Chapter 162: You Are Now My Prisoner

In the Imperial Garden, there were fresh flowers and a gentle breeze under a brilliant sun, accompanied by ice basins, fine food and wine, and beautiful companions.

Xiao Yang lay on a lounge chair, letting two beautiful little palace maids massage her legs.

She was so comfortable she was about to doze off, a smile playing on her lips.

’Now *this* is the life an Emperor should lead.’

Just as she was about to fall asleep...

Xiao Yang snatched the hand reaching for her, lazily opening her eyes to look at the little palace maid before her. The girl’s name was Yu Fang. She had the sweetest way with words and was the best at flattery. She was quite cute, too, which was why Xiao Yang had summoned her to attend to her.

But now, the little palace maid seemed like a different person. Her innocent, cute face suddenly turned sultry, her eyes becoming bedroom eyes.

"Your Majesty~~~"

The girl drew near and breathed a puff of smoke in her face. Instantly, Xiao Yang’s entire body went limp, and she passed out.

In the final moment before she lost consciousness, she was furious. ’Seriously? I haven’t even had half a day to relax! This is just bullying!’

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

The horse hooves striking the ground made a muffled sound as the spacious carriage swayed gently.

’Where am I?’

Xiao Yang slowly opened her eyes to the sight of a swaying beaded curtain.

Her body felt stiff. She started by turning her head.

The carriage was spacious and luxurious: pearl curtains, shimmering gauze drapes, a carved ceiling, a white jade ewer. It all screamed wealth.

As she turned her head to the side, a figure in red came into view. The person wore an ornate, filigreed gold mask and was leaning lightly against a pillow.

His robes were open at the chest, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of skin. It was a man.

"Hah."

The sound was a derisive snort. "And where might you be looking?"

Not the least bit abashed, Xiao Yang took a long, deliberate look before finally shifting her gaze upward. Only then did she realize the man was awake.

"Where are we going?"

The man’s icy gaze fell upon her. "Perhaps you should be asking where you *are*."

"A carriage, a kidnapping. What’s there to be curious about?"

Xiao Yang tried to sit up but found she couldn’t move.

"The Empress is certainly composed," the man said, sitting up straight. "Then I suppose Your Majesty has no desire to know who I am, either."

He moved to sit beside Xiao Yang, bringing with him a pleasant, cool fragrance.

He leaned in, his mask pressing against her face. "Are you this calm in front of everyone?"

Xiao Yang looked at him. "What good would losing my composure do?"

’I have no strength right now; I can’t even lift a hand. The only thing I *could* do is curse him out, but I can’t be bothered to waste the energy.’

"I’m thirsty."

He stared at her for a moment, then turned and poured a cup of tea. Seeing that Xiao Yang was still lying down, he even helped her sit up to drink it.

Some of it spilled by accident, and he subconsciously used his sleeve to wipe it away for her.

Realizing what he had done, a flash of self-loathing crossed his eyes, yet he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from the corner of her mouth.

"You’re certainly adaptable."

The pad of his thumb finally pressed against her lips, tracing them sensuously.

Xiao Yang opened her mouth and bit him. "My back is sore. Help me sit up properly."

He fell silent for a moment but still helped her sit up, propping a pillow behind her back.

Xiao Yang settled back comfortably. "How long have you had me? I feel starved."

He then took out some pastries he had prepared earlier. Knowing she had no strength, he fed them to her himself.

"Water."

The pastries were a little dry, so Xiao Yang demanded a sip of water with every bite. After two bites, she’d want to switch to a different flavor.

After a few rounds of this, he realized she was toying with him.

He grew irritated. "It seems you fail to grasp one crucial fact. You’ve been kidnapped, not invited here for a vacation."

He was furious now, and he cut a frightening figure.

Xiao Yang finally looked him square in the face. "Then what do you intend to do with me, now that you’ve kidnapped me?"

He stared at her, his gaze complex and unreadable. He seemed to be struggling to show his hatred, but something else kept suppressing it.

His gaze turned dark and obsessive, but he reined himself in. Just as he seemed on the verge of breaking, he abruptly pulled away. "You are my prisoner now, Empress. I can do whatever I want to you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me."

He flung the curtain aside and stormed out, leaving her alone in the massive carriage.

Xiao Yang stared at the curtain, silent for a moment. She really didn’t know what to make of him.

’I’m a prisoner, sure—I can’t even move, after all. But how did it end up feeling like *I* was the one who bullied *him* into leaving? I didn’t even do anything. A man’s heart is a mystery.’

A moment later, the curtain was lifted again, and a beautiful young woman in purple entered. She had a striking, heroic beauty, but her demeanor was cold and aloof. She found a corner to sit in without a word. It was obvious she’d been sent to watch over Xiao Yang.

The woman didn’t look at Xiao Yang, but Xiao Yang stared at her for quite some time.

"You were the one disguised as the palace maid who drugged me."

Ling Ji finally deigned to look at her. She didn’t speak, but her silence was an admission.

Xiao Yang asked another question. "What about Yu Fang? Did you kill her?"

Her tone was casual, as if she were asking in passing, but Ling Ji felt a heavy, oppressive pressure from the words.

She hadn’t forgotten that this kidnap victim was the Empress.

"Knocked her out."

With those terse words, the pressure vanished.

When Ling Ji looked over again, Xiao Yang had already closed her eyes. Her posture was so relaxed, an uninformed observer would have mistaken her for the owner of the carriage.

The carriage swayed for what felt like an eternity before finally stopping. The effects of the drug on Xiao Yang had faded somewhat—she could lift her hands, but she was clearly in no condition to fight.

Ling Ji helped Xiao Yang out of the carriage. As the curtain was drawn aside, the man in red was standing right at the door.

He reached out a hand to her. Xiao Yang glanced at it and ignored it. The next moment, he pulled her forward and swept her up into his arms.

The rich, cool fragrance, warmed by his body heat, filled her senses. His grip on her tightened, possessive and impossible to ignore.

They were at a residence hidden deep in a mountain forest. A wall enclosed a small, simple courtyard.

He carried Xiao Yang into the main room, set her down on a chair, and left.

Xiao Yang sized up the room. It was fully furnished with a bed and fresh bedding. There was tea on the table, and behind a screen, a hot bath had already been drawn.

Ling Ji entered with a change of clothes. Her expression was as cold and aloof as ever, but her movements were meticulous as she attended to Xiao Yang’s bath and dressed her, one garment at a time.

The clothes she had taken off were embroidered with dragons, but her new attire was a standard woman’s dress.

It was a simple white dress, unadorned with any embroidery, but the fabric was incredibly light and soft. While it appeared white at first glance, it shimmered with an iridescent light as it moved. It was Jue Pearl Gauze, a fabric worth a fortune.

’For a hostage, the treatment is a little too good.’

Ling Ji dried Xiao Yang’s hair, then simply gathered it into a bun with a jade hairpin.

Xiao Yang looked at her reflection in the mirror and was rather stunned. ’So I can look like this... a bit like one of those pitiful, pure heroines from an angsty novel.’

’Tsk. Why does that sound so depressing?’

Ling Ji brought in a meal of three dishes and a soup, each prepared with a delicacy that rivaled the imperial chefs. Xiao Yang was genuinely hungry and ate a full bowl of rice.

However, after she finished eating, she felt something was wrong. Her body felt a little numb.

After she sat for a moment—great. All the strength had vanished from her body again.

’So that’s why they had me bathe before eating. They were afraid I wouldn’t have the strength to do it if they drugged me first.’