"Alright, then I'll accompany you," Emperor Ye Yao waved away his attendants and personally began serving the dishes.
He held Liu Lanxue in his arms, letting her sit on his lap.
Neither of them spoke. The room was very quiet, yet it felt incredibly warm.
Liu Lanxue ate her food in small bites.
Emperor Ye Yao ate very little, mostly serving her dishes. Just watching her made him feel his heart was full.
After Liu Lanxue finished a bowl of dumplings, she started to feel sleepy.
Emperor Ye Yao knew that with her current stamina, she couldn't stay up too late. He carried her to the bed, "Good girl, you're already very tired today. Sleep now."
Liu Lanxue clung to his collar, refusing to let go, "I want to sleep with A'Yao tonight."
Emperor Ye Yao's fingers stiffened for a moment. He shook his head helplessly and gently stroked her hair, "Good girl, I'll be on the soft couch over there. I'm very close. If you need water in the night, just call me."
At that time, Emperor Ye Yao had asked Liu Lanxue to move into his sleeping quarters because he was afraid she would be bullied again.
However, ever since Liu Lanxue moved in, they had never shared a bed.
Emperor Ye Yao was acutely aware of his infatuation with her. He feared that if they slept in the same bed, he might hurt her.
"No, everyone says today is a special day. I want to sleep with A'Yao!" Liu Lanxue hugged his neck and refused to let go, rubbing against him in his arms.
Emperor Ye Yao, rendered helpless by her actions, finally lost his temper, "Alright, alright, my little ancestor, I'll stay with you. Be good and don't tease me anymore."
This feeling of being able to see but not touch was truly agonizing.
Liu Lanxue giggled happily, like a child, even hooking her legs around the man's waist and clinging to him like a koala.
This posture made Emperor Ye Yao freeze. He felt a surge of heat rush from his head downwards, "Xue'er, get down... quickly..."
He couldn't take it anymore!
Liu Lanxue tilted her head, confused, "Why? A'Yao's body is very warm?"
She rubbed her head against him again.
Mmm... it seemed a little warmer than before.
A little hot.
Emperor Ye Yao took a deep breath. After enduring for so long, he could no longer hold back, "You asked for this!"
The man pulled her off him, gripped her slender wrists with both hands, pinned them above her head, and leaned down to kiss her.
"Mmm!" Liu Lanxue didn't understand why Emperor Ye Yao suddenly bit her. Frightened, her eyes welled up with tears, and she struggled desperately.
Emperor Ye Yao was only focused on the softness of her lips and didn't see the terror flashing across Liu Lanxue's face.
"Ah..." Liu Lanxue tried to call out to him, but her mouth was blocked, preventing her from making a sound. The panic in her eyes grew.
A large hand reached into her embrace, and her clothes were torn.
Liu Lanxue's fear intensified. Some deep-seated darkness within her was shattered. At this moment, a flicker of clarity suddenly ignited in her eyes.
The fear in her eyes abruptly subsided, followed by a hint of confusion.
She felt a heavy weight pressing down on her.
She lowered her head to look.
By now, Emperor Ye Yao had moved his attention.
Liu Lanxue felt a sharp pain on her neck and instinctively cried out, "Your Majesty?"
Such an unfamiliar address made Emperor Ye Yao pause. All his movements stopped. He looked up at Liu Lanxue, stunned, "What did you just call me?"
Liu Lanxue pursed her lips and lowered her gaze. Although her eyes were still clear, they now held a touch of formality, unlike her usual innocence.
"If Your Majesty desires this concubine, please have the servants hang the bed curtains first."
Her voice was soft, not her usual coquettish tone, but rather carried a hint of pleading.
"Xue'er..." Emperor Ye Yao's face gradually turned pale, "You... you remember?"
The reason he hadn't touched her all these days was precisely because he feared this day. Had it truly... still not worked out?
Liu Lanxue nodded, not denying it.
"Heh~" Emperor Ye Yao gave a bitter laugh, unsure of his feelings at that moment.
The heat that had filled his body suddenly receded.
He closed his eyes, concealing all his emotions. Then, he sat up, put on his clothes, got out of bed, and turned his back to her, "I will sleep in the study tonight."
The man's voice had instantly become cold, as if he were not the one who had been speaking gently to Liu Lanxue moments before.
Liu Lanxue opened her mouth, wanting to call him back.
But before Liu Lanxue could speak, Emperor Ye Yao had already left the room.
His cold voice drifted from afar, "Tomorrow, you will return to your own palace."
Liu Lanxue watched him leave without looking back. She wanted to say something, but found herself at a loss for words.
Soon, the sound of "The carriage departs" could be heard from outside.
Liu Lanxue sat up and looked at the empty room. She smiled wryly, shook her head, and closed her eyes.
It was all for the best. In his eyes, she was already a "betrayer." Even though the truth of the Ying Kingdom had been cleared, the incident had caused a huge stir back then.
As the dignified ruler of a nation, how could he tolerate his woman being gossiped about?
Yi Zuo entered from outside and softly, with a complex expression, called out, "Your Highness," carefully observing her expression.
Liu Lanxue did not hide the fact that she had regained her memory. She spoke truthfully to Yi Zuo and then said, "Pack your things, we're returning to the Cold Palace."
That was where she belonged.
Emperor Ye Yao soon learned that Liu Lanxue had returned to the Cold Palace.
When Eunuch Jiao delivered the message, Emperor Ye Yao's expression turned somewhat grim, but in the end, he said nothing. He merely waved Eunuch Jiao away.
However, soon after, the sound of things being smashed could be heard from the study.
That night, two people in the palace remained sleepless.
The first day of the Lunar New Year was when the princes and grandsons entered the palace to pay their respects. All royal descendants had to first visit the Empress Dowager in the palace, and then pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress.
However, the palace no longer had an Empress. Emperor Ye Yao was in a bad mood today and did not see many people. He only instructed everyone to go to the ancestral temple to kowtow and then hastily concluded the ceremony.
After the crowd dispersed, they were required to stay in the imperial palace until noon to partake in the "new feast" before returning.
With nothing else to do, they gathered in the Imperial Garden, chatting in small groups.
Ye Jingyu, unusually, had not come with Su Yunmo this time; he had arrived earlier.
When Su Yunmo entered the Imperial Garden, she didn't see him either. Guessing that he might have gone to see Consort Liang, she didn't ask further.
Ye Ningyuan sat with her in a pavilion, chatting.
Across the way, not too far off, Ye Yunshuang was leading a group of women in a boisterous manner.
Lin Yuning stood amidst this group of women.
Her attire was no longer as luxurious as before. She looked like a woman cast aside, her face pale and unhealthy, her eyes lacking any sparkle.
After her previous argument with Lin Yuning, which led to Emperor Ye Yao rushing back from the ancestral rites to reprimand her, Ye Yunshuang had been at odds with Lin Yuning. Seeing her today, she naturally spoke without restraint.
"Oh, who do I see? It's the Princess of Lian! When the Princess of Lian was pregnant, she was pampered and cherished, untouchable. How come her belly has shrunk now?"
"Where is your imperial grandson?"