Wei Sinian proved with facts that clumsiness was beyond redemption.
After witnessing his numerous failures, Wen Fuyue took a deep breath, tried to put on a more pleasant expression, and politely showed the man in front of her out of the kitchen.
Before leaving, Wei Sinian heard the concubine's thoughts and subconsciously glanced at the messy kitchen. He then gave up the idea of staying to watch the concubine make noodles and left obediently.
His survival instinct told him that if he didn't leave, the concubine might really take action.
【Finally! If he didn't leave, I really wouldn't be able to convince myself not to take action. I...】
He touched his nose and rarely felt a bit guilty. There was a slight uneasiness on his face.
He really didn't do it on purpose. It was just that the dough was so strange. No matter how hard he tried, it would flow in another direction as soon as it was pulled. It was always uneven in thickness or simply broke.
Thinking of the oddly - shaped strips in his hands just now, Wei Sinian felt a bit frustrated for the first time.
It seemed that the concubine was really extraordinary, and her cooking skills were outstanding.
Thinking this way, a faint smile appeared on Wei Sinian's lips, and there was a hint of pride in his expression.
An Fu, who was waiting on the side, was already used to seeing Wei Sinian's smile. Sure enough, the emperor was always in an especially good mood when he was with the noble concubine.
What was this? Wei Sinian saw a book on the table with a paper cover, so he couldn't tell its title. Curiously, he reached out his hand.
When Wen Fuyue brought out the noodles, she saw Wei Sinian sitting obediently in front of the table, holding a book in his hand and looking thoughtful.
【...?! No way, no way! Please nooooo!】
Wen Fuyue was shocked. Looking at the book in Wei Sinian's hand, her face went blank, and her mind went blank instantly. She stood there, not knowing whether to take her left or right foot first.
Hearing her footsteps, Wei Sinian slowly looked up. He looked at the woman in front of him who wished she could bury herself in the ground, raised his eyebrows, and said, "The red curtains are warm, and the spring mood is strong."
"I didn't know that the noble concubine was interested in this kind of book?"
Wen Fuyue felt like she had already died socially, so she simply gave up. She glanced at Wei Sinian's smiling peach - blossom eyes. Immediately, a rush of heat rose to her ears, and she had to lower her head and keep silent.
It was just an ordinary novel, just a bit cheesy and had a bit of adult content.
It wasn't a big deal, right...
Wei Sinian was amused by her reaction. He couldn't help but read two more lines in a slow tone, with an indescribable ambiguity in his voice.
【Oh no, I think either Wei Sinian or I must die today! Aaaaaaaaaa! The dog emperor actually read it out! I can't take it anymore!】
Wen Fuyue's face was completely red. She looked like a bun steaming with heat. Even with her head down, one could see her blushing ears and neck.
"So the noble concubine likes these." Wei Sinian waved the book in his hand at her with a smile and said, "Then when shall I go and collect a pile for you?"
【I can't take it anymore. Dog emperor, I want to sew his mouth shut!】
Wen Fuyue was completely crazy inside. She tried hard to suppress her shame and anger. She forced a smile as she glanced at the book in his hand, then looked up at Wei Sinian and said, "Okay, thank you, Your Majesty."
Rather than struggling to explain, it was better to just admit it.
Wen Fuyue was too lazy to struggle. She said confidently, "Then Your Majesty should eat the noodles first. Remember to look for some novels for me another day."
Hearing this, Wei Sinian's smile grew wider. He slowly nodded under Wen Fuyue's deliberately calm gaze, indicating that he knew.
【Dog emperor!】
...
Ci'an Palace.
After Wei Sinian left, Empress Dowager Li Qingying sat silently on the chair, staring blankly at a certain part of the main hall. Suddenly, she felt a sense of daze.
How many years had it been? From the day she entered the palace until now?
Li Qingying subconsciously didn't dare to think about it or calculate it. It seemed that if she did so, she could forget the passage of time, forget that that man had been dead for many years, and even forget that the woman she hated to mention had already left.
It had been too long. Li Qingying covered her face with both hands and closed her eyes. But accidentally, she touched the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She quickly pulled her hands back as if frightened. She stared blankly at her palm and suddenly shed tears.
Spring came and autumn went. The flowers in the palace had bloomed and withered countless times.
Li Qingying suddenly burst into laughter. Looking at Qiu Yue, who had been with her since she was Miss Li, she asked in a low voice, "Qiu Yue, do you think I'll be punished?"
After saying that, she laughed loudly again, as if she had remembered something extremely interesting. Her laughter grew louder and louder, and then she sobbed.
Wang Qiuyue had already sent away the other palace servants. Seeing this, she just sighed deeply and said gently, "Your Majesty, why do you torture yourself like this? You are now one of the most noble people in the world. With the dragon's aura protecting you, who would dare to take revenge on you?"
"Hahaha." Li Qingying laughed again. The madness in her eyes was seen by Wang Qiuyue, who sighed deeply and then patted her on the back as if to comfort her.
"Miss." Wang Qiuyue said in a low voice. She was no longer young. Now, most people just called her "Nanny Wang".
"Will she hate me? Chen Yuan, will she come to find me! I was the one who ended her life with my own hands! Why, why didn't she struggle!" Seeing that Li Qingying had completely gone crazy, Wang Qiuyue stopped trying to persuade her. She just silently accompanied her, a tear streaming down the corner of her eye.
The past could not be retrieved. Even if the empress dowager regretted it, she couldn't reverse it. Moreover, in the end, the two women had become as incompatible as water and fire. Even if Li Qingying was given another chance, she would still choose to take action.
Wang Qiuyue had followed her for a lifetime and was the person who understood her best besides Li Qingying herself.
"Qiu Yue, will she hate me? If she hadn't accompanied me back then, would things have been different?" Li Qingying was sobbing uncontrollably. Her eyes were as red as burning charcoal, and her hands were trembling constantly.
"No." She looked at Wang Qiuyue and said self - deprecatingly, "She wouldn't regret accompanying me. Who could refuse such great wealth and honor?"
Who could refuse such great wealth and honor? From a young lady of a declining noble family to a noble concubine cherished by the late emperor?
As if to confirm this answer, Li Qingying repeated it many times and then slumped on the chair blankly.
"Your Majesty." Wang Qiuyue stepped forward to help her up and said gently, "I've just ordered someone to prepare the soul - soothing soup for you. You should take a little rest first."
Li Qingying didn't say a word. Like a puppet, she let Wang Qiuyue help her to the bed. She drank the familiar slightly sweet soup and then fell into a deep sleep.
The spring scenery outside the window was wonderful. The crabapple trees had sprouted tender green buds, and flower buds were faintly visible among the branches. The sun was bright and beautiful, gently shining on the window, making the skin of the woman in front look even more radiant.
"Sister Ying!" The woman in front of her was beautiful, wearing a green dress. Her skin was fair, and her figure was a bit slender. But the smile on her face was so bright that one couldn't help but like her.
"Come back to your senses!" She smiled, waved her hand in front of Li Qingying, who was standing there in a daze, and joked, "What? Are you so happy because you're going to see the crown prince that you've forgotten everything? Come back to your senses quickly, or we'll be late!"
"Chen Yuan." Li Qingying was shocked but found that she couldn't speak.
Suddenly, she seemed to float up. She watched herself blushing, pouting at the other girl, and saying softly, "You're always teasing me."
"Okay, okay." Seeing the blush on her face, Chen Yuan burst out laughing again. She said gently to her, "Let's go quickly. If we don't go, he'll really get impatient."
"Okay." She gave a faint smile, tidied up the loose hair by her temples in front of the bronze mirror for the last time, put on a bamboo hat, and said, "Let's go."
Don't go. Li Qingying, who was now the empress dowager and "watching" all this, was in tears. Watching the two young girls, she felt a continuous dull pain spreading throughout her body.
Even in the dream, the pain was so intense that she couldn't straighten her back. She slowly slid down to an unknown place, in so much pain that she could hardly breathe and her consciousness was blurred.
After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly opened her eyes. She felt that her whole body was covered in sticky sweat, and the tears on her face had been wiped away by Wang Qiuyue.
"Your Majesty!" Seeing that she finally woke up, Wang Qiuyue knelt in front of the window, looking worried.
It was dark. Maybe because she had fallen asleep, the whole Ci'an Palace was in darkness, like a cage from which one could never escape.
She looked at Wang Qiuyue, and madness gradually filled her eyes again. "No, Qiu Yue, she will hate me."
"But there's nothing to be afraid of from the dead." Li Qingying sneered, and tears flowed down involuntarily. "Only I am the eternal winner."