Смертная любовь в эпоху Северной Сун

Глава 46

The next day, Rongyue didn't get up from the silk quilt until the birds had finished most of their lunch. She was exhausted.

The quilt slipped off, and the deep and shallow love marks on her body reminded her of Dongfang Yao's evil deeds last night! With eyes like ice, Rongyue glanced coldly to the side and realized that the brat had disappeared from the bed at some point.

"You're smart enough to run away quickly!" Holding a peach wood comb, Rongyue stared at her fair, slender neck covered with strings of purple marks in the bronze mirror, angrily and listlessly combing her tangled black hair...

***

When he learned that Lie had removed the spies monitoring her, his breath caught in his throat, and every inch of his body leaped with joy! That night, he was like a young man waiting for his lover, both excited and nervously apprehensive. Dismissing all the servants, he bathed in the most expensive incense and changed into the white brocade robe he had recently commissioned from the 'Number One Scissors Under Heaven.' He sat uneasily, staring at the vermilion door, occasionally glancing up at the hourglass on the wall…

She didn't come by the first watch of the night... Maybe she was waiting for that silly prince to fall asleep!

It was past midnight, and she hadn't come... It seems like last time she didn't arrive until around midnight...

It's past midnight, and she still hasn't arrived... She's probably been held up by something...

It's past midnight, and she still hasn't come... I'll prepare some wine and dishes; even just drinking together later would be nice...

She still hadn't come by dawn...

The sky had already brightened, and the roosters had already stopped crowing. Looking at the table of exquisite dishes, Chu Xuyao threw a punch and smashed the entire table of food and wine to pieces!

She didn't come! She didn't come to see him last night!!

Looking at the mess on the ground, he suddenly let out a chilling laugh—if she wouldn't come looking for him, then he would go looking for her!

On the way, he encountered a young eunuch serving Dongfang Lie, and learned from him that the young prince had once again dragged Lie to play with the mythical beasts. Thinking she was also there, he forcefully tossed aside his long sleeves and turned to hurry towards the Imperial Garden…

It turned out she hadn't followed! By noon, still without seeing a trace of her, he finally couldn't contain himself any longer. He made up an excuse to leave the Imperial Garden and headed straight for her bedroom...

After finishing lunch, Rongyue, with her left hand hooking a teacup, leaned lazily against the couch, her hair disheveled and utterly unladylike. When she saw Chu Xuyao storming in from outside, a fleeting hint of displeasure crossed her face.

Reluctantly rising from the soft couch, Rongyue brushed aside a corner of her black hair that covered her face with one hand, giving an impatient look as she signaled for him to leave: "Excuse me, the Prince is not here. Master Chu may return!"

The moment Chu Xuyao heard him call her "Master Chu," he flew into a rage! He strode forward and grabbed Rongyue by the front of her shirt, his face contorted with rage: "You deserve to die! You never used to call me that!"

What kind of madness is this now! Struggling to pull her clothes back, Rongyue quickly jumped off the bed, straightened her wrinkled silk robe, and walked to the small purple wooden table not far away. She poured herself another cup of tea: "May I ask how I used to address Your Excellency?"

"Servant? Your Excellency?" Chu Xuyao, his face full of anger, strode towards Rongyue and slammed his hand on the innocent purple wooden table: "What the hell are you up to, woman!"

Glancing at the pile of sawdust on the ground, Rongyue frowned, picked up her teacup and brought it to her lips: "Master Chu, you are quite imposing! But has Master Chu forgotten that this is not your Ran Yue Palace..."

"You keep calling me Master Chu, are you really trying to provoke me?!"

"If I don't call you Master Chu, then what should I call you? Lord Chu? Ha, Elder Master Chu? Old Master Chu..."

"Shut up! You woman! You, you! Have you forgotten what you called me that night?!"

"?" That night? Which night?

“That night you were clearly…clearly…” At this point, a suspicious blush appeared on Chu Xuyao’s cold face: “You clearly called me…A-Yao…”

"?!" Rongyue blinked hard, her almond-shaped eyes wide, as if to indicate that he should repeat himself.

Chu Xuyao was furious: "Ayao!"

"Pfft—" A mouthful of tea was sprayed onto Chu Xuyao's blackened face without spilling a drop.

Rong Yue pointed her trembling fingers, as thin as scallion roots, at Chu Xuyao, whose face was covered in tea sweat. She gasped in shock, "You, you...you're out of your mind!! I think your brain is completely filled with water! You're hallucinating!"

His chest heaved violently, Chu Xuyao narrowed his hawk-like eyes, countless icy glints shooting directly at the shocked Rong Yue: "So you were just playing me that night?"

"Playing you?" He raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Can you explain yourself more clearly? Which night are you referring to as 'that night'?"

"Liu Rongyue! Don't play dumb with me! You clearly said that night that the person you like is me..."

"Stop!" Rongyue made a braking motion with one hand, pointed to her own nose, her face full of disbelief: "I...I said I like you?!"

"Don't want to admit it?" Wiping the tea stains from his face with his sleeve, Chu Xuyao pressed Rongyue's head down to meet her gaze. "You once said, 'Longing is endless, even short longing is boundless,' until you met me you knew the taste of longing! You also said, 'Ten years of cultivation brings us to share a boat ride, a hundred years of cultivation brings us to share a pillow,' our fate was cultivated in a past life! You even murmured to me with sorrow, 'I return your pearl with tears streaming down my face, regretting that we didn't meet before I was married,' you..."

"You're talking nonsense!" Rongyue shouted angrily, glaring at Chu Xuyao with eyes full of accusation and reproach. How could this damned man lie through his teeth! He made something that had never happened into sound so convincing; he was a complete and insane liar! How could such sarcastic words come from her mouth?! This... this was more unbelievable than a sow laying eggs or a boar crowing!

"Fine, fine! So it seems you really were just playing me that night?!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Stop talking about 'that night'! I've never gone out at night! I think you're just mentally unstable!"

"Liu Rongyue!"

"Chu Xuyao!"

You deserve to die!

You're sick!

Chu Xuyao and Rongyue glared at each other, neither willing to back down and avert their confrontation.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Rongyue, whose eyes were sore from staring, was considering whether to stop this childish duel when Chu Xuyao suddenly chuckled softly in Rongyue's astonished gaze.

Chu Xuyao cupped Rongyue's delicate face in his iron palm, his voice filled with indulgent reproach: "I finally understand! Yue, is this how you seduce men? You arouse their interest and then disappear, leaving them constantly on edge because they can't have you! Ha, impressive, truly impressive! Although I don't want to admit it, I have to say, Yue, you've succeeded..."

Good heavens, there are still such narcissistic, arrogant, and self-righteous people in this world! The world is truly full of wonders!

Moreover, this kind of person is not only narcissistic, but also mentally ill!

"Chu Xuyao, I'm begging you, please stop putting on this show, okay? The way you're acting makes me think I'm in... a mental asylum..."

Although he didn't know what a mental hospital was, he could roughly guess from the name that it was just a place to keep crazy people!

His expression, which had just eased, tightened again. Chu Xuyao's eyes widened, and he warned through gritted teeth, "It's true that a little temper-tantrums and clever tricks can win a man's favor, but if you go too far, it might backfire!"