This scheme, perhaps he had planned since long ago. He could also have planned it two years ago, when he received the bangle from Concubine Ye. For his scheme to be successful, she needed to be poisoned.
But if she didn’t appear in the Northern Kingdom, who would’ve been his pawn? She really wanted to know, who did she substitute for?
“Why did you choose me? Was it because I have no family or backing? Or was it because of my promise to help you that you would use me without a second thought?” Hua Zhu Yu asked slowly in a faint voice, devoid of any resentment whatsoever. These past few weeks, she had experienced too much, she was accustomed to others treating her poorly. What she was unaccustomed to was when Xiao Yin unexpectedly treated her well the past two days.
Still holding her in his embrace, Xiao Yin continued to walk as he loosened his grip on her so that she would be more comfortable.
“I’ve let you suffer,” said Xiao Yin as he lowered his head and sighed softly. “I didn’t choose you because you have no family nor was it because of your promise to me. This time, I really had no other choice because only a girl like you could make Imperial Father believe that I’m truly fond of you. If it was someone else, this plan would not be successful.”
Hua Zhu Yu open her mouth to laugh, but no sound came out. Could Xiao Yin’s words be considered praises?
“Thank you Your Highness for thinking so highly of Dan Hong. To be able to help Your Highness is my honor, Dan Hong is truly fortunate,” she calmly said.
It was already late at night, the moonlight in addition to the night mist enveloped Xiao Yin’s handsome face as his eyes overflowed with guilt. Hearing her words, he reached out to hold onto her trembling hand. Her body began to shudder as the pain became increasingly unbearable. She continued to pant, emitting a faint smell of alcohol.
“If it was possible, I truly don’t wish to hurt you. But you also know, this time I reunited the grassland, gained great merits, attracting the eyes of the Ye family. My brother is too young and Imperial Father’s health is not great, so if I don’t make a move at this moment, the Northern Kingdom sooner or later would fall into their hands. The influence of the Ye family is too great. Imperial Father favors Concubine Ye, and Concubine Ye has never revealed a weakness, therefore I could not stand by,” he drew closer to her lips and whispered, his hot breath on her face.
Finally Hua Zhu Yu could not bear with it any longer, that burning sensation like her body was set on fire once again surged.
This sensation, why was is it so perplexing and terrifying?
No longer able to suppress it, Hua Zhu Yu screamed out in pain and she carelessly reached her hand out to grab onto Xiao Yin’s robe. Her delicate, warm hand was placed on his chest.
The door was kicked open with a ‘bang’.
The noise caused Hua Zhu Yu to regain consciousness. As her mind became a little clearer, she immediately realized what she was doing and quickly retracted her hand. Then, without any hesitation, she bit down on her arm till blood seeped out. She was in excruciating pain but she did not want to stop. She was afraid if she let go, everything around her would soon become a blur.
She narrowed her eyes as she realized they were not in her small camp but in a large luxurious one.
This place seemed to be Xiao Yin’s camp.
“Let me down, let me down!” Hua Zhu Yu screamed loudly but the voice that came out was hoarse and seductive, not at all like her normal voice.
“Without this prince’s order, no one is allowed to come in. Lui Feng, tell the others to stand guard outside,” Xiao Yin coldly commanded as he closed the door. With Hua Zhu Yu still in his arms, he walked behind the screen and placed her on the bed. As soon as Hua Zhu Yu was out from his embrace, she immediately tried to stand up to leave, but her body no longer listened to her. Just as she placed a foot on the ground, she had already fallen to the floor.
The flickering of the candle emitted a warm light in the room as she curled up on the carpet.
While still in a daze, she had torn her clothes, revealing patches of her snow-white flesh. Her black hair was a mess as it fell down her back like a waterfall, making her skin appear more dazzling, and her red thin lips more seductive.
She was like a lotus flower blooming in the night, a peerless beauty. It was as if her body emitted a fragrance, enveloping the whole room.
However, because she had bitten her arm, her eyes slowly became clear.
She fiercely glared at him, and said each word slowly but clearly: “Xiao Yin, if you dare touch even my fingertip, I will castrate you tomorrow.”
Xiao Yin was stunned, he admitted that moments ago he had wicked thoughts.
Before when he held her in his arms, he felt she was really thin and weak. However, as though her body had some kind of enchantment, he craved for another touch. But now, she had made him feel as though it was not possible.
Her words were like a bucket of ice cold water pouring over a burning flame, extinguishing his hopes and desires.
He retreated two steps and sat down on a chair and folded his arms and said, “Don’t worry, I , Xiao Yin, am not short of women, therefore I have never forced a woman but I have never refused one either. If you can’t endure it any longer, and on your own come over here, don’t blame …”
“Rest assured, that would never happen!” Hua Zhu Yu coldly cut Xiao Yin mid- sentence. She then opened her mouth and bit down on another area of her arm.
Xiao Yin stared at her, and slightly frowned.
He looked at her arm constantly dripping with blood, and in the depths of his heart he felt an uncomfortable throbbing. It was as if that arm wasn’t hers but his heart instead.
If he could, he would like to take her place to endure the pain. But there was nothing he could do.
Tương Tư Cổ wasn’t just any ordinary seducing poison, if it was, he could have helped her. He would only need to sink her in ice cold water and then used his internal energy to dispel the poison. But Tương Tư Cổ was an ancient poison, when triggered there were only 2 ways to deal with it, one was to endure, the second was to spend the night with a man.
Hua Zhu Yu laid on the bed and heavily gasped for breath as one wave of torture had just subsided. It was as though there were thousands of insects invading deep into her bones, making her very uncomfortable. Those insects then targeted her flesh, making her whole body painful and itchy.
She had never experienced such torture before. It was so painful that her body continued to tremble. Her face which was flushed due to heat, in the blink of an eye, became pale as snow.
She didn’t know that a seducing poison like Tương Tư Cổ would cause such excruciating pain.