chsdbacks Chapter 232 Aren't you and Consort Xue good sisters? Then you two can be together tonight.
Chapter 232 Aren't you and Consort Xue good sisters? Then you two can be together tonight.
Xu Fenghua's fingers tightened suddenly, and the teacup made a slight "click" sound in her hand.
But she quickly regained her composure.
He slowly stood up and placed the teacup on the small table beside him.
Then, she took a step and walked towards Qin Mu.
The steps were steady and slow.
Each step was firm and solid, as if the ground beneath my feet was not a soft carpet, but a mountain of knives and a sea of fire.
She stopped three steps in front of Qin Mu.
She bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Her voice was very soft and gentle, revealing no emotion.
His forehead touched the ground, his posture impeccably submissive.
Qin Mu looked down at her.
Watching her kneeling figure, watching her moon-white skirt spread out on the dark floor.
Looking at her slightly trembling shoulders and her back tense with nervousness.
He smiled.
"Get up," he said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xu Fenghua slowly stood up and stood with her hands at her sides.
Her gaze was lowered, fixed on the floor, and she dared not look at him.
But her heart was pounding so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.
How did he end up here?
When did he come back?
He just now—
Did you see anything?
Countless thoughts flashed through Xu Fenghua's mind in an instant.
But her face was expressionless; she simply stood there quietly, like a lifeless statue.
Looking at her like this, Qin Mu's smile deepened.
He didn't speak, but simply walked past her and into the hall.
The moon-white robe trailed across the floor, stirring up a faint breeze.
Xu Fenghua stood still, motionless.
She could feel the wind he stirred up as he passed by, and smell the faint scent of ambergris on him.
The scent was faint, yet it was like an invisible thread, tightly binding her heart.
Qin Mu walked to the main seat made of sandalwood and slowly sat down.
He leaned back in his chair, one hand supporting his chin, his posture as languid as if he were in his own palace.
His gaze, however, never left Xu Fenghua.
Those deep eyes gleamed with a dim light in the candlelight.
"My beloved concubine," he spoke, his voice soft yet each word clear, "where have you been so late?"
Xu Fenghua's heart sank suddenly.
Her fingers slowly tightened inside her sleeve.
My fingernails dug deep into my palm, sending a sharp pain through me.
But the pain kept her conscious until the very end.
She took a deep breath and slowly raised her head.
He met Qin Mu's gaze.
There was a calm in those amber eyes.
"Your Majesty," she said, her voice so calm it betrayed no emotion, "I just went to Yuxiu Palace to visit Consort Xue."
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" His tone held a hint of amusement. "Going to see her so late?"
Xu Fenghua nodded.
"My sister Xuefei was frightened a few days ago and hasn't been feeling well," she said. "I was worried about her, so I brought some medicine to visit her."
She paused, then added:
"If I have disturbed Your Majesty's peace, it is my fault."
Qin Mu looked at her.
Looking at her dignified and calm face, and at the just-right composure in her amber eyes.
"You're so kind, my beloved," he said.
He paused, then continued:
"Is Sister Xuefei feeling any better?"
Xu Fenghua's heart sank even further.
Countless images flashed through her mind in an instant.
Is anyone watching outside Yuxiu Palace?
Was her conversation with Jiang Qingxue overheard?
That note—
She suppressed the unease surging within her and maintained a calm expression.
"Your Majesty," she said, "Consort Xue is recovering well. When I visited her, she was reading a book, and she looked much better than she had a few days ago."
Qin Mu nodded.
"That's good," he said.
Then he stopped talking.
He simply leaned back in his chair, propped his chin on one hand, and quietly watched her.
His gaze was indifferent, as indifferent as a stagnant pool.
But when it landed on Xu Fenghua, it sent a chill down her spine.
A chill rose from the bottom of her heart, spreading along her spine, making her want to shiver.
But she didn't dare.
They could only stand there, motionless.
He let that gaze sweep over her carefully.
It was as if they were examining a piece of merchandise.
It was as if they were admiring prey that had fallen into a trap.
Time seemed to slow down dramatically at that moment.
The candlelight flickered inside the hall, casting long, long shadows of the two people on the wall.
I don't know how much time passed.
It may be just a moment, or it may be a long time.
Qin Mu finally made a move.
He slowly stood up and walked towards Xu Fenghua.
The pace was slow and steady.
Every step felt like a blow to Xu Fenghua's heart, one after another.
He stopped in front of her.
They were very close, close enough that Xu Fenghua could feel the warmth emanating from him and smell the faint scent of ambergris on his body.
Qin Mu extended his hand.
His slender fingers gently lifted her chin.
"My beloved," he said softly, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze, "do you know?"
He paused, his gaze lingering on her amber eyes, and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"I like your type the most—"
"Even though he was terrified inside, he pretended to be calm."
Xu Fenghua's pupils contracted slightly.
Her body suddenly stiffened.
Xu Fenghua's heart almost stopped beating at that moment.
Fear surged up from her feet like an icy tide, instantly engulfing her limbs and bones.
Did he discover it?
Does he already know something?
Are there any secret guards monitoring outside Yuxiu Palace?
Did anyone overhear her brief conversations with Jiang Qingxue?
Did that note, the note she carefully tucked into the bottom of the brocade box, ever fall into someone else's hands?
Countless thoughts surged wildly in her mind, crashing against her reason like a raging storm.
Her body was taut, her back stiff as a bow about to break.
But in that moment of extreme fear, the tension that had been building up inside her for so long actually eased a little.
No.
Will not.
If he had truly discovered something, given Qin Mu's personality, he would never have just made such a light and casual attempt to probe.
He will use more direct and ruthless methods.
He should just be simple—
I simply felt that she was scared.
Xu Fenghua took a deep breath, the air filling her lungs with the faint scent of ambergris in the hall, which cleared her chaotic thoughts somewhat.
She looked up and met Qin Mu's smiling, unfathomable eyes.
Those eyes truly held only amusement.
It only has that kind of cat-and-mouse, condescending, playful enjoyment.
There was no murderous intent, no coldness, no sharpness like when you spot your prey in a trap.
Just for fun.
Simple, mischievous amusement.
Xu Fenghua's heart slowly returned to its original place.
She lowered her eyes slightly, her eyelashes casting a fine shadow in the candlelight.
"His Majesty's divine power is unfathomable."
Her voice was soft, with just the right amount of trembling, "Of course I'm afraid."
These words were spoken with utmost respect, each word perfectly expressing the awe and fear a concubine should have in front of the emperor.
But only she knew how much of that trembling was real and how much was fake.
Looking at her like this, Qin Mu's smile deepened.
He raised his hand and gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek.
"Actually, you don't need to be so afraid."
His voice was gentle, as gentle as if he were coaxing a frightened kitten. "I am very easygoing."
Very easygoing?
Xu Fenghua sneered inwardly.
But her face remained expressionless.
He simply bowed his head slightly and said in a perfectly respectful tone:
"Your Majesty's benevolence is my blessing."
Qin Mu smiled gently as he looked at her.
There was a hidden meaning in that smile that she couldn't quite decipher.
He didn't say anything more, but simply withdrew his hand and turned to walk towards the palace gate.
He took two steps, then stopped.
He turned around and looked at her.
The moonlight shone in from behind him, gilding him with a silvery edge and making his handsome face appear like that of a god.
Those deep eyes gleamed with a dark light under the moonlight.
"Alright," he said, his tone as casual as if he were giving an order for something trivial, "come with me."
Xu Fenghua was slightly taken aback.
go?
where to go?
She looked up at him.
Those amber eyes were filled with doubt.
"Your Majesty," her voice held a hint of tentative hesitation, "where to?"
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Qin Mu's smile deepened.
"Of course, we'll go to Consort Xue's place," he said, enunciating each word clearly, "aren't you two sisters the closest of friends?"
His gaze fell on her face, meticulously tracing her reactions as if they were tangible objects.
"tonight--"
He paused, the smile on his lips growing even more meaningful:
"Let all of you serve me in bed."
boom--
Something seemed to suddenly explode in Xu Fenghua's mind.
Her pupils contracted sharply in that instant.
To serve the emperor in bed.
They served each other in bed.
She and Jiang Qingxue.
They served each other in bed.
This realization struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her ears ringing and her vision blurring.
Her brows furrowed suddenly.
The moment she saw Qin Mu, she knew that tonight would not be easy.
But she never imagined—
He will use this method.
Let her be with Jiang Qingxue.
Let her brother's crush be with her.
Let her—
Xu Fenghua's chest heaved violently, and her breathing became rapid and disordered.
Her fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve, her nails digging deep into her palms, sending a sharp pain through her.
But that pain was nothing compared to the turbulent waves churning within her heart.
That felt so strange.
It was so strange that she couldn't even describe it in words.
Jiang Qingxue was a girl she had watched grow up since childhood. She was the girl she watched study, practice swordsmanship, and chase and play in the snow with Xu Longxiang in the Listening Snow Pavilion in the Northern Border.
She remembered the girl who always sat quietly under the plum tree reading, her clear, watery eyes, and the two shallow dimples on her cheeks when she smiled.
That's the person her brother likes.
That was the person she once thought would become her brother's wife.
But now—
Now they are to lie together beneath that man.
Let's bear those things together—
Xu Fenghua closed her eyes, not daring to think any further.
Her body was trembling slightly, a tremor that welled up from the bottom of her heart and spread to every part of her body, making her almost unable to stand.
But she had no way out.
No refunds.
No refund.
Only—
accept.
Xu Fenghua opened her eyes.
The turbulent emotions surging in her amber eyes had been suppressed by her.
Instead, there was a deathly silence.
She spoke slowly.
"Yes."
It's just one word.
A single, simple word.
But it seemed as if she had used up all her strength.
Looking at her like this, Qin Mu's eyes shone even brighter.
"Then let's go," he said.
He turned around and stepped out of the palace gate.
The moon-white robe traced an elegant arc in the moonlight and disappeared through the doorway.
Xu Fenghua stood still, motionless.
She gazed at the open door, at the deep night outside, and at the figure that had already disappeared.
My heart was churning.
But she didn't have time to think about it.
He took a deep breath and followed.
The steps were steady and slow.
Each step was taken firmly, as if the ground beneath my feet was not a stone slab, but a mountain of knives and a sea of fire.
Behind her, the moonlight stretched her shadow very long.
Cast against the palace wall behind him, he resembled a silent statue.
........