CH 54

The Gilded Cage Chapter 54

Torment (1)

In the banquet hall, the Empress Dowager sat alone on the main seat and smiled calmly at the guests below.

Throughout the years, she always lived a simple and devout life and never overindulged herself. Even on her birthday today, she only sampled a mouthful of each delicacy and drank three cups of wine before replacing it with tea.

Below her, many young people were getting drunk. However, the Empress Dowager remained sober.

The maid standing beside the Empress Dowager saw that Qi Chenxiang had returned from changing her clothes, so she approached the Empress Dowager and whispered into her ear, "Empress Dowager, your niece is back."

“Hmm.” The Empress Dowager did not look up but continued sipping her tea calmly.

When Qi Chenxiang did not return for a long time after her dance performance, the Empress Dowager wondered what had happened to her. She sent someone to find out what happened and was informed that Qi Chenxiang met Zhao Yue.

The Empress Dowager was not in a hurry and did not feel the need to interrupt, so she waited patiently.

After a while, Qi Chenxiang returned to her seat and sat down silently. She looked at the Empress Dowager from time to time, as if hesitating about saying something.

"Fine, just say what you wanted to say. There is no need to refrain yourself before me.” The Empress Dowager put down the tea cup and waved to her niece. "Everyone says you are calm. But from what I see, you are still young. You still lack forbearance, so your face makes it obvious when you worry."

Although the Empress Dowager looked kind, she was stern to everyone around her. Qi Chenxiang, her youngest niece, was her only exception. The Empress Dowager taught her for years and had always loved her.

Qi Chenxiang bit her lip and hesitated for a moment. In the end, she went to the Empress Dowager, sat beside her, and said softly, “Aunt, you must have known what happened. I met with Madam Zhao Yue just now and exchanged a few words with her…”

Then, she proceeded to tell her what Zhao Yue said.

The Empress Dowager listened to her and saw her obvious expression of grievance and dissatisfaction. She couldn't help but sigh. Then, she shook her head, and said, "Oh dear, I’ve said that you are young. As expected, you still can't restrain yourself. Who is Madam Zhao Yue? Is she worth you being angry over her? She’s right. If you want to marry the Emperor, you have to endure the presence of other women. Only then can you live well. Besides, with your father and me on your side, who would dare to surpass you?"

Qi Chenxiang was stunned. She could not help but look up at her aunt and said, "Is status and position the only thing that matters in marriage?"

……

She was puzzled. Both her father and the Empress Dowager think that her marrying the Emperor and becoming the Empress could stabilize the Qi family’s position. They also believed that it was the best option for her in life.

However, she had always felt that the relationship between men and women should not be based solely on status. If a man and a woman want to get married, they must also be emotionally compatible. Is there any woman in this world that can truly accept and willingly let their men be close to another woman?

The smile on Empress Dowager Qi faded slightly.

She became silent for a moment before whispering, "A person’s heart changes easily. Only power and position are reliable. Life is a long journey. A person is only the true winner in life if he or she can laugh at the end.”

Qi Chenxiang opened her mouth as if wanting to say something. However, she only nodded obediently and did not say anything else.

...

Meanwhile, in the secluded side hall, Xiao Kezhi caressed Chu Ning’s smooth skin under the dim light.

The thick calluses and the rough texture on his palms and fingertips made Chu Ning tremble against the door frame.

"Temptress, you have no shame!" He played with a ribbon on her shoulder but did not pull it. "You hide such clothes under your robe. Yet, you say that it is I who wanted to see you."

He suddenly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her to him. Then, he pushed her onto a nearby chaise and trapped her there, not letting her move.

"Do you usually serve my nephew like this too?"

He spoke these words through gritted teeth. At the same time, he could not help tightening his grip on her arm. Veins throbbed on his forehead.

"No, only you, Your Majesty." At this moment, Chu Ning stopped behaving cunningly as before. Instead, she went along with what he wanted and tried to persuade him to listen to her. She still remembered the reason she was here. "Your Majesty, I have something to say…"

She wanted to request not just his protection, but also for his help to avenge her father. She needed his power to force Xiao Yu to confess the sin that he had committed.

Therefore she needed to tell Xiao Kezhi everything and find out his response. Only then would she feel at ease.

However, Xiao Kezhi seemed to have made up his mind and was unwilling to listen. Before she could continue speaking, he leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers, kissing her fiercely.

Whatever else that she wanted to say remained stuck in her mouth.

She was dizzy from being kissed, and her gaze grew dazed. She felt that Xiao Kezhi had become like his pet wolf, pressing onto her body firmly and kissing her as if wanting to consume her.

No matter what, she had come this far. She knew that she had to give herself to him. Therefore, she was not afraid of what would happen next.

With this thought in mind, she raised her upper body and pressed her mouth to his, kissing him back eagerly.

As their bodies rubbed against each other, the initially cold and lonely side hall suddenly heated up. The room suddenly felt so hot that it was hard to breathe.

Chu Ning held onto his muscular arms while trying hard to raise her head. At the same time, she fumbled to unbutton his clothes.

However, her eagerness seemed to touch his sore spot.

He remembered how frustrated she made him feel before, causing a burst of anger in his heart. Today, he was determined to make her pay!

He licked his lips and sat straight before pulling her restless hands from his clothes. Then, he took out two familiar things from his sleeve and dangled them before her eyes.