Let Me Go, I’m Not Pregnant - Chapter 17

Late at night, the palace maids were asleep, and even the dogs were slumbering.

Everything was silent, with no sound to be heard in the surroundings.

Emperor Luo, who was very close to someone, suddenly had a bad premonition. He had both his hands braced against the person’s chest when he was about to step back, but the person behind him grabbed the back of his collar and forcefully pulled him backward.

Their eyes met at close range, and a cool breeze blew by.

Emperor Luo’s heart suddenly felt a chill.

He gazed at the person before him, regal and imposing, with dark, intense eyes that seemed to press down on him.

The sensation of their lips touching was still lingering. Emperor Luo swallowed hard and said, “I… seemed to have had a dream?”

The person, who had acted unexpectedly, looked at the somewhat nervous Emperor and disregarded all the formalities between ruler and subject. “Does Your Majesty need this humble servant to help you wake up?”

Emperor Luo hesitated for a moment and shook his head. “There’s no need for that, Gu Xingzhi. Weren’t you supposed to go back and rest? Go… go back.”

Gu Xingzhi’s face remained dark. “Your Majesty, are you just going to discard me after using me?”

Emperor Luo was startled. “I didn’t mean it that way!”

Gu Xingzhi lowered his gaze, his expression complicated. “Your Majesty, did you change into a new palace outfit in the middle of the night to secretly drink and flirt with me?”

Emperor Luo shook his head. “I didn’t drink alcohol!”

He had only consumed medicinal soup… Right, the imperial physician had mentioned that the medicinal soup might cause symptoms similar to drunkenness. So, that must be it…

Emperor Luo rarely drank alcohol and didn’t realize he had such a low tolerance. He could get tipsy from the alcohol in the medicinal soup.

He raised his head, intending to explain, but Gu Xingzhi’s expression grew even more peculiar.

Veins stood out on Gu Xingzhi’s forehead as he asked, “Is Your Majesty lusting after me?”

Emperor Luo was dumbfounded. “What?”

Gu Xingzhi said coldly, “Your Majesty, I have no interest in men.”

Even though it was caused by medication, he had no romantic inclinations towards men, despite his lack of affection for women. 

It was Emperor Luo who hadn’t consumed any alcohol but had kissed him under the pretense of being drunk. If this matter wasn’t clarified, it might encourage the Emperor to take further liberties.

Gu Xingzhi said, “In the future, Your Majesty will still choose consorts to continue the royal lineage. Please refrain from indulging in romantic affairs with men out of curiosity or favoring private companions, as it may affect Your Majesty’s reputation. I hope Your Majesty will not treat the affairs of the state lightly.”

After speaking, Gu Xingzhi looked directly at Luo Shen, mentally preparing himself for the Emperor’s potential anger. However, he noticed that the person in front of him suddenly swayed, his face turned pale, and his thin lips pressed so tightly that they bled, as if something had struck a chord, leaving him seething with anger.

It seemed… he was deeply aggrieved?

“Your… Majesty?”

“Get out of here!” Luo Shen took a deep breath, his fingertips trembling, his voice quivering. He was afraid he couldn’t restrain himself from drawing his sword and harming the person.

Gu Xingzhi felt puzzled by the sudden outburst. He reviewed what he had said, but there didn’t seem to be anything inappropriate. After all, the Emperor would eventually choose consorts, so why was he reacting so fiercely? Was it because he had touched upon the Emperor’s true feelings? Had the Emperor really fallen for him?

Gu Xingzhi glanced at the infuriated Luo Shen, pursed his lips, and turned to leave.

At the door, a eunuch who had just woken up from his slumber saw Gu Xingzhi’s retreating figure and froze.

He had been instructed by Chang’an not to let Gu Xingzhi enter the room, but should he stop him from leaving?

However, he didn’t dare to intervene.

The eunuch who dared not intervene gradually retreated to the door of the sleeping chamber. Suddenly, a loud noise of something crashing inside the room startled him. However, there was no further commotion afterward.

Inside the room, Emperor Luo had thrown objects in anger, but his rationality began to return. He stared at the scattered fragments on the floor and considered picking them up. However, as he took a step, that familiar dizziness overwhelmed him again. He steadied himself by gripping a chair and decided to have a eunuch clean up the mess tomorrow. He then turned and climbed onto the bed.

Honestly, he had been well-protected by the late Emperor since childhood, and he never felt different from others. If it hadn’t been for the Empress discovering his secret and mocking him, he might not have resisted so strongly, and he might have even married and had children.

After the Empress’s death, the late Emperor had asked him about his thoughts on his own body, and Luo Shen had thought that after all this time, he wouldn’t be affected by such words. But…

He hadn’t expected that hearing it again would still make him feel humiliated.

Gu Xingzhi didn’t want to become his chief minister, and he could sense that. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have allowed Gu Xingzhi to delay entering the palace and facing him. He had initially thought about impressing Gu Xingzhi and proving that he wasn’t useless.

But tonight…

He understood.

In Gu Xingzhi’s eyes, he was nothing more than this image, and his efforts were simply child’s play.

If that was the case, why was he pretending?

Luo Shen’s consciousness grew hazy, and he saw Gu Xingzhi’s face again in his daze. Annoyed, he flung a pillow at Gu Xingzhi, but immediately regretted it.

That pillow was precious, a gift from the late Emperor purchased from a distant land.

He touched his nose, got up, retrieved the pillow, and noticed that Gu Xingzhi was standing right beside him. Then, everything went black, and he passed out completely.

The next day, Emperor Luo woke up.

As soon as Emperor Luo opened his eyes, he saw Chang’an standing by the bedside. He was momentarily confused and asked, “Chang’an? What’s going on?”

Chang’an, relieved to see him awake, asked with concern, “Your Majesty, are you injured anywhere?”

Emperor Luo furrowed his brow and briefly remembered the figure of Gu Xingzhi he had seen before passing out last night. He sat up in bed, feeling himself all over, and realized he was fine, but he was still wearing the same clothes as last night.

He inquired, “What does Chang’an mean?”

“There were fragments on the floor, and this servant was worried that Your Majesty might have cut your hand,” Chang’an explained, looking genuinely concerned. The eunuch who had guarded the door last night hadn’t dared to tell him about Gu Xingzhi leaving the Emperor’s chamber in the middle of the night, fearing that Chang’an might demand the money back. Therefore, Chang’an was unaware of Gu Xingzhi’s actions.

Emperor Luo shook his head and said, “That’s not the case.”

He paused and asked, “Were you here last night to take care of me?”

“No,” Chang’an replied, “This servant and Changxin were preparing for Your Majesty’s departure from the palace. Didn’t Your Majesty mention leaving the palace?”

Emperor Luo felt guilty. He had argued with Gu Xingzhi last night, and if he followed Gu Xingzhi out of the palace again, given Gu Xingzhi’s personality, he probably wouldn’t treat him with the same respect as the Emperor.

In his mind, the image of that figure from last night flashed again as he lay in bed. Something still didn’t feel right. He asked, “Did anyone come in last night?”

Chang’an shook his head. “The eunuch who guarded the door said he didn’t see anyone.”

So… it must have been his imagination, right?

Emperor Luo felt relieved.

Chang’an, thinking that Luo Shen was traumatized due to being kidnapped before, felt a deep sense of compassion and quickly reassured him, “Your Majesty, from now on, this servant will always be with you and ensure Your Majesty’s safety!”

Emperor Luo nodded and smiled, saying, “I know you are loyal.”

But upon hearing those words, Chang’an’s lips twitched nervously.

“By the way, where’s Changxin?”

Chang’an explained, “Changxin didn’t spot anyone last night, but early this morning, she was guarding outside General Gu’s door and said she wanted to pick a fight.”

Fearing that Luo Shen would worry about Gu Xingzhi, Chang’an added, “This servant will bring her back later.”

Emperor Luo chuckled and said, “No need. Let her have some fun.”

Chang’an: “???”

Not worried anymore?