Chapter 52: I’ll Be Good to You (1/2)

Hearing Emperor Jingxi’s words, A wu wanted to cry. 

She bit her trembling lip and said: 

“A wu never thought that way…”

The emperor’s thumb brushed the damp corner of her eye. 

“I won’t abandon you.”

A wu nodded quickly, her words tumbling out in haste: 

“Mm, A wu naturally believes in Your Majesty. No one treats A wu better than you.”

Her eager response only tightened the ache in Jingxi’s chest.

She was merely trying to please him-deep down, she didn’t truly trust him.

That instinctive distrust.

Amid the inexplicable sting in his chest, Jingxi suddenly recalled that night at Nanqiongzi’s villa. 

After their feverish entanglement, he had coldly left her behind without a backward glance.

Abandoned, A wu had sat hugging her knees like a fledgling lost in the woods.

Just moments ago, when he turned to leave the bedchamber, the fear in her eyes had mirrored that night’s memory.

For an instant, his thoughts stilled. 

A sharp pain, like an eagle’s talons, seized the tenderest part of his heart.

Then came her tentative voice:  “Your Majesty?”

Jingxi lifted his gaze, catching the faint unease shimmering in her tear-bright eyes. 

He studied her silently before slowly withdrawing, his movements strained.

Every inch of separation felt resisted.

Clenching his jaw, he pulled away-only to feel her clinging more desperately.

The brocade curtains hung so still that the slightest intimate sound echoed between them.

A whimper escaped A wu’s lips as her fingers clutched his arm. 

Confused by sensations she’d never known, she could only gaze up at him, cheeks flushed with helpless longing.

Jingxi steadied his breathing with difficulty. 

“Not now,” he rasped, soothing her discontent.

Tears of frustration welled in her eyes.

Cradling her pliant form, he kissed her damp cheeks with patient tenderness. 

Murmuring endearments, he lingered at her ear, his affection weaving an intoxicating spell.

For an emperor to humble himself with such tenderness-it was too easy to drown in.

Dazed by kisses, A wu’s tear-blurred eyes fluttered half-shut. 

Even if this were bitter fruit, she longed to taste it, if only for that first burst of sweetness when the skin broke.

Jingxi could feel her melting against him, mindless with desire.

He gripped her slender waist and laid her down.

She gazed up in wordless longing, still craving more.

Bracing himself above her, he pinned her delicate wrists to the bed, his gaze commanding.

“A wu,” he declared, “I am the emperor. Your sovereign.”

Limbs weak as a captured songbird’s, she stared up through tears-too overwhelmed to resist, too enchanted to want to.

His light tea-colored eyes held cool authority.

The kisses had stopped. 

She yearned for them still.

Yet he withheld, punishing her with denial, his sudden severity leaving her bewildered and wounded.

Jingxi tightened his grip on her wrists.

A wu winced in pain, letting out a whimper as she gazed tearfully at the man above her.

Emperor Jingxi looked down at her, his voice low and deliberate. 

“The Son of Heaven acts as the parent of the people, ruling the world as their sovereign. Thus, all the people of the realm are my children.”

His words were measured and clear, each syllable resonating in A wu’s ears, yet her mind was in utter disarray. 

She couldn’t muster any reaction.

To her, the man seemed like the demon king of an underwater palace, with deep, mesmerizing eyes that could lure any maiden by the shore into the sea, imprisoning her in his palace for his own pleasure.

“Look at me,” Emperor Jingxi commanded.

A wu obeyed, meeting his gaze. 

She found his eyes unusually tender, as though they were caressing her. 

With just a glance, he could make her bow in submission.

Their eyes locked, and time seemed to freeze.

Then, Emperor Jingxi slowly leaned down, his imposing face drawing nearer until his forehead pressed against hers.

In that instant, warmth enveloped her. 

A gentle heat swirled around her, as if she had been plunged into a soothing hot spring, her body and mind relaxing completely.

The emperor tilted his head slightly, their noses brushing lightly, like two birds nuzzling affectionately.

A wu closed her eyes in contentment, her toes curling.

Though he had done nothing more, she felt an unprecedented joy wash over her.

This moment surpassed all others.

She realized then that tender intimacy and touch were more intoxicating than mere physical desire because of the restraint, the consideration, and the illusion of mutual affection.

Just then, a deep, mellow voice slipped into her ear. 

“I wish to treat A wu with the heart of a parent.”

A wu froze.

It took her a moment to understand this was his promise, a solemn vow from an emperor.

Even as time flowed and hearts changed, she was moved in that moment.

Emperor Jingxi’s handsome face was grave and earnest. 

“A wu, before, I was the emperor-nothing else mattered. But from now on, I am not just the emperor. I am also the one who cherishes A wu.”

A wu stared silently at the man above her. 

The weight of his promise was so immense that she dared not speak lightly.

Holding her fingers tightly, Emperor Jingxi murmured tenderly, “I will celebrate A wu’s seventeenth birthday with many performers and songs. You may choose whatever you wish to hear, everything will be as you desire.”

“Alright,” A wu replied softly.

The emperor gazed into her eyes. 

“Now, tell me what does A wu want most?”

A wu tilted her head, thinking carefully.

Then, with a shy smile, she answered, “A wu wants His Majesty to kiss her.”

Emperor Jingxi’s heartstrings trembled.

Despite her suggestive words, her smile was pure and bright, like a sunlit stream at dawn. 

Without looking away, he slowly lowered his head and kissed her lips with tender devotion.

Her lips were unbearably soft, melting against his, sweeter than anything he had ever known. 

For now, his heart was content.

Yet somewhere in his chest, an unfillable void remained.

A wound could be inflicted with just a single turn away, but healing it might take an eternity.

Deep in her heart, she might always remember-how, after that night of intimacy, he had turned and left her behind.

A wu was suddenly drenched in a downpour of affection, leaving her utterly disoriented.

After the initial intoxication, a sharp voice echoed in her mind, slowly pulling her out of that haze.

She began to reflect carefully on the matter.

In truth, his intentions had been good from the start-it wasn’t, as she had instinctively assumed, an attempt to humiliate her.

She had failed to recognize his kindness, failed to appreciate it, and that was what had upset him.

He hadn’t intended to abandon her either; she had misunderstood.

Later, he hadn’t grown angry. 

Instead, he had abruptly halted their intimate moment to comfort and coax her.

At that moment, his tenderness for her had transcended mere physical desire.

He was also incredibly skilled at coaxing her, capable of ensnaring her body and soul, seducing her, driving her to madness and surrender.

He knew how to rule his empire, how to master his own desires and how to master her.

This was something she had never felt with Lu Yunjian or the Crown Prince. 

Deep down, she understood that neither had been satisfied in matters of love. 

The Crown Prince might still have been naive, but Lu Yunjian had outright accused her of being heartless and ungrateful. 

He had wanted something from her that she couldn’t give, and when he failed to obtain it, he had spiraled into madness.

In contrast, the Emperor was so commanding and methodical. 

If he desired a woman, he could truly make her kneel at his feet, torn between ecstasy and agony.

If A wu had still been that ignorant fisher girl from before, she would have been so thoroughly charmed by him that she’d forget even her own parents!

A wu took a deep breath, forcing herself to stop dwelling on it. 

No matter what, she ought to feel grateful and secretly delighted that he would coax her like this.

The Emperor’s love was like the stars in the sky-even if it were just a shooting star, its fleeting brilliance would leave a fiery trail across the heavens.

She had already received more than enough. 

For now, at least, she could rest easy.

In the days that followed, Emperor Jingxi visited A wu’s chambers almost daily. 

He didn’t always stay the night, but he would always spend time talking with her, accompany her for meals, and the usual formalities seemed to fade during these moments.

This put A wu even more at ease. 

She attended her lessons cheerfully, practiced the qin, and occasionally-under the Emperor’s insistence -read books, even if they were Daoist scriptures.

She protested, but the Emperor insisted, holding her in his arms as he explained each passage to her.

Helpless, she could only listen with reluctant obedience.

The Emperor also told her about his courtesy name: Zhi’an.

A wu murmured softly, “Zhi’an?”

The Emperor asked, “Do you know where it comes from?”

A wu racked her brain before suddenly realizing, “Hold fast to the Great Image, and all the world will come to you. Coming without harm, you will dwell in peace, prosperity, and unity!”

The Emperor’s voice was gentle and encouraging. 

“Hmm? A wu, explain what it means.”

A wu: “….”

She answered with little confidence, “It means the energy the sage releases flows through heaven and earth…”

The Emperor: “What energy?”

A wu shrank back and whispered, “…Good energy.”

The Emperor frowned, looking unconvinced. 

“Good energy? What do you mean by ‘good energy’?”

A wu nearly blurted out that it was like the energy of a fart, but she knew if she said that, this man might very well spank her.

And he absolutely would spank her!

She could only rack her brains and finally managed to say something quite presentable: 

“It’s the yang energy. When the sage releases yang energy, wherever it reaches, there is peace and tranquility!”

Emperor Jingxi was satisfied: 

“This is the origin of my courtesy name. A wu, memorize the entire passage. Tomorrow when I come to your

chambers, I’ll test you on this first.”

A wu: “….”

She almost wanted to cry at him!

While struggling to memorize Daoist scriptures, A wu heard major news-the Crown Princess was pregnant.

It was said that the Crown Princess had nearly fallen in the Crown Prince’s residence that day, and upon examination, it was discovered she was two months pregnant.

A wu counted on her fingers-it must have happened around the time she went missing.

She felt somewhat amused, though she couldn’t say whether she was happy or not. 

She just thought, men…

Even the most sincere and passionate youth was just like this.

The Crown Princess’s pregnancy was naturally a joyous occasion for the palace.

 The Empress Dowager immediately dispatched imperial physicians and court ladies to take good care of her, showering her with all kinds of attention.

As the Crown Prince was inspecting military affairs in the north, Emperor Jingxi discussed with the Empress to double the usual gifts and supplements for the Crown Princess to reassure her.

The Emperor also specifically mentioned that the Crown Prince should not be distracted, so they wouldn’t inform him of this matter until his return. 

Naturally, no one objected.

Regarding the Crown Princess’s pregnancy, Emperor Jingxi casually brought it up when he visited A wu’s chambers that night.

A wu repeatedly congratulated him.

The Emperor gave her a meaningful look: 

“You seem to be in a good mood?”