Ling Shan was extremely flustered.
Although she had been taking medicine for some time and had gotten used to the smell of the medicine on her body, as soon as the medicine bowl was brought to her today, Ling Shan could tell the difference.
It was equally bitter and unpalatable, but the subtle difference was real.
Someone had replaced her medicine!
This bowl of medicine was brought by Ban Chun. She believed that Ban Chun would never betray her.
However...
Ling Shan lowered her eyes, concealing the emotions in her eyes. Without showing the slightest hint of unease, she drank the medicine in one gulp.
"Where is the Emperor? Is he still busy?"
Ban Chun first passed over the candied fruits and then put away the medicine bowl. Hearing the question, she quickly replied,
"Your Majesty sent a message saying that he is busy with affairs in the court and will not come to dine with you today."
A flash of emotion crossed Ling Shan's eyes. On the surface, she appropriately showed a bit of disappointment, but there was a faint smile on her lips.
"Remember to ask the small kitchen to prepare some food later. You go and give it to Eunuch Liang. Otherwise, the Emperor might forget to eat when he gets busy."
A faint smile involuntarily appeared on Ban Chun's face. The atmosphere between the Emperor and the imperial concubine had been rather strange recently.
One moment they were deeply in love, and the next moment they were as distant as strangers.
This constant shift between coldness and warmth made not only the Emperor and the imperial concubine feel uncomfortable but also made those who served them extremely nervous.
Among them, she and Liang Jiusi felt this most keenly.
Rarely seeing the imperial concubine showing such a girlish demeanor, the always tense heart finally relaxed, and she replied loudly.
"Leave now. I feel a bit tired after taking the medicine. I'll take a nap."
Ban Chun helped Ling Shan lie down with a smiling face, tucked in the brocade quilt, and lowered the bed curtain before bending down and retreating.
However, Ling Shan on the couch didn't close her eyes for a long time. She wondered if it was just her imagination.
She always felt that after drinking that bowl of medicine, her head became a bit dizzy. But on the contrary, her thoughts drifted further away more clearly.
Her pair of eyes stared intently at the winding patterns on the bed curtain as she began to ponder over that bowl of medicine.
What on earth had happened?
Why did Jun Wuyuan have to secretly replace the tonic soup without telling her?
Thinking of what had happened in the past two days, Ling Shan had many speculations in her mind.
Could it be that Jun Wuyuan had noticed something wrong?
Or had he discovered her secret and knew that her "love" was just an act to survive?
Or...
Ling Shan felt as if there were thousands of ants crawling in her head. The sharp pain pulled at her, making her face turn paler and paler.
In a place she couldn't see, there was also a hint of paranoid scarlet welling up in the depths of her eyes.
She didn't know when her hands had grabbed the brocade quilt on her body. Her breathing was uneven, and her chest heaved violently, revealing the uneasiness in her heart.
The scarlet in her eyes didn't fade. As her thoughts raced, her breathing gradually became slower and slower, and soon became long and steady.
——
When Ling Shan woke up again, her head was still a bit empty, and her eyes were filled with a bit of confusion.
After waking up, she sat on the couch hugging her knees without making a single sound.
The entire palace was extremely quiet, as if she was the only person in the world.
The suspicion and uneasiness before going to sleep seemed like a dream at this moment and had disappeared without a trace.
Ling Shan's eyes were a bit dull. Her gaze was unfocused as she stared at the silk pattern of silk tree flowers on the brocade quilt. Her mind was so empty that she couldn't even remember the countermeasures she had thought of before going to sleep.
Yes.
If things were really as she had guessed, even if she had multiple arms and a cheat code, she couldn't escape the strictness under the imperial power.
The imperial power was so majestic that serving the emperor was like being with a tiger. How could it tolerate anyone's overstepping or deception?
When the emperor got angry, it wasn't like her petty tantrums.
Although the Queen Mother herself had done many evil deeds and was not liked by her, there was a saying and an attitude that were worth pondering.
Love was the most insignificant thing in the world.
Especially in the situation where there was such an unequal status between her and Jun Wuyuan, talking about love was simply seeking death.
Ling Shan was willing to always stand by Jun Wuyuan's side and have him as the only one in her heart.
However, she would never allow herself to sink easily.
In the past, with the help of the cheat code, Ling Shan had grasped this degree very well.
But now, even though she knew that Jun Wuyuan had deep feelings for her and had truly fallen in love with her, which was rare for an emperor, she still had to carefully fathom his thoughts.
If one day, Ling Shan could get along with Jun Wuyuan freely and calmly without having to be careful or watch his every move...
Perhaps, Ling Shan would be more confident in her heart... right?
"Your Highness?"
Through the curtain, Ban Chun approached in a low voice. After walking to the side of the couch, she asked softly.
"Has Your Highness woken up? The meal is ready. Does Your Highness want to get up?"
Ling Shan's eyes tightened. She gradually gathered her scattered thoughts and turned her head to look at the respectful figure standing outside the curtain.
"Get up."
While Ban Chun was serving her, Ling Shan seemed to be a bit more awake from her drowsiness. She asked softly,
"Is the Emperor still busy? Has the meal been sent to him?"
"Your Highness, don't worry. This servant has already sent someone to deliver the meal to Eunuch Liang. The Emperor also asked Eunuch Liang to pass on a message, asking this servant to serve Your Highness to eat more."
Ban Chun's tone was charming, with a hint of intimacy, which made people feel happy when they heard it.
"Your Highness must eat more later so that this servant can be happy and the Emperor can also be at ease."
Ban Chun helped Ling Shan walk towards the dining hall. There were all kinds of delicious meals with a tantalizing aroma.
Compared to when they were in the palace, Ling Shan's appetite had indeed improved a lot during these days in the hot spring palace.
But compared to before she was detoxified, her appetite was still not very good.
Both Ban Chun and Jun Wuyuan were doing their best to make her eat more. Their sincere care was definitely not fake.
A warm smile involuntarily appeared on Ling Shan's face. Her tone was soft and teasing.
"Okay, then I must eat more so that our Miss Ban Chun can go to the Emperor to receive a reward."
It was clearly a joking remark, but a strange feeling flashed through Ban Chun's mind and disappeared in an instant.
"This servant thanks Your Highness for your great kindness. Your Highness is kind - hearted, which is a blessing for this servant."
Ling Shan couldn't help but smile in her heart. In a rare good mood, she really ate more following Ban Chun's serving.
After the meal, Ling Shan was in high spirits and took Ban Chun to the back garden.
Strolling all the way, the scenery of the mountain villa was pleasant. The flowers and trees were sparse and each had its own characteristics. The most remarkable one was naturally the Moon Tower.
Not only was hot spring water introduced into it, but the whole attic was also ingeniously designed and spectacular. It was a good place to watch the stars, enjoy the moon, and soak in the fragrant hot spring at night.
Ban Chun followed Ling Shan's line of sight and couldn't help but show a bit of a smile in her eyes.
In the back garden, a vegetable garden had been specially arranged. Looking from afar, it was lush and full of vitality.
At the corner of the wall on one side of the vegetable garden, a pomegranate tree with bright red flowers had emerged at some point.
It showed a touch of vividness in the late summer, with a unique beauty.
"Your Highness, this flower..."