usatvline Chapter 230 He really is a little liar
Chapter 230 He really is a little liar
"you!!"
Chu Qingyin tried to break free from the man's embrace, but unexpectedly, he held her even tighter.
A blush quickly spread across her cheeks, her heart raced, but she tried her best to remain calm.
"Lu Zhiheng, what do you mean by this?" She bit her lip, trying to hide her panic.
Lu Zhiheng curled his lips, a hint of mockery in his eyes, "This humble subject simply didn't want Your Majesty to fall and get hurt."
"Now that I'm alright, you can relax, right?"
Chu Qingyin struggled to get out of the other person's arms.
Lu Zhiheng refused to let go, instead binding her arm with one hand, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Your Highness, I suffered a great loss last time I helped you, and even incurred His Majesty's suspicion for no reason. Your Highness has not yet compensated me."
The man's tone seemed gentle, yet it also carried a hint of something unfathomable.
Chu Qingyin pursed her lips and said softly, "I will repay what I owe you one day. You shouldn't..."
"Oh?"
Lu Zhiheng raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice slightly: "Then how does Consort Liang intend to repay this humble subject?"
"Your body?"
Upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashed across Chu Qingyin's eyes.
How come she never knew Lu Zhiheng was such a bold person!
She gritted her teeth and said, "If Lord Lu doesn't mind..."
"laugh."
The man immediately saw through her bluster and chuckled. He then gently turned her face to face and said softly, "In that case, it's not unreasonable for me to take some interest first, is it?"
Before Chu Qingyin could respond, the man's warm lips pressed against hers.
He seemingly licked her lips unintentionally, and even seemed to want to explore further inside.
Her pupils contracted slightly, and she instinctively tried to dodge: "This is a sacred Buddhist site, you can't..."
Why not?
Lu Zhiheng raised an eyebrow. The two of them stood behind the artificial hill, a place that was extremely secluded and would not be discovered by anyone.
“Lord Lu, I should go back now. Pei Yuanling is very suspicious, and if I linger any longer, he might be exposed.”
Chu Qingyin bit her lip, her cheeks burning: "If you want to kiss me, I'll let you kiss me as much as you want after we leave the palace, okay?"
Her tone was as if she were coaxing a child.
Lu Zhiheng found Chu Qingyin's reaction both amusing and exasperating.
"Is this a promise made to me by Consort Liang?"
He leaned down and asked, his deep voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible tenderness.
Seeing him approach again, Chu Qingyin's cheeks turned even redder.
She knew that what she had just said might have been a bit too blunt, but she didn't want to explain any further.
She struggled free from his embrace and quickly straightened her disheveled clothes: "Okay, I really have to go back now."
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you."
Lu Zhiheng said calmly, his slender fingers lightly brushing the stray hairs by her ear, "You go back first, and everything will proceed as planned."
Chu Qingyin nodded and quickly disappeared around the corner with light steps.
Lu Zhiheng stood there, watching Chu Qingyin leave.
"What a little liar."
The man murmured to himself, but his eyes betrayed a smile he couldn't hide.
But how could he willingly be deceived?
***
When Chu Qingyin returned to the plum grove, she saw Qiao Qingling accompanying Pei Yuanling from afar.
"Your Majesty, do you think this plum blossom is beautiful? Does it suit me well?"
Qiao Qingling asked Pei Yuanling in a high-pitched, coquettish voice.
The man touched the other's cold nose with his finger: "This plum blossom is just right for your head."
As soon as Pei Yuanling reached out, Chen Zhongliang immediately and perceptively plucked a plum blossom and placed it in his hand.
"Your Majesty, would you please help me put it on?"
Qiao Qingling blinked her eyes, feigning an innocent expression as she asked him.
Although Pei Yuanling was somewhat reluctant, he still accepted the plum blossom and helped Qiao Qingling put it in her hair.
"Your Majesty, how about I wear it?"
Pei Yuanling's gaze lingered on Qiao Qingling's face for a moment, "Your attire today complements these plum blossoms perfectly."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Qingling smiled with delight. She twirled around, her skirt fluttering as lightly as plum blossom petals.
"I am relieved that Your Majesty is pleased."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Qiao Qingling seemed to have noticed something and pointed to a spot not far away: "Your Majesty, the plum blossoms over there seem even more beautiful. Shall we go take a look?"
Pei Yuanling looked in the direction Qiao Qingling pointed and saw that the plum blossoms there were blooming even more profusely, with the flowers on the branches vying to bloom.
"Well, let's go."
Pei Yuanling actually agreed to her request.
To outsiders, this action was enough to show His Majesty's attitude towards Qiao Qingling.
The concubines followed Pei Yuanling and Qiao Qingling as they walked forward.
Seeing this, Chu Qingyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been worried that Pei Yuanling would notice her long absence, but Qiao Qingling's appearance conveniently diverted his attention.
Chu Qingyin knew that the previous cold war had given Qiao Qingling an opportunity to take advantage of her.
Although Pei Yuanling had never truly favored Qiao Qingling, she still felt a pang of pain in her heart for some reason.
Fine, let's see how long Qiao Qingling can remain arrogant.
"Your Majesty, these plum blossoms are blooming so beautifully, why not transplant a few to the palace?"
Qiao Qingling stopped and asked Pei Yuanling softly.
Pei Yuanling was distracted at the moment and responded indifferently, "Well, then let's do as you say and transplant a few plum trees from here into the Imperial Garden."
As soon as these words were spoken, the other concubines all turned their gazes to Qiao Qingling.
This pleased Qiao Qingling even more; she loved this unique favor and the envious, jealous, and hateful looks from others.
Although His Majesty is particularly fond of his elder sister, in the long run, who can guarantee that he won't rise to prominence one day?
The thought had barely formed when a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him, “Your Majesty, although this plum tree is beautiful, if it were transplanted to the inner palace, I’m afraid it wouldn’t adapt well to the environment and might not survive.”
Everyone immediately turned around at the sound and saw Consort Liang, who had left her seat earlier, walking slowly towards them.
"Yinyin, you're back."
Upon seeing her, Pei Yuanling immediately abandoned Qiao Qingling beside him and walked over, completely ignoring the unpleasant look that Qiao Qingling's face turned pale the moment she looked back at him.
"The roads are slippery with snow, why didn't you ask Chen Zhongliang to pick you up?"
Pei Yuanling's voice softened unconsciously as he raised his hand to gently tidy up the stray hairs at Chu Qingyin's temples. "Are you cold?"
Chu Qingyin turned slightly to avoid his touch and said calmly, "It's just to change a pair of shoes and socks, why make such a fuss? Your Majesty, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying the flowers with Consort Qiao in this plum grove."
Her gaze swept over Qiao Qingling, intentionally or unintentionally, a faint smile playing on her lips, yet it conveyed no warmth whatsoever.
Qiao Qingling was furious, but she still pretended to be calm. She walked gracefully to Pei Yuanling's side and said coquettishly, "Sister, go change your shoes and socks. Why are you acting like you've swallowed gunpowder? Your words are full of anger."
Pei Yuanling frowned slightly, about to speak, but Chu Qingyin spoke first: "Consort Qiao is overthinking it. I am just telling the truth. The beauty of the plum trees in this temple lies in their natural wildness. Transplanting them into the palace would only make them lose their charm and blend them into the crowd."
The surrounding concubines chimed in, "Yes, yes, Consort Liang is right."
Some of them genuinely agreed with Chu Qingyin's words, while others were opportunistic and didn't want to offend the favored Consort Liang.
Qiao Qingling's face grew increasingly pale. She bit her lower lip, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes.
However, she quickly composed herself and said sweetly, "Is it because my younger sister is too short-sighted, or is it because my older sister is so thoughtful?"
Chu Qingyin sneered inwardly. This Qiao Qingling was truly foolish. Making such a request in this situation, wasn't she afraid of incurring the wrath of the other concubines?
Among all these concubines, how many are easy to deal with?
Just to show His Majesty's favor towards her, she flaunted it in every way, as if she was afraid of not dying fast enough.
Seeing that Chu Qingyin had casually brushed aside the topic of transplanting plum trees, Qiao Qingling felt somewhat resentful.
Suddenly, her gaze swept over Chu Qingyin's exposed shoes and socks, and she feigned surprise, saying, "Sister, you've changed your shoes? Why do they look like the same ones you wore before?"