"Are you going to send them to His Majesty?"
Before Ban Chun could even finish her words, Ling Shan replied with a smile:
"I'll pick some and put them on my desk. It'll be nice for reading and practicing calligraphy."
Ever since Jun Wuyuan, always eager to play the teacher, insisted on teaching Ling Shan to read and write, she had taken to placing small trinkets in her little study.
Grass - woven grasshoppers and rabbits, wooden pen holders, jade - carved puppies, and wildflowers from the corners and crevices...
In just a few days, the little study was filled with a childlike and affectionate charm.
Even though she showed little progress, Ling Shan still enjoyed sitting in her study every day.
Seeing Ling Shan beaming with joy, Ban Chun swallowed back the words of persuasion that were on the tip of her tongue.
Disregarding all rules and etiquette, the mistress and her maid climbed onto the wall using a tree stump in the corner.
Outside the villa was a vast and dense forest. From time to time, squirrels could be seen scurrying through the trees.
If one listened carefully, the gurgling sound of water could be heard, and the air was filled with moisture and a sweet fragrance.
Jun Wuyuan had rushed here after making arrangements for the affairs in Liangzhou. When he arrived, he saw the fluttering hems of the skirt on the corner of the wall.
As they swayed in the wind, the jade shoes made of Sichuan brocade could be glimpsed from time to time, dancing lightly like jade butterflies.
Just by looking at this posture, he could tell that she was in a very relaxed and happy mood.
Jun Wuyuan stopped in his tracks for a moment, not wanting to step forward and interrupt this scene.
This kind of Shan Shan, Jun Wuyuan had rarely seen since she was cured of the poison.
Even though he knew that Shan Shan's aloofness and mood swings were due to the side - effects of the antidote, he still felt a sense of pent - up frustration in his heart.
He couldn't help but wonder, how could Shan Shan be willing to be aloof from him?
The word "aloofness" was like a sharp dagger. Even though he knew the reason, it still stabbed at his heart.
With such a tall and imposing figure standing there, with his profound imperial aura, how could he not draw attention?
Ling Shan had just plucked a petal when she turned around and met Jun Wuyuan's cold and solemn face. Her heart skipped a beat.
She instinctively tried to stand up but forgot that she was sitting on the corner of the wall. She slipped and fell.
Jun Wuyuan's heart also skipped a beat.
He had no time to think about anything else.
Using his lightness skills, he swooshed to her side in an instant, reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, and landed smoothly.
Ling Shan clung tightly to Jun Wuyuan's lapel. Her face was pale, and her heart was pounding violently in her chest. It was obvious that she was terribly frightened.
Jun Wuyuan's face darkened. He had intended to scold her severely for being so "naughty".
But when he saw her panicked and terrified expression, how could he bear to?
"Scared?" he asked, softening his tone a little.
After Ling Shan had calmed down a bit, her eyes still showed a trace of fear and confusion. She looked up at Jun Wuyuan.
His face still showed a hint of solemnity, and his eyes were filled with deep concern and discontent.
Ling Shan silently shrank her neck. A hint of shy coquetry appeared on her blushing face.
She gently hooked her finger around Jun Wuyuan's neck and said in a timid voice:
"A Yuan, you're so good at martial arts. I was so scared just now. Fortunately, Your Majesty was here."
Jun Wuyuan pinched the soft flesh on her waist. Although his tone was gentle, he clearly didn't buy it:
"So you know how to be scared? You're so bold that you even climbed the wall?"
Thankfully, the flowers blooming on the wall weren't those so - called plum blossoms.
How could Ling Shan know what was on his mind?
Seeing that he was about to start lecturing, she quickly leaned her head on Jun Wuyuan's shoulder and said in a soft voice:
"I won't dare to do it again. Next time I climb the wall, I'll definitely pick a time when Your Majesty is around. Your Majesty, don't be angry."
It wasn't a big deal. Was it necessary to scold her for climbing a wall?
Jun Wuyuan: "..."
He hadn't even shown a cold face to scold her, and Shan Shan was already getting angry?
Listen to this! She's calling him "Your Majesty"!
They had clearly agreed to be more relaxed and intimate when they were alone, but why did he feel that the harder he tried, the more "miserable" the situation became?
It was completely different from the kind of heart - to - heart and affectionate relationship he had envisioned!
Where on earth had things gone wrong?
Could the side - effects of the antidote really change a person so much?
Jun Wuyuan frowned slightly.
Ling Shan had been stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye. Seeing Jun Wuyuan lost in thought and his face gradually darkening, her heart began to pound wildly. She subconsciously lightened her breathing.
Her mind began to wander again. It felt as if something was building up in her chest, forcing her face to turn paler and paler.
She wanted to vent but also wanted to hold back...
These two emotions tugged at her mind, and the sharp stabbing pain returned to her head.
"I'm not angry. Shan Shan, don't..." think too much.
Before Jun Wuyuan could finish his sentence, he felt the little head on his shoulder nodding sleepily.
He looked down and saw that the fair and beautiful little face was resting on his shoulder, and she had fallen asleep.
Jun Wuyuan's eyes were deep, and a trace of worry flashed across his eyebrows.
---
Inside the room, Ling Shan was sleeping soundly on the couch. Chang Wei was carefully feeling her pulse through a silk handkerchief.
After a long time, Chang Wei followed Jun Wuyuan out to the outer room and then reported respectfully:
"Your Majesty, Her Highness's pulse is currently normal. The abnormal emotions will not cause any harm to Her Highness's body for the time being. I will change the prescription at any time to ensure Her Highness's good health. Your Majesty can rest assured."
Jun Wuyuan was sitting upright on the carved chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.
Just when Chang Wei felt that the emperor's mind was unfathomable, the high - ranking emperor actually asked:
"This residual toxicity can affect emotions. Will it... will it devour the affection in one's heart?"
Chang Wei: "..."
Huh?
Doctor Chang had traveled far and wide and seen many good prescriptions, poisons, and serious illnesses, but he had never heard of a kind of poison that could... eat such things!
He must be ill - informed!
If there was something that could control affection and thoughts, it could only be the Gu arts from the southern border that had long since disappeared in legend.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness. Her Highness was poisoned by the strange poison Bi Luo, not the terrifying love - severing Gu or anything like that. So this kind of effect should not exist," Chang Wei replied.
Jun Wuyuan felt a sense of relief, but his fingers still tapped on the table.
So there must be some other reason?
Chang Wei paused for a moment, trying hard to ignore the glint in the emperor's eyes. After thinking for a while, he said:
"If Her Highness's feelings seem different, Your Majesty might as well ask the women around her. Women usually understand each other's hearts better."
Jun Wuyuan's eyes paused, and his fingers immediately stopped.
Right.
Why torture himself by trying to figure out something he couldn't understand alone?
There might be a way out. Jun Wuyuan's eyes brightened a bit.
He looked at Chang Wei with a kinder look in his eyes and praised:
"Very good. If this matter can resolve the doubts in my heart, I will give you a great merit!"
Hehe.
Didn't that mean there would be another reward?
"I wish Your Majesty all his wishes come true!" Chang Wei said.