taken aback. Beneath the thick nasal tone, he saw a pair of eyes, brimming with tears, yet carrying a teasing glint.

"You're cheeky!" Neng Shang tapped her reddened nose lightly with his middle finger, half-scolding, half-pampering.

Pei Xiaolei smiled, but women are emotional creatures, especially at night, when their defenses are at their lowest. No one expected that such a small gesture would be enough to cause Pei Xiaolei's tears, which she had so painstakingly managed to hold back, to overflow again. She cried and laughed, leaving Neng Shang at a loss, completely disoriented.

"Three years..." Pei Xiaolei closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

A pair of warm, large hands covered hers, slowly guiding them to her face. In the bright moonlight and the faint red candlelight, she could clearly see every change in Neng Shang's expression.

"You've lost weight!" she said tenderly, stroking his face and looking into his eyes.

"I missed you so much!" He leaned closer, his gentle voice softly whispering in her ear. Slowly, a kiss landed on her lips. "For these three years, I've thought of you every single moment! Your lips..."

"Your eyes..." Another kiss gently touched her moist eyes.

"Everything about you..." A flurry of kisses followed from her forehead to her neck, every exposed inch of Pei Xiaolei's skin was kissed.

"I've been wanting this forever!" Warm lips returned to hers, forcibly parted, the man's breath pressing down, sealing her rosy lips tightly. His nimble tongue darted in unimpeded, his warm, moist mouth becoming his prize, licking and sucking inside and out.

"Mmm..." Pei Xiaolei couldn't bear the piercing, itchy sensation. She frowned slightly, letting out a soft gasp in Neng Shang's mouth, and struggled to push away the man pressing down on her. She finally managed to create a gap, but before she could even breathe, she felt a tightening around her waist, and even greater pressure on her lips. Her tongue stung, and before she could dodge, it was swallowed and sucked into his mouth. Her sensitive pink tongue was helplessly sucked and wildly entangled by the man... Her mouth was a mess, but her body grew hotter and hotter.

Neng Shang and Pei Xiaolei were pressed very close together, their rapid breaths and heartbeats mingling together, clearly audible.

After a long while, just when Pei Xiaolei thought she was about to die from lack of oxygen due to the passionate kiss, Neng Shang finally released her lips, panting.

Pei Xiaolei watched Neng Shang angrily lick the bloodstain on his lips where he had broken it with his teeth. She felt both amused and relieved, but for some reason, as she laughed, tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Why are you crying again..." Above her, Neng Shang sighed softly, his voice trembling slightly. He tilted his head back, opened his eyes wide, and took a deep breath. His warm hands stroked her back repeatedly, gently comforting her. His familiar scent warmly surrounded her.

She buried herself deeper into his clothes, letting the tears she had held back for three years soak his chest.

After a long while, her voice hoarse, exhausted from crying, Pei Xiaolei finally lifted her face from the wetness.

"Look at you, you're all stained like a little kitten from crying. If anyone saw you, they'd laugh at you!" Neng Shang found a handkerchief on the bedside table and gently wiped her face, teasing her all the while.

"Nobody else!" Pei Xiaolei wrinkled her nose at him, then smiled through her tears.

"Why not? Look at you, your face is covered in lines, more than that fox's whiskers." Neng Shang seemed to have gotten carried away teasing her, getting more and more excited as he talked, even getting up to get a mirror to prove himself.

Pei Xiaolei paused slightly, stopping Neng Shang as she immediately reached out to wipe the tears from her face. This gesture made Neng Shang chuckle again.

After drying her face, Pei Xiaolei didn't argue with Neng Shang anymore. She simply curved her slightly swollen lips, nestled obediently against his chest, quietly listening to his heartbeat. After releasing all the emotions of their long-awaited reunion, all that remained in her eyes and brows was happiness.

"Shang, you're here...it's so good...

" After a moment of silence, Neng Shang stroked her long hair and asked softly. "What are

you thinking about?" She drawled, pulling Neng Shang's hand to her face, counting the calluses on his fingers, and said, "Why is it that, from childhood to adulthood, no matter where we are, the first person to find me is always you?"

"Because!" Neng Shang took her hand in his large palm, kissed it lightly, and then opened it. A thin red string was tied to their little fingers.

"We're tied together by the Old Man of the Moon's red thread, no one can separate us!"

A red string? Pei Xiaolei was stunned, utterly surprised by the thing suddenly tied to her hand. After a moment of blankness, she finally noticed the clue on Neng Shang's gradually smiling face.

"This...it's clearly a magic trick!" She straightened her back and exposed it without mercy.

"A magic trick?" Neng Shang chuckled softly, and with another movement of her hand, the red string that was originally on her little finger somehow slipped into her clothes, and a thin red string stretched from her chest all the way to Neng Shang's finger.

Uh… Pei Xiaolei was a little confused. How did he do that?

“This is indeed a magic trick. The real red thread connecting us is in my heart!” Neng Shang’s face moved even closer, his alluring fox-like eyes narrowed as he spoke sweet words to Pei Xiaolei with deep affection. When Pei Xiaolei remained unmoved, he gave him a hard tap, then feigned confusion and said, “That’s strange. The person who taught me said this trick is the easiest way to fool girls!” His straight nose rubbed against her face before he began to nibble at her lips.

Hearing this, Pei Xiaolei perked up. She sternly turned her face away, suppressing a laugh, avoiding his wolfish kiss, and feigned a jealous wife's expression, saying, “Oh? Then hurry up and bring it to your wife. Tell me, how many girls have you fooled?”

“One, and…” He suddenly stopped, his gaze shifting to his hand, his face full of dejection, “It seems it wasn’t very successful!” Pei Xiaolei followed his gaze and saw that the red thread he was holding was somehow getting longer and longer. Slowly, his entire wrist was covered with a thick layer of red rope.

"Pfft..." Seeing Neng Shang getting more and more disheveled by this pile of red rope, Pei Xiaolei finally couldn't help but laugh.

"Laugh! You're still laughing..." Neng Shang got annoyed, quickly removed the red rope with a knife, and then began to sharpen his knife and start disciplining this heartless woman.

The two laughed and joked, as if the three-year gap had never existed.

With a flip, he pinned her down, his hot breath falling on her face.

"I love you..." he whispered, biting her earlobe amidst the disheveled clothes.

"Mmm, I know!" she responded softly, her face flushed, tilting her head to kiss his lips, letting his hands explore inside her clothes...

white, black, thick, thin... one by one, clothes were thrown out of the bed, low moans echoing inside the bed curtains...

the wide, sturdy bed began to sway slowly, gradually, wave after wave.

"Um... Shang, you... uh... you, stop..."

The bed came to a sudden halt, swaying halfway and hanging there.

"What's wrong?" A rough, hoarse voice came, filled with suppressed emotion.

"You, be careful, or the people outside will find out!" Pei Xiaolei gasped, her voice trembling noticeably.

"What are you afraid of? Let them see!" Neng Shang snorted contemptuously, burying his head and thrusting forcefully into the woman beneath him again, causing the bed, which was hanging halfway, to shake violently once more.

"..."

After a long pause, Pei Xiaolei's voice broke out again: "But... um... hmph... Shang, this is Chu, there are many... uh... many soldiers outside... oh... you, slow down... listen to me... uh..." "

..."

"Shang?..." "

Shut up!" Neng Shang's voice was harsh, gritting his teeth as he blocked her dry mouth, "You, concentrate on me!"

"..." 03-07

Children's Love

"What did you say? Pei Xingwen is here?" Chen Liangyu, the Minister of Rites who accompanied the Chu Emperor to the sacrificial ceremony, asked in disbelief.

"Yes! Lord Pei is in the hall now!" The attendant nodded, immediately giving an affirmative answer.

Chen Liangyu's face froze slightly, and he immediately changed into his official robes. After dressing neatly, he hurriedly walked out.

... ...

"Lord Chen!"

"Lord Pei!"

A simple greeting, all full of official jargon.

"Lord Pei, please sit down. May I ask what brings you here from so far away?" As soon as Xingwen sat down, Chen Liangyu asked directly.

"I want to see the Emperor of Chu!" Xingwen cut straight to the point.

"During the sacrificial ceremony, His Majesty does not receive foreign officials!" Chen Liangyu flatly rejected the idea, then looked at Xingwen and said sarcastically, "Lord Pei once served in our court, managing the affairs of Chu perfectly, both inside and outside the court. How come, after only three years, Lord Pei has forgotten all these rules?"

Xingwen smiled, offering no response to the sarcasm of his former colleague who had always been at odds with him.

However, one of his accompanying adjutants, unable to contain himself, stepped forward and said, "Lord Chen, you are mistaken. Prime Minister Pei is a pillar of our dynasty, a man of exceptional talent. Our great nation is burdened with countless trivial matters; why should we remember the rules of other countries?"

"Chen Shuhua!" Chen Liangyu choked, abruptly standing up, staring in astonishment at the man before him. His face flushed red and then pale, a truly ugly sight. "You wretch! You abandoned fame and fortune to teach in the study, only to betray your country today?" Chen Liangyu was furious, smashing a pot of fine tea on the spot, and unleashing a torrent of abuse upon his nephew.

Chen Shuhua stood calmly, unfazed by the spittle flying at him. Finally, after Chen Liangyu finished his tirade and his throat was dry, he spoke with a clear conscience and full of confidence: "I have come to the Number One Manor under Heaven, not the Qin State."

"You beast, still trying to argue? It's all the same!" Chen Liangyu immediately realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. The Number One Manor under Heaven was nominally still a territory of the Chu State. Although it had almost completely devoured the Qin State in recent years, it had never been hostile to the Chu State, and even in terms of etiquette, it still adhered to the old system, sending tribute every year, sometimes more, sometimes less. No one knew why the Number One Manor under Heaven was doing this; they only speculated that the rumoredly frail and sickly head of the Pei family, who had long stayed in the inner quarters , was weak-willed and dared not change the status quo.

But regardless, the Number One Manor under Heaven, a place full of mystery and immense attraction, still drew many ambitious people from all over to seek refuge there. However, as everyone knew, entering the Number One Manor under Heaven was comparable to climbing Mount Ling barefoot—extremely difficult. What's most fascinating is that you never know what the exams are for, nor what their selection criteria are. You don't even know when or where they'll announce the results. Those chosen are all exceptional individuals, shining brightly in their respective fields in no time.

As the saying goes, rarity makes things valuable; securing an official position in the most prestigious clan is something to boast about throughout the Central Plains .

Normally, upon hearing this news, Chen Liangyu might have privately hosted a few tables for relatives, friends, colleagues, and neighbors to show off. But today, when he saw his former superior, whom he had once despised but now respected, suddenly become the Prime Minister of Qin, he couldn't suppress his emotions. Seeing his nephew, once the hope of his family, go to serve in Qin, the state that had slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Chu soldiers and countless unarmed innocent civilians, his anger burned even brighter.

Qin was the enemy, the most prestigious clan was the friend, and what was Qin, controlled by the most prestigious clan? Indeed, over the past three years, the Number One Manor under Heaven, through Qin Ao's influence, had nearly wiped out the Qin Dynasty's royal family, much to the delight of the people of Chu. But one thing is one thing; the hatred built upon the specific individual of Qin was not something that could be easily forgotten.

"Lord Chen, I, Xingwen, have come to pay my respects to His Majesty today as the fourth son of the Number One Manor under Heaven, and I have important matters to report. I hope you will be lenient!" Xingwen remained unmoved by Chen Liangyu's words, stating his identity with his usual gentle manner.

One doesn't hit a smiling face. After some thought, Chen Liangyu's anger had subsided considerably. He calmed himself before replying in a composed tone, "Fourth Young Master Pei, it's not that I'm unwilling to be lenient, but last night the Imperial Preceptor observed the celestial phenomena and moved the sacrificial ceremony to today. His Majesty departed for the Lingtai early this morning."

"His Majesty has already gone to the Lingtai!" Xingwen's expression hardened, and he eagerly inquired, "Are there any female relatives accompanying His Majesty?"

Chen Liangyu found Xingwen's question strange and shook his head, replying, "His Majesty has not yet established an empress or consorts, so of course no female relatives will accompany him." Sacrifices in Chu were always presided over by the emperor and empress; Pei Xingwen should be well aware of this. Why was he suddenly asking this?

Just then, a servant rushed over from outside, shouting from afar, "My lord, Chief Eunuch Liu is requesting an audience outside!"

Chief Eunuch Liu was here? Chen Liangyu's heart sank. He turned to look at Xingwen, whose expression grew increasingly grim. Years of political acumen told him that something terrible had happened!

Liu Hang entered and, upon seeing Xingwen, his expression changed drastically. Then, with a thud, he knelt directly before him, anxiously saying, "Lord Pei, His Majesty, His Majesty has taken Miss Pei to the Lingtai!"

Xingwen took a step back, his face pale, and tugged at his sleeve, urgently asking, "What did you say?"

"His Majesty intends to confer the title of empress upon Miss Pei at the Lingtai!" Liu Hang shouted loudly.

With a "bang," Liu Hang felt a sharp pain in his waist and hips, and he was thrown several meters away. By the time he got up, Xingwen had vanished without a trace...

**********************I am CJ's scene divider******************

A column of soldiers circled an eight-person bridge, slowly advancing towards Lingtai.

"Stop!" someone shouted from outside the sedan chair.

The curtain was gently lifted, and a female official peeked out, asking, "Have we arrived?"

"Yes, please alight from the sedan chair, young lady!"

"Miss, please be careful!" The female official turned and bowed to Pei Xiaolei, then took out a small dagger about half a foot long from her belt, handed it to Pei Xiaolei, and whispered.

"Hmm!" Pei Xiaolei tucked the dagger into her sleeve, looked at the female official, and instructed, "Third Young Master, I'll leave it to you to take care of him!"

"Yes! Miss Ruomei and I will certainly take good care of the Third Young Master!"

Pei Xiaolei nodded, and before getting out of the sedan chair, she suddenly turned her head and asked, "What's your name?"

"Huang Li!" The female official immediately reported her code name, her voice trembling slightly for some reason. An inside agent like her would probably never have the chance to see the Master of the Manor in her entire life, let alone give her name.

"Thank you, Huang Li!" Pei Xiaolei nodded her thanks, then took her hand and gracefully got out of the sedan chair.

Walking several dozen meters up the red carpeted steps, at the entrance to the Lingtai, she saw the old palace maid with white hair who had come to greet her, while Huang Li and the other female officials were sent back.

"Please, Miss! His Majesty is waiting!" After the old palace maid finished speaking, she reached out and took Pei Xiaolei's arm.

"No need, you go first, I'll follow!" Pei Xiaolei disliked physical contact with outsiders, so she stepped back slightly, refusing the advances.

Unexpectedly, the elderly palace maid, over sixty years old, was quite domineering. With a swift movement, she gripped Pei Xiaolei's hand firmly.

"Insolence!" Pei Xiaolei shouted angrily, then tried to break free, only to find that the seemingly petite old palace maid possessed considerable strength, her fingers like a vise gripping her wrist, rendering her completely immobile.

"Miss, let's go!" The old palace maid curtsied to her, then, with a quick leap, she put her arm around Pei Xiaolei's waist and hurried through the tower. They moved so fast that, apart from the whistling wind in her ears, she couldn't even clearly see the fleeting scenery around her. But one thing she was certain of was that the two of them weren't going up the tower, but rather descending floor by floor towards the hidden chamber below.

Layer upon layer, one after another, about fifteen minutes later, the old palace maid set Pei Xiaolei down in front of a large door.

"This is the inner chamber beneath the Lingtai, with one hundred and eight turns, symbolizing the twists and turns of life; ninety-nine steps, signifying longevity; and gemstones on the walls, symbolizing national prosperity and peace..." The old palace maid didn't rush to enter, but instead pointed to the surroundings at the entrance, carefully explaining to Pei Xiaolei. "

Since ancient times, whenever a new empress is established, the emperor would bring his new bride here to spend the night, informing Heaven and Earth, the gods and Buddhas, before the ceremony was considered complete!" At this point, the old palace maid squinted her cloudy eyes, smiling at Pei Xiaolei with a pointed glint in her eyes.

"What does all this have to do with me?" Pei Xiaolei frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze.

“Of course it’s related!” The old palace maid smiled, staring at Pei Xiaolei for a moment before nodding repeatedly. “Not bad, not bad. She’s elegant and refined, graceful and charming, even more beautiful than Lady Xiao. She’s calm and composed in the face of adversity, and has a bit of Pei Jianxun’s air about her…” The old palace maid looked at Pei Xiaolei with increasing satisfaction, even circling her to give her a thorough evaluation before sighing, “Back then, Pei Jianxun and the late emperor arranged a marriage between their children, but missed it time and time again. I thought it was hopeless, but unexpectedly, life is unpredictable, and this old woman is able to witness this marriage in my lifetime.”

“A marriage between their children?” Pei Xiaolei’s expression changed slightly, then she asked, “Do you know my grandfather?”

"Of course!" The old palace maid nodded in agreement, and then continued, "If we really count, you should call me your great-aunt. Back then, your grandfather Pei Jianxun and the late Emperor Chu Taizu were both my sworn brothers, but things are unpredictable..." At this point, the old palace maid paused, sighed deeply, and fell into her own thoughts, with tears welling up in her eyes. "Back then, they arranged a marriage between their children and grandchildren to prevent brothers from turning against each other in the future. Who knew that your grandfather had an only son, who later adopted Xiao Niangzi as his goddaughter, only to have his own son steal her away and marry her. Later, the two families arranged another marriage between their children, and this time, the Pei family finally had a daughter, but she turned out to be a sickly child. Even if she was a sickly child, it didn't matter; your parents, for some reason, tried every means to break off the engagement, and even casually gave Chu Wenyin a prostitute to settle things… In the end, all that happened was beyond human control. After all the twists and turns, Heaven still sent you, the eldest daughter, to the new emperor!"

"Girl, I heard you and Wenheng have known each other for a long time, and you even saved him back then. Hehehe… This is fate. Back then, Emperor Chu also saved your grandfather, probably to ensure your marriage today. Don't disappoint your grandfather's wishes."

“Senior, you jest. Xiaolei has already found a good husband, and it was a proper marriage. She knelt and kowtowed three times and nine times to inform our ancestors and pay homage to Heaven and Earth. We are a legitimate couple. Senior, if you are truly an old acquaintance of my grandfather, please do not ruin a marriage or break up a loving couple.” Pei Xiaolei did not acknowledge the title of great-aunt. Using the term “senior” at this moment was already being polite to her.

"Of course, you can't beat a mandarin duck, but it's a pity you're still young and don't know people well. You've mistaken a duck for a mandarin duck," the old palace maid laughed sinisterly. "How come you're already thinking about your little lover after only half a night? Little girl, how dare you do such a shameful thing with another man in your future husband's palace? You're really bold!"

"It's only natural for me and my husband to have marital relations. Senior, you're going too far. Let's not talk about that for now. Since you swore brotherhood with my grandfather, you're a member of the martial arts world. Martial arts people keep their word. Now, Lingtai, I've come as you wish. You should give me the antidote." After saying that, she stretched out her hand towards her.

The old palace maid snorted coldly, tossing a small bottle of pills into Pei Xiaolei's hand. Pei Xiaolei opened the bottle, smelled it, and then took out a jade flute from her sleeve. With a whistle, two birds that seemed to know the way suddenly appeared from the shadows and landed on her wrist. She quickly divided the pills in half and hung each half around the neck of one of them, saying, "Send this to Third Senior Brother immediately!"

"Birds that know the way?" The old palace maid looked at the two birds that had appeared out of nowhere as they flew away, her expression uncertain. "As expected of Pei Jianxun's granddaughter, she's quite thoughtful."

"Senior, you flatter me!" Pei Xiaolei said, taking a few steps back, removing her heavy, ornate outer robe and tossing it aside. With a twist of her waist, she drew a soft sword from a leather belt around her waist, pointing it directly at the old palace maid's forehead.

"This junior has no intention of divorcing her husband, nor of remarrying. Senior, please step aside!"

"Interesting. In that case, this old woman will test your martial arts!" The old palace maid had barely finished speaking when she turned to the side and attacked her with her bare hands.

The old palace maid moved with lightning speed, her moves unpredictable and varied, attacking rapidly and each strike potentially fatal. Utilizing the terrain, she pressed forward relentlessly, cornering Pei Xiaolei within just a few exchanges.

"What, you expect me to give way like this?" the old maid said arrogantly, standing with her hands behind her back before Pei Xiaolei.

Pei Xiaolei remained silent, neither angry nor replying. She simply took a deep breath, catching her breath, then tossed the useless soft sword to the ground. She took a piece of red rope from her sleeve and tied up her long, flowing hair. Then, she clasped her hands in a respectful bow to the old palace maid, saying, "Senior, since that's the case, please forgive my rudeness!"

With that, she leaped up and launched a swift palm strike towards the old palace maid's left. The old palace maid sidestepped, preparing to dodge to the right, but unexpectedly, she only took half a step before her lower body went weak, and her right shin was struck squarely… The old palace maid knelt on one knee, her hand flashing as she threw a dart at Pei Xiaolei.

With a crisp "bang," the dart struck the ground.

Pei Xiaolei, gripping her short sword, regained the initiative.

Half an hour passed. After several feats of wall-jumping and parkour, the old palace maid's condition worsened, becoming increasingly strained, while Pei Xiaolei's attacks grew faster and faster, each move seemingly designed specifically for the old palace maid. As time passed, the outcome gradually became clear.

"How do you know my martial arts?" The old palace maid, her right leg slightly lame, leaned against a stone wall, panting, staring at Pei Xiaolei with disbelief, and asked through gritted teeth.

"Situ Yanmin, you were originally my grandfather's bodyguard. Back then, because you fell in love with Emperor Taizu of Chu, you instigated my master to set them in a trap. To protect them, my grandfather was forced to sign a blood oath in public, and in doing so, he also broke his own wings. As a descendant of the Pei family, I will never forget your kindness!" Pei Xiaolei spoke slowly, each word clear and loud. "My master has developed more than ten ways to counter your 'Ten Styles of Relaxation and Retreat.' I've seen these restraining moves since I was a child. Senior, do you still want to continue?"

"Haha... Could it be that you've come here for revenge today?" Situ Yanmin suddenly laughed, her wrinkled face strangely showing a hint of joy.

"No!" Pei Xiaolei cut her off with a single sentence. "My grandfather once said, 'Yesterday's events are yesterday's death. We, the younger generation, don't need to dwell on the grudges of our ancestors!'"

"And him? Your grandmaster Zeng Hengzi, did he ever... mention me to you?" Speaking of Zeng Hengzi, Situ Yanmin's voice was exceptionally soft, yet filled with urgency.

"No!" After saying this, Pei Xiaolei looked at her dejected expression, thought for a moment, and added, "I know everything about you from the family records. Neither my grandfather, grandmaster, nor anyone else has ever mentioned you!" Pei Xiaolei finished speaking, leaving the blank-faced Situ Yanmin behind, and turned to walk back.

Unexpectedly, after taking only a few steps, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, as someone grabbed her with a claw. She retaliated, but it was too late. She didn't even touch Situ Yanmin; instead, her wrist felt a sharp pain, and it was also restrained.

Situ Yanmin's deep voice came from behind her: "Girl, I have been trapped in the Lingtai for decades, how could I only know one martial art? Although your internal strength is good and your moves are not bad, you have been raised in seclusion, your heart is too kind and your hands are too soft... You don't know the dangers of the martial world!" After saying that, she slammed her wrist down, and Pei Xiaolei immediately groaned in pain.

"Me? I've done so many wrong things in my life. I betrayed your grandfather, betrayed my eldest brother who raised me, betrayed so many people who loved and cared for me... So, I deserve it. I deserve to be abandoned by Emperor Taizu of Chu, I deserve to be trapped alone on Mount Ling... This is all my retribution, I don't resent it... But, there's only one thing: I did the right thing by facilitating their marriage. Once the Pei and Chu families are united by marriage, they'll be one family. There will be no more disputes, no more mutual suspicion... Me, your grandfather, my eldest brother... We can drink and laugh together again, count the stars in the fields, and sleep side by side under the moon... Girl, think about it, isn't that wonderful!" As she spoke, Situ Yanmin became lost in her own world again, laughing loudly to herself.

"Situ Yanmin, let me go!" Pei Xiaolei shouted angrily, seeing the situation was turning against her.

“If you have no intention of divorcing your husband, then I will help you.” Situ Yanmin stopped, ignoring Pei Xiaolei’s angry expression, and instead coaxed her softly, “Don’t worry, that bastard in your bed, I’ll kill him for you now!” With that, she flicked her wrist, swiftly sealing several acupoints on Pei Xiaolei’s back, then lifted Pei Xiaolei’s chin, pried open her mouth, and stuffed a small blue pill into it. She then slapped her throat, forcing her to swallow it with a “gulp.”

“Go in! Tomorrow, you will be the Empress of Chu!” Situ Yanmin pulled her arm, opened the door, and pushed the immobile Pei Xiaolei inside.

Pei Xiaolei felt a weight on her back, stumbled, and crashed into a dark stone room. A loud “bang” followed, and the door slammed shut behind her.

…

“Who…”

After a long while, a hoarse voice came from the darkness!

Author's Note: Poor mistress, she was actually tricked in bed! o(∩_∩)o Hahaha~
The fourth one made her appearance,
hmm~~ The next person to appear... will be......

-------- August 25, 2008, One-Man

Show (Part 1)

"Who?..." A hoarse voice came from the darkness!

…… ……

Pei Xiaolei sat on the ground, holding her breath, ignoring the question. After a while, she relaxed her brow and tried to move her fingers. When she found that the acupoints on her body had been broken, she quickly lowered her head and spat out the pill that was pressed under her tongue. Then, with lingering fear, she spat several times, trying to clean the unknown object remaining in her mouth before she felt at ease. Looking at the pill on the ground, she smiled coldly. She had been a medicine addict since childhood and was most afraid of taking medicine. When she was a child, she racked her brains to avoid taking those random tonics and medicines. Her deceptive skills, honed over a decade, had fooled hundreds, if not thousands. She could handle even the cunning old men of the manor, so naturally, a mere Situ Yanmin wouldn't escape her skillful deception.

From the darkness, another soft rustling sound came. Pei Xiaolei looked towards the sound, but couldn't see anything in the dim light.

"Is that His Majesty?" she asked tentatively.

After a moment, another soft sound came, and a faint glow appeared in the distance. Beside a dim candlelight, Chu Wenheng huddled in a corner, looking exhausted.

Pei Xiaolei's eyes had slowly adjusted to the darkness. By the faint light, she quickly found a row of oil lamps on the other side of the room. She went over, took out a tinderbox from her sleeve, and gently touched the source of the lamp. Immediately, a domino effect occurred, and the entire stone chamber was illuminated.

"Xiao Lei?" Chu Wenheng looked up, squinting at Pei Xiaolei in the lamplight. His hazy eyes held no clarity. He opened his mouth and called out softly. After a while, seeing that Pei Xiaolei remained standing silently in the distance, he wasn't annoyed. He simply rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and chuckled. "So lifelike! This time it looks just like the real thing. I almost fell for it again, haha... Aunt Situ's medicine is getting more and more potent." With that, he raised the half-full jug of wine in his hand and gulped it down.

Pei Xiaolei stared at the Chu Emperor in surprise, stunned for a long while before she came to her senses and quickly turned away.

A heavy coat was tossed over, landing precisely on Chu Wenheng.

"It's so hot!" Chu Wenheng ripped off his coat, revealing his naked body. He lay sprawled on a pile of expensive clothes, his hair disheveled, curled up like a shrimp. He was only wearing a pair of underpants that had been pulled down to his knees. A strong smell of alcohol emanated from him, and a thin layer of sweat covered his slightly red skin. He looked to be in pain, groaning a few times before beginning to mutter softly. He spoke very quietly, and Pei Xiaolei could only vaguely make out a few words; the rest was indistinct.

"Ugh!" Chu Wenheng hiccuped, pulled a handkerchief from the ground. The handkerchief was stained white and its original color was unrecognizable. He carefully unfolded the handkerchief, tilted his head back slightly, and kissed it like a devout believer, whispering, "So you were here!" Then, he suddenly rolled over and knelt up, supporting his upper body with one hand, and skillfully placed the handkerchief in his palm with the other, covering his already erect manhood.

A moment later, Chu Wenheng squinted, low breaths escaping his lips. His hands gradually quickened, his kneeling body swaying uncontrollably back and forth.

"Xiao Lei, Xiao Lei...give it to me, give it to me..." His babbling grew clearer, then with a muffled groan, his shoulders thudded to the ground. His hands, which had been upright, returned to his legs, rubbing rapidly. He raised his buttocks high, his flushed face buried in his clothes, his gaze unfocused.

"Uh...uh..." Suddenly, he violently swayed his hips, slamming the handkerchief in his hands several times, hoarsely roaring, "Swallow it, swallow it quickly, not a drop can leak out, uh...humph..." Then, he shuddered, his neck tense, breathing rapidly. After a while,

when it was all over, he propped his head up, lowered it, and spoke softly to the empty air as if to a lover, "I love you!" Then, satisfied, he pressed the sticky handkerchief to his heart, curling it up again.

Standing not far away, Pei Xiaolei stared blankly at everything, her face grim. Besides Chu Wenheng's loss of composure, what shocked her even more was the row of small blue buds planted around the base of the stone room's walls. These were *

Cymbidium goeringii*, colorless and odorless, the best ingredient for making hallucinogenic drugs. Just a small amount, after roasting, could produce a high-quality hallucinogen. It was said to be so potent that it could make a seven-foot-tall man lose his senses and

treat a sow as if it were a beautiful woman. While *Cymbidium goeringii* was potent, everything has its counter, and against its natural enemy, the *Cymbidium violet*, its effects would be completely neutralized. Coincidentally, the "Sunrise" drug Pei Xiaolei had been taking for years was made from *Cymbidium violet*. Therefore, while these *Cymbidium goeringii* were merely ordinary flowers to Pei Xiaolei, they were a deadly hallucinogen for Chu Wenheng.

"Don't you like this? Hmm...?" The hoarse voice sounded again. Chu Wenheng squinted his eyes and coaxed the air tenderly, "You like it the way it was before?... Hmm?... Okay, but you have to be gentle with me, hmm." He muttered to himself for a moment, then suddenly paused, as if he had thought of something, and turned his head away, revealing a shy face.

After a while, he slowly got up again, returning to his kneeling position. He picked up a jade dildo about three fingers thick from the ground and offered it to the air in front of him with both hands. "Should you do it, or... I'll do it myself..." His face flushed red, and he swayed shyly like a little wife.

"Then, you can't laugh at me!" He continued to mutter to himself as he pressed the dildo against his anus.

"Hmm..." He bit his lip tightly, supporting his body with one hand, and slowly inserted the dildo into his anus with the other. The thin layer of sweat on his forehead gradually thickened, and his brows furrowed, revealing a painful expression.

After a long while, the enormous dildo finally managed to penetrate only a small section. Bright red blood trickled down the jade-like object. Chu Wenheng trembled all over, tilting his head back slightly, large beads of sweat sliding down his cheeks. He tried to move his body, but this only brought him greater pain.

"It hurts so much!" He opened and closed his pale, trembling lips, trying to force a smile. "But I'm not afraid. I'll agree to anything you want!"

"If this..." The dildo in his hand moved, pushing deeper into his narrow rectum. He groaned, his white fingers gripping the scattered clothes on the ground, crumpling them into a ball. "If this were the case, I could be as close to you as before, how wonderful that would be..."

"I'm in so much pain!" Suddenly, he burst into tears, his watery eyes brimming with tears. "My body hurts, my heart hurts. Every time I think of you, it's like being thrown into a fire. Why do you ignore me? Why don't you look at me anymore? Why don't you come to save me now..." Chu Wenheng's thoughts jumped around wildly, intermittently muttering something.

"I've learned to roast sweet potatoes, and I've also learned to catch and grill fish. My martial arts have improved a lot... This time, this time, I'll definitely be able to take good care of you and protect you!"

He suddenly broke into a smile through his tears, his expression softening. "Do you remember? That night, in the wilderness, you... you treated me like this too, I remember it very clearly..." He stopped, picked up a bundle of rope from the ground, and haphazardly tied it to his swollen, red penis, making the erect blade turn purple. He gripped the blade with one hand, rubbing it back and forth rapidly.

"Hmph... hmph... hmph hmph..." Gradually, his body tensed more and more, his breath coming in rapid gasps. One hand pressed against the dildo inserted into his anus, pushing it in forcefully. "Save me... hmph hmph... I feel so bad... it hurts so much... Xiao Lei... please save me... please... uh... hmph..." His thoughts jumped again, a jumbled mess, the situation seemingly shifting to nowhere.

Chu Wenheng trembled all over, as if enduring immense pain. Blood flowed from his anus, staining his thighs crimson. His penis, swollen and bluish, was deeply embedded in his swollen flesh, the rope binding it tightly.

"Xiao Lei, save me... Come on, chase away those stray dogs... Mmm... I knew you would come back to save me..." he murmured, layers of cold sweat soaking his body. The enormous dildo was already three-quarters inserted into his anus, only the shaft protruding.

Perhaps exhausted, or perhaps in too much pain, he gradually lowered himself further, the "ooh-ooh-ooh" sounds still echoing. His disheveled hair clung to his sweat-soaked body, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Anyone witnessing this scene would easily understand that Chu Wenheng's body had reached its limit; any further exertion would only worsen the situation! But he seemed oblivious, showing no intention of releasing himself.

He murmured, his dazed eyes darting around, repeatedly glancing at Pei Xiaolei before finally settling on the semen-stained handkerchief on the ground. He smiled slightly, seemingly relieved, and lifted the handkerchief with both hands, then tilted his head back to kiss it. "You really came, you came to save me!"

"Enough!" Pei Xiaolei couldn't bear to watch any longer. Similar scenes and actions flashed through her mind. She knew very well that what she was seeing was almost exactly the same as when she saved Tang Heng in the desolate land. She tossed aside her short sword, sending the unrecognizable handkerchief flying from Chu Wenheng's hand, pinning it to the wall.

Now, no matter how dirty or tattered, she recognized whose handkerchief it originally was.

"Xiaolei!" Chu Wenheng cried out in alarm, staring at the distant wall, frantically trying to scramble towards the handkerchief, but it was pinned too high; no matter how high he jumped, he couldn't reach it.

He turned to look at Pei Xiaolei, his eyes filled with malice, all traces of his previous tenderness gone. "Who are you? Give Xiaolei back to me! Give her back to me!" he roared angrily. He tried to stand up, but after taking only half a step, he tripped over his underwear, which had been pulled down to his knees, swayed, and fell heavily to the ground. "Don't take her away! Give her back to me..." his voice began to tremble. He braced himself and tried to stand up again, but with a thud, he fell heavily to the ground once more...

"Give her back to me...give her back to me...cough cough cough..." Chu Wenheng spoke too hastily, choking and coughing several times, his eyes glistening with tears.

"I have nothing left...only her..." Chu Wenheng struggled a few times, finally giving up on getting up. He crawled on all fours towards Pei Xiaolei like a dog, the thick jade dildo still tightly inserted into his anus. With each step, the dildo swayed from side to side with the twisting of his hips, and a large amount of scarlet blood gushed out with his movements, dripping onto the ground. He crawled quickly, the swollen penis dragging between his legs, repeatedly hitting the small object on the ground, leaving it covered in wounds.

"Give her back to me...give her back to me..." He grabbed Pei Xiaolei's leg, and having no weapon, he used his head to slam against Pei Xiaolei with all his might, again and again, as if he felt no pain.

“Enough…” Pei Xiaolei closed her eyes, letting Chu Wenheng, who could no longer recognize her as real, ram into her as if she were an enemy. Her voice deepened slightly as she whispered, “Really… enough…”

A basin of cold water was poured over his head, drenching him completely. Chu Wenheng

jolted awake, the sudden cold water shoving his senses. He could only look up, staring blankly at the gloomy-faced woman above him.

“Your Majesty, you should wake up!” Another basin of cold water hit him, a chilling voice ringing in his ears. The white fog in his mind gradually dissipated, a sharp, piercing pain washing over his head… With a thud, he felt his body go limp and collapsed to the ground.

Immediately afterward, with a loud crash, Pei Xiaolei kicked over the jugs of liquor behind Chu Wenheng, a mixture of hallucinogenic drugs and aphrodisiacs, leaving not a single bottle. The once vibrant cluster of chrysanthemums in the corner of the wall also met a tragic end. With a single swing of her sword, a heavy aura of killing intent swept across, uprooting or severing the plants. The once lush and vibrant corner was now utterly devastated.

Author's Note: Sigh…
Xiao Heng, what am I supposed to do with you…?
╮(╯_╰)╭
Seriously, isn't this both heart-wrenching and physically cruel? ╮(╯▽╰)╭

------2009.08.28 Early Morning

Solo Performance (Part 2)

Chu Wenheng awoke to the scent of mint. His watery eyes snapped open, and he immediately retreated several meters in a panic.

“Xiao… Xiao Lei…?” He stared in astonishment at the woman before him, his face pale.

“Don't move, you're badly injured!” Pei Xiao Lei put down the mint balm she was holding and looked at him.

"I..." Chu Wenheng choked, instinctively lowering his head, unable to look at her. He was now wearing a loose robe, and his hands, sticky and slippery, were tightly clutching a handkerchief. Not far from him, he saw, almost in despair, some blood-stained, damp towels, a few tattered strands of rope, and a dildo mixed with semen and blood... A chill ran through him, his face turning pale and then flushed. He frantically raised his head, staring fixedly at the expressionless Pei Xiaolei. His dry lips moved with difficulty, attempting to explain, but his hoarse throat seemed blocked, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

"Since you're awake, apply the medicine yourself! Let me see if there are any other exits around!" Pei Xiaolei didn't look at him again, placing a bottle of ointment in front of him before walking away.

He watched her receding figure, a heavy weight pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. His mind replayed lewd images of himself starring in such scenes.

"She saw it..." he murmured desperately, head bowed. After a long pause, he shrank back, clutching the blanket draped over him, and slowly moved towards the corner... As he moved, his still bloodstained anus burned with pain, a warm current flowing from his intestinal walls. The bindings around his groin had loosened, but under the influence of the drugs, it remained proudly erect. Chu Wenheng crawled slowly and awkwardly, his disheveled clothes lying on the ground, some headdresses and trinkets scattered among them. Something had grazed his knee, leaving a shallow bloodstain, but he seemed oblivious, continuing to crawl towards his target.

He was exhausted, his limbs weak and powerless. His body was hunched low, devoid of any vitality except for his swollen, engorged penis.

"Ugh..." He suddenly groaned, burying his head in the clothes still sticking to the ground with their fishy stench. He reached between his legs and pulled out a silver goblet. The moment he dropped it, his body trembled violently like a sieve.

"Ugh... Huff... Huff..." After accidentally letting out a syllable, Chu Wenheng immediately bit his lower lip, silencing any further sound. He closed his eyes tightly, painfully and familiarly manipulating his penis. Thin fluid occasionally seeped from his swollen opening. He frowned, his movements becoming faster and faster, his Adam's apple bobbing. The suppressed sounds in his throat made his face flush red, and streaks of crimson blood trickled down his lips. Suddenly, he threw his head back, his body convulsing intermittently before arching back and releasing a gush of hot fluid. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, his hands outstretched. Looking at the thick, viscous fluid on his hands, he laughed self-deprecatingly, a soft, low laugh that grew louder and louder.

"What's wrong?" Pei Xiaolei, hearing the noise, turned and frowned at Chu Wenheng in the distance.

Chu Wenheng, his face streaked with tears, stared at the indistinct woman in the distance. His laughter stopped, and he swayed as he stood up, slowly unbuttoning his outer robe. Standing naked, he looked at Pei Xiaolei and said, "Xiaolei, I love you! This... just thinking about you makes me react!"

His hand, covered in semen, pointed to his penis, which was slowly becoming erect again. His eyes, filled with sorrow and despair, were fixed on Pei Xiaolei.

"Put your clothes on!" Pei Xiaolei's voice was icy, devoid of any warmth.

Chu Wenheng shook his head and continued, “I know you don’t like me, and I know I’m not good enough for you! I know it’s all just wishful thinking, a pipe dream… But I can’t help it. When I think of you, I feel like I’m going crazy. I can’t control myself. After I ascended the throne, I went to see you, but I sent twenty invitations and they were all rejected. They said you were unwell and shouldn’t travel far, so I went in person with my yellow robe. I said I would come to see you in a dignified manner. I thought I could finally tell you my feelings with my head held high. But when I arrived at the First Manor in the World, I found you were missing! At that time, I almost went mad, until Uncle Liu and the civil and military officials tied me up and took me back to Chu.”

“Do you know?” He stepped forward and continued self-deprecatingly, “They sent me many women, all kinds, and many of them had the same nose, the same mouth, or the same eyes as you… They stripped naked and lay in front of me, and I… I didn’t react at all!”

“Enough! Put your clothes on!” Pei Xiaolei frowned, her voice even colder.

Chu Wenheng ignored her, taking several dozen more steps forward naked. He stopped less than two meters from Pei Xiaolei, knelt down on one knee with a thud, and looked up at her pleadingly, his face streaked with tears. "I love you so much! Please give me a chance, marry me! I will love you with all my heart!"

A large coat fell onto his shoulders.

His moist eyes lit up, and he excitedly looked up, reaching out to pull the woman before him closer.

Pei Xiaolei took several steps back, looking down at the crazed boy, and tried to speak gently, "I don't remember doing anything that would cause you any misunderstanding! Your Majesty, please don't put me in a difficult position. I've told you before, I'm already married, I already have a husband."

"I don't mind!" Chu Wenheng suddenly roared wildly, "If you refuse to marry me, then I'll marry you! I'll give you the entire Chu Kingdom as my dowry!" With that, he suddenly stood up with incredible strength and speed, lunging at Pei Xiaolei.

Pei Xiaolei never expected this move. Before she could react, she was tightly embraced.

The man's naked body pressed against her, startling Pei Xiaolei so much that her limbs stiffened. Anger, disgust… a flood of emotions surged through her, and a murderous intent brewed in her palms. "Let me go!"

"No! You can kill me, anyway, you saved my life!" Chu Wenheng completely ignored her threats, shouting at the top of his lungs. His grip tightened relentlessly, his hands moving even more tightly. "My elder brother died. Not long after I ascended the throne, my father committed suicide in front of the Tang family's ancestral temple, saying he was sorry to our ancestors and to my elder brother. My mother, the day after my father's death, also threw herself into a well..." He choked back a sob, large tears falling onto Pei Xiaolei's shoulder. "As soon as my father died, they clamored to settle scores with the Tang family, not even sparing my elder brother's cenotaph. They opened the coffin, tore the clothes to shreds, and even poured filthy lime and excrement into the bushes. And I, this puppet emperor, could do nothing but watch from afar."

"Three years. It took me a full three years to regain control of the court, stabilize the government, and preserve the Chu family's rule. But I'm so tired. I don't have a single relative by my side, not a single person I can talk to. These years, scheming, plotting, killing... that's all I have."

Pei Xiaolei was ultimately a soft-hearted woman. Seeing Chu Wenheng like this, she sighed and finally softened her heart. She pulled away slightly, letting him rest his head on her shoulder.

"Don't you still have Liu Hang?" Pei Xiaolei thought of Chief Steward Liu, who had been by Chu Wenheng's side these past few days, offering him advice and suggestions.

"Uncle Liu?" Chu Wenheng was taken aback at first, then gave a cold laugh. He released Pei Xiaolei, took a few steps back, and raised his arm to her. Three knife marks were clearly visible on his skin. "Since I ascended the throne, every year on the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, the anniversary of my birth mother's death, he stabs me. This is the most recent one; he stabbed me before I came to Rongshan!" As he spoke, he pointed to the lowest wound, which had not yet fully scabbed over, and murmured, "My father hates me, my elder brother hates me, and Uncle Liu hates me too..."

Pei Xiaolei listened quietly, her heart growing colder with each passing moment. She reached out and gently patted the shoulder of the boy who was still sobbing. After

a long while, Chu Wenheng left Pei Xiaolei's side, walked to a corner, and sat down. He pulled his coat over himself, just like before, curling up with his arms and legs folded up.

“Let me tell you a story!” He lowered his head, no longer looking at Pei Xiaolei, and began to speak softly, staring at the floor. “My birth mother, Tang, was my father’s youngest half-sister. Because she was frail and sickly from a young age, she was sent to the countryside to recuperate, and Liu Hang was the bodyguard who took care of her. Perhaps it was because of the long time that feelings developed, but ten years later, my birth mother told the family that she had fallen in love with Liu Hang, who was fifteen years older than her, and wanted to marry him. At that time, Liu Hang was just a minor servant in the Tang family, with no official rank or high salary, so the family naturally did not agree. However, they could not resist my birth mother’s crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide, so in the end they had no choice but to compromise and give in.”

"But the legitimate daughter of the prestigious Marquis of Xinpin family couldn't just marry off to an unknown nobody. So, after much deliberation, they asked the Empress Dowager to allow the birth mother to enter the palace as a concubine temporarily. This was to deter those who coveted the Tang family's wealth or the birth mother's beauty from coming to propose marriage, and to prevent any potential scandals. It also allowed Liu Hang to follow his second uncle, achieve success, and gain recognition. They originally planned to arrange the marriage five years later, when the birth mother's term was over and Liu Hang had made some progress." "

But man proposes, God disposes. The night before the birth mother left the palace, the late emperor, drunk, forcibly slept with her in the garden. After that, she could no longer leave the palace. Later, it was discovered she was pregnant with the emperor's child. The late emperor gave her a perfunctory title, but then forgot all about her pregnancy."

"She came to the palace only to escape the world. For so many years, she served as a servant to the Empress Dowager only out of gratitude for the Empress Dowager's kindness. She never cultivated any connections herself. At that time, the Tang family was already being stripped of its power and was too busy taking care of itself to have any time for her. When the Empress Dowager found out about this, she thought that she had deliberately seduced the Emperor and was very scheming. After a great rage, she banished her to the Cold Palace. At that time, she was a heavily pregnant woman with nothing but a personal maid by her side. She was tortured beyond recognition and became as thin as a bamboo pole."

"It wasn't until later that Liu Hang learned the news and rushed back from the border overnight. After trying to find his birth mother for a long time but still failing, he castrated himself and entered the palace as a slave, spending almost all of his life savings before he could finally stand before her. Liu Hang once said that those were the most painful and sweetest days of his life, but such days did not last long. Not long after I was born, my birth mother died of postpartum hemorrhage. Before she died, she entrusted me to Liu Hang, asking him to take care of me as his own son. After that, the Tang family used some connections to have Liu Hang and my birth mother's personal maid send me out of the palace, while lying that I had unfortunately died young."

"The Tang family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. Even though their fortunes have declined, they still cling to the teachings of their ancestors. To avoid wronging me, the young prince, my father demoted his wife of ten years to a concubine, demoted my intelligent elder brother to a son of a concubine, and welcomed a palace maid who pretended to be my mother as his wife. I, therefore, naturally became the eldest son of the legitimate wife. The Tang family doted on me. From a young age, they gave me whatever I wanted. However, as a family of military generals, they didn't teach me much martial arts and rarely kept me at home. Over the years, only Liu Hang would occasionally teach me a few moves to save my life..."

"Shortly after I ascended the throne, my parents both committed suicide. Liu Hang also committed suicide by disembowelment on the seventh day of the fourth month of that year, the anniversary of my birth mother's death. Fortunately, he was discovered early and barely survived."

"Ironically, the first thing he did after waking up was to kill me."

"After being subdued by the guards who rescued the emperor, he told me that every time he saw me, he would think of the late emperor who insulted my birth mother. Looking at me was like seeing the man who stole his love. He had wanted to kill me for a long time. If it weren't for his promise to my birth mother, he would have killed me when I was still an infant and then followed my birth mother in death."

"That day, I killed all the guards and palace servants who rescued the emperor and knew about it. At the same time, I made an agreement with Liu Hang that from now on, every year on the seventh day of the fourth month, my life would be at his disposal. But after that day, for the other 364 days, he must be the loyal Uncle Liu who was loyal to me again..."

Chu Wenheng paused and spoke slowly, the madness, anger, and anxiety in his eyes gradually subsiding into calm.

"Looking back on my life, it's like a false joke..." He turned to look at Pei Xiaolei, his voice soft and tender, "Only you helped me sincerely, purely, and without any impurities!"

"Accept me, and I'll give you the Kingdom of Chu!" As he said this, he looked into Pei Xiaolei's eyes, his earnestness clear and unmistakable.

Gaining a country without firing a single shot—it sounded like a fantasy, but this seemingly absurd thing had actually happened before her eyes.

She didn't actually dislike Chu Wenheng; in some ways, she even liked this shy boy. So, four years ago, after saving him, she willingly took on the responsibility of escorting him back to the Kingdom of Chu. Once there, she even had her junior brother run errands for him for a while. She had always lived in the mountain villa, and was very curious about the outside world. Chu Wenheng was the first person she met outside, and also the first patient she treated. Helping and saving him time and time again, she simply didn't want this pure-hearted boy to die too young. She never harbored any other feelings for him.

She sympathized with him, even pitied him, but she knew very well that it wasn't love. When her three senior brothers and junior brother confessed their feelings for her, she felt shy and overjoyed... but when Chu Wenheng said he liked her, in that instant, she so clearly felt the word "disgust," and even recalling his earlier fantasies about her made her feel nauseous and uncomfortable.

She didn't understand when she had given this boy such a misunderstanding, nor did she understand why such feelings could make a monarch sacrifice his own country.

She only knew that she hated hearing such words.

"I refuse!" Almost simultaneously, she looked at him coldly, the cold, resolute words escaping her lips.

He cried, sobbing, burying his head in his knees, covering his wet face…

… …

A heavy, oppressive atmosphere… a low pressure of various emotions gradually spread in this spacious but messy stone house!

Author's Note: The character Tang Heng really made me want to bang my head against the wall!
I feel like I dug a hole, jumped in, and can't get out!
Waaaaah…
Little Heng, I really don't know what to do with you now? ? ?

----------September 1, 2009, Evening

Prelude

"Xiao Lei, hurry up…" the boy kept urging.

"It's all set, just wait a little longer!" Pei Xiaolei tugged at her skirt, blinked at the graceful girl in the mirror, and only after confirming she couldn't find any flaws did she grab her bag from the table and head out.

As soon as the door opened, the boy who had been shouting outside suddenly fell silent. He stared at her for a long time, unable to utter a single word, his face turning a bright red like a ripe tomato.

Was the effect really that amazing? Pei Xiaolei tugged at the coat that had been forced onto her, looking at Liu Chen beside her with a fierce, unnatural expression.

Sigh… what was this nerdy guy thinking again! To be honest, this dress, while a bit low-cut, wasn't exactly indecent, especially since it was a gift from her teacher, his mother. What was with that expression on his face?

She remained silent, he remained silent, and the atmosphere between them was tense.

"Liu Chen, I'm going to buy a bouquet of flowers for the teacher across the street. You go ahead, I'll cross by myself later." Pei Xiaolei breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the carnations displayed at the flower shop across the street. Without waiting for Liu Chen's reaction, she excitedly skipped across the road.

"Xiaolei..." a certain nerdy guy suddenly shouted at her.

What's wrong? She turned around curiously.

Bang...

This proves that whether you're an adult, a young adult, a teenager, or a child, you must firmly remember the lessons your kindergarten teacher taught you: look left and right before crossing the street, go on red, stop on green. Otherwise, you can easily end up like her, causing a tragedy that can never be undone.

Standing in what is supposedly the underworld, Pei Xiaolei wasn't too flustered. Over a decade of being an orphan had long since honed her adaptable and resilient personality. However, when she had the misfortune of sitting at the same table as the legendary, devilishly handsome man, she still felt a great sense of embarrassment! The face before her, well, how to put it, was... quite... unique.

"Am I dead?" Composing herself, she looked at the serious-faced man opposite her and asked, somewhat bewildered.

"Strictly speaking, you're not dead!" the man replied.

"Strictly speaking???" She frowned slightly, her voice unconsciously rising a few octaves.

"Then what am I doing here?" she said, clenching her fist, her tone somewhat resentful. She wasn't kidding; her time was precious too.

"Ahem... Miss Pei Xiaolei, due to some procedural errors on our part, eighteen years ago we accidentally separated your soul and body, and they were reincarnated in two different timelines... uh... cough cough... now your other body's time limit is running out, your soul must immediately return to its place there!" The man in the suit and tie, with his long face, suddenly coughed several times. Before Pei Xiaolei could suspect he had contracted tuberculosis, he quickly concealed his worried expression, feeling quite resentful inside.

As the saying goes, even horses stumble, and ghosts make mistakes. He must have had the worst luck imaginable, getting into this mess so soon after taking office. His direct superior, Comrade Bull Head, was incredibly lenient, leaving him with such a huge mess while he himself went off to get promoted, completely disregarding his brother's life! Sigh… if this isn't handled properly, he won't be able to get promoted again; one wrong move and he'll be back to square one, back to being a lowly, toiling ghost.

"You made a mistake yourselves, why should I pay the price now? Let me go back immediately!" Pei Xiaolei's mind went blank for a moment, immediately realizing the reason for her sudden, unjust death. She slammed her fist on the table in anger, refusing to accept it. She had bravely and resiliently survived eighteen years in this materialistic 21st century; her life couldn't be ended so easily with a simple "mistake."

"Actually... your physical body has already disappeared. There will be no trace of your existence in the 21st century. Going back now is useless. Returning to your true body and merging with the other half of your soul is the right choice. Of course, we will provide you with appropriate compensation for this official operational error, so please rest assured." Horse Face was startled by her sudden anger, wiped the fine sweat from his brow, and continued to persuade her.

"I don't want any nonsense compensation! Let me go back now, or I'll complain about you!" Pei Xiaolei was furious upon hearing this.

Complain? Horse Face's hand trembled, and his face changed.

Ignoring everything else, before Pei Xiaolei could calm down from her rage, Horse Face glanced at the clock on the wall, then jumped up from the table, suddenly exclaiming anxiously, "Oh no, time is running out! Pei Xiaolei, hurry up and return to your soul…!" Before Pei Xiaolei could react, he waved his hand, and with a loud bang, Pei Xiaolei felt her feet sink into an empty void, falling into a bottomless black hole…

03-07 The feeling

of merging

with this body was strange. It was hot, sticky, and she was sweating profusely. Her head was dizzy, her chest was throbbing and numb, and her mouth had a strong, metallic taste of blood. Yet, her heart felt empty, and she felt lightheaded and powerless.

"Xiaolei, don't be afraid, your second senior brother is here!" A cool hand, accompanied by a strange yet gentle voice, gently stroked her hair, face, neck… downwards, a cool and comfortable sensation. But… wait, you pervert, where are you touching? Take your hands off my chest!

"No...don't..." Believe me, her intention was to curse and slap the pervert a couple of times! But for some reason, her soft, weak voice sounded more like a coquettish plea of resistance. Her body involuntarily clung to the slowly lowering male body. The slightly cool temperature felt incredibly comfortable, greatly relieving her discomfort, and her mind seemed to begin to clear slightly. Barely opening her eyes, she found herself naked and being pressed beneath a man. A strong body, light bronze skin, a handsome face, deep eyes—thankfully, he was good-looking, Pei Xiaolei thought with a bittersweet joy.

"You, get away...don't...touch me..." Her body was limp, and she could only speak haltingly.

"It's alright, you'll be fine soon!" His voice reached her ears, so gentle, as if he were soothing her emotions. It was completely unbelievable that he was forcing himself on a weak woman who was barely clinging to life.

However, her mind was now a blurry mess, her remaining consciousness weakly resisting. Was it hers or hers? Various images flashed through her mind like lightning, elusive and impossible to grasp, yet her body eagerly responded.

This man was trustworthy, someone she could entrust herself to. Her mind was a jumbled mess, but this was the only clear and distinct piece of information.

Who said that? Life is like rape; if you can't resist, close your eyes and learn to enjoy it!

So when this body, this mind, told her that the man on top of her was safe, when his cool lips pressed against her erect nipple, gently rotating and teasing it, she obeyed her body, remembering that saying. Unable to withstand such provocation, her red lips trembled slightly, letting out a soft sound. The man immediately and boldly opened his mouth and took her entire breast in, gently biting and sucking. His other large hand slid between her legs, gently stroking and rubbing for a moment until he felt that her lower body had secreted enough love fluid, before slowly probing into her flower core with a finger.

"Mmm..." Pei Xiaolei's innocent and inexperienced private parts were suddenly invaded by a foreign object, and her body reflexively tensed and slightly withdrew.

Her lips were immediately sealed off, a tongue sliding into her mouth, deeply sucking and lightly licking, stirring up a messy mess inside. "Don't be afraid, it's Second Senior Brother!" A deep, husky breath gently blew on her sensitive earlobe, and her body trembled again. A second finger was then inserted into her lower body, its slightly curved tip moving slowly and gradually faster, sometimes deep, sometimes shallow.

"Mmm...mmm...ah...ah..." Wave after wave of intense tremors she had never felt before washed over her body, and she couldn't help but arch her back, wanting more.

The man's breathing became heavy and labored, and his fingers slowly stopped moving, preparing to withdraw. Pei Xiaolei immediately pulled her legs together, not wanting this source of pleasure to leave. The man's entire arm was tightly wrapped between her legs, and his fingers, due to this sudden change, were inserted even deeper, the inner walls of her vagina contracting tightly, holding on tightly.

She was a little impatient, like a child who had eaten candy and didn't want to touch bitter medicine again. Her body had just experienced some relief from the pain, even a little pleasure, and she had tasted the sweetness and didn't want to go back to the previous suffering.

The man was clearly startled as well, taking a while to react. He slowly lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Be good, relax, your second senior brother will make you feel even better!" His nimble tongue lightly kissed her brows, lips, collarbone, breasts... Her tightly pressed legs gradually opened and spread wide with each kiss.

"Mmm... ah... ah... no... don't... ah..." By the time his warm, moist tongue entered her flower core, his silver teeth gently biting and nibbling at her erect clitoris, Pei Xiaolei's legs were already spread 120 degrees to their limit. Her body arched forward desperately, her hands gripping the crumpled sheets on either side, her chest heaving rapidly, only able to emit soft moans that mingled with his suppressed breath.

"I'm coming!" The man looked up and whispered in her ear. A hard, hot, unfamiliar object pressed against her entrance, lightly touching her clitoris. Her inner sanctum, already soaked from the previous manipulation, quickly received ample lubrication, her body coated in this natural lubricant. The man had somehow placed a soft pillow under Pei Xiaolei's slender waist, elevating her snowy buttocks. Her moist, pink inner orifice trembled slightly, opening and closing like an alluring little mouth, yearning for nourishment.

The man, supporting his already engorged and swollen member, slowly and patiently thrust into her pink opening, his movements shallow and gentle, until her orifice gradually accustomed to his presence, before penetrating deeper. Although already lubricated, the inner walls remained tight and narrow, the confined space tightly enveloping his immense desire, contracting rapidly and squeezing intensely.

The man on top of her, his eyes bloodshot and veins bulging, moved haltingly, his desire barely contained. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks, dripping onto the woman's nipples, blooming into vibrant splashes.

"Mmm...mmm...ah...ah ah..." A series of moans escaped Pei Xiaolei's throat. A strange anticipation mixed with emptiness washed over her. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she suddenly pulled down the weight on top of her, her legs wrapping around the man's narrow waist. Their two burning bodies immediately pressed tightly together.

"Xiaolei..." the man roared, pressing down on the woman's buttocks, his hips thrusting, his massive member penetrating her.

"...Pain..." A sharp pain suddenly struck. The woman twisted uneasily, flailing her limbs, trying to push away the man attacking her. The man wouldn't allow her to act recklessly. With a large hand, he pulled out the pillow from underneath, pressing down her arched body. One hand bound her hands, while the other lifted her thighs, draping them over his shoulder. He then thrust his muscular buttocks up and down, penetrating deeply with each stroke. Each attack penetrated deeply, the impact echoing loudly against her body; each withdrawal was fruitful, drawing out streams of fragrant, alluring love juice that overflowed from their point of contact.

The wooden bed shook violently, and the woman's screams and gasps with each penetration reached his ears, stimulating every nerve in his body. The thick, dark red penis suddenly sprang twice, then withdrew completely from the flower cave. Its fiery red tip stood erect, like a giant snake's head, coated in venom, its head held high, circling the pubic hair, which was covered in clear love fluid and cloudy semen. It occasionally bumped against the already swollen clitoris, until the woman cried out, her breath trembling unsteadily. Only then did it fiercely thrust the very end of its weapon into her core, each thrust deep and forceful.

"Hmph...stop...um...no...no more...ah...hehe..." An indescribable electric current coursed through Pei Xiaolei's lower body, numbing and tormenting her. Besides uttering moans that were half-crying and half-laughing, she could only instinctively twist her waist, rising and falling in rhythm with the man's movements.

The woman's private garden was completely stretched open, her delicate, swollen lips spasming and contracting violently, greedily devouring the deliciousness within. With each thrust, the flesh walls tightened, until the intruding object could no longer leave this tender, narrow passage, forced to rampage and plunge in, each impact driving with all its might straight to the depths of her womb.

"Mmm...ah..." The man let out a hoarse growl, lifting the woman's snowy buttocks and thrusting deeply inside, a surge of heat spraying into her body.

With each thrust, a continuous flow of heat, accompanied by waves of almost suffocating pleasure, rapidly invaded her limbs, internal organs, and then slowly spread throughout her entire body.

Pei

Xiaolei was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. Her body was limp and limp beneath the man, allowing him to conquer her, thrusting and pounding wildly. Her already uncontrollable lower body slid down her inner thighs, releasing a large amount of sticky, multicolored fluid that soaked half the bed. Only the cool, damp sensation seeping into her buttocks and between her thighs confirmed that she was still alive.

She woke up

groggily, not knowing how long she had slept. When Pei Xiaolei opened her eyes again, the moon was already high in the treetops, hazy and poetic.

She glanced at the maid sleeping soundly beside the bed, drooling, sighed softly, and didn't disturb her. She rolled over, propping herself up with her aching, limp body. Her lower body burned, and she didn't care about anything else, reaching out to examine it closely. A layer of clear ointment had been applied to her swollen, red private garden, its cool sensation relieving the discomfort and emitting a faint fragrance. Oh…on… She covered her eyes and sighed, this isn't real… Another wave of pain washed over her. Sigh…the consequences of indulgence!

She shook her head, gathering her thoughts. The two sets of memories merged, and she quickly pieced together the body's background.

Just like in the 21st century, in this world, she was also called Pei Xiaolei, and had just turned eighteen. The difference was that this version of herself was of illustrious status. Her father, Pei Ming, was the master of the most powerful and influential manor in the land, and her mother was the fearsome master of both medicine and poison – the Laughing Lady. Although these two legendary figures had both passed away five years ago, leaving her as an only child… Fortunately, her five senior sisters, senior brothers, and junior brothers, who were like family to her, were all very capable and each had their own specialty, just as their names suggested. The eldest senior brother was fond of martial arts, the second senior brother was good at medicine, the third senior brother was good at business, the fourth junior brother was good at literature, and the eldest senior sister, who had just gotten married last year, took care of her perfectly.

If there were any flaws to criticize about this version of herself, the only regret would be her extremely cold and weak body. Perhaps because she was only half a body and half a soul, she had been unconscious for three days and three nights after being born for just half a month. After that, she suffered from constant illnesses, both major and minor. For the past eighteen years, everyone had gone to great lengths to treat her and prolong her life.

The pills she took year-round were all made from extremely hot and nourishing ingredients. Because her body was so cold, even aphrodisiac ingredients were added to the medicine to boost her energy and spirit. Although this version of herself was extremely intelligent, she had a very indifferent personality and was quite distant from others. Perhaps because of this, these aphrodisiac ingredients had never exerted their legendary amazing effects on her over the years.

She pinched her thin self. Hmm, it hurts! She pulled her cheek. Hmm, it's very elastic. She raised her hands and looked at her slender fingers. So this was the complete version of herself.

"Xiao Lei, you're awake!" The door creaked open, and the skilled doctor, dressed in flowing white robes, walked in with his hands behind his back.

"Second Senior Brother..." Pei Xiaolei immediately lowered her hand and sat up straight upon seeing the newcomer. However, the erotic scene immediately surfaced in her mind and wouldn't leave. Although she was considered a BL fan in modern times, that was all theoretical. She was originally a pure girl who hadn't even given away her first kiss, but who knew that after coming here, she wouldn't even need to go to first or second base, not only jumping straight to home base but also hitting dozens of home runs. Thinking about it, even her ears turned red.

"How are you feeling? Any discomfort?" He waved away the maid who had already woken up, sat on the bed, pulled her fair arm, and carefully took her pulse.

Her face was flushed, and her head was almost buried in the quilt. After a long while, she finally spoke in a mosquito-like voice: "...Hmm...Much better..." 55555...Although she used to like this gentle senior brother, it didn't seem to be this kind of liking.

"Although your body is still a bit weak, the coldness in your body has subsided, just as Master's wife said!" He lowered his jade-like arm and naturally stroked her slightly disheveled hair.

*Beep...* Some information surfaced in her mind, and in a flash, she understood everything. She grabbed the person in front of her, her voice filled with anger, "What 'using yang to replenish yin,' what 'absorbing energy to replenish cold'... My parents love their daughter dearly and act recklessly, but why did you all follow suit..." How could she forget? She should have realized it sooner. Otherwise, why would she, who was clearly on the verge of death, feel energetic after a night of passion?

"How much? Ten years? Or twenty years?" Her face was cold, but her voice trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

Years ago, her body had been given a wicked skill by a strange person her parents had hired. This skill allowed her to absorb the martial arts cultivation of others to increase her own power. Whether by fate or misfortune, the strange man searched the entire Central Plains and Western Regions but couldn't find anyone suitable to practice his evil art. He thought his extraordinary skills had no successor, but fate had other plans. He saw hope in a sickly little girl and, regardless of her consent, forcibly transferred this domineering martial art into her body.

Her parents, desperate to cure their beloved daughter, resorted to any means necessary. Instead of stopping this absurd act, they searched the world and invited dozens of highly skilled individuals to transfer their internal energy to her to dispel the cold. Strangely, apart from their own blood relatives, the energy transferred by others was all repelled by the coldness within her body, and some even suffered backlash from their own internal energy. Helpless, the couple had to take turns transferring energy to her with their palms. However, after half a month, both of them, masters of unparalleled martial arts, had lost half their internal energy. Looking at each other, exhausted and even showing signs of aging, and thinking of their young daughter, they had no choice but to stop this risky undertaking. After consulting medical books and rare texts, and through long study, Xiao Niangzi created a life-extending tonic pill – "Chaoyang" (Sunrise). Pei Mingze went down the mountain and found five exceptionally talented children, teaching them martial arts together with his wife.

The skilled doctor gently pulled her into his arms, "It's not that serious, just five years! I can quickly regain this internal strength! ... Don't cry, be good... don't cry anymore..." He gently wiped away her tears, patting her back softly to comfort her. Only after the girl cried herself to sleep in his arms did he slowly take out a bottle of ointment from his sleeve, open the bottle, and a faint fragrance filled the room... "

Xiao Lei, you haven't spoken to me like this in a long time, although... it's fierce, but I'm very happy, really..."

Gynecologist?

After lying in bed for two days, feeling that her body was no longer a problem, Pei Xiao Lei tried to get up and walk around to breathe some fresh air, but...

"Miss, please don't..." Ruomei shook her head in panic, pleading with red eyes.

"I'm just going to the library to find some books to read..." she said with a hint of helplessness. This girl was good in every way, except she loved to make a fuss over nothing.

"What books do you want? I'll go get them for you. You sit on the bed for a while, I'll be right back." Ruomei finished speaking and ran off in a flash.

Sigh... this impetuous girl, she should at least ask what books she wants to read first, instead of bringing a bunch of poems and songs, which she'd been reading for eighteen years.

Without the chirping little sparrow beside her, it became much quieter. She got up, put on a light purple embroidered outer robe, and walked a few steps. Her body seemed to be much better, whether it was due to her soul or the effects of the sexual intercourse. She no longer walked weakly and needed help, but if she took even a few big steps, a burning sensation would immediately rise in her lower body. If she insisted on walking out like this, it probably wouldn't look very good. Oh well, face is more important, she'll stay inside today.

She walked slowly to the dressing table, looking at herself in the mirror. Not bad; her features were nearly identical to her 21st-century self, but her beauty and temperament were a thousand times better. Years of illness and lack of sunlight had given her incredibly fair skin, not a deathly pallor, but a translucent, crystalline white—smooth, delicate skin, like a baby's, with red lips, white teeth, and lustrous hair…

“Perfect…!” she exclaimed, touching her face. This version of herself seemed even better than her already quite good body before her death.

“What’s perfect?” A tall, handsome man appeared in the mirror. The two, one sitting and one standing, made for a pleasing sight. He had just run into Ruomei on the road, rushing off in a hurry, seemingly busy with something. Thinking something was wrong with his mistress, he had rushed over, only to find her sitting alone at the dressing table, scrutinizing her reflection. He casually picked up a horn comb from the table and began to carefully comb her dark hair.

She smiled sweetly at herself in the mirror and said, "Of course it's me!"

A gentle laugh came from behind her. The man leaned down, looking directly at her in the mirror, his deep eyes gazing warmly at her. He replied matter-of-factly, "Of course!"

...A moment of silence followed. Facing this man with whom she had shared intimate moments, she didn't actually dislike him; in fact, she felt a faint fondness. Women often have a special feeling towards the first man who took their virginity. Perhaps this is a manifestation of a woman's own virginity complex. The skilled doctor chose a simple yet elegant hairpin, and with a gentle twist, a perfectly styled updo was complete.

"So beautiful! Thank you, Second Senior Brother!" She stood up, giving him a grateful smile despite her slightly awkward posture.

He looked at her thoughtfully, his brows furrowing slightly. Suddenly, he swept her up from behind, burying his face in her chest and whispering repentance, "I'm sorry, I... I was too rough last night..."

She lay on the bed, her face flushed. The same large bed, the same man, even the same white clothes—those unrestrained scenes flashed before her eyes.

"Let Second Brother take a look!" The doctor, seeing Pei Xiaolei's abnormally awkward expression, assumed he had really hurt her badly last time and felt guilty. He reached out to lift her skirt, about to pull down her underpants.

"No..." Pei Xiaolei, seeing his intention, forgot her shyness and immediately grabbed his hand. Seeing the man looking at her strangely, she quickly explained, blushing, "It's broad daylight! I'll have Ruomei help me tonight!"

“Ruomei doesn’t know anything about medicine, and she’s usually so clumsy. How can we let her do whatever she wants?” He easily removed Pei Xiaolei’s hands that were pressing down on him, shaking his head disapprovingly.

She felt a chill run down her spine. So, someone else had been applying medicine to her private parts these past few days, and this senior brother in front of her, who had so skillfully pulled down her pants, looked exactly like that “someone.”

“A doctor treats illnesses, not day or night!” He casually pulled down her last piece of clothing, her underpants, placed a pillow under her buttocks, and spread her legs apart.

“But…” She shrank back, still trying to struggle, “Ruomei will be back soon!”

“She won’t be back for at least an hour or two!” He smiled faintly. Clearly, this divine doctor was very familiar with the personality of her maid.

…Pei Xiaolei was speechless for a moment. Indeed, another maddening thing about her personal maid was that she was terrible with directions. If she left Yiqing Pavilion and no one led her back, she would wander around for at least half a day before finding the right way.

The saying goes, "A doctor's heart is like a parent's." Looking at the doctor's earnest face, she simply closed her eyes, thinking with a sense of resignation, "Oh well, I'll just treat it like a gynecologist is examining me.

" On the bed, Pei Xiaolei's snowy buttocks were raised, her fair thighs spread wide, her swollen, red vulva clearly displayed before the man's eyes. He bent down, one hand resting on her pubic hair, his index and middle fingers spreading the labia apart, revealing the pink, swollen clitoris, which swayed gently twice. With his other hand, he inserted a finger into her vulva. The slightly cool temperature and icy touch felt very comfortable to Pei Xiaolei. Her clitoris twitched, tightly holding the finger. The finger didn't rush, remaining quietly inside her for a while, waiting for the inner walls to slowly relax before gently moving, lightly circling the inner walls.

Pei Xiaolei frowned, not daring to look. Her face was burning hot, undoubtedly bright red. She commanded herself to calm down, but her body wouldn't obey, trembling slightly, even her two rosy nipples throbbing with pain.

"Mmm...ah..." As the second finger was inserted, she couldn't help but sigh softly, her hips arching high. Two fingers probed deep inside, slightly curved, gently scraping around the hot inner walls before being pulled out and smeared on a snow-white handkerchief. Another white handkerchief, already soaked with transparent ointment and slippery love fluid, was quietly tossed aside.

Once the ointment was mostly removed, the doctor took out a small porcelain bottle from his robes, unscrewed the cap, and scooped out a small amount of pale yellow ointment. The scent was different from usual, but still had a minty coolness. He gently inserted the ointment into the opening, pushing it in with his fingertips, melting it inch by inch. His fingers moved slowly, probing deeper, the ointment clinging to the narrow inner walls with difficulty. Her body was too tight and too hot; the ointment melted halfway in, mixing with her vaginal fluid and sticking to his fingers. He withdrew his fingers, and the ointment at the shallow part of the opening immediately slid out with the fluid, flowing like a small spring.

The doctor's face flushed slightly, a mixture of guilt and agitation. His wet fingers scooped up another large clump of ointment, staring at the trembling opening, unsure where to begin.

"...Second Senior Brother??" A soft, slightly off-key voice came.

"Ah? I'm sorry," the doctor quickly composed himself, replying in an equally off-key voice. The ointment was divided in two this time. One hand applied a portion of the ointment to the outside, thickly covering the petals. The most swollen and erect nipples were already hard. With the rhythmic back-and-forth motion of the other hand inserting the ointment, the ointment was gently swayed from side to side. The fingers lightly rubbed the ointment around the nipples, gently kneading and massaging them.

"Mmm...ah...enough, Second Senior Brother..." Pei Xiaolei couldn't take it anymore and suddenly tried to sit up. But she was too fast and slipped on the pillow under her buttocks. She ended up kneeling on Shan Yi's bent hand. The slender fingers covered in ointment were suddenly pressed down by the weight, and two fingers plunged deep inside, hitting a certain spot.

"Ah...mmm...ah..." The familiar electric current surged through her body, wave after wave. Pei Xiaolei bent her knees, kneeling between the two fingers, and involuntarily reached out to hug Shan Yi's neck tightly. Her lower body kept rising and falling as she sat down, taking the two fingers into her mouth. “…Heh…Second Senior Brother…um…ah…” She groaned helplessly, her body growing increasingly strange.

“Xiao Lei, Xiao Lei…” The doctor might be a gentleman, but he was certainly not a saint, especially since the woman before him was the young lady he had admired for years, his other half with whom he had shared intimate moments. He held Pei Xiao Lei’s head with one hand, his long tongue darting in to intertwine with hers, sucking and then kissing her deeply. With his other hand, he took the initiative, quickly inserting a third finger before launching a full-scale assault, plundering everything in its path. The attack crumbled like a house of cards, and with a scream from Pei Xiao Lei, a gush of heat sprayed out, soaking the man’s large hand.

Pei Xiao Lei lay flat on the bed, one leg bent, her breathing unsteady, her head tilted as she watched the man, his face flushed, gently wiping her body, his warm hands moving softly over her skin. Suddenly, a sweet feeling washed over her. Perhaps… perhaps she liked this man… it was no longer just brotherly and sisterly affection, but a more intimate feeling… “Miss, how does it taste?”

Ruomei

blinked her doe-like eyes at her mistress, asking with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

“Not bad, almost half as good as Master Xishan’s! Keep up the good work!” Pei Xiaolei swallowed the pastry in her mouth, took a sip of tea to counteract the sweetness, and nodded in praise.

This girl’s cooking skills, while far from matching the legendary Master Xishan, were undeniably top-notch in this prestigious manor after Master Xishan’s marriage. If it weren’t for her own picky eating habits and tendency to get hungry easily, the vast manor would have been better suited to Master Xishan’s cooking than her. Otherwise, with her carefree personality, she would never have been qualified to be the personal maid of the beloved Miss Pei, the top-tier maid of the most prestigious manor in the world. Of course, the half-soul belonging to the 21st century wasn't so lucky. As an orphan, as long as the food was safe enough to eat, she was fine. So, with the two added together, although she still had a relatively high standard for the color, aroma, and taste of food, she was far less picky and difficult to serve than before.

Upon hearing this, Ruomei's eyes immediately crinkled into a smile, and her mouth stretched to her ears. It was praise from her mistress! The taciturn, precious-word-to-the-ears mistress! No! No! Take back what I said, take back what I said, the mistress is not taciturn at all now. The mistress now even occasionally takes the initiative to talk to her, and she is no longer cold and aloof, often wearing a faint smile on her face. Hehehe… I don’t know if it’s because of the Second Young Master, but he’s been coming to Yiqing Pavilion so often lately, every morning and evening. Sometimes, he even spends the whole day there, reading medical books while the young lady reads poetry. Although neither of them talks much, with her keen intuition and a woman’s invincible sixth sense, she can confidently say that something’s off between them.

“Want to go out for a walk?” The doctor put down his medical book and asked the woman beside him.

She stretched and nodded, “Yes, it’s time to go out and see the sun.” Then, she was lifted up and held in a broad, warm embrace. She wrapped her arms around the man’s neck, nuzzled her head against his ear, and whispered sweetly, “I want to go to the highest point in the manor.”

The man's face darkened, his neck flushed slightly, and he tightened his embrace around the person in his arms. Using his light-footed skill, he leaped onto the roof, bouncing several times before finally landing at the highest point of the manor, the Moon-Climbing Platform. A long couch had already been set up on the platform, with brand-new, clean blankets neatly folded on it. Indeed, this wasn't their first time here. For a long time, she had come here every ten days or so. Because of her extremely weak health, she couldn't go out or play like other children, leading a rather lonely life. Her parents had built her a high platform, from which she could overlook the entire manor, even the entire land belonging to the Number One Manor Under Heaven. When she was little, her parents would fly her up here; when she grew a little older, her senior brothers and sisters would fly her up. She had always loved this high place, where she could see all the mountains below. Whenever she looked down at this vast land that belonged to her, she felt an indescribable sense of peace.

The healer held her close, slowly circling the Moon-Viewing Platform a few times. A gentle breeze blew in their faces, causing two strands of her dark hair to flutter lightly. He lowered his head slightly; the person in his arms had fallen into a deep sleep, her small, slightly upturned lips utterly adorable. He unconsciously smiled, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

He carefully placed her on the soft couch, gently covering her with a blanket, and stood in the breeze, quietly watching her. This woman, he vowed to protect her firmly, not even Heaven itself could easily take her away.

A dark shadow drifted closer in the distance. The healer glanced up, frowned slightly, and leaped off the Moon-Viewing Platform, rushing towards the shadow.

The shadow, encountering the oncoming figure in white, neither dodged nor evaded, but instead attacked head-on with fists and palms. The two moved with lightning speed, exchanging a dazzling dozen blows before landing on a rooftop not far from the Moon-Viewing Platform.

"Second Senior Brother, you've regressed!" The newcomer smiled, his fox-like eyes crinkling, and opened his golden fan with a snap, gleaming brightly.

The skilled physician raised an eyebrow, looking at him noncommittally, still elegantly blocking his path. "Miss, she's asleep. It's not advisable to disturb her now!"

"Is Miss alright?" The newcomer didn't force his way in, but stepped forward, looking at him anxiously, his eyes filled with worry.

"Hmm...she's much better now. Come and pay your respects tomorrow morning after you've changed and washed!" With that, he flew towards the Moon-Gazing Terrace without looking back.

Change and wash?

The newcomer looked down at himself, then sniffed his sleeve. Wow! The stench was overwhelming! But he'd been traveling for over ten days without sleep; how clean could he expect to be?

Nengshang

sat in the outer hall of Yiqing Pavilion, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the door to the inner room. He had been waiting here since dawn, from 5 AM to 9 AM, for almost two hours. Unlike the skilled physician, who, as the young lady's personal doctor, could freely enter her boudoir without prior notice, he was hesitant to enter, even though he was eager to see his frail junior sister.

Time passed slowly, and the wait felt long. He paced back and forth in the room, stopping to read or drink tea. But his eyes couldn't help but peek into the inner room. "Sigh… Second Senior Brother has been in there for so long, why hasn't he come out yet? Could it be that the young lady's health has deteriorated again? But yesterday, he clearly said that she was much better."

Neng Shang downed the now-cold tea on the table in one gulp, stood up, and was about to move around a bit more when the door to the inner room finally opened. A familiar man in white robes walked out gracefully and nodded at him. He immediately beamed and grabbed the bags and packages beside him, hurrying into the inner room.

Pei Xiaolei sat in a grand chair, savoring the new dish Ruomei had handed her, sip by sip. She nodded. Hmm! This girl's cooking skills are getting better and better.

"Xiaolei, I'm back!" Neng Shang shouted loudly as soon as she stepped through the door.

She took the warm handkerchief offered to her, wiped her hands, and gestured for Ruomei to remove the breakfast before looking up at the fox-eyed man before her. After a moment, she slightly parted her lips and said, "Third Senior Brother, why are you back?" More than two years had passed, and apart from his slightly darker skin, Third Senior Brother Neng Shang hadn't changed much.

Neng Shang gazed at the woman before him, her eyes as dark as ink, her brows radiant with a smile, and a fleeting thought crossed his mind. He had roamed the business world for over a decade, seeing countless beauties, but even the most stunningly beautiful women could not compare to the slightest frown or smile of his young mistress.

"I just happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd come back for a visit!" he said calmly, a glint in his fox-like eyes.

Pei Xiaolei, upon hearing this, didn't look at him, but instead glanced thoughtfully at her second senior brother, a faint smile still playing on her lips.

Seeing that Pei Xiaolei was in high spirits and didn't seem to mind his sudden return, Neng Shang magically produced a pile of gifts from behind his back, approaching her and personally unwrapping and introducing each item like a treasure.

After enthusiastically introducing several novel trinkets, he opened a large package and took out a set of fragrant exotic clothing. He chuckled, "Xiaolei, look! This is Western Region attire! The most special thing is this hat, adorned with a special kind of fragrant bead. I heard that wearing these beads regularly is very beneficial to a woman's health. How about it? Pretty, isn't it? Here… let your third senior brother try it on for you… how about it?" As he spoke, he pulled the hat over his head, even making exaggerated, feminine gestures. A woman's adornment, forced onto a stiff, awkward man like this—it was utterly ridiculous. Pei Xiaolei burst out laughing, the laughter growing louder and louder. She leaned to the side, gripping the chair armrests tightly, almost laughing herself to death. Her third senior brother was really something else; he never gave her a moment's peace!

Hahaha… I can’t take it anymore… Pei Xiaolei clutched her stomach, surrendering completely. Suppressing her laughter, she snatched the fragrant hat, supposedly offering many benefits, along with all the other gifts—big and small—that were likely being used by someone to trick her into laughing

so hard she’d almost died. She only managed to calm herself down after taking a sip of hot tea and wiping away the tears of laughter from her eyes. She had forgotten how long it had been since she’d laughed so unrestrainedly; this outburst seemed to have swept away all the repression she’d harbored over the past few years. Her third senior brother had always been like this, always enjoying playing pranks to make her happy.

At this moment, Neng Shang also dropped his playful expression and looked at her with concern, asking, "Xiao Lei, how have you been lately? You wrote that your condition seemed quite dangerous a few days ago!"

Pei Xiao Lei's heart stirred slightly. She looked up at the skilled physician, a gentle smile slowly appearing in her eyes, and said with a smile, "Xiao Lei's health is much better now, Third Senior Brother, there's no need to worry!"

Upon hearing this, Neng Shang's beautiful eyes flickered, and he suddenly clapped his hands, suggesting, "Since that's the case, why don't we take you to the countryside for a horse ride in a few days? Get some exercise, breathe some fresh air. I brought back a fine little steed from the Western Regions this time; it's small, clever, and very intelligent—perfect as your mount."

"Really?" Pei Xiao Lei immediately jumped up, her interest piqued. Wow! Vast grasslands, magnificent horses... Her face was filled with longing, her eyes brimming with joy. She finally had the chance to ride a horse!

Just as she was overjoyed, a thunderbolt struck from the blue. "No, your health has only just begun to improve; you can't do anything rash!" The renowned physician, who had been feigning silence, spoke up at the most inopportune moment.

"Ah..." Pei Xiaolei glanced pitifully at the skilled physician, then at Neng Shang, who seemed helpless. She pouted, gave a pitiful "Oh..." and sat down again, disappointed. Sigh... the doctor's word is law here, and besides, her body had only just begun to recover. It wouldn't be good if she accidentally aggravated something.

"However..." The skilled physician glanced casually at the woman sitting beside him, paused, and then changed the subject, "If it's just in the back garden of Yiqing Pavilion, then it's fine!"

"Yay..." The woman jumped up, immediately throwing a bright, sunny hug at the man beside her, nuzzling her head against his chest, and exclaimed happily, "I knew Second Senior Brother was the best!"

"Second Senior Brother is the best??? Xiaolei, when did you become so blind?" Neng Shang shook his head, looking regretful, and snapped open his signature golden fan, starting to fan himself idly.

"What? Third Senior Brother, are you jealous?" Pei Xiaolei hooked her arm around Neng Shang's, triumphantly provoking the other.

"Yes, I'm so jealous! What should I do?" Neng Shang put away his golden fan, smiling half-heartedly, his fox-like eyes flashing, revealing nothing.

"Miss is often with me, so naturally we're much closer!" The Great Physician spoke again.

"Oh...???" Neng Shang glanced at Third Senior Brother, raising his voice with a half-smile.

Afternoon. Outside Yiqing Pavilion

, "Miss's mood has improved considerably since you returned!"

"Hmm..."

"..."

"I received a secret report a month ago saying that Miss was critically ill and on the verge of death, but now, Miss has suddenly recovered. You used that method?"

"Yes."

"Did Miss agree to it?" "

...At the time...the situation was extremely dangerous!"

"...If Senior Brother finds out..."

"If he finds out...so what?"

"So what? But I will help you. For me, nothing is more important than Miss's life!" On a clear early

summer

morning, the soft sunlight warmly bathed the garden. This back garden, covering several thousand square meters, was picturesque, with flowing streams, shady trees, and exotic flowers blooming in all seasons, their fragrance intoxicating. However, apart from a few gardening servants, it was always sparsely populated. The owners here probably only visited a few times a year, wasting this enchanting scenery. But today, the masters were finally coming to visit, yet the gardening servants had been dismissed early. For a moment, apart from the birdsong, insect chirps, rustling trees, and flowing water, the garden was undisturbed by any human disturbance, its tranquility imbued with a solemn atmosphere.

In the distance, a woman and two men on three horses slowly approached. One of the men, dressed in a black outfit, the other in a white scholar's robe, both appeared to be around twenty years old, exuding an air of refined elegance. The woman in the middle, clad in a purple-red riding dress, was strikingly beautiful and dashing. Beside them, two large and one small horses followed closely, walking alongside their masters in a graceful manner.

Pei Xiaolei looked excitedly at the little white horse before her, her eyes shining. She stroked its head, its smooth mane, and even snuggled against its belly… her heart pounding with joy. This was her little white horse! And the little white horse, indeed a carefully selected elite among steeds, possessed exceptional endurance. Despite her playful teasing and attempts to provoke it, it stood as still as a pine tree, not even budging an inch.

After she'd finished her infatuation, she noticed her two handsome senior brothers beside her were slightly flushed. They were certain they'd seen everything she'd done. But what did it matter? Everyone makes a mistake first; a little embarrassment was perfectly understandable.

After carefully listening to their detailed riding instructions, she walked to her little white horse, firmly planted one foot on the saddle, and, like riding a bicycle, attempted a backflip. The result… the little white horse remained perfectly still, but she repeatedly slipped off its back. Undeterred, she climbed again, only to slip again a few seconds later, fall, climb again, and slip again… and so on…

In the end, drenched in sweat and after a long day of struggling, she was dressed in fine clothes and rode a spirited horse, but she was still a long way from her dream of riding in fine clothes on a spirited horse, singing and dancing. Not very gracefully, she clung to the horse's neck, and after a few steps of thrilling, screaming rides with two handsome men supporting her on either side, she consoled herself. Although her posture wasn't elegant, she had essentially accomplished the task, and her wish to ride a horse had come true. With that thought, she relaxed her legs, ignoring the four outstretched hands, and let herself slide freely to the ground. Once safely on the ground, she casually tossed the rope aside, patted the horse's rump, and let the frighteningly obedient little fellow find his own fun. She then led her two senior brothers, one in each hand, to a large tree, where they sat in a group on a soft mat that had been laid out beforehand. Beside the mat was a small, delicate table with a tall food box containing tea and snacks.

"How comfortable! It's been so many years since I've had a picnic like this," Pei Xiaolei exclaimed, sprawling on the mat, stretching out her arms, and gazing at the azure sky.

Following suit, he lay down beside her, not bothering to ponder the oddity in her words, and simply smiled at her, saying, "If you like, your third senior brother will sacrifice a little and come with you for horseback riding every day!"

"No way!" Pei Xiaolei exclaimed in surprise, loudly refusing, and then moved away to keep her distance from him. He had quite a scare with her while they were riding earlier.

"Stop fooling around, quickly set out lunch, I'll go get the medicine," the doctor said calmly, handing the food box to the stubborn man at his feet, and giving him a light kick as a warning.

"Get the medicine?" Pei Xiaolei jumped up, immediately grabbing the doctor's hand, pointing obsequiously at the surrounding flowers and plants, and said ingratiatingly, "Second senior brother, look how beautiful the scenery is here, will you keep me company?"

The doctor was usually cold and aloof to everyone. However, when facing a certain woman, his defenses were quite weak. So when that person tugged at his sleeve, pleading, "Stay with me, okay?" he hesitated, wavered. The little devil in his heart kept tempting him; actually, taking the medicine half an hour late wouldn't have any effect, but his junior sister's enjoyment of the flowers was different—a moment's delay could easily cause her to lose interest… But another angel in his heart was making a desperate struggle… So, looking at the woman's sweet pleading voice, he opened his mouth, unsure what to do…

The person on the ground, his fox-like eyes narrowing slightly, also stood up, shaking his golden fan, and said, "Alright… Second Senior Brother, you should stay and enjoy the scenery with Xiaolei. Let me, the errand boy, do the dirty work of serving medicine and water!" Finally, not forgetting to imitate those pretentious, failed scholars, he recited a few lines of poetry, contemplating the bright, vibrant spring morning with a touch of autumn melancholy, before reluctantly leaving with his hands behind his back.

After Neng Shang, looking back every few steps like a playful jester, slowly walked away, only Pei Xiaolei and Shan Yi remained in the vast garden, one tall and one short. Sunlight bathed them, casting a warm glow. Shan Yi pulled her close, holding her tightly in his arms. Pei Xiaolei's eyes immediately lit up, her gaze sparkling. She wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him until his neck flushed slightly. Then, she suddenly stood on tiptoe and lightly touched his lips.

"...You..." Shan Yi paused, then gently tapped her nose to show his disapproval. With his other hand, he lifted her buttocks like a baby, pulling her close until she was half a head taller than him. He looked up at the woman in his arms with burning eyes and said in a magnetic, seductive voice, "One more time!"

"You...ah..." The person in his arms chuckled, mimicking his gesture, tapping the man's nose before lowering her head to kiss him gently. Their lips first lightly touched, then she extended half her fragrant tongue, softly licking his slightly dry lips, savoring both before slipping into his mouth like a snake. But once inside, she had fallen into a trap. The man raised an eyebrow, his long tongue immediately entwining with hers, refusing to let go. His thin lips pressed tightly against hers, sucking and biting deeply and passionately. After several rounds of intense passion, when it was time to call it a day, both were flushed and panting.

"Second Senior Brother..."

"Hmm?"

"What should I do?"

"What should I do?"

"I think I really like you, really like you."

"

Oh." "Oh? What does 'oh' mean?"

"I like you too, really like you." The man smiled gently, took the woman's small hand, kissed it lightly, and pressed it to his heart. Suddenly, he looked at her seriously and swore, "I, Shan Yi, will love only you in this life, and belong only to you. If I break this oath, may I be punished by heaven!"

Pei Xiaolei didn't stop him. She listened quietly as he finished swearing. She smiled and stretched out her hand to swear to heaven, but before she could even utter a word, a warm, large hand intercepted her and held it firmly.

"No need, no need for that..." His dark eyes looked at her quietly, unfathomable. "As long as you have me in your heart, that's enough!"

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