Quick Transmigration: The Charming Beauty Who Was Short-Lived and Alluring

Qi Jingheng led Chu Yun back to Luoying Palace.

Chu Yun didn't say a word the whole way, just kept her head down, and didn't change at all until they returned to the inner palace.

She remained silent, like an abandoned young animal, utterly forlorn.

Qi Jingheng spoke with difficulty: "Ayun, you've been wronged."

As soon as she finished speaking, a suppressed, faint sob came from beside her. The woman with her head down seemed to be crying, wiping away the tears that were flowing from her eyes with her hand, stubbornly refusing to look up.

Qi Jingheng added, "It is my fault for not protecting you well."

He reached out his hand to make the woman look up, but then withdrew it halfway through.

At this moment, Chu Yun looked up, and Qi Jingheng could clearly see her misty eyes and reddened corners.

"Your Majesty, I think I really did something wrong." Chu Yun's voice trembled.

Qi Jingheng thought Chu Yun would complain and feel wronged, and he had already prepared words of comfort, but Chu Yun did not give him any room to do so. One sentence left him stunned.

"What?" He was unusually confused and asked instinctively.

"Your Majesty is right. I never thought of advising Your Majesty. On the contrary, I was happy because of Your Majesty's favor, and even... even wanted to have Your Majesty all to myself. I am not a good concubine. I only think about myself and have not considered Your Majesty's situation. Will Your Majesty be very disappointed in me?" As Chu Yun spoke, tears streamed down her face.

It took Qi Jingheng a long time to digest the meaning of Chu Yun's words. After he realized it, he felt an unprecedented joy. This joy was different from the relief he felt when he ascended the throne, and different from the satisfaction he felt when he was secretly expanding his power. It was a purer kind of joy, unrelated to interests, without calculation or ulterior motives. It was like the first time he ate his favorite food when he was young, a joy that came from instinct.

He had thought that this kind of pure joy was no longer relevant to him, but he never expected to experience it again today because of a woman.

Even just because of a single sentence.

Qi Jingheng felt gratified that Chu Yun had such thoughts about possessing him, because he could dig deeper information from her words, such as the possibility that she might like him.

Qi Jingheng didn't want to delve into why Chu Yun's affection for him would make him so happy. He was eager to ascertain the truth of the matter, so he subtly set a trap for Chu Yun, saying, "A-Yun likes me, so she wants to possess me exclusively. What's wrong with that? It's just human nature."

Chu Yun said those words simply because of her feelings; she didn't even think much about it before they just came out. Now, when she heard Qi Jingheng mention the word "like," her body stiffened instinctively, and even her tears stopped.

"Like? Your Majesty, I like you?" she blinked and couldn't help but ask.

Seeing that she was caught in a dilemma, Qi Jingheng did not urge her. As her confused expression gradually faded, he became more certain of his guess.

He looked at the woman and smiled, murmuring, "Your Majesty is right, I like you."

When Qi Jingheng chose Chu Yun as his chess piece, he never imagined that she would like him. This feeling was an unexpected surprise, beyond his plans, but he didn't feel disgusted at all. Instead, he felt a faint sense of relief.

Fortunately, it was her, and it could only be her.

"But I shouldn't have liked Your Majesty." Before Qi Jingheng could be happy for long, the woman's words made his smile freeze.

"Why?" Qi Jingheng's eyes churned with darkness.

Chu Yun came to her senses and realized that she had said something she shouldn't have. Half of her body went weak, and she immediately knelt on the ground. She did so so quickly that Qi Jingheng didn't even have time to stop her.

He looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, his face extremely unpleasant, and said, "Answer my question."

His voice was deep, carrying suppressed anger and a hint of barely perceptible grievance.

The questioning tone made Chu Yun's heart tremble. She gritted her teeth and remained silent as Qi Jingheng stood his ground.

Qi Jingheng then said, "Speak."

As an emperor, Qi Jingheng was not lacking in authority. He was usually restrained, and his good temper over the past month had almost made Chu Yun forget that he was the ruler of the Great Qi. Now that he had revealed his sharp claws, in addition to making Chu Yun afraid, she also showed some confusion.

She seemed to have never expected Qi Jingheng to treat her this way. She felt wronged and helpless. Qi Jingheng felt a little sorry for her, but his eagerness to know the reason made him ignore the pity in his heart and stop him from wanting to help Chu Yun up.

"Someone once told me that I should not give my heart away so easily," Chu Yun said in a trembling voice. "I grew up in a temple when I was young. The abbot took in a concubine who had been divorced by a wealthy family. I called her Madam Yue. Madam Yue was skilled in both calligraphy and painting, and was very beautiful. She was a very good person. She was driven out of her home by her unfaithful husband and had no face to go home, so she could only take refuge in the temple. Madam Yue told me that life is not easy for women. They always have to obey their fathers and husbands. They should cherish themselves and not be like her. When she was young, she was blinded by love and thought she had found true love. She was willing to be a concubine, and in the end, her beauty faded before her love ended. She ended up homeless."

"Your Majesty, you don't know, Lady Yue was truly a good person, but her heart died because of her husband's heartlessness, and her health deteriorated greatly due to the miscarriage. She was so young, yet she passed away so early. I am afraid, truly afraid."

As Chu Yun finished speaking, her eyes filled with tears once again.

Qi Jingheng couldn't help but help her up, gently stroking her back. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have pressed you and made you think of sad things."

"Ah Yun, I understand your fear, but do you really think I would be as heartless and ungrateful as Lady Yue's husband, betraying and harming you?" Qi Jingheng naturally had to defend himself. If Chu Yun really equated him with such a fickle person, wouldn't he be wronged?

Chu Yun shook her head. "His Majesty is certainly not that kind of person."

"That's it. Lady Yue met the wrong person and her situation is pitiful. But you are not her, and I am not her husband. So if you like me, you will not end up like that. I will cherish you, protect you, and not let you suffer any injustice," Qi Jingheng said shamelessly.

These words were almost a confession of her true feelings, and Chu Yun couldn't help but ask, "Are you telling the truth?"

"A promise from the Emperor is heavier than nine tripods; I will never betray you," Qi Jingheng said with deep affection.

Chu Yun feigned a moved expression, "Your Majesty, I believe you." She nestled against Qi Jingheng's chest, seemingly devoted to him and completely trusting him.

Qi Jingheng put his arm around Chu Yun's shoulder, his heart surging with joy and happiness. His gaze was gentle and calm, as if the woman in his arms was truly the lover he had given his heart to. He had completely forgotten that the woman had just suffered the Empress Dowager's harassment and humiliation because of his schemes, and that because of him, she had attracted the jealousy of countless people in the palace, leaving her in a precarious situation and surrounded by danger.

Who could have imagined that behind such a beautiful scene of mutual affection lay boundless scheming and intrigue? The insatiable player not only wanted the pieces to be used for his own purposes, but also desired their true feelings.