Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Night fell unknowingly, and the crescent moon had already hung on the treetops. Mu Junqi sat alone by the window, resting her chin on her hand, gazing at the moon, missing that person. Yet deep down, she understood that no matter how much she missed them, things had changed; perhaps now she was the only one longing for the past.
Suddenly, as if recalling something, a smile spread across her face. Just then, Mur, who had come in to serve tea, noticed her and couldn't help but look puzzled. They had had an unpleasant encounter with the Emperor during the day; what could possibly make her so happy now? "Your Highness, what has made you so cheerful?"
"Mur, let's go out for a stroll. Look at how beautiful the night is," Mu Junqi said excitedly as she walked over and took Mur's hand. Seeing that Mur was unresponsive, she took the tray from her hands and placed it on the table before pushing her toward the door.
When they stepped outside, they brought nothing with them—just the two of them walking slowly through the vast palace. Although it was nighttime, the palace was still lively due to the New Year celebrations. As they walked slowly, they suddenly spotted a grove of apricot blossoms ahead and excitedly made their way over. Even though it was winter and there wasn't much to see on the Apricot Tree, Mu Junqi had grown up in the Apricot Blossom Pavilion, and her favorite thing to do was climb trees with Mur to watch the moon.
Looking around and noticing no one was passing by, Mu Junqi immediately tied up her skirt and prepared to climb the tree. However, Mur worriedly stopped her. "Your Highness, times have changed; you are now the Empress. What would others think if they saw you? Besides, this tree is so tall; what if you fall?"
Despite Mur's warnings, Mu Junqi gazed up at the tall Apricot Tree. Although she felt a bit guilty, at that moment she truly wanted to experience that simple joy from the past again. After adjusting her skirt, she placed her hands on a branch and began to climb step by step, gripping tightly onto the branches and shifting all her weight onto her left foot before pushing herself up.
Mu Junqi carefully climbed each step while Mur held onto a branch tightly, worried that she might fall at any moment. "Your Highness, please come down! If you fall, how can I bear the responsibility?" she urged repeatedly.
The night breeze gently swayed Mu Junqi's skirt as long tassels danced in the wind. Finally reaching a sturdy branch, she sat down carefully and clapped her hands before smiling down at Mur. "Mur, come up quickly! The view here is really wonderful," she said dreamily as she gazed into the distance.
Before her lay the entire palace; although it was night, every hall was lit by palace lanterns that brightened up the sky. The moon hanging in the distance was breathtakingly beautiful.
From below came Mur's anxious calls, but Mu Junqi paid no mind. Slowly standing up, she felt as if she had merged with the air around her; standing still felt like teetering on the edge of an abyss.
"Your Highness, don't stand like that; it's easy to fall! It's safer to come down," Mur urged.
"What’s there to be afraid of? Didn't we often climb trees back at the General's residence? It hasn't been long; I'm fine," Mu Junqi replied with a smile to Mur below as if transported back to those times. She closed her eyes and silently prayed in her heart: I hope he can let me go.
Suddenly, the branches began to shake violently, and Mu Junqi screamed in fright, tightly gripping the trunk. She looked down but could not see Mur's figure. "Mur, Mur, where have you gone?"
What responded to her was a silent stillness. A sense of unease rose within her as she slowly stood up, planning to go down. Mur had been with her for so many years and would never disappear without reason, so her worry only intensified.
However, she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness; her foot slipped, and she fell backward, unable to suppress a scream. In that moment of falling, she slowly closed her eyes, thinking perhaps this was fate.
Just when she thought her life was ending at that moment, her body fell into a warm embrace. But there was no time for her to think; she tightly shut her eyes again, perhaps believing she was already dead since she felt no pain at all. With that thought, she found a comfortable position to lie down.
"Do you like being held like this?" A deep, teasing voice suddenly came from above her head. The voice was so familiar that she panicked and opened her eyes, meeting those deep-set eyes. Her heart raced even more as she quickly lowered her head.
"I... I actually didn't... die."
"Am I now holding a female ghost?" Mo Xiao Li teased.
As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Junqi struggled to get down, standing awkwardly beside him, unsure of what to do. "Th-thank you, Your Majesty," she said while continuing to lower her head.
Mo Xiao Li said nothing but stared intently at her. After a long while, he smiled and said, "I didn't expect the Empress to have this hobby of climbing trees at night."
Mu Junqi felt her heart racing faster, unsure if it was fear or gratitude. It seemed like he always appeared to help whenever she was in trouble. Was everything truly destined by heaven?
With a mocking smile, she raised her eyes to look at Mo Xiao Li with a hint of distance and respectfully said, "Consort acknowledges the crime and hopes Your Majesty will forgive me for disturbing your royal presence. Consort will take my leave now." She made as if to leave.
Mo Xiao Li grabbed her hand and sighed helplessly before saying, "Do you really not wish to be with me even for a moment? I can pretend that what happened during the day never occurred; we can discuss the matter of the child later. But if you are here alone and something happens, what will we do? Even if you have grievances against me, you shouldn't leave Mur behind."
As the words fell, Mu Junqi anxiously looked around and found that apart from Li Fusheng and Zuo Yunqing behind him, there was no one else. A wave of unease swept over him, and recalling the sudden dizziness he felt while in the tree, his anxiety grew. "Your Majesty, did any of you see Mur just now?"
Mo Xiao Li immediately understood, furrowing his brows tightly. He coldly called Zuo Yunqing and instructed, "Investigate who else was here just now. We must find Mur, understood?"
Zuo Yunqing respectfully replied and left. However, Mu Junqi felt his heart racing, unable to help but grip Mo Xiao Li's hand tightly. Suddenly, he realized how cold it was at night and couldn't help but shiver all over, while Mo Xiao Li simply held him tightly.
At this moment, not far away in the shadows of the night, a few people wore malicious smiles as they watched this scene. Beneath their feet lay Mur, seemingly already unconscious.
"Mu Junqi, this time you are lucky, but don't blame me," one of them said before ordering the others to leave quietly.
Comment 0 Comment Count