Chapter 177: Chapter 177: A Blade in the Sheath

’...Suffer?’

Liang Wan froze for a moment, her brow furrowed as she stared at the inscrutable man. ’What does he mean by that?’

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about Gao Qian.

Gao Qian smiled, caressing her face. "As long as you submit to me and obey my commands, your outcome will be different from before. Remember that, won’t you?"

His eyes were vacant, his tone soft and full of coaxing.

His icy fingers, like a squirming worm, slowly crawled across her face, leaving an invisible yet strangely scented trail.

Liang Wan’s lips paled. Waves of nausea rose from her stomach, and she fought to keep them down.

"Your Majesty—"

"Shh, don’t speak," Gao Qian’s eyes darkened as he pulled her into his arms.

Liang Wan felt as if she’d been devoured by a carnivorous plant, enveloped by him, covered in its sticky sap. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin.

Gao Qian buried his head in the crook of her neck. His long arms were like vines, winding around her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"I don’t torture you because I hate you, but because I adore you. Every time I see you struggle and resist, I feel an extreme sense of pleasure, as if I’m watching myself fight back!"

"You don’t understand. I envy you, but I also resent you!"

"I love watching you struggle, but I’m also curious when you’ll finally compromise. You never give me what I want, and that makes me very unhappy—"

"This time, you must be obedient. Otherwise, if you were to die, I would be very sad..."

He was lost in his own world, muttering to himself.

Liang Wan couldn’t make out what he was saying, nor did she care.

In her eyes, Gao Qian was not a sane man.

Her eyes darted around. Not only was there no one else in the hall, but it was also a moment when the tyrant had let his guard down. This was the perfect opportunity to strike.

Liang Wan’s heart hammered in her chest, a mix of urgency and anxiety. ’First, I’ll knock him out with the hairpin, then I’ll feed him the drug...’

She glanced at the jade hairpin. It had been thrown too far away. Reaching for it was impossible and would certainly startle the muttering man.

Suddenly, her gaze froze, her eyes fixed on the top of his head.

Liang Wan smiled and hugged him back, patting his back gently while carefully reaching for the hairpin tying up his hair.

The moment her hand closed around the hard pin, he suddenly shoved her down. The hairpin was wrenched free, and his long hair cascaded down.

"What are you trying to do?"

His dark pupils constricted as he stared at her without blinking. The man who had been in a daze moments ago was gone.

Liang Wan’s breath hitched. Gritting her teeth, she hooked her arms around his neck, pulled him down, and smiled with narrowed eyes. "I only wished to serve Your Majesty by helping you remove your robes and your hairpin—"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Gao Qian kissed her ear, his hand sliding down the line of her waist.

Liang Wan’s eyes widened. She raised her hand, ready to stab.

Suddenly, the man on top of her grunted and collapsed to the side.

Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Liang Wan turned her head and saw Gao Qian curled into a ball, clutching his head with a pained expression.

A wave of relief washed over her, and her grip on the hairpin loosened.

Liang Wan gasped for breath, her hands slick with sweat.

"Someone, get in here! My headache... it’s back—"

His hoarse roar was filled with pain. His whole body trembled, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down from his temples.

Gao Qian suffered from headaches.

An idea sparked in Liang Wan’s mind. She scrambled to her feet and glanced outside the hall. He had indeed dismissed everyone.

"Your Majesty," Liang Wan knelt beside him, pressing on his temples. "Let me massage them for you. I promise the pain will be gone in a moment."

He lifted his bloodshot eyes. "You?"

His fierce gaze was terrifying.

Liang Wan suppressed a shiver. "If I cannot ease your pain, Your Majesty can kill me. How about that?"

He sneered, but soon clutched his head and groaned again.

Liang Wan ignored him, getting up to search through his discarded outer robe. A sachet embroidered with an insignia-like flower slipped out.

She snatched it and, without hesitation, stuffed it into Gao Qian’s hand, her voice laced with concern. "Your Majesty, smell this. The pain will go away soon."

He clutched the sachet, his blood-red eyes glaring at her.

Liang Wan bravely ignored his gaze. ’Isn’t this the opportunity I’ve been waiting for all this time?’

"Your Majesty, trust me!"

Her voice was earnest and full of conviction.

Liang Wan took his hand, brought the sachet to her own nose, and took a deep sniff. She looked up at him. "There. Does Your Majesty feel at ease now?"

Before he could answer, she pushed his hand and the sachet back toward his face.

Gao Qian sniffed it suspiciously. There was a faint floral scent, tinged with a trace of bitterness.

It was an extremely familiar smell, the same one that came with the secret monthly reports.

Strangely enough, this subtle fragrance soothed him, and he was addicted to it.

He felt at peace when he smelled it, and anxious when he couldn’t.

Gao Qian’s suspicions vanished. He inhaled deeply, drawing the scent into his nostrils strand by strand, and the fragrance gradually eased his pain.

Liang Wan gently helped him lie down and began to massage his pressure points. She expertly pressed the points on his wrists, neck, and head, one after the other.

He lay flat on his back while she sat with her head bowed, their faces close, their gazes meeting.

Liang Wan looked at him with a faint smile. "Your Majesty, are you feeling better?"

A haze clouded his eyes for a moment. He stared at her, mesmerized. "My lady, you have such skillful hands."

Liang Wan lowered her lashes. "I am glad Your Majesty is pleased."

Gao Qian suddenly grabbed her hand, his gaze unwavering. "My lady is so wonderful. I can’t bear to let you go back to him."

Liang Wan kept her eyes downcast. "When he returns, Your Majesty can simply demand me back."

Gao Qian’s eyes locked onto her. "Are you trying to make me force him to rebel?"

A chill ran down Liang Wan’s spine, but her expression remained impassive, and her hands never stopped their massage. "Wouldn’t this be a perfect way to test his loyalty to Your Majesty? If he dares to rebel, I will kill him for you."

"Oh? And how would my lady kill him?" He gave a sharp tug, pulling her on top of him.

"Tell me." He tilted his head back, his gaze predatory.

Liang Wan gave a cold smile, leaned close to his ear, and whispered a few words.

The man beneath her clearly stiffened, the heat that had been rising from him instantly cooling.

In Liang Wan’s downcast eyes, there was only a sneer.

She slid off him gracefully, ignoring the man who lay frozen on the bed.

"I have dallied with Your Majesty for quite some time today. I should be heading back, or people will become suspicious."

As she spoke, Liang Wan reached for her clothes.

Gao Qian’s brow furrowed faintly.

In this life, he hadn’t been the one to train her, yet she bore the shadow of his teachings everywhere.

He stared blankly at her back. She had clearly become the way he liked, so why did he still feel so unsettled?

Lying down, Gao Qian held up the sachet and examined it closely. "My lady may leave, but this sachet must stay."

Liang Wan’s hand, in the middle of tying her sash, froze.

’Leave it?’

’There is no way I can leave it here!’

’If someone discovers what’s inside, not only will all my efforts be for naught, but I’ll also die without a proper burial!’

Liang Wan spun around and lunged to snatch it back. "If Your Majesty keeps it, someone might see it!"

But Gao Qian acted as if he’d discovered a fun new game. She would snatch, and he would dodge.

It made him laugh out loud.

Finally, after much effort, she succeeded.

Liang Wan had just breathed a sigh of relief.

When suddenly, a hand clamped firmly around her waist. "My lady, don’t go. Just stay here in Taiji Palace."

"Your Majesty!"

A shrill cry suddenly rang out, startling them both into looking toward the source of the sound.

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