401: Chapter 41 The Empress's Questioning!

Ji Hongxue's voice lacked any hint of emotion, yet it was like icicles in the dead of winter, piercing straight into Su Chen's heart—chilling him to the core.

Su Chen shuddered, his survival instinct instantly taking over his brain. The muscles on his face rearranged themselves rapidly, piling on a brilliant, sincere, and utterly sycophantic smile.

Awkwardness in the air? Non-existent. As long as I smile sweetly enough, awkwardness can't catch up to me.

"Hong... Hongxue, look at what you're saying. Aren't we being a bit too formal?"

As Su Chen spoke, his feet weren't idle either, shuffling over with small steps. His posture was smoother than an old eunuch who had served in the palace for decades, emphasizing a humble and attentive demeanor.

"I just came out of seclusion! I rushed over to you without even catching my breath! Heaven and Earth be my witness, I've been thinking about you every single second!"

Su Chen's voice was sickeningly sweet, his tone anxious and aggrieved, as if he truly were a devoted lover who had waited eighteen years in a cold cave.

[Ugh... even I want to throw up hearing those words.]

[Whatever! For my kidneys, for my life, I'm going all out! Oscar gold statue, here I come!]

On the Dragon Throne, Ji Hongxue didn't even lift her head. Those ink-jade phoenix eyes remained locked onto the memorial in her hand, her slender fingers idly stroking the edge of the scroll.

After a long while, she finally uttered two words.

"Is that so?"

Her tone was as flat as a straight line, yet it was more heart-stopping than the most severe interrogation. It was filled with disbelief, mockery, and a coldness that felt like a dimensional strike.

Su Chen's heart skipped a beat, and his spirits sank halfway.

[Crap, this trick isn't working.]

[Does this woman have mind-reading powers? This is definitely the highest level of the silent treatment! If this conversation keeps going like this, I'm going to be talked to death by her.]

Cold sweat trickled down his spine as Su Chen's brain worked at high speed, his CPU nearly burning out.

[All talk and no action is just a facade; I need to show some technical skills!]

Su Chen's eyes darted around, and with a slide of his feet, he instantly circled behind the Dragon Throne—Ji Hongxue's blind spot and the best position to perform the "Su Family's Unique Technique."

His hands reached out, landing steadily on Ji Hongxue's shoulders.

He began to massage!

With moderate pressure and experienced technique, his fingertips moved precisely over every Acupoint.

The sequence of movements was as smooth as flowing water. His professional level left the Female Armored Guards standing at the palace gate stunned—with such technique, even the Imperial Physicians would have to call him "Master."

It couldn't be helped; these were survival skills earned through countless "lessons of blood and tears"!

"Hongxue, you deal with a myriad of affairs every day and work so hard for the state. It's truly exhausting."

As Su Chen massaged, he whispered into her ear, his voice deep, magnetic, and so gentle it could practically turn into water.

"Look at these shoulders, they're as hard as rocks; your neck must be sore too, right?"

"In the future, leave this kind of tedious work like reviewing memorials to me! Don't move!"

Su Chen's tone was sincere, putting on an "if I don't enter Hell, who will?" posture.

[Anyway, I'm just saying it. Could you really throw the Imperial Seal to me? The posture must be sufficient, and the promises must be grand.]

"You just need to be responsible for being as beautiful as a flower and ruling the world."

As soon as these words were spoken, the tense atmosphere in the hall seemed to loosen slightly.

Immediately after, a very faint sound came from deep within Ji Hongxue's throat.

"Heh."

This light chuckle was airy, yet it struck Su Chen's heart like a heavy hammer. It wasn't cold, but it certainly wasn't warm either, carrying an inscrutable playfulness.

Su Chen was overjoyed.

A good omen! I'm not afraid of you scolding me, I'm only afraid of you not talking! If you're willing to speak, it means my kidneys can still be saved!

[Stay steady, Su Chen! As long as the hoe is swung well, no corner is too hard to dig!]

Striking while the iron was hot, Su Chen took a deep breath and began to deliver the "tragic script" he had already drafted.

He wanted to package himself as a "lone hero" who was forced by circumstances, burdened with heavy responsibilities, and had to travel far from home.

"Hongxue, you also know that Ruyan and Ling Han were taken by the Netherworld, and their lives are currently hanging in the balance."

Su Chen's voice dropped, carrying a perfectly measured tremble and sorrow. "Now even Qingzhu has ascended to the Upper Realm for my sake."

He paused, seemingly calming his emotions, then suddenly raised his volume, his voice filled with determination: "They are all Su Chen's women! If I fear death now and don't go to save them, then... am I even still a man?!"

These words were spoken with such righteous indignation that they could move heaven and earth.

He portrayed himself as a tragic hero who, for the sake of family, responsibility, and love, had to leave his wife and children behind to rush to the battlefield.

While speaking, Su Chen wasn't idle either, his peripheral vision locked onto Ji Hongxue's reaction.

He keenly captured that when he mentioned the Names "Ruyan" and "Ling Han," the hand Ji Hongxue used to hold the vermilion brush paused imperceptibly.

Though it was only for a split second, and the ink didn't even smudge, Su Chen still caught it.

There's a chance!

I bet right!

Although Ji Hongxue was the Iron-Blooded Empress, she was first and foremost a woman, and one who had accepted her status as the "primary wife." At a time like this, she had to show the poise and magnanimity of the legal wife.

[Hahaha! Ji Hongxue, oh Ji Hongxue, no matter how peerless your majesty is, don't you still have to give me, the head of the household, some face?]

The little person in Su Chen's heart was already dancing wildly, as if seeing a beautiful future where he could escape perfectly and even make a profit on the way.

As expected.

The speech ended, and the hall fell into a brief, deathly silence.

"Clack."

A soft sound.

The vermilion brush in Ji Hongxue's hand finally landed on the dragon desk.

She slowly turned around.

On that beautiful and majestic face, her emotions remained unreadable. Only those bottomless phoenix eyes were quietly locked onto Su Chen.

Her gaze was no longer as bone-chillingly cold as before; instead, it held a sense of... composure and playfulness, as if she had seen through a clown's antics.

Su Chen felt uneasy under her gaze, the hair on his back standing on end as a chill rushed straight to the top of his head.

It felt like standing naked under a spotlight; all his little thoughts and schemes were seen clearly by her.

"Finished?"

Ji Hongxue spoke calmly. Her voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable sense of pressure.

Su Chen instinctively shrank his neck and nodded like a woodpecker. "Yes, I... I'm finished."

"Well said."

The corners of Ji Hongxue's mouth curled slightly into a playful arc. "Full of emotion and deeply moving. I almost couldn't resist applauding you."

[Holy crap! That's sarcasm, right? That's definitely sarcasm?!]

[This smile is too creepy! It's like the final mercy before a cat plays with a mouse! It's over, it's over, my kidneys are trembling!]

Just as Su Chen's mind was filled with frantic thoughts, and he was already considering which kneeling posture was the most standard...

Ji Hongxue suddenly raised her hand.

That jade hand, which once commanded the realm, now carried an irresistible magic.

Her cool fingertips lightly hooked under Su Chen's chin.

Then, she applied a bit of pressure.

Forcing him to lift his head and look her straight in the eyes.