Chapter 293: Deep Love (1/2)

The sun was warm and the wind was gentle, bringing with it a captivating fragrance from the royal garden. Jun Huang blushed and looked bashfully at the ground, her smile stunning. Not even the fine turquoise silk she wore could outs.h.i.+ne her beauty.

Nan Jihan looked at them from a distance, his expression conflicted. The eunuch by his side widened his eyes slightly and said in an awe-struck voice, “How can such a couple exist? They paint the perfect picture of...”

He swallowed down the wrote spiel about a match made in heaven when he felt frigid gaze cast his way. He shuddered and smiled awkwardly.

Nan Jihan narrowed his eyes at the couple, his heart burning with jealousy. He had never been the sentimental sort, but he couldn't bear seeing Jun Huang show such easy intimacy with someone else like they'd been born to fit together. He forced himself to push aside his emotions so that he could keep his eyes on her.

The sun seemed offensively warm. His chest tightened and his throat constricted as he watched the two. In the end, he sighed in resignation, a bitter smile tugging his lips. He turned to leave.

Nan Guyue spotted his brother from a distance, watching him roaming through the garden like a mindless ghoul with an air of despair around him. She'd heard about Nan Xun's arrival, and she knew about his relations.h.i.+p with Jun Huang. It wasn't difficult to put two and two together.

“If Royal Brother had simply made Feng Baiyu your n.o.ble lady, this wouldn't have happened,” Nan Guyue approached his brother and said without ceremony, opting for reprimand rather than comfort.

Nan Jihan laughed bitterly. “I didn't want to force her...”

“Then you shouldn't be so sad now,” Nan Guyue retorted. She sighed when she saw his pained expression and dragged him to a pavilion. Once she'd dismissed everyone, she said, “Royal Brother, I'm going to ask you one last time: Do you really love her?”

“What if I do?” Nan Jihan chucked down a cup of cool sweet tea. He usually enjoyed the taste, but the mix of bitterness once the tea was cooled off and its inherent sweetness made it difficult for him to swallow now. It was a perfect reflection of his dark mood.

Nan Guyue paused and smiled mischievously. Although there wasn't anyone around, she checked her surroundings again before leaning into Nan Jihan and whispered, “In my opinion, the only thing that sets Nan Xun apart from you is the time he's spent together with Feng Baiyu. Who knows how long their love is going to last? Besides, you are the emperor, while Nan Xun is merely a prince outside the imperial family. That puts you two on a level playing field. Why don't you give it a try?”

Nan Jihan met her eyes and mused. The thought of taking Jun Huang away from Nan Xun did cross his mind, but he wasn't willing to hurt the woman he loved.

Sensing his hesitation, Nan Guyue added, “Don't think too much, Royal Brother. If they truly love each other, they aren't going to split. Besides, you're just giving Feng Baiyu an option. She's smart enough to see that.”

He'd thought about a future with Jun Huang and didn't like seeing her in Nan Xun's arms. He silently swore to himself that he'd let her see how good a lover he could be.

With his mind made up, he relaxed and stopped agonizing. Nan Guyue's eyes flashed. If one day Jun Huang did enter the harem, she'd be her ally. Together, they'd take care of the despicable Consort Li.

There wasn't much else that needed to be said. Nan Guyue bid her brother farewell and left.

Nan Jihan sat in the pavilion for a long time. The eunuch didn't dare bother him. He stayed from a distance with a group of maids, silently watching his master. He thought the emperor was troubled by some tricky issue in the court.

Nan Jihan was young for an emperor and faced a lot of pressure. As Nan Jihan's personal eunuch, he knew better than anyone else how often Nan Jihan's duty kept him up at night.

“Gonggong, it's really windy,” one of the maids said worriedly. “What if His Majesty gets sick?”

The eunuch hesitated before deciding that the maid was right. He approached Nan Jihan, who was staring into the distance with an unreadable expression.

“Your Majesty, it's getting cold. We should return.”

Nan Jihan glanced at him and nodded. “Come with me to the side building first.” He started walking without looking back. The eunuch followed him without a question asked.

Nan Jihan ran into Nan Xun at the door to the side palace. The general looked past him like he hadn't seen him, which Nan Jihan found insulting. He was the emperor. He couldn't stand being ignored. He reached out to grab Nan Xun's shoulder, but his wrist was caught before he could make contact. His face went red in anger.