Chapter 70 Fengdu Ghost Banquet 15

"Do you want to go up? I'll help you." Seeing Xia Qi didn't respond, the Ghost Emperor rubbed his chin against Xia Qi's forehead.

Xia Qi's bangs were pushed up by the gesture, revealing a smooth expanse of forehead.

The cold wind on his forehead gradually brought Xia Qi back to his senses.

At this moment, he was entirely sprawled in the Ghost Emperor’s arms, with the latter’s hands wrapped around his back.

He had clearly already climbed to the second level of the artificial hill, so he found it hard to imagine how the Ghost Emperor was holding him now.

So, is the Ghost Emperor currently in mid-air?

Xia Qi wrapped his arms around the Ghost Emperor’s shoulders and looked down, only to find that one of the Ghost Emperor’s feet was lightly touching a stone, while the other dangled, almost in a one-legged stance as he held Xia Qi.

Impressive, this is quite acrobatic.

Though up close, the Ghost Emperor looked like a celestial being with his flowing robes, from a distance, his posture and appearance must have been quite terrifying.

If Concubine Lin and the others came over, they would likely be frightened out of their wits by the Ghost Emperor’s ghostly appearance.

Xia Qi couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his eye and said, "Alright, let's go up the hill."

"Good." The Ghost Emperor chuckled, then gently leaped upward, pulling Xia Qi directly to the top of the artificial hill.

The sister, who had already lain down on the second level, quickly pretended to be dead the moment she saw the Ghost Emperor appear.

Later, when she heard the two leap up, she carefully parted the branches, blocking her stone cave tightly, and settled down for a good sleep.

Upon reaching the third level of the artificial hill, Xia Qi discovered a different world up there.

At the top of the massive artificial hill, several large rocks formed a depression. From below, it looked like a shallow cave, but upon reaching the top, it resembled more of a nest.

More surprisingly, this nest had been pre-arranged, covered with a layer of white jasmine flowers and leaves, soft and comfortable, like a meticulously designed romantic bird's nest.

As Xia Qi was lifted and pressed into the nest, he realized he might have fallen into another trap.

Inhaling the elegant fragrance around him, Xia Qi turned his head, squinted his eyes, and looked at the man whose hand was reaching under his neck, saying, "Was the nanny sent by you?"

He knew they would sneak here, so he waited for him again?

Hearing this, the Ghost Emperor’s expression didn’t change. He casually pulled Xia Qi closer to himself and changed the subject, "I often come to the artificial hill in Shou'an Palace to enjoy the night view. Meeting you tonight is truly a sign of our destiny."

If Xia Qi were new to Fengdu, he might have believed the Ghost Emperor’s fabricated story. In Fengdu, there is no sun during the day and no moon at night; the sky is as dark as the bottom of a pot. What kind of night view could one possibly enjoy?

It would be more practical to admire a frying pan.

Even more absurd was his forced theory of destiny. Xia Qi seriously doubted that the Ghost Emperor had been tracking them since dusk.

As for the pre-arranged nest on the top of the artificial hill, Xia Qi thought it might be prepared just like My Love Palace, long before they arrived.

However, Xia Qi had no intention of letting him off the hook and deliberately said with a cold face, "Shou'an Palace is Concubine Qian's territory. Do you often come here to admire the night view? Why? Are you interested in Concubine Qian?"

Hearing this, the Ghost Emperor choked.

"I have no interest in them." The Ghost Emperor grabbed Xia Qi's hand and nervously explained, "I don't often come to Concubine Qian's Shou'an Palace. Don't misunderstand me."

"Uh-huh." Xia Qi nodded, responding indifferently.

"Are you angry?" Seeing his cold expression, the Ghost Emperor lifted his hand, kissed his palm, and said anxiously, "If you don't believe me, ask Concubine Qian. She has never seen me... I don't even know what she looks like."

"Stop it." Xia Qi pressed his lips together, pulled his hand down, and said, "Let's not talk about it anymore."

With their sister lying downstairs, if they continued this elementary school romance-like conversation, they might really make middle schoolers laugh out loud.

Seeing that Xia Qi refused to continue speaking, a hint of worry gradually appeared in the Ghost Emperor's eyes, as if he was afraid Xia Qi was still angry.

Originally, the Ghost Emperor had adjusted his features in this scenario, making his eyes deeper and more enchanting. His gaze had always been gentle and indulgent, with a slight upward curve at the corners. Now, with worry and anxiety in his eyes, it was as if stars were twinkling in the water, making Xia Qi's skin crawl.

Just as Xia Qi was about to explain a few things and tell him to stop looking at him, footsteps sounded near the rockery. Someone yawned and said, "Now that Concubine Wu has been punished, what else does Noble Consort want us to search for? I don't think we'll find anything. Let's just walk around a bit and go back."

Another patrolling palace maid chimed in, "Tsk, who can guess what the Noble Consort is thinking? Could there be two lovers hiding in Shou'an Palace?"

Xia Qi: "..."

Ghost Emperor: "..."

Sisters, jokes shouldn't be taken this far.

The palace maids yawned and strolled below, searching very half-heartedly without even bothering to look up, let alone climb the rockery to search for anyone.

Listening to the chaotic footsteps below, the Ghost Emperor clutched Xia Qi's hand, forcing him to look at him.

What now?

Xia Qi raised his eyes and found the Ghost Emperor still frowning, stubbornly waiting for his answer with an urgent expression.

If it weren't for the people below, Xia Qi would have kicked him.

The palace maids were still wandering around below, but the Ghost Emperor couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned in, bringing his nose to touch Xia Qi's, their hot breaths intertwining, growing louder.

His meaning was clear: if Xia Qi wasn't angry, he wanted a kiss.

Xia Qi looked into his bright eyes and remained silent for a moment.

There was no choice; he had to deal with the boss he had summoned. Who else could blame him for his bad luck?

Xia Qi leaned forward slightly and pressed his lips to his.

This was the first time Xia Qi had taken the initiative, and the Ghost Emperor, feeling the softness, was so excited that his eyes even curved into a smile.

"What was that?" At this moment, the palace maid below the rockery suddenly paused in her steps and asked.

Not knowing who had just made a sound, Xia Qi's toes curled up in tension. His lips remained motionless against the Ghost Emperor’s, his eyes fixed on the Ghost Emperor’s, fearing he might come up with some new trick.

Due to Xia Qi's prolonged immobility, sweat beads formed on his back, and his cheeks burned hot. Unexpectedly, at this moment, the Ghost Emperor pried open his mouth and greedily swept his tongue inside.

Xia Qi felt as if an electric current had shot through his spine, causing him to shudder uncontrollably. Fortunately, he managed to suppress himself and did not make a sound.

"Oh, it's just a bug." The maids below the rockery parted the grass and looked around before saying, "I must have been mistaken."

"Let's go back and report to Concubine Lin," the maids said as they slowly left the area of the rockery.

Hearing the patrolling maids finally leave, Xia Qi pulled back his stiff neck and let out a long sigh.

"Bonus experience +99"

As long as he engaged in close behavior with the Ghost Emperor, he could gain bonus experience. However, Xia Qi thought this experience was useless, as he had no interest in leveling up to become a concubine.

Finally calming down, Xia Qi raised his head and looked at the Ghost Emperor with displeasure.

The Ghost Emperor, having taken advantage for so long, was naturally delighted. However, seeing that Xia Qi showed signs of wanting to attack, the Ghost Emperor waved his other large hand and covered Xia Qi with his sleeve, enveloping him in his arms and changing the subject: "It's cold tonight, I'll cover you. You're tired, rest for a while."

Suddenly being tightly held again, Xia Qi sighed helplessly.

After seizing Concubine Wu, Concubine Lin seemed unsatisfied because he hadn't caught Xia Qi, instead uncovering the scandal between Concubine Wu and Concubine Qian.

From outside the wall, Concubine Lin's voice was heard again: "There are still others hiding in Shou'an Palace, continue guarding!"

Xia Qi: "..."

Concubine Lin, oh Concubine Lin, are you planning to keep me here all night?

If Xia Qi hadn't guessed that Concubine Lin had a personal grudge against him, he would have thought that Concubine Lin was also a wingman sent by the Ghost Emperor.

Listening to Concubine Lin giving orders outside the wall, the Ghost Emperor's eyes were filled with amusement.

"Go to sleep."

Before dawn, Xia Qi was woken by his sister.

In fact, his sister had woken up early but didn't dare to get up because she wanted to wait for Xia Qi to wake up first.

Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, there was no movement from the third floor.

As she waited, she realized time was running out and worried about being late to Shouju Palace, so she steeled herself and got up, calling out "Brother Xia" a few times upstairs.

The moment Xia Qi heard his sister's voice, he woke up in the Ghost Emperor's arms.

"Awake?" the Ghost Emperor whispered, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Mm-hmm." Xia Qi nodded, noticing that the man was still holding him tightly, making it difficult to turn his neck.

Xia Qi struggled a couple of times, but the Ghost Emperor didn't let go. He lifted his head and looked at him in confusion.

The Ghost Emperor looked down at him, his gaze full of meaning.

"Want a good morning kiss?" Xia Qi blurted out, almost involuntarily.

The Ghost Emperor: "That's what you said."

Xia Qi: "..."

This guy never stops.

Xia Qi secretly resolved to move into Concubine Lin's room tonight and see if he would still come.

His sister stood below the rockery for a long time, and when she noticed Xia Qi hadn't come down, she walked away.

Hearing his sister leave, the Ghost Emperor grew bolder. Soon, strange water sounds came from the rockery, followed by rustling noises.

Five minutes later, Xia Qi climbed down from the rockery and found his sister playing with flowers far away. He said expressionlessly, "Let's go."

The two ran back to Shouju Palace. As soon as they entered, a second-class maid said to Xia Qi, "Selected Lady Xia Qi, why is your face red again? Are you really not sick?"

Xia Qi: "...I'm not sick."

It's others who are sick.

Xia Qi braced himself and entered Shouju Palace, finding all the concubines already present. They sat with various expressions, the hall deathly silent.

Yesterday, the three concubines were seated on either side of Concubine Lin, but this morning, only Concubine Sun remained in her position.

Unexpectedly, Concubine Wu and Concubine Qian were both caught overnight, leaving the other concubines in awe. They wondered when Zhao Fei and Concubine Wu had gotten together, and how they had completely missed it.

Apart from the confused concubines, Concubine Sun, who had a relationship with the white-collar lady, wore a look of disbelief.

Originally, he had evidence against Concubine Qian and Concubine Wu and planned to choose an auspicious day to report to Concubine Lin, hoping to share in the rewards. But unexpectedly, Concubine Lin transformed into a patrol captain and caught Concubine Qian and Concubine Wu on the spot, making the single concubine position seem less appealing.

While Xia Qi and his sister stood aside watching the drama, a second-class maid nudged their arms and whispered, "You two are quite relaxed. We were busy all night. Today, you're responsible for serving tea."

"Alright."

Xia Qi and his sister walked to the back of the main hall, where the teahouse was located in a cottage outside. His sister walked ahead of Xia Qi and was the first to step out.

Unexpectedly, just as she lifted the curtain, she bumped into something with her head.

She paused, rubbed her head, and then touched the thing she had hit. Feeling it, she realized it was cold and hard, very much like a pair of feet.

Her whole body trembled, and she looked up to find a pair of feet above her head, wearing bright red mandarin duck embroidered shoes, looking very festive.

The younger sister swallowed hard, took a step back, and mustered the courage to look up.

Above her hung a person, their features contorted almost beyond recognition. Her bulging eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and a blood-red tongue protruded from her crimson mouth, stretching almost to her collarbone. As she swung continuously, the red tongue fluttered like a ribbon in the air, swaying back and forth.

"Ah!"

The younger sister screamed and fell backward, landing directly on the ground.

Xia Qi: Did you get permission to build that bird's nest on Concubine Qian’s territory?

Someone (changing the subject): That’s not a bird’s nest; it’s clearly a love nest.