Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 84

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Xie Nuange looked at the sash torn in two and swallowed.

“Were you two that passionate?”

Jiang Fan looked at her. For the first time, her expression held the embarrassed irritation of a living person. “Say one more word, and I’ll never come out again.”

Xie Nuange immediately shut her mouth.

Seeing her response, Jiang Fan reached out and peeled Xie Nuange’s fingers from her neckline one by one.

Then she arranged the fallen gauze robe to either side so it looked disheveled without exposing anything important.

“Sister Jiang,” Xie Nuange called softly.

Jiang Fan’s hand stopped at her neckline.

“I only want to help you.”

Jiang Fan’s fingers curled slightly. “I know.”

Her voice was gentle. “In all these years, you are the only person who ever rushed forward to save me.”

She lifted her eyes. Xie Nuange’s face was reflected in her ashen pupils. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t help you either.”

The ember inside the censer went out.

An extremely soft sigh sounded from the bed, and the Emperor’s lashes stirred.

Jiang Fan’s figure began to fade. Xie Nuange lay down and stared at the canopy overhead.

She pulled the quilt over herself, rolled onto her side, and faced the Emperor.

In that moment, Xie Nuange believed Jiang Fan was sincerely helping her.

But what about the future?

Jiang Fan had been trapped at the bottom of a well, thinking about the same man day and night. Then one day, someone suddenly brought her out and placed her before him.

Would her obsession truly be satisfied with half an hour inside his dreams?

What if, one day, darkness was no longer enough for Jiang Fan? What if she wanted to accompany the Emperor during the day as well?

The last thread of green smoke dispersed from the censer.

Only the lingering scent of ambergris remained in the bedchamber.

The Emperor’s lashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

He turned and saw Xie Nuange.

The brocade quilt was pulled up to her chest, her hair spread across the pillow. The neckline of her gauze robe hung open, revealing part of her collarbone and shoulder.

His hand emerged from beneath the quilt and encircled Xie Nuange’s waist.

His palm rested against the bare skin at her side, warm from sleep.

He drew Xie Nuange into his arms, rested his chin on her head, and breathed across her hair.

Xie Nuange’s heart gave a violent shudder.

“Your Majesty.”

A eunuch’s shrill voice sounded beyond the doors. “Half an hour has passed.”

The Emperor stopped moving, his hand still around Xie Nuange’s waist. “Light the lamps.”

The doors opened. Two young eunuchs hurried in with lowered heads, lit the candles, then withdrew.

The Emperor looked down at her, his eyes still heavy with sleep and touched by lazy satisfaction. “I’ll send for you again in two days.”

“Two days is rather long.”

Xie Nuange reached out and lightly tapped his chest. “Your Majesty still hasn’t met Sister Ye Wan or the other younger sisters who recently entered the palace.”

The Emperor laughed softly and caught her finger. “Jealous? Ye Wan?”

“Mm. She is an older sister this concubine met after entering the palace. There’s Sister Liu as well.”

Xie Nuange tried to ignore the hand continually rubbing her waist.

She softened her voice. “A few days ago, Sister Liu met this concubine and Sister Ye and said Your Majesty intended to take her to the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.”

Liu Feng had never told her that. But Xie Nuange refused to believe Liu Feng had not raised the matter with the Emperor.

His fingers paused at her waist for an instant, then resumed their circles against her skin. “You want to go?”

Xie Nuange lowered her lashes. “This concubine wishes to remain by Your Majesty’s side at every moment.”

The Emperor said nothing. His hand traveled from her waist, slid over her back, and drew her shoulders into his arms.

He rested his chin atop her head. Only after a while did his voice sound above her.

“Mm.”

What was “mm” supposed to mean?

Xie Nuange wanted to ask, but she knew pressing too hard could backfire.

The Emperor sat up and lifted the curtains. Young eunuchs filed inside to dress him.

Xie Nuange sat on the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the quilt.

Once dressed, the Emperor turned and looked at her. The corners of his lips curved slightly before he walked out of the bedchamber.

From outside came the eunuch’s quiet question.

“Let her retain the imperial seed.”

Su Ye entered carrying clothes. The moment she crossed the threshold and caught the scent inside the bedchamber, her steps paused.

She asked nothing. She walked over and placed the clothes on the bed.

Xie Nuange reached for the dudou, and the gauze robe slipped from her shoulder.

Su Ye glanced at her and helped her dress.

The Phoenix Carriage of Spring Favor was already waiting outside.

After returning to the Palace of Eternal Spring, Xie Nuange told Su Ye what the Emperor had said.

“He only said ‘mm.’ I don’t know whether that means he agreed.”

Su Ye poured a ladle of hot water over her shoulder. “It means he agreed.”

“What if it doesn’t?”

“Then we’ll have to find another way.”

Su Ye set down the ladle. “Consort Qi is Ye Wan’s principal mistress, so you can’t compete with her. Consort Jing just took Attendant Zhang to the Palace of Universal Happiness and locked her away. Approaching her now would be walking straight into danger.”

“I’ve asked Xiao Yunzi and the others about past years. Each palace’s principal mistress can bring one person into the Empress Dowager’s palace.”

Xie Nuange sank half her face into the water and blew a string of bubbles.

The Noble Consort and Consort De. She could try those two first.

Perhaps it was because Xie Nuange had mentioned Ye Wan, or perhaps it was simply Consort Qi’s turn, but the next plaque the Emperor selected was Consort Qi’s.

“The Emperor selected Consort Qi’s plaque tonight.”

Xie Nuange glanced at Su Ye. “I know. Didn’t you already say so?”

Su Ye’s expression was strange. “But during dinner, Zhao Ning went to find Ye Wan.”

Xie Nuange immediately scrambled upright on the bed, her eyes full of interest.

“Ye Wan let her in?”

Su Ye approached and lowered her voice. “Zhang San came to see me just now.”

“Apparently, Consort Qi was unwell and wanted Ye Wan to serve the Emperor.”

“While Ye Wan was still worrying about what to do, Zhao Ning arrived.”

Xie Nuange listened eagerly. “She took the Emperor away?”

Su Ye nodded. “Ye Wan and the Emperor hadn’t even bathed yet. They were still talking when Zhao Ning appeared.”

“She claimed she had come to return something. Zhang San went in to announce her, and Zhao Ning lured the Emperor away right in front of Ye Wan.”

Xie Nuange thought of Consort Qi’s rule. Ye Wan was safe, but Zhao Ning might not be.

“It’s understandable that Zhao Ning is anxious. Half a month remains, and she hadn’t even seen the Emperor.”

Xie Nuange murmured, “If you can’t watch the opera, you can always perform in it. But the Emperor isn’t someone you can necessarily encounter by chance.”

“There will probably be a spectacle tomorrow.”

The atmosphere in the Palace of Phoenix Grace was visibly wrong during the next morning greeting.

Consort Qi looked displeased. Ye Wan did too, though she secretly winked at Xie Nuange.

Zhao Ning kept her head lowered and said nothing. Attendant Zhang followed behind Consort Jing, her face pale.

Consort De looked first at Xie Nuange, then at Zhao Ning.

The Empress glanced at them and lowered her eyes to sip her tea.

“Very well. If there is nothing else, you may leave.”

No one spoke, but the atmosphere was heavy enough.

After leaving the Palace of Phoenix Grace, Xie Nuange and Ye Wan were about to depart when Liu Feng stepped in front of them.

She looked at both women. “Have you formed an alliance to compete for favor?”

Xie Nuange froze at her words. Compete for favor?