Situ Qing rarely saw Dongfang Yi looking so shy. Having been accustomed to her carefree manner, he almost forgot how shy and cute she was when he first met her.
"What are you thanking me for?" he asked with a gentle smile.
"Actually, I've dreamed of opening an inn like this for a long time and being able to plan and prepare everything myself. So thank you for giving me this opportunity," Dongfang Yi said seriously, enunciating each word.
Her earnest expression made Situ Qing's heart flutter. Her eyes, as bright as stars, were so captivating that once one looked into them, it was hard to look away.
"Xiaodong, I like seeing you smile all the time," Situ Qing said tenderly. The moonlight outside the window shone on his side face. His eyelashes fluttered as if they were tinged with moonlight. With his misty eyes, he looked incredibly beautiful.
A twinge of bitterness welled up in Dongfang Yi's heart. If she hadn't met that man first, she would surely have fallen for Situ Qing, just for the tenderness in his eyes.
But life is always like this. She met Helian Qi first, a man who had left a deep impression on her. Even though her heart had been broken by him, she still couldn't bring herself to love someone else.
So Dongfang Yi pretended to be extremely sleepy. She walked up to Situ Qing and flicked the tip of his nose with her finger. "Stop being so cheesy. I'll surely make a fortune for you! Ah—I'm so sleepy. I'm going to bed."
With that, she turned around and walked towards her room on the second floor.
Situ Qing, left standing there, couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. He reached up and touched the tip of his nose. It seemed as if the warmth of her fingernail still lingered there.
She must understand the meaning behind his words and his feelings. But her reaction clearly showed that she didn't reciprocate his feelings. Thinking of this, Situ Qing lowered his head so that his eyelashes fluttered, making it hard to tell his expression.
After returning to her room, Dongfang Yi flopped onto the bed. But her mind couldn't stop replaying Situ Qing's words.
"Xiaodong, I like seeing you smile all the time."
This sentence sounded like a confession, but Dongfang Yi could only pretend not to understand. She admitted that she was selfish. She didn't want to give up what she had now, so she could only maintain the status quo.
The day's fatigue didn't allow her to dwell on this for long. She fell asleep soon.
On the other hand, Situ Qing couldn't fall asleep all night.
......
The situation in the palace had been changing rapidly recently. One of the main reasons was the expanding influence of Concubine Shun. Yes, she was now Concubine Shun. Since she entered the palace, she had first been granted the title of Noble Lady, breaking the precedent, and then quickly promoted to Concubine. This speed of promotion was even faster than that of Concubine Chu, who had once been highly favored by the emperor.
So the other concubines in the palace quickly took sides. One group supported Concubine Chu, while the other supported Concubine Shun.
In Concubine Chu's palace, she was sitting on the couch eating fruits. But her mood was not as calm as it seemed. She could easily guess why the Nangong family had sent Concubine Shun into the palace. It was because they saw that she had fallen out of favor and wanted to ensure their position in the court.
Moreover, her assassination plan had not succeeded yet. She thought that the Nangong family must be getting impatient.
Thinking of this, she angrily swept the fruit plate on the side to the ground.
Just then, Noble Lady Lian entered the palace. Seeing Concubine Chu in a fit of rage again, she said, "Oh, Sister Concubine Chu, what are you so angry about?"
Concubine Chu glared at her and asked, "What are you doing here?!"
"I'm here, of course, to calm you down, Your Ladyship," Noble Lady Lian said. Her beautiful face was full of cunning, and even her almond - shaped eyes were squinted in a sly way.
"Oh? Tell me," Concubine Chu asked, looking at the woman in front of her with interest.
"She's just a little girl. It would be as easy for Your Ladyship to get rid of her as to crush an ant," Noble Lady Lian continued.
"The emperor dotes on her a great deal now. Yet you describe her as an ant?" Concubine Chu snorted. Although she hated Concubine Shun, she was still rational enough not to underestimate her.
"Your Ladyship, it's like this..." Noble Lady Lian suddenly took two steps forward and leaned close to Concubine Chu's ear, whispering in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
After listening to her whisper, Concubine Chu's face contorted for a moment, showing a somewhat perverted smile.
"Haha, well said. I'll leave this matter to you," she said.
Noble Lady Lian also let out a few sly laughs. Then she bowed slightly and said, "I'll take my leave, Your Ladyship."
To Concubine Chu, Noble Lady Lian was like a little advisor. Although most of the time she looked down on and even hated Noble Lady Lian, she would never kill her because she could always come up with ideas that suited her.
She always needed a stepping - stone in the harem, and Noble Lady Lian was just the right one.
In Concubine Shun's palace on the other side, she was surrounded by a group of concubines. She was actually a bit helpless. When Uncle Nangong sent her into the palace, he only told her to try her best to win the emperor's favor.
But the truth was that she had fallen deeply in love with the man who held the power over all the people in the world. She was willing to give him her whole heart.
And she had indeed received the emperor's favor. She didn't want to fight or compete with anyone. She just wanted a place to stay and be with Helian Qi forever. So when she was highly favored and attracted others to get close to her, she felt at a loss and even a bit disgusted.
The concubines surrounded Concubine Shun, who was lost in thought. They chattered one after another, mostly complimenting her on how beautiful she was and how much the emperor liked her.
It was undeniable that Concubine Shun was a beauty. Her beauty was unique. Unlike other concubines with pointed chins and narrow faces, she had a round, baby - faced face. Her big eyes seemed full of spirit, and her lips were pink. In short, she looked very young.
But it was really uncomfortable to listen to such exaggerated compliments. After listening for about an incense - burning time, Concubine Shun finally couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Dear sisters! I'm really exhausted—"
Any sensible person could understand the implication. So the women who had been surrounding her stood up and left the palace one after another.
After seeing them leave, Concubine Shun let out a long sigh and flopped onto the couch as if all her energy had been drained.