The Gilded Cage - CH 90

Discussion – His Majesty Is So, So Informal! (2)

Snowflakes fluttered in the sky on the cold winter night.

The guests already entered the prepared side halls to rest, and the lamps and candles of Feishuang Hall had also been on and off, off and on.

Probably because Xiao Kezhi really didn’t restrain himself today and let out all the energy he had accumulated, Chu Ning had already fallen asleep, lying motionless on the big bed, only the slight ups and downs between her breaths.

Xiao Kezhi sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her quietly, his rough fingertips gently rubbing against her tender cheeks.

The heat on his body finally subsided completely, but facing her peaceful countenance, he wasn’t tired at all. Instead, he felt an inexplicably warm and sweet feeling.

He couldn’t help but examine his heart again. What were those strange feelings that he had deliberately ignored before.

This woman was special to him.

She was pitiful, lovely, and hateful; she was gentle, kind, and scheming; she was beautiful, dignified, and seductive…

She brought together countless contradictions like a hidden treasure, which led him to continue to explore her. The more he explored, the more he fell into the web she weaved.

He was clearly besotted.

But, what she weaved for him, would it be a gentle trap? He guessed not and hoped not.

In any case, he wanted to hear her say it herself.

“Your Majesty, here comes the water.”

A chamber servant approached from the outside, holding a copper basin and carefully placing it on the table.

“Just put it down first.” Xiao Kezhi sat still, his eyes still falling on Chu Ning’s sleeping face until the footsteps outside disappeared. Then, he got up from the edge of the bed and wrung out a handkerchief over the basin.

He just wanted to clean up for himself, but before the wet handkerchief touched his body, he stopped.

There was another person in the room who had passed out.

He looked sideways, slowly put down his hands, walked to the bed, and wiped the marks for her gently.

He couldn’t tell what he felt in his heart at the moment. When he was alone in the wind and desert of the frontier, he had always taken care of himself and had never done such a thing for others.

But now, he felt it was natural.

“Your Majesty…” Probably because he had no experience and didn’t know the pressure of his actions, he still woke her up from her sleep. She barely opened her hazy eyes to see the person in front of her, “It’s getting late. A’Ning should go back.”

“I won’t allow it.”

Before Xiao Kezhi could react, he subconsciously said these words, and then his face darkened.

He stretched out his hand and firmly pushed her back to the bed, ignoring her redness and discomfort, and continued to slowly wipe her off. The handkerchief was cold and dirty, so he wrung it out in the copper basin again and continued to wipe.

“But, the Crown Prince, he-”

She was worried that Xiao Yu would wake up suddenly, so she couldn’t help biting her lip and endure the strangeness on her body. She looked up and met his unhappy eyes.

“I said no, so no. You will sleep here for a while, and then someone will take you back.”

The two were locked in a battle of wills for a moment, and finally Chu Ning took a step back.

She relaxed slowly and let him clean her up without saying more.

At first, she was full of discomfort. For matters of the bedroom, no matter how intimate it was, she would not feel uncomfortable, but she had never experienced such thoughtfulness and meticulousness.

When she was with Xiao Yu, she always insisted on serving him. The last time he was in Ganlu Hall, Xiao Kezhi refused her service, and today he cleaned her up personally, which was really different from Xiao Yu’s actions.

For some reason, there was a sour feeling in her heart, as if she had a very faint feeling of being taken care of.

She slowly relaxed, her eyes closed unconsciously, and she fell asleep again.

The sound of her breathing was long and distant. He finally stopped wiping and stared at her sleeping face for a moment before getting up and tidying himself up.

Outside the hall, Liu Kang stood outside the screen and called softly, “Your Majesty, as expected, it was the work of Second Lady Zhao and her family. That incense has been verified by the Imperial doctor to be from the Bozhou area. Since there are few in the Central Plains, the effect is unknown. The Imperial physician has requested to diagnose Your Majesty’s pulse to ensure that the Imperial body is safe.”

“Understood. Let the Imperial physician come over tomorrow morning.” He put on his robe and slowly walked out. His voice became cold, “Where is Second Lady Zhao?”

Liu Kang hurriedly said, “This old slave has already had her imprisoned, and Your Majesty can summon her at any time.”

“Bring her in.” He snorted coldly and was about to sit down on the couch, but his eyes flickered to the inner room, then he paused and shook his head, “Forget it. Take her to the side hall.”