Traveling to ancient times to sweep the catering industry

Chapter 253 Unrecognizable

"You look half dead, what on earth are you going to do?"

Li Zhen could no longer bear to see Xu Jiaoran like this. She used to be lively and gentle.

He wanted to draw some warmth from her, but now, she was like a dead body beside him.

"If you can't bear to watch it, just kill me!"

In the deep courtyard of the imperial palace, Xu Jiaoran was like a peony ravaged by the wind, having lost its former beauty and vitality.

The tyranny and despotism of Emperor Li Zhen imprisoned her in this gorgeous cage and robbed her day after day.

That magnificent palace, once a place of splendor in her eyes, has now become a shackle on her heart.

Her tears, sorrow, and her increasingly thin face were reflected between the red walls and golden tiles.

There was still endless greed and obsession in Li Zhen's eyes, but he was no longer the man in her heart. Every time he approached her was like a sharp blade piercing her heart.

Xu Jiaoran's heart had long since sunk into the abyss of despair. She often looked out the window at the sky, her heart filled with sorrow. She had tried to struggle, tried to resist, but in this ruthless court, her strength seemed to be eroded bit by bit. Her eyes had lost their former brilliance, leaving only deep fatigue and despair.

She began to give up on herself and no longer cared about her image and dignity. Her long hair was scattered on her shoulders, and her clothes became tattered. Her eyes were full of emptiness and confusion, as if she had lost all her passion and expectations for life. Her face no longer had the smile and brilliance it once had, leaving only a decadent paleness.

She sat alone in the palace every day, no longer paying attention to the outside world, nor caring about Li Zhen's actions. Her heart had long been closed, and she was immersed in self-pity. Deep in her heart, there seemed to be an uncontrollable anger and resentment surging, but these emotions were buried deep in her heart, unable to confide or vent.

The palace was filled with a chilly atmosphere. The wind made a faint sound of weeping as it passed through the palace's corridors and courtyards. Every time the breeze blew gently across her cheek, it was like a cold hand caressing the last warmth in her heart. She seemed to have gotten used to this loneliness and indifference, allowing them to erode her soul bit by bit.

Every time Li Zhen appeared, she felt disgusted and terrified. The greed and obsession in his eyes had turned into endless torture and destruction for her.

Every time he robbed her, she felt deep pain and despair. She began to hate this world, a place where she lost her freedom and dignity.

However, in this magnificent palace, Xu Jiaoran existed like a dead leaf blown away by the wind. She faced endless suffering and torment. However, in this long and hopeless time, her soul and body would be severely tortured, and only death could bring her relief.

Her heart was already filled with despair. Xu Jiaoran began to become decadent, and her once bright eyes were now filled with helplessness and despair.

Her long hair hung messily on her shoulders, and her originally bright clothes had long lost their luster, leaving only a hint of dullness.

Li Zhen was also very angry. No matter how good he treated her, she always ignored him. Since that was the case, he could only treat her worse and make her submit to him.

Li Zhen began to ignore her and only used her as a tool to vent his anger.

He often mentioned her young son in front of her, with a threatening and sinister look in his eyes that frightened Xu Jiaoran.

Every time he mentioned it, it was a means of threatening her to accompany him in his pursuit of pleasure. Those painful threats and constant trampling made her heart tremble in the darkness without anyone around.

"Xu Jiaoran, do you think you can still escape from my grasp?" Li Zhen's voice was as piercing as the cold wind, and his eyes were full of contempt and disdain for Xu Jiaoran. He stood in front of her, looking down at her decadent figure, with a sneer on his lips.

"Your son is in my hands, you'd better obey me."

His words were threatening and cruel, like an invisible chain tightly binding Xu Jiaoran's body and mind. She was powerless to resist and could only silently endure the pain and torture.

In the endless darkness, Xu Jiaoran often dreamed of her son.

She saw the fear and helplessness in his innocent eyes. Whenever she woke up from the dream, her heart was filled with deep pain and endless regret. She knew that she could no longer protect her son and could only let Li Zhen manipulate and threaten her.

Xu Jiaoran was in great pain, but she could not give up. The only glimmer of hope in her heart was her desire for freedom and her longing for her son.

Since she couldn't die, she could only silently look for a chance to escape. Although the hope was slim, she was still unwilling to give up any chance of survival.

The news in the palace began to become tense. Xu Jiaoran's actions caught Li Zhen's attention. He began to feel a little uneasy, because he knew that this once weak woman was no longer his plaything. He should have been happy to see the surrender flashing in her eyes, but this change made him feel less satisfied.

It seemed that the Xu Jiaoran he thought of shouldn't be like this.

Xu Jiaoran, a fairy-like woman, came under the moonlight. Her steps were light, as if a blooming lotus came before him.

Her eyes sparkled with a glittering light. She whispered softly, her voice as melodious as the sound of a harp. Her words were full of obedience and tenderness, like a spring breeze blowing across the lake, creating ripples. However, this was not true obedience, it was just a superficial illusion.

Li Zhen felt a little unhappy. He looked at Xu Jiaoran, and there seemed to be something hidden in her crystal eyes. He felt that her attitude towards him was like a flower in the mist, seemingly clear, but it would dissipate at the touch. He didn't like this kind of hypocrisy.

Li Zhen had hoped that Xu Jiaoran would submit to him, like the willow catkins dancing in the wind under the moon, but he found that was not what he expected.

Li Zhen looked at her coming to him with a sweet smile on her face. This was clearly what she had been expecting, but in his eyes, it was all just that the smile on her face was very annoying.

"Stop laughing!" Li Zhen said angrily.

"Your Majesty, doesn't you like me to smile?" Xu Jiaoran still smiled.

Now, she could only try her best to please Li Zhen and ask him to relax his vigilance so as to find a little chance of survival.

However, Li Zhen was unhappy and said angrily: "I don't like your fake smile."

After saying that, Li Zhen left, leaving Xu Jiaoran confused as to what he meant.

Don't like fake smiles? It seems that your fake smile is not genuine enough.

Xu Jiaoran practiced her smile in front of the mirror, and then she realized that she had become so unfamiliar.

Wasn't I like this before?

The gentle self of the past has now become decadent and dejected, completely unrecognizable.

……