The more Qingqing thought about it, the more distressed she became, drinking more and more wine until, without knowing why, the thoughts in her mind suddenly came out of her mouth. Finally, she crouched down and burst into loud sobs. In a daze, she felt as if someone gently helped her up. The face of this person was as warm and jade-like as ever, filled with pain and reluctance. He seemed to be the Fourth Prince. Qingqing looked at him, suddenly stopping her tears and laughing. This cycle of crying and laughing made the face before her merge with the eerie, masked face of Tian Gongzi, creating a single image. She remembered the day the bandages were removed; she had smiled then too, but alone at night, she would laugh and cry just the same. Tian Gongzi had also comforted her with gentle pats, letting her cry as she needed. Qingqing’s head was spinning, unable to distinguish who this person really was, but those cold, piercing eyes seemed to melt with tenderness, inviting one to lose oneself in them. Qingqing looked at him, laughing and crying intermittently…
This person, who might be the Fourth Prince or Tian Gongzi, tentatively helped her up and led her into the room… Qingqing gradually quieted down, sobbing softly.
Chapter 130: Ambiguity After Drunkenness
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Qingqing continued to murmur incoherently, unaware of what she was saying… In her confusion, someone seemed to gently wipe away her tears with a warm, damp cloth, his actions so cautious as if she might shatter at a touch. When the soft warmth left her face, she quickly grabbed the hand holding the cloth, rubbing her face against it to savor this rare warmth. The hand stiffened for a moment before allowing her to pull it closer. Qingqing then hugged the owner of the hand, whose body was even stiffer than his hand, taking a while to get used to Qingqing’s sudden embrace. He patted her shoulder gently, and under the comfort of that hand, Qingqing relaxed, feeling an unprecedented sense of security, her eyelids growing heavier…
In her hazy consciousness, someone seemed to have carried her to the bed, carefully covering her with the blanket. A pair of puzzled, pained eyes seemed to watch her… After a while, her lips were blocked by something soft, a gentle pecking as if savoring a delicacy… Qingqing felt a magical pull urging her to respond clumsily and passionately… The warm breath grew heavier on her face… Qingqing, like a greedy child, kept sucking in that sweet, gentle air…
“Master… Master,” someone outside seemed to be calling her. Suddenly, Qingqing wiped the cold from her lips, and aside from a headache, there was nothing left. She tapped her splitting head and instructed the maid, “Li Hua, bring me a cup of tea, what’s wrong with me…”
The maid named Li Hua bowed courteously and said, “Master, I was helping at Concubine Shu’s last night and returned late. You were already asleep when I came back, so I didn’t wake you… But I… saw… you seemed to have been drinking…”
Qingqing listened blankly as she continued, “Master, Concubine Shu is pregnant… Did you notice, and does it make you unhappy…”
