Chapter 67 - 66 I’m Hungry Too

He didn’t want to reminisce about how arduous and exhausting the process had been. This little girl in his arms, she shouldn’t have to suffer such hardships. Even the women in the harem, having married him, wouldn’t have to endure such things. As long as they didn’t cause trouble and behaved themselves, whether he liked them or not, he would ensure they lived lives of wealth and comfort.Xia Ruqing hung her head low, pouting her lips. "If I were to retaliate, would the Emperor think I was misbehaving?" Her large eyes were glistening, her cherry-red lips pouted; she looked utterly delicate and charming. Zhao Junyao felt a stir in his heart. Cradling her nape, he leaned in and kissed her. Xia Ruqing flushed crimson with embarrassment. "Emperor..." Zhao Junyao whispered in her ear, his voice deep and murmuring, "If you misbehave, Zhen will have to punish you properly!" Xia Ruqing’s face instantly turned red all the way to the roots of her neck. The last time he said he would punish her properly... that night, he had his fill of her until midnight, leaving him completely invigorated. She, on the other hand, had barely been able to get out of bed! He... he was simply... a beast! Zhao Junyao gazed at her blushing face, which seemed to glow crimson, and wanted to kiss her again. Strange?! Since he was fifteen, he’d had women attending him, but he had never truly kissed anyone like this, nor had he ever lost his composure to such an extent. He felt that such matters, like eating and sleeping, should be approached with moderation; too much was as bad as too little. When he wasn’t interested, he’d simply set such matters aside. When he desired it, his women were beautiful enough not to diminish his interest. But... but with this little girl before him, he could never control himself; it was never enough. He loved kissing her, holding her. He loved seeing her laugh, and even more, he loved it when she tearfully begged him for mercy... Why was this? The young Emperor, steady and experienced in the halls of power, was utterly clueless in matters of the heart. Unable to figure it out, he just let it be. There was no need for all the twists and turns; he could do as he pleased with his women! Zhao Junyao held her and kissed her again. Then, he pressed her directly onto the bed. Xia Ruqing felt a sense of helplessness. It wasn’t even bedtime yet, and with palace attendants constantly passing by outside, it would be mortifying if word got out. In an instant, she was both ashamed and distressed, her eyes welling with tears. "Emperor, I haven’t had my evening meal yet. I’m hungry..." "Zhen is hungry too." I don’t want dinner; I just want to devour you! And so, Xia Ruqing, the little lamb, was devoured by Zhao Junyao, The Big Grey Wolf. Half a Shi Chen passed... then a whole Shi Chen... Xia Ruqing, weak and exhausted, finally cried and begged for mercy, "Emperor, I... I can’t take any more..." Zhao Junyao thought: When I arrived, the palace attendants were urging her to eat. She probably hasn’t eaten well these past two days. And she’s so frail; I mustn’t let her get sick again. So... he had to restrain himself and stop, though he was far from satisfied. He bathed her and helped her dress. Xia Ruqing lay weakly on the couch, her delicate face crumpled into a frown. The previous wave of grievance had just subsided when a new one surged. "Emperor, your hands are all calloused! You hurt me!" she complained with a pout. Zhao Junyao looked at his own hands and chuckled. "Zhen has practiced martial arts Zhen’s whole life, so they are indeed rough. Where does it hurt? Let Zhen see..." As he spoke, he reached out to touch her. Xia Ruqing looked horrified. If he touches me, who knows what might happen next! Panicked, she forgot all propriety and instinctively tried to kick his hand away. "Don’t! Don’t look!" Zhao Junyao wasn’t annoyed; a smile played on his lips. Before her small foot could connect, he caught it in his hand. "Zhen insists on looking!" The young, vigorous Emperor certainly wouldn’t be annoyed by such bedroom games; on the contrary, he relished them. Other women were merely compliant; too much of that, and he’d grow impatient. But she, she was like a startled cat, fur bristling. So close, yet he couldn’t quite touch her, couldn’t devour her, couldn’t have her readily. This elusive temptation, like a feather, lightly tickled the deepest part of his heart. It made him unable to stop, his heart itching with an unbearable desire, yet he was helpless against it. Her foot was caught by him. Feeling wronged and embarrassed, Xia Ruqing tried to pull away, but the sole of her foot was so ticklish that she couldn’t help but giggle. She was going to lose her mind! Zhao Junyao, in high spirits, couldn’t help but laugh heartily. After he finished laughing, he finally picked her up. "Alright, Zhen will stop teasing you!" Xia Ruqing huffed, "Hmph!" She turned her head away, ignoring him. Zhao Junyao had no choice but to hold her, coaxing her gently and smoothing things over. The irritation in Xia Ruqing’s heart slowly abated. RUMBLE. RUMBLE. Xia Ruqing’s stomach was protesting relentlessly. In truth, Zhao Junyao was also hungry. He hadn’t eaten his evening meal either and had just engaged in strenuous activity. He was in his prime, vigorous as a dragon and fierce as a tiger; having expended so much energy, he naturally needed to eat more. So he called for Li Shengan to serve a meal. He then instructed, "Just a few simple and readily available dishes will do." At the mention of food, Xia Ruqing perked up. After a moment’s thought, she said, "The willow leaf noodles from last time were quite good. With a few side dishes, they’d be perfect for a late-night snack. Plus, they’re filling and easy to digest, so they won’t sit heavily." Zhao Junyao had also been satisfied with those noodles, so he nodded in agreement immediately. After their evening meal, later that night, Zhao Junyao couldn’t resist and sought more "exercise." Xia Ruqing’s protests were futile; she was once again devoured completely by The Big Grey Wolf. 「The next day, Zhao Junyao once again chose Zhaohua Pavilion.」 Xia Ruqing was on the verge of tears. Do I really have to go? I feel like I’m falling apart! Zi Yue stood with her hands on her hips. "Absolutely not!" Swallowing her misery, Xia Ruqing reluctantly boarded the grace carriage. However, this time, Zhao Junyao seemed to have a change of heart. After dinner and his bath, he simply read a book leisurely and reviewed some less important memorials, showing no intention of ’that sort of thing.’ Xia Ruqing let out a long sigh of relief. Sitting on a small couch not far away, she too began to ’gnaw’ on a book. The only sound in the room was the occasional crackle of a candlewick flaring up. Xia Ruqing clutched the still-unfinished copy of "Records of the Chu Dynasty’s Territories," and as she ’gnawed’ on its contents, she grew drowsy. She rested her head on a large pillow, squinting at Zhao Junyao. Hmm, when this man isn’t acting like a scoundrel and is all serious and proper, he’s devastatingly handsome! The two of them sat in comfortable silence, a tranquil, timeless feeling settling between them. That night, Zhao Junyao indeed did nothing more, simply holding her as he slept. He no longer puzzled over why he suddenly enjoyed sleeping with a woman in his arms. If he liked it, he would embrace it. No need to overthink. 「The following day was a rest day, so there was no morning court.」 Lady Xia paid her respects to the Empress and then went to the Imperial Study Room to accompany the Emperor. The entire harem already knew that Lady Xia had been attending the Emperor for the past two nights. However, both the Empress and Noble Concubine Shih were preoccupied with their own efforts to conceive, so they paid it little mind. Consort Yun was keeping a low profile at this time, daring not to stir up trouble. Hu Liyi was confined to her quarters in reflection. As for Consort Ning and Consort Hui Pin, they were busy caring for the Princess. Thus, no one in the harem seemed to make a fuss about it! Although Consort Zheng Pin felt bitter and found it unbearable to watch, what was the use? She lacked favor, so her disapproval meant nothing! For a while, the palace remained calm, with no one saying much. Xia Ruqing woke early. Seeing Zhao Junyao still asleep, she had the whimsical urge to secretly touch his eyelashes. However, just as her hand reached out, before she could even make contact, it was caught by a pair of large, rough hands.