Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 31

The surrounding heat clung to her skin, dyeing it a shade of red. Lingxi lay low on the ground, even feeling as if steam was rising from it.

But compared to the burning heat, the words of the person before her left her even more at a loss.

Lingxi couldn’t find the words to respond. Her fingers, supporting her weight against the ground, curled slightly.

The candlelight flickered, casting Zhao Qingsui’s shadow beside her. Perhaps because she was leaning forward, Lingxi could clearly hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

One beat after another, echoing like a drum in her ears. In an instant, a thousand emotions surged through her, roaring like a giant wave several meters high, as if about to swallow her whole.

“Your Highness.”

Her voice lowered unconsciously.

“Please calm your anger.”

“I am devoted to you, with no divided loyalties.”

“There is indeed someone in the troupe who has been passing messages in the brothel. I do not know the recipient, but I recall seeing a mark on the handle of his fan. It looks familiar, yet I cannot recall where I have seen it before.”

“That is all I noticed.”

As Lingxi lowered her head, her forehead touched the cool ground, making a dull sound.

The person before her remained silent for a moment, as if struggling to pull back her reason. Then, in a calm voice, she asked, “What did the mark look like? Do you still remember?”

“I remember. It was a rectangular frame with a rhombus inside,” Lingxi paused, staring at the carved patterns on the wooden floor, frowning slightly. “It seemed like a bird about to take flight.”

Zhao Qingsui suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Is that so? That mark certainly speaks of ambition.”

“But whether these wings can bear such ambition is another matter.”

Her voice was low, no longer filled with the anger of moments ago, but instead carried the sharpness of a hunter eyeing its prey.

Lingxi’s fingertips pressed against the ground, tracing the curves of the wooden patterns.

“Your Highness.”

She called softly.

“Mm.”

Zhao Qingsui responded unconsciously, the sharp edge in her tone dulling. Only after she uttered the sound did she realize it.

“Even if he has wings, I will cut them off for you.”

Lingxi’s voice was light and slow, but as soon as the last word fell, an unmistakable fierceness emerged. Yet, when it gathered before her, it carefully avoided Zhao Qingsui.

It was more like… a protective barrier, shielding her in the center, disregarding right or wrong, logic or reason. Even if everything turned upside down, Zhao Qingsui’s word would be the only truth.

The person in front of her remained on the ground. The dim candlelight cast a soft glow from the side, and the once upright figure now carried a slight curve.

Zhao Qingsui’s gaze swept over her and then suddenly stopped. A subtle feeling rose within her. She brushed her fingertip over the intricate patterns on the table, as if something was gnawing at her bones.

A few words surfaced in her mind, their shape barely forming before she dismissed them.

Beside her, a cup of hot tea was prepared. Zhao Qingsui lifted it, taking a sip. The warmth of the tea spread through her throat, calming her thoughts.

“What explanation does my consort have for being a woman?”

Lingxi lowered herself further, as if releasing tension.

“I once had a twin brother. He went missing when we were young. My mother, not wanting to lose the heir’s position, had me take his place. She planned to restore our identities once he was found, but he never was. My mother passed away, and my father took me back to the Lu residence, where I could no longer reclaim my true identity.”

“I never intended to deceive Your Highness.”

“But you did hide your identity from me.”

Zhao Qingsui set down her tea calmly.

“I deserve death.”

Lingxi kept her forehead pressed to the floor, unable to see Zhao Qingsui’s expression. Her words, void of emotion, only heightened the unease, as if she were blindfolded in an unfamiliar place, the rushing wind masking all other sounds, leaving her unable to predict or evade.

The veins on the back of her hands stood out from the tension, her palms growing clammy.

“If Your Highness wishes to…” Lingxi hesitated for a few seconds, but the words wouldn’t come out. Her shoulders trembled slightly before she finally said, “I am at Your Highness’s disposal.”

The words had barely left her lips when she heard a faint sound—the rustling of silk.

“What is it that I should do?”

A cold voice suddenly whispered beside her ear. The shortened distance between them made Lingxi freeze.

She fixed her gaze on a delicate swirl in the wooden floor’s pattern. A faint fragrance drifted toward her, gradually filling her breath.

“Nothing.”

Lingxi spoke, only to realize her voice was hoarse.

Zhao Qingsui seemed to be studying her, her burning gaze lingering on Lingxi’s form. After a long pause, the oppressive air eased slightly. She straightened up and asked, “Is there anything else you are hiding from me?”

“Your Highness, I dare not.”

“Is that so? Is there anything you wouldn’t dare to do?” Zhao Qingsui arched an eyebrow. “You dared to enter a brothel. You dared to conceal your identity.”

“I acknowledge my guilt.”

Zhao Qingsui flicked her sleeve lightly, looking down at Lingxi. “Your life is spared, but punishment is unavoidable. I will postpone it for now, but if there is a next time, no matter the reason, I will not tolerate it.”

“As for your true identity,” Zhao Qingsui paused, looking out at the bright moon, her gaze deep and unreadable. “I will not report it to the Emperor.”

Lingxi was stunned. She looked up abruptly, seeing the hazy moonlight falling gently upon Zhao Qingsui’s figure.

As Zhao Qingsui turned her head, their eyes met.

Was it an illusion? Lingxi thought she saw a faint softness in her otherwise cold gaze.

“I am grateful for Your Highness’s grace.”

At the doorway, Zhao Qingsui seemed to remember something. She turned back and said in a cool tone, “Throw away the clothes you changed out of. Do not keep them.”

A chill swept over Lingxi, enveloping her.

“Yes.”

After Zhao Qingsui left, Lingxi immediately summoned Chai Gao and ordered him to dispose of the clothes.

When Chai Gao was about to leave, he looked at her, still unsure, and asked, “Consort, are you alright?”

“Didn’t you say His Highness hadn’t returned yet?”

“He really hadn’t returned then. It was just right after you entered the room that His Highness came back. As soon as he stepped through the gate, he sensed something was wrong. He asked the servants, then came straight here. Are… are you okay?”

“…It’s nothing. You may leave.” Lingxi waved her hand to dismiss him.

Late at night, Lingxi opened the window to let fresh air into the room. The cool breeze brought the scent of greenery,
quickly clearing the mixed smell from earlier.

Outside, everything was dark. Lingxi kept her eyes open but felt no sleepiness at all. She should have felt relieved that, even after her confession, Her Highness had not sent her away.

But Her Highness’s reaction—or rather, the difference in her reactions to the two matters—left Lingxi confused.

The clearer the mirror in her heart became, the more Lingxi feared looking at it, afraid of seeing herself in it.

Round and round, she couldn’t avoid the question no matter what.

She sighed silently. The cool air she breathed in was swallowed instantly by the heat in her chest.

The next morning, Lingxi gave the mark she had drawn the night before to Su Rui and told her to present it to Zhao Qingsui after she woke up. Then Lingxi left the mansion to go to the Court of Judicial Review. She needed to discuss the clue she had found the previous night with Li Cai.

“Lord Li, have you ever seen this mark before?” Lingxi unrolled the drawing from her sleeve and showed it to Li Cai.

“This… I don’t know it. In the capital, many big families have their own private marks. They use carved seals for personal use, and these seals serve many purposes—for appraisal, trade, and also for sending letters.”
Lingxi lightly tapped the mark with her finger and said slowly, “Hmm, I thought it wouldn’t be that easy. But still, keep a closer watch on that opera troupe. Since they’re passing messages, it probably isn’t something good.”

“Yesterday, I also personally went to the Ministry of Works’ Bureau of Weights and Measures to check the records.
There was nothing unusual. No one borrowed any green vitriol oil. All use was internal to the ministry.”

Lingxi frowned slightly and said thoughtfully, “Hmm, maybe someone tampered with the records in advance. Or maybe, after learning the formula, they made it on their own. How is the prisoner in the jail? Did you get anything out of him?”

Li Cai shook his head helplessly. “No progress. He insists he doesn’t know anything, only that he was delivering a letter.”

They discussed the matter until noon, coming up with many possible theories but no proof to confirm any of them.

In the following days, Lingxi often brought people to the opera to watch the performances. Once, she happened to see the troupe perform acrobatics instead. She spotted the tall, thin man who had passed a message with the man in linen and white fan.

That man drank a mouthful of wine and then spat it out. It turned into sparks that lit up in the air, flashing quickly before Lingxi’s eyes.

When Lingxi returned to the mansion that day, she happened to meet Zhao Qingsui’s carriage also arriving.

Recently, Lingxi had often stayed late at the Court of Judicial Review, working hard to follow up on the broken clues.

Naturally, she rarely saw Zhao Qingsui.

Still, Su Rui would always be waiting at the gate for her, sometimes even preparing porridge and snacks for the night.

Su Rui jumped down first, holding a small stool and reaching out to help the person inside the carriage. Lingxi raised her hand slightly inside her sleeve, stepped in to take Su Rui’s place, and said, “I welcome Your Highness.”

Just as Zhao Qingsui was about to place her hand down, she heard Lingxi’s voice. Her hand dropped in the air, and her brow raised slightly. “The consort returned early today.”

A faint warmth spread across Lingxi’s hand. Zhao Qingsui’s smooth skin touched her as she got out of the carriage.

Once Zhao Qingsui stood still, Lingxi lowered her arm to let go. Zhao Qingsui seemed to notice the movement but did not pull her hand away.

Lingxi lowered her head and avoided her gaze, staying in that posture.

The two of them entered the gate together. Zhao Qingsui looked to the side at her and asked, “Does the consort have a rest day tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“What plans do you have?”

Lingxi bowed and said, “I will follow Your Highness’s arrangements.”

“Good. Tomorrow I plan to visit the waterway near the capital. You shall come with me.”

“Yes.”

That night, when Lingxi returned to the courtyard after practicing her sword, she saw Su Rui waiting at the door.
Was she here again with porridge and snacks?

“Consort.” Su Rui bowed and handed her a cup of tea with both hands.

“Hmm.”

Lingxi wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Then Su Rui continued, “Her Highness ordered me to tell you—she wants you to attend her in bed tonight.”

The next second, Lingxi began to cough violently.