Chapter 18: This Servant Will Dance for You

Lan Wu straightened her body, kneeling on the bed. Seeing Chu Mingheng approach, she came to her senses, lifted the blanket, and prepared to step down to pay her respects.

Earlier, Luo Yun had told her she might experience weakness in her limbs. At the time, she hadn’t felt it, but now, merely placing her feet on the ground, her entire body slid toward the floor like a blanket, collapsing into a seated position.

Chu Mingheng watched this scene without a word, calmly taking a seat on the prepared sandalwood chair nearby.

As soon as he sat down, Lan Wu raised her head. Her eyes shimmered like peach blossoms gently swaying over a spring lake—delicate and beautiful, radiant yet fragile.

In the past, at times like this, Lan Wu would often rest her head lightly on the emperor’s knee. The more she appeared wronged, the more Chu Mingheng’s heart ached for her. Even if she wasn’t in the right, he would still take her side.

But now, everything had to start anew. Unaware that she had already revealed much through these little tricks, Lan Wu still thought she could rely on her past life’s experiences to gain favor.

Luo Yun had already left, and palace maids entered the hall to serve tea to His Majesty.

The fragrance of tea wafted through the air. As Chu Mingheng lifted the lid of the teacup, he caught a glimpse of Lan Wu’s nose twitching slightly.

“Can you tell what tea this is?” he asked, looking at her while slowly rotating the lid in his hand.

Lan Wu, of course, knew what tea it was. Chu Mingheng had taught her to recognize many teas and their aromas, and with one sniff, she knew it was Fengshan Pu’er.

But she couldn’t admit she knew. So, she pretended to sniff the air, shook her head, and replied, “Your Majesty, this servant does not know.”

“This is Biluochun,” Chu Mingheng said without changing his expression, lying outright and even coaxing Lan Wu. “Remember, this is the scent of Biluochun.”

Lan Wu was momentarily speechless, staring somewhat stiffly at the teacup.

It was clearly Fengshan Pu’er. Biluochun didn’t smell like this.

Why was Chu Mingheng deliberately misleading her?

“What, you don’t think so?” Noticing her delayed reaction, Chu Mingheng reached out and gently tapped her head. “Did you damage this when you fell?”

He said “fell.”

Lan Wu bit her lip and shook her head, denying it.

“This servant remembers, the tea Your Majesty drinks is Biluochun…”

Lan Wu raised her head and moved it slightly. Perhaps it was psychological, but she truly felt a slight ache in her head. Anxious, she spoke while touching her face, “Your Majesty, did this servant injure herself in the fall? This servant’s… this servant’s face…”

This time, she felt carefully. Her face was smooth and fair, without a single trace of injury.

Her chin was gently pinched, and her entire face was slowly lifted until her gaze met the emperor’s. His eyes were as calm as an ancient well, devoid of any emotion, merely conveying the meaning behind his words.

“Now you’re worried about protecting this face. Why were you so certain I would catch you when you fell?”

Though his expression remained unchanged, his words carried an interrogative tone.

Lan Wu parted her lips and explained softly and weakly, “This servant… lost strength at that moment. Once Your Majesty spoke, this servant felt at ease. This servant doesn’t know why, but with Your Majesty here, this servant wasn’t afraid… just like last time.”

Having just awakened from a deep sleep, her complexion was still pale, without a trace of rosy blush on her cheeks. Her entire being exuded an air of frailty and illness, yet she could still speak such words—truly enough to stir pity.

Chu Mingheng lowered his gaze, scrutinizing her, trying to detect any hint of deception.

Lan Wu was accustomed to playing the role Chu Mingheng favored, but now she restrained herself, appearing innocent and pitiful.

“Do you know you were drugged?” Chu Mingheng’s cool fingers moved away from Lan Wu’s face, and he spread his hand before her. Soon, another soft, slender hand overlapped with his.

With a slight exertion, Chu Mingheng pulled Lan Wu up from the ground.

Lan Wu still had little strength. As he lifted her, her legs felt weak, but she controlled herself from collapsing. At the same time, she replied to his question, “This servant knows.”

It was precisely because she knew someone had drugged her that she had been in such a hurry to find a place to hide.

“I don’t know who wanted to harm me. One of my dance costumes went missing, so I had to return to the Music Bureau to look for it.” Lan Wu lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance. “On the way, I realized something was wrong, so I stopped. I originally intended to hide in Luoying Pavilion, but I was afraid I wouldn’t make it there, so I climbed a nearby tree instead.”

“It seems your hands and feet are quite nimble. Aside from dancing, you can even scale walls and leap over roofs.”

As he spoke, Chu Mingheng’s gaze, like a stern ruler, lightly fell upon Lan Wu.

Lan Wu shook her head vigorously, shaking so fast she felt dizzy, and then leaned against Chu Mingheng.

“Your Majesty, this servant cannot scale walls or leap over roofs. This servant only knows how to dance.”

Chu Mingheng was tall and imposing, yet not overly burly. Even now, seated in the chair, his presence was undeniable.

He did not seem to mind Lan Wu’s impropriety. After her soft body collapsed against him, he simply supported her waist with one hand.

Feeling how slender her waist was, as if it could easily snap, his eyes darkened slightly.

Lan Wu appeared uneasy. When she woke up, she realized it was already dark, and now, Chu Mingheng seemed to have no intention of sending her back to the Music Bureau. She knew all too well that she could not stay in Taichen Palace without a proper title.

After waiting a while without a response, she lifted her head, looked at Chu Mingheng, and spoke softly, “Your Majesty, would you like this servant to dance for you?”

The best outcome would be for Chu Mingheng to be pleased with her dance, summon her to serve him for the night, and grant her a title the next day.

But her thoughts were simple, and she knew all too well that Chu Mingheng was least likely to grant anyone’s wishes.

Sure enough, after she spoke, Chu Mingheng seemed displeased.

He gripped Lan Wu’s waist firmly, pulling her closer. Lan Wu wore only her inner garments and trousers, and the thin fabric quickly pressed against him.

The chill transmitted through the thin clothing made Lan Wu shiver uncontrollably.

It was early spring, and the nights were naturally cold.

Boldly, Lan Wu extended her arms, carefully clinging to Chu Mingheng’s shoulders. Her bright eyes held just the right amount of timidity and nervousness as she spoke again, “Your Majesty… this servant once learned a dance, one that can only be performed for you. Your Majesty, please watch it…”

The dance Lan Wu mentioned was one she had learned in her previous life. Back then, she had just become Lan Meiren and had endured a month of neglect in her own Longyu Pavilion. The palace maids had given her an idea, so she choreographed a dance herself—a particularly bold one—and performed it for Chu Mingheng.

And then, she regained his favor.

However, after regaining his favor, she had to serve him for several consecutive nights, which she found somewhat unbearable.

But now, even if it was unbearable, she had no choice but to endure it.

She had already stayed in Taichen Palace, so tomorrow she must have a title announced to the harem. Otherwise, the mockery and sarcasm from the entire palace would leave her too angry to speak.

“Are you really going to dance?” Chu Mingheng frowned, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.

He had no idea what Lan Wu was trying to stir up. She had been restless after being drugged, and even after waking up and realizing she had no strength, she remained restless, insisting on dancing for him.

What kind of dance is this to perform so late at night?