Volume One, Chapter 13: If You Can't Resist, Just Embrace It

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Gu Nanxiao was quite pleased with Yun Xi’s proactive avoidance of impropriety, so when he glanced at Qi Jin Xiu again, his expression softened. He reached for the teapot beside him, poured himself a cup, then lifted it with a slight shake, his demeanor haughty as he said, “If he is someone recommended by Yun Xi, then he must be worthy. Mr. Qi, from now on, working under me, the Yong King’s residence will certainly not treat you poorly.”

Qi Jin Xiu had long since composed himself and seemed utterly unbothered by Gu Nanxiao’s arrogant and rude attitude. He raised his cup in return and replied, “I am grateful to the young master and the lady for their trust; I shall devote myself wholeheartedly.”

After briefly addressing business, Yun Xi instructed the servant to bring the dishes. The three appeared to eat without distraction, but beneath the surface, each harbored their own feelings—much like drinking water, only the drinker truly knows its warmth or chill.

After the meal, Yun Xi asked Qi Jin Xiu to stay a while longer while she and Gu Nanxiao left first. Since their plan had yet to unfold, it was best if as few people as possible knew about their private meetings.

Qi Jin Xiu stared at the closed wooden door of the elegant chamber, his eyes flickering with countless emotions before gradually settling into calm.

He called softly into the empty room, “Yun Yi.”

A shadow flickered, and a man dressed in black appeared, kneeling straight at his feet. With hands clasped, he asked, “Master, what are your orders?”

Qi Jin Xiu curled his lips into a deep smile, his voice tinged with pleasure as he commanded, “Inform everyone: the plan is suspended.”

After the figure disappeared, Qi Jin Xiu’s gaze fell upon the spot Yun Xi had just occupied. He murmured, “She’s back. There are some matters she undoubtedly wishes to handle herself.”

Yong King’s Residence

Yun Xi was now free to come and go from the study as she pleased, and Gu Nanxiao had grown accustomed to having her company. He used to think the quieter the better, but now it was quite the opposite.

Having someone with shared interests by your side, even if both were busy with their own tasks, could dispel much loneliness.

At this moment, Yun Xi sat by the window at a small desk that Gu Nanxiao had specially arranged a few days prior during their discussions about weapon schematics.

Sometimes they needed to draw together, but more often, solitary contemplation was required. Two desks placed like this met the need for both distance and easy conversation, creating a remarkably comfortable atmosphere.

Unlike the other concubines who constantly watched him with greedy eyes, obsessed only with matters of the bedchamber, Yun Xi did not cling to him or beg for affection.

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In fact, Yun Xi always seemed busy with her own affairs and never sought pity or favor. She was nothing like those women in the inner court who depended solely on attaching themselves to men for survival.

At this moment, Yun Xi was writing something called a proposal. She said she had a grand plan and needed to prepare thoroughly.

Gu Nanxiao occasionally glanced up at her, but Yun Xi was completely immersed in her work, her brush moving swiftly as she endured the humiliation of being a concubine, remaining in this world solely to exact a grand revenge with her own hands.

She intended to trample all those who treated her life like dirt into the mud, never to rise again.

The freedom and management rights over the shops she had painstakingly obtained would be put to good use. The shops needed to open in a precise order for her chain of schemes to unfold step by step.

After nearly two hours, Yun Xi finally set down her brush, rubbed her aching wrist, and leaned back in her chair.

Her right leg naturally crossed over her left, and she slightly lifted her chin, reviewing the proposal she had written.

This movement naturally attracted Gu Nanxiao’s attention. Among their royal and noble etiquette, no man or woman would ever sit with one leg crossed over the other like that.

Yet for some reason, the way Yun Xi did it was so pleasing to the eye—exuding a sense of freedom, elegance, and nobility.

Gu Nanxiao’s gaze traced her porcelain skin and crimson lips, sliding down to the slender valley between her thighs, hidden beneath her embroidered robes—a secret view known only to him.

His eyes darkened, his breath grew heavier. Clearing his throat with a rasp, he asked, “Finished writing?”

Yun Xi did not look up, merely offering a faint hum through her nose.

Gu Nanxiao, seemingly displeased with her aloofness, lowered his voice, commanding with no room for refusal, “Come here.”

Only then did Yun Xi lift her head. When her eyes met Gu Nanxiao’s burning gaze, there was no misunderstanding. She set aside her proposal and stepped gracefully toward his desk.

Before she reached him, Gu Nanxiao stretched out a long arm and pulled her onto his lap. Suddenly, Yun Xi raised her hand and plucked the hairpin from Gu Nanxiao’s hair.

His silky black hair cascaded down like brocade, softening the sharp lines of his handsome face.

Despite having seen countless handsome men, Yun Xi was still stunned by his striking appearance. Gu Nanxiao was naturally pleased by her reaction, holding her even tighter.

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Yun Xi’s slender fingers gently traced the man’s sword-like brows, high nose, thin lips, and finally rested circling over his Adam’s apple.

In her heart, she mused that men who had just become intimate were like greedy cats; if she always rejected him, he might seek another concubine.

If he truly slept with another and then returned to her, that would be even more repulsive than this loveless closeness.

Since her status as a concubine left her no right to refuse, she might as well enjoy what she could.

After all, it was not such a loss. Men as handsome and well-built as Gu Nanxiao, who were still pure in body and mind, were rare in any era.

Gu Nanxiao’s temper flared; how could he resist Yun Xi’s teasing? He no longer restrained himself, lifting her horizontally and carrying her toward the bed behind the screen.

He laid her down and began to remove his clothes hurriedly, his voice urgent, “I was thinking to wait until you felt better, but today you seduced me… I’ll try to be gentle later.”

As Gu Nanxiao undressed, Yun Xi lay beneath him, unabashedly admiring his body with uninhibited scrutiny. Rather than offending him, it only heightened her own heat.

In fact, he quite liked Yun Xi’s uninhibitedness in bed. She was like a blooming peony—both yearning to be cherished in the palm of a hand and provoking the desire to crush her fiercely.

An hour later, Yun Xi was so exhausted she was like a lotus battered by rain, utterly spent. Yet Gu Nanxiao was not done, roughly flipping her over, his voice hoarse as he commanded, “Kneel properly!”

The eldest son of the Yong King, the Empress Dowager’s own grandson, commander of the Golden Guard, Lord Gu Nanxiao himself, ultimately received only sixty points in his concubine’s heart for his poor attitude—barely passing.

Shi Residence

Upon hearing that Shi Qingchen had awakened, Lady Liu hurried over in a flurry. Before even entering the room, she overheard the stern reprimands of the Prime Minister Shi.