Gu Zhao kept watch over Zhu Qingyu all night, refusing to leave her side, in case this Young Lady tried to deny everything when she woke up.
But when morning came, she actually dared to renege!
They had kissed, and he had heard the words she said. And now she dared to deny it? Not a chance!
Gu Zhao reached over and pulled the carriage window shut, creating a closed interrogation space. He pinned her beneath him so she couldn't escape, then grabbed her hand and pressed it to his own collar, demanding:
“You didn’t? Hah. Then who was it who made the first move yesterday, Female Donor? It was you! Who else could it be? I’m a man who left monastic life—how was I supposed to handle such a situation? I was so shocked I didn’t dare move. I tossed and turned all night, thinking it over, unable to sleep.”
He pressed her hand against his Adam’s apple, recreating the scene step by step—showing her exactly how someone had used her charms to coax her brother.
Zhu Qingyu had been drunk yesterday, but she hadn’t lost her memory. As Gu Zhao spoke, she remembered: not only had she touched him, but she’d also grabbed his clothes twice to keep him from leaving, and then sat herself down on his lap.
Wine was the matchmaker of desire, and drinking led to disaster. Zhu Qingyu regretted it so deeply she could cry. Alcohol ruined everything—she would never drink again.
And now she realized: he had deliberately pushed her to drink yesterday. Vice Minister Gu had planned this all along!
Since he started it, she would finish it. She’d done the deed, so what? But admit it? Never. Zhu Qingyu continued to deny everything to the death:
“Nonsense! Slander! You’re making things up! Impossible! Who touched you? I didn’t!”
Gu Zhao let out a snort, ignoring her blustering denial. He took her hand again and placed it on his own neck, then continued his indignant accusation:
“Hah, you didn’t? Oh, you did much more! Not only did you make the first move, but when I stepped back to respect you, you chased after me and insisted on kissing me! I said no, that’s not allowed, we can’t! But someone just wouldn’t listen. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted on kissing me—couldn’t stop her! Lord Zhu, confess: have you had designs on me all along? Never mind, never mind. Once we’re married, it’ll be proper and I’ll graciously forgive you.”
Doing it was one thing, but having someone lay out every detail to her face like this was just too shameful. Zhu Qingyu’s face turned red.
She didn’t understand how Vice Minister Gu could speak so openly about these things. It was utterly indecent!
Where were the Four Books and Five Classics he’d studied? Where was the gentleman’s code of conduct? Had he secretly been reading those cheap romance novels again, learning this vulgar talk?
But red face aside, she still refused to admit anything.
However, because she was so clearly in the wrong, Zhu Qingyu’s stubborn denial lacked any force. She even started stammering:
“No—no way!”
She still dared to deny it. Gu Zhao leaned in:
“You did. You were like this. You kissed me just like this!”
This time, Zhu Qingyu didn’t even have a chance to deny it before Gu Zhao pressed his lips against hers, bit them gently, and then deepened the kiss, just as she had done the day before—taking full possession, kissing her deeply.
Yesterday, they had both been sitting, and she was drunk. Though she remembered the general outline, the fine details and sensations had been blunted by alcohol.
But this time, she was pinned beneath him, fully sober. Gu Zhao kissed her urgently and deeply, but not without care.
His tongue was more adventurous than he was. It didn’t miss an inch—once, again, and again. He tasted her thoroughly, lingering and teasing, determined to make her remember and admit her initiative from yesterday.
All the details and sensations lost to alcohol yesterday came flooding back, enriching Zhu Qingyu’s senses.
Under his forceful yet tender assault, she felt herself burning up—so hot she thought she might melt.
Bad. Very bad. Too bad!
Before, when Gu Zhao had been intimate with her, there were times she couldn’t refuse, times she didn’t dare, and times she couldn’t resist.
But no matter the reason, their previous closeness was only ever surface-deep. Her heart had stayed closed to him. No matter how forcefully he pursued her, it passed through her like smoke, leaving nothing behind.
But at some point—when he pressed her to his chest and demanded more from her—she no longer wanted to refuse. Instead, she sank into it, wanting even more.
Like now.
Zhu Qingyu’s heart was in turmoil: Gu Zhao had finally taken root in her heart.
Logically, she knew he was a dangerous man she should stay away from. But emotionally, she was sinking deeper and deeper—unable to let go, unwilling to let go.
No, no. He was about to marry Miss Wen. He would become someone else’s husband, a man she had no right to touch.
Miss Wen was in the carriage ahead of them, less than twenty meters away.
What she was doing with Gu Zhao right now was simply awful!
Zhu Qingyu pressed her hand against Gu Zhao’s chest and pushed hard, turning her head away to refuse him.
But Gu Zhao held her tight. Because she had turned her face, his kisses rained down on her ear and neck, alternating with his interrogation:
“Do you like me? Say it—tell me you like me and want to marry me! The road to the Northern Frontier is long. I have all the time in the world to make you say it. If you don’t, I’ll take it as you enjoying this treatment, Female Donor. Want to see what I can do?”
The carriage space was so cramped. Zhu Qingyu dodged left and right but couldn’t escape. She fell back on her old trick—talking her way out of it:
“No! I don’t like you! Get away! Didn’t you promise to respect me? It’s only been a few days, and already your true colors show. You just want to sleep with me. You don’t respect me at all!”
In the past, such accusations would have broken Gu Zhao’s heart.
But not today. Today, he had her own words—that she liked him—serving as his amulet. He brushed aside her insincere posturing as if it were the exact opposite.
Vice Minister Gu showed no sign of leaving. In fact, he fought back:
“Hah, don’t try reverse psychology with me, Zhu Qingyu. That won’t work on me anymore! Yes, I want to sleep with you, and I want to marry you. So what? They’re not contradictory. If we marry, we sleep together—it’s only natural. Besides, don’t you want to sleep with me? The way you touched and kissed me yesterday, you looked way too happy!”
Ah! Why wasn’t this trick working today?
Had he leveled up because they’d kissed too long?
Fine. If that trick wouldn’t work, she’d switch tactics.
Zhu Qingyu changed her tune and threw another objection at him:
“You want to marry me? I don’t recall the law changing. Even the Emperor can only have one empress. Do you plan to take two wives? What about Miss Wen? What are you going to do with her?”
Finally, Gu Zhao pulled back, looking at her in confusion:
“What does Miss Wen have to do with this?”
Still playing dumb. Hah. Typical man!
Zhu Qingyu sat up and challenged him:
“Nothing? What, you think your own betrothed has nothing to do with you?”
Upon hearing this accusation, Gu Zhao not only felt no shame but, recalling something, could not hide the smile spreading across his face as he looked at her:
“Zhu Qingyu, the way you drove me away before and then avoided me—could it be that you were actually jealous?”
Zhu Qingyu shot him a glare:
“You have such a thick face. I was keeping my distance, that’s all! Fine, I’ve already seen through you. Don’t even think of fooling me. Get off my carriage right now! And don’t you dare come back up!”
Oh, oh, oh—this Young Lady is so fierce, yet so lovable, hahahaha!
There was no way Gu Zhao was leaving now. In one swift motion, he pulled Zhu Qingyu down, pinned her beneath him, and as she gasped in surprise, he held her steady and whispered in her ear with a laugh:
“Stop being jealous. I was never engaged to Miss Wen. If you don’t believe me, ask the Eldest Grand Princess. Qingyu, please, marry me, all right? I long to wed you. You are the only one I have ever wanted—from the very beginning to the very end.”
