“That’s not the point. I’m asking about the Third Imperial Brother’s matter. Is it true?” Mei Siyu asked urgently. She never expected the Third Imperial Brother to openly challenge the Emperor in front of the court officials and take the blame himself, which made her previously calm heart inexplicably worried.
“This is also true. I heard the Empress Dowager already knows. The situation is quite chaotic. He once bullied you like that. Why do you still care about his affairs? It’s not worth your effort!” Xiaoruo’s mouth curled slightly, her tone carrying a hint of indignation.
Mei Siyu didn’t wait for her to finish speaking and walked directly towards the Emperor’s palace, determined to ask about the matter clearly, her mood anxious and flustered.
She gently approached Mu Lengchen, who was focused on reviewing documents at the desk. She saw his elegant eyebrows slightly furrowed, his lips lightly pursed, and a hint of worry in his eyes, which made her heart ache. So, she covered his eyes from behind, waiting for his reaction, wanting to bring him a moment of relief.
“Yuer, is that you?” Mu Lengchen put down the documents in his hand, gently grasping her delicate hand, speaking softly.
“It’s really not fun at all. Chen, how did you guess it was me?” she said with a light, angry laugh.
“Because you have a unique fragrance that others don’t have. Guessing it was you is naturally simple,” Mu Lengchen pulled her into his embrace, lovingly stroking her black hair, a smile spreading across his lips. The previous worried frown had relaxed considerably. It seemed Yuer was truly his source of joy, and he was grateful that heaven had favored him by bringing her to his side, allowing him to experience true love and its preciousness!
Staring after her departure, Ming Lenchen forcefully pounded the desk with his fists, blood seeping from his knuckles, yet he felt no pain. He had heard her words clearly, but couldn’t understand why, if she loved him, she would refuse to become empress. What was she truly thinking? Could being in the palace make her so uncomfortable that only life outside could bring her happiness?
Moreover, why would she plead for Third Brother’s sake? Had she forgotten how he had hurt her? Or was there some hidden story? These two matters intertwined, causing confusion in his heart! Why did it have to be Third Brother? This was the first time he had truly invested his emotions, only to encounter a rival – and that rival was his own third brother. How could he not misunderstand, how could he not be suspicious!
Mei Siyu returned to her palace chambers crying, ignoring Xiao Rou’s inquiries and running directly to the side room, wanting only to be alone.
She closed the door and moved to the bedside, crying sorrowfully. She had simply expressed her thoughts – was that wrong? Why couldn’t Ming Lenchen understand her heart? She loved him, but didn’t want to be constrained by the complex palace rituals. She longed for a simple, free life, without competing with other concubines, without seeing Wan’er’s pitiful expression, and without being the object of their jealousy. She was just pursuing her own desires, harming no one’s interests. Why couldn’t he understand?
She didn’t want to compete and scheme among women for a man’s favor, striving to be most beloved. This wasn’t the life she wanted – this fragmented emotion, she would rather not have! She had previously decided to face her feelings, hoping he would one day respect them and grow old together. Now, it seemed she was merely indulging in a fantasy!
How could this not break her heart? How should she face this love that would never be exclusively hers? Should she let go now, or give this hard-won emotion one more chance? Even if it meant waiting in vain, she was willing!
“Yan-gege, you’ve just recovered from your injuries. It’s best you don’t go out,” Liu Suyun said concernedly.
“Suyun, don’t worry. I’m fine. I’ll be back before dinner. Shall we eat together?” Wen Yuyan adjusted his outer garment softly.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you. Don’t break your promise!” She playfully pouted, delighted that he had initiated dining together for the first time.
“Mm,” Wen Yuyan responded, placing his dagger aside before leaving.
His heart was filled with countless thoughts and memories, wondering about her safety since her assassination attempt. She must have offended someone in the palace to have such a high-priced bounty on her life. Remembering her panicked expression, he felt immense compassion. Such a woman shouldn’t be confined in a dark palace but should live freely in a beautiful, peaceful place. How he wished he could be the one by her side, though he knew this was impossible.
The deep palace, heavily guarded, couldn’t stop him. Wen Yuyan was now in the Yanfeng Hall courtyard, which seemed quiet and sparse, lacking the typical palace atmosphere. Following his memories, he quickly found the main room where he had previously treated her wounds – still as serene and elegant as he remembered.
The scenery remained unchanged, but the person was gone. He looked around, unable to find her silhouette, but knew finding her wouldn’t be difficult. The thought of seeing the woman who had haunted his dreams excited him, though as an assassin, such emotional involvement was taboo.
“Xiao Rou, I don’t want to eat. Just take it away,” Mei Siyu said without looking up, irritated.
The person didn’t speak but closed the door and walked towards her, sitting on the bed’s edge.
He laughed seeing her pouting, her makeup tearstained but still beautiful. How could he not be captivated? Noticing her bad mood, he asked softly, “What makes you so sad?”
“Ah, who are you? How did you enter my chambers?” Mei Siyu looked up, surprised.
“Don’t you remember me? I’m the one who saved your life,” Wen Yuyan smiled, amused by her shocked expression.
“Oh, you’re that black-clothed person who saved me, right?” Mei Siyu excitedly stood, staring at him intently, finding him even more handsome than Ming Lenchen, with a captivating, almost demonic beauty.
Well, the girl finally remembers me,” he said gently, looking deeply affectionate at the charming girl beside him who was lost in thought, truly so innocent.
“Cough cough, Young Master, please don’t laugh. Yuer is infinitely grateful for your life-saving grace!” She realized her impropriety and spoke with a hint of shyness. He loved to laugh, and his laughter was truly beautiful. When he spoke, he was modest and polite, and she couldn’t help but be captivated.
“Instead of thanking me, why don’t you treat me to a meal? That would be more sincere,” Wen Yue Yan said. He had originally intended to just catch a glimpse of her and not disturb her life, but unexpectedly found himself with an impulse to have a meal with her, wanting to understand her better. It seemed he had fallen for Mei Si Yu, and he was quite happy about it, the smile at the corner of his mouth never fading.
“The thing is, it might be difficult. I can’t just leave the palace casually, unless you can secretly take me out,” Mei Si Yu said. Her mood had been poor, but now, hearing about going out to eat, her spirits lifted immediately. His martial arts were excellent, seemingly on par with Ming Leng Yun, so he should be able to take her out. This meal would be a chance to relax and avoid the gloomy palace walls that only increased her sorrow.
“Taking you out of the palace isn’t hard, but what if they can’t find you later? I don’t want to be accused of kidnapping a concubine, haha!” Wen Yue Yan said with a light laugh, looking at her excited state. It seemed his guess was right – she indeed disliked palace life, otherwise she wouldn’t be so excited about leaving, completely disregarding the consequences.
