Peerless Heiress - Chapter 98
Yuwen Ke didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.
Shaking his head, Lin Ran rubbed his head, feeling dizzy and drowsy. He staggered a few steps, "I'm leaving... Uh, strange... why am I so sleepy..."
Before she could finish speaking, she slid down softly. Just before she fell, she was gently pulled into an embrace by a pair of arms. In her dazed state, she squinted and mumbled, "Don't make a sound, I want to sleep..."
Chapter 214: The Most Beautiful Thing in the World
As night deepened, the main sleeping quarters of the Eastern Palace remained brightly lit by huge candle pillars.
Layer upon layer of flowing gauze curtains led to the Crown Prince's dragon-carved bed. No incense was used in the room, yet the fragrance was so pleasant. Yuwen Ke sat by the bed, gazing intently at Lin Ran's serene sleeping face, wondering if this intoxicating scent came from the flowers wafting in from outside, or from the woman's own body odor.
Stroking the soft hand in his palm, so delicate and white, with an indescribable rosy hue, so tender it seemed as if it could be broken with a touch, he dared not even exert any force in his grasp, for fear of accidentally hurting it.
She gently pressed her face against his, nuzzling him, tilting her head slightly, her gaze carefully tracing his features, meticulously scrutinizing every inch of his beautiful skin, unwilling to miss a single, subtle sweet smile at the corner of his lips. Was he a woman? He must be a woman...
What is there to doubt? It is clear that she is a woman.
However, her hand reached out and stopped on Lin Ran's clothes, trembling, but she didn't dare to pull it down for a long time.
She gazed at him greedily, inch by inch, with a smile, over and over again...
Finally, she couldn't resist reaching out to pull him into her arms, burying her head in his neck, inhaling his breath deeply, deeply, until it was etched into the deepest part of her soul. For a long time, she was reluctant to let go.
So captivated by his scent, so yearning for this moment, Yuwen Ke trembled all over, feeling an overwhelming surge of happiness, as if he were being buried, unable to breathe... He was a woman...
The final moment of witnessing and confirmation was so beautiful that he lingered, reluctant to let it arrive. So he simply embraced it, as if in this way, he could hold onto it forever. If only, if only, to simply hold onto this immense happiness, so close yet so far, unwilling to touch it, to simply cherish it, to savor it, and to grow old and die... wouldn't that also be the most beautiful thing in the world?
The night was still deep, and dawn was still far away. But those who had drunk the dazzling flower dew would sleep for a whole day and night. They had plenty of time, as if happiness had just begun.
Yuwen Ke suddenly laughed, softly and silently. His smile was so beautiful that it instantly illuminated the room with a radiant glow, brightening the darkness. Unfortunately, this rare and beautiful smile had only one person, soundly asleep, as its audience.
His smile faded, Yuwen Ke gently took off his shoes, quietly climbed onto the bed, pulled Lin Ran into his arms, and gently closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, he will personally uncover the truth. Today, let him have some peace and quiet, just hold Lin Ran in his arms, and spend the night quietly.
So peaceful, so serene. For so many years, he had never known that such a feeling existed, so beautiful, so content… He smiled gently, and gradually, fell asleep.
"Crown Prince! Crown Prince!" The voice was panicked and the cry was loud.
Yuwen Ke was startled awake from his deep sleep and instinctively looked at Lin Ran in a panic. Fortunately, Lin Ran was not awakened, but just frowned in dissatisfaction.
She gently laid Lin Ran down, tucked him in, and then darted away.
A young eunuch, looking terrified, knelt before the hall. As soon as he came out, he began to kowtow.
"What is it?" Yuwen Ke asked in a cold voice.
Chapter 215: The Study
"Your Highness... Something terrible has happened! The Moon Palace... The Moon Palace is on fire!" The little eunuch was so panicked that he stammered.
"What?!" Yuwen Ke's expression suddenly changed. When he looked up sharply, wasn't there a bright red flame floating in the southwestern night sky? He felt as if his mind had exploded with a "boom," and without having time to think, he rushed straight towards the flame.
Moonlight Palace was originally the palace of Empress Jiaxian, the mother of Yuwen Ke. After Empress Jiaxian passed away, the emperor missed his wife and often stayed there for a few days. According to the calendar, these days should be Empress Jiaxian's birthday. In previous years, the emperor would definitely be at Moonlight Palace at this time.
Yuwen Ke was frantic. He used his light-footed skill and rushed off like the wind. He passed countless pavilions and terraces, countless streams and beautiful scenery. The closer he got, the louder the noise became, but it didn't sound like panic. Instead… there was laughter?
When he finally saw with his own eyes two towering bonfires burning in the front hall of the Moonlit Palace, with dancers performing before them, and the Emperor, dressed in a bright yellow robe and accompanied by his concubines, watching the dance from his mother's hometown, he was astonished. He casually stopped a eunuch's shout to kneel in welcome, and was about to step forward when he suddenly remembered something, his expression changed, and he turned and quickly went back the way he came.
★☆★☆★
The Eastern Palace.
Just as Yuwen Ke's figure disappeared into the darkness, a graceful figure in a light ink-colored robe emerged from behind the palace. Gazing intently in the direction Yuwen Ke had vanished, she pursed her lips and gave a cold smile.
It was Mo Yu.
He walked calmly into the inner hall, and in a short while, he carried a figure out of the hall and quickly disappeared behind it.
★☆★☆★
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Ran finally woke up. She gently opened her eyes, still somewhat bewildered. Looking around, she seemed to realize something, blinked, and then suddenly sat up in bed.
The small room contained only a large bed, a table, a chair, and a small window. All the items were exquisite and beautiful. A faint floral fragrance filled the air, and a small lamp on the table cast a soft, white light.
The environment was completely unfamiliar, and there wasn't a soul in sight. Looking out the window at the pitch black outside, I couldn't help but feel a little frightened.
He hurriedly put on his shoes and got up, turning around to look at himself, puzzled, and muttered to himself, "Huh, where am I?"
Just as I was wondering about this, I suddenly noticed a light outside. I quickly reached out and pushed open the door, then went into the outer room. What came into view were rows of large bookshelves, each filled with thick books. Judging from the paper quality, some were new and some were old, and the categories were diverse and all-encompassing.
It turned out to be a large study. Judging from this, the place I was just in must have been where the owner of this study would take a nap when he got tired of reading.
Could this be the imperial study in the palace? She hadn't noticed this area in Yuwen Ke's study. She did remember falling asleep in the palace.
She walked out step by step, her footsteps echoing in the night. Lights shone all around her, and for some reason, they gave her a sense of peace.
Chapter 216: Seducing You
The night was utterly still, the only sound the soft, gentle patter of her own footsteps. Her sense of smell, exceptionally acute in the darkness, carried the faint, sweet scent of ink from books, both old and new, and the subtle fragrance of bamboo bookshelves. Finally, as she rounded a row of large bookshelves, the lights suddenly filled her vision, a night breeze stirred, making her clothes flutter, and everything before her suddenly became clear.
She looked up and saw the center of the study, a very spacious area with endless bookshelves opposite. In this central section, the night air filled the room, and there was only a desk. All the light came from the desk. A person sat before it, head slightly bowed, writing rapidly with a pen in hand.
He wore a loose-fitting embroidered bamboo robe, with faint ink lines running through the fabric. The robe was loose, revealing glimpses of his pale collarbone. His long hair was no longer tied up, but hung loosely, half of it reaching the ground.
Bathed in the lamplight, his already strikingly handsome features appeared even more exquisite, shimmering with a faint silvery glow. His eyelids were lowered, his thick eyelashes obscuring his gaze; his expression was both languid and intensely focused. He seemed so nonchalant that he might casually abandon everything and wander off at any moment, yet it also seemed that everything in the world was firmly in his grasp.
Why do I have such a strange feeling?