Chapter 60

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Chapter 60: Title

Enjoying the moon in the pavilion at night is a delightful pastime. Gu Hengbo squinted her eyes, truly savoring a sip of fruity wine, the rich fruit aroma spreading over her lips and teeth. She smacked her lips in satisfaction, "A life without worrying about food and drink is great. It feels like I’ve ascended to heaven."

"But you don’t like places like Yaoyue Pavilion, do you?"

Gu Hengbo was startled by the sudden voice, and a lot of the fruity wine from her cup spilled out due to her movement, the cool liquid sliding down her chest.

Lian Rong looked at her half-reclining posture and smirked, "If I heard correctly, Ah Heng had said before that she didn’t like women?"

Gu Hengbo set down her wine cup, straightened up, and tugged at her clothing, "It was Lian Chen who dragged me here. If you have a problem, go talk to him."

Lian Rong watched her pull at her clothes and couldn’t help but ask, "What are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh, you startled me just now, and I accidentally spilled that cold drink on myself." Gu Hengbo said, loosening her clothing to let her bellyband show, hoping it would cool her down better.

Lian Rong sat down on the stone chair, glancing at her loosely opened collar, "Don’t you have anything to say to me?"

Gu Hengbo looked at her in confusion, "What should I say, about that little girl? If you want to marry her into the residence to keep me company, I have no objections."

"You and Gu Cheng really have a strong bond. I don’t know if you are broad-minded or he is just too capable," Lian Rong replied casually. She truly hadn’t expected Gu Hengbo to forgive Gu Cheng so quickly. To ensure things went smoothly, Lian Chen had been sent away, and she had really underestimated her attitude.

Gu Hengbo sat on the railing, her hands supporting her on both sides while her feet swung back and forth. Her expression was very subtle. “Lian Rong, if that night was really you, I think there are some things you should know.” Now she was almost certain that both she and Gu Cheng had been framed. If they aimed at her, things would be easier to handle. But what if they weren’t? Or what if their target was the Prime Minister’s residence?

“Of course, that was Ah Heng’s first time,” Lian Rong said, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes smiling.

Gu Hengbo stared at her seriously. “No matter what, Gu Cheng is my brother. I was foolish, knowing nothing all these years. If it weren’t for his protection, do you think I would have lived safely until now?” Of course, even with Gu Cheng’s protection, Gu Meisheng still encountered trouble, or she wouldn’t have ended up in her body. The world was not only wonderful but also absurd and amusing.

Lian Rong blinked. Maybe she needed to reassess the person in front of her. She wasn’t as naive and easy to deceive as she thought. Perhaps she had already noticed something about that incident.

Seeing Lian Rong suddenly stand up, Gu Hengbo kindly reminded her, “You should go to bed. I’ll enjoy the breeze for a while longer.”

“Gu Meisheng.”

“Hmm?” Gu Hengbo widened her eyes, looking at Lian Rong as she approached. “I’ll be right back, um…”

Lian Rong lowered her head and licked around her lips before scooping her up effortlessly. “If you want to enjoy the breeze, I’ll take you to a good place.” With that, she used her strength and soared into the air.

Gu Hengbo instinctively tightened her grip around Lian Rong’s neck. Although she didn’t have a fear of heights, being out at night like this, she clearly found it hard to accept this lightness of being. In her previous life, she had regarded science as her father, but suddenly crossing over, she thought it wouldn’t be too surprising if the Queen Mother herself came down from the heavens.

As soon as Lian Rong’s toes touched the ground, Gu Hengbo struggled to get down from her arms. However, when she saw the scene before her, she was surprised. Although it wasn’t very high up, for someone who had only stayed in Prince Rong’s residence for a few days, discovering a vantage point from which the entire residence could be seen was still quite astonishing. “Is this a rockery? How come I never found it before?”

Lian Rong set her down on a soft couch and glanced at her exposed chest. The white bellyband glimmered softly under the moonlight, stirring something within her as she rolled over and pinned Gu Hengbo beneath her.

Inside the octagonal pavilion, the curtains fluttered in the night breeze, occasionally brushing against the two of them. Gu Hengbo was somewhat confused. She looked at Lian Rong, asking, “How did I not see this high place?”

“Because it’s at the back of the residence, far away. You’re so lazy, always huddled up in your room. How could you possibly see it?”

Gu Hengbo nodded. “I’m not cold. You can get up now. You’re making me uncomfortable!”

Lian Rong glanced at the hand blocking her, tilted her head, and planted a kiss. “Let’s spend the night here, okay?”

“I just used the toilet,” Gu Hengbo glanced at her hand.

Lian Rong squinted at her. “You could be even more of a buzzkill.”

“Okay, I’ve been constipated lately. Ah, be gentle!” As a woman, could she not be so brutal, tearing clothing and all?

Lian Rong lowered her head and bit her shoulder. “Just cooperate.”

Gu Hengbo frowned. After a moment, she realized what Lian Rong was trying to do. She was pinned down tightly, her chest heaving up and down. Remembering the last time, Gu Hengbo’s heart began to race. “Lian Rong, you…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I have to go to the palace tomorrow.” Wasn’t she being reckless?

With both hands occupied, Lian Rong had to lower her head and bite the strap at Gu Hengbo’s neck. Her warm breath spread over Gu Hengbo’s skin in the silence. Gu Hengbo could clearly hear her own heartbeat. Lian Rong bit down a bit harder, and the strap broke.

Gu Hengbo turned her head. “Lian Rong, I have to go to the palace tomorrow.”

“I heard you,” Lian Rong said, leaning down to kiss her, her hands exploring inside her clothes.

Gu Hengbo was unusually quiet today, not making any fuss. Aside from a few initial struggles, she hardly made a sound.

Lian Rong stole glances when she had the chance. Seeing Gu Hengbo with her eyes closed, her lashes fluttering, and her lips tightly pressed together, she kissed along her lips and whispered, “Ah Heng.”

Gu Hengbo’s heart was a mess. In truth, she didn’t mind Lian Rong’s touch, but every time Lian Rong tried to make such demands, she felt like a toy being controlled. Even though she told herself this was temporary, it still made her feel sad.

Lian Rong didn’t stop because of Gu Hengbo’s indifference. The more Gu Hengbo behaved that way, the more Lian Rong wanted to possess her, growing stronger until it became uncontrollable.

Hearing Lian Rong’s breathing becoming heavier, a sense of fear emerged in Gu Hengbo’s heart. She instinctively wanted to pull away, but Lian Rong seemed to notice her intention and increased her advance.

“Wait… what are you doing? Let me go!” Gu Hengbo looked at her suddenly tied hands, terrified as she gazed up at Lian Rong.

Lian Rong kissed her forehead, her fingers pressing against her lower body through the fabric. Gu Hengbo felt an electric jolt coursing through her body, making her shiver. “Lian Rong!”

“Call me husband.”

“Lian Rong, you have to untie my hands first, or I will really get angry.”

“If you call me husband, I will untie you.”

“Curse you!”

Lian Rong slowly pushed up her skirt, bending down and kissing her way up from her ankles.

Gu Hengbo felt something slippery and wet gently licking her inner thigh. She couldn’t help but gasp, her voice trembling, “Lian Rong, if you want me to hate you, just keep it up.”

Lian Rong pushed the skirt up further, her voice slightly hoarse, “Then you might as well hate me.” She couldn’t stop now.

Gu Hengbo wanted to say something more, but the warmth invading her lower body made her let out a sound. She tilted her head back in pain, her legs instinctively closing together.

Lian Rong moved to the top, gently kissing the area behind her ear. “Ah Heng, be good, it will be over soon.”

Gu Hengbo’s mind went blank. She thought Lian Rong would stop after tiring her out like last time, but instead, Lian Rong stayed right there. After a while, she finally understood her intentions. She almost crazily sat up, “No, not there, you can’t do that.”

Lian Rong ignored her exaggerated reaction, soothingly kissing her thigh, then without hesitation, pressed her lips against her petals, sucking and teasing.

Gu Hengbo bit her lip, eyes closed and slightly tilted back. As Lian Rong went deeper, her body lost control, gradually relaxing from tension.

Stories often unfold in such a way; everything seems natural when both sides are willing. But is it really mutual willingness?

Gu Hengbo thought that as long as things were somewhat in agreement, everyone would save face. But often, when pushed to a certain point, the opposite effect could happen. She had never realized where her boundaries lay. Even when she suddenly discovered her boyfriend of five years was involved with her own sister, she had never been this angry.

She didn’t understand Lian Rong, but she knew Lian Rong’s purpose in marrying her wasn’t simply to share a bed. When Lian Rong held her like a precious treasure, she felt an impulse to laugh.

See, this is acting.

Sometimes she didn’t even trust herself, let alone others. In her past life and this one, she lived too carelessly. But she was grateful to have protected her heart well.

*

Changning Palace

Gu Wan quietly observed Gu Hengbo from her seat with a faint smile. “Meisheng, is living in Prince Rong’s residence treating you well?”

Gu Hengbo nodded. “Answering your Highness, it’s quite comfortable.”

Gu Wan relaxed. “That’s good. I was worried you might not adjust. Prince Rong hasn’t made things difficult for you, has she?”

Gu Hengbo thought, how could you control that? But she replied, “No, A-Rong treats me very well.”

Gu Wan was taken aback, then smiled. “I have lived in the palace for many years, and I heard you recovered recently but didn’t get a chance to see you. You should visit me more often when you have the time.”

“Yes.”

Gu Wan glanced at the food box beside her with curiosity. “Is this for me?”

Gu Hengbo quickly stood up and handed over the food box. “This is something I brought back from the Empress. She said a new chef has arrived who can make some snacks from other countries, and she asked me to bring them for you to try.” Why didn’t they just send a palace servant? Why let her do it?

Gu Wan looked at the box for a moment, covering her mouth with a smile. “So it’s the Empress’s kindness. I will accept it.”

Gu Hengbo placed the food box on the small table beside the soft couch, and Gu Wan pulled her down to sit next to her.

“Meisheng has really grown up. I didn’t notice it back in the Prime Minister’s residence, but after several years, you are even more beautiful now.”

Gu Hengbo’s mouth twitched. Usually, people who held hands and spoke earnestly were older. But Concubine Wan was only a bit younger than the Empress. Upon closer look, her beauty surpassed the Empress’s, yet because she had no children, she was not as favored.

Strangely, there weren’t many concubines in the palace; aside from Gu Wan, every other one had children. Was there some underlying reason for that?

"I have never had a son or daughter by my side, so I suppose Meisheng already knows about it," Gu Wan said.

Gu Hengbo was taken aback, then nodded, unsure why Gu Wan suddenly brought this up.

Gu Wan sighed, "It has been ten years since I married into the palace. In the second year, I became pregnant. Since it was my first child and I was still young, I accidentally lost the baby. I thought it wouldn’t matter, but ever since then, there has been no news."

Gu Hengbo looked at Gu Wan’s hand resting on her belly. "Your Highness…"

"You don’t need to comfort me. I have grown used to the pitying looks from others. Being alone allows me to live freely and comfortably."

Such words sounded so light. As a woman, not only did she have to share her husband with other women, but even her right to bear children was taken away. It’s hard to decide whether to admire her or pity her for such acceptance.

Gu Wan wanted to say more, but her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the red around Gu Hengbo’s neck. Something flickered in her eyes and then quickly vanished.

A palace servant came in to announce, saying they were looking for Prince Rong’s Princess.

"What happened?" Although she was still unaccustomed to having people kneel for her, there was no time to speak about it now.

"Your Highness, there has been a sudden attack from assassins at the mansion. The western courtyard caught fire, and Steward Feng was severely injured. We ask for you to return to the mansion quickly."

Another group of assassins? "Where is the Prince?"

"He is on his way back."

Gu Wan sensed the situation was grave; she never expected the usually well-guarded Prince Rong’s residence would also be ambushed, especially while Lian Rong was away. She said nothing more and urged Gu Hengbo to hurry home.

—