483: Mistaken for a beauty

Situ Jun paid no heed to her rebuke; his consciousness had long been clouded by the alcohol and the Yang fire power within his Meridians, causing the desires in his heart to amplify.

His nose brushed against her hair, inhaling the faint scent of her bath. The fragrance was fresh and elegant, somewhat similar to Xia Wei's aura, which further immersed him in his drunken world.

He whispered softly:

"Weier, tonight... tonight I will continue helping you clear your Meridians..."

Liu Airu felt cold all over, her fingertips numb with tension. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest, and she couldn't even speak.

She wanted to struggle, to push him away, and to wake the drunken Situ Jun so he could see her clearly—to see that the person before him was the Empress of Tianqi, not the Xia Wei he spoke of.

But just as she raised her hand and met his gaze, he suddenly lowered his head and covered her lips.

His kiss carried the roughness of intoxication, grinding and lingering with an irresistible force, yet it was also mixed with a trace of subtle, cautious tenderness.

The scent of alcohol between their lips rushed into her mouth, burning her throat and making her head spin, until she even forgot to struggle.

Liu Airu was completely stunned, her pupils shrinking and her mind going blank as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

She was the Empress of Tianqi, the Mother of the World, yet here in her own Kunning Palace, she was being treated as a substitute and toyed with by the City Lord of the Northern Frontier!

The shame and anger in her heart reached a peak. She secretly loathed Situ Jun's confusion and his haste to kiss her before even seeing who she was, leaving her feeling bitter and helpless.

"Let me go! Situ Jun, how dare you!"

Liu Airu snapped back to her senses. A strong wave of shame and anger surged in her heart as she jerked her head away to avoid his kiss. She pressed her hand against his chest to push him away, her voice low but tinged with hysteria.

But Situ Jun was already blinded by alcohol and obsession, with only Xia Wei's image in his heart; he could no longer hear anyone else's words.

Feeling the struggle of the person in his arms, he did not let go. Instead, he held her tighter, his other hand stroking her cheek as his thumb gently caressed her skin, as if to soothe her unease.

Then, he bent down and picked Liu Airu up in his arms.

His movements were unsteady from the alcohol but remained stable; his strong arms held her legs and back firmly, leaving her unable to move.

Being held in his arms, the moment her feet left the ground, Liu Airu's fear reached its peak. Her hands instinctively gripped his robes, her knuckles turning white, her eyes filled with terror.

"Weier, tomorrow... tomorrow we return to the Northern Frontier..."

Situ Jun carried her toward the inner chamber, his steps stumbling while he continued to murmur, his voice carrying a hint of heat and urgency:

"Tonight... tonight I will help you step into... step into the threshold of cultivation... open the Spiritual Veins in your body..."

His words reached Liu Airu's ears clearly, word by word, making her heart fill with shock, anger, shame, and resentment.

She was shocked that Situ Jun actually wanted to clear the Meridians for the "Xia Wei" he spoke of in her Kunning Palace to help her start cultivation; if this got out, it would be a massive scandal.

She was angry that he treated her as a substitute for Xia Wei and toyed with her so brazenly, treating her, the Empress, as nothing and the rules of the Tianqi Imperial Palace as non-existent.

She was ashamed of their intimate posture—a man and a woman alone together late at night; if they were caught, she would have no way to explain herself.

She was resentful that as the Empress, she had fallen to such a state—neglected by the Emperor and toyed with by a foreign official. This position of Empress was nothing but a joke.

She was the Empress of Tianqi and the glory of the Liu Clan; when had she ever suffered such humiliation!

Ignoring the suspicion and rumors that would follow if she were discovered, she wanted to call out to the palace maids to come and save her.

But just as she opened her mouth, before she could make a sound, Situ Jun lowered his head again, blocking her voice with his lips. His kiss grew deeper and more domineering, swallowing all her words.

Liu Airu's body was stiff, trembling all over with tension, her fingertips cold. In her daze, she could only let Situ Jun carry her as they stumbled into the inner chamber.

The moment they entered the inner chamber, Situ Jun channeled the hot spiritual power within him and closed the door with a thought. The copper lock clicked shut, completely isolating them from everything outside and cutting off all hope.

Inside the hall, red candles burned high, their flickering flames casting a warm glow that made the gilded carvings on the walls look even more opulent. The room was filled with festive red.

The alcove bed was hung with red embroidered gauze curtains, the pearl tassels on the edges swaying gently. The bed was covered with layers of red Dragon and Phoenix quilts, with intricate embroidery and fine stitching.

Situ Jun stumbled to the alcove bed with Liu Airu in his arms. The alcohol and the surging Yang fire power made his steps light, but as he reached the bed, his grip loosened slightly, and he placed her very gently onto the quilts. In that movement, there was a hidden tenderness that even he hadn't noticed.

Before Liu Airu could use the support of the bed to struggle and get up, he leaned over and covered her. The hem of his black robes brushed against the edge of the bed, becoming entangled with her moon-white silk nightgown.

The scent of alcohol on him was crisp, mixed with the pine fragrance he always carried, and further blended with the faint orchid scent from her bath. The three scents intertwined and fermented in the small space of the inner chamber, creating a dizzying atmosphere that wrapped around her nose and heart.

His kisses fell quickly and heavily, carrying drunken heat and an undeniable possessiveness, sliding from her cool lips all the way to the side of her slender neck. The warmth of the Yang fire power scorched her skin through his lips, causing patches of crimson to bloom on her neck.

There was tenderness and affection in that kiss, but it was not meant for her. It was the deep love belonging to another woman, which was now mistakenly bestowed upon the Empress of Tianqi.

Liu Airu turned her head desperately to avoid him, her fingertips pressing against his firm chest as she used all her strength to push him away. But her strength before him was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz due to shame and fear, yet she gritted her teeth, maintaining the final pride and integrity of an Empress:

"Situ Jun, look clearly! I am Liu Airu, the Empress of Tianqi, not Xia Wei! If you continue this insolence, it will be the great crime of treason!"

But Situ Jun's consciousness had long been churned into a state of Chaos by the strong alcohol and restless Yang fire power. The words in his ears were blurred, turning into fragmented murmurs that could not reach his heart or mind.

He looked down at the woman beneath him. The candlelight fell on her elegant face, casting a hazy, soft glow. The anger and panic in her eyes appeared to his drunken vision as the pouting of Xia Wei when she occasionally lost her temper.

Those slightly reddened eyes, glistening with unshed tears, made a wave of inexplicable pity rise in his heart, causing his kisses to become even gentler.

He leaned down, his nose brushing against her temple. His husky voice was affectionate and stubborn, wrapped in a deep love that couldn't be dissolved as it fell by her ear:

"Weier, be my Dual Cultivation Dao Companion... be my wife... alright?"