The Vicious Supporting Villainess’s Chronicle of Serving Pleasure (Historical 1v1, H) - Chapter 5

Near noon, the sun was viciously harsh. Fan in hand—a round tapestry-silk fan—Shen Chiying stepped straight into the hall without any announcement.

Everyone in the Qianqing Palace lowered their heads and averted their eyes; no one dared stop her.

The empress was notoriously jealous; every so often she would “raid” the place. The eunuchs were long used to it.

His Majesty kept no maids at his side, but even if the empress saw a eunuch with delicate features, she would order him switched out at once.

His Majesty never minded, so they, mere servants, naturally turned a blind eye.

The Qianqing Palace was where the emperor handled daily affairs of state and received his ministers. Red pillars and carved eaves, floors paved in gold bricks—everywhere the awe of imperial power.

Her close maid did not follow her in. Shen Chiying lifted a hand to wipe the fine sweat at her brow and, lotus steps shifting lightly, let her gaze drift over the furnishings as if by happenstance.

Rounding a floor screen lacquered red and traced with gold, she saw the emperor in black court dress seated straight behind the writing desk, a wolf-hair brush in hand as he reviewed memorials.

Shen Chiying gave a casual curtsey, then went forward of her own accord to loop her arms around the man’s, voice sweet. “Your Majesty~ I missed you so much…”

“Don’t make trouble.” Huan Jin’s face was set. One hand pushed her away; the other continued working the vermilion brush over the memorial. “Do you not see I’m handling state business?”

He sat steady in the nanmu imperial chair. Broad-shouldered and tall, even seated he was nearly eye level with her; coupled with the razor edge of long-held authority, he was enough to make one quail.

Catching her unprepared, the push sent Shen Chiying staggering back a few steps. She blinked, startled—

Would an emperor this cold, this near to heartless, truly do as the chapbook wrote: stand outside a mountain temple in a rainstorm, waiting for forgiveness from the heroine, her elder sister?

But she was his “life-saving benefactor” now…

Or was it that, as the male lead of the story, Huan Jin was fated to love only the heroine?

“If you have business, speak. If not, withdraw. Don’t hinder me here.” Huan Jin’s cold voice cut off her thoughts.

The moment she had pressed herself against him just now, a heat had surged up in his lower belly.

Seeing her now, black eyes damp and standing there dazed, his irritation only mounted, his expression turning colder and sharper.

Shen Chiying bit her lower lip, an instinct to retreat flickering.

But she knew the plot to come and had no wish to sit and wait for death. In the next few days she had to get pregnant with that child!

“It’s the first of the month. I’ve just come from the Cining Palace. Seeing it was close to midday, I thought to take lunch with Your Majesty.” Her tone was soft and fine.

When the man showed no displeasure, Shen Chiying gathered her courage and sat on his lap, arms looping around his neck, her eyes flowing with coy affection.

“I know Your Majesty is busy with affairs of state—but you should still eat on time and take care of your dragon body.”

This time Huan Jin did not push her off. He lowered his gaze to the woman in his arms, voice careless. “Oh? It seems I’ve let down the empress’s good intentions.”

“I wouldn’t dare. I only ache for Your Majesty’s daily labors.” Shen Chiying’s cheeks were flushed; the tip of her nose brushed his prominent Adam’s apple.

As expected, Huan Jin’s eyes darkened at once, his breath roughening.

Shen Chiying melted into him and let her slender hand drift down, finding a sudden, insistent bulge—her fingertips kneaded lightly.

“By Your Majesty’s grace, I’m quite recovered today. After lunch, shall I serve Your Majesty for a nap?”

Her crimson pearl-satin ruqun plunged low; her full, plush br3asts all but spilled out. Snow-pale skin glowed pink like ripe peaches—press a finger and sweetness would run.

Huan Jin’s eyes narrowed. “Is the empress tempting me to debauch in broad daylight?”

High summer was stifling enough. He was in the brute prime of his strength, and last night he’d forced his desire down to sleep.

With her teasing now, it was as if a wicked fire rampaged in him; his c0ck ached with hardness.

Just then, a herald’s voice poured over them like cold water, shattering the charged air: “Reporting to Your Majesty and the Empress: Princess Duanhui seeks audience outside the hall.”

Shen Chiying’s pupils shrank. The words burst out of her: “Don’t let her in. Send her away at once!”

Huan Jin arched a brow and said mildly, “Have her wait outside until I summon her.”

The eunuch standing beyond the screen froze for a beat, then hurriedly answered, “Yes.”

“Why does Your Majesty want to see her!” Shen Chiying’s eyes went wide.

Huan Jin pinched her chin, gaze like a searchlight. “Why does the empress not want me to see her?”

He had had no intention of receiving Shen Wanhua, but seeing this fierce resistance, curiosity pricked.

“Because—because Elder Sister bullied me back then. I don’t want to see her…” Shen Chiying’s eyes flickered.

In truth, she hadn’t.

The Princess Royal and the Marquis of Wuxing had long lived apart. As the princess’s daughter, Shen Wanhua had been raised in the princess’s residence from childhood.

Shen Chiying, as a child, had been placed with her birth mother, Lady Meng, in a remote, dilapidated villa on the outskirts. After Lady Meng died, she was brought back to the marquis’s estate—but put in the servants’ quarters.

The two sisters had rarely interacted, let alone bullied each other.

She had hardly dealt with anyone in the princess’s residence, servants included. It was the marquis’s side that had long allowed the servants free rein to grind her down.

Huan Jin stared, eyes darkening; in their depths an extra shade of appraisal. “Lying.”

“Little liar. You always blink when you lie.”

He forced her to meet his eyes, rough fingertips lightly scraping her fine, pale skin.

“Do you know that deceiving your sovereign is a capital crime under the law?”

The rasp of his calluses brought a subtle shiver. Shen Chiying’s heart pounded like a drum; her scalp even tingled.

She had lied to Huan Jin more times than she could count. If one tallied them, even exterminating nine clans might not suffice.

Her fingertips dug into her palm, and she couldn’t help thinking again of how she had stolen the credit for saving his life.