Dong Cha witnessed all of this in the servants’ quarters. Suddenly, a sense of despair engulfed her heart, as if she were mired in sludge with no one to save her!
「...」
At night, Xia Ruqing was summoned to Zhaochen Palace. Zhao Junyao had been reviewing petitions all day and was a bit tired now. Xia Ruqing thus very considerately stepped forward to play the part of the obedient one.
"Emperor, let me massage Your Majesty’s shoulders!"
Now at the Fourth Rank, she finally didn’t need to refer to herself as a slave. Xia Ruqing felt a tiny bit of pride in her heart!
Zhao Junyao lay on the lounge chair and grunted in assent. Xia Ruqing scurried over eagerly.
Zhao Junyao was looking at the gift inventory list. At the year’s end, neighboring countries would exchange congratulatory gifts as a customary reciprocity. Typically, you would give whatever you had. For instance, tributes from Liaodong, Northwest, and the southwestern barbarian tribes usually consisted of furs and animal hides. Whereas from the Southern Ocean, they would send all sorts of strange and exotic items, like agates, Cat’s Eye Stones, and the like!
The Great Chu Dynasty would also give gifts to others. Generally, these included items such as silk, porcelain, and tea, among others. Though not especially valuable in the Great Chu, these items became precious once they reached foreign lands. The principle that rarity confers value is universal, after all.
Xia Ruqing worked on massaging Zhao Junyao’s shoulders. But being a girl in her teens who had never done any manual labor, her hands were tender like green onions and not particularly strong. So instead of a massage, it was more like she was tickling him!
For a man like Zhao Junyao, with well-defined muscles, it probably wasn’t even ticklish.
The ground dragon floor heating made the room warm, so he was only wearing a single robe. Her delicate hands, through the thin fabric, pressed rhythmically against his skin. A tickling sensation stirred in his heart, and his throat grew dry.
"Pour me some tea!"
Xia Ruqing skipped over and returned with a steaming cup of tea!
After drinking, Zhao Junyao felt even thirstier than before. But he hadn’t finished reviewing the gift list yet. Zhao Junyao’s reason and self-control were still intact!
Xia Ruqing continued massaging, unable to stop. Soon her hands ached, and her movements slowed. One press after another.
Zhao Junyao felt this was even less like a shoulder massage now, with those tender hands on his shoulders. Contact, pressure, lingering, rolling, caressing, tangible yet elusive.
"COUGH, COUGH..."
He coughed twice, as if to maintain a serious demeanor.
Zhao Junyao felt that he was starting to lose control. It was still hot!
She massaged for a while longer. The string in Zhao Junyao’s mind that controlled reason and integrity suddenly shifted its focus to his lower half. He simply threw the gift list aside.
"Qingqing, I’ve been tired all day. Why don’t we take an early bath and go to sleep!"
Xia Ruqing was massaging his shoulders while silently criticizing the Emperor in her mind. At the same time, she was surreptitiously eyeing the gift list to see what desirable items it contained! But before she had the chance to take a good look, he tossed the list away!
She hadn’t quite grasped what Zhao Junyao said and looked completely baffled.
"Eh?"
Before she could react, Zhao Junyao scooped her up in his arms.
The bathhouse in Zhaochen Palace was more luxurious than any other in the palace. The vast white marble pool was filled with clean, clear spring water, and petals floated gently on the surface. Zhao Junyao rudely sent the palace attendants away and tossed Xia Ruqing, still fully dressed, into the water.
"AGH!"
Xia Ruqing plunged headfirst into the water; the sensation was simply shocking! The bath was large enough to swim in; at this rate, someone could actually drown!
"Emperor... AGH!"
Xia Ruqing struggled to surface, gasping for fresh air. Unexpectedly, Zhao Junyao also dove in headfirst. Holding his breath underwater, he quickly found Xia Ruqing and held her tightly in his embrace. He kissed her fiercely, passing the air in his mouth to her.
Xia Ruqing’s mind went blank. On the brink of despair, she suddenly received oxygen; it was like she was instantly reborn. She kissed him back desperately, trying to draw even more. Zhao Junyao gave her everything he had without reservation.
The pair kissed passionately underwater for who knows how long. Finally, at the last moment, like drenched chickens, they climbed out and lay by the poolside, gasping for air.
Xia Ruqing’s cheeks were red from holding her breath, and she had no strength left. She collapsed limply into Zhao Junyao’s arms.
He smiled wickedly.
"Qingqing..."
He felt so good!He didn’t know when it had happened, but he, who never kissed women, now loved kissing her so much.If he could live on, he would rather stay underwater forever and not come out. He wanted to just keep kissing like this, to have Qingqing keep craving him as she just had—taking from him, depending on him.He was so immersed in enjoyment that his entire being seemed to be steeped in excitement. If he could, he really didn’t want to let go.
He looked down and saw Xia Ruqing’s cheeks flushed and her whole body weak. The fire inside him gathered lower, and his little brother was already primed!