Chapter 190: Auntie's Back Is Perfect for Scraping Therapy, the Former Saintess Stirred by Desire (2)
His hands landed gently on the golden-haired beauty's shoulders, starting to massage.
"Ahh..."
Gu Hanyan felt the pressure and let out a soft breath, eyes full of contentment.
The tingling, slightly sore sensation was just too satisfying!
No wonder the Empress herself praised his skill.
But soon, the golden-haired beauty began to feel something was off.
As Su Qing massaged her shoulders, his hands slowly began moving lower.
Not just her shoulders and arms—his fingers began working gently across her back.
The motions were smooth, not at all lecherous or inappropriate.
But Gu Hanyan was starting to lose control.
The pleasure hitting certain pressure points on her back was far stronger than on her shoulders.
His warm hands made her completely forget the medicinal bath's effects.
And because of her posture, she could hear the boy's breathing close to her ear.
Maybe because of the effort, his breathing was a bit heavier.
That rhythmic, unmistakable sound quietly stirred her long-dormant nerves.
It wasn't love or desire—just the awkward tension of close contact with the opposite sex.
The golden-haired beauty finally realized just how wrong this decision had been.
But for the sake of pride, she didn't say anything. She silently endured.
If it stayed at this level, she could tolerate it.
Surely it would end soon, right?
But what she didn't expect was that Su Qing was just getting started.
His massage technique progressed slowly but deeply, guiding the body into total relaxation.
His movements were slow, but his hands steadily pushed further down.
Without realizing it, Gu Hanyan felt her body start to heat up.
As if her pores were opening, she could feel the medicinal bath working more effectively. Her recovery rate had visibly increased.
This massage was exactly as Su Qing had promised—no deception at all.
Not only did it relax her muscles, but it helped her absorb the herbs more efficiently.
But... there were side effects, and they were obvious!
The usually calm and even aloof golden-haired beauty was now growing tense.
She could feel it—her once-steady breathing was getting more and more erratic with every push.
This isn't right... this isn't right at all!
This kind of intimate contact didn't suit her status!
Whether it was her personal position, or her role as his elder, this just wasn't acceptable!
She suddenly turned over, brows slightly furrowed, clear resistance in her expression.
Though his skills were exquisite and the results impressive, enough to make one relax and enjoy...
He was still a man. There were boundaries, and she didn't want to cross them.
Especially since the next areas he'd reach... would be far more sensitive.
There was a sharp glint in Gu Hanyan's eyes, and the air around them seemed to chill.
This was pure instinct—her bottom line had been touched.
"Auntie, is something wrong? Was my massage uncomfortable?"
Su Qing blinked in confusion, his tone earnest.
He looked exactly like a meticulous doctor, anxious to know what he'd done wrong.
Gu Hanyan was stunned.
He didn't seem like someone doing anything on purpose. He looked like he was seriously trying to help.
She suddenly remembered what he'd told her earlier.
Was this what he meant by having no sense of boundaries?
That thought made her recall Su Qing's current position.
The current Empress was undoubtedly a woman of extraordinary talent and discipline.
In her personal life, she was strict and self-controlled.
She had no known lovers and was said to be devoted to one person only.
But... was that really a good thing?
Faced with such a powerful, dominant Empress, Su Qing, her favored consort, could only silently obey.
Outwardly, he looked glorious and unshakable, but behind the scenes... who knew?
Imagine the kind of demands he had to put up with, never daring to say no.
Like a toy groomed from youth, trained solely to please the Empress.
Otherwise, how could he have such skilled yet... strangely specific massage techniques?
Maybe when no one was watching, the Empress forced this poor boy to give her massages all day long.
In the deep palace darkness, Gu Hanyan, who had read a few romance novels in her spare time, was already filling in the blanks.
She automatically imagined the twisted upbringing her poor nephew must have endured all these years.
Growing up in that kind of environment, how could he possibly know the boundaries between men and women?
He likely had no real contact with girls. How would he understand any of this?
And here she was, trying to warn him... She really shouldn't have done that!
Meanwhile, the Empress, who was resting, suddenly sneezed several times in a row.
She felt an odd irritation, though she had no idea where it was coming from.
This kind of out-of-nowhere blame was the hardest to guard against.
"Auntie, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Su Qing was confused by her lack of response.
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and adjusted his soaked shirt.
He was crouching on the edge of the bath, helping her massage from the outside, not actually inside the pool.
So it was normal that his clothes had gotten wet.
"It's nothing... You've clearly practiced your massage skills for many years, haven't you?"
Gu Hanyan's sharp gaze softened as she asked gently.
Watching his small movements, her heart flooded with sympathy.
Such practiced motions couldn't have come from one-time use. He had clearly done this for others many times before.
And that level of skill must have been paid for with countless earlier mistakes.
And if he made mistakes... what kind of punishment would he have received?
Serving a ruler was like living beside a tiger. He surely suffered more than just scolding.
Imagining all kinds of punishments, she even felt a flicker of anger toward the Empress.
If not for the fact that he seemed to be doing okay now, she might have considered going to confront Her Majesty herself.
Her nephew had really had a hard life!
At that moment, the Empress sneezed again and again, her irritation growing.
She was now wondering whether to consult her mother for a divination to find out who was talking bad about her.
"Yeah, I was clumsy at first, but I got better with practice."
"If anything feels uncomfortable, Auntie, just tell me and I'll adjust!"
Su Qing nodded seriously, pride shining on his face.
That look—like a kid showing off a good test score to their family—pierced Gu Hanyan's heart.
She was completely undone by it.
She had only one thought: treat this nephew well!
It wasn't that she was overly sentimental or couldn't handle emotional situations.