A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated 1

29

"Duke is here?" she slowly began to get herself out of bed, managing a slight bow, "I wish Duke good health."

Chu Beijie narrowed his eyes, clasped his hands at his chest and used a posh voice, which most royalties used. "I heard you were sick?"

Pingting had originally thought that when she was sick, Chu Beijie would visit her because he'd remember their previous times with each other and be nice to her. Then she'd ask about her master and escape. But she'd been sick for ten days, and there'd been no news of Chu Beijie. She told herself it was only natural, but deep down in her heart, it ached bitterly.

He continued in a mocking kind of question,"You're not beautiful and without the blinds, you can't play this seduction game, so you've swapped to the desperate measure game?"

Seeing Chu Beijie had made her feel happier, but hearing his cold words made her feel completely upset. She mumbled to herself, "I AM sick".

At that moment, all the pain in her heart from the events that had happened since the separation from her Master, seemed to overwhelm her. Two shiny, transparent tears trickled down her cheek.

Chu Beijie didn't hear the reply to his question and was about to yell at her when he saw her shoulders quivered. Bending down, he saw two reddish eyes and a tear-stained face. The person in question had become a crying mess, ever so quietly.

"What are you crying for?" He frowned, "Shut up."

She didn't want to cry in front of the Duke of Zhen-Bei or infuriate him, so she bit her lip hard.

Chu Beijie watched her. He then grabbed her shoulders, helped her up and said "Don't bite your lips. You may cry now."

Pingting's wet eyes flickered towards Chu Beijie, her head not moving, refusing to let go of her lip.

Chu Beijie didn't like being disobeyed. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "If you cry, I'll kill the people of Hua Residence."

Pingting looked at Chu Beijie's eyes, they were serious. What is Hua Residence to him anyway?

When she finally let go of her lips, there was a slight dent on them. She quickly dried her tears and made anunyielding face as she raised her eyes towards Chu Beijie, not wavering even one bit.

What she didn't know was that expression made Chu Beijie's heart skip a beat.

"I've seen a lot of women cry. It's utterly useless." His words were very close to Pingting's ear and her hammering heart threatened to jump out of her chest.

"Sit here," he said breezily, pulling her into his arms.

"Ah......."

"Don't move, or else you'll fall" An unusual powdered scent filled his nostrils. Letting his hand brush across Pingting's face intimately, he asked, "Hey, what powdered scent are you using?"

Pingting was both nervous and embarrassed, for Chu Beijie's smell and heat were clouding her thoughts. She thrashed about weakly, trying to push the mountain-like body away, half wanting it, but half rejecting it. After a while, she gave in and started to relax but stillwith a roll of her eyes; accepting herself to suffer in Chu Beijie's arms.

"Does it smell nice?" She deliberately softened her voice, her tone like the women at brothels.

She was good at it, for Chu Beijie felt himself stiffen.

She smiled even more sweetly and looked right into his eyes, "You are a well-educated man so I'm sure you've heard of Sifang grass right?"

Chu Beijie's eyes were like lasers, wanting to pierce through Pingting's cheek.

"Sifang grass is an extreme poison, the leaves appear in four colours and its scent is rather sweet." Pingting replied, "I rebelled against the Duke, meaning my life will be a living hell, so I might as well just end it all by dying."

She's just a maid, where could she get such a poisonous plant? Chu Beijie didn't believe her at all, but seeing her cute eyes made him hesitate slightly. "Since it's such a rare poison, I must try it." He squeezed Pingting's shoulder, locking her in his arms more tightly and slowly raised her lips towards him.

She could feel his breath against her cheek.

Pingting, although pampered at her residences, had never experienced this kind of situation before. As the man approached her, she was suddenly at a loss. Despite her confusion, she managed to shout, "Moran! Hurry up and tell the King that the Duke of Zhen-Bei kissed me!"

Chu Beijie was confused.

They heard a crash outside. Chu Moran had really been outside and had heard everything. He had knocked over a flowerpot in surprise when Pingting started to yell for him.

"Go tell the King, that His Majesty and the Queen won the bet! The Duke of Zhen-Bei really kissed me!"

It was all too sudden and Chu Beijie thought he had fallen into a trap of some sort. Pingting took this opportunity to kick free with all her remaining strength, roll away and now she was sitting at the opposite end of the bed, hugging her knees protectively while glaring at him.