gnovel Chapter 335 Something Xu Longxiang Never Expected Happened
Chapter 335 Something Xu Longxiang Never Expected Happened
The morning light slanted in through the carved window, spreading a pale golden patch of light on the blue brick floor.
The side hall was very quiet.
The candlelight from last night has long since burned out, leaving only a few dried tear stains on the candlestick.
A faint, indescribable scent permeated the air—ambergris mixed with the lingering warmth of last night, a fleeting moment of reverie as moonlight and morning dew alternated.
Qin Mu lay on his side on the outside of the bed, propping his chin up with one hand, looking down at the person next to him.
His moon-white nightgown was loosely draped over his body, the neckline wide open, revealing his well-defined collarbone and a small patch of his muscular chest.
The morning light shone on his face, making his handsome features exceptionally clear.
Liu Hongyan was still asleep.
Her long hair was scattered messily on the pillow, revealing half of her pale face through the black strands.
Her eyebrows were curved and thin, with the ends drooping slightly, carrying a hint of relaxation after exhaustion, like a bow that had been drawn all night and finally released its string, lying there quietly, no longer tense.
Her eyelashes were long and thick, drooping down and trembling slightly with her shallow breaths.
Her lips parted slightly, revealing a sliver of pearly teeth. Her lips were redder than the night before, and slightly swollen, like begonia petals dampened by rain, still carrying the memory of last night's rain.
A faint blush still lingered on her cheeks.
The blush spread from her cheekbones to her ears, and then from her ears to her neck, burning deep into the bedding, like a meticulous painting blurred by water, with indistinct edges and a vibrant center.
Her breathing was light and deep.
The rise and fall of his chest was so slight that it was almost imperceptible.
She was like a puddle of water melted by the sun, lying softly on the bed, boneless, powerless, and too lazy to even breathe.
Qin Mu stared at her for a long time.
He smiled softly.
He moved.
He slowly withdrew his hand from his chin, propped himself up on the edge of the bed, and slowly sat up.
The bed made a very soft creak, a sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent hall, like a needle dropping onto a porcelain plate.
Liu Hongyan's eyelashes trembled suddenly.
Then she opened her eyes.
At first, there was confusion in those phoenix eyes.
Like a stone hitting the surface of a lake in the dead of winter, the water beneath the ice surges up, overflowing the ice and blurring everything, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
She blinked, and the mist slowly dissipated, revealing her clear pupils underneath.
Then she saw Qin Mu.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to the morning light, his moon-white nightgown loosely draped over his body.
Light shone from behind him, casting a pale golden halo over his features. His face was hidden in shadow, making it impossible to discern his expression, except for the slight curve of his lips and his eyes that gleamed faintly in the darkness.
Liu Hongyan's mind went completely blank for a moment.
Memories of last night flooded back.
Like a tide, it spreads from ankles to knees, from knees to waist, from waist to chest, wave after wave, unstoppable.
She remembered his hands, his lips, and the words he whispered in her ear.
Those words she thought she would forget, but which she remembered every single one of clearly.
Her face burned.
The red clouds arrived without warning, yet their surge was unstoppable.
Starting from the chest, the burning sensation traveled up the neck, past the Adam's apple, past the jaw, past the cheeks, past the ears, and finally even burned the forehead.
She suddenly jumped out of bed.
The blanket slipped off her shoulders, revealing faint, plum-blossom-like red marks on her collarbone.
She was stunned.
She looked down at the marks, watching them bloom one by one on her collarbone, shoulders, and arms, as if someone had used a pen dipped in a light cinnabar to draw them on, stroke by stroke.
She stared at it for a long time, so long that the marks became blurred in her eyes, turning into patches of red, patch by patch.
Almost instinctively, she grabbed the blanket that had slipped off and pulled it up all the way to her chin, wrapping herself up tightly.
She knelt on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, head down, not daring to look at him.
Her long hair slipped down her shoulders and spread across the quilt, revealing two bright red ear tips through her jet-black hair, like two leaves dyed red by autumn frost.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Her voice squeezed out from her throat, trembling slightly with shyness.
"You...you're awake."
Qin Mu looked at her.
Looking at her wrapped in the blanket with only half her face showing, looking at her eyes that dared not look at him and were looking around, looking at her two ears that were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.
He smiled softly.
"Yes. You're awake."
Liu Hongyan took a deep breath.
She loosened the blanket, her fingers slowly unfolding on the surface, the movement slow, like a flower gradually blooming in the morning light.
She got out of bed and stepped barefoot onto the cold gold bricks.
The chill seeped up from the soles of her feet, spreading along her ankles, calves, and knees, making her shiver.
She walked to the clothes rack and took down the moon-white robe.
She unfolded her robe, folded it neatly, and draped it over her arm.
She walked back to the bedside and stopped in front of him.
"Your Majesty, I will help you get dressed."
Qin Mu nodded.
"it is good."
Liu Hongyan stepped forward, unfolded her robe, stood on tiptoe, and carefully draped it over his shoulders.
Her fingers trembled slightly the moment they touched his shoulder.
The tremor was very slight, as light as the flapping of a butterfly's wings, but she felt it, and he felt it too.
He didn't speak.
She didn't say anything.
She smoothed the robe off his shoulders, pulled it along his arms little by little, smoothing out the wrinkles and aligning the hem.
Her fingers trembled again as they traced his chest.
This time it was even more obvious than before, like a string that had been blown by the wind for too long, finally unable to hold on any longer, emitting a final, trembling hum.
She kept her head down, not daring to look at him.
Her gaze fell on his collar, on the exposed skin of his neckline that still bore the marks of the previous night.
She quickly looked away, unsure where to look next.
It landed on his shoulder, on his arm, and on the jade belt she was tying around his waist.
Nothing is right.
Everything reminded her of what happened last night.
"Did you sleep well last night?" he suddenly asked.
Liu Hongyan's fingers stopped on his lapel.
The pause was extremely brief, as brief as a drop of ink falling into a deep pool, creating only a tiny ripple before being swallowed by a deeper stillness.
"It's...it's alright."
Her voice was very soft, as soft as a petal falling on the water, pushed by the wind, and slowly swirling around.
Qin Mu smiled and said nothing more.
Liu Hongyan continued to tidy his robes, fastening his belt and neatly folding up his cuffs.
Her movements were more steady than yesterday; her fingertips no longer trembled, and her breathing was no longer rapid.
Like a tamed horse, it may still remember the wind on the grassland, but it has become accustomed to the feel of the reins.
Finally, she finished.
She took a step back and looked him up and down.
The morning light shone on him, making his moon-white figure stand out clearly.
The moon-white robe fit him perfectly, with neat collars, smooth cuffs, and a jade belt tied at his waist just right, neither too loose nor too tight.
"Not bad," he said. "You've improved."
Liu Hongyan's face turned red again.
But the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty," she said.
Looking at the smile on her lips, Qin Mu suddenly reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
The movement was very light, with a hint of doting and a touch of casual nonchalance.
Liu Hongyan's face turned even redder, but she didn't flinch. She just stood there, letting his fingertips gently pinch her cheek and then release it.
Qin Mu withdrew his hand and stood up.
A moon-white robe draped over his shoulders, its hem trailing on the ground, stirring up a faint breeze.
He took two steps and stopped at the window.
The morning light streamed in through the window, illuminating him and casting a pale golden halo over his tall, slender figure.
He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window at the courtyard illuminated by the morning light, at the few winter plum trees swaying gently in the wind, and at the clear blue sky in the distance.
He suddenly spoke, his voice very soft, with a hint of nonchalant amusement.
"Xu Longxiang probably never imagined that something like this would happen after he left, right?"