The Gilded Cage

The Gilded Cage Chapter 53

Standoff (3)

It was a moonlit night.
The bamboo plants swayed in the cold wind, creating rustling noises.

Chu Ning stood in the darkness for a while.
When Qi Chenxiang's back profile finally disappeared from her range of sight, she gradually regain her senses.

When she came here, she saw the confrontation between Zhao Yue and Qi Chenxiang.
As they were quite far away, she could only hear a few words faintly.
Still, it was not difficult to guess that they were arguing over Xiao Kezhi.

A damp chill oozed out of the withered grass and trees, causing her to shiver.

A short distance away where Liu Kang stood, a bright yellow candlelight continued to burn quietly behind the door.

She was not sure how she felt right now.
She could only keep reminding herself that she chose this path so she couldn't turn back.

However, just as she took a deep breath and tried to make her way to the door, a pair of strong arms suddenly stretched out from behind her.
They grabbed her waist tightly and dragged her to the back of a towering and large tree.

Her heart beat wildly, and she struggled instinctively to call for help.
A large hand moved up her waist quickly and covered her mouth and nose before she could shout.

The large hand covered most of her face.
Its thick and rough calluses rubbed her cheek as she struggled.

“What are you shouting for?”

A familiar raspy voice sounded near her ear, followed by a scorching hot breath.
Then, she found herself pulled into a strong embrace.

It was Xiao Kezhi.

Chu Ning stopped struggling and allowed him to hold her in his arms.

Xiao Kezhi couldn't help but chuckle when he sensed that she stopped struggling.
He stopped covering her nose and mouth.
Then, he slid his hand down her chest slowly while stroking her.
At the same time, he leaned close to her ear, rubbing the bridge of his nose against her neck and earlobe from time to time.

“Did you enjoy the drama just now?”

Chu Ning glanced at Liu Kang, who was still standing guard outside the door and then realized that there was no one in the room.
It turned out that Xiao Kezhi had been standing behind her and had been watching her for some time.

She endured the heat and the ticklish feeling he caused on her neck.
Then, she bit her lower lip before whispering, “I… I should ask Your Majesty the same question.”

I don’t think there is a man who is not happy when two women are fighting for him.

Xiao Kezhi chuckled again.
He bit her jaw gently before saying vaguely, “I only saw my impure niece hiding among the tree shadows.
I wonder if she is going to do something shameful.”

He deliberately waited for her here.

Initially, he wanted to wait for her to knock on the door and go in so that he could see her expression when she found no one in the room.
But after waiting for a long time with her within his reach, he could not resist showing himself and dragged her into his arms.

He was frustrated with this woman for so long.
Now that she was finally in his arms, it excited him so much that he could not resist much longer.

“Didn't Your Majesty ask to see me?”

Chu Ning was frightened by his sudden appearance but maintained her composure.
She gazed at him with innocent eyes.

The sound from their clothes rubbing together mixed with the rustling of grass and tree leaves.
Their bodies were hot despite the chill of early winter.

Xiao Kezhi turned Chu Ning around to face him.
His deep eyes took in her snow white skin and exquisite facial features before finally pausing on her full red lips.

His Adam's apple rolled slightly.
He pinched her slender neck, forcing her to look up at him.
Then, he said with a smile, “When did I ask you to see me?”

She fluttered her long eyelashes.
Her eyes clear like an autumn lake, making his heart tremble.
She parted her full red lips and said gently, “Isn’t Your Majesty curious to know why I deliberately wanted to approach you?”

Xiao Kezhi sneered but did not answer.
He slowly let go of her and walked towards the empty room.

Chu Ning did not hesitate and followed him silently into an empty side hall.

The side hall was pitch black.
Its only source of light came from the moonlight by the window.
Then, two eunuchs came in silently and lit a lamp before bowing and exited.

The moment the door closed gently, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned mysterious under the warm candlelight.

“Your Majesty…”

Chu Ning wanted to tell him the reason she approached him, but he stopped by her.

“Hush…“ He leaned close and pressed his forehead to hers before pressing an index finger on her lips gently.
Then, he looked straight into her eyes and said, “Are you willing to confess to me now?”

Chu Ning's gaze trembled.
She nodded slightly and whispered, “I won’t hide it from Your Majesty.”

The plump red lips parted and closed, brushing against the pad of his index finger, exhaling a warm breath from time to time.

He gritted his teeth and stood up slowly, pushing her against the door frame.

“Even if you want to tell me, it depends on whether I’m willing to listen.” He slowly unraveled her clothes.
There is a hint of anger in his gaze as if he remembered the frustration from her teasing from before.
“Now, I don't feel like listening.”

With that, he grabbed the collar of her robe and pulled it to the side.

Her securely tied robe slipped and fell, revealing her distinctive undershirt.

The robe was short.
It was secured with two thin ribbons hanging from her delicate shoulder.
The undershirt covered her chest and stopped shortly above her knees.
The waist area had been tightened deliberately, outlining her slim waist.
The undershirt covered her beautiful figure just right, outlining her exquisite body perfectly.

The silk undershirt reflected the dim candlelight, accentuating the smoothness of her skin.
Chu Ning bit her lower lip and turned her back to him, revealing another dazzling sight.
A large piece of fabric had been cut off from the back of the undershirt, exposing her smooth back to Xiao Kezhi’s gaze.
Furthermore, elegant and graceful lotus flowers were embroidered on the fabric that covered her hip.

Xiao Kezhi looked at her and felt his body tightened with tension.
His eyes were bloodshot.
He pressed a hand on the door frame above her head.
He pulled her hairpin with his other hand and tossed it aside distractedly.

Her soft hair flowed down, covering half of her back and bringing a burst of fragrance.

She looked up at him.
The little golden flower on her forehead gleamed in the candlelight, making her appear like a goddess descended from heaven and trapped in the mortal world.

“Temptress.”

Xiao Kezhi gritted his teeth and felt his control snapped.