Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Nightmare Because even though Sima Rui was drugged and unable to move, the look in his eyes as he stared at "herself" was filled with such fierce hatred that he seemed ready to kill her on the spot. Yet, his manhood remained completely unresponsive. The "herself" in the dream was clearly a novice, utterly clueless, randomly grabbing and rubbing, causing Sima Rui to break out in cold sweat from the pain. The final scenes of the dream were somewhat distorted, and Gan Qiongying couldn’t see them clearly. Thank goodness she couldn’t see them clearly! Early in the morning, Gan Qiongying gasped sharply and sat up abruptly in bed, only to realize she was drenched in hot sweat. She felt like she was going insane. The moment she woke up, Gan Qiongying understood that these weren’t just dreams—they were things Princess Duanrong had truly experienced. Just like that time she left the palace and, after being provoked, dreamed of her past with Gan Lin. It was all real. What kind of mess was this? Ahhhhh, damn it! Gan Qiongying now understood why Sima Rui had asked her yesterday, "That night, you didn’t conceive my child. Were you very disappointed?" A chill ran down Gan Qiongying’s spine, and the hairs on her body stood on end. She quickly rubbed her arms frantically, her expression completely shattered. This feeling made her want to jump into the Yellow River just to wash it all away. Gan Qiongying’s movements were so wild, thrashing around in bed like a frantic rabbit, that Lihua was soon awakened by the commotion. Outside, the sky had just begun to brighten. Having woken from the "nightmare," Gan Qiongying was still shaken, making strange "eek, eek, eek..." sounds. "What’s wrong?" Lihua propped himself up on his arm, sat up, and turned Gan Qiongying’s shoulders toward him to ask. Gan Qiongying looked back at Lihua, her expression indescribable. As "Duanrong," she could understand why Duanrong had acted that way. When people are in desperate situations, they can’t afford to worry about propriety, shame, or whether their plans are clever. It wasn’t just Duanrong—almost everyone was like that. She knew Princess Duanrong hadn’t wanted to do it at all, but she simply couldn’t think of any other way. Moreover, from the dream, it wasn’t just clear that Sima Rui, that tall and imposing man in power, was a little impotent. The way Princess Duanrong acted so awkwardly also revealed that all the male consorts in her rear courtyard were fake. A woman with no experience in such matters had to resort to trying to conceive someone else’s child to break the deadlock. What kind of desperation must she have felt to do such a thing? Gan Qiongying felt deeply sorry for Princess Duanrong. What she couldn’t accept was simply because she wasn’t the real Duanrong and hadn’t yet reached the point of having to go all out with Sima Rui. Thus, the things she experienced and saw in the dream felt too real, twisting Gan Qiongying’s expression. The moment she saw Lihua, Gan Qiongying immediately opened her arms and hugged him, burying herself deeply in his embrace. No, no, this was too much! Gan Qiongying needed to purify her soul. She clung to Lihua, taking deep breaths of his scent, imagining herself as an air purifier—inhaling Lihua and exhaling Sima Rui. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Sima Rui to be completely expelled from her system. "What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Lihua wrapped his arms around Gan Qiongying’s waist and back, lifting her onto his lap to sit facing him, just like he had done the day before. He kept patting Gan Qiongying with his palm. Gan Qiongying let out a muffled "Mm," her voice tinged with gritted teeth. "It really was an extremely terrifying nightmare!" Damn it all. Sima Rui was a little impotent, the kind even drugs couldn't help, yet he still had the nerve to bring it up! And to act all high and mighty with her—what gave him the right?! Because he was a fake prince and a real eunuch? Gan Qiongying felt she had grasped another huge weakness. After the initial shock passed, she couldn't help but bury herself in Lihua's embrace and chuckle softly. Lihua was utterly baffled by her behavior this morning. But he really liked it when Gan Qiongying relied on him like this, snuggling into his arms and whimpering like she was acting spoiled. It made Lihua feel that if he had anything she wanted, he would give it to her without hesitation. Fortunately, Gan Qiongying had no idea about Lihua's inner thoughts. If she knew, she would have made outrageous demands right then and there. First, she’d set a small goal. Ask him for a billion. The two of them washed up together. There wasn’t much good food in the Consort's residence, and Lihua knew Gan Qiongying was extravagant and loved to eat. So, unlike last time, he didn’t have breakfast with her at the Consort's residence. Instead, he took her to the busiest street in Yindu in the early morning to find something to eat. This was the first time since Gan Qiongying had crossed over that she had been so leisurely, strolling around specifically to enjoy good food. The aroma of wontons and steamed buns filled the street, and the calls of vendors and the bustling crowd were endless. Lihua took Gan Qiongying directly to a shop with a modest storefront and very old-fashioned decor. The shop didn’t offer many options—just pickled side dishes, steamed buns, and wontons. Breakfast mostly consisted of these two things, but not many places made them exceptionally delicious. After all, this was an ancient world without the rich seasonings of the modern era, so the flavors were just average. But this shop was particularly generous with its ingredients. Gan Qiongying took a bite of a steamed bun—the filling was a perfect mix of lean and fatty meat, with no flavors competing with the food itself except for a hint of saltiness. Gan Qiongying savored every bite, the taste lingering in her mouth. Across from her, Lihua ate slowly and elegantly, but he consumed quite a few buns, and his pace wasn’t slow either. After finishing the buns, Lihua took Gan Qiongying to have some sweet soup. At first, Gan Qiongying wore a veil hat, afraid someone might recognize her and cause a commotion. But she soon realized her servants had worried too much. The common people were busy with their own lives. Mornings were the busiest time—some were rushing to their businesses, others were taking care of their families. Who had time to notice who she was? Gan Qiongying and Lihua walked side by side on the street, their hands tightly clasped beneath their wide, flowing sleeves. The attendants followed at a distance, ensuring their safety. Gan Qiongying had given them some silver earlier, so they took turns finding food for themselves. Before leaving in the morning, Gan Qiongying had specifically gone into the bathing room, avoiding Lihua, to summon her shadow guards. She asked which four of them had rushed down to save her the day before. The four quickly appeared before Gan Qiongying, but they drew their swords, ready to apologize for their failure. Gan Qiongying immediately stopped them. She couldn’t brainwash them like she had with Manyue, convincing them one by one to cherish their lives. So Gan Qiongying commanded them in Princess Duanrong's tone to preserve their lives well, as they would be of great use in the future. Then Gan Qiongying rewarded each of the four with silver coins. Not only did she not blame them for failing to successfully rescue her yesterday and exposing their identities, but she even praised their bravery. All four were utterly astonished, and even more shocked were those remaining who watched from the shadows.