Ch.23 Fragrance Filling the Bed[Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] [Next Chapter]
Ridiculously, Rong Zhi left, and even more ridiculously, Chu Yu stayed where she was. She had a book in her hand, but she couldn’t read a single word.
She thought it over again and again, but just couldn’t understand what Rong Zhi was mad about. As it was, Rong Zhi’s position in the Princess’ Palace, could be said was only under the Princess of Shanyin and above everyone else; even the Princess’ husband might not be comparable with him. And according to You Lan, Rong Zhi treats people very kindly; he wasn’t narrow-minded.
All she was going to do was taking Huan Yuan out of the palace; not going to give him any supreme gift or anything. Could Rong Zhi not be able tolerate even this?
The more she thought about it, the more Chu Yu’s thoughts got tangled up. Unknowingly, the sun crept to the west; light shone into the room from a window, striking on the open book and Chu Yu’s hand, giving her fingers a slim layer of golden brilliance. Chu Yu knew she wouldn’t be able to digest any information in such a state, so she could only put down the book, return to the East Wing for dinner, and wash and prepare for bed. At that time, the sky had already completely darkened.
Chu Yu remembered that tomorrow was the day Pei Shu arranged the poetry banquet, so she didn’t want to go to bed too late. As she walked back to her room to go to sleep, her heart was filled with thoughts, so she didn’t notice the strange expressions of the guards in the courtyard before her bedroom, or You Lan’s weird glances.
Pushing open the door to her room, Chu Yu, as usual, instructed that You Lan didn’t need to come in to wait on her. When she went in she naturally pulled the door close behind her.
There were no lights in the room, but through these days, Chu Yu had already memorized clearly the positions of all the furnishings in the room, so she very smoothly walked to the edge of her bed. She put her hand at her waist, about to undress and climb onto the bed, but before she could do so, she smelled a sense of warm, gentle, faint, and vague fragrance in the air.
Chu Yu frowned. Originally, this room always had incense burning in it, but Chu Yu decided that with all the windows and door closed when the incense burned, air couldn’t circulate properly, plus she couldn’t get used to fragrance enveloping her everyday, so she ordered for the incense to be removed. After these days, the fragrance in the room already slowly dissipated, but now she could smell it again. She was just going to yell for people and ask, but then realized that this fragrance didn’t seem to be incense, and she seemed to have smelled it somewhere before.
After thinking about it for a while, Chu Yu squinted her eyes, and by the dim light in the room, she could faintly see a human lump bulging under the quilt on her bed.
Chu Yu just looked at it quietly, then walked to the wall and lit up the lantern hanging there. A not-so-bright yellow light instantly filled the room, helping Chu Yu see the person on her bed clearly. Almost the whole body, including the head, of that person was buried in the quilt, only showing a head of smooth, black hair that was soft as silk spreading across the bed.
Chu Yu walked back to the edge of her bed, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and spoke lightly: “Come out.”
That person slowly climbed up, and as Chu Yu expected, it was Mo Xiang. The unique fragrance on him was only his and no one else’s; if not for smelling this fragrance, she wouldn’t have noticed there was a person on her bed.
Mo Xiang propped his body up lazily, the silk quilt following his movements and sliding down. Bit by bit, his smooth neck, his round shoulders, his slender arms, and his slim waist and body, showed. His skin was fair as jade, his expression dream-like, and his slender phoenix eyes glittered, making him astonishingly enchanting. Accompanied by the fragrance around his body, he was virtually stunning.
But Chu Yu wasn’t moved, just gazing at him coldly. Mo Xiang seemed to be able to know what she was thinking; he bit down on his cherry red lips, and he looked down, as if about to cry, but tears didn’t fall, just staying in his eyes; he said softly, “Princess, it’s already been so many days, do you really not miss Mo Xiang at all?”
Chu Yu frowned, but didn’t speak.
Mo Xiang’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and a shining tear dropped down: “Mo Xiang is very scared, Mo Xiang originally was a toy sent by master, so besides serving master, doesn’t know how to do anything. If Princess doesn’t want Mo Xiang anymore, Mo Xiang wouldn’t know what to do; is the Princess tired of Mo Xiang, and is going to send Mo Xiang to someone else?”
Chu Yu was going to scold him at first, but seeing his body trembling slightly, unable to control himself anymore, her heart softened and she said gently, “Don’t worry at all. Even though I don’t love…… bed matters anymore, I still definitely won’t do that to you. If you really don’t want to leave, as long as I’m here, as long as the Princess’ Palace is here, there will be food and clothing for you. Even if you want to stay here for the rest of your life, it’s fine.” Chu Yu sighed in her heart. Looking at this situation, Mo Xiang probably has been through many hard times. Therefore, he didn’t have a sense of security, even going so far as to climb onto her bed, wanting to earn something with his body.
Finally sending away the grateful Mo Xiang, Chu Yu called the guards over, and inquired: “Why did you let him in?” Hadn’t she announce long ago to not let men in easily? Lucky it was Mo Xiang. If it was someone who had killing intent, and stabbed her while she slept……
The guards answered respectfully: “Master Rong brought him here, so we thought it was on the Princess’ order.”
Chu Yu was silent for a moment, then nodded, and summoned servant girls to come change the bedsheet and quilts that had been drenched in Mo Xiang’s fragrance. When she finally lay down on the bed, she was already very weary.
Although there were still many questions in her heart, weariness and darkness enveloped her, and Chu Yu slowly fell asleep.
Mo Xiang wrapped his body with thin clothing. As he walked out of the East Wing, he still had a sad expression on his face; but the moment he walked into the West Wing, his expression instantly changed. If Chu Yu was here, she would definitely be so astonished she wouldn’t be able to speak; the Mo Xiang now, the expression in his charming irises was calm and determined; although his body was weak, it seemed to contain undestroyable toughness.
The Hidden Fragrance Garden in the West Wing was Mo Xiang’s residence. Originally, there had been another male concubine living with him, but he had already left.
Approaching the main room of Hidden Fragrance Garden, one could see a person standing inside the room. He had his back to Mo Xiang; his snowy white garments draped to the ground, and his figure was aloof and cold. In the darkness, he seemed like floating ice.
Mo Xiang walked up, and half-knelt behind that person, saying: “Greetings, Master Rong.”
The person turned around, then bent down and helped Mo Xiang up, “How many times have I said, whether it’s in private or in public, don’t salute me so greatly.” It’s unable in public, and no need here.
The corners of his lips had on a gentle and light smile, and his pitch-black irises were profound and immeasurable.
It was Rong Zhi.