Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Mei Shuang turned her back, hurriedly putting on her clothes while feeling cold all over.
From Zhao Prince's shameless words, it seemed that she and the man before her were indeed not as innocent as she had hoped. It appeared that she truly deserved the title of "fallen woman," and it was likely that she would never have a chance to redeem herself in this lifetime.
Amidst her chaotic thoughts, her gaze fell on the medicine bottle, and she asked irritably, "You were the one behind this, weren't you?"
"Oh, I thought you already knew. Our understanding of each other is clearly diminishing," Nangong Nuo sneered. "It seems you've been quite foolish during your stay here. I advised you early on not to harbor delusions of becoming some kind of Empress; being my consort would be far better. But you refused to listen! How does it feel now? Not only are you suffering physically, but your reputation is also ruined!"
Mei Shuang shot a glance at the gleeful Nangong Nuo and found a corner to sit down. After a while, she buried her head in her arms and sighed, "Maybe you're right. Ever since I woke up from my injury, I can't remember many things..."
"Oh, I thought you were just pretending! Naturally, pretending not to recognize me now won't change anything. Miss Mei Shuang, I'm not saying this to scold you, but even if you wanted to die, there was no need to choose that moment. You really are unfilial; your death is one thing, but dragging Chancellor Mei down with you is unacceptable! Fortunately, I arrived in time; otherwise, you really wouldn't have seen me again..."
"......"
Look! Another person who thought she was attempting suicide and being disloyal and unfilial. His sharp tongue made her want to slap him a few times.
Mei Shuang couldn't be bothered to explain; she had already exhausted herself kicking the guard earlier. Now, hearing Nangong Nuo's words left her feeling even weaker. After sitting in the corner for a moment and thinking it over, she frowned and asked, "Did you come here just to watch me make a fool of myself?"
Nangong Nuo followed her and squatted down in front of Mei Shuang. He paused at her question before sneering again. "Miss Mei Shuang, haven't you caused enough trouble? I've told you countless times not to foolishly pursue Xiao Luo, but you refused to believe me. Do you think Xiao Luo is like me? He cherishes beauty and will protect you? Even if the Empress Dowager intended to match you with him from the start, he would rather go fight at the borders than marry anyone other than Chu Xiruo. Yet here you are, relying on the Empress Dowager's favor and Left Chancellor's prestige, insisting on competing with Chu Xiruo. To be honest, Xiao Luo sparing your life this time was entirely due to the Empress Dowager's intervention. Otherwise... well, it wouldn't just be about watching your jokes; you'd be waiting for someone to collect your corpse..."
Mei Shuang understood now; everything that had happened was entirely her own doing, coupled with a bit of luck that allowed her to survive.
After a moment of silence, hugging her knees tightly, Mei Shuang spoke softly, "Am I really that detestable?"
Her question caught Nangong Nuo off guard.
With such a tone and those words, he found it hard to believe they came from Mei Shuang.
Given Mei Shuang's prideful nature and how she usually wouldn't tolerate anyone speaking ill of her—especially after his deliberate jabs—she would have been furious by now. Yet here she was, surprisingly calm.
After a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, he nodded and replied, "Indeed."
Mei Shuang smiled bitterly upon hearing this.
Sigh, the more she heard about the young lady of Mei Manor, the more hopeless her situation felt. Earlier, during the carriage ride to the palace, her personal maid, Sugar, had babbled on about how noble they were, but it turned out to be utterly disappointing.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard Nangong Nuo ask, "Why don’t you ask me what I’m doing here?"
"I just asked, didn’t I? Were you here to mock me? If you’re done with your teasing, then please leave," Mei Shuang replied dully, feeling irritated.
Nangong Nuo chuckled at Mei Shuang's dismissal. "Miss Mei Shuang, this isn’t like you at all. Look, your savior is right in front of you, and yet you want to chase me away?"
Savior?
Only then did Mei Shuang focus her gaze on Nangong Nuo. She thought to herself that he was hardly a savior; he was more like a harbinger of trouble, having just rattled her with his incessant chatter.
She lazily remarked, "If you really wanted to save me, why all this nonsense? Besides, in this deep palace courtyard, how could you possibly save me?"
Taken aback by her retort, Nangong Nuo paused. "Miss Mei Shuang, is there anywhere in this palace that can trap me, Zhao Prince?"
Recalling how he had silently appeared before her moments ago, Mei Shuang asked, "So you’re quite familiar with this place?"
Nangong Nuo stared into Mei Shuang's striking eyes for a while before lazily responding, "Miss Mei Shuang, are you joking? Having grown up in the palace, do you think I’m unfamiliar with it?"
"Alright then. I have a question: if you're willing to risk yourself to save me now, why did you try to harm me back then?" Mei Shuang said indignantly.
"Harm you?" Nangong Nuo's previously half-closed peach blossom eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Mei Shuang's delicate face for a moment before sneering. "Miss Mei Shuang, have you perhaps changed your identity or do you have some ulterior motive for putting yourself in such a predicament? When have I ever harmed you? When did we ever exchange letters?"
Suddenly, Mei Shuang’s mind buzzed as she coldly replied, "Since you know about those letters, then surely you know their contents. If it were someone else’s doing, how could they know such private matters between us?"
Nangong Nuo’s lips curled into a smirk; rather than getting angry, he laughed softly. A glint of meaning flashed in his eyes as he looked at Mei Shuang. "Miss Mei Shuang, aren’t you aware of what has transpired between us? I find it puzzling; given your intelligence and unwillingness to suffer losses, how could you so easily accept those letters and end up in such a pitiful state today? Moreover, do you think I’m some lowly rat? Using such petty tricks to stop you from hitting a wall? Please! Whom you wish to marry is your business. If I wanted to harm you, would I have gone to Heavenly Prison to rescue you? Miss Mei Shuang, it is truly your own narrow-mindedness that misjudges my intentions!"
"......."
Mei Shuang's heart raced violently as she watched the enigmatic man before her, his gaze shifting unpredictably. Suddenly, she pressed her hand to her forehead, her expression one of deep pain. "My head hurts so much, oh no, I can't take it anymore..."
Nangong Nuo furrowed his brows and quickly grasped Mei Shuang's delicate wrist while checking her pulse. By the time he did, Mei Shuang had already slumped down weakly.
After carefully assessing her pulse, Nangong Nuo swiftly retrieved a small vial from his pocket and dripped a few drops of liquid into Mei Shuang's mouth.
The liquid was cool and bitter upon entry, but soon a wave of warmth spread throughout her body.
Mei Shuang closed her eyes and pretended to be unconscious, but in her mind, she pondered how this taste felt somewhat familiar. Suddenly, she recalled that this was the same flavor she had tasted when she woke up in the Heavenly Prison.
It seemed that although this person had been sharp-tongued towards her for quite some time, he did not harbor any malicious intent to harm her. However, until the situation was clarified, anyone could be suspected of plotting against her.
The potency of the medicine was strong, especially with the faint scent of powder from the man holding her and the close proximity of his masculine presence, which combined to create an incredibly enticing aroma.
Mei Shuang could even feel his warm breath against her; this sensation made her, who was usually reserved, feel completely out of place. Continuing to pretend would surely expose her act.
Thus, Mei Shuang slowly "woke" up, opening her eyes with a dazed expression and asking, "Where am I?"
Comment 0 Comment Count