Zhou Xi pursed her lips. She didn’t push Luo Ran, even if she wanted to. But now, no one would believe her. Zhou Xi looked at Lu Chen ‘s indifferent expression. She wanted to defend herself, but she could only feel as if her mouth was full of bitterness.
She really loved him.
So, regardless of her family and her father’s wishes, she went to the capital just to accompany him.
But now, for this mere maid, he ignored her face for this girl and when he saw the girl fall into the water, he decided it was her fault.
He did not even have a trace of trust in her.
Zhou Xi softened, knelt down and sat on the ground, her eyes getting a little wet, she smiled and asked Lu Chen, “If the Emperor doesn’t believe Xi’er, it is useless for Xi’er to say anything more. What does the Emperor want?”
Lu Chen saw the wetness in her eyes, but could only remember Luo Ran and the fact that she had just been afraid and despairing in her nightmares. Lu Chen’s eyes looked slightly cold: “It’s getting late, the lake should be cold.”
Zhou Xi realised what he meant and looked at him incredulously with frowning brows. Tears fell uncontrollably and she heard his cold voice.
“It must also be clean.”
Zhou Xi’s face was pale for a moment, and Lu Chen stared at the tears that she had been dropping, stained with dust on the ground. Her sleeves hung down feebly.
…Clean.
He was saying… She was dirty!
A trace of surprise flashed in Lu Yu’s eyes. Unexpectedly, his elder brother was really willing to give her up. Looking at the miserable appearance of Zhou Xi in front of him, Lu Yu cried in his heart. Although this beauty was poisonous, she was indeed very beautiful. Beauties always had privileges.
Lu Yu, who was most disgusted when a beauty wept, said, “Brother, the lake is cold tonight, and could even kill people.”
Zhou Xi heard what he said, but she didn’t feel grateful. Her beautiful eyes stared at him with tears. If it weren’t for what he had just said before, how could the Emperor distrust her for even a minute!
Lu Yu not only did not take her anger to heart but even laughed at her because he felt that her tearful appearance made her more attractive.
Zhou Xi sent a distasteful look behind her and stopped looking at him. Don’t look at him anymore, don’t open your eyes! She didn’t notice Lu Yu’s expression after looking at her eyes. The smile at the corners of his mouth suddenly became slightly cold. There was a hint of sarcasm in his eyes, but it was fleeting.
Lu Chen turned his fingers, and a thought passed through his eyes. With a glance at Zhou Xi, he finally moved with a bit of compassion: “Then I revoke your name, think behind closed doors in Liuli palace for three months. “
Having said that, Lu Chen looked away indifferently, he thought that she was still that kind-hearted girl from the past, but his expectations were too high.
Zhou Xi’s face turned pale for a moment. She was most proud of her bequeathed ‘Chen’ title. That special word meant that she was special in the Emperor’s heart. Now, the Emperor’s withdrawal of it meant that… She was nothing special.
Instead of looking at Zhou Xi, Lu Chen frowned at Lu Yu: “What were you doing in the palace today?”
Knowing that Lu Chen was upset, Lu Yu put on an innocent face: “Visiting the Empress Dowager, didn’t Imperial Brother say that Empress Mother missed me and told me to come more often to see her? “
“Why don’t you hurry and go?” Lu Chen rebuked Lu Yu angrily.
Lu Yu touched his nose and retreated, but when he passed Zhou Xi, he squinted at her, and there was no warmth in his eyes. Zhou Xi had acted in front of his brother since childhood. If he had not seen her push her concubine-born sister, that was two years younger than her, into the water; he would have believed her pure appearance.
(TNote: seriously… why do none of these girls learn to swim? ah…)
Tut, he didn’t care whether she was pure or not, but if the skin of beauty was blue with cold, it would not look very good. Swinging the tassel around his waist, Lu Yu skimmed toward the inner hall and went out of the gate of the Luoyun Palace.
Lu Chen turned and started walking to the inner hall. Zhou Xi looked at his back and whispered, “Your Majesty…”
Lu Chen did not seem to hear her. He entered the inner hall, bypassed the screen and sat next to Luo Ran. Lu Chen looked at her. She seemed to have gotten used to his presence. While she was in a coma, her breath was shallow and inaudible. Her petite and thin body was stuck on the bed. Even if he knew that she was not in danger, Lu Chen could not help but worry.
He didn’t know how long he sat there but the sky was already getting dark outside. Although it was still summer, even in this hall, he felt a little cold. Lu Chen tucked the edge of her quilt, rubbed his brows, and felt a little tired.
“Cough …”
The weak cough brought Lu Chen’s mind back. When Lu Chen turned around, Luo Ran had not opened her eyes but coughed softly and frowned slightly. Lu Chen rushed at the attendant and said, “Water!”
She seemed to have heard Lu Chen’s voice, so Luo Ran’s cough stopped suddenly. Her long, upturned eyelashes quivered like she didn’t dare open her eyes. Lu Chen saw that her eyelashes were wet and his heart became slightly pained. He helped her with one hand and called out softly: “Ran’er.”
This sound seemed to have scared her, and the tears on her eyelashes fell instantly. She opened her eyes and looked at Lu Chen with eyes filled with disbelief, hidden grievances, and joy. She grabbed Lu Chen’s sleeve hanging near her hand, scratched like a kitten, and whispered:
“Your Majesty… Cough cough…”
But before she could finish speaking, there was another cough. When Qing Ru brought the water, Lu Chen took it, helped her up with one hand, sat on her bed, let her lean on her back, and held the teacup in the other hand to let her drink.
Luo Ran stared at him timidly while drinking water, as if afraid he would suddenly disappear. Lu Chen frowned, clasped her extremely thin waist in one hand, and said with a heavy voice: “I won’t go.”
After a pause, he said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Luo Ran’s eyes instantly brightened with a layer of tears, which seemed to look like a piece of the stars. The teacup in Lu Chen’s hand shook as if he had been burned by her eyes. He wanted to avoid her sight, so he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
Lu Chen listened to her without complaint, and she spoke weakly, “Your Majesty, I missed you.”
Lu Chen put down the teacup in his hand, and after a while, his hand fell lightly on top of her blue quilt, and gently stroked it: “Hmm.”
After he hummed a reply, Lu Chen looked at the sparkling look in her eyes and finally explained: “I was going to take you to the summer palace, but I didn’t think you would fall into the water and now need to rest. We can’t go.”
It’s not that I didn’t want to come to see you, so you shouldn’t be sad.
Luo Ran’s face seemed to have lost even more color. With a hint of expectation, she looked up at him with delight: “So, Your Majesty isn’t tired of me?”
Lu Chen sighed in his heart and answered her, “No.”
Luo Ran bit her lower lip lightly to hide her current mood, but the smile on the corners of her mouth still revealed itself. She was like a cat he had raised many years ago, leaning on his shoulder cleverly and meekly, with a soft and sweet voice and no traces of impurities.
“Your Majesty, I am so happy.”
Sneaking a look at him, she added, “It doesn’t matter if we can’t go. Your Majesty is here. It’s fine.”
Lu Chen caressed her hair, his eyes dark. There seemed to be something touching his heart, and he promised her: “Okay, I’ll take you there next year.”
He would never make a promise easily. If he did, he kept it.
Luo Ran leaned against him, covered the light in her eyes, and answered in a whisper: “Okay.”
Zhou Xi pursed her lips. She didn’t push Luo Ran, even if she wanted to. But now, no one would believe her. Zhou Xi looked at Lu Chen ‘s indifferent expression. She wanted to defend herself, but she could only feel as if her mouth was full of bitterness.
She really loved him.
So, regardless of her family and her father’s wishes, she went to the capital just to accompany him.
But now, for this mere maid, he ignored her face for this girl and when he saw the girl fall into the water, he decided it was her fault.
He did not even have a trace of trust in her.
Zhou Xi softened, knelt down and sat on the ground, her eyes getting a little wet, she smiled and asked Lu Chen, “If the Emperor doesn’t believe Xi’er, it is useless for Xi’er to say anything more. What does the Emperor want?”
Lu Chen saw the wetness in her eyes, but could only remember Luo Ran and the fact that she had just been afraid and despairing in her nightmares. Lu Chen’s eyes looked slightly cold: “It’s getting late, the lake should be cold.”
Zhou Xi realised what he meant and looked at him incredulously with frowning brows. Tears fell uncontrollably and she heard his cold voice.
“It must also be clean.”
Zhou Xi’s face was pale for a moment, and Lu Chen stared at the tears that she had been dropping, stained with dust on the ground. Her sleeves hung down feebly.
…Clean.
He was saying… She was dirty!
A trace of surprise flashed in Lu Yu’s eyes. Unexpectedly, his elder brother was really willing to give her up. Looking at the miserable appearance of Zhou Xi in front of him, Lu Yu cried in his heart. Although this beauty was poisonous, she was indeed very beautiful. Beauties always had privileges.
Lu Yu, who was most disgusted when a beauty wept, said, “Brother, the lake is cold tonight, and could even kill people.”
Zhou Xi heard what he said, but she didn’t feel grateful. Her beautiful eyes stared at him with tears. If it weren’t for what he had just said before, how could the Emperor distrust her for even a minute!
Lu Yu not only did not take her anger to heart but even laughed at her because he felt that her tearful appearance made her more attractive.
Zhou Xi sent a distasteful look behind her and stopped looking at him. Don’t look at him anymore, don’t open your eyes! She didn’t notice Lu Yu’s expression after looking at her eyes. The smile at the corners of his mouth suddenly became slightly cold. There was a hint of sarcasm in his eyes, but it was fleeting.
Lu Chen turned his fingers, and a thought passed through his eyes. With a glance at Zhou Xi, he finally moved with a bit of compassion: “Then I revoke your name, think behind closed doors in Liuli palace for three months. “
Having said that, Lu Chen looked away indifferently, he thought that she was still that kind-hearted girl from the past, but his expectations were too high.
Zhou Xi’s face turned pale for a moment. She was most proud of her bequeathed ‘Chen’ title. That special word meant that she was special in the Emperor’s heart. Now, the Emperor’s withdrawal of it meant that… She was nothing special.
Instead of looking at Zhou Xi, Lu Chen frowned at Lu Yu: “What were you doing in the palace today?”
Knowing that Lu Chen was upset, Lu Yu put on an innocent face: “Visiting the Empress Dowager, didn’t Imperial Brother say that Empress Mother missed me and told me to come more often to see her? “
“Why don’t you hurry and go?” Lu Chen rebuked Lu Yu angrily.
Lu Yu touched his nose and retreated, but when he passed Zhou Xi, he squinted at her, and there was no warmth in his eyes. Zhou Xi had acted in front of his brother since childhood. If he had not seen her push her concubine-born sister, that was two years younger than her, into the water; he would have believed her pure appearance.
(TNote: seriously… why do none of these girls learn to swim? ah…)
Tut, he didn’t care whether she was pure or not, but if the skin of beauty was blue with cold, it would not look very good. Swinging the tassel around his waist, Lu Yu skimmed toward the inner hall and went out of the gate of the Luoyun Palace.
Lu Chen turned and started walking to the inner hall. Zhou Xi looked at his back and whispered, “Your Majesty…”
Lu Chen did not seem to hear her. He entered the inner hall, bypassed the screen and sat next to Luo Ran. Lu Chen looked at her. She seemed to have gotten used to his presence. While she was in a coma, her breath was shallow and inaudible. Her petite and thin body was stuck on the bed. Even if he knew that she was not in danger, Lu Chen could not help but worry.
He didn’t know how long he sat there but the sky was already getting dark outside. Although it was still summer, even in this hall, he felt a little cold. Lu Chen tucked the edge of her quilt, rubbed his brows, and felt a little tired.
“Cough …”
The weak cough brought Lu Chen’s mind back. When Lu Chen turned around, Luo Ran had not opened her eyes but coughed softly and frowned slightly. Lu Chen rushed at the attendant and said, “Water!”
She seemed to have heard Lu Chen’s voice, so Luo Ran’s cough stopped suddenly. Her long, upturned eyelashes quivered like she didn’t dare open her eyes. Lu Chen saw that her eyelashes were wet and his heart became slightly pained. He helped her with one hand and called out softly: “Ran’er.”
This sound seemed to have scared her, and the tears on her eyelashes fell instantly. She opened her eyes and looked at Lu Chen with eyes filled with disbelief, hidden grievances, and joy. She grabbed Lu Chen’s sleeve hanging near her hand, scratched like a kitten, and whispered:
“Your Majesty… Cough cough…”
But before she could finish speaking, there was another cough. When Qing Ru brought the water, Lu Chen took it, helped her up with one hand, sat on her bed, let her lean on her back, and held the teacup in the other hand to let her drink.
Luo Ran stared at him timidly while drinking water, as if afraid he would suddenly disappear. Lu Chen frowned, clasped her extremely thin waist in one hand, and said with a heavy voice: “I won’t go.”
After a pause, he said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Luo Ran’s eyes instantly brightened with a layer of tears, which seemed to look like a piece of the stars. The teacup in Lu Chen’s hand shook as if he had been burned by her eyes. He wanted to avoid her sight, so he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
Lu Chen listened to her without complaint, and she spoke weakly, “Your Majesty, I missed you.”
Lu Chen put down the teacup in his hand, and after a while, his hand fell lightly on top of her blue quilt, and gently stroked it: “Hmm.”
After he hummed a reply, Lu Chen looked at the sparkling look in her eyes and finally explained: “I was going to take you to the summer palace, but I didn’t think you would fall into the water and now need to rest. We can’t go.”
It’s not that I didn’t want to come to see you, so you shouldn’t be sad.
Luo Ran’s face seemed to have lost even more color. With a hint of expectation, she looked up at him with delight: “So, Your Majesty isn’t tired of me?”
Lu Chen sighed in his heart and answered her, “No.”
Luo Ran bit her lower lip lightly to hide her current mood, but the smile on the corners of her mouth still revealed itself. She was like a cat he had raised many years ago, leaning on his shoulder cleverly and meekly, with a soft and sweet voice and no traces of impurities.
“Your Majesty, I am so happy.”
Sneaking a look at him, she added, “It doesn’t matter if we can’t go. Your Majesty is here. It’s fine.”
Lu Chen caressed her hair, his eyes dark. There seemed to be something touching his heart, and he promised her: “Okay, I’ll take you there next year.”
He would never make a promise easily. If he did, he kept it.
Luo Ran leaned against him, covered the light in her eyes, and answered in a whisper: “Okay.”
