“Now he worries about gentleness!” the physician muttered. Then her attention shifted to Ji Yue. “I have to touch you very intimately. I will go slowly, and it should not hurt. Are you ready?”
Ji Yue nodded, then firmly shut her eyes. Bo Tao knew the exact moment the doctor touched her intimate folds. Ji Yue jerked, gasping in surprise.
“You are doing very well,” the doctor said.
Ji Yue released a soft murmur of distress. Unable to stay apart from her, Bo Tao crossed quickly to the top of the table. He pressed his hands to her shoulders. “It is nearly done,” he said. He had hoped that she would open her eyes and see that he was looking at her face, not her groin, but she kept her eyes shut tight.
Then, finally, the doctor straightened and stepped away. “Virginity intact.”
Bo Tao barely heard the words. His attention was centered on Ji Yue as she rolled onto her side. There were no blankets in the room to cover her, but her clothing was there. He used it to gently cover her most private area.
“You have done your duty, Physician Xie Yan,” he said. “You may go now.”
The doctor looked up from her notations. “You wish to be alone with her now?” Shock colored her tone.
“She has nothing to fear from me,” he growled. “She never did.”
Silence reigned for a moment, and then he heard the doctor’s “humph.” He had won. She would leave and say nothing about it to anyone. Meanwhile, he knelt down beside the table. Ji Yue’s face was very pale, and her eyes were still shut tight. He gently brushed a lock of hair behind her cheek. “Her report will read excellence in every way,” he instructed.
“Of course,” the doctor answered. “Sheisexcellent in every way. And with her fire, she will make a fine Empress.”
Bo Tao jolted from the thought. He had forgotten that she was destined to be Yi Zhen’s wife. Or, failing that, one of his concubines. The Emperor could not fail to see how perfect shewas. And while that thought soured in his gut, the physician collected her things and left.
He waited until he heard the door shut firmly behind the woman.
“She is gone now. You are safe.”
Ji Yue opened her eyes, fixing him with a hard stare. She didn’t speak, but Bo Tao didn’t care. Her eyes told him that she was recovering. Her voice would return soon enough.
“I am sorry you had to endure that.” He swallowed. He was on the verge of promising that she would never have to undergo the ordeal again, but that would be a lie. All brides would be rechecked before the wedding. Up until the final selection, virginity must be assured. So he held back his promise even as he tried to help her in other ways. “You can get dressed now, if you like. Are you hungry? I can send for food.”
She still didn’t speak, and her glare hadn’t softened, but she did shake her head as she pushed up from the table. He cupped her elbow, helping her to rise, but she shrugged him off. Realizing she didn’t want him to touch her, he stepped back, though he felt the separation keenly.
She kept her skirt lying over her private area as she quickly tied on her undershift. He mourned the covering of her beautiful breasts, but he didn’t say a word. She pulled on her blouse next, buttoning it with deft moments. Then she paused, her head lifting to fix him with a dark glare.
She needed to stand to pull on her skirt, but that would expose her again. Though this gave him a physical pain, he nodded his understanding and turned around. He would not watch her women’s glory glisten as she dressed. But oh, how his loins ached. He was undressing her again in his imagination when she finally spoke.
“Do I go now to luncheon with the Dowager Consort?” Her voice was thick and low, but there was strength in her tone. Shewould not be deterred from her task.
He shook his head as he turned back around to face her. She was once again dressed in silk, the clothing tight enough to remind him of everything he’d just touched. Erotic images flooded his mind, but he resolutely pushed them aside to focus on her question.
“You cannot go to the luncheon now. It has already begun.”
Her lips compressed in a tight frown.
“It is better if you don’t appear. She is looking for girls to reject. If she does not see you, she cannot dismiss you.”
Ji Yue expression tightened. She was probably wondering if he lied, so he held up his hand.
“I swear it would be better for you to miss the luncheon.”
Finally, she nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. Given how direct her stare had been earlier, this sudden uneasiness bothered him.
“Why are you nervous now?” he asked.
She lifted her chin slowly, then finally met his gaze. He could tell she forced herself to look at him, but when she did, he trembled inside from the anxiety he saw there.
“What do you want of me?” she asked, her voice a husky rasp. “Why have you singled me out?”
