Chapter 60: Endless Night, Explanation

Liu Changning slowly retracted her hand from gripping his neck, a hint of struggle flashing in her apricot eyes.

She felt an inexplicable tenderness and pity for the man before her, unsure if it was related to human emotions and love. It stemmed from the fragments swirling in her mind, and also from following the voice in her heart.

She had originally intended to marry him. If he was willing, by marrying him, perhaps she could understand what she had lost before?

But he was unwilling, so marrying him would not be genuine.

That day, Jia Ziyun had taken her to the theater to watch a play.

The lyrics in the play sang: “The morning wind dries, tear stains remain, a cup of sorrow, sorrow fills the belly, wrong, wrong, wrong.”

The actor in the center of the stage performed with great emotion and shed tears, wasting away for their beloved.

Liu Changning’s expression became somewhat dazed.

In her three lifetimes as a human, she had never tasted the flavor of rejection. It turns out that the joys and sorrows of ordinary people should tear one’s heart apart and make one lose appetite.

But she… didn’t have that!

Undeniably, all the unusual feelings in her heart were because of meeting Pei Yuanshao’s affectionate ink-black eyes, embracing his body. Emotions were born from this, but had nowhere to be placed.

It was probably not much love!

Not seeing and not thinking, without heart-wrenching joy or sorrow, nor a belly full of melancholy longing.

During these days of separation, the fragments in her memory had disappeared. As long as they didn’t meet, not a trace of the inexplicable sourness remained in her heart.

She didn’t understand love, but she roughly understood where her inexplicable pity for him came from.

Fortunately, he had rejected her that day, otherwise… how could she be fair to him?

Pei Ziyuan’s life must have been extremely bitter. As a man, he struggled in the imperial court, all for the stability of the dynasty and the peace and prosperity of the people.

That day after taking his body, she had written a letter and sent it by express horse to Master Jia. She wanted to know everything about him.

The letter went back and forth, and only arrived in her hands a few days ago.

Master Jia’s reply was a thick stack of paper, with the final comment: “The trembling legacy of Gaozong, one person supporting the world.”

Gaozong referred to Emperor Xingxing, and that one person was Pei Ziyuan.

Master Jia said, if the Emperor’s Consort had been a woman, she would have been an emperor for the ages. But he was born a man… his life was destined to be let down by everyone in the world! The Pei family dynasty had let him down.

After reading about all his endurance and burdens, Liu Changning knew she had been wrong. The vast human world was bone-chillingly cold to him.

To marry him, one must truly love him. Accept all of him!

Yet she still didn’t understand human love… and he already had someone in his heart.

Detachment was the better treatment!

“Let go!” Her voice was extremely faint, with no discernible emotion. The tea-colored eyes no longer held the gentleness from that day; after the surprise, only faint detachment remained.

The fingers on her slender waist stopped trembling, and instead gripped tighter as her words fell.

Liu Changning’s brows had already furrowed into a hill. She raised her eyes to carefully examine the man before her. After half a month apart, he seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight, his cheeks gaunt, his peach blossom eyes prominent. With or without emotion, it was impossible to see through.

She met his gaze and said softly, “Does Your Highness know what you’re doing right now?”

The wooden tub was narrow. She loosened her grip on him, and whether intentionally or not, like a boneless skin, he fell sitting into her arms, splashing water everywhere.

The two were tightly pressed together. Through the thin clothes, one could hear his heartbeat like a drumbeat.

The room was quiet for a moment.

“Cang Yun, I’m hot!” Pei Yuanshao opened his mouth with difficulty, his hand moving from her bare waist to her shoulder.

The veteran Liu Changning, in her several lifetimes as a human, had never been so blatantly seduced.

The ten thousand feet of pity she had just felt for him seemed like a joke. She squinted, with a dumbfounded face…

The man in her arms was half a head taller than her, his black clothes completely wet, his abs clearly defined, his waist narrow and hips slim.

Most of his figure was hidden underwater,若隐若现, every gesture was seductive.

Liu Changning’s heart pounded, her tea-colored eyes darkening half a shade.

Pei Yuanshao lowered his head, leaning close, his lips stopping an inch from hers. His red, soft tongue extended, licking his dry lips.

He spoke in a hoarse whisper, “Mm, I know! Cang Yun, I’m so hot…”

His scorching breath blew on her face, causing goosebumps wherever it passed.

Liu Changning wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned in to his ear, and asked in a deep voice, “Oh! Is Your Highness drunk again? Where are you hot? Do you want this commoner to help you relieve it?”

Pei Yuanshao shuddered, the tips of his ears imperceptibly standing up, flushed red.

He trembled his lips, embarrassedly humming an affirmative. His handsome face was full of anticipation.

Liu Changning was silent for a moment, then raised her hand…

With one finger, she pushed his head away, suddenly standing up and lifting him horizontally, throwing him out of the wooden tub without allowing resistance.

Water from the tub spilled all over the floor.

Liu Changning looked at the man sitting on the ground, smiling enigmatically, “The endless cool night outside is most suitable for Your Highness to cool down. Why don’t you go out? It should help, right?”

Although she had coldly thrown him out, when she had dragged him by his buttocks, she had lowered the height by three points as much as possible. So even though Pei Yuanshao fell to the ground, it didn’t hurt.

He got up, leaning crookedly against the wooden screen.

A faint groan escaped his lips, “Mm… it hurts!”

His clothes were completely wet, and though he should have looked thoroughly disheveled, yet… everywhere was temptation.

Looking at his appearance, Liu Changning felt full of irritation.

The calm expression on her face disappeared again tonight, and she said in an unfriendly tone, “If Your Highness has any orders, just say so. There’s no need to be so self-deprecating…!”

The March night still had some cool breeze. The window in the inn was open, and a gust of wind blew in.

The man leaning against the screen wall unconsciously coughed twice lightly.

Liu Changning squinted, her face dark and gloomy. She stood up, under his direct gaze, took the clothes from the screen, and quickly put them on.

Ignoring his shocked expression, she took two steps in three, walked up to him, bent down and carried him on her back, throwing him into the inner room.

She turned her back, saying unquestioningly, “Take off your clothes and get under the covers.”