The Empress's Secret

"So there was a perk like this?" Song Qingshu froze, caught completely off guard by the sudden stroke of luck.

"Xiao Xingzi, what is wrong with you today? Why are you acting so foolish?" After receiving no response for some time, Empress Peiman instinctively propped herself up on the bed and looked over, revealing the full, lush curves of her upper body.

"Ah, I'm coming." Afraid that she might spot something amiss, Song Qingshu hurriedly answered.

"Hurry up. I don't know what has been going on these past few days, but my shoulders have been terribly sore. Those dog slaves are nowhere near as skilled as you. Their massages do nothing at all." Empress Peiman stretched lazily and pounded her shoulder, utterly unconcerned about displaying her graceful figure before Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Empress had merely summoned Xiao Xingzi to knead her shoulders and back; he had been overthinking things. Yet his heart quickly tightened again. From her tone, Xiao Xingzi seemed quite adept at massage. He was not the real Xiao Xingzi—wouldn't he expose himself soon enough?

But Song Qingshu reacted swiftly. No matter how deft Xiao Xingzi's hands were, he was still only an ordinary person. How could he compare to Song Qingshu's knowledge of the body's acupoints? It would be easy enough to make her comfortable.

With a plan in mind, Song Qingshu's hands moved like they were playing the piano, lightly and nimbly kneading her shoulders and back. Empress Peiman's body stiffened at first, but soon relaxed completely. She could not help letting out a soft moan. "Xiao Xingzi is still the most considerate. But why does your technique seem a little different from usual today?"

Song Qingshu answered calmly, "This servant recently learned a few new