Chapter 1263: Qingdai's Gentle Abode
Lin Lang reached out and lifted Qingdai's chin, making her look at him with a serious expression: "I love your shy and charming appearance."
Qingdai's face flushed even redder, her eyes darting away, not daring to look at Lin Lang, but her heart felt like it was filled with a piece of candy, so sweet it was about to melt.
"Your Majesty, then...then let's go back to bed!"
Lin Lang's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. He gently stroked Qingdai's delicate chin with his fingertips and teased with a smile, "Don't rush, I want to see you looking so charming again."
Qingdai felt her body burning up under Lin Lang's gaze, her eyelashes trembling even more violently. She said in a soft, coquettish voice, "If Your Majesty keeps looking, I... I'm going to die of embarrassment."
Lin Lang chuckled softly, "I love seeing you so confused and infatuated right now."
Qingdai, emboldened, touched Lin Lang's abs with trembling fingertips and asked curiously, "Your Majesty, why do you have these lumps on your stomach, while my abdomen is flat?"
"Silly girl, these are called abs. Never seen them before?" Lin Lang's fingertips slid down Qingdai's chin to her earlobe, making Qingdai's breathing become a little erratic.
A thin layer of red welled up in Qingdai's eyes, and she smiled sweetly, saying, "Men and women should not touch each other, so naturally I have never seen that. Do all men have abs?"
Lin Lang's voice was deep and slightly mocking: "Of course not. Only people who are self-disciplined and have a long-term commitment to exercise have chest and abdominal muscles."
Upon hearing this, Qingdai bit her red lips shyly and said weakly, "But Your Majesty, I have never seen you exercise."
"That's because my training method is different from others, so you didn't see it." Lin Lang chuckled, his palm gently stroking Qingdai's burning back.
"Oh? Is Your Majesty's training method different?"
Lin Lang raised an eyebrow and said with a mischievous smile, "I always exercise with my wives and concubines when it's late at night and everyone is quiet, so of course you can't see it!"
Qingdai blushed deeply upon hearing this. She turned her head away in embarrassment, not daring to look into Lin Lang's deep eyes, her voice thick with a nasal tone: "Your Majesty, you're so naughty! Is this something I should hear?"
Lin Lang looked down at the blushing cheeks of the beauty in his arms, his eyes full of doting affection, but his tone carried a hint of deliberate teasing: "You'll find out how I train my body in a moment."
Qingdai buried her face in Lin Lang's chest and let out a muffled groan, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"Your Majesty, I am so shy. No wonder the imperial concubines do everything they can to please Your Majesty. It turns out that being with Your Majesty is so enjoyable."
"Haha..." Lin Lang laughed loudly, flicking Qingdai's nose, "You are indeed very clever."
"Your Majesty, you are the most handsome and majestic man I have ever seen!"
"Hey... I just praised your intelligence, and you're already flattering me?" Lin Lang raised an eyebrow, reached out and pinched Qingdai's burning cheek, the touch was surprisingly soft.
Qingdai's face turned even redder, her neck also flushed crimson, and she said coquettishly, "What I am saying is the truth, I am not flattering you. All the palace maids in the manor secretly admire Your Majesty and dream of winning your favor."
"Oh? So you were secretly in love with me before this?"
Qingdai replied embarrassedly, "Yes, otherwise why would His Majesty have proposed to Consort Ya to terminate my indenture and release me from the manor? I cried and refused no matter what!"
"Because I know that once I am married off and sent away from the manor, I will never see Your Majesty and Consort Ya again!"
At this point, Qingdai's voice was already tinged with tears, and her pitiful appearance was incredibly cute.
Lin Lang hugged the charming Qingdai tightly, gently stroking her fragrant shoulders to comfort her, "Silly girl, don't cry, don't cry. Isn't this a blessing in disguise? Not only were you not banished from the manor, but you also gained my favor and were promoted to the rank of Talented Lady!"
"Hehe..." Qingdai sniffed and looked at Lin Lang with teary eyes, saying, "Your Majesty, my fellow palace maids are so envious of me!"
Lin Lang raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears from Qingdai's eyes with his fingertips, and gently instructed, "Remember, jealousy can make a person unrecognizable. Don't be so naive in the future. Be wary of others, understand?"
Qingdai paused for a moment after hearing this, then pouted and said weakly, "Your Majesty, I don't quite understand. Please enlighten me."
Lin Lang replied, "Your fellow palace maids won't be jealous of the most prestigious imperial concubines and imperial noble consorts; they'll only be jealous of you, who rose through the ranks from the bottom."
"This is a kind of jealousy that is prone to evil in human nature. They will think, why is it you who is favored by His Majesty? Why can't it be me who receives the Emperor's favor?"
"I've been so blunt with you, do you understand now?"
"Now that Your Majesty has said that, I think I understand a little. Could they be secretly trying to harm me?" Qingdai's voice was soft and sweet, yet tinged with lingering fear.
Lin Lang chuckled softly, his tone reassuring with a hint of certainty: "With me here, who would dare lay a finger on you? But you should also be careful not to tell everyone everything."
"After all, you can't see into someone's heart. You may treat someone as a sister, but they may not treat you as one of their own."
Qingdai nodded hurriedly like a chick pecking at rice, her voice soft and sweet with a hint of dependence: "Your Majesty, I will remember this and will only listen to Your Majesty's words from now on."
Lin Lang looked down at the obedient appearance of the person in his arms, his eyes almost overflowing with doting affection: "That's a good girl. It's getting late, we should go back to bed. I'll teach you some skills that can only be understood intuitively."
Upon hearing this, Qingdai's cheeks flushed crimson, even her ears turning pink. Her eyes held a hint of bewilderment, and her soft voice was full of coquettishness: "Your Majesty, what skill can only be understood intuitively and not explained in words?"
Lin Lang chuckled mischievously and whispered something in Qingdai's ear. His words, seemingly suggestive, made her shyly snuggle into his arms, softly scolding, "Your Majesty, you're so naughty!"
"Haha..." Lin Lang's laughter carried a hint of mockery: "I have even worse ones out there, do you want to see them?"
Qingdai's legs went weak at his words, and her voice was as soft as a silk thread: "If Your Majesty continues to tease me like this, I... I really want to crawl into a hole in the ground."
Lin Lang's tone was full of indulgence: "Why are you trying to hide in the ground? My palace is a safe haven for you."
"Your Majesty will make fun of me..."
"Making fun of you?" Lin Lang's tone was sly. "I'm just giving you a heads-up, so you won't be crying and begging for mercy later."
Upon hearing this, Qingdai's face flushed even more, but her eyes glistened with tears, and she said with a hint of coquettishness, "You're so annoying! I won't beg for mercy!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Lin Lang raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously, tracing Qingdai's lip line with his fingertip.
"Then I'll see how long Xiao Qingdai's mouth can stay so stubborn. Have another drink with me, and then we'll go back to bed to rest."
Upon hearing this, Qingdai's shyness had not yet faded, but was now tinged with nervous timidity. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she picked up the decanter beside her.
The glass bottle reflected the dazzling diamond bracelet on her wrist, making her heart beat faster as she carefully filled Lin Lang's glass with red wine.
Then, she poured herself a shallow half-cup, afraid that she might spill it and be impolite.
She held the small wine glass in both hands, her eyes slightly lowered, her eyelashes trembling, and her voice soft yet solemn: "Your Majesty, I respect you and wish to spend the rest of my life by your side, never to leave you, year after year."
Looking at Qingdai's nervous yet devout appearance, Lin Lang's smile deepened. He raised his wine glass and gently touched it to hers, producing a crisp sound.
"Okay." He only responded with a single word, but it was filled with an indescribable tenderness. Then he tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp, the curve of his Adam's apple bobbing sharply and sexily.
Seeing this, Qingdai also mustered up her courage, tilted her head back, and drank the half glass of red wine in one gulp.
The wine, with its subtle aroma, slid down her throat, but a few drops, not swallowed in time, slid down her rosy lips and dripped onto her fair neck, leaving a small damp patch.
Just as she was about to raise her hand to wipe it, Lin Lang leaned down first, his warm lips gently covering the corner of her lips, kissing away the remaining wine stains little by little.
The warm touch made Qingdai blush, and she almost dropped the wine glass in her hand. Her cheeks instantly turned as red as ripe cherries.
She even forgot how to regulate her breathing, and could only stare blankly at the handsome face so close to her with her wet almond-shaped eyes.
Lin Lang helped Qingdai put down her wine cup, then suddenly reached out and picked her up in his arms.
Qingdai let out a soft moan and instinctively wrapped her arms around Lin Lang's neck, pressing her cheek tightly against his broad chest. Her heart trembled, and a sweet ripple spread through her soul.
Lin Lang's steps were somewhat hurried as he gently placed Qingdai on the dragon bed covered with brocade cushions. He leaned down and gazed at her, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.
"The main show is about to begin tonight!" Lin Lang gently brushed his fingertips across Qingdai's reddened eyes.
"Your Majesty, I feel like my heart is about to jump out of my chest, I'm so nervous!" Qingdai looked up at Lin Lang, her eyes shimmering with tears, filled with shyness and admiration.
"Don't be afraid, I will treat you gently."
"Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, I believe in you." Qingdai's shy voice was incredibly soft.
Lin Lang couldn't help but lower his head and kiss Qingdai's trembling red lips.
The kiss was gentle, with a slightly cool temperature, like a feather brushing against her skin, yet it made Qingdai's body freeze instantly.
She opened her eyes wide and stared at Lin Lang's handsome face so close to hers, forgetting even to breathe.
Lin Lang couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Qingdai's eyelashes tremble with nervousness.
He didn't make any further moves, but simply leaned down, his nose brushing against hers, his voice slightly hoarse: "Relax, don't be afraid."
Qingdai nodded shyly, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and slowly closed her dreamy eyes.
The flickering, ambiguous light spilled onto the bed, enveloping the two figures embracing.
The sweet, cloying aroma that filled the air was even more intoxicating than the amber-colored wine.
A light drizzle began to fall outside the palace, making the palace even quieter, with only the two of them breathing softly and sweetly together.
As Lin Lang listened to the soft breathing of the beauty in his arms, his eyes were filled with tenderness.
For Yu Qingdai, this was an unforgettable night, seemingly warmer than ever before.
The brocade quilt was gently drawn, blocking out the spring light from the room.
I felt that this sweet moment was as beautiful as a dream.
She thought that perhaps His Majesty would show her favor and affection, and that their days would continue to be this sweet.
At least, at this moment, she was being kissed by Lin Lang until she was dizzy and overwhelmed with happiness.
