The wicked imperial concubine is courting death again; the comments section teaches her how to win w

From the moment Xie Ling entered the inner palace of Liquan Palace, Qi Yitang blindfolded him with a brocade ribbon.

The mystery surrounding it only fuels one's anticipation.

"Wait—" Qi Yitang led him to the edge of the pool and stopped.

She had already given orders that all the eunuchs and palace servants should stand guard far away, and even the windows and doors should be tightly closed.

The two of them were left alone in the huge inner hall. The air was filled with steam, the candlelight flickered red, and it was so quiet that they could hear the gurgling of the hot spring water.

But it was precisely because the place was empty and deserted that Qi Yitang felt nervous, her palms sticky and sweaty.

She took a deep breath, then another deep breath, before standing on tiptoe, reaching behind Xie Ling's head, and slowly untying the dark brocade ribbon.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Xie Ling slowly opened her eyes, revealing a gaze as calm as a deep pool.

Behind me was a steaming hot spring, with large red rose petals floating on the surface, and wisps of steam rising, creating a charming scene.

But Xie Ling's gaze remained firmly fixed on Qi Yitang.

There's no other reason than that Qi Yitang was almost naked on top and even less on the bottom.

The bodice was incredibly soft and light, with lotus scroll patterns embroidered along the edges. A thin strap wrapped around the neck and tied in a bow at the back.

...So thin it was almost transparent, and the heat from inside the hall made it cling to her skin almost imperceptibly.

She stood there in the misty steam, her black hair cascading over her shoulders, a few strands clinging damply to her collarbone, making her small, delicate face appear even whiter and more translucent, with even her earlobes tinged with a thin layer of red.

Even an emperor who had seen it all was slightly taken aback at this moment.

"Tangtang, you..."

"It's inconvenient to wear too many clothes when soaking in a hot spring..." Qi Yitang explained dryly, her voice getting softer and softer.

Even though they were already an "old married couple" and had done countless intimate things every now and then, she still couldn't help but tremble and clutch the edge of her bodice under his intensely scorching, almost morbidly intense gaze.

"...Is it ugly?"

In fact, the item he was wearing was a birthday gift that Qi Jiyun had asked Ning Nishang to send in advance.

Inside the brocade box was a note that read, "Birthday Night, the Time of Ecstasy," with a line of smaller print below: "Men understand men best, trust me, you won't go wrong." The handwriting was flamboyant and incredibly irritating.

Fortunately, Ning Nishang is a good girl and doesn't rummage through things, otherwise Qi Yitang's "lifelong reputation" would be completely ruined.

"hehe."

Is this really a birthday gift that an older brother would give to his younger sister?

Qi Yitang was speechless and immediately put it away, thinking she would never take it out in her life.

But I never expected it to come in handy so quickly.

Sometimes she really sighed that her parents must have given birth to the wrong gender for her fourth brother. He was clearly a seven-foot-tall man, but all he had inside him were the tricks of the brothel.

If they were reborn as women, the two sisters would probably get along very well.

I don't know why the shop owner didn't kick him out as a pervert when he went to buy these things.

"It's not ugly at all, it's very beautiful..." Xie Ling's voice was a little hoarse when she spoke.

Seeing her like this, he felt all the gloom that had been building up in his heart vanish in an instant.

He had once seen Xie Jingyu being scolded by his father and in a bad mood. Tangtang would try to cheer him up. Although she was clumsy and could never really win Xie Jingyu's heart, her feelings for him were real and heartfelt.

In those years, he watched from the shadows, his dark and jealous emotions growing wildly like vines.

She even considered killing Xie Jingyu, disguising herself as him, and taking over everything he owned.

But now, all of them belong to him.

Her smile, her dedication, her love, everything she prepared with a sincere heart—it was all his.

Xie Lingchao took a step closer to Qi Yitang.

"Tangtang," he said, his eyes lowered and his voice muffled, as if he had removed the cold and indifferent mask that emperors usually wore, revealing the soft and real emotions beneath.

"Actually, I'm a little unhappy today."

Qi Yitang knew everything, and she understood it all.

However, she couldn't fully empathize with her family. After all, the worst thing her family ever did was buy two sets of things, sending one set to Ning Nishang first, and letting her choose the best items first.

After all, my cousin's parents had both passed away, and she was living under someone else's roof, which was quite pitiful.

As a child, Qi Yitang believed that favoritism was favoritism, and there was no need to make up any ridiculous excuses. It wasn't her fault that her parents died...

Looking back now, that bit of favoritism is utterly insignificant compared to the Empress Dowager's.

Looking at Xie Ling's life from childhood to adulthood, it would be unreasonable for him not to turn evil.

Ironically, the biggest mistake this villain made was trying to steal the male lead's wife, which led to...

Thinking of those nightmarish scenes, Qi Yitang felt a pang in her heart.

She reached out and touched his face, her palm against his slightly cool cheek. "It's okay, Yanzhi. The Empress Dowager doesn't like you, not because you're bad. Don't be sad because of the people who hurt you; be happy because of the people who like you."

I like you a lot, and I want you to be happy.

The misty steam blurred his features, and no one knew the turmoil in his heart.

"Tangtang..."

Xie Ling could no longer hold back, reached out and pulled her into his arms, kissing her directly.

"Hmm." Qi Yitang felt that Xie Ling was a little anxious, as if he had abandoned his imperial status and was disregarding everything.

thump--

Water splashed everywhere as the two of them fell into the warm hot spring pool, embracing each other. The warm water instantly enveloped them, soaking them from head to toe.

Xie Ling steadied herself first, supporting Qi Yitang's buttocks, while using her other hand to hold onto the pool wall underwater.

Qi Yitang had just opened her eyes when he pinned her against the pool wall.

In front of him was his hot, solid chest, and behind him was the warm, slightly cool jade pool wall—a stark contrast of hot and cold.

It was so stimulating that she almost curled up.

The pool water reached her chest, and her apricot-colored bodice, soaked through, clung thinly to her body, revealing nothing.

*****

The rose petals on the water's surface were scattered and then gathered again by the two people's movements, drifting on the ripples, their vibrant red reflecting the candlelight.

Ice and fire, cold and scalding.

Amidst the rising steam, she looked up at him and saw the emotions surging in his eyes—grievance, excitement, longing, and endless tenderness, all mixed together.

Like this turbulent hot spring water, it's so hot it feels like your whole body is melting.

*****

The hot spring water gently lapped against the pool walls, and rose petals rose and fell in the ripples.

Like a silent, gentle tide.

*****

After eating his fill, Xie Ling's condition visibly improved the next day, and the gloom that had been weighing on his brows dissipated considerably.

Qi Yitang was secretly delighted; the hot springs were a perfect place to heal her wounds—the old stories were truly true.

Luckily, she has a "sister" in her family, her fourth brother; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to manage all this.

After returning from the hot spring palace, with Qin Lianyue no longer opposing her, Qi Yitang's days fell into a boring yet leisurely cycle.

He slept until late morning every day, combined breakfast and lunch, and after eating, he would play with Xie Ling and tease the birds, which was very enjoyable.

That day, they had just finished their breakfast and lunch.

Qi Yitang was nestled on the chaise longue, flipping through a storybook, when Yunzhu came in from outside. "Your Highness, Prince Anning has sent an invitation, requesting to meet you in the Imperial Garden."