Chapter 292: Love Rivals (1/2)

Jun Huang looked at Nan Xun with fond exasperation. She didn't expect him to actually feed her. She acquiesced and ate the blood curd in the spoon. The taste made her gag. Nan Xun pursed his lips. He didn't like seeing her ill.

Jun Huang couldn't hold it any longer. She threw up what little food she had eaten, her face turning a shade paler. Everyone looked at her worriedly.

Nan Jihan called out for the servants to clean the mess up and turned to Oleg Cragfiend. “She can't have anything else. If we force her to eat more, it may end up hurting her. We'll get her some desserts if she gets hungry in the afternoon.”

“Food is crucial to our health. Sweets alone won't be able to sustain her. She needs real food.” Oleg Cragfiend didn't like seeing Jun Huang like this either, but he knew best the condition she was in. He wasn't going to let her get herself killed.

Nan Xun smoothed a hand over Jun Huang's back to help her recover. He agreed with the poison master. He rose to his feet and left with a maid. The others were confused, but they let him be.

Jun Huang looked at the unappetizing food over the table and drank some tea to cleanse the lingering taste in her mouth.

Nan Xun came back with a bowl of plain porridge. Oleg Cragfiend smiled approvingly when he smelled the ganoderma powder. Nan Xun gave him a faint smile in response and motioned at the maids to leave them alone. Jun Huang didn't like being attended to by so many people.

The maids and servants were Nan Jihan's and therefore only followed his order. However, Nan Xun had an air of intimidation to him. They debated if they should listen to this stranger. Fortunately, Nan Jihan considered them of no use here and waved them away. They couldn't leave the room faster.

Nan Xun dragged a chair to Jun Huang's side and put a spoonful of porridge to her lips. Jun Hunag took a deep breath and let him feed her. The porridge was light and plain enough that she didn't feel ill. Nan Xun kept feeding her until she was full. She'd eaten half of the porridge.

Nan Xun relaxed once she'd gotten some real food in her and belatedly realized that he was hungry as well. He tucked in. Jun Huang poured him a cup of water and reminded him to slow down, her gesture gentle and their intimacy easy. Nan Jihan couldn't help getting jealous.

Oleg Cragfiend sighed. Something was never meant to be. There would always be someone who couldn't get what they wanted.

The meal lasted for a long time. Jun Huang sat down on a divan and started reading. Nan Xun knew she was waiting for him. Touched, he focused on finis.h.i.+ng his food.

Nan Jihan couldn't stand being in a room with the two of them. He grabbed a few bites and struggled to come up with an excuse to leave. A eunuch happened to enter the room, stating that an official had come to discuss court affairs. He got to his feet without hesitation and left with the eunuch.

Nan Xun knew what the young emperor was thinking. He covered a smile and shook his head. After lunch, he bid Oleg Cragfiend farewell and left with Jun Huang.

Jun Huang started dozing off. Nan Xun followed her back to her room and they had a nap. When they woke up, the sun was warm and pleasant in the sky.

Jun Huang sat in the garden enjoying the warmth. She told him to get some fresh air himself. He'd been thinking about looking around the area as well. He had a maid take care of her and left the building.

Nan Xun visited the palace as a guest and had been staying in the side palace with Jun Huang. However, there were many unwanted eyes here, and gossip traveled fast. Soon, many had heard about a handsome man who was living with Jun Huang.

People started to mock and insult Jun Huang behind her back. If Nan Xun hadn't left the building today, he would still be in the dark.

In the royal garden, he ran into a few maids who were talking about Jun Huang. He hid in the shadow, listening in on their conversation.

“Do you know that a man has moved into the side palace?” a chubby maid said in a dramatic voice.

A slim maid nodded. “I saw him. Isn't he the emperor's guard?”

“Tsk, he isn't. I worked there. That man has been staying with that woman the emperor favors all day long. They seem intimate and don't even try to hide it when the emperor is present. Still, the emperor doesn't resent her for that.” The chubby maid widened her eyes for dramatic effect. “Hey, do you think the woman is a fox spirit?”

“She can't be. She's so beautiful. How can she - ”

“The fox spirits in the tales are all beautiful as well!” the chubby maid said with great confidence. “But they're often cunning and despicable. She must be one with the way she seduces men.”

“I suspect there's something wrong with her as well. She did come out of nowhere...”