After leaving Concubine Chu's palace, Helian Qi's complexion softened a bit, and his knitted brows relaxed slightly. Just thinking of the woman in that palace filled his heart with disgust.
Suddenly, he remembered the woman he had hugged in the rain. She exuded a faint, evanescent jasmine fragrance. Once one smelled it, it was impossible to resist, as if one couldn't help but bury one's head in her neck and take a long, deep sniff.
At this thought, his steps became brisker.
On the other side, in the Queen's palace, Dongfang Yi was lying in bed when she felt her stomach growling.
During dinner, she had always felt bloated, so she hadn't eaten much. Unexpectedly, she was so hungry at night.
But at this hour, there wouldn't be anyone in the small kitchen, though there might still be some pastries.
Thinking of this, she immediately rolled out of bed, casually threw on an outer robe, and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
Outside, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. Perhaps it was the clearing after the afternoon rain that made the night so charming and the air so fresh.
As soon as Helian Qi entered the Queen's palace, he saw Dongfang Yi sneaking around, hunched over, in the moonlight.
His eyebrows knitted together instantly.
Did she want to escape?
But this thought was immediately dispelled, for he noticed that she was bare - footed and her clothes were casually thrown on.
And the direction she was heading was clearly the small kitchen of the Queen's palace.
So she was just having a midnight craving. What a glutton.
At this thought, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. Then he followed behind her and gradually entered the small kitchen.
As soon as Dongfang Yi entered the kitchen, she started rummaging around for food, completely unaware of Helian Qi outside. But in the end, she found nothing.
She sighed and said, "I'm really the most pitiful queen in the world. I'm so hungry and there's nothing to eat!"
Just then, she heard a soft laugh.
Immediately on high alert, she turned around and saw Helian Qi leaning against the doorframe.
"You... Your Majesty, why are you here!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"Why isn't the Queen in bed at this late hour but here?" Helian Qi stared at the woman in front of him playfully.
He looked like he was watching a show.
Of course, Dongfang Yi couldn't say that she was so hungry that she had come out to look for food, so she made up an excuse.
"I thought the moonlight was so beautiful tonight, so I wanted to take a stroll in the palace."
After hearing this, the smile on Helian Qi's lips deepened.
He couldn't believe this woman could come up with such an excuse. Who takes a stroll to the kitchen?
But he still didn't expose her and said, "I wonder if the Queen has finished her stroll. How about going back to the bedroom?"
After hearing this, Dongfang Yi looked at the small kitchen reluctantly. She thought to herself that she hadn't found any food yet, so how could she leave like this?
But she could only lower her head regretfully and say, "Okay."
Helian Qi watched the woman in front of him, who clearly wanted to say something but held it back. He found it extremely interesting in his heart, but still kept a cold look on his face.
After they both returned to the bedroom.
"Your Majesty, I'll go to bed. Your Majesty should also go back and rest early," Dongfang Yi said while sitting on the bed.
Helian Qi squinted his eyes slightly. Her intention to get rid of him was too obvious.
"Put on your shoes!" he said.
Dongfang Yi frowned, not understanding what he meant. Why put on shoes when she was about to go to sleep?
Just as she was about to object, she heard him say again.
"I'll take you to the imperial kitchen."
He had been angry seeing her bare - footed just now. Autumn was almost over and it was so cold. Her feet had been injured before. How could she walk around bare - footed so casually?
At this thought, a more dangerous look flashed in his squinted eyes.
After hearing his words, Dongfang Yi's eyes widened involuntarily. She thought to herself that he was going to take her to eat.
Hey??? How did he know she was hungry? And why was he looking at her feet like that?
After thinking about it, she obediently put on her shoes. Seeing the look in his eyes soften a bit, she let out a long sigh of relief.
This man was so fierce even when showing concern!
But at the thought of him taking her to the imperial kitchen, her heart was still fluttering with excitement, for she was really starving.
So she quickly sat up from the bed.
Helian Qi watched the excited look on the woman's face in front of him. He liked her very much in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. He said in his usual cold tone, "Let's go."
With that, he strode out of the bedroom, and Dongfang Yi scurried after him.
They didn't say a word all the way. In less than a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the imperial kitchen.
As soon as they stepped in, they smelled the fragrance of pastries and meat.
As soon as Dongfang Yi smelled it, she ran in excitedly. She picked up a sweet - scented osmanthus cake on the table beside and stuffed it into her mouth.
While eating, she said with her cheeks puffed out, "The imperial kitchen is really different. There's always food."
Helian Qi watched the woman in front of him.
She ate so hungrily as if she hadn't eaten for three days. She didn't look like a queen at all.
But even so, she still had a cute and playful air about her.
This made the corners of his mouth turn up involuntarily.
When he saw her enjoying her food, he even picked off the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
But Dongfang Yi froze at this action. Then she remembered that the man standing beside her was the emperor.
Immediately, she put down the pastry in her hand, gave an embarrassed smile, and said to the man beside her, "Your Majesty, I've been impolite."
Seeing her suddenly being so formal, the smile on Helian Qi's lips deepened.
"If others didn't know, they'd think I've treated the Queen badly," he said with a quirk of his lips.
He meant that the way she ate was really a mess.
Dongfang Yi understood his meaning and felt her ears burning. She thought to herself how could she have eaten so excitedly.
At this thought, she regretfully raised her hand and patted her mouth.
"The Queen may continue eating. Don't worry. There are no outsiders here," Helian Qi continued.
But Dongfang Yi had no mood to continue gobbling. So she said, "Your Majesty, I'm full."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Helian Qi squinted at her.
Suddenly, he felt that this scene was familiar. He seemed to have come to the imperial kitchen with this woman before.
At that time, things were different. She was still innocent and carefree, constantly stuffing pastries into his arms. When she couldn't hold any more, she even stuffed them into his bosom.
But now she was saying "Thank you, Your Majesty" so respectfully.
At this thought, a strange bitterness welled up in his heart, and even his mouth tasted bitter.
When did things change like this?
After thinking about it, he didn't respond to the woman in front of him. He just turned around and strode out of the imperial kitchen.