Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 140
by Little PandaBestowing Upon You the Realm (22)
“Tell me you love me.”
Inside the closed grand hall.
A gentle breeze blew through the carved wooden windows, yet it couldn’t stir a red silk ribbon hanging from the beam. The tail end of the silk was tied in an intricate knot, barely touching the ground. After this slight breeze passed, it suddenly began to swing violently.
Xu Jiao stood on tiptoe with one foot raised high, forced to hold onto Yu Ye’s shoulders to help herself stay steady. However, Yu Ye mischievously pulled her hands down, placing delicate kisses on her cheeks and lips, then—
She gently pushed against Xu Jiao’s waist.
Xu Jiao involuntarily swung away, then was thrown back by momentum following the red silk’s swaying arc, meeting Yu Ye’s prepared position. Her back immediately tensed, and a short, stifled moan escaped her throat.
She raised her hands again to grasp Yu Ye’s shoulders, her sweaty palms leaving dark wet marks on the other’s court robes (chaofu: formal court dress worn by officials during imperial times). Yu Ye looked down and noticed this, saying with a smile:
“Your Highness.”
“Be careful not to soil my clothes.”
Now she was perfectly composed, with her court hat and belt properly arranged. If not for the color in her eyes betraying her passionate state, at first glance, she still maintained the dignified appearance of the former Regent.
In contrast, look at Xu Jiao.
Her crimson court robe had fallen loose, its folds layered and crumpled at her arms. The inner garment was slightly open, revealing her elegantly curved collarbone, and beneath the clothes covering deeper areas of skin were faint traces of bite marks.
For some unknown reason, Yu Ye had recently developed a habit of biting her.
The force was neither too light nor too heavy, but each bite would leave a mark. Not red or swollen, yet being marked like this as if being animal-tagged made Xu Jiao feel like she was being branded.
When these marks would fade after a while, if Yu Ye noticed, she would randomly add new ones according to her mood.
Now Yu Ye was properly dressed, while Xu Jiao’s hair was disheveled, tears leaked from her eyes due to the other’s intense actions, her lips were swollen, and her long straight legs were exposed to the air. The stark contrast intensified the feeling of shame in her heart—
The more she tried to avoid facing it, the more intense her sensory responses became when seeing it!
As these words fell, Yu Ye felt Xu Jiao becoming more nervous. Her lips curved into a slight smile as she leaned close to her ear and asked softly, “Why so nervous? Isn’t swinging fun?”
Xu Jiao: “…!”
She swallowed, closed her eyes briefly to suppress the excess moisture in them, and replied, “Whether it’s fun or not… why don’t you… try tying yourself up like this and find out?”
Yu Ye displayed a slightly innocent smile: “But I enjoy playing with you like this.”
Xu Jiao’s waist swayed too intensely, and since the other always waited composedly for her to actively meet her movements, the force was inevitably difficult to control, varying in intensity. Yet continuing this way without rhythm, she felt somewhat unsatisfied.
After letting Yu Ye push her a few more times, Xu Jiao couldn’t bear it anymore and raised both hands to embrace Yu Ye’s neck, pressing tightly against her body.
Feeling Yu Ye’s hot breath on her ear and sensing that the other wanted to undo her movements, Xu Jiao couldn’t help but say: “Stop… stop playing.”
Yu Ye: “Hmm?”
She asked: “Is Your Highness begging me, or ordering me?”
Since Xu Jiao had chosen this method of atonement herself, she naturally couldn’t say she was ordering her, but she also refused to utter that undignified word “beg.” So after holding back, her breathing changed, and finally, she called out softly:
“Older Sister Yu… stop playing.”
“It’s uncomfortable.”
The words ‘Older Sister Yu’ entered Yu Ye’s ears like a light feather playfully tickling from behind her ear down her neck, sending tingles from her scalp downward, numbing half her body’s bones.
Yu Ye couldn’t see her own suddenly reddened ears.
Her response was to make her movements more intense, successfully hearing Xu Jiao’s ragged breathing, alternating between light and heavy, as if echoing her movements.
Xu Jiao grew somewhat annoyed – she had already shown such goodwill, why was Yu Ye becoming even more excessive?
In frustration, she bit hard on Yu Ye’s shoulder through the clothing, her voice carrying a hint of coquettish complaint: “My leg is numb…”
With her left leg tied to the red silk, standing only on her right foot while being swayed back and forth, nobody could maintain balance.
Moreover, her physical stamina wasn’t very good to begin with.
Hearing her complaint, Yu Ye narrowed her eyes and coaxed softly: “Call me older sister one more time, and I’ll let you down.”
Xu Jiao naturally refused, as just hearing Yu Ye’s tone while saying this was enough to judge that she had ulterior motives. But the more she refused, the more Yu Ye wanted to hear it again, and consequently treated her more intensely. In the end, Xu Jiao still couldn’t win against the other in this matter, and with a red face, called her older sister once more before being let down.
She thought this would be the end of it.
At the same moment, in another corner of the palace.
Nie Yunyue looked at the message brought by his spy while sitting alone in a corner playing chess with himself. He held a black piece in his hand and had already decided where to place it, but after reading the message, he hesitated.
Now Yu Ye had somehow broken the curse set by the Great Shaman of Korea and even managed to inflict damage in return. Spies planted in Da Yan reported that while the entire nation was developing agricultural irrigation, taxes hadn’t been reduced by even ten percent. Clearly—
Da Yan was preparing for military action again.
This was his best chance to leave.
He must quickly find out who Da Yan was preparing to move against. He had a premonition that if he couldn’t stop Da Yan’s decision this time, once this country truly united under Yu Ye’s hand, even Da Liang wouldn’t be her match in the future.
The young man looked at the chessboard before him, holding the black piece between his index and middle fingers. Finally, instead of placing it in the center where black and white pieces were engaged in fierce battle, he placed it in a relatively remote corner.
At first glance, it appeared to be a wasted move.
But in reality…
This was meant to begin a breakthrough from a different angle.
Since Yu Ye wasn’t viable, he would start with Da Yan’s most peculiar female emperor.
Nie Yunyue stared at the chessboard again, then called in the servants waiting outside: “Make arrangements. I want to meet someone from the palace tonight.”
Since entering Da Yan, he knew he had been living under Yu Ye’s control, so after his initial bold probe of Xu Jiao which resulted in some suffering, Nie Yunyue had remained well-behaved until now.
But he couldn’t wait any longer.
His country and people were still waiting for him.
If he couldn’t return to Da Liang within this year, his title of Crown Prince would likely soon change hands.
He must quickly meet with the palace spy and gain more information about Yu Ye and Xu Jiao to plan his next move.
Nie Yunyue had no patience.
Neither did Xu Jiao—
For Yu Ye’s life, she wanted to race against time to strangle the male lead’s plans in their cradle (meaning to eliminate a threat before it develops).
On one hand, she would choose someone capable of bewitching Nie Yunyue, gaining his trust, and assassinating him to send to his side. On the other hand, she already knew who could threaten Nie Yunyue’s position within Liang country. Although that person was somewhat foolish, this was exactly the kind of person Xu Jiao needed to take the helm from the current King of Liang.
For her and Yu Ye’s future enemies, the more foolish, the better.
But while she was anxious, Yu Ye was in no hurry to let her go.
After loosening the red silk from her leg and seeing the slightly darkened marks there, Yu Ye raised her eyebrows and stroked the marks. Xu Jiao’s legs were already weak, and she sat down holding the nearby chair. Seeing Yu Ye rubbing the dampened fabric between her fingertips, she instinctively pulled at the other end of the red silk, wanting to destroy all evidence of their wild behavior.
But Yu Ye wouldn’t let her pull it.
Showing a smile in her eyes, she asked softly: “Why is Your Highness in such a hurry? Still not satisfied from earlier?”
Xu Jiao: “…”
She let go and lowered her head to look for her undergarments, pretending she hadn’t heard anything. Yu Ye’s gaze wandered around before suddenly stepping forward, blocking Xu Jiao’s path, and asked: “What are you looking for?”
Xu Jiao steadied her breathing, trying to extract herself from the terrifying whirlpool of earlier events. She looked up at the other person but didn’t speak. Yu Ye had already read her answer and gently pushed her back against the huanghuali wood chair—
“What’s the rush?”
Yu Ye’s voice carried an intrigued smile: “Look how well-made this red silk is.”
Xu Jiao: “…”
She had absolutely no interest in knowing how well-made that thing was.
After forcing an insincere smile, Xu Jiao locked eyes with Yu Ye for a few seconds, successfully reading the dangerous hint of lingering desire in her gaze. After a brief pause, Xu Jiao suddenly pushed Yu Ye away, ducking and darting away while exclaiming:
“That’s enough from you!”
She couldn’t take anymore.
Yu Ye quickly bent her knees and caught her by the waist, pressing her back into the chair, asking with a half-smile: “Why are you running?”
Xu Jiao gripped her wrists and moved her lips, speaking somewhat submissively: “I have urgent matters to attend to.”
Yu Ye unhurriedly pulled her hands away, pinning them above her head, then carefully tied them with the red silk, following Xu Jiao’s topic: “Oh? What urgent matters does Your Highness have? Perhaps this subject can offer some advice?”
Xu Jiao struggled hard against her, trying to achieve a miracle through force, but the result was only watching the long silk wrap around her body more and more, until she was completely bound to the chair. Not wanting to face Yu Ye in such embarrassing and shameful positions, she could only turn her head and say softly:
“I really have matters to attend to…”
Yu Ye’s dark eyes held fragments of laughter, with deeper depths stained by desire. Hearing this, she lightly hooked Xu Jiao’s chin with her fingertip: “What matters exactly? There’s nothing in Da Yan that I shouldn’t hear. If Your Highness won’t say, I’ll assume you’re making excuses to avoid me.”
Xu Jiao: “…”
She moved her lips, about to speak, when suddenly she saw Yu Ye reach for a strange eyelash-like ring on the table. The other person twirled the object in her hand, “Can Your Highness tell me what this is?”
Xu Jiao looked once, not knowing which beautiful dancing girl from last night had left it behind, and could only shake her head truthfully. Meanwhile, she shifted uncomfortably in the chair, as if trying to escape, but couldn’t go anywhere, and even received a light pat from Yu Ye.
“Be good.”
Xu Jiao’s face instantly turned crimson.
Just talk if you want to talk! Why did you have to spank her!
The crisp sound echoing in the room felt even more embarrassing than being slapped on the face.
She spoke through gritted teeth: “I don’t know, perhaps some girl left it behind last night.”
Yu Ye slightly narrowed her eyes, bringing her face very close, and asked in a drawn-out voice: “Oh—a girl? Which girl offered you this gift?”
Xu Jiao didn’t understand why she asked this way.
But in the next moment, she saw Yu Ye stroke the long plush on the small ring, watching how it obediently lay flat when brushed in one direction, but stood up like bristling fur when stroked the other way.
She didn’t know the purpose of this thing, but Yu Ye did, because in her early years leading troops, some soldiers inevitably couldn’t stand the monotony of military camp and secretly went out for pleasure. In those houses of debauchery (brothel), she had seen everything.
Naturally, she was quite familiar with such things.
She asked a few questions, and seeing Xu Jiao only staring at her wide-eyed, she changed the question: “Have you used this with them?”
Xu Jiao: “?”
She blankly shook her head.
Yu Ye immediately let out a light hum, unclear whether satisfied or dissatisfied, and after staring at Xu Jiao’s delicate face for a while, she said: “I trust you wouldn’t dare.”
Before Xu Jiao could breathe a sigh of relief, the next moment, Yu Ye’s expression changed as she smiled and asked: “Then let this subject broaden Your Highness’s knowledge.”
Xu Jiao: “…There’s no need to trouble Lord Yu—”
Half an incense stick’s time later (approximately 10-15 minutes).
The hall was filled with embarrassing sounds that made one blush.
Xu Jiao struggled against her restraints, unable to sit still in the chair, tears falling drop by drop, yet could only obediently endure everything Yu Ye gave her.
She cursed indistinctly: “Scoundrel…”
Yu Ye pretended not to hear clearly: “Hmm?”
Xu Jiao: “Take… take it out… uh…”
Yu Ye bit her lip: “Why? Does Your Highness not like this thing? But I see Your Highness enjoying it quite happily.”
Xu Jiao’s cheeks burned bright red, her emotions fluctuating greatly, her nose slightly congested, her voice heavy with nasal tones. After closing her eyes and enduring for a moment, she still couldn’t hold back, looking at the mischievous person before her with reddened eyes:
“It tickles…”
“Have mercy, Older Sister Yu…”
Yu Ye stroked her cheek, her eyes full of tenderness. Though satisfied with Xu Jiao’s submissive demeanor, somewhere deep in her heart was an inexplicable urge to bully her even more severely. She struggled to suppress this impulse, biting Xu Jiao’s lips and unreasonably commanded:
“Tell me you love me.”
“Tell me I’m the one you love most.”
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