The Gilded Cage - CH 94

Love – You Are Not Willing, You Just Accept Your Fate. (2)

When everything was in order, the maid picked up the remaining pair of earrings and put them on for her.

The luster of gold and jade flashed before her eyes, reminding her of an earring she had lost last time.

She turned her head to look at him, and the swaying pieces in her hair were shining brightly, which made her look picturesque and charming.

“Has Your Majesty ever seen one of A’Ning’s earrings? It’s a pair of turquoise and gilt earrings, similar to this pair.”

Xiao Kezhi was swayed by her appearance, so he couldn’t help asking the maid to step back. He walked behind her and leaned over to pick up the pair of earrings and put them on for her.

The earrings swayed gently beside her neck and cheeks, like a pair of butterflies flapping their wings.

He couldn’t help hugging her waist, leaning close to her ear, kissing all the way along the skin behind her ear, and lingering on the side of the neck, intimate and gentle, completely opposite to his actions before.

“I stored away that earring.” He returned to her ear and kissed her lightly, causing her to tremble.

“I not only have your earrings here, but also your handkerchief, your lingerie…”

Chu Ning was reminded of the previous few times by what he said. Her cheeks became hot, and she shrank her head sideways.

But he chased after her relentlessly, found her lips and kissed her until her eyes gleamed again. He slowly let go.

“Your Majesty, it’s time for A’Ning to go.” She panted and pushed him away, stood up with her back to him, and straightened her slightly wrinkled dress before leaving.

Xiao Kezhi didn’t stop her. He just stood up and followed her to the door before stopping.

The snow outside the hall had been falling for a full hour, and a thick layer had accumulated on the ground. The side of the door was swept by the servants, leaving a path, but the falling snow quickly covered it with a thin layer of frost.

The palanquin was stopped not far down the steps, Chu Ning was wearing a hat and stepped on the snow carefully for fear of slipping.

Xiao Kezhi watched for a moment, then suddenly stepped out of the threshold and directly picked her up, disregarding the thin robe and silk shoes on his body, and strode over the snow to the front of the palanquin, where he put her down.

“Your Majesty! Be careful of catching a cold!” Liu Kang was startled, staring straight at the other’s wet silk shoes, wishing he could immediately place two stoves underneath.

Xiao Kezhi laughed heartily, waved his hand, and said, “The wind and snow in Ganzhou is much heavier and stronger than that in Changan. When I was twelve years old, I could walk in the snow for two days and two nights with only an ordinary cotton coat. I am not afraid of the snow.”

Liu Kang was trembling and wanted to persuade him to come back quickly, but his words were stopped again. Instead, those staring eyes turned to Chu Ning, who was sitting on the palanquin, and he beckoned to her to persuade the Emperor.

Even though Chu Ning was wearing a hat, it couldn’t block his urgent signaling from her line of sight.

She lifted the tulle under her hat, looked at Xiao Kezhi standing in the snow, and said softly, “Go back, Your Majesty, it’s very cold outside.”

Xiao Kezhi suddenly restrained his smile, stared at her with dark eyes for a moment, and slowly retreated to the steps and under the eaves.

Liu Kang breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s go.” Chu Ning put down the tulle and said softly.

The chariot was lifted and walked steadily in the direction of Rihua Gate.

She couldn’t help but turn her head, and through the hazy tulle, watch him walk back to the bedroom. Then, she turned her eyes away and thought back to everything that had happened.

While she was relieved, the situation made her even more confused and hesitant. She had some guesses in her heart, but she couldn’t believe it.

She thought about it for a while and said to the few servants who carried the palanquin, “Today’s abnormality of Your Majesty, did you find out who did it?”

These servants had been with Liu Kang for years, so they were very trustworthy and naturally knew the inside story. When Zhao Yue entered the Imperial palace, there was a lot of commotion. Many people saw it, and they didn’t have to hide anything, so they replied, “It’s Second Lady Zhao. The Emperor detained her, reprimanded her, and sent her out.”

Chu Ning nodded and didn’t ask any further questions but said in her heart, “It was really her.”

Zhao Yue was bold—she was probably the only person who would have done that.

She suddenly realized Xiao Kezhi’s different attitude towards the two of them and dared not think more about the reason for it.

After a while, the palanquin stopped outside Rihua Gate, and Cui He came led over.

One of the servants said, “Your Highness, these slaves can only bring you here.”

Chu Ning took off the cap and handed it back to them.

They left in a hurry after bowing.

Chu Ning took a deep breath, looked at Cui He, turned around, and walked into the main hall of the Crown Prince’s Tang.

Outside the dormitory, a maid rushed out in a panic. When she stepped into the snow, her foot slipped and she fell to the ground. She was about to endure the pain and cold to get up and continue walking, but her eyes suddenly fell on the person approaching, and there was instant joy.

“Your Highness is back!”

She waved at Chu Ning as if she wanted to meet her, but after a moment of hesitation, she hurriedly turned around and went back to the bedroom.

As soon as Chu Ning saw the situation, she knew that Xiao Yu must have woken up.

She couldn’t help pinching Cui He’s hand.

Fortunately, with his temperament, if he was only now asking people to find her, he must have just woken up.

She gave Cui He a wink and told her to go back to the house by herself. Instead of entering the main hall, she bit her lip, put on a gentle and dignified smile, and stepped into the lit hall.

“Your Highness is awake?” She stopped by the door, took off her cloak and clogs wet with the snow, and then quickly walked to the bed, knelt at the foot of it, and looked up at the sullen-faced Xiao Yu.

Her expression was very natural and flawless, but her heart couldn’t help beating faster.

“You came back so late. Where have you been?”

Xiao Yu squeezed her wrist tightly. The corners of his lips pursed, and his eyes were full of displeasure and doubt.