lovenovelstory Chapter 32 Has Xu Longxiang ever seen this dance?
Chapter 32 Has Xu Longxiang ever seen this dance?
Jiang Qingxue took a deep breath, turned around, gathered her robes, and lowered her head.
All emotions were frozen in an instant, leaving only a flawless, submissive mask.
Qin Mu stepped into the palace under the moonlight.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you." Jiang Qingxue bowed gracefully, her forehead touching the ground, her posture impeccably respectful.
Qin Mu walked up to her and reached out to help her up: "Get up."
Jiang Qingxue stood up, still standing with her head bowed, her gaze fixed on the tips of her embroidered shoes.
"I heard that my beloved concubine has prepared a new dance for today?"
Qin Mu's voice was gentle and chuckled, yet it made Jiang Qingxue's heart sink little by little.
"Yes," she replied softly. "Your Majesty, I am of dull mind and fear I may offend your holy eyes."
"It's alright." Qin Mu sat down on a cushioned rosewood chair, his posture relaxed. "Come and take a look."
Jiang Qingxue curtsied and retreated to an open area in the hall.
The music came from the side hall; it was the melody of "The Song of Rainbow Feathers and Feathered Robes," melodious and graceful.
She took a deep breath and assumed the starting stance.
Her wide sleeves billowed, like flowing clouds unfurling.
The moon-white skirt unfurled as she twirled, and the silver-embroidered cloud patterns shimmered under the palace lanterns, as if moonlight were flowing around her.
To be fair, Jiang Qingxue's dancing skills are not top-notch.
She had practiced martial arts since childhood and was very flexible, but the graceful charm of a dancer was something she could never learn.
Her dance is more like a sword dance, every movement is clean and crisp, with an indescribable aloofness and detachment.
But it was precisely this aloofness that made her stand out so much in the harem, which was filled with cosmetics.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, propped his chin on one hand, and watched quietly.
The candlelight flickered in his deep eyes, reflecting a hint of amusement, scrutiny, and an elusive depth of meaning.
Halfway through the dance, the music gradually quickened.
Jiang Qingxue spun faster with the rhythm, her skirt billowing like a blooming snow lotus. Just as she executed a difficult backward bend—
"stop."
Qin Mu suddenly spoke.
The music stopped abruptly.
Jiang Qingxue froze, still bent over, and looked at Qin Mu in confusion.
Qin Mu stood up and slowly walked to her.
The hem of the dark brocade robe brushed against the smooth gold brick floor without making a sound.
He stopped two steps in front of Jiang Qingxue, looking down at the woman who was lying on her back.
The light from the palace lanterns shone from the side, casting flickering shadows on her face.
Those clear, cold eyes now reflected the flickering candlelight and his face as he leaned closer.
"My beloved concubine's dance is indeed beautiful."
Qin Mu spoke slowly, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent hall, "But something is missing."
Jiang Qingxue maintained her bent-over posture, and her waist began to ache.
She dared not move, and could only ask softly, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
Qin Mu suddenly reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek.
The movement was very light, like a feather brushing past, yet it made Jiang Qingxue freeze.
"It lacks affection," Qin Mu said, his gaze fixed on her eyes, as if trying to see through those cold, clear eyes into the depths of her soul.
"Your dance is beautiful and clean, but it's like a beautiful jade sculpture—beautiful, but soulless."
He withdrew his hand and straightened up: "Get up."
Jiang Qingxue felt as if she had been granted a pardon and slowly straightened up.
Maintaining one posture for a long time made her vision blur and her body sway slightly.
An arm caught her just in time.
Warm, powerful, and irresistible.
It was Qin Mu's hand.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..." Jiang Qingxue tried to break free, but the hand firmly supported her elbow, making her unable to move.
"My beloved, there's no need to be nervous." Qin Mu's voice was close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe. "I'm just curious—"
He paused, seemingly considering his words.
Jiang Qingxue's heart was in her throat.
"Has Xu Longxiang seen this dance of yours?"
The moment the words left her lips, Jiang Qingxue felt her breath stop.
Time seemed to stand still.
The candlelight in the hall, the musicians holding their breath, the palace maids with their eyes lowered—everything seemed distant and unreal.
Only that one sentence echoed repeatedly in my ears.
Has Xu Longxiang ever seen it?
He asked it.
With such a calm tone and casual manner, he asked a question that was enough to torture her to death.
Jiang Qingxue opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
My throat felt like it was being choked, and every breath was accompanied by a burning pain.
"What?" Qin Mu raised an eyebrow slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Is this question difficult to answer?"
Jiang Qingxue finally regained her voice.
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting trembling shadows beneath them:
"Your Majesty... I am merely... merely an old acquaintance with the Prince of Zhenbei. How could I dare to display such a private dance in front of other men?"
She spoke with difficulty, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
"An old acquaintance?" Qin Mu repeated the word, his smile deepening.
"I was just saying it casually, my beloved consort need not take it to heart."
Qin Mu suddenly turned around, walked back to the chair and sat down, picked up the teacup offered by the palace maid and took a sip.
Jiang Qingxue stood there, her hands and feet icy cold.
The candlelight crackled inside the hall, and the musicians and palace maids lowered their heads, even their breathing was extremely soft.
A deathly silence.
Only her frantic heartbeat pounded like a drum in her chest.
After a long while, Qin Mu put down his teacup, looked up at her, and said, "Keep dancing."
Jiang Qingxue mechanically curtsied and returned to the hall.
The music started again, it was still the same "Rainbow Feather Dress Dance".
But her dance went completely wrong.
Her movements were stiff and her steps were erratic; she nearly stepped on her own skirt several times.
She tried hard to concentrate, but Qin Mu's words kept echoing in her mind, as did the origin of the ruby and Xu Longxiang's gentle smile when he gave her the hairpin...
The images intertwined, twisted, and deformed, eventually transforming into sharp knives that slashed her already broken heart, leaving it bleeding profusely.
When the dance ended, she could barely stand.
Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his face was as pale as paper.
Qin Mu watched quietly, without applauding or offering any comment.
He simply sat there, one hand supporting his chin, his gaze deep, as if he were watching an interesting play.
"Are you tired?" he asked.
Jiang Qingxue gritted her teeth and curtsied, "Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, I have been disrespectful. Please punish me."
"It's alright." Qin Mu stood up. "Let's call it a day."
He walked up to Jiang Qingxue, reached out, and brushed the sweat from her forehead with his fingertips.
The movements were very light and gentle.
But Jiang Qingxue felt that the hand was as cold as a snake.
"My beloved concubine, please rest early."
Qin Mu withdrew his hand, turned and walked out of the hall. "Seven days from now, I will be leaving the palace to attend a ceremony at the Qinglan Sword Sect. You will come with me."
Jiang Qingxue suddenly looked up.
Qinglan Sword Sect?
"Get ready." Qin Mu said, then strode away.
The dark hem of her robe disappeared into the night, leaving only a flickering candlelight in the hall and a swaying Jiang Qingxue.
The palace doors slowly closed.
Jiang Qingxue stood still for a long time.
Qin Mu's words echoed in his ears.
She felt that somewhere in her heart, something was slowly cracking, collapsing, and turning into cold dust.
"Brother Longxiang..."
She murmured softly, her voice broken and incoherent.
"I feel like I can't hold on much longer..."
Tears finally streamed down her face.
One drop, two drops, fell onto the smooth, gold-brick floor, shattering into sparkling water droplets.
She knelt down, curled up, and buried her face in her palms.
The ground was hard and icy cold.
Just like her heart right now.
Outside the palace, the moonlight was cold and clear.
Qin Mu walked out of Yuxiu Palace without taking a sedan chair, and walked slowly along the palace road with only Yun Luan in his arms.
A night breeze carries the fresh scent of early summer grass and trees.
"Your Majesty," Yunluan said softly, "you just now..."
"Too ruthless?" Qin Mu replied calmly.
Yunluan was silent for a moment, then said, "No, since she chose this path, she has to bear everything that comes with it."
Qin Mu smiled and turned to look in the direction of Yuxiu Palace.
The palace lanterns shone through the paper windows, casting a warm yellow glow that appeared particularly lonely in the night.
"How can you know if there's festering inside if you don't tear the wound open completely? How can she truly submit if you don't crush her heart?"
Yunluan lowered her head: "Your subordinate understands."
"How are things going with the Azure Sky Sword Sect?" Qin Mu asked.