ă033ăHolding Her Tightly
With the Empressâs firm and resounding words falling upon the hall, the entire court fell deathly silent.
Moments later, Huo Tingyue spoke loudly, âWe obey Her Majestyâs decree!â
He was thankful he hadnât rushed to speak earlier. In his eyes, the Second Princess was nothing more than a convenient target. The Empress deliberately pushed her forward at this timeâclearly to divert attention from the Crown Princessâs arrogance and misconduct.
The other ministers quickly echoed,
âWe obey Her Majestyâs decree!â
Each hid different thoughts in their hearts, and none could fully understand the Empressâs true attitude toward Li Yaoyao.
The Empress rose and left, and the court was dismissed.
Li Yaoyaoâs heart clenched tightly. Beiming Heng was the male who knew best how to please her, the one who made her heart flutter the most. This time she had sacrificed him⌠Would he hate her for it?
Because of the feelings they had shared over the past year, Li Yaoyao ultimately couldnât let it go. After returning to her palace, she disguised herself, dressed her maid Lianqiao to look exactly like her to confuse others, and secretly slipped out of the palace to chase after her father. She wanted to help Beiming Heng escape this calamity.
She still needed Beiming Heng one last time. Her plan was to make him please that wretched female Li Luoluo. She had even prepared a potent stimulant mixed with strong adhesive. Once Beiming Heng used it⌠many people would catch Li Luoluo and Beiming Heng in a shameful act.
Didnât that wretched Li Luoluo keep insulting Beiming Heng as useless trash?
Then she would have Li Luoluo bond with a âpiece of trashââand in such a humiliating manner. Li Luoluo definitely wouldnât spare Beiming Heng afterward. And once Li Luoluo killed him, she would be offending Beiming Lang and all the forces behind him!
The more Li Yaoyao thought about it, the more excited she became. She could already picture Li Luoluoâs utter destruction.
A female who couldnât even protect something so private⌠Her ability to bear offspring would surely be affected.
Before long, Li Yaoyao caught up with the escort carrying Beiming Heng back to the Snake Tribe.
Chen Lie took one look at the disguised girl and immediately recognized his willful daughter. Horrified, he rushed over and dragged the disguised Li Yaoyao into his aircraft.
Li Yaoyao quickly explained her plan to him. Chen Lie hesitated for several minutes, but in the end, helplessly agreed.
She then went to secretly meet Beiming Heng.
The moment Beiming Heng saw Li Yaoyao, tears welled in his eyes.
âSecond Princess⌠what brings you here?â
âAre you here to send me off on my final journey? You know how much I love you. I risked my life for you!!â
âBut you⌠how could you treat me like this?â
He was convinced she hadnât spoken for him. Perhaps sending him back to the Snake Tribe had even been her idea.
At that moment, Beiming Hengâs heart shattered. Between him and power, the person he held at the tip of his heart had chosen power.
âBrother Heng, think for a momentâdo I have any say in front of the Empress?â
âIf I were really that heartless, then why would I chase after you now? What meaning would that have?â
âIf you think Iâm so cruel⌠then Iâll leave.â
Li Yaoyao steeled herself and pinched the most painful spot on her arm. Using her sleeve to wipe her tears, she hid from Beiming Hengâs gaze.
Beiming Heng stared blankly at her tear-stained face, unsure what to believe. But when he saw her large tears sliding down, he panicked. He rushed forward, pulled Li Yaoyao tightly into his arms, and apologized again and again.
âYaoyao, Iâm sorry! Iâm sorry! Iâm sorry! Itâs all my fault. How could I ever doubt you?â
âYouâre not like that wretched Li Luoluo! Youâre not as vicious and cold-hearted as she is!â
He whispered softly in her ear, deeply affectionateâcompletely unaware of the wicked smile hidden against his chest.
Soon, Li Yaoyao coaxed him until he was overflowing with joy, full of renewed hope for the future.
Then came kisses and intimate touches; they did everything except the final step.
And Li Yaoyao successfully persuaded Beiming Heng to cooperate in her performanceâshowing the Empress that Li Luoluo was full of lies, making the Empress lose trust in her.
While they were plotting their next move, Beiming Heng gritted his teeth and leaned in to whisper his own plan to Li Yaoyao.
To catch a wolf, one must be willing to sacrifice a lamb.
Only if something happened at the Empressâs side would Li Luoluoâwho was currently awayâbe forced to drop everything and return to the Blue Star Empire.
By then, every trap they had laid would activate one after another, drawing Li Luoluo into a pit she could not escape. She would lose everyoneâs trust, including the Empressâ, and become someone despised by the world.
Meanwhile, in the Blue Star Imperial Palace, Hua Qingcheng, Tuo Bajinghao, Huo Sien, Zhonghua, and the others waiting for the Crown Princessâs return⌠received news that the Empress had begun favoring Li Yaoyao.
They had even learned about Li Yaoyaoâs disguise and her secret meeting with Beiming Hengâand decided to report it to the Crown Princess.
They quietly sent a message to Beiming Ye, telling him to warn the Crown Princess once he saw her, to prevent her from falling into Li Yaoyaoâs trap.
When Beiming Ye received the message, his once-relaxed expression immediately tightened. A heavy pressure seemed to press down on him.
His gaze shifted toward Li Luoluo, who was resting lazily on the soft couch, eyes closed, basking in the warm sunlight.
He looked at her quietly, tenderness rising unbidden in his heart.
But reality would not allow them this peace.
He drew a deep breath and softly said,
âLuoâer⌠something big may happen in the capital. We have to return.â
Li Luoluo slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the heaviness on Beiming Yeâs face, she frowned slightly.
She sat up. âWhat happened?â
Beiming Ye hesitated but chose to tell her the truth.
âHua Qingcheng contacted me just now. They suspect a major upheaval is comingâdirected at you. The stage has been set. It wouldnât be appropriate if you donât return.â
Li Luoluo nodded. She knew he would never lie to her.
She stood, straightened her clothes, and prepared to leave with him.
At that moment, Beiming Ye suddenly turned to Jun YanchĂŠn, a faint smile curving his lips.
âAs for⌠unnecessary peopleâno need for them to follow. Donât you agree?â
His tone was calm, but his sideways glance carried unmistakable provocation.
Jun YanchĂŠnâs expression immediately darkened. His gaze locked onto Beiming Ye, fury burning so intensely it nearly erupted.
Beiming Yeâs words were blatant contemptâinsult.
Jun YanchĂŠnâs rage ignited, and he wished nothing more than to tear Beiming Ye apart on the spot.
