Shen Shixi didn’t wait for Li Yuanke to withdraw his hand. She grasped it firmly, rose to her feet, and leaned in close. "Your Majesty, I thought you had forgotten me, that you no longer recognized me! I long to enter the palace and be with you every moment!"
Li Yuanke was now certain that the one cursing him was Shen Shixi. Though he didn’t understand why he could hear her inner thoughts, he didn’t dwell on it. All he knew was that this little thing cursed him the moment she saw him!
Li Yuanke sneered, gripping Shen Shixi’s chin and meeting her beautiful peach-blossom eyes. "You’re not lying to me? You truly wish to enter the palace and be with me?"
"Does Your Majesty not believe me?" Shen Shixi pouted, her red lips trembling, the upturned corners of her eyes hooking the emperor’s gaze like a lure. Every glance and smile exuded charm and coquettish grace.
If Li Fude weren’t a eunuch, he would have… Not to mention Li Yuanke.
His eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his grip unconsciously tightened. Two tears rolled from the corners of Shen Shixi’s eyes, and Li Yuanke instantly released her.
If he couldn’t hear her inner thoughts, he might have believed her.
He knew the women of the harem were all acting, and he knew every sweet word they spoke hid an ulterior motive. But this was the first time he had so directly read someone’s innermost thoughts.
Hah, it was utterly fascinating!
"Should I believe you? Have you never lied to me?" Li Yuanke pressed his thumb against Shen Shixi’s lips.
Shen Shixi opened her mouth, taking his finger inside. Her warm, soft tongue brushed against it, and Li Yuanke nearly lost his composure. Then he heard her coo sweetly, "Brother-in-law!"
Her voice was melodious and lingering, its echo lingering in the air.
The emperor was so enraged he felt his soul leave his body. He shoved her away and strode into the inner chamber.
Shen Shixi chuckled softly and followed him inside, plopping herself onto the emperor’s lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Has Your Majesty had dinner yet? Would you like me to accompany you for a bite?"
The emperor ignored her, taking a sip of the tea Li Fude had served. Yet, the corner of his eye still lingered on Shen Shixi.
This was Li Fude’s first encounter with Shen Shixi. Having observed her so far, he realized this Baolin was no ordinary woman.
She was exquisitely beautiful, yet her skin was thicker than the palace walls.
As for Bai Pin and the others, their emotions had been on a rollercoaster, leaving them utterly stunned.
The emperor took a sip of tea himself and was about to set the cup down when, on a sudden whim, he offered it to Shen Shixi.
Shen Shixi accepted it graciously, drinking from the emperor’s hand before leaning against his shoulder and toying with the sash around his waist, completely at ease.
It was Li Yuanke who felt cornered!
Skin her alive? Exterminate her nine clans?
The Grand Tutor had passed away less than two years ago.
And besides, what reason could he give?
She cursed him in her heart!
The world would surely think him mad!
Li Yuanke abruptly lifted her into his arms and carried her straight into the inner chamber.
He had his own way of punishing her.
Before long, indecent sounds drifted from the chamber, prompting Li Fude and the others to retreat even farther.
And it wasn’t even dark yet!
Shen Shixi hadn’t expected this bastard to be so wild, but she refused to be outdone. The two engaged in a fierce, evenly matched struggle, and for a moment, Li Yuanke forgot his status entirely.
The pain from his lips spurred him on, and he tore off Shen Shixi’s sash.
But at the critical moment, she refused to continue!
It hurt!
Furious, Li Yuanke held her still. "Do you think I can pull back now?"
Shen Shixi wasn't truly unwilling to cooperate. After catching her breath, she began vying for dominance with Li Yuanke. The ensuing commotion was earth-shattering. Unaware of how much time had passed, the two collapsed drenched in sweat, lying like dead dogs.
Li Yuanke was genuinely impressed. This single encounter had exhausted him more than a night with ten concubines combined.
Shen Shixi was ready to sleep, but she couldn't do so without washing up first. Hoarsely, she called for Bai Pin to prepare water and kicked Li Yuanke. "I need to bathe!"
"Go yourself!" Li Yuanke had no desire to move either.
She cooperated well enough, but she was full of demands—directing him one moment, complaining the next, yet still requiring his involvement at critical times.
"I can't walk. My legs are weak!" Shen Shixi whined pitifully, struggling over to climb on top of him. "Your Majesty!"
She traced his eyebrows with her fingers, sweetly murmuring, "So handsome. How were you born this good-looking?"
Li Yuanke glanced sideways at her, waiting.
Sure enough, she didn't disappoint!
[That dog of a man, tossing me aside after using me—heartless and ungrateful! Next time, I'll make you attend court clutching your waist!]
Li Yuanke sneered inwardly. He’d see what tricks she had left next time.
Once the water was ready, Li Yuanke ended up carrying her to the bathing room. He dunked her into the water, swished her around twice, and pulled her out.
"I'm not clean yet!" Shen Shixi gripped the edge of the tub.
"This emperor hasn't even washed yet!"
He dunked her twice more. Shen Shixi realized Li Yuanke was doing it on purpose but couldn't figure out how she had offended him.
She simply thought becoming emperor had truly changed him. In just a few years, he'd developed psychological issues—clearly gone mad.
If he really was mad, she was in considerable danger.
But exhaustion overwhelmed her. Shen Shixi didn't dwell on it. Tossed onto the bed, she pulled the covers over herself and fell asleep.
After her first night of serving the emperor, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
When Li Yuanke approached, he found her wrapped tightly in the blanket, leaving no corner for him. Furious, he yanked it away and wrapped it around himself.
Half of Shen Shixi's body was exposed to the chilly spring air, but she didn't care. If he dared let her catch a cold, he'd see what happened!
Li Yuanke waited for her to fight for the blanket, but she didn't move.
Suppressing the urge to throw her off the bed, he wrapped a long arm around her and pulled her into his embrace.
In the harem, no one had ever dared to fall asleep before him, nor had anyone ever denied him a blanket. Yet, he had also never shared a blanket with anyone.
After serving him, even if a concubine wasn't sent away, he would use a separate blanket.
That night, Li Yuanke dreamed of a massive stone falling from the sky, crushing his chest until he nearly suffocated.
Finally breaking free, he woke to find Shen Shixi's head resting on his chest, her legs curled up. The blanket was trapped beneath her, leaving half his body exposed and his nose stuffy from the cold.
This was the downside of issuing an edict to select palace candidates.
A palace candidate with such sleeping habits would never make it to the final selection—she'd have been eliminated in the first two rounds.
Li Yuanke pushed her aside, straightened her out, wrapped both of them in the blanket, and closed his eyes again.
In the latter half of the night, Li Yuanke woke once more, his voice hoarse. "Not sleeping?"
No one answered. He looked over—Shen Shixi was still asleep, but her hand…
He didn't remove it, nor could he restrain himself.
Shen Shixi was jolted awake, furious enough to kill, but she heard the emperor gritting his teeth and saying, "You brought this upon yourself!"
She… she clung to Li Yuanke's shoulders, crying and cursing, "How did I bring this upon you? You scoundrel!"
Li Yuanke gazed at her fair neck curved like a crescent moon, tears rolling down from the crimson corners of her eyes, and a wave of overwhelming emotion engulfed him.
An unprecedented sensation surged straight to the crown of his head, as if his soul had been drained away, and he instantly lost all will.