Chapter 49 (2/2)

I return a laugh, ”Thanks for the praises. Your highness, I shall take my leave first, you take your time wandering around.” After saying that, I don't look at her again, turning around and minding my own business as I leave. All whilst feeling puzzled by that final change of mood in her, she was clearly worked up to the extreme, why did she become so calm after?

Strange, strange indeed.

This strangeness was finally explained when I face He Lian Chen, only because the handsome man pushes the grapes in front of me, not even raising his head as he says: ”Zhen never eats this thing.”

”Eh, your meaning is……” this is for me?

”It'll be waste to throw it away, grant you it.” He says very casually.

I speechlessly face those grapes of crystal drops for a while, if it's specially for me then it's specially for me, why uphold your pride over this? I sit at the table and toss a grape into my mouth, don't know if it's the difference in water and soil, these grapes are not as juicy and sweet as the ones I had eaten before, I lick my lips, finally deciding to not be so picky with this 'imperially bestowed' fruit. I purse my lips, resting my cheeks in hands as I face the man in yellow robes, who has his head buried in working, saying: ”He Lian Chen, I just had a run in with your childhood sweetheart.”

He Lian Chen's tone of voice shows no change, ”En?”

”I'm a little curious, are you and her really as loving as she says?”

He finally puts down the memorial to the throne, handsome face appearing even more good looking under the sunrays, the corners of his lips holds a smile, golden eyes twinkling, ”You're very interested?”

I spit out a seed, ”Good to just treat it as a pastime.”

”Zhen and Mi Er……” He rests his chin in one hand, ”Had you not mentioned it, zhen had almost forgotten, zhen and her have actually known each other for twelve years.”

I bite the grape, continue continue, I love hearing about these private matters ah, past ah, these sort of things, the most.

His voice is as deep and slow as a cello, ”Zhen couldn't see things when young, moreover, Father Emperor despised zhen to the extreme, so not a single brother or sister was willing to play with zhen. Zhen could only hide in a corner and listen to other people frolicking around back then, also tried to go up and play with them, but would always end up with zhen being ditched on the spot, not knowing where everyone else went off to. It was until the age of six, after zhen caught a little girl that had accidentally fallen from the tree, did zhen have a companion to play with.”

He slightly immerses himself in the memories, ”Zhen had only managed to experience then, how fun it is to play with someone else, she doesn't mind zhen being blind, wouldn't look down on zhen being neglected, nor would she deliberately take zhen to an unfamiliar place, leaving zhen there and leaves……at that time, zhen thought that zhen can continue to stay with Mi Er like that, until forever.”

”But at the age of eleven, Mi Er was bestowed to Imperial Brother, zhen started to think it was just Mi Er playing a joke on zhen, but only found out it was true later. Mi Er is about to betrothed, yet that man is not zhen, but Imperial Brother.” He sounds a laugh, helpless and furious, ”Zhen questioned Mi Er why she must marry Imperial Brother, zhen even rushed up to Father Emperor saying zhen wants to marry Mi Er, but Father Emperor just acted like he didn't hear anything and walks away, leaving zhen to sound dozens of knocks against the ground whilst kowtowing there.”

”Zhen cannot guard Mi Er, only because zhen is too weak and small, zhen is only a child.” He suddenly emits a type of dangerous air, openly spreading and domineering, ”Zhen swore to take back everything that should have been zhen's, of course, that includes Mi Er.”

”En, congratulations, you succeeded.” I unclearly mumble as I eat the grapes.

He Lian Chen suddenly laughs with disappointment, ”Just that, only after taking her back, did zhen find, perhaps zhen did not care about her that much, or perhaps what zhen cares for, isn't the current her.”

Of course I am not dumb enough to ask him, since you don't care then why did you still marry her? He Lian Chen marrying Consort Mi is naturally for 'the thing he wants' she spoke of, but exactly what it is that He Lian Chen wants, sigh, why didn't she just directly tell me?

This world, is far too complicated now.

”Ah-Lan.” He Lian Chen's handsome eyes carries a smile, ”You see, zhen tells you everything, are you prepared to stay by zhen's side for a lifetime now?”

I tug at my ears, ”Your majesty, what was all that you said just now? You're too quiet, I couldn't hear any of it. Mm, these grapes aren't sweet enough, needs to be better.”

”……” He Lian Chen twitches the corners of his eyes, then helplessly laughs, ”Sneaky la.s.s.”

He Lian Chen ah, He Lian Chen, when it comes to being sneaky, I really cannot compare to you. Everything you're doing sure is serving two purposes, giving in to me, doting on me, wanting me to develop good feelings for you, whilst on the other hand, being able to provoke Consort Mi, who had kept her troops halted on wait all along (be alert but make no move), this tactic off two eagles with one arrow sure isn't bad at all.

Childhood sweetheart, former sister-in-law, then appointed as consort, the force backing Consort Mi is certainly yet to fall, this can explain why she is able to be neglected within the palace but remain unharmed, also able to explain why she is able to know about my ident.i.ty. With the addition of the thing in her possession that she swears by…….

Being the dark horse hidden amongst the many cold consorts, Consort Mi sure is worthy of this.

There is a saying: the enemy doesn't move, I don't move. Now that Consort Mi made her move, what will you do?

The facts have confirmed, He Lian Chen is a great hunter, Consort Mi made one little move, but He Lian Chen still keeps his troops halted on wait, continuing with the busy emperor — and occasionally teasing me — lifestyle. The days just hua-la-la trickles along like that, trickling along to the point that when I'm too lazy to bother thinking about when these two people will make their moves, someone finally takes action.

The one to take action this time, is once again Consort Mi, and this action is carried out on a person. And as for this person, such unfortunate coincidence, it just had to be this little one - me.

Speaking of this, on a certain day, that morning, the winds were gentle, the sun s.h.i.+ned across thousands of miles, with no cloud in sight, the night came, and the night breeze was also valiant, cool, comforting. I take off my clothes and get in bed, enjoying some sweet sleep, but unsure what time it was, when I was painfully awakened by the twisting pain in my stomach. That sort of pain felt just like my entire intestines in my stomach had been wrung like a wet clothing, I try to cry out loud but could only struggle to breathe, desperate to reduce the pain of my intestines about to snap. I feel my entire body rapidly ooze with cold sweat, then attempt to bite my tongue in hopes of clearing my mind a little, but the final result was falling unconscious.

Later, in my hazy consciousness, I seem to hear someone angrily shout, then someone says ”it's food poisoning, fortunately it was discovered in time, any later and afraid Eunuch would have bitten his own tongue off”.

I gloomily think, I'd rather not become a tongue-less person, then, it would be even more difficult to lick a tooth than it is to ascend to heaven.

Someone constantly pecks my cheeks and lips, big hands securely holding me, a deep voice carries traces of gentleness as it says: ”Ah-Lan, it's alright, I'm here.”

”I'm here.”

But……who may you be?