At this moment, she was sitting in front of the dressing mirror, staring blankly at her appearance. Three years, three years without ever seriously dressing up, simply because the man who appreciated her was no longer by her side. And now, she was dressing up again.
But tonight isn't for him.
How ironic!
Upon seeing this person...
A pale pink gauze dress lightly draped her slender figure, accentuating her exquisite curves and alluring charm. A delicate silk ribbon tied around her willow waist, its subtle fragrance permeating her entire being. Her dark hair was styled into a cloud-like updo, adorned with a phoenix jade hairpin and other pearl ornaments. Tassels hung lightly, her cloud-like hair piled high with emeralds, the tinkling of jade pendants filling the air. Her peach-blossom smile shone brightly, her pearly teeth gently biting her lip, a hint of crimson fluttering in the breeze. Yet, that fleeting smile transformed into sorrow, her delicate beauty into aloof indifference, and more than seven parts of helplessness etched despair into her heart!
Ji Wushang stared at the person in front of the dressing mirror for a long time, then picked up the lip rouge on the dressing table, put it to his lips, and gently pursed it.
"Fourth Imperial Consort, the Second Prince is already waiting outside," a maidservant announced from outside the door.
"Alright, you may leave now. Don't disturb me any longer," Ji Wushang said calmly.
"Yes." The maidservant immediately left.
Ji Wushang walked out lightly, where Beigong Minhao was waiting in the large outer room. He was very worried about Ji Wushang.
Ji Wushang went out into the outer room, and through the beaded curtain, she spoke with her red lips, "Minhao."
Beigong Minhao was stunned.
As if making a momentous decision, Ji Wushang lifted the curtain. "Minhao, I thank you for everything you've done for me. Through all the trials and tribulations these past years, I thank you for always shielding me. After tonight, I will be leaving, and I don't know whether I will live or die. My only purpose in life is for Nianlang. And tonight, Minhao." As Ji Wushang spoke, he gently called to Beigong Minhao, who had his back to him.
Beigong Minhao turned around upon hearing the voice, looked at her, and was momentarily stunned; she looked so beautiful tonight.
With fair skin, red lips, and clear, cool eyes, she was more beautiful than a fairy from the Jade Pool!
Unexpectedly, Ji Wushang gently placed her fingers on her head, then pulled out the phoenix jade hairpin and placed it on the table. Her cascading black hair instantly draped over her shoulders. Her face was calm. Her jade-like hand touched her waist, untied her belt, and then simply threw it on the ground. Her silk robe fell to the ground, exposing her jade-like skin to the air. Her gaze was fixed on the tall man before her, her eyes devoid of any emotion, yet he could see a despair beneath that calm.
He had read many emotions in this woman's eyes before, but he never expected to see that kind of despair again.
The first time was on the day Nan Xuzong died; she was in despair.
The second time was today, the day before she was to remarry, when she was even more desperate.
His heart trembled. He never expected that she would do this tonight!
“Minho…don’t you like me? I…I’ll give myself to you today.” She had already prepared herself mentally, and now, she softly uttered these two sentences that Beigong Minho could never have dreamed of. Then, she took off her undergarments and threw them on the ground. “After tonight, there will be no more chances.”
She seemed to be talking about something unrelated to herself. Her face was so calm, her lips were crimson, and her breasts were soft and high. She stood in front of him, not very tall, just reaching his shoulder. Her eyes were so calm as she looked straight at him. They were only a few steps apart.
She was a woman exuding a mature charm, a deadly poison that ignited Bei Gong Minhao's rationality. Three years had passed, and she had grown increasingly mature and captivating; every move she made stirred the hearts of men.
Bei Gongminhao's eyes darkened, a burning desire gradually igniting within them. Yes, Bei Gongminhao desperately wanted this woman. From the moment he saw her, from the moment she was still in her boudoir awaiting marriage, he had desired her! Even after she married Nan Xuzong and became his woman, he still thought of her; even after she had given birth, he still longed for her. This woman had always haunted his dreams, making him hopelessly in love!
He has suppressed his desires for more than three years!
He longed to pin her down and love her fiercely!
Now, she stands naked before him, utterly shameless.
He knew she was thanking him for everything he had done for her. She didn't know how to repay him. She was always in agony because she had given all her love to Nan Xuzong. She couldn't give love to herself, so she was always resisting.
But today she gave in; she was desperate.
She had thought of fighting against her fate, but she couldn't stop Nan Xuzong's death. She couldn't bear the fact that she had killed Nan Xuzong with her own hands, and she couldn't bear Nan Xuzong's pain. Her love also went with the man who loved her.
She wanted to die, to die with him. She had been living in this world like a walking corpse, but she still had Nianlang as her only attachment... But now, fate had pushed her to the edge of despair.
Is this her destiny?
Nianlang's illness was also because of her; how much suffering must her heart have endured to survive with such strength! But today, she broke down. In her eyes, there was nothing but despair.
She was to be married off to another man, becoming one of many concubines. The man who had promised not to marry another concubine, not to take any more concubines, and not to raise any more maids was no longer there!
She gave in to fate.
How desperate she was! She had dreamed of dedicating her entire life to Nan Xuzong, until death, her whole being and heart belonging to that man. But today, she understood that it was impossible. She would have to serve another man, and her body would be possessed by another man in the future.
Then why not offer yourself to the man who loves you in front of you first?
At least Beigong Minhao loved her. This was a way of repaying his kindness, because after tonight, there would be no more chances. She would become someone else's woman.
As Ji Wushang pondered, she suddenly smiled, a smile so beautiful it could topple kingdoms, a smile that brought tears to her eyes. With a smile, she reached behind her back and untied her red peony bodice, which then slid down to her feet.
"Minho, you've endured this for too long." She suppressed her smile and tears, uttering these words softly from her cherry lips. Nan Xuzong was gone, and her heart was dead. What use was this body anyway? In the end, it would still belong to someone else!
Even if Bai Aomei is married off to a distant place, she will never let her go! Even if she is a walking corpse, even if the road ahead is full of thorns, she is determined to protect Huangfu Jun'an!
But that's just how it is!
Ha, how ridiculous, how ridiculous! Since this body is going to be given to someone else, then why can't it be given to the man in front of you?
Beigong Minhao was stunned. His eyes burned with fervor, and he immediately stepped forward.
Ji Wushang closed his eyes, but the tears in his eyes finally flowed down his cheeks.
Bei Gongminhao's hot breath sprayed onto her body, but the next second he bent down and picked up the gauze dress from the ground, wrapping it tightly around her. "Wu Shang, don't do this..." he sighed softly, then put the gauze dress on her. "Don't do this, Wu Shang, I love you, but I don't want you to treat yourself like this."
Ji Wushang opened her eyes and looked at him. "Since you love me, isn't that even better?"
“No, Wu Shang, it’s not like that.” Bei Gong Minhao shook his head and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Ji Wu Shang’s eyes with his fingers. “You’ve been crying.”
Ji Wushang ignored what he said and continued, "Don't you need it? I believe you can be very gentle..." She shamelessly uttered such words, "You haven't tried, have you? Tonight I'll give it to you... After tonight, there will be no more chances." Her tone was so indifferent, but the more indifferent she was, the more heartbroken Beigong Minhao felt. He held her tightly, shook his head, and tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, "What's the use of having you if I can't have your heart?"
"I can't give you my heart, but giving you my body is at least some form of reciprocation. Don't you think that's fair? You've given so much for me, so much for Cong, so much for Nianlang... I should be grateful to you." Ji Wushang turned to look at him, the man who had always silently watched over him. He deserved love, a unique love, but fate had played such a cruel trick on him. He loved deeply, yet he couldn't receive her love in return. What could he possibly offer him besides his body?
No.
Tonight, let's consider it a way of repaying him, even if it's just a little bit.
"I think I love you too," she said softly, shamelessly taking his large hand in hers and letting it reach out to touch her own softness.
Bei Gongminhao shook his head, turning her hand to stop her from moving. "You don't love me. I won't lie to myself, and I don't want you to lie to yourself... Sometimes, I envy Nan Xuzong. He has always been in your heart for so long, and I envy him. But that's precisely why I can't let you be like this... Wushang, don't be too sad, okay? Wushang, cherish yourself and take good care of Nianlang, okay?"
Ji Wushang closed his eyes and shook his head. "Ji Wushang is already dead."
Yes, Ji Wushang is dead. She had been so cruel, even killing the man who loved her so passionately… What right did she have to live? Heh! Ji Wushang laughed again. Now, all that remained was a breathing body. No soul, no heart.
Bei Gongminhao felt even more pain in his heart as he listened. He held her tightly, but her body was still so cold. Before, there might have been a man who could give her warmth and comfort her heart, but now, there was no one who could do that.
Her heart had vanished along with that man.
"Are you sure you don't want it?" She suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him. She knew he was holding back, he had been holding back all along.
Beigong Minhao couldn't resist gently kissing her lips. Aside from the tears streaming down her face, there was no other change. He scooped her up in his arms, his eyes fixed on her features, a burning desire coursing through him.
☆、300 She's willing to be invisible!
She turned her face away, two streams of clear tears flowing down her cheeks, and buried her head in his chest. Please remember this website address: .
Bei Gongminhao felt a chill run down his spine as the cold tears struck his chest. He carried her into the inner room, gently placed her on the bed, and then covered her with a brocade quilt. "Don't overthink it. If you're feeling down, just cry. After you've cried, get a good night's sleep. I'll be watching over you outside." With that, he turned and walked out without looking back.
He closed the door and stood outside, remaining there as if he were a celestial being.
He doesn't refuse the woman he loves when she's offered to him, not because he doesn't love her, but because he loves her too deeply.
Under the brocade quilt, tears still clung to Ji Wushang's face. He was leaving tomorrow. This familiar place, his Moxuan Garden, and everything he had, would be buried forever.
She would keep going for his son's sake, but she was, in essence, a walking corpse. And so it always had been, hadn't it?
Cong, can you see me from heaven? I'm so heartbroken, where are you?
Will we ever meet again?
"If you will not abandon me, I will not leave you. If you die, I will follow you. Nan Xu Cong, I have broken my promise..." Ji Wushang cried out to the air, stretching out her arm and lifting her sleeve. The Longevity Jade Bracelet was still on her wrist. "This bracelet is named Longevity... I promise you longevity, I will never leave you! But, Cong, what use is my longevity? Without you, what use is the promise of longevity?! Without you, longevity is nothing but a nightmare!" Tears streamed down her face. She vaguely recalled the day he crafted this Longevity Jade Bracelet for her. At that time, he held her warmth, smiled at her, and showed her tenderness... But now? Where is he?
"Nan Xuzong, didn't you say that if I left you, you would treat me cruelly? But where are you now?" She cried out, lying on the brocade quilt.
"I'm about to leave you... Come out! Nan Xuzong! I'm going to betray you, I'm going to marry someone else! Come out!" Ji Wushang shouted loudly, and his voice echoed in the huge hall for a long time.
But they received no response whatsoever.
"Haha, haha..." Ji Wushang shook her shoulders and laughed wildly, but her tears kept flowing out. She was completely broken and desperate.
Beigong Minhao stood outside, eyes closed, tears streaming down his face. His pain mirrored the heartbreak of the woman inside. Yet he couldn't alleviate even the slightest of her suffering. He was utterly powerless!
"Heh, heh!" Bei Gongminhao sneered, kneeling down. "Nan Xuzong, you... you've always been the winner... She loved you so much... I'm sorry, I couldn't stay by her side and give her happiness. Please forgive me, I couldn't offer her any comfort when she was in pain and despair..."
The night finally passed.
At dawn, Beigong Minhao, who had been kneeling all night, finally stood up with trembling legs. All night, he listened to her heart-wrenching cries, until she finally cried herself to sleep, too tired to make a sound.
Beigong Minhao, his face pale and expressionless, slowly moved his legs before walking out.
When Ji Wushang woke up, he didn't say a word. After tidying everything up, he had the wet nurse bring Huangfu Junan to his side.
Ji Wushang squatted down and held Huangfu Jun'an on his lap before silently feeding him.
"Mother, you're crying again." Huangfu Jun'an looked at Ji Wushang with his small eyes, then pouted and stretched out his thin arms, which had become somewhat frail due to the torment of illness. He stretched them out, hoping to reach Ji Wushang's face.
Ji Wushang looked at him, and finally smiled, "Nianlang, Mother is not crying." She reached out and pulled Huangfu Junan's hand down and put it down.
"Alright!" Huangfu Jun'an still pouted, "Mother is lying to Nianlang! Nianlang saw that Mother's eyes were red, she must have been crying!"
"Mother said I didn't cry," Ji Wushang murmured, looking down. Then, he scooped up a spoonful of meat porridge with his small spoon. "Later, Mother will take you somewhere else. You have to be a good girl and listen to Mother, okay?"
"Yes, Nianlang understands." Huangfu Jun'an nodded seriously. He knew something must have happened, but he didn't quite understand. He just knew he should try his best not to upset his mother.
Ji Wushang forced a smile and silently continued feeding Huangfu Junan.
Bei Gongminhao stood at a distance outside, watching the mother and son, and Ji Wushang, who was forcing an ugly smile in front of Huangfu Junan. He couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
She had finally managed to request permission to escort Ji Wushang to her remarriage, but all she could do was see her off on her final journey. From now on, only she and Huangfu Jun'an would walk the road together.
Beigong Minhao sighed inwardly, looking up at the sky, feeling that the sky was truly blind.
After Ji Wushang finished feeding Huangfu Jun'an, she looked up and saw Beigong Minhao standing straight outside, covered in dust. He was looking at her with bright eyes, but his gaze was filled with reluctance, longing, and self-reproach.
Ji Wushang lowered his eyes, knowing that it was almost time, and looked at Hongfei and Cuiwu standing to the side, "Hongfei, Cuiwu, are you ready to set off?" He was afraid that once he left this Prince Zong's mansion, he would never look back.
"Ready?" Hongfei and Cuiwu were both downcast, but also extremely helpless.
"Call Gong Shu here!" Ji Wushang looked at them. "Also, who among you is willing to come with me? I won't force you. If you're thinking of marrying into a good family, I'll have Gong Shu help you with the arrangements. As for the dowry, my Zongwang Mansion will definitely provide a respectable one."
"Fourth Imperial Consort, this servant is willing to stay by your side and serve you for the rest of my life," Hongfei immediately knelt down and said, unable to hold back her tears.
Cuiwu immediately knelt down as well, "This servant is the same, this servant will stay by your side, please, Fourth Imperial Consort, do not send this servant away!"
“How could I send you away? It’s just that the road ahead is uncertain, and I’m afraid I might lose my head at any time. I’m worried about delaying you. Hehe, if you don’t mind, come with me. I will protect you with my life.” Ji Wushang stepped forward and helped Hongfei and Cuiwu up. “Alright, stop crying, or your faces will be stained again.”
“Yes.” Hongfei and Cuiwu stood up.