Chapter 289: Volume 1, Chapter 289 Empress x Top Courtesan (19)

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The Prime Minister requests an audience."

Jiang Zhi buried her face in the young man's embrace, muttering a few words softly: "Noisy."

Wen Ci, upon waking, saw this scene: his black hair scattered beside the bed, the body pressed against his chest warm and soft, the person in his arms clinging to him like an octopus.

They had never been this intimate before.

Even if they had, it was only in his dreams.

Wen Ci rose, his inner garment at the collar in disarray, revealing a mottled scarlet chest, gently covered her with a blanket, dressed, and left the sleeping palace.

Not long after he left, Jiang Zhi opened her eyes, wide awake, propping her chin as she gazed toward the palace gate, smiling softly and said: "He loves me very much."

777 reported: "Love Points are still a question mark."

Jiang Zhi instantly felt deflated, lying on the bed and sighing.

It would be fine if Love Points were zero, but instead it's a question mark; only when an exact number appears does her mission count as successful.

"A man's heart is a needle at the bottom of the sea." She turned over, preparing to continue sleeping.

By the time of dinner, Wen Ci did not come over; she ate dinner alone, someone guarded the door so she couldn't leave, and she didn't really want to either; she picked up a book from the shelf in the room and began to read.

Because she had slept too long during the day, she was energetic at night, finished reading a book overnight, and fell asleep lying on the imperial concubine's chair.

Until she felt the imperial concubine chair beneath her sway slightly, she wearily opened her eyes and saw the young man seated at the table, eating.

Outside, the sky was clear and cloudless, the sun high; golden sunlight streamed through the latticed wooden window into the room, the weather was superb, perfect for an outing.

Jiang Zhi rubbed her sleepy eyes, seeing the palace attendants lifting the chair beneath her, puzzled.

Where are they taking her?

Before she could get down from the chair, the attendants released their hold, and the scorching sunlight outside the palace gate fell on her, instantly dispelling much of her fatigue.

She basked in the sun outside for a while, and from inside came the young man's voice.

"Come in."

Jiang Zhi responded to the call, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and staggered inside, feeling dazed.

Just as she was getting used to the outside light, upon entering the palace interior her eyes seemed blind, she could barely walk, and she immediately bumped into the wooden pillar beside her.

"Thud—"

She clutched her aching head and began to whimper and cry.

"It hurts."

Wen Ci looked at the person resembling a clown, and his expression turned completely dark.

He gave her a faint glance, then immediately ordered the imperial physician to come.

After the imperial physician finished bandaging and left, Jiang Zhi had her forehead wrapped in layers of white cloth, making her look like someone with a mental problem.

She foolishly rubbed her forehead and said somewhat embarrassedly: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wen Ci: "……"

I've never been this speechless in my life.

…

When Jiang Zhi finished her meal and lay back on the bed to be his warm treasure once more, she stared blankly ahead with empty eyes.

So, does he come to sleep with her only because she looks like a warm treasure?

Although she had clearly felt his coldness yesterday, this time she still ended up frozen, her upper and lower teeth chattering, while the young man beside her slept soundly.

"I think he's taking revenge on me in disguise." Jiang Zhi took a deep breath, suppressing the cold that assailed her body.

777 exclaimed delightedly: "Host, I just saw the Love Points fluctuate a bit—it's almost not a question mark anymore!"

Jiang Zhi's expression changed instantly: "Being a warm treasure is fine too—I love being someone's warm treasure!!"

777 couldn't keep up with her speed of changing expressions, only able to secretly admire her.

Truly worthy of being the host!

…

After the warm treasure journey lasting five or six days, Jiang Zhi finally saw hope; the Love Points fluctuated wildly, sometimes turning into garbled code, sometimes crashing outright.

She was furious beyond measure: "It would be better if it were just a question mark!"

777 comforted: "Only six days have passed, host, rest assured—maybe it'll be normal after a month."

One month later.

【Villain vitality decreasing!! Beep!! Host, take note!! Villain about to die!!】

Jiang Zhi: "?"

Can you give me a quick, clean end?

It was already late at night.

After more than a month, Jiang Zhi discovered that Wen Ci only came over during the day, held her to sleep for an afternoon, then left, and never appeared before her at night.

Over time, she developed a bad premonition.

But there were guards outside the palace gate, so she couldn't leave at all; she had considered using talismans to escape, yet for some reason, after waking from a five-year coma, her spiritual energy was nowhere near as full as a normal person's, constantly depleted like a leaking balloon.

She could only be confined in this palace, unable to move freely.

Hearing the sharp alarm of the God Pillar System, she involuntarily recalled five years ago, when her psychological trauma began.

Before she could devise an escape, the palace gate was smashed open, and several dark agents rushed in, hoisted her up, and fled.

Along the way, Jiang Zhi was jostled until her stomach churned; when the dark agents set her down, she covered her abdomen and vomited, nearly bringing up bile.

Just after she finished vomiting, those people treated her like a prisoner, escorting her to a secret chamber.

She saw the white-bearded old man, also known as Old Poison Whip; his expression was grave and tense, but upon seeing her he exhaled in relief and immediately produced a needle, approaching her.

"Hold her down."

Jiang Zhi hadn't thought of struggling, yet she was still firmly pressed to the ground by the dark warriors, her breath nearly gave out.

"You, what are you doing……"

Old Poison Whip didn't answer her question, but instead plunged the needle into her blood vessel.

She clearly felt her blood being slowly drawn out by the needle, her breath growing weaker, her vision darkening—a sign of excessive blood loss.

Old Poison Whip withdrew the needle, walked to the stone bed, and stabbed it into the body of the youth lying there.

Not long after.

【Villain's life restored to normal.】

Jiang Zhi heard the prompt, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Why could her blood heal the villain?

Old Poison Whip had no intention of answering her question; after finishing, he left the secret chamber.

After a quarter hour, he held the herbal decoction and fed it to the youth, then glanced at her with a bland expression and said, "Take good care of Your Majesty."

Having spoken, he lifted his foot to leave again.

Jiang Zhi opened her pale lips, her breath faint, and asked, "Why, my blood, can save him?"

Old Poison Whip halted his steps; after a long while, he left a single sentence and departed.

"Only Your Majesty can tell you."

Jiang Zhi, lying on the ground, quickly guessed a reason.

She pressed her lips tightly together; after her body recovered, she sat cross-legged, gazing at the youth on the stone bed.

Time trickled by.

The youth on the stone bed slowly woke up, he coughed violently, propped himself up to sit, and then noticed her on the ground.

Jiang Zhi asked bluntly: "Is the Gu master they spoke of really you, or me?"

A Gu master lives by absorbing nutrients from Gu insects; if he were the Gu master, he would not be so weak and feeble, even to the point of endangering his life.

And as a Gu insect, she shouldn't be so vigorous and lively.

Therefore, from beginning to end, she is the Gu master, and as the nutrient, Wen Ci's vital force in his body is gradually being drained by her.