The Dog Emperor Has Gained Telepathy - Chapter 04 【4】

Chapter 04 【4】

【4】

For a moment, Lu Zhiwan wondered if she was hearing things.

She stood frozen in place, so Xiao Jingting repeated: “Come here.”

As if annoyed by her slow reaction, he even reached out and patted the bed.

Her ears might be failing her, but her eyes could still see.

Staring at the soft, patted bed, Lu Zhiwan’s gaze grew dazed. Good heavens, was this really leading to attending the emperor at bedtime?

If he was determined, she couldn’t refuse given her position. If she handled the rejection poorly and angered the emperor, she might end up with a swift execution, dragged off to the mass burial ground to feed the dogs. Oh well, if you escape the first day, you can’t escape the fifteenth—so what if it was just some intimate activities? She’d never tasted pork, but she’d seen pigs run; all those years browsing certain romantic novels hadn’t been for nothing.

Hadn’t she been worrying earlier about how to deal with the harem bullies? Why not seize this chance to serve the emperor well? If she could successfully cling to his favor and become a favored consort, then even someone like Consort Hu or Beauty Zhao wouldn’t dare mess with her.

With that thought, Lu Zhiwan mustered rare courage and boldly looked the emperor by the bed straight in the eye several times.

Besides, his face wasn’t bad-looking, and he was a virgin who had never bedded any consort or concubine. With credentials like that, if he were in a high-class establishment, he’d easily be a top-tier entertainer, costing a fortune for one night… Hmm, this deal wasn’t a loss.

Quickly steeling her resolve, Lu Zhiwan treated it as if she’d picked up a harem drama script and stopped being coy. Recalling the methods favored consorts used in TV dramas to win the emperor’s favor, she walked toward the bed.

“Your Majesty…” Lu Zhiwan lowered her eyes, pitching her voice into a soft, coquettish tone. “Your humble consort is here. What do you command?”

The deliberately sweetened voice made her own scalp tingle, but men probably liked this kind of cutesy, girly voice, right?

She kept her head down, feigning shyness, completely missing the slight frown on the man’s face.

After silently watching her for a moment, Xiao Jingting spoke evenly: “Sit down.”

“Yes.” Lu Zhiwan obeyed, sitting dutifully beside him.

Xiao Jingting’s thin lips pressed together, then he added: “Hold my hand.”

Lu Zhiwan: “Huh?”

She… hold his hand?

Xiao Jingting narrowed his eyes: “Is there a problem?”

“No, no.” Lu Zhiwan forced a bashful smile. “Your humble consort is just overwhelmed by your favor, so happy she doesn’t know what to do.”

Though she said this, she didn’t dare delay in action, reaching her hand toward the man.

Truth be told, he was good-looking, and even his hands were exceptionally fine.

His wrist bones were broad and sturdy, his long fingers distinct and well-proportioned, fair and clean, with faint blue veins visible on the back of his hand. Even resting casually on the edge of the bed, they exuded an air of noble elegance, like finely carved jade.

Though she knew it was just an act, the moment her fingers touched the man’s warm hand, Lu Zhiwan’s heartbeat skipped, and the blush spreading across her fair cheeks wasn’t entirely fake.

The hand under her fingertips seemed to flinch slightly, but he restrained himself from pulling away.

That tiny evasion made Lu Zhiwan uneasy, and she glanced nervously at the emperor: “Your Majesty?”

Xiao Jingting’s expression remained mostly blank as he stared fixedly at their joined hands. His throat moved, and he said hoarsely: “Continue.”

“…?” Lu Zhiwan was confused. Continue what?

Xiao Jingting: “Hold it.”

Lu Zhiwan: “…”

Though she knew he meant to hold his hand, the way he said it felt a bit odd.

Biting her lip, she suppressed the indecent thoughts swirling in her mind and spread her fingers, firmly grasping his large hand.

Compared to his, her hand was far too delicate and small, unable to fully cover the broad back of his hand—she could only barely hold onto his four fingers.

“Your Majesty, is this alright?” She lifted her face to ask him.

Xiao Jingting met her anxious, cautious, glistening eyes, as if seeing a timid rabbit daring to stroke a tiger’s whiskers.

Now this rabbit’s paw was holding his hand. The warmth and softness of their skin touching felt unfamiliar, strange, and somewhat uncomfortable, yet surprisingly, it didn’t provoke the same disgust and rejection he felt when others touched him.

His thick brows furrowed then relaxed. Xiao Jingting lowered his gaze and let out a low “Mm” from his throat.

It was hard to discern much emotion from it.

But Lu Zhiwan, observing his eased expression, felt he must be satisfied.

Satisfied with her holding his hand? Tsk tsk, who would have thought he’d be such a tsundere, liking it when a girl takes the initiative to get close.

Lu Zhiwan inwardly grumbled, but on the surface, she obediently continued holding the man’s hand.

They sat hand in hand like this for quite a while. Seeing that the person beside her showed no further movement, Lu Zhiwan couldn’t help but wonder—did he plan to just sit holding hands all night?

Though he had never experienced romantic love, at twenty-two years old, even in ancient times, he was no spring chicken. Surely he couldn’t be this innocent?

Was he waiting for her to take the initiative?

Just as Lu Zhiwan decided to proceed to the next step and raised her head, she happened to meet the man’s dark, narrow eyes looking back at her.

Their gazes locked. Her eyes flickered, and Xiao Jingting suddenly released her hand.

Lu Zhiwan was startled: “Your Majesty?”

Xiao Jingting looked at her, his expression unreadable: “It’s getting late. Let’s retire for the night.”

Lu Zhiwan: “…?”

Xiao Jingting pointed to the dragon bed: “You sleep on the inner side.”

His tone remained flat, yet it brooked no refusal.

Though thoroughly confused, Lu Zhiwan obediently followed instructions and climbed into the inner side of the dragon bed.

Her intuition told her that the emperor’s idea of “retiring for the night” probably wasn’t what she had imagined. After all, the atmosphere was utterly baffling, completely lacking the flustered excitement that should precede intimacy.

As it turned out, her intuition was correct.

Their outer robes were removed, the lights were extinguished, and the layers of bright yellow curtains were drawn. Yet the young man and woman lying side by side under the same quilt on the spacious dragon bed did nothing more than that.

Lu Zhiwan in the darkness: “…”

Confirmed—the emperor really was impotent!

Otherwise, how could he remain unmoved and not pounce on a stunning beauty like her lying right beside him? He must have eaten nine Liu Xiahui’s and ten Tang Sanzang’s worth of self-restraint.

But if he was impotent, why did he summon her for attending the emperor at bedtime? Did he want to use her as a front to prove to others that he was capable?

She had no idea how long her wild thoughts continued when the man’s magnetic voice suddenly broke the silence within the curtains: “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Lu Zhiwan’s breath hitched. Then, clutching the quilt corners with both hands, she softened her tone: “Your Majesty, this concubine is too overjoyed and excited. The thought of sharing a bed with Your Majesty feels like blessings accumulated over three lifetimes. It still seems like a dream.”

After she finished speaking, the person beside her remained silent for a long while.

Remembering her gentle and considerate persona, Lu Zhiwan tilted her head and asked: “Your Majesty, why aren’t you asleep either?”

This time, he finally deigned to speak: “Your breathing is too erratic.”

Lu Zhiwan: “…?”

“I won’t touch you. Go to sleep quickly.”

“???”

Lu Zhiwan’s cheeks burned with heat, her heart seething with resentment—as if she actually wanted him to touch her!

Fortunately, the darkness concealed her gritted-teeth expression, and the man beside her could only hear her gentle, soft voice: “Since Your Majesty finds this concubine’s breathing too erratic, I shall cover myself with the quilt to sleep. Your Majesty should also rest soon, as there is an imperial court session at the fifth watch tomorrow. If you lack proper rest, it would be this concubine’s grave fault.”

After these words fell, the bed curtains sank into another prolonged silence.

Lu Zhiwan: “…”

Why has he gone silent again? Is he really this aloof?

Before she could ponder further, the man’s indifferent voice sounded beside her: “Sleep.” At least this alleviated some of the inexplicable awkwardness within the curtains.

Lu Zhiwan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and remained silent.

Though it was an unfamiliar bed with a strange man lying beside her, once she accepted his “incapable” setting, Lu Zhiwan let go of her nervous vigilance. The exhaustion accumulated throughout the day transformed into drowsiness that washed over her, and she soon fell into a deep slumber.

The moonlight was hazy, and all sounds ceased.

Listening to the even breathing beside his ear, Xiao Jingting slowly opened his narrow eyes and turned his head to look sideways.

The dim light within the bed curtains made it impossible to discern the woman’s features clearly, revealing only a vague silhouette.

Due to her presence, besides the familiar scent of ambergris incense he always used, there was now a faint, elusive sweetness of feminine powder and fragrance…

There were plenty of pretentious women in the rear palace, but she was the first whose acting was so clumsy yet didn’t provoke his disgust.

The question remained: how long could she keep up this act?

As for why he alone didn’t reject her touch and allowed her to stay by his side—he would observe a while longer.

***

The next morning, Lu Zhiwan was shaken awake.

One moment, she was dreaming of buying a jianbing guozi with extra egg, sausage, and chicken strips—fragrant, golden, and crispy. Just as she was delightfully about to take a bite, someone shoved her arm hard.

The deluxe jianbing guozi fell to the ground with a “thud,” and her heart shattered along with it. Ready to curse at whichever fool had been so careless, she opened her eyes to meet a cold, expressionless, yet handsome face: “Finally decided to wake up?”

It took Lu Zhiwan a dazed moment to remember where she was now. Her groggy head instantly became clearer than after drinking eight cups of iced Americanos. Blinking her still-moist dark eyes, she clutched the quilt and offered the man by the bed an awkward smile: “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

Xiao Jingting took in her expression: “It’s not early.”

Lu Zhiwan glanced outside—the light beyond the curtains was still gray, and the sky hadn’t even brightened. How was this not early?

Xiao Jingting stated: “The imperial court session is at the fifth watch. It’s already past the fourth watch.”

Lu Zhiwan let out an “ah,” looking at him with some sympathy: “So Your Majesty attends court this early every day? That must be truly arduous.”

But he was going to his court session—why did he have to shake her awake?

Wait, she was the bedchamber concubine now. If the boss had to go to work, how could an employee keep sleeping in!

Mentally scolding herself for her denseness, she looked up to see the emperor gazing at her with a “you-have-a-brain-but-not-much” expression.

Lu Zhiwan: “…” Seems like I’ve been looked down upon.

“Your Majesty, please forgive this concubine. It’s my first time attending the emperor at bedtime, and I’m truly unfamiliar with some protocols. I beg your understanding.” She rose from the cozy bedding while earnestly promising: “Next time, I’ll be more attentive!”

“Next time?” Xiao Jingting cast her a faint glance: “You wish to attend the emperor at bedtime again?”

“Ugh…” What kind of terrible question was this? How was she supposed to answer?

If she said she wanted to, it would make her seem immodest. If she said she didn’t, it would go against her plan to cling to his favor and become a favored consort.

After wrestling with her thoughts, she decided to cast aside her shame and throw caution to the wind. Her clear, dark eyes gazed at the man before her as she blinked innocently: “To be honest with Your Majesty, before I even entered the palace, I had heard of Your Majesty’s renowned reputation and developed deep admiration. Yesterday, when we met by chance, I saw that not only was Your Majesty as handsome and dashing as the rumors claimed, but you were also broad-minded and did not hold my mistakes against me. This virtuous and magnanimous character of yours has only deepened my respect. If Your Majesty does not find this humble consort too foolish, I would naturally be willing to stay by Your Majesty’s side and serve you wholeheartedly.”

After delivering this affectionate speech with tender feelings, Lu Zhiwan nearly gagged at her own words. She could only secretly pinch her palm to remind herself of an actor’s discipline—her expression mustn’t break, and her eyes must convey sincerity!

Though the night had faded outside, the light in the bedchamber remained dim and hazy.

Xiao Jingting lowered his gaze, watching the seemingly shy and obedient woman before him for a long moment. Suddenly, the corner of his lips quirked upward as he let out a low chuckle.

This ambiguous laugh left Lu Zhiwan completely baffled.

What was he laughing at? She was pouring her heart out in a confession—couldn’t he show a little respect for her acting skills?

Fortunately, Xiao Jingting only laughed once before schooling his expression and stepping closer.

His tall figure abruptly loomed over her, those profound dark eyes looking down at her from above as he spoke in a low, measured tone: “You say… you admire me?”