Chu Li stood there speechless, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing and hearing. Was this still that delicate, jade-carved little girl who used to tug at his clothes? Was this still that tearful young lady from the Zhuang family who dared to be angry but not speak out when she married him a year ago? Was this still that weak girl who had been bullied by Concubine Dan for a year without any ability to fight back? Why had this woman’s behavior changed so drastically after being beaten by Concubine Dan and waking up? Had she gone mad?
“You… you actually dare…” Chu Li was so angry he could barely form complete sentences.
Qing Xia stood on the bed with her arms crossed and legs spread, pointing at Chu Li contemptuously as she said, “What about it? Want to call those idiotic soldiers outside to come capture me? Are you even a man? Do you need your subordinates to intervene when dealing with your own wife?”
These words ignited Chu Li’s fury even more fiercely, but soon, a trace of wicked amusement flashed in his eyes as he sneered, “You’re right. You are my consort, already married into the Chu family. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I’ll have you dragged back to stay obediently by my side.”
“How presumptuous of you,” Qing Xia said coldly with a curl of her lip. She was speaking as the real Zhuang Qingxia, not herself, but as long as Chu Li didn’t call the soldiers outside, she needn’t fear being at a disadvantage. She said indifferently, “I can’t be bothered to waste more words with you.”
Chu Li suddenly grabbed Qing Xia’s wrist and with a violent jerk, pulled her down from the bed, yanking her tightly to his front as he said coldly, “It seems this husband truly needs to properly discipline you, actually wanting to cut off your own husband’s head and hang it on the city gate. Simply lawless.”
“Husband my foot!” Qing Xia angrily tried to pull her hand back but couldn’t free it. She suddenly raised her head, glaring fiercely at Chu Li as she said coldly, “Let go immediately. Don’t think I won’t beat you up just because we’re on your territory!”
Chu Li narrowed his eyes, not only refusing to let go but demonstratively wrapping his other arm tightly around Qing Xia’s slender waist, pressing her close to his body as he smiled wickedly, “How many women in the Chu Palace wait with longing eyes for this emperor’s favor? As a woman, don’t you feel anticipation?”
“I anticipate you like hell!” Qing Xia flew into a rage, suddenly lifting her foot and stomping hard on Chu Li’s instep.
“Mmm…” Chu Li grunted, gritting his teeth as he gripped Qing Xia’s pale wrist tighter, saying viciously, “What a bold woman. It seems this emperor truly needs to properly discipline you and teach you what it means to follow the three obediences and four virtues.”
Chu Li suddenly grabbed both of Qing Xia’s wrists, bending them backward and clasping them tightly behind her back. His tall frame immediately imprisoned Qing Xia in his embrace. With a wicked smile on his face, he lowered his head, opening his lips to suddenly capture Qing Xia’s pink-white lips.
A blazing fire instantly surged up from the depths of his heart. What had originally been a punishing kiss completely dissolved Chu Li’s anger the moment it contacted those warm lips. The woman’s sweet breath, tinged with a trace of coolness, rushed directly through Chu Li’s mouth into his heart, as if his heart had been nibbled by a small insect, sending a tingling electric current through his limbs and bones. The next moment, Chu Li pulled Qing Xia tightly into his embrace, kissing her deeply.
His kiss was intense and passionate, even carrying a hint of destructive fervor. Qing Xia’s eyes widened, and though her rational mind desperately told her she should kick this man away hard, this body shamefully went soft, instantly seeming unable to stand, limply collapsing into Chu Li’s embrace, allowing this man to do as he pleased with her lips.
Sensing Qing Xia’s submission, Chu Li cupped the back of her small head, his fingers deeply threading through Qing Xia’s thick black hair as his burning tongue explored like a serpent into Qing Xia’s fragrant mouth.
An inexplicable pleasure instantly swept through both their nerves. The tent was filled with fragrant mist carrying an intoxicating scent. Qing Xia, held in Chu Li’s embrace, felt as if her body was about to melt. Her mind went completely blank, yet it seemed as if thousands of thoughts were racing wildly through it. Had she been in ancient times too long without a man, making her desperate with need? Or was Zhuang Qingxia, who supposedly had an unbreakable bond with Prince Qi, actually still inexperienced, making this her first kiss?
Lost in wild thoughts, Chu Li’s large hand had already slid slowly down from her head. Her chest suddenly felt cold, and a dangerous electric current instantly surged to her brain. Qing Xia’s eyes flew wide open, her consciousness instantly regaining a trace of clarity. A fierce look flashed in her eyes as she opened her white teeth and bit down hard.
“Ah!” Chu Li pushed Qing Xia’s body away with one hand, covering his bloody lips as he retreated two steps, looking at Qing Xia’s triumphant expression with annoyance as he said hatefully, “You dare bite me?”
“This time it was just a bite,” Qing Xia looked at Chu Li coldly while speaking and retying her loosened clothing, “Next time you dare put your hands on me, I’ll castrate you with a knife and make your Chu family line end!”
“What did you say?” Chu Li flew into a rage. How could a young lady from a respectable family speak such words? But seeing Qing Xia’s nonchalant, even somewhat proud expression, he no longer doubted his ears in the slightest. “Zhuang Qingxia, I truly underestimated you. You’re not just a decorative vase, but a cat with sharp claws that will wound if one isn’t careful.”
“Good that you know,” Qing Xia said, matching his confrontational tone.
“However,” Chu Li slowly stepped forward, his black eyes flashing with captivating light, “even if you’re a cat, you can’t fight a tiger.”
“Don’t come closer,” Qing Xia cautiously retreated a step, extending her hand in a habitual free-fighting stance, “If you dare act recklessly again, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
“I’d like to see just how impolite you can be,” Chu Li snorted coldly and reached out to grab Qing Xia’s slender waist.
In an instant, Qing Xia’s petite figure suddenly swayed, executing a clean, standard advancing horizontal kick followed by a single flying kick. Her palm tightly gripped Chu Li’s wrist, then she spun to lock his arm and threw him over her shoulder with a backward lean. With a thunderous crash, Chu Li’s tall frame fell heavily to the ground.
Chu Li cried out in pain, and before he could get up from the ground, the curtain outside was immediately pulled open by the guards stationed at the door. More than ten black-clad personal guards rushed in with panicked expressions, calling out, “Your Majesty, what happened? Are there assassins?”
The next second, those black-clad guards instantly regretted deeply that their mothers hadn’t born them blind. Seeing their emperor lying sprawled on the ground while that dangerous young woman who had single-handedly challenged the southern barbarians stood beside Chu Li, still maintaining her throwing stance, even the most obtuse person would understand what had happened.
However, before they could righteously rush forward to bind the audacious lunatic who dared lay hands on the emperor, they heard Chu Li’s furious roar: “Who told you to come in? All of you get out!”
Better to avoid trouble than invite it – everyone immediately understood each other perfectly and quickly retreated, even carefully closing the tent flap as they left.
After all, the Southern Chu Emperor’s failed attempt at romance resulting in a beating was hardly a glorious matter.
“You…”
“Me what?” Qing Xia said crisply, “I already told you, don’t think I won’t fix you just because we’re on your territory.”
“This emperor has conquered the entire realm, and I refuse to believe I can’t handle one small woman!” Chu Li flew into a rage, scrambling up from the ground and charging at Qing Xia.
Qing Xia cursed him as a fool. Watching Chu Li’s approach, she suddenly leaped up, executing a side kick that hooked precisely around Chu Li’s right ankle. With a sharp exertion of force, Chu Li crashed heavily to the ground again with a resounding thud.
A tremendous crash immediately rang out, and the entire tent seemed to tremble. Chu Li’s face turned white with anger as he climbed up from the ground and charged forward unyieldingly.
“Hey! Still coming?” Qing Xia retreated two steps, half-crouching as she suddenly executed a spinning back kick. Before Chu Li could fall, she grabbed his collar and used the momentum to flip him over. Chu Li ended up in a bizarre position at Qing Xia’s feet.
“Hmph!” Chu Li let out an annoyed shout and performed a carp-like flip to actually get back on his feet, turning to glare at Qing Xia with eyes that had turned red with anger.
“Hey, hey!” Qing Xia looked at Chu Li’s bloodshot eyes and said with maddening casualness, “You’re not going to cry because you can’t beat me, are you?”
“You!” Chu Li was beside himself with rage. He suddenly swept his robes dashingly and assumed a spear-fighting stance. If he had actually held a long spear at that moment, it might have looked quite impressive. However, with his clothes disheveled, hair mussed, and eyes bloodshot, he appeared somewhat comical instead. But the person in question was completely oblivious to this as he shouted and charged at Qing Xia.
Qing Xia swept her eyes up and down Chu Li’s attacking posture, quickly retreating as she crossed her fists in front of her chest, suddenly lifting her knee in a straight line, rotating 180 degrees, combined with the simplest yet most effective Burmese straight punch, striking both high and low to land squarely on Chu Li’s chest and abdomen.
“Cough, cough…”
Chu Li was winded by the blows and immediately began coughing loudly. Qing Xia withdrew her fists, looking helplessly at the stubborn man as she said gravely, “You can’t beat me. Are you done yet?”
“Hmph!” The Chu Li lying on the ground suddenly snorted coldly and charged forward again without any technique whatsoever. Qing Xia frowned, about to strike, but suddenly noticed that Chu Li’s lower leg was already bloody – whether from her blows or injuries sustained in their earlier fight, she couldn’t tell. In that moment of distraction, Chu Li had already rushed close.
At this point, just one axe-style kick would have struck Chu Li squarely in the face, leaving him seeing stars. But this move was too vicious – if not carefully controlled, it could cause severe damage to the recipient’s head. While Qing Xia hesitated, Chu Li charged forward without any strategy and tackled Qing Xia to the ground.