A Stolen Romance - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: A Confession of Love

The night was deep, a full moon in the mirror-like sky casting a clear light over the palace. The palace gates were heavily guarded, with imperial guards in dark black armor standing ready with swords and spears. Princess Xiao had ordered every palace to be lit, and all palace staff were forbidden from leaving their quarters. Anyone found outside their sleeping quarters would be treated as an assassin.

In an instant, the vast imperial city became as silent as a city of the dead. The only bustling place was Emperor Hongjing’s bedchamber.

Inside the chamber, it was as bright as day. Imperial physicians hurried in and out, their brows furrowed, their faces ashen. On the rosewood couch by the window in the outer chamber, Princess Xiao watched another group of physicians shake their heads as they came out, and her heart sank.

“What is his condition?”

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy, who had been on his day off, was dragged from his bed and into the palace. He was full of panic, kneeling on the ground as he spoke to the enraged princess. “I’m afraid it’s not good.”

Xiao Lijun suddenly threw the teacup she was holding. The milky white porcelain shattered, and pieces flew everywhere. The palace servants in the room all knelt. “He was fine yesterday! How did he suddenly get so bad?”

The physician prostrated himself on the ground and stammered, “His Majesty’s body was already at the end of its strength when he was still the Crown Prince. Today, his anger attacked his heart, his pulse is weak, I’m afraid…”

He only has a month left to live, the physician thought to himself. He dared not say those words out loud.

Xiao Lijun listened with a cold expression, her heart aching with a dull pain. Her lips trembled. She took a deep breath to compose herself and said, “Do everything you can.” “Now get out. All of you will be on duty in the outer chamber tonight and cannot leave until His Majesty wakes.”

The physicians nervously agreed and went to the outer chamber to discuss their prescriptions. Xiao Lijun hid her sorrow, her face blank as she went into the inner chamber. Looking at her unconscious younger brother on the bed and thinking of Xie Zhaoran, whose life or death was unknown, her heart ached again.

This time, they had been careless. She hadn’t expected Prince Yu to be so deranged as to collude with foreign enemies. If Xie Zhaoran hadn’t arranged for the imperial guards beforehand, Prince Yu would likely have already seized the palace. Prince Yu had also planned to use the officials’ wives as leverage to threaten the generals. It was fortunate that Xie Zhaoran and Shi Yuning hadn’t fallen into his hands. But then she thought of the news Qiang Di had brought back—that Zhaoran and Shi Yuning had fallen off a cliff and the outlook was grim. It felt as if a piece of her heart had been torn out. Emperor Hongjing had also fainted from the shock of the news. The stress had triggered old ailments in his body, which was already full of holes. Even a minor cold was a serious illness for him.

Xiao Lijun’s eyes were filled with anxiety. You must pull through and wake up soon. The Duke of Xie had already led his troops to surround Crane’s Call Temple. With the Empress Dowager and the officials’ wives in Prince Yu’s hands as bargaining chips, she couldn’t make decisions on her own. She had to wait for Emperor Hongjing to wake up.

Xiao Lijun called her confidant at the door. “Go to the Ministry of Works. Tell them to figure out what tools could be used to get down to the bottom of Qinghui Cliff.” “Also, go inform the Duke of Xie and Marquis Shi about Xie Zhaoran and Shi Yuning.” Xiao Lijun thought that having their people would make the search more effective. She refused to believe that Xie Zhaoran would die like this.

…

At the same time, another person in the night was just as anxious, their heart pounding like a drum. The scent of gardenias drifted, the night wind was gentle, frogs chirped outside, and inside the room, it was silent.

Shi Yuning nervously swallowed. Her curved spine felt as if a cold wind had frozen her in place. She looked at the beautiful profile illuminated by the dazzling moonlight, at those deep eyes swirling with an unusual light. Shi Yuning opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but realized there was no explanation. How could she justify her behavior of not sleeping and secretly kissing someone in the middle of the night? Her heart was filled with deep regret, and she scolded herself for not holding back that momentary impulse. What should she do now? She truly didn’t know how to face Xie Zhaoran.

From the moment Xie Zhaoran opened her eyes, she had been silently watching her. Shi Yuning thought she must be incredibly shocked and didn’t know what to say. Shi Yuning suddenly sat up straight, too guilty to look at Xie Zhaoran, her eyes darting around. She wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

“I-I’m sorry…” Shi Yuning said, scooting backward on her knees. She wanted to run, to hide until her mind could think clearly, and then she would come back to explain. Just as she put one leg off the bed, her wrist was suddenly seized. A powerful force pulled her forward.

“Ah—” Shi Yuning’s body flew towards Xie Zhaoran. In a flash of lightning and flint, she remembered Xie Zhaoran’s right arm and leg were injured. She adjusted her posture, bracing one hand by Xie Zhaoran’s neck. Shi Yuning’s heart leaped into her throat as she looked at the deep, dark eyes less than half an inch away. The hand braced by Xie Zhaoran’s neck clenched, her knuckles turning white as her fingertips gripped the rough, faded sheets. Her breathing became rapid, and her hot breath mingled between their lips, which were so close they could touch with a slight movement.

The frogs outside, which had been quieting down, suddenly burst into a chorus of loud, high-pitched croaking that sounded like they were tearing at their throats. Shi Yuning also wanted to scream. Her heart was in her throat, and she felt it might just jump out if she opened her mouth.

Suddenly, a voice so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable broke through the frog chorus and pierced Shi Yuning’s ears, making her unable to hear anything else. Only the words, “What are you doing?” echoed in her mind. It was a question that demanded an answer with an undeniable force.

Shi Yuning’s heart pounded, and her mind was a paste. She couldn’t even come up with a decent lie. The light from the window fell on her face, making the faint pink blush on her earlobes clearly visible. Soon, it was gone. Her vision darkened, and her lips grew warm. Her chaotic thoughts were shattered in that moment.

Their lips met, and their breaths were hot.

Xie Zhaoran released Shi Yuning’s hand and embraced her neck. As their lips and teeth intertwined, they fell back onto the pillow. The bed frame let out a creak, tearing open a tiny gap in the thick atmosphere. Shi Yuning gasped, but before she could exhale, her breath was taken away again.

The warm lips grew hotter, an indescribable intimacy, as if it was both an expression and a release. Shi Yuning even felt a hint of a complaint, a gentle and loving resentment. As her mind swayed and her thoughts flew, she felt a sharp pain on her lips. Her lips were gently nipped.

Xie Zhaoran released her grip on Shi Yuning’s neck and slowly traced her smooth neck to her cheek, gently lifting Shi Yuning’s face. Her lips, after being intertwined, were glistening, like a plump, juicy berry that had been bitten, exuding an alluring scent. Xie Zhaoran gently wiped a drop of moisture from the corner of her mouth with her thumb, then took a deep breath, lightly touching her nose to Shi Yuning’s.

Shi Yuning felt the moisture on her lips being wiped away. She was so shy she covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide. “What… what are you doing?”

Xie Zhaoran chuckled softly. “Kissing you.”

Shi Yuning, of course, knew she was kissing her. Her face was red as blood. “Why… why would you kiss me?”

Xie Zhaoran smiled faintly and answered matter-of-factly, “I like you. I couldn’t help it.”

Shi Yuning’s widened eyes trembled fiercely in the moonlight. “Huh?” Oh my god, am I hearing things? Xie Zhaoran said she likes me? How could Xie Zhaoran like me? I’m the one who likes Xie Zhaoran. How… how could she like me too?

Seeing Shi Yuning’s surprised expression, her eyes darting everywhere but at her, Xie Zhaoran let out a soft laugh. “So, can you tell me what you were doing to me while I was sleeping?” The hoarse, seductive voice in the night asked again, as if to bewitch her heart or to confirm her sincerity.

“Huh?” Shi Yuning was stunned. Why was she asking this again?

Xie Zhaoran stared directly into her eyes, her gaze sparkling. “Well?”

Shi Yuning awkwardly turned her head away, not daring to look at Xie Zhaoran, but she answered honestly, “I was stealing a kiss.”

After the unexpected kiss, Shi Yuning seemed to have a vague understanding of something. The surprise came so suddenly that she had a hard time processing it. Xie Zhaoran continued to ask, “Why did you steal a kiss?” Her voice was hoarse but light.

Shi Yuning’s heart also felt light. She had just asked that same question. She glared at Xie Zhaoran, annoyed, but saw the laughter and encouragement in her eyes. Shi Yuning’s heart was a mix of sweet and sour. She had never seen anyone give away the answer like this.

“Because… I like you.”

The mist in Shi Yuning’s eyes gradually thickened as she looked at Xie Zhaoran. She asked, her voice full of disbelief, “You like me too? That kind of like? The same kind of like I have for you?”

Xie Zhaoran suddenly burst out laughing, her gentle gaze like a lake of clear water dyed by the moonlight. She tenderly stroked Shi Yuning’s warm cheek, and every word, every breath, was filled with joy.

“You still ask, but all I see are you.”

Shi Yuning froze, blinking. “What?”

Xie Zhaoran chuckled softly. Meeting Shi Yuning’s bewildered gaze, she leaned up and kissed her trembling eyelashes. Then she whispered in a hoarse voice in her ear, “Me too.”

In that moment, the illusory dream in Xie Zhaoran’s heart seemed to shed all its darkness and, under the moonlight, solidified into a true glimmer of light. Shi Yuning had burst into her heart, illuminating her dark life. She was so happy. Her lips trembled as she kissed Shi Yuning’s soft earlobe, laughing as she repeated, “Me too. I like you so much. I love you. There is only you.”

The moonlight flickered, the wind seemed to pick up outside, and the leaves rustled as the frog chorus gradually faded. Shi Yuning’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. She had imagined countless reactions Xie Zhaoran might have to her affection, but none of them had prepared her for this overwhelming joy. This is the true narrow escape from death, she thought. She wanted to ask Xie Zhaoran when she had started liking her, but Xie Zhaoran covered her mouth.

“Although I’d like to continue, I really can’t hold on. Can you wait for me for one night, Ningning?”

Shi Yuning’s eyes widened. She blinked repeatedly, her flushed face growing even hotter. What she said was so… so easy to misunderstand. She pulled Xie Zhaoran’s hand back and placed it on her stomach. “You should get some sleep. If you hadn’t suddenly woken up, I would have already been asleep too.” Without waiting for Xie Zhaoran to say anything, she pulled the blanket over her head, turned her back to Xie Zhaoran, and lay down, so Xie Zhaoran couldn’t see her shy embarrassment.

Xie Zhaoran let out a soft, muffled laugh. She reached her hand under Shi Yuning’s pillow and pulled her closer. “Sleep.”

Just before she fell into a daze, Xie Zhaoran was annoyed with herself for injuring her leg. It was so inconvenient!

Shi Yuning felt the warmth from behind her. She covered her mouth and laughed silently for a while. Hearing the steady breathing behind her, she turned over, took her hand from under Xie Zhaoran’s neck, and carefully placed it back under the blanket. Lying back on the bed, she reached out and took Xie Zhaoran’s hand, lacing their fingers together. Shi Yuning’s mind was filled with the words “I love you” until she finally fell into a deep sleep.

This is great. Xie Zhaoran likes her too. She promised herself she would definitely ask tomorrow when Xie Zhaoran had fallen in love with her. She hadn’t noticed at all.

I hope this isn’t a dream.

Support A Stolen Romance