The Night Before Leaving the Palace, Reduced to the Tyrant's Plaything - Chapter 28

“Your Majesty, this servant has brought the person,” Hu Jinzhong stepped forward and said.

Qi Rang had no patience for him and waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw.

Hu Jinzhong set the lantern on the ground and tactfully retreated.

Wanyu stopped a few steps away from Qi Rang, knelt in the snow, and bowed to him.

Qi Rang looked at her, so small and frail, kneeling in the snow. He couldn’t say what he was feeling; after a while, he finally said, “Rise.”

Wanyu got up but remained where she was, refusing to come closer.

Seeing that she was still so wary of him, Qi Rang frowned in displeasure. “Are you afraid I’ll eat you?”

Wanyu shook her head, her thin body trembling in the night wind.

Qi Rang’s cold and hardened heart softened a little. He took the initiative to step forward and raised her chin with his hand.

Her chin was icy cold. The touch of his hot fingertips seemed to scald her, making her flinch.

“Are you afraid, or are you cold?” Qi Rang asked in a deep voice.

Wanyu lowered her eyes, long lashes fluttering like trembling flower stamens on a branch.

Thinking of the Matron who’d been killed by an icicle, her heart filled with both fear and hatred toward him.

Qi Rang found himself helpless against her like this. He gritted his teeth, having to muster all his self-control to suppress the urge to pull her into his arms and knead her at will.

“I heard you were badly injured. Are you better now?” he asked again.

Wanyu nodded lightly between his fingers.

Qi Rang released her chin and reached out to lift her right hand, which was hanging at her side, bringing it before his eyes.

Even in the dim lantern light, he could see the swollen, bleeding wound on the back of her hand.

Once as delicate and white as spring scallions, her hand had become so wretched in just a few days, making his heart involuntarily tighten.

He knew this Little Mute was very stubborn; even if her hand was ruined, she would never beg him for mercy.

He thought to himself, the suffering she endured was not unrelated to him. So he took the initiative to lower himself and offered her a way out: “Do you regret it? Do you want to come back with me?”

Wanyu was startled and withdrew her hand without a moment’s hesitation.

Qi Rang’s palm was left empty, and his eyes grew cold. “You’re unwilling?”

Wanyu had served him for five years and knew this was a sign he was about to get angry. She nervously swallowed.

But she truly could not go back with him.

If she went back with him now, he would think she had yielded and was willing to submit to him.

Then, the next step, he would surely summon her to his bed, claim her body, and then use some mediocre title to buy out her entire life, ensuring she would never leave the Forbidden City.

She didn’t want that.

She wanted to leave and fly free with the one she loved.

She would rather die than die in the palace.

Seeing the look on her face, Qi Rang understood her resolve. He grabbed her chin again, this time using real force.

“This is your last chance. You’d better think carefully,” he said through clenched teeth.

Wanyu felt as if her bones were about to be crushed by his grip; the pain brought tears to her eyes.

The moment her warm tears fell, they turned cold, landing in Qi Rang’s palm like snowflakes falling on his heart, leaving behind a chill and a damp trace.

“Why are you crying? Since it’s your own choice, why shed tears?”

He was both angry and upset, but couldn’t bear to be truly harsh. In a sudden impulse, he pulled her into his arms, clamped his large hand firmly around the back of her head, and pressed her face to his chest.

At this moment, his heart was beating for her.

Caught off guard and unable to struggle, Wanyu’s cheek pressed against his chest. The scent of his unique dragon balm filled her nose. Suddenly, all her long-restrained emotions burst forth like a flood breaching its banks. She sobbed aloud in his arms.

Qi Rang’s body stiffened. For a moment, he was stunned. Then he pulled his dark dragon-embroidered cloak around her, wrapping her tightly in his embrace.

The cold wind howled, blowing down white plum blossoms from the branches, the delicate petals scattering and falling over the two of them.

After a long while, Qi Rang finally spoke softly: “Don’t cry. I’ll take you back to the Qianqing Palace.”

Wanyu’s reason returned the instant she heard the words “Qianqing Palace.” She abruptly broke free from Qi Rang’s embrace and stepped back.

The rare tenderness on Qi Rang’s face instantly froze, his eyes growing cold again.

“You’re still unwilling?”

Wanyu, her eyes blurred with tears, knelt in the snow and bowed respectfully to beg his forgiveness.

Qi Rang stood there with his chest open, the brief warmth dispersed by the wind, the chill seeping into his heart.

“You are so persistent. Could it be that you really have someone you love outside the palace?” he asked coldly, voicing the question that had troubled him for so long.

Wanyu’s heart skipped a beat. Her hands unconsciously tightened on the snow beneath her.

Qi Rang coaxed, “Tell me the truth. If there really is such a person, I’ll let you go.”

Wanyu shook her head.

She wasn’t foolish enough to actually believe Qi Rang would fulfill such a promise.

Given Qi Rang’s nature, if she admitted there was such a person, he would only kill that person as quickly as possible, cutting off her escape and making her truly give up hope.

“Since there’s no one you miss, why do you insist on leaving the palace?” Qi Rang asked again.

Seeing that he demanded an answer, Wanyu knelt up straight and gestured with her hands: “This servant misses her mother and wants to go out and live with her.”

“Oh?” Qi Rang raised an eyebrow, his tone icy. “So it’s only because of your mother. Then, if your mother dies, does that mean you won’t need to leave anymore?”