Chapter 6: The Beauty Scheme

“Lock me up later. Let’s do something else first.”

As the words left her lips, Shangguan Liqian leaned down and proactively pressed her lips against the Empress Regnant’s succulent mouth, gently and cautiously licking the small wound she had caused.

As the metallic tang of blood bloomed across their tongues, Luo Wushuang grew visibly more fervent.

Just as Luo Wushuang was about to impatiently move over her, Liqian flipped their positions, pinning the Empress beneath her.

This was the first time she had ever been so proactive. Stunned by the sudden shift, Luo Wushuang actually allowed her to seize the initiative.

It would have been effortless for Luo Wushuang to reclaim control, but she chose not to. She wanted to see exactly what Shangguan Liqian intended to do. Even if this was an act, how far was she willing to take it?

However, her skepticism soon began to waver. Is Sister actually planning to turn this pretense into reality?

Does she truly not loathe me anymore? Does she no longer think that being with another woman is a violation of morality?

Is that even possible? Luo Wushuang’s muddled mind was filled with a sense of unreality.

She felt as though she were dreaming, or perhaps this was merely a hallucination born of her unrequited obsession. But why did every sensation feel so vivid?

She could clearly feel her sister kissing her. Liqian’s gaze was so focused, so devout—as if Luo Wushuang were her heart’s greatest treasure, rather than the person she detested most.

“Wushuang… may I?”

Liqian’s strained, breathless voice reached her ears. Luo Wushuang heard herself let out a soft whimper of assent. In the next moment, pain flared, yet her heart felt satisfied to the absolute limit.

She finally belonged to her sister.

Body and soul entwined, melting into one another; nothing could ever part them now. This feeling was beyond exquisite—it brought her a profound sense of peace.

Perhaps Sister doesn’t hate me that much after all…

As the thought crossed her mind, a smile Luo Wushuang didn’t even realize she was wearing surfaced on her face—a soft, sweet expression that could make one’s heart tremble.

In this moment, the Empress Regnant shed her iron-blooded ruthlessness. Her face was flushed and radiant; in her state of passion, even the tear mole at the corner of her eye seemed more bewitching and seductive than ever.

“My Wushuang is so beautiful,” Liqian sighed, a compliment born of genuine sincerity. She then began to serve her Empress Regnant with somewhat clumsy, unpracticed movements.

***

As the storm of passion finally subsided, Luo Wushuang’s graceful figure lay nestled in Liqian’s embrace. Her ink-black hair was scattered haphazardly, giving her a languid, sultry appearance.

This woman, usually radiating absolute majesty, was now as quiet and docile as a pampered kitten in Liqian’s arms.

Liqian rubbed her aching arms and gently smoothed the Empress’s long hair. Looking at the eyes-closed, basking Luo Wushuang, she chuckled softly.

“Do you want to take a bath?”

“Mm.”

Luo Wushuang gave a soft hum of agreement. She moved to stand, intending to carry Liqian to the bath, but Liqian stopped her out of embarrassment.

“Let me carry you.”

Liqian felt a pang of guilt as she said it. Truthfully, she wasn’t entirely sure she could actually make it to the bathroom. Under normal circumstances, lifting Luo Wushuang—who was roughly her height—would be fine. But right now, her arms were throbbing with exhaustion.

“Does Sister still have the strength to carry Us?”

Finding her lie so ruthlessly exposed, Liqian felt so flustered she wished she could vanish into the floorboards.

Luo Wushuang’s slender, elegant hand reached up to stroke Liqian’s cool cheek. Her voice was thick with lingering affection.

“Sister only needs to be good. Whatever you desire, I shall grant it…”

Seeing that Luo Wushuang seemed open to reason, Liqian hesitated for a moment. She took a deep breath and spoke.

“Then… don’t lock me up anymore, Wushuang. I…”

The smile on Luo Wushuang’s face froze. The air around her turned frigid in an instant. An overbearing pressure weighed down on Liqian, making it difficult to breathe, but she forced herself to finish.

“I want to be with you like a normal lover and get married. In a normal loving relationship, one doesn’t keep their lover locked in a room, chained to a bed.”

Luo Wushuang’s breathing became ragged. She stared at Liqian without blinking.

Is Sister saying that I am abnormal?

A flash of agony flickered in the depths of Luo Wushuang’s eyes. She knew it—her sister still looked down on her.

She knew what she was doing was wrong, but whenever Liqian was out of her sight, she lost all control. The mere thought of her sister escaping filled her with an uncontrollable panic, a void that made her want to destroy everything in sight.

But she couldn’t. She knew her sister didn’t want to see such things.

Liqian hadn’t expected a single sentence to cause Luo Wushuang such distress. Seeing those phoenix eyes nearly drowned in pain, Liqian finally compromised.

“Fine. If you want to lock me up, do it. But… could we use only the ankle cuffs? My arms are quite uncomfortable.”

Luo Wushuang remained silent, standing as still as a statue.

Just as Liqian thought the Honey Trap had failed—that Luo Wushuang was truly heartless enough to bind her to the bed—the silent woman finally spoke.

“Are you telling the truth?”

“About what?”

Liqian asked instinctively, but she quickly realized what the Empress meant and nodded frantically.

“Of course it’s the truth. Before, I… I was blinded by others. Now, I want to start over with you. I like you, Wushuang. Even if my feelings aren’t as intense as yours yet, I will work hard. I’ll love you more every day than the day before. Just believe me one more time, alright? One last time.”

A flicker of hesitation crossed Luo Wushuang’s bloodshot eyes, but her resolve quickly hardened again.

She had heard similar words many times before. Every time she had offered her trust, the result had been devastating. Having been deceived so often, Luo Wushuang no longer dared to believe.

But… what if?

Especially this time, when her sister mentioned marriage and wanting to love her—two things Liqian had previously detested most.

Yet, no matter how flawless or submissive her sister appeared, Luo Wushuang couldn’t believe she would fall in love so easily. This was most likely a new ploy to escape.

She is sacrificing her body to make me lower my guard, and then, the moment I turn my back, she’ll vanish…

Fear gripped her heart, and the look in Luo Wushuang’s eyes gradually turned crazed. Lock her up. I have to lock her up. She must be chained…

Just as Luo Wushuang’s sanity was about to be completely eroded by paranoia, Liqian pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it possessed a soul-soothing charm.

“I won’t contact the Shangguan family anymore, and I will never leave your side again. Trust me one more time. Just once, please?”

“And if you run again?”

“Then you may do with me as you wish. I will have no complaints,” Liqian promised solemnly, her hand nearly raised as if taking a holy vow.

Luo Wushuang was silent. She didn’t want to agree. The only way she could feel secure was to chain her up, to shut her away. Or perhaps to break her legs and then shut her away.

But facing the hope in Liqian’s eyes, she ultimately couldn’t bring herself to refuse. “You really won’t run?”

“I won’t. I’ll stick by your side from now on. You’d better not find me annoying.”

Luo Wushuang reached out to touch Liqian’s clear eyes, whispering dazedly, “How could I ever?”

She loved her more than life itself; how could she ever find her annoying?

Seeing the madness in Luo Wushuang’s eyes gradually replaced by other emotions, Liqian let out a breath of relief. However, her nerves quickly tightened again.

Her arms were already beyond exhausted… was Wushuang still not satisfied?