The Grand Chancellor's mansion was shrouded in gloom, with only the dimly lit lanterns along the corridors casting a pale glow. All courtyards were locked, and an unsettling silence prevailed.
The moonlight overhead grew increasingly intense. The guards and maids on night duty had succumbed to weariness and dozed off.
Chi You slipped out of bed, donned a set of light clothing, and climbed out the window.
She skirted around an archway and spotted patrolling guards not far ahead.
After a brief assessment, she hugged the wall and moved swiftly past the flowerbeds, leaping directly onto the eaves.
Her martial arts had recovered considerably after the蛊 (gu) was removed. She moved with great speed along the rooftop and soon arrived at the study in the front courtyard.
Someone was guarding the study door.
The room inside was pitch black, with no lamps lit, indicating no one was present.
Chi You quietly descended from the eaves and crept along the wall to its rear.
With a few deft movements of the hairpin in her hand, she pried open the window and slipped inside.
Her movements were so silent that the guards outside did not hear a thing.
Inside, there was not a trace of light. Only the faint glow of the moon, filtering through the window cracks, illuminated the surroundings.
Chi You adjusted her vision and was able to discern the layout of the room in the darkness.
She hadn't paid close attention when she visited during the day, but now she saw it more clearly.
She walked directly to the desk and began searching the drawers.
The Silver Snake Phantom Spirit Bracelet housed the蛊 (gu) she had raised since childhood.
She also needed the jade蛊 (gu) to communicate with Xuan Qing. She had to retrieve her bracelet.
Where had he put her bracelet? It was nowhere to be found.
Chi You tiptoed around, searching everywhere. The sounds of patrolling guards outside gradually drew nearer, and she began to feel impatient.
She had searched the bookshelves, drawers, and boxes.
Why was it still missing?
Suddenly, her hand brushed against a blue-glazed plum ceramic vase that could be rotated.
Startled, she was about to examine it more closely when she discovered a hidden chamber behind it, with signs of it having been recently opened. She quickly let go of the vase, intending to leap out the window.
However, the patrolling guards happened to pass by just then, and the sound of the secret door rumbling open echoed from behind.
Without a second thought, she dived into a nearby wardrobe.
A moment later, Liu Rongruo emerged from the secret chamber. He peered around the room by the moonlight, his gaze freezing on the cabinet not far away.
He raised an eyebrow, walked to the desk, and lit a lamp.
The lamplight illuminated the room, instantly brightening its surroundings.
After hiding in the wardrobe, Chi You disdainfully tossed aside the clothes and sat down with a thud.
She stealthily peeked through the crack to observe the outside.
She saw him pour himself some tea and sit on a chair, raising the lamp to examine the scrolls on his desk. She glanced at them, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She was hidden in the wardrobe, while he sat outside, showing no intention of leaving.
Chi You leaned against the wardrobe wall, her eyelids drooping with fatigue.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the chirping of cicadas outside gradually ceased.
Liu Rongruo slowly set down his brush and glanced in that direction.
A gust of wind blew through the window, and he stood up, walking towards the wardrobe.
Chi You immediately sensed the oppressive aura emanating from outside the cabinet door. She remained silent, her expression unyielding.
She casually grabbed a robe to cover herself and leaned her head against it.
The dim lamplight suddenly spilled in.
Chi You looked up and saw him.
He was dressed in black, his figure appearing tall and slender in the faint lamplight. His eyes, intertwined, looked towards her, carrying a hint of teasing scrutiny.
"Caught a thief, have we?"
He was tall, and standing before the wardrobe, he blocked nearly half the light.
Chi You could not clearly discern his expression.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke.
For a moment, the room was filled with a heavy silence.
Liu Rongruo looked at her for a while, then leaned in.
The wardrobe was already cramped, and it was filled with clothes. With him squeezing in, she was instantly pressed to the back, pressed tightly against the cold door panel.
Chi You immediately reached out to push against his chest. "What does the Prime Minister intend to do?"
Liu Rongruo sat down, leaning against the cabinet's edge, and with one hand, he grasped her slender waist and pulled her fiercely.
Her legs could not stretch out, and she ended up straddling him, her legs winding around his waist as she curled up.
Chi You bent her knees and elbowed him hard in the abdomen. He firmly caught her arm and lowered his head, biting her lip forcefully.
"Do you know what happens to a thief in my possession?"
His voice was hoarse and deep. In the desolate night, the eyes fixed on her were intense and heavy.
Chi You retorted, "Prime Minister stole my bracelet. Who is the real thief?"
He pressed her waist downwards, entwining her.
Chi You deliberately twisted her body.
Liu Rongruo buried his face in her neck and said, "Oh, so you came to steal the bracelet."
"Please return it to me, Prime Minister."
"If you can get it from my arms, I'll give it to you."
Chi You did not hesitate, reaching out to rummage through his clothes.
He pressed her body and squeezed her into his embrace, preventing her hands from moving freely or retrieving anything.
As they struggled within the wardrobe, there was a sudden noise from the window outside.
Liu Rongruo reached back and closed the wardrobe door. In the narrow, enclosed space, his breath instantly enveloped her surroundings.
Chi You looked through the crack to the outside and faintly saw a figure entering the secret chamber.
There was a thief.
Her mind raced with countless thoughts, but her expression remained unchanged.
He held her, kissing her, pressing her body and lingering.
A sharp pain suddenly surged through Chi You.
The blood-feeding silkworm, it was back.
She cried out in pain, clutching his clothes, her forehead breaking out in a fine sheen of cold sweat.
Liu Rongruo paused, grasped her by the back of her neck, and raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at her in pain.
Chi You struggled to keep her eyes open. Seeing his expression, she wished she could dismember him a thousand times over. Yet, on her face, she showed him grief and resentment, her eyes also filling with tears.
Liu Rongruo felt uncomfortable under her gaze. He also looked at her.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke.
After a moment, he whispered in her ear, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What is your heart made of?"
She slumped in his embrace, her eyes red as she looked at him.
Liu Rongruo raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to say?"
She fell silent, turning her head away as if unable to bear it, and curled up in pain.
After a moment, as if unable to hold back, her eyes reddened, and she glared at him with reproach.
"Why did you use me? Why did you lie to me? You even fed me the blood-feeding silkworm to control me, watching me suffer the torment of a devoured heart. Liu Rongruo, your heart is truly more ruthless than the snow wolves on Mount Tianshan in our Southern Border."
Liu Rongruo's expression faltered. He touched her face and spoke in a low voice.
"The Southern Border, though impoverished, colluded with Northern Qi. When you and your elder brother intended to slaughter Da Liang, did you ever consider the people of Da Liang?"
Chi You bit her lip fiercely, blood trickling from the corners of her mouth. She curled up in his embrace in pain, warmth flowing down her cheeks.
She feigned weakness, crying and showing him her vulnerability.
"However, the King of Dingbei harbors too much ambition, desiring to unify the Western Regions. Tantai Ye repeatedly led troops to conquer the Western Regions, causing widespread suffering among our people. If the Southern Border had not aligned with Northern Qi, it would have long ago become a tributary state of Da Liang, paying tribute annually. The livelihood of the Southern Border would forever be impoverished."
'Liu Rongruo, to put it plainly, our political stances differ, but you shouldn't be so aggressive. You killed so many of our Southern Border soldiers and forced me to come to the capital for a marriage alliance.'
Her eyes reddened as she looked up at him. Warmth flowed across her delicate, charming face, and unconcealed affection lingered in her eyes.
Liu Rongruo lowered his gaze, observing her expression, and remained silent, though the hand around her waist tightened considerably.
A moment of silence ensued.
Chi You could not fathom his thoughts. She clutched his lapel, her voice choked with suppressed sobs as she showed weakness.
"Brother, what will it take for you to let me go?"