Volume One, Chapter 35: Night Conversations

Qifeng Palace.

"What!?"

Liu Ruyi slammed her hand onto the table with such force that her sharp, ornate nail guard left deep, jagged gouges in the wood. "His Majesty actually went to the Clear Dew Pool with that bitch Xue Wu? What are they intending to do!?"

Ruhua trembled in terror and dropped to her knees with a thud. "Your Ladyship, please calm your anger! Please, I beg you!"

Calm her anger? How could she possibly be calm?

Although the bathing quarters for the Emperor and his consorts were separate, whether they remained so was entirely at the whim of Shen Ran.

Just the thought of Shen Ran and Xue Wu sharing a bath sent tremors of rage through Liu Ruyi’s body, twisting her usually gentle and beautiful face into a mask of distortion.

Since entering the palace, she had enjoyed unrivaled favor. The indulgence and doting Shen Ran had shown her were beyond anything she had ever dared to expect.

She had once feigned magnanimity, urging him to spend the night with other consorts while secretly weeping by the window, intending only to stir his guilt and pity. To her surprise, Shen Ran had never summoned another woman since. Even when she pressed him hard, he might visit another consort’s quarters to sit for a while, but he never stayed the night.

If she mentioned in passing that she had heard of a certain fruit being delicious, it would inevitably appear on her table the next day—or, at the latest, the third.

If she sent someone to call for him—regardless of the reason, or even with no reason at all, simply saying "The Imperial Noble Consort misses Your Majesty"—he would abandon whatever he was doing and appear before her at the fastest possible speed.

When she mentioned her father’s aching knees and asked for an imperial physician, Shen Ran not only sent one to their residence the next day but also issued an imperial decree granting her father, Liu Shizhuang, the privilege of "not kneeling before the Emperor."

The list of such favors was endless.

But now?

How many days had it been since Shen Ran last stepped foot in her Qifeng Palace? He had not even come when she was unwell. Not only did he stay away, but he also forbade her family from entering the palace to visit. In this inner court, without the Emperor’s favor and presence, even the most magnificent palace was no different from a cold, abandoned prison.

Although her past glory had not yet fully faded, and her father still held power—meaning the Imperial Household Department did not dare to openly fawn over Xue Wu—where were the exclusive supplies that used to be hers alone? Where were those rare, seasonal fruits? They used to be reserved entirely for her, yet now they were distributed to the six palaces in the name of the Empress. Take the cherries that had arrived as tribute yesterday: as a Noble Consort, she had received only two.

Two. She used to eat them by the bowlful without a second thought.

When she indignantly hinted for her maid to inquire, the eunuch who delivered them had smirked and replied that as the Mother of the Nation, the Empress only received three, so it would not be appropriate for a mere Noble Consort to overstep.

Overstep.

Did that wretch, who had lost his manhood to the knife, even understand the meaning of the word?

After years in the palace, watching Shen Ran be cruel to others while remaining gentle only to her, this was the first time Liu Ruyi truly felt the sharp edge of his cruelty. He did not merely abandon her; he was making it clear, without any attempt to hide it, that he loathed her.

As memories of the past flooded her mind, contrasting sharply with the present, Liu Ruyi bit her lower lip until the metallic tang of blood filled her mouth.

Was everything that belonged to her now to be snatched away by a hypocritical, high-and-mighty bitch?

She would not accept it! She could not accept it!

She hated Shen Ran—the man who had lifted her to the clouds only to discard her just as she was falling for him. She hated Xue Wu even more for her brazen theft. That woman wanted to take everything: her position as Empress, and now, Shen Ran’s love.

She would make sure that bitch died a miserable death!

***

Xue Wu felt as though she had eventually lost consciousness in the pool. She drifted into a hazy, dreamlike state, entangled with her beloved, unable to wake.

She did not know how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes to the sight of bright yellow bed curtains. After a moment of confusion, memories of the madness in the pool returned—her own trembling gasps and choked cries. Her heart lurched, and she struggled to sit up.

The silk quilt slid from her body. Xue Wu turned her head slightly and saw Shen Ran sleeping beside her.

He was not yet awake. In his slumber, the sharpness of his features softened, and in the flickering candlelight, his eyes and brows seemed as serene as the shimmering waters of the Jiangnan region in spring, reminiscent of the man he had once been.

Xue Wu instinctively reached out. With her fingers hovering mere millimeters from his cheek, she traced the lines of his face, as if to carve his likeness into her soul.

After a long while, she drew her hand back. Fearing she might wake him, she rose from the bed on tiptoes and stood quietly, gazing at the red candles on the windowsill.

A moment later, her shoulders felt a slight weight, and a pair of arms reached from behind to wrap around her waist.

The man’s lazy voice whispered in her ear: "What are you looking at? Hmm?"

The final syllable rose with an indefinable smile, like a hook that stirred her heart, leaving her unable to resist.

Xue Wu turned around abruptly.

Shen Ran had followed her, having hastily thrown on a robe. The buttons were left undone, revealing his elegant collarbone, his ink-black hair cascading like a waterfall—a sight so bewitching it could steal one’s breath. No wonder the late Emperor had been so obsessed with Consort Li; with such peerless beauty, even a saint might have his resolve shaken.

Xue Wu fought to steady her heart, which had been so easily disturbed by him, and pointed to the red candles on the windowsill. "I just thought they were very beautiful."

In the outside world, couples lit dragon-and-phoenix candles during their wedding, but her grand wedding with Shen Ran had taken place in total darkness. Perhaps it was human greed—gaining one thing only to crave another—but even though she understood the reasons, she could not help but feel a lingering regret. Their wedding had not felt like a wedding at all.

Shen Ran curved his lips into a faint smile. He took Xue Wu’s hand and placed it against his chest, whispering her name: "Ah Wu."

Xue Wu gave a soft, "Hmm."

Shen Ran laughed. "If you are willing, from this night forward, every night we spend together will be our wedding night."

*If you are willing... From this night forward... every night we spend together... will be our wedding night.*

At these words, a sudden hum filled Xue Wu’s ears; it was as if she could hear nothing else. She understood the meaning of every word, yet when strung together, they felt impossible to grasp.

Amidst the drum-like pounding of her heart, he offered her a sip of warmed wine. Their breaths mingled, and as she sank into his embrace, her eyes flushed with a reddened, feverish glow, she felt herself melting away.

She had been a cold, indifferent person since childhood and had never cared much for the intimacies of men and women, yet this man always found a way to stir a passion in her that she could not control.