Chapter 1901 (1/2)
“Answer my question.”
Yun Che’s tone changed suddenly, his eyes narrowing slightly into a compressed galaxy as he stared into Cang Shuhe’s eyes.
Cang Shuhe said softly, “You want to know what kind of feelings I hold for you, Your Majesty?”
She had figured out his question before he even said it. He nodded. “I wish to hear the truth.”
Instead of answering immediately, Cang Shuhe slowly walked up to Yun Che—a waft of fragrance entered his nostrils as she did so—and knelt in front of him. She then placed her flawless hands on his knees.
She was looking up when her eyes met Yun Che’s once more.
“Your Majesty thought that I have lost so much that I no longer even understand what basic emotions are, much less the romantic love for another person. You thought you wouldn’t be reciprocated even if you gave me your sincere love, so you chose to shower me with indifference. In fact, you believed that that would be the most ideal relationship for the both of us because we won’t have to pretend when around each other. Am I right?”
“...” Her deduction was spot on.
Until today, He had believed that Cang Shuhe was emotionally dead after everything she went through. Although she possessed excellent beauty and an indescribable charm that was unique to her alone, trying to nurture a love with her would be like unto preaching to deaf ears.
He was the sovereign of the four divine regions and the man who conquered the Dragon Queen and the Lady Goddess. It wasn’t like he was lacking in choice, so why would he force himself to love someone who had no interest in him?
“For ten thousand years, I was denied the sky because of a terrible illness and the threat of the Southern Sea. I admit that I may not realize how warped my emotions have become, and that my object of affection may be different compared to that of a normal person. I certainly hold a deep loathing toward men.”
“However…”
Her eyes grew slightly unfocused, and the sweet voice spilling out of her pink, cherry-like lips slowed down as if she was murmuring to herself. “Whether you believe it or not… I knew you were my eternity from the moment I laid eyes on you, Your Majesty.”
Yun Che wasn’t expecting this answer.
Cang Shuhe’s eyes grew even more unfocused, and her voice more dreamlike. “Do you know what the greatest, most terrifying weapon you possess is, Your Majesty?”
“...” Yun Che’s nose twitched unconsciously. He feared nothing and no one, and his skin was as thick as a fortress, but even he found it embarrassing to answer truthfully. [1]
“In my opinion, it is not your invincible strength or peerless inheritances. It is… your eyes.”
Yun Che’s eyes narrowed a bit more. “Huh?”
“Rui Yi’s earlier actions may have been most disrespectful, but she was right about one thing.” Cang Shuhe smiled a little. “You are only thirty some years old. To call you a young emperor does not even begin to describe how young you truly are.”
There were only two people in the entire history of the God Realm who became a god emperor in their thirties.
Xia Qingyue was the first, and Yun Che the second.
“On the other hand, Your Majesty has led a peaceful life, fallen into the abyss, reigned at the top, saved the world from calamity, and even become the calamity that drowned it in blood…”
“What most people experienced in tens of thousands of lifetimes doesn’t even come close to what you experienced in mere decades. That is why the world reflected in your eyes also possesses the deepest, most terrifying, yet unique color I’ve ever seen.”
“My cold, silent soul and my deep loathing and fear toward men should’ve made it incredibly difficult for me to fall in love with any man, but… the moment I saw the color in your eyes, I could not help but be curious even though I know the danger, and I know that it may very well be a one-way trip. I want to look closer… touch it... explore it… fall into it… drown in it…”
Cang Shuhe had lived ten thousand years with only the walls, the ceiling, the cold and the solitude to keep her company. She would’ve broken down a long time ago if it wasn’t for her brother and Rui Yi. On the other hand, Yun Che’s life was an unimaginable roller coaster of trials and tribulations even though he had only lived for thirty some years.
That was why Cang Shuhe was attracted to Yun Che more so than any other woman he had met in his life.
In fact, Yun Che vaguely remembered Chi Wuyao saying something similar back in the Northern Divine Region. It wasn’t nearly as direct and honest as Cang Shuhe’s confession though.
Right now, he wanted nothing more than to grab a mirror and check whether his eyes really were as bewitching as his women claimed.
Still staring into his eyes, Cang Shuhe’s voice grew even more dreamlike, “If one day you meet a powerful woman whom you are unable to conquer, do not forget that your eyes are a greater weapon than your strength, Your Majesty.”
Yun Che lightened his gaze before replying in a most serious tone, “Come now. I’m sure my handsome face is even better than my eyes.”
Cang Shuhe’s eyebrows curled into crescents as she let out a cute giggle. “If Your Majesty says so, then it must be true.”
Yun Che looked down and gently held the flawless hands on his knees. The smooth, soft sensation of her skin immediately sent tingles into his heart.
“Tea, cooking, study and music… a person only needs to pour themselves over one of these arts to be famous and proud for a lifetime, but these perfect hands have reached great heights in all of them… it couldn’t have been easy, could it?”
Cang Shuhe shook her head slightly. “The past was bitter and dull. Immersing myself in the arts was the only way to make time go a little faster.”
“Now, I am actually thankful that I have learned them all.” Cang Shuhe paused for a second before breaking into a smile. “I have an idea. Would you like to learn how to cook, Your Majesty?”
“Me? Cook?”
It was one of the few words Yun Che believed to have no connections to him whatsoever. He replied without hesitation, “What a humorless joke.”
However, Cang Shuhe continued, “Since ancient times, there is no art more desired than the art of profound cultivation. That being said, there are lesser, mortal desires that are pursued almost as fervently. For example, there is the desire for influence, the desire for pleasurable sights, sound, touch and more… all except the desire for food. To be more specific, most people believe that it sits at the bottom of worthy pursuits, and some even disdain it as a lowly art.”
“However, the desire for food actually corresponds to two of the six sense organs of Man, the nose and the mouth. No matter how much Man may disdain it, it remains a fundamental part of their nature. If it is awakened by a powerful desire and honed by a strong and crafty will, it can stand as the equal of any mortal desire.”
What she said made a lot of sense, but Yun Che remained completely uninterested. “I’m just not interested in this art form. Plus, you are my imperial consort and a wonderful cook. Why would I need to learn the cooking arts when I already have you?”
“Your praise delights me, Your Majesty,” replied Cang Shuhe softly. “However, I can only stay by your side for a very short time.”
Yun Che: “...”
“Moreover, I believe that Your Majesty possesses the world’s greatest talent in the art of cooking. It is why I find it… difficult to see you waste your talent away.”
“Me? Most talented in the art of cooking?” Yun Che’s mouth twitched imperceptibly. “If that’s true, how have I not noticed it all this time?”
Cang Shuhe explained slowly, “A tea leaf can produce a hundred types of fragrance with the right type of cooking. In general, the culinary arts can be broken down into steaming, boiling, smoking, cooking, quick-frying, stir-frying, stewing, pasting, baking, deep-frying, dressing, casseroling, braising, roasting, marinating and many, many more. If you know what you’re doing, you can easily produce a thousand unique and delicious flavors for a thousand people.”
“Recipes can be taught directly, and techniques can be trained eventually. However, the two most difficult and most important skills when it comes to cooking are one, the selection and processing of the ingredients, and two, heat control.”
“According to my knowledge, Your Majesty is extremely proficient in the medical arts and blessed by the Wood Spirits themselves. You probably know every plant there is in the universe and are able to identify their quality and age based on their aura alone. Moreover, you are the master of the Sky Poison Pearl, and the ancient records claim that the Sky Poison Pearl possesses the greatest power of purification and refinement in the universe.”
“Thanks to these advantages, Your Majesty can easily attain great heights most people including me can never hope to achieve.”
Yun Che: “Emmm…”
She was right, but the idea of using the Sky Poison Pearl for cooking was a little...