Chapter 373: How Are Babies Made? This Way... That Way...
Ji Qingwu’s head was spinning. She wished she could just faint and have it all be over.
But before she fainted, she had to destroy this book.
With a flick of her wrist, she snapped the book shut, trapping his long fingers between the pages.
Even though nothing had happened, Ji Qingwu was already starting to breathe heavily.
Just then, his voice drifted to her ear.
"A rosy flush, a glisten of fragrant sweat, a golden hairpin threatening to fall from her temple..."
Hearing Zhao Mingyan flawlessly recite the first line from the page, Ji Qingwu wanted to find a hole to crawl into and hide. But with his scorching heat against her back, she had nowhere to run.
Reading this book alone was a guilty pleasure. Reading it with someone else was mortifying enough to make her want to die.
Zhao Mingyan could feel her body temperature skyrocketing as her back grew taut.
Out of Ji Qingwu’s sight, the corner of his lip curled up. "Don’t clamp down so tight."
The panic in her eyes grew more pronounced. ’He’s improvising now?’ That one line was far more suggestive than anything on the two pages.
She immediately retorted, "There’s no such line in the book."
Zhao Mingyan chuckled softly and said in a slow, deliberate voice, "Ah Wu, you must be reading very carefully to remember so clearly whether that line was in there or not."
"What I meant was, your book is pinching my fingers."
"Loosen your grip, or I won’t be able to pull them out."
Ji Qingwu’s face was burning, her mind filled with inappropriate thoughts.
’As if a thin piece of paper could trap him! He’s clearly... doing this on purpose!’
Ji Qingwu squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. ’He must have guessed what this book was about long ago. He’s just toying with me, trying to get a reaction.’
She let go of the book, deciding she didn’t care about it or anything else he had to say.
"I’m tired. I want to sleep."
Ji Qingwu pushed his hand away and tried to retreat to the far side of the bed. She just wanted to bury her head under the covers and pretend nothing had happened.
Zhao Mingyan followed, pressing close again and loosely wrapping his arm around her.
"Then let’s sleep together."
Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened. "You’re going to sleep here?"
’The walls have ears. If word gets out and Ji Bo Lian finds out about this, he’ll have me scrubbed clean, wrapped up, and delivered to the palace gates.’
’Even if I have to enter the palace eventually, at least let me have a couple of days’ reprieve. Just a few more days of peace.’
Zhao Mingyan said with an amused smile, "What are you thinking about? Your eyes are darting all over the place."
Ji Qingwu turned to face him, placing a hand on his chest to create some distance between them.
"The only reason I can still stay at home is because of my... because of my father."
Zhao Mingyan, of course, already knew this. He nodded in praise. "I have heard as much. Mr. Ji truly dotes on his daughter and has a discerning eye."
He knew even more details than Ji Qingwu did, including the act Ji Bo Lian and Mrs. Qiao were putting on together.
Ji Qingwu’s tone grew serious. "You know my father’s temperament. He’s upright and unyielding. If he discovers you in my courtyard, he’ll be furious. He’d definitely impeach you during morning court. He’s perfectly capable of it."
A smile played on Zhao Mingyan’s lips as he stroked her head.
"That’s no trouble."
’The Emperor isn’t afraid of that,’ Ji Qingwu thought. She pursed her lips and continued, "Actually, that’s not even the worst of it."
Zhao Mingyan raised an eyebrow. "And what is the worst of it?"
Ji Qingwu said with a grave expression, "If my father doesn’t want me to get married, you can’t force the daughter of your official to marry you, can you?"
"And if he finds out that Yuan Heng and Jiu Jiu are my children, he’ll demand to know everything—how they came to be. We need to figure out an explanation beforehand."
"An explanation..."
At the mention of this, the smile vanished from Zhao Mingyan’s lips.
"Shouldn’t you give me an explanation first?"
Barging into his military tent, drugging him, tying him up... She hadn’t missed a single step.
Back then, she had acted like a brazen predator, yet here she was now, nestled in his arms like a timid little quail.
Ji Qingwu realized she had accidentally dug another hole for herself. She lowered her gaze, hiding the flicker in her eyes.
"How did the children get here? Well, it was... you know... one thing led to another... and then they were here."
She was trying to use the process and the result to obscure the cause.
Zhao Mingyan asked, "One thing led to what, exactly?"
Flushed with shame and anger, Ji Qingwu lightly punched his chest. "Just like in the book!"
Zhao Mingyan huffed out a laugh and tightened his grip on her fingers.
He had no intention of demanding an answer right now. After their several encounters, he knew her personality was gentle and timid. She was the type you had to coax out of her shell with a carrot on a stick.
Reaching in directly would only get him scratched by the little claws she’d extend in her vexation.
’She’s right here beside me. There’s no rush to find out the answer. It’s only a matter of time.’
With a hint of a smile in his eyes, Zhao Mingyan said, "I have to return to the palace in another hour. A mountain of work is waiting for me."
He had been bluffing about staying the night, just to tease her again.
Since her hand was still held captive in his, Ji Qingwu lightly bumped her head against his chest.
Zhao Mingyan let out a muffled laugh, the sound vibrating into her ear.
"But I do have one more question."
He took the opportunity to cup the back of her head, guiding her to lean against him.
Ji Qingwu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded eagerly. "Ask away. I’ll tell you anything you want to know."
Zhao Mingyan’s tone was full of curiosity. "Ah Wu, what exactly was written on that page before? I really have no idea. What did this Zhang Sheng and Lady Huang get up to?"
Caught completely off guard, Ji Qingwu heard him bring up the book again.
"I don’t know either."
She had only just started it; she hadn’t read the whole thing yet.
Zhao Mingyan gently lifted her delicate chin with his hand, as if humbly seeking her tutelage.
"Ah Wu, you must know. Help me recall the plot. Just consider it satisfying my curiosity. Otherwise, when I go back, I won’t be able to sleep, and I won’t get any work done."
Ji Qingwu glanced at the blue-covered book, which had been tossed far away.
’Talking about the book is better than talking about what happened that year.’
Her eyes curved into crescents as she offered a compliment. "Your Majesty is so brilliant, you can surely deduce it. It’s nothing more than some tales of amorous and lingering affections."
Zhao Mingyan hooked her chin with his finger and said, "You stay up at night just to read this stuff?"
Ji Qingwu resisted the ticklish sensation and answered honestly, "Well, it’s not exactly suitable for daytime reading either, with so many prying eyes around."
’I just wanted to read it by myself under the covers,’ she thought, not expecting to be caught red-handed. She gave a childish pout.
Zhao Mingyan chuckled. "But you were blushing so hard. Can you really sleep well at night after reading it?"
Ji Qingwu said, "Yes, I sleep like a log."
She wanted to move past the topic as quickly as possible, so her answer was rather half-hearted.
Zhao Mingyan’s finger traced a path downward, from the shell of her ear to the side of her neck, then to the skin hidden beneath the quilt.
Ji Qingwu bit her lip. It was a little tingly and ticklish, but she couldn’t deny that being caressed so gently felt... nice.
She slowly closed her eyes, nestled in his embrace. Before long, her breathing became even and deep.
It was just as she’d said. Not only could she fall asleep, but she was sleeping soundly.
Zhao Mingyan heaved a deep sigh next to her ear, pulling Ji Qingwu back just as she was about to drift off to dreamland.
"But I’m not blessed with Ah Wu’s constitution. After reading such a Meng Lang book, I find I can’t sleep at all."