OFFERING CONCUBINES
EPISODE 42 HALF-REAL DREAMS

His Majesty stepped slowly into the dimly lit room.

Such a fragrant sandalwood aroma infiltrated through His Majesty's nostrils, as he took a slow breath.

His feet stepped forward towards a transparent curtained bed of light purple silk. His feet seemed to be not tracing the ground, he was so careful as if he did not want to wake up a body lying like a silhouette under the light of an arm-sized candle on a small table beside his bed.

His Highness Yan Yue held back his heartbeat which started beating uncontrollably.

Slowly his hand opened the curtain.

A girl with a plain and calm face was like a little boy, curled up slanted in a blanket of thick velvet.

The blanket covered up to the bottom of his chest, his hands poking out from the bosom, folded over his stomach which moved up and down alternately with a sigh of rhythmic breathing.

His Majesty gathered slowly on the edge of Xiao Yi's bed, His arms folded over the bed supporting his increasingly heavy body.

Xiao Yi's face seemed to be glowing like a whimper due to the reflection from the candlelight not far from his head.

Xiao Yi only wore a warm white cotton shirt, his long hair unraveling on the pillow like a pile of black satin. It was a stark contrast to her pure white face. His lips flashed freshly not as pale as when His Majesty saw him last from Qing Ren's hall.

His Majesty's hand slowly moved though hesitantly. Touching Xiao Yi's forehead. The forehead feels a little warm. He's really not well.

The girl he touched didn't budge. Still drifting in the dream crib. His eyelids that were like the petals of a rose were tightly closed.

His Majesty's fingers descended slowly onto the girl's deeply asleep cheeks, then the back of his hand gently stroked Xiao Yi's smooth cheeks similar to the porcelain surface.

Chenxing, don't know who you are, how much I miss you, how tormented am I to hold myself back from meeting you? How painful is it when I pretend I don't want to see you?

His Majesty whispered inwardly,

I'm just scared...

I'm too cowardly...

I once felt the pain of being left behind, I would not be able to if I had to endure it again.

Why do I meet again with love, if the person I love keeps his heart in others.

Why, does loving you feel so hard and stifling?

His Majesty rubbed the hair of Xiao Yi who was sleeping like the dead man. He was so close to the girl who was the flower in his sleep, but they felt far away.

I know, you still love others, you can't forget it, even though you've given your destiny to me.

He attached his face to Xiao Yi's face, his chest bubbling as if so forceful, like a flood that revolted when in weirs.

How much more would His Majesty kiss those sweet and warm little lips, how much would he want to hug the girl to the point of crumbling in her arms.

How wanted...

Her eyes closed, her lips almost touching Xiao Yi's lips, but then she pulled her face,

The corners of His Majesty's lips were raised forming a grin so strange.

It's so sad when you have someone but only their shell. His heart belongs to someone else.

It is even more sad that the woman is your own wife.

You can do anything to her, but you can never master her heart and love.

It was clear when, the young eunuch he had taken to the guest hall said,

"Your Majesty, they talked for so long and held hands with each other, the madam looked so sad, they were so close, like two people who knew each other for so long."

What he heard was, already very representative, that Xiao Yi really still loves his lover.

His Majesty lifted Xiao Yi's blanket up to his neck, let out a soft kiss on the girl's cheek, then he heavily turned around, stepping away leaving Xiao Yi who was moaning in his sleep like he was

infiltrating in her beautiful dream, her lips moved subtly calling out a name in a murmur,

"Yes..."

Xiao Yi woke up from his sleep because of the light that entered through the gap of the vent at dawn. He sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

How efficacious was the sleeping medicine potion given by the palace healer last night, to the point that he was sound asleep like an unconscious person.

White cotton fabric that he wore, felt moist in his own sweat. Her skin feels sticky.

In his sleep, even he dreamed, faintly, a hand descending from among the red sky holding his head that felt like it was about to explode. The hand was so warm, like a blast of summer air from the edge of the sky, it warmed its body that it felt cold as an ice stone.

That hand rubbed his face gently, Xiao Yi tried to catch him, he thought it was Qian Ren who came to pick him up but then he realized it was His Highness Yan Yue's face.

Xiao Yi missed that face so much, to the point that he felt the sigh of His Majesty on the skin of his face. The smell of his body was real, although it mingled a strange smell like alcohol. Xiao Yi's hand moved about to clutch his Majesty's neck, to burrow into his chest, but instantly the face disappeared.

The blooming flowers instantly withered, drying out. Her petals were dry in the blowing summer breeze to meet the autumn, just like that Xiao Yi's feeling when he lost His Majesty's shadow.

Xiao Yi tried to call out His Majesty's name, but the ones who were then in front of him were concubine Mei, concubine Nuo and concubine Yuan.

They laughed at each other giggling, making Xiao Yi cover her ears tightly, her cold sweat flooding her body that was trembling in fear.

The dream was so strange, it felt half real but it wasn't.

Xiao Yi rubbed his hands, which were actually warm but he felt numb.

"Chu Cu's...!"

Xiao Yi called out to his servant in a loud voice.

The room that was still closed was quiet,

"Cu Chu! Come inside! " now Xiao Yi's voice became very loud.

Chu Cu emerged from behind the door, carrying a tray containing a basin with a clean little towel.

"Yes, madam..." Chu Cu smiled cheerfully. He put the basin on the table.

He was so happy that His Majesty had visited his master last night, but His Majesty had advised that Chu Cu should not tell his arrival to his master.

Chu Cu alu rolled up the curtains of Xiao Yi's bed. After that, poured a cup of warm tea that he had placed there before Xiao Yi woke up and thrust it to his master who was sitting on the bed with a dumb-eyed face, but it was fresher than last night when she left him asleep after taking the medicine.

"Warm the mistress' stomach first, before the mistress wakes up. Let the lady feel fresher."

Chu Cu deftly opened the curtains of the room window, letting as much sunlight into the room as possible.

Xiao Yi obeyed obediently, sipping the warm tea to the end, his stomach was empty and uncomfortable, so his head also felt dizzy

"Miss," Chu Cu gave up a piece of paper neatly rolled inside a small bamboo, tucked away on his waist.

"There's a letter for Madam,"

Xiao Yi frowned, opening the scroll.

After reading it, a moment of astonished face came to the face that was still tangled,

I'll look for you after the Yishu festival tomorrow night, in the medicine room of physician Guo

Zhao Juren's

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