Chapter 293
Until the last performance, the two people beside her seemed to behave themselves and finally stopped talking. Su Qiuge’s attention was now fully focused on the performance.
In the front, ten women dressed in white used their water sleeves dipped in ink to paint on a long white cloth on the ground. The women’s supple waist movements contrasted with the vigorous ink strokes on the cloth, which, illuminated by the soft and bright lights on the water, looked incredibly beautiful.
Following closely, the women with long water sleeves gathered together to form a long square formation. Soon after, the formation opened up, and several other women, dressed more neatly and carrying long swords, emerged from within. Su Qiuge realized that it was the sword dance.
The sword dance had many variations, and coupled with the exquisite skills of these women, their graceful shadows reflected on the walls of the boat like enchanting paintings. The playful banter and laughter on the stage grew even livelier, and Su Qiuge watched with great interest.
However, for some reason, as she watched, she furrowed her brows slightly. She sensed an unusual atmosphere, and this feeling grew stronger and stronger. When she stood up, the woman in the center of the stage, who was dancing with her long water sleeves, suddenly flicked them—
Revealing a glimmer of chilling light, akin to a blade.
Su Qiuge’s pupils contracted. This glimmer of chilling light swiftly passed by, and the dancing women in white suddenly transformed from graceful figures into Bai Wuchang, the white impermanence that claimed lives. They flew toward a distant pavilion.
Soon after, high-pitched screams from the courtesans on the stage and the sound of drawn swords from the guards could be heard. The lotus lanterns in the distance, knocked over by someone unknown, ignited into a raging fire on the water, casting a scorching glow as it spread in this direction.
In this originally cheerful and laughter-filled banquet, a streak of bloodshed suddenly appeared. But this was only the beginning, as a heart-wrenching cry of “Protect the Emperor—” resounded.
Su Qiuge noticed that these pavilions were interconnected. In the midst of this chaos, no one dared to put out the fire, and the speed at which the distant flames spread far exceeded her imagination.
Amidst the chaos, the maidservants screamed and fled. Meanwhile, the green-robed man with a smile, who had been by her side when the incident occurred, had already picked up the woman in the pale yellow garment. With a light tap of his toes on the lake’s surface, he flashed her a smile and ruthlessly dashed towards a distant location.
Su Qiuge looked at the flames spreading from afar and the assassins in white, then glanced at the water behind her. She remembered Han Ming’s light footwork as he carried Wen Mingming over the water’s surface. Clearly, he wasn’t just an ordinary attendant from the brothel. She suddenly felt a bitter feeling in her heart.
This was her dream, after all. Why were all these people flaunting their skills in her dream? Although she appeared to be a princess on the surface, in reality, she felt as helpless as a mere Muggle. Apart from having many male companions, she had no other abilities.
Could this dream get any more ridiculous? Can it be a little more damn funny?n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Thinking up to this point, Su Qiuge looked at the terrifying flames rushing towards her with a mix of sorrow and anger. She gritted her teeth, thinking, did they really think she wouldn’t dare? Maybe she would wake up after dying!!
With that thought in mind, her gaze became even more resolute, and she closed her eyes and tilted her body backward towards the water behind her. With a “splash,” the sound of someone falling into the water resounded, and the woman’s veil landed on the shore, engulfed by the tongues of fire. Ripples spread across the water’s surface.
Soon after, a figure dressed in red also followed, plunging into the water. The elaborate attire traced a graceful shadow on the water’s surface.
As Su Qiuge sank into the icy lake, she truly sensed that she was about to die.
The suffocating sensation was very real, so real that it made her once again doubt whether this was truly a dream. Just by thinking about it, she suddenly regretted it, regretted her impulsive decision to jump in.
Just as she was about to struggle, more and more water flowed into her mouth and nose. The dreadful feeling of being unable to breathe overwhelmed her, and she instinctively thrashed about, using all her strength. But after the momentum of her struggle passed, her limbs gradually lost strength, becoming weak and limp, and her descent accelerated.
When she was on the verge of giving up, she suddenly felt the flow of water around her speeding up. Then a piercing plum blossom red entered her field of vision.
Suddenly, her weak and limp hand was grasped tightly by someone and pulled into their embrace. His body radiated intense heat, the only source of warmth in this frigid lake, and it made her whole body feel hot.
Then, his lips covered hers, scorching her body and causing her to tremble slightly. Unable to resist, she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He was helping her breathe.
Her originally pale complexion gradually regained color, and her body was lifted upwards by him.
At the moment they broke the surface of the water, the two of them held each other tightly. She struggled to open her eyes and noticed several lotus lanterns drifting on the lake’s surface. The dim yellow light reflected on the water’s surface. The man embracing her had exquisite features, and the red birthmark between his eyebrows appeared even more striking and mysterious.
It was as if a water-dwelling demon had caught its prey after they fell into the water, eagerly observing its captive, contemplating where to begin.
He stared at her intently for a while, and his slender fingers brushed away the wet hair clinging to her face. Then, he leaned close to her ear and asked, “Princess, how should you repay this life-saving grace?”
Su Qiuge coughed a few times and looked at this demonic face, hating him with all her heart. Even in a dream, not everyone had the courage to contemplate such matters.
Su Qiuge was finally about to escape from this incredibly absurd dream, enduring so much suffering, but who would have thought that this person would directly pull her back up? Frustrated and furious, she said, “Didn’t I tell you to stay far away? Do you really think this princess would be interested in a lowly servant like you?”
But as soon as she said those words, she regretted it. Although she knew he wasn’t him, it was difficult for her to speak such harsh words while looking at his face. However, who would have thought that when he heard her words, his expression darkened slightly. He forcefully turned her face, ignoring her resistance, and bit her lips directly.
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