Arousal

That night, the Empress dowager woke up to find Song mama asleep on the floor beside her bed, with an Imperial doctor nodding off on the side. She knit her brows and asked, "Song er' why are you sleeping here?"

Song mama immediately jerked up and exclaimed, "Your majesty, how are you feeling?" The Imperial doctor was also awakened by Song mama's voice and scurried over to the Empress dowager's bedside.

The Empress dowager sat up with Song mama's help, "I'm fine, just a little tired, and my head is hurting. How did I get hurt?" She asked as she touched the bandages wrapped on her head.

Song mama blinked and looked at the Imperial doctor, and then looked back at the Empress dowager, "Your majesty, you don't remember?"

The Empress dowager shook her head, "What happened?"

 Song mama then looked at the Imperial doctor, who got the clue and quickly said, "Your majesty, your condition has stabilized. You may be feeling tired, but that is just due to the lack of proper diet over the last few days. In a few days, you will be back to normal. As for the injuries, they are minor and should heal in a few days. I will go prepare a tonic to help strengthen you." He then quickly bowed and exited the room.

After the Imperial doctor left.

The Empress dowager then looked at Song mama, waiting for an explanation.

Song mama furrowed her brow and hesitated, "I am not exactly sure myself...I just saw the aftermath..." She glanced at the Empress dowager and hesitantly continued, "It seems you got into a fight with Noble consort Lei..."

The Empress dowager frowned, "A fight?"

Song mama closed her eyes and clarified, "A physical fight."

The Empress dowager went wide-eyed and blinked several times in disbelief and, after a while finally managed to ask, "How?"

 Song mama sighed, "I don't know how it happened...Even if it was for punishment, for you to do it like that was...it was quite shocking..." She then stopped and whispered with difficulty, "You were strangling her..."

"Why didn't you do anything to stop it? How could you-" The Empress dowager shouted, feeling at a loss for words and appalled at the scenario.

Song mama quickly knelt down and explained, "Your majesty, you ordered everyone out of the room. When I heard the sounds coming from inside I wanted to come in, but you said to stay out of it...At one point, you even threatened to kill anyone who enters...I-I didn't know what to do...Please forgive my incompetence."

The Empress dowager let out a breath and touched her head, looking at Song mama with irritation.

{...That stupid girl must have started it...but even then, how could I stoop so low as to-...}

 "Send for her right now?!" The Empress dowager barked out.

Song mama hesitantly looked up at the Empress dowager, "I don't think she has woken up yet...and the Emperor didn't - "

Her words broke off when she saw the Empress dowager's deepening frown, she immediately said, "I will immediately send someone to go inquire." And then got up to leave.

"No need." The Empress dowager said before Song mama could reach the doors, "Help me get dressed."

***

Lei Xing opened her eyes, then sighed and closed her eyes again.

{...I'm still alive?... Good thing, it would have been a depressing way to go, strangled to death by an old lady...I feel like a failure T_T)...But she was a freakishly strong old lady, plus she's not that old...Or I just suck in general, yeah it's probably that -_-)'...}

 She then moved to get up and groaned in pain.

{...Oww! My arm, my neck, That WITCH!!...}

 "Here, I'll help you."

Lei Xing turned toward the voice and blinked.

{...Who the hell are you?... Oh, it's you -_-)...}

 After squinting at the person who was helping her sit up, she realized it was the Emperor.

He was currently dressed in a simple garment with his hair down, so she did not recognize him at first glance.

As soon as she was sitting up properly, she shifted backward out of his reach. The Emperor blinked and stared at his empty hands for a bit, then he straightened up and just stood there looking down at her.

Lei Xing looked back at him with knit eyebrows.

{...What? You want me to thank you?... Do you know how I got into this state? And are you aware that your mother is a batshit crazy lunatic of a witch?! So no, no thank you! -_-)...}

 The Emperor then turned and walked off.

{...Good riddance! The last thing I need now is your stupid reminder of a face -_-)'... By the way, Where the hell am I?...}

 Lei Xing touched her neck, feeling the bandages as her eyes glanced up at the gold shimmery canopy above and the surroundings.

{...Seeing that a***ole's getup, I can guess where this is, I should be leaving now -_-)...}

 "It's something to relieve the bruising." The Emperor said, coming out from the corner when he saw her touching the bandages on her neck.

Lei Xing frowned and looked at him.

{...Oh, you're back -_-)...}

 He sat down on the side of the bed and handed her a cup, Lei Xing looked down at the cup with knit eyebrows, the Emperor then explained, "It's lemon tea."

Lei Xing then moved to raise her right arm to take it and then winced in pain.

"Here." The Emperor said, bringing the cup to her lips. Lei Xing was taken aback and looked at the cup with a frown and then used her left hand to take it.

 She then put the cup down in her right hand, while covertly looking at the ring.

{...Just in the event you are here to finish the job...}

 After confirming that it was safe, she sipped it while cautiously looking at the Emperor, who was currently frowning.

{...So what is this? Bribery?...Hmph! You're pretty cheap for an "Emperor" -_-)...You should at least bring a trunk or two of gems or maybe a warehouse of cash...Just saying, if you're going to bribe someone, you should at least put in some effort. I mean, it's common decency! -_-)...}

 "What exactly happened?" The Emperor finally asked after a long while.

Lei Xing inwardly scoffed.

{...Oh I see, this is an interrogation...Softening up the subject before slaughter...What happened is your mother is freaking crazy B**ch!... But since I don't think you'd take that explanation well, then I don't know what happened -_-)...}

 Lei Xing was feeling so irritated that she could not bring herself to say anything and was just glaring down at the bed.

After not receiving a response, the Emperor then sighed and said, "I am sorry this happened to you." He then turned to look at Lei Xing, "It will not happen again."

Lei Xing glanced up at him.

{...Yeah, sure...Whatever you say -_-)'...}

 "I mean it. It will not happen again." The Emperor reassured, noticing the disbelief in her eyes.

Lei Xing glanced up at him and gave a hoarse, "En." and then looked back down.

{...Yeah, I believe you will "try"...And I'm sure your pep talk will be super effective ¬_¬)...While you're at it, I suggest running a dagger through her for best performance... Also, why did that Freaking witch even do that to me?... I ruined her life? Hmph, she and her cohort here are freaking ruining MY LIFE!! ಠ_ಠ)...}

 Suddenly, Eunuch Li came into the room and informed, "Your majesty, the Empress dowager is here...to see Noble consort Lei."

Lei Xing immediately froze and started cold sweating a bit.

{...W-Why?! Did she come to finish the job!?...I'm not scared, not scared at all...It's just, I think we both need some space...I'm not scared at all, just...Please just leave me alone, I'm tired T_T)...}

 When neither of the two responded, Eunuch Li then continued to ask, "Should she come in?"

Lei Xing immediately went wide-eyed and then frowned.

{...Come in? Here? Can't she just go die off in a ditch somewhere? Or get lost in space, forest or whatever? Any of those would work...Why, Why, Why is she OKAY?!! I should have caused at least some brain damage. What a disappointment!...}

 Lei Xing then felt a hand on patting her head and immediately frowned at it.

{...What the HELL do you think you're doing? ಠ╭╮ಠ)...}

 The Emperor smiled at her and calmly said, "Don't worry."

Lei Xing irritatedly moved his hand off while frowning.

{...Do I look like a freaking puppy to you?!... And worried? Who's worried? If she comes near me right now, I will decimate her life!!... Therefore, she is the one who should be worried. Therefore. You. Should. Keep. Her. Away. From. Me for her own FREAKING SAFETY!! ಠ╭╮ಠ)...}

 The Emperor snorted at Lei Xing's "fierce fighter" expression, and then got up and left the room with Eunuch Li.

Lei Xing glared at them as they walked towards the doors.

{...What the hell is funny a***ole?! You think I can't take her? Why don't you bring her in here and we'll test it out, Huh?!!! Right now, Bring her!... Okay, but since you have chosen to see her alone, I respect your decision for a peaceful resolution...I, myself have always been an advocate for peace, that's why I'll let this one go today...But if she ever tries me again, then you'll see ¬_¬)...}

 Lei Xing let out a small sigh of relief. As the Emperor left the room, an Imperial doctor and two maids trotted into the room.

After checking on her condition, the Imperial doctor then left to brew some medication for her.

Lei Xing was left with the maids who were just standing there with their heads bowed.

Lei Xing cleared her throat a little, and they looked up and went, "Your highness, is there anything you need?"

"Help me get dressed, I'm returning to my palace." Lei Xing said with a raspy voice, then she touched her throat.

{...That Witch! Now I can't sing myself to sleep! -_-)...Not that I do, I'm just saying it's just one of those things I could do before but can't do right now...Also can't do push-ups or pull-ups now too...Also, part of the many things that I don't do, that I can't do now because of that Freaking Witch! -_-)...}

 "I'm sorry Your highness, but the Emperor has instructed for you to remain here." One of the maids explained with a bow.

Lei Xing covertly rolled her eyes.

{...Did he now? What the hell for? -_-)...}

 "Your highness, is there something else you need help with?"

"No." Lei Xing curtly replied, then sighed and added, "Some more of that tea." She said, handing the cup to one of them who came forward.

{...Let's look at it this way, if I were in my palace right now, and that crazy witch showed up, there would have been nothing I could do to stop her from waltzing in - She could have straight up have walked into the room while I was sleeping and poured a dose of goodbye serum down my throat and that'd be it, here I don't even have to look at her, isn't that wonderful?...}

Lei Xing sighed.

{...It's quite interesting what I consider to be wonderful these days -_-)...Well, it's not like he's going to try anything with me being injured, especially by his crap mother...He would have to be an insane brute to do that...And if he tried, I would kill him...Not sure how, though as I couldn't even kill his mother who was try-... Forget it!... That was a fluke, a surprise attack!...I'll do my own surprise attack this time, I can do it too! ˇ⊖ˇ)...}

***

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NOTE: The NEXT chapter is an 🐜 side STORy, so SKIP if you will~ Thank you...