She slowly walked over and saw that he on the bed had thin lips, refined eyebrows, and a straight nose bridge. His appearance was still handsome and noble, but his brows were tightly furrowed, his cheeks flushed, yet the area around his eyes was pale. His constantly opening and closing lips had developed fever blisters, and his half-raised hands showed bulging veins on the backs, looking somewhat menacing.

She sat down gently and reached out to grasp his hand. The scalding temperature immediately transmitted from his palm.

She lowered her head close to his lips but could only hear unclear murmurs.

She pulled at the corner of her mouth and asked in a low voice: “Ming Yanchu said you called her name for half the night, and mine too. Tell me how you called them? A’luo, darling, baby, Li Huaisu, ungrateful wolf, stupid dog head…”

He in his sleep gave her no answer, but not knowing what he dreamed of, his pale lips curved up slightly, and his hands also quieted in her palms. She felt as if struck by something.

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel angry and resentful—her heart was still throbbing with pain. She looked sideways at Ming Yanchu and the others: “Is there anything else I need to do?”

Joy showed in Ming Yanchu’s eyes as he quickly lowered his voice: “It’s indeed effective. Thank you, Director Li. The master just took medicine. Please just watch over him like this.”

Suzhen nodded, and seeing Qinglong and the others staring at her with complex gazes, she didn’t want to be looked at like this and thought of asking them to leave first, but then reconsidered and didn’t voice this request.

She stood up wanting to tuck in his blanket properly, but her gaze was suddenly drawn to something at the side of his neck.

She stared at that object for a long while, feeling as if a lifetime had passed. She thought of many, many things.

A notion formed in her mind, vague and startling at the slightest touch.

Knowing he was exhausted and wanting him to rest well, she dared not move, fearing she might wake him. Not knowing how much time passed, maintaining one position and forcing her body to stay still became unbearably painful. Feeling his hand no longer as burning hot as before—the fever seemed to have subsided—she wanted to change position and gently released his hand.

In that instant, he suddenly sat up and opened his eyes.

Their eyes met. He was obviously quite shocked, staring at her intently for a moment before turning his head to look coldly at Ming Yanchu and the others: “Whose idea was this? Who told her to come!”

With his deep shout, everyone immediately knelt down, saying in unison: “Your servant (subordinate) is guilty. Please punish us, Master.”

“Since this humble minister is an eyesore to Your Majesty, I shall take my leave.”

Suzhen endured the numbness and pain in her hands and feet, getting up to bid farewell. In any case, how he chose to punish his subordinates had nothing to do with her, and she needn’t plead for them.

Seeing her expression even calmer than during her previous imprisonment, Ming Yanchu and the others were somewhat shocked. She didn’t even greet them or say anything more to that person, simply walking toward the door on her own.

Wind rushed in through the open door. The autumn night rain was cold, and the rain had not ceased. Imperial guards stood silently on duty under various eaves outside the palace. Just as Suzhen stepped one foot outside, she heard heavy footsteps and breathing behind her, and one of her arms was suddenly gripped tightly.

That person pulled her back. He still didn’t look at her, his gaze sternly fixed on the people on the ground as he ordered: “I’ll remember this account for now. All of you get out!”

Xuanwu was the first to rise and leave, followed by Ming Yanchu and Qinglong. When Baihu left with the female officials, she glanced at the two of them with lowered eyes.

Soon, palace servants outside gently closed the door.

That creaking sound made Suzhen suddenly feel an indescribable sadness.

“Lian Yu, what exactly do you want!” she shouted at him.

He released her and stood several steps away, his bright, burning eyes fixed on her as he said in a suppressed voice: “Your clothes are wet. Change them.”

Having said this, he left her and walked to a cabinet in the room.

Suzhen looked down and was startled to realize her robe was indeed still wet, though she hadn’t noticed it at all before. Only now did she begin to feel cold all over and quite uncomfortable.

She remained silent, slowly walking over. She saw him barefoot, coughing softly as he rummaged through boxes and cabinets. The vague thing in her mind suddenly became a bit clearer.

This thought made her feel several degrees colder. She thought she needed to think carefully.

She couldn’t stay here any longer. She had to go back and think it through!

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Having only turned and walked two steps, he caught up, his voice deep as he roughly turned her around and blocked her path in front of the round table in the room.

One hand gripped her shoulder tightly while the other held the inner robe he had found in the cabinet, his eyes showing extreme fury.

“Back to where I should—”

Seeing his expression of concern so similar to the past, her eyes and mouth were full of bitterness, yet she forced herself to remain calm and spoke word by word.

“Did I tell you to leave! Did I tell you to always go against my will!”

Before she could finish speaking, he laughed softly, his dark eyes showing a kind of desperate, fierce cruelty. Between the two of them, perhaps he had been the first to develop feelings, and deep ones at that. Though they were ruler and minister, ultimately he was the more vulnerable one. Suzhen had never really feared him, knowing he wouldn’t truly harm her.

At this moment, however, a tremor quickly shot up from her cold feet, making her shiver with fear!

The predatory look in his eyes intensified. The entire process was extremely quick as he pressed her down onto the golden rosewood table behind her.

Her wet clothing was immediately torn open by him. His uninjured hand twisted her wildly struggling hands hard above her head, his feet clamping down to pin her feet, while his other hand calmly pulled off her sash and bound her hands tightly. He even cruelly pulled off the gauze from her little finger.

Throughout this process, Suzhen cursed furiously until he finally lifted her horizontally and threw her onto his Nine Dragon Bed. Her eyes red with anger, she shouted: “Lian Yu, unless you kill me, if you let me go, I will definitely kill you…”

“Then kill me.”

He spoke in an indifferent voice, as if he didn’t care at all. Then he quickly stripped off his own inner garment and pants, spread her legs apart, and after only rubbing urgently at the entrance a few times, thrust powerfully inside and began pounding violently.

Between them, aside from the first two times being painful, she had afterward always tasted some pleasure. Though he would become quite unrestrained toward the end, constantly demanding and following his own desires, he always began extremely carefully, leaving her defenseless… But this time it was dry and painful, no different from the first time. Suzhen actually stopped cursing, hating that she had been lazy in the past and hadn’t properly learned martial arts from her brother and Leng Xue—she couldn’t even defeat this injured invalid!

Each thrust was more fierce and deep than the last. Gradually, amid the pain, there was a hint of soreness and swelling. Soon, the swelling below her abdomen became increasingly unbearable. Suzhen writhed, humiliated and degraded, hearing only those shameful sounds of collision in her ears, while seeing Lian Yu looking down at her from above. He was clearly receiving great pleasure—his originally dim eyes were slightly narrowed, breathing slowly and heavily, beads of sweat appearing bit by bit on his forehead, dripping onto her lips.

As he moved violently, those droplets quickly slid into her mouth. The taste was slightly salty. Suzhen felt even more hateful and viciously bit her own lips. Seeing this, Lian Yu’s eyes darkened instantly. He lowered his head to block her lips and thrust his tongue inside…

Suzhen was tormented by him until she cried and moaned. Not knowing how much time passed, in the swelling heat and helplessness, with her mind completely blank, her body shuddered, and he also trembled suddenly, then thrust savagely several more times as a stream of warmth sank deep into her body.

Staring at the silent, stern man before her, in her dazed state, Suzhen thought: Finally it’s over—she was going to kill him!

But then he turned her body over again…

After another long and intense session, the rain outside grew heavier with thunderous crashes. Suzhen’s heart filled with bitter agitation as she fainted.

In her daze, she only felt his warm tongue wrap around her little finger bone, sucking it bit by bit. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, yet she couldn’t move, pressed down tightly by him as he moved against her, wave after wave, sweat pouring out as if being wrung from her.

When she awoke, only a solitary lamp remained lit in the room. Outside the window was residual darkness—it wasn’t yet dawn. Suzhen ached all over. With the slightest movement, she found her hands and feet were already free. She looked with hatred and saw their clothes scattered on the floor beneath the bed, tangled in a heap. He stood before the bed wearing only pants casually, in front of a copper basin. He bent slightly, pulling a washcloth from the basin and wringing it hard twice before coming toward her. A red scar on his shoulder blade, among many other fierce scars, appeared unexpectedly before her as his lean body swayed.

Her eyes stung, but she still said nothing and raised her hand to slap him across the face.

A clear sound rang out, and her heart inexplicably felt somewhat panicked.

He looked up at her, his face still somewhat pale, his gaze truly deep but showing no anger. He didn’t change his actions, starting to wipe her down from her neck.

Her heart flared with rage, and she reached out to slap him again.

He still ignored it, blood beading on his lips from where his teeth had cut them. He casually pressed them together and continued wiping her down.

Suzhen gritted her teeth and struck him two more times. His cheeks swelled somewhat, but his expression remained stern.

“Is that enough to repay you for this afternoon?” This time, he curved the corner of his mouth slightly and asked quietly.

Suzhen’s hand froze in mid-air. She couldn’t bring down that fifth strike. Her nose stung, and tears uncontrollably welled up, still not knowing whether they were for him or for herself.

Sorry, this update took a very long time to write.