Chapter 159: Silver Hook Hook
“Coo!” Ling Yu flapped its wings on the windowsill.
Xue Sui abruptly reached out to push him, but before she could cry out, a large hand smelling of bergamot pressed her back.
Li Zhao’s robes brushed against her waist, his voice as pleasant as strings wrapped in night dew.
“How long do you intend to linger?”
“Your Highness intrudes into the inner chambers at night, are you planning to punch a hole in the sky of Prince Duan’s Mansion?”
“Even if the sky were to break, it wouldn’t be me who suffers…”
Li Zhao’s fingertips traced the silk tassel at her waist, playing with the knot. The heat from the Love Gu coursed through her thin nightgown, scorching her heart.
“The Crown Prince’s behavior is like that of a common thief stealing kisses, a disgrace to refinement.”
Li Zhao chuckled, appraising her unbound hair in the moonlight, his gaze slowly descending.
“Refinement? Do I possess such a thing?”
Xue Sui turned her head to avoid his breath, noticing that her collar had slightly opened during their struggle, making it seem as if she were deliberately luring him in.
“If the Crown Prince wishes to seek my company for amusement, why not state it boldly?”
She smiled faintly, and with a deliberate pull, opened her collar further, revealing a patch of delicate, fair skin on her collarbone and a faint, winding scar under the moonlight, facing him with indifference.
The old scars clung to her fair skin like vines, making her cheeks appear even more serene.
“Since you and I are allies, I do not care for such superficial things as chastity and reputation…”
The first time she went to You Huang Ju, she could still undress; what more now?
She didn’t believe any man could still harbor romantic thoughts when faced with such scars.
Li Zhao’s breathing hitched slightly. Annoyed by her lack of response, his body, stirred by the Love Gu, burned, his blood surging like a tide…
“What incense were you burning when you served tea to Li Huan in the study today?” His voice was hoarse, like sand in the cold night, incredibly alluring. “Suxin Orchid? Jade Blossom Scent? Hmm?”
“It was Suxin Orchid incense,” Xue Sui replied.
“A fine Suxin Orchid. Do you know this incense… can activate love gu?”
Xue Sui froze as Li Zhao’s burning fingertips traced the old scar on her collarbone, slowly moving upwards, parting the wisps of hair at the nape of her neck.
“These scars seem to have faded?”
Xue Sui met his deep, pool-like eyes. “The Crown Prince’s wounds would have scabbed over long ago if he hadn’t aggravated them.”
This implied he had deliberately worsened his injuries to seek her treatment…
Instead of being angered, Li Zhao chuckled softly at her words.
“Yes.”
He suddenly leaned in, his breath brushing against her ear.
“If Madam wishes me well, perhaps you could scheme against me a little less?”
Xue Sui: “Your Highness’s words flatter me. What benefit would I gain from scheming against Your Highness?”
Their eyes met, their breaths intertwined. Li Zhao suddenly let out a low laugh, looking quite pleased. He then sat down in a round chair by the wooden desk, his robes trailing, and as if by magic, produced two jars of scar removal cream.
“I came to deliver medicine for Ping An.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Xue Sui bowed slightly and sat calmly opposite him, looking at the two precious jars of snow clam cream.
She had to admit, the precious remedies secretly passed down in the palace were indeed effective for scars.
She accepted them without hesitation.
Li Zhao grasped her wrist and said in a low voice, “Xue Ping An, do you think you can absolve yourself by using my hand to eliminate the Luo family?”
“It is not the Luo family I wish to eliminate,” Xue Sui broke free from his grip. A bronze mirror on the desk reflected the cold glint in her eyes.
“The Duke of Zheng’s Mansion?” Li Zhao narrowed his eyes and asked. “Or the Xiao Family?”
Xue Sui narrowed her eyes slightly, recalling Tianshu’s words.
The wails of two hundred thousand vengeful spirits from the Old Mausoleum Swamp haunted her dreams every night. How could personal grudges compare?
This revenge was too heavy.
As she lay on the couch earlier, she had been contemplating how to leverage the situation, elevate personal vendettas to the foundation of the imperial court, and from the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, point directly at imperial power…
Before returning to the capital, all her schemes were for settling personal scores. Now, the future she was planning was grander and more far-reaching, requiring more careful and meticulous planning…
She tightened her collar and also smiled lazily, “Then perhaps Your Highness should try guessing. Who will be unlucky next, the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion… or the Xiao Family?”
The woman’s soft, boneless hand made Li Zhao’s heart burn, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his back.
His body tensed abruptly, and he pulled her closer by an inch, his eyes burning into hers.
“One day, will it be the Eastern Palace’s turn?”
Xue Sui suddenly hooked her arm around the Crown Prince’s jade belt and, under his surprised gaze, her breath was like orchid fragrance.
“Why should Your Highness be suspicious? You investigated this case not because I asked. I want revenge, and Your Highness wants Xiao Song to be punished and Prince Duan’s forces suppressed. As I said, we each get what we need, making us the most suitable allies…”
Li Zhao’s fingertip wiped away the mockery from the corner of her eye. Once her breathing stabilized, he spoke.
“Allies? Like when you deliberately embarrassed me at the Persian embroidery shop, incited a lovesick maiden, and boldly showed me affection, being so two-faced?”
Incited? Xue Sui’s delicate brows furrowed.
The bronze mirror reflected her neat temples and also Li Zhao’s sharp gaze.
“Third Miss Guo’s infatuation with the Crown Prince is her private matter, what does it have to do with me?”
“Xue Ping An, do you have a heart?”
Seeing her silence, Li Zhao suddenly grabbed her wrist and pressed it to his chest.
Beneath the soft brocade, the Crown Prince’s heartbeat was clear and intense, like a drumbeat. His dark eyes, fixed on her, were filled with fervor and longing…
“The Love Gu is planted in my heart, and it has nothing to do with you?”
Li Zhao suddenly leaned in, his breath tangling with the wisps of her hair, and gritted his teeth as he questioned.
“There’s something I never understood before. Why, when planting the Love Gu in me, did it have to be in Prince Duan’s Mansion? Now I understand…”
“What?” Xue Sui asked.
“You are a double-faced vixen, playing both sides. You don’t wish well for Li Heng, nor for me. Besides seeking personal revenge, do you have other ambitions?”
He said, his eyes deepening slightly.
“In the legends of the Old Mausoleum Swamp, two hundred thousand troops perished in that ruined imperial mausoleum of the previous dynasty. What a tragic event! Their descendants must hate the Li Dynasty to the bone… So, Xue Ping An, are you here to take my life?”
The tent curtains fluttered without wind.
In the dark night, the footsteps of patrolling guards could be faintly heard.
Firelight penetrated through the window.
Their eyes met, feeling each other’s heartbeats and breaths, remaining silent for a long time, until the flickering firelight slowly receded…
Xue Sui heard Li Zhao’s disordered breathing again.
“I’ll give you my life. You, give yourself to me.”
Xue Sui’s palm felt as if it had been burned, and she wanted to withdraw her hand, but Li Zhao held it tightly.
The silver bells hanging from the tent curtains struck the black jade on his head, tinkling.
The Crown Prince’s hot heart beat vibrantly.
Xue Sui considered herself cold-hearted and unfeeling, unmoved by romance, and not easily falling for men. Her Senior Sister Yuheng, to prevent her from being harmed by the Love Silk Lure, had long ago given her a specially made pill to seal her emotional channels.
It could be said that she was truly a heartless person.
Approaching Li Heng or Li Zhao was merely for convenience; she had never considered romantic feelings.
Yet, at this moment, she felt her cheeks flush and her heart race.
Her restless heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest…
She gritted her teeth. “Your Highness speaks too harshly.”
“Ping An, are you also feeling uncomfortable?” Li Zhao asked softly.
Today, he was wearing a moon-white Yun Jin robe, very light and soft, its texture as smooth as flowing water. His lean waist and broad shoulders were silhouetted before Xue Sui’s eyes.
Her raised hands had nowhere to rest.
“Don’t lie!”
Li Zhao leaned closer, his clear eyes and refined brows exuding a captivating, evil aura. The black jade reflected the moonlight, inexplicably adding a touch of alluring charm…
“Your Highness, Prince Duan has guards stationed at Tan Qiu Courtyard. Do not act recklessly.”
“Do you think I fear him?” Li Zhao supported her sweaty body, feeling its softness and warmth. A tidal wave of sensation surged through him again, so wild it threatened to drown him…
Only then did Xue Sui notice that his tensed body was trembling slightly, as if enduring immense pain.
“Does your wound hurt?” Her fingers gently brushed Li Zhao’s shoulder.
Li Zhao chuckled and lowered his head, leaning close to her earlobe as if to bite it.
“False affection, false loyalty.”
Xue Sui was angered and pushed him hard on the shoulder.
Seeing his pained grimace, she then looked at him with cold eyes.
“You brought it upon yourself.”
She turned away decisively. Though she showed no tenderness, Li Zhao found it exceptionally tender and gentle.
His Adam’s apple involuntarily bobbed. “I used to think no one in this world could control me. I never expected the Love Gu could, and that you, Xue Liu, could.”
His eyes were hazy.
It was the vulnerability of someone trapped by love.
“Xue Ping An, if you want me to be your blade, you should at least offer some reward.”
Xue Sui was momentarily lost in thought.
She hadn’t expected Senior Sister Yuheng’s concoctions to be so potent.
As the Crown Prince, residing in the Eastern Palace and raised amidst power struggles, Li Zhao was undoubtedly a man of strong will. Yet, his restraint and endurance were no match for the Love Gu…
“Is Your Highness seeking revenge on me?”
Li Zhao sneered, his face flushed with desire, his eyes filled with primal lust. He suddenly swept her up into his arms…
Xue Sui was caught off guard, held tightly by him. Her back hit the soft brocade quilt, and her limbs scraped painfully against the edge of the couch, causing her to let out an annoyed cry…
The next moment, she was flipped over and was lying entirely on top of him.
Her hair had already come loose. Li Zhao casually took the jade hairpin from her head, and her waterfall-like black hair cascaded down, tickling his shoulders and the hollow of his neck.
“Xue Ping An, with your temper, who else would tolerate you but me?”
Li Zhao’s eyes were red, and the muscles in his arms bulged.
Yet, despite his apparent madness, he was not flustered, nor did he show the nervousness of someone trespassing in a prince’s mansion. The determination in his eyes and the possessiveness hidden within made one suspect he was anticipating the revelation of their secret.
Xue Sui’s mood sank slightly.
She had chosen Li Zhao because he disliked old customs and was rebellious, making him the best ally.
If things backfired and he turned against her at all costs, it would be a loss.
“Annoyed?” Li Zhao’s tone was gentle, with a hint of a smirk, as if coaxing an inexperienced young girl. He gently cupped her long hair with both hands, as if combing it.
“Be good, stop arguing with me. You don’t know how difficult these past few days have been for me…”
The moonlight, like soft, ethereal silver gauze, cast a gentle glow on his face.
Through the thin fabric, the Love Gu seemed to be breaking free from his bloodstream…
Xue Sui was momentarily dazed. Facing his eyes directly, she said softly and comfortingly,
“Your Highness is suffering so much, I can help you. In a better way…”
A string in Li Zhao’s heart snapped.
His senses, long tormented by the Love Gu without satisfaction, accumulated desire like wild fire burning his sanity, almost consuming him…
A thousand thoughts like charging cavalry stormed his mind, with only one idea: to take her away.
This thought was utterly mad.
Even though he endured until his eyes were red, he couldn’t suppress it.
If anyone had told him before that he would lose control, he would have slapped them.
He had always disdained women and never bothered with petty rivalries.
But now, he was like a madman, coveting his Imperial Brother’s concubine, and his mind was filled with the desire to possess her, to take her away and hide her where no one could see her…
Although he knew all of this was due to the Love Gu.
But his mind was clear.
Being clear-headed while sinking, being clear-headed while acting foolishly, this clarity itself made him more anxious and tormented than losing control. In his most frenzied moments, he even wished to overturn the imperial court and societal norms…
“Good,” his voice trembled slightly, soft yet deep.
“I will believe you…”
Xue Sui’s long lashes fluttered. She calmly sat up, casually picked up the sash she had removed while changing, and slowly climbed onto it…
Her half-open collar exuded a languid and unrestrained charm, uniquely alluring…
Under Li Zhao’s bewildered gaze, she calmly lifted his hands, crossed them, and solemnly tied them to the bedpost of the carved bed.
Li Zhao was slightly surprised, his eyes flashing like cold lightning.
“Xue Ping An, what are you doing?”
“Don’t move!” Xue Sui was almost emotionless, her movements decisive. She pressed her finger firmly against his forehead, then leaned down, her voice extremely low, barely audible. “Aren’t you feeling uncomfortable, Your Highness? When reason cannot be controlled, one can only resort to forced measures. Rest assured, Your Highness, you will feel better once you calm down.”
Cold yet alluring.
Yet miles apart, unreachable.
Li Zhao had never seen such a cold yet supremely seductive woman. Her entire body felt like a red-hot branding iron, flames burning madly in her eyes.
She, however, fumbled around without a word, poured him a cup of cold water.
Then, she took a silver needle from the medicine box, pricked her finger, dripped a drop of blood into the water, and brought it to Li Zhao’s lips.
“Drink this, to harmonize yin and yang. It might alleviate the agitation of the male gu…”
Might?
Li Zhao had been tricked by her last time and naturally resisted.
Especially since he had thought she meant the “help him” in the way he had imagined. He hadn’t expected this cruel woman to be so utterly devoid of romantic sentiment, having no amorous thoughts towards him at all.
Li Zhao panted a few times, trying to loosen the restraints.
Seeing him restless, Xue Sui pressed down on his arms, then pulled out his belt, spread his legs apart, and tied them to the vertical posts in a “big character” shape.
“Forgive me! Crown Prince—”
The icy water slowly dripped onto his lips.
Seeing that he refused to open his mouth, Xue Sui directly brought her blood-stained finger over…
Li Zhao’s pupils contracted slightly.
His skin was fair and delicate, his lips beautifully shaped, like petals, soft and warm… Being manipulated by her like this, his collar slightly open, his cheeks flushed with a suspicious crimson, yet his eyes held such angry, cold defiance. Xue Sui felt she was committing a sin.
“Feeling any better?”
Li Zhao’s dry lips parted slightly. His tongue inadvertently swept across them, and the taste of blood entered his mouth. Instead of suppressing his urges, it only fanned the flames…
His rapid breathing seemed to expel both the suppressed killing intent and desire.
“Xue Ping An, I will kill you, believe it or not?”
The moonlight was blocked by Xue Sui’s back, so she couldn’t see Li Zhao’s expression clearly. Only his muffled groans, like a trapped beast roaring, could be heard.
“Is it that uncomfortable?” Xue Sui glanced sideways, as if studying a deadly beast, looking at him calmly. She felt his forehead, then reached to feel his bound wrist pulse, her voice as clear as shattered jade…
“Don’t rush, don’t rush, Your Highness must remain calm…”
Li Zhao laughed in anger, his eyes burning with a scorching fire.
“You truly are a good person…”
He looked down at his bound body, his disheveled state. If Lai Fu and Guan Ya saw him like this, he, Li Zhao, would never be able to leave the Eastern Palace again.
“Untie me, immediately!”
“I am thinking of Your Highness’s well-being,” Xue Sui said calmly. Her fingers traced his Adam’s apple and neck, as if testing the heat from the Love Silk Lure. She even pinched his reddened earlobe, rubbing it repeatedly to observe his reaction.
For Li Zhao, this was like adding fuel to the fire, like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart…
“Xue Ping An…”
Death would be preferable to such soul-gnawing torment…
Li Zhao gritted his teeth, struggling until the bed frame creaked. His moon-white brocade robe was disheveled like crumpled Xuan paper. The flushed corners of his eyes from the gu’s effect had not faded, revealing a broken, chaotic beauty.
“Xue Ping An…”
The partially open window let in a breeze, the moonlight ambiguous.
At this moment, the torches outside the courtyard wall suddenly flared brightly.
Hurried footsteps and Li Huan’s low voice penetrated the window screen.
“Ping An, the night patrol guards said they heard noises from your room. Is something wrong?”
Xue Sui was startled and yanked down the silver hook of the bed curtain.
Li Zhao: Xue Ping An, you dare to set me up, but have you bothered to find out who I am?
Xue Sui: Named Li the Thief, with the courtesy name… Ascetic of Torment?
