Chapter 16: Really Into This Kind of Thing

Zhao Xingjin intended to ask Xie Jiu to accompany him for a game of chess.

Within this inner palace, the only person who could play a back-and-forth game with him was Consort Wei. However, Consort Wei's temperament was a massive headache; one couldn't relax for a single moment while playing her, and she insisted on being lectured. After one session, Zhao Xingjin never wanted to go back.

Thus, when he discovered Xie Jiu's decent chess skills last time, Zhao Xingjin had been quite pleased.

He originally intended to send someone to summon Xie Jiu to the main hall, but a sudden whim struck him. He wanted to see what Xie Jiu was doing all by herself in the side hall, so he took a detour and headed straight there.

He went directly to the side hall upon his return. Chunrong and Qingfang had no chance to notify Xie Jiu in advance, but assuming Xie Jiu was merely reading inside, they did not stop him.

Of course, they wouldn't have dared to.

Consequently, Zhao Xingjin entered the room quietly.

To his surprise, upon entering, he saw Xie Jiu reclining on a concubine sofa, sleeping soundly.

She wore an ice-blue qi-xiong ruqun with a plain, short gauze outer robe, which made her skin look like porcelain—smooth and fair. Her hair bun had loosened slightly in sleep, and the hairpins atop it hung precariously, adding a touch of flirtatious languor.

Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing forearms as smooth and rounded as lotus segments. A jade bracelet hung on her wrist; she looked like a beauty from a painting, exuding a sense of lush, noble elegance.

The book in her hand had already slipped away, her pale, slender fingertips relaxed. Paired with that tranquil sleeping face, she truly looked leisurely and at ease.

A beauty like a painting—Zhao Xingjin was no upright gentleman. He stepped closer and deliberately leaned down to lightly blow on the stray hairs by Xie Jiu's temple.

Xie Jiu opened her eyes blearily, only to collide with a pair of eyes filled with playful mischief, which instantly startled her out of her sleepiness.

"Awake?" Zhao Xingjin smiled in a good mood. He didn't stand up; instead, he sat directly on the concubine sofa, took Xie Jiu's wrist, and gave it a light squeeze. "Truly soft and delicate."

Just looking at her a moment ago, he had felt her forearms were like freshly made soft cheese; he had wanted to do exactly this.

By now, Xie Jiu's mood had settled somewhat.

Seeing that he was being improper, she simply let him be. She didn't get up, remaining reclined.

Her beautiful eyes looked askance at Zhao Xingjin. "When the Emperor enters, he does not send word. If I do not rise to greet him, would that not be a breach of etiquette?"

She spoke such words, yet her body did not move.

Zhao Xingjin, however, did not mind. His eyes held a teasing glint. "If I hadn't come quietly, I wouldn't have seen such a beautiful sight. Did you have good dreams?"

At his question, a shallow curve rose at the corners of Xie Jiu's lips.

With a flip of her hand, she took the initiative, grasping Zhao Xingjin's hand. With a slight tug, she used his strength to sit up, then naturally rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Living here in Chengming Palace under the protection of Your Majesty's dragon aura, I naturally have good dreams," Xie Jiu said sweetly.

The woman's breath was like orchids, and the warmth from her cheek felt ticklish against him.

Zhao Xingjin was never one to let himself lose out. He wrapped an arm around Xie Jiu's waist and flipped her over, pulling her into his embrace.

"I would like to hear what kind of dreams one has under the protection of the dragon aura."

The distance between them drew closer, and Zhao Xingjin's voice grew deeper and more low-pitched. His eyes were as deep as the starry sky; as they met Xie Jiu's, she felt as though she might sink into them if she looked too long.

*I can't let him take the initiative like this,* Xie Jiu thought to herself.

Thus, her lotus-like arms wound around Zhao Xingjin's shoulders, loosely encircling his neck. Her willow-leaf brows curved, and a flirtatious smile rose in her beautiful eyes.

"I dreamed that Your Majesty bestowed a grace upon me. Unfortunately, before I could decide what I wanted, the dream ended. It was a wasted joy."

As she spoke, she put on a coquettish expression, reaching out a finger to lightly poke Zhao Xingjin's chest, intentionally acting aggrieved.

"How should Your Majesty compensate me?"

"What nonsense," Zhao Xingjin said, catching that alluring, slender hand and narrowing his eyes. "For a dream you had, what does Your Majesty owe you?"

Leaning in his arms and letting him hold her hand, Xie Jiu maintained a lazy demeanor. "Your Majesty is a gentleman. A gentleman's word is as binding as a chariot pulled by four horses. Even if it was in my dream, you should keep your word. Moreover, it was Your Majesty who woke me and broke the beautiful dream; you should at least provide me with a grace to make up for it."

Her charming, coquettish manner was truly enough to make one's heart itch.

Zhao Xingjin felt that he actually quite enjoyed this style—provided, of course, that the other party hit the mark perfectly.

The scale was delicate: if it was too much, it appeared fawning and overly purposeful, causing discomfort; if it lacked seasoning, it would appear awkward and out of place.

Clearly, Xie Jiu handled it well—charming without being vulgar, making it enjoyable.

"Then tell me, what do you want?" Zhao Xingjin relented.

Xie Jiu's eyes curved into crescents. "I want to return to my manor, but it feels improper to go back empty-handed. Could Your Majesty bestow something upon me, just so I can save some face?"

As if fearing Zhao Xingjin would be unwilling, she pressed closer to his chest. "Will you?"

While a beauty's coquettishness naturally softens the heart, why did Zhao Xingjin feel somewhat uncomfortable?

As he replayed her words in his mind, he suddenly caught a different nuance, and his gaze darkened slightly.

"Going out to see another man, and you want me to give you money for it, hmm?"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xingjin would think of it in that light; Xie Jiu was momentarily stunned.

But upon careful thought, it did seem to be the case.

Although the two had not yet crossed that line, the fact that Zhao Xingjin had let her live in Chengming Palace for these past few days was a clear signal to the outside world that she was his person.

So, for Xie Jiu to return to the Marquis of Weiyuan's manor to see Wu Que and then ask Zhao Xingjin for a reward to take back... well, it was indeed a bit...

However, since things had come to this, Xie Jiu steeled her heart and decided to be even bolder.

She hugged Zhao Xingjin's neck, her eyes sparkling. "Your Majesty personally issued a decree praising me so highly. If you don't give me this little reward now, it would make that praise seem quite fake. Besides... I haven't divorced that person, so I can't exactly call him 'another man,' can I?"

*So, is he the "other man"?*

As soon as these words left Xie Jiu's mouth, Zhao Xingjin felt a spark of irritation rise in his heart.

It felt as though he had become some sort of illicit paramour kept in the shadows.

Feeling displeased, he immediately raised his hand and delivered a slap to Xie Jiu's buttocks.

"Impudent!"

"Ow!" Instead of dodging, Xie Jiu burrowed further into his arms. She had decided to throw caution to the wind, leaning into a shameless, flirtatious persona. She feigned grievance, "Your Majesty even hits people! In the end, I just wanted to go back and watch the drama!"

This display caused Zhao Xingjin to lose his temper instantly, leaving him only wanting to laugh.

He thought to himself that this woman was becoming increasingly practiced; she truly had the air of a demonic consort.

"Fine," Zhao Xingjin's hand gently stroked the woman's back, as if smoothing a cat's fur. "There will be a reward, but I won't let you take it for nothing."

Xie Jiu looked up. "What does Your Majesty want me to do?"

"Just... play chess with me. Tomorrow morning, I will arrange a sedan chair to send you out of the palace." Zhao Xingjin reached out and lightly flicked the tip of her nose.

The gesture made Xie Jiu's neck shrink involuntarily, her face wearing a smile of bashful modesty.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xingjin was also quite addicted. Three games during the day were not enough; at night, he pulled her into another battle by candlelight.

Xie Jiu was so exhausted her eyelids could barely stay open. It took several rounds of admitting defeat and begging for mercy before she was finally allowed to go back and rest.

Consequently, when Xie Jiu left the palace the next morning, she was utterly exhausted.

It wasn't until the sedan chair reached the entrance of the Marquis of Weiyuan's manor that she finally drifted back to consciousness.

Hearing that she had returned, Wu Que rushed toward the front hall in a frantic hurry.

He happened to see Xie Jiu with misty, seductive eyes, her hair slightly disheveled, reclining lazily in the sedan chair with an air of exhaustion, as if she hadn't slept enough the night before.

For a moment, Wu Que's mind raced with various imaginations, and his face immediately turned ashen.

"You... you actually have the face to come back!"