Chapter 121: The Abandoned Little Emperor (25)
Su Mingxiu understood the underlying meaning of her words, and precisely because she understood, she fell into a brief silence.
She wanted to tell the little emperor that this wasn’t their first time falling in love, that they had shared countless stories in countless lifetimes.
But…
For Xiao Miyun, who had no such memories, would suddenly being burdened with past lives, hearing such an explanation, truly make her happy?
Su Mingxiu thought of those stories about love between humans and demons, where there was always a monk or a Taoist priest, chanting about the incompatibility of their kind, trying to separate them, warning of the dangers.
But if a human and a demon fell in love, the human would reincarnate after death, while the demon, with their long lifespan, would remember their irreplaceable love, searching for their lover’s reincarnation.
And the reincarnated human, burdened with nonexistent memories and a forced love, what would they think?
Just then, the system, long silent, suddenly scoffed in her mind. “Regaining your memories wouldn’t be a good thing. You’ve loved her so many times, but she doesn’t remember. She’ll only think you’re treating her as a substitute—”
[And if you retain your memories, will you continue to meet her like this, countless times, falling in love with her countless times? Can you guarantee that you’ll always give each version of her a unique love? And in the end, will you even be able to distinguish which lifetime’s version of her you truly love?]
Its arrogant tone seemed to imply that erasing her memories had been entirely for her own good.
[Bullshit, Su Mingxiu retorted, abandoning her usual elegance. “Haven’t you been electrocuted enough?”]
Having extracted the system from her mind before, Su Mingxiu knew that it had been deliberately avoiding technologically advanced worlds to prevent her from doing so again, from escaping its control.
Silenced by her retort, the system could only fume.
The little emperor, having waited for too long, seemed to have interpreted Su Mingxiu’s silence as an answer. She pulled away from her embrace. Caught off guard, Su Mingxiu let her go, watching as the little emperor turned and left, her gaze falling on the empty porridge bowl.
Late at night.
The little emperor was reviewing memorials in the Qinzheng Palace, her eyes bloodshot. She yawned repeatedly but didn’t return to the Qian Yuan Palace. Wang Dan, attending her, quietly refilled her tea several times. Finally, hearing the watchmen’s drums, he couldn’t help but advise: “Your Majesty, it’s already the third watch (11 PM – 1 AM), you still have to attend court at the fifth watch (3-5 AM). Even the strongest person can’t endure this. Besides… that person is still waiting for you in the Qian Yuan Palace.”
He didn’t dare to directly address the Prince of Zhenbei, only hinting vaguely.
Xiao Miyun tossed the memorial filled with empty flattery onto the table. For the first time, she found the Great Zhou’s prosperity to be a burden. Having finished all her work, she didn’t know what to do. She stood up, wanting to get a book from the shelf.
“She wouldn’t wait for Zhen,” she muttered, hearing Wang Dan’s words, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice.
Actually, she wasn’t so sure. It was always she who returned early from the Qinzheng Palace, she had never made Su Mingxiu wait.
So Xiao Miyun didn’t know if Su Mingxiu would keep the lights on until dawn, waiting for her.
Despite her words, as she was choosing a book, she was distracted, pulling at the sleeve of her dress. She still wasn’t used to wearing a dress, it felt strange, not quite fitting her. She had fidgeted with it countless times since putting it on, yet she hadn’t changed out of it.
After a pause, she turned to Wang Dan. “Have someone check if she’s asleep yet.”
The little eunuch smiled and retreated. “Yes.”
Noticing his smile, Xiao Miyun felt annoyed and kicked him lightly. “Focus on your work!”
Looking at the book in her hand, she was about to flip through it casually when she saw that it was about the construction of imperial tombs. She suddenly remembered the location of the Xiao Zhou imperial tombs.
Then, she started thinking, if she died, would she want her tomb to be beside her ancestors, or would she establish a new dynasty, choose a new location, and be buried with Su Mingxiu?
An imperial and consort tomb.
This thought brought a pang of sadness. Thinking about Su Mingxiu’s deteriorating health, knowing that Su Mingxiu would likely die before her, logic told her that she should start preparing Su Mingxiu’s burial objects and instruct the Ministry of Rites to arrange a state funeral for an empress—
But the image of their argument in the warm pavilion flashed through her mind.
She was still angry, angry that Su Mingxiu wouldn’t even lie to comfort her. But emotionally, she didn’t want to dwell on it anymore. Every meeting, every day spent together, was precious.
How could she bear to be in a cold war with Su Mingxiu?
Being a substitute… it was fine. After all, hadn’t her initial wish simply been to stay by Su Mingxiu’s side?
The little emperor used all sorts of reasons to convince herself, trying to swallow her grievance. Without waiting for Wang Dan to return, she instructed the palace maids to prepare her palanquin and headed towards the Qian Yuan Palace.
Upon entering, she dismissed the servants, wondering how to act casually if Su Mingxiu was still awake, as if their argument in the tower hadn’t happened.
But seeing the sleeping figure, Xiao Miyun sat by the bed in the dim light, her gaze tracing Su Mingxiu’s features, her fingertip raised, its shadow caressing Su Mingxiu’s face before her actual hand could.
She stared, not daring to wake Su Mingxiu up, a smile appearing on her lips. Then, she fell asleep by the bed, still in her dress.
After the little emperor’s breathing became even, Su Mingxiu opened her eyes, looked at the person by the bed for a moment, then at the pre-dawn sky outside, and sighed softly. She gently lifted Xiao Miyun onto the bed, removed her shoes and socks, and, as she was taking off her outer robe, seeing the dress underneath, a smile appeared in her eyes.
Afraid of waking her, her movements were slow and gentle. Suppressing a coughing fit, she waited until she was outside the palace before letting it out.
A palace maid hurried over, draping a robe over her shoulders and handing her a hand warmer, about to ask for instructions, when Su Mingxiu said softly: “To the Imperial Kitchen.”
The little emperor was used to pulling the blanket over Su Mingxiu whenever she heard her coughing at night.
But tonight, despite the silence, she couldn’t sleep well. She had a nightmare and woke up with a start, finding no one beside her. She quickly called for someone.
Her chief maid rushed in and knelt down. The emperor immediately asked: “Where is she?”
“Your Majesty, Wangye went to the Imperial Kitchen early this morning.”
The Imperial Kitchen?
“Awake?” A voice came from nearby, accompanied by the soft footsteps of approaching palace maids. The person lifted the curtain, their slender figure appearing before Xiao Miyun. “It’s not time for court yet, did you not sleep well?”
Seeing her, the little emperor didn’t even bother putting on her shoes. She rushed over and hugged Su Mingxiu, then felt the layers of clothes she was wearing. “Why are you up so early? It’s not even cold yet. Are you hungry? Why didn’t you have the servants prepare something, why did you go to the Imperial Kitchen yourself?”
Su Mingxiu’s eyes held a smile. She didn’t answer immediately, only leading Xiao Miyun to the bed, helping her put on her shoes and wrapping a robe around her before taking her to the dining table.
Only then did Xiao Miyun notice the fragrance filling the room.
The food on the table caught her eye. It was an extravagant breakfast, peony-shaped pastries, both warm and cold, in various colors, dishes made with flower petals, and a bowl of porridge with a floral aroma.
Faced with this peony feast, Xiao Miyun was stunned. She turned to look at the person beside her.
Su Mingxiu asked with a smile, “Don’t you want to try some?”
“This is…”
The little emperor, pushed gently onto a chair, didn’t even wait for the food taster. She picked up her spoon and took a mouthful of porridge, her voice filled with disbelief.
Under her surprised gaze, Su Mingxiu nodded calmly. “Yes, I made it.”
After a pause, she added: “Your Majesty is the first to taste these dishes.”
Implying that they were prepared exclusively for Xiao Miyun.
Surprised by this unexpected treatment, Xiao Miyun took another sip of porridge, the delicate fragrance lingering on her lips and teeth. She heard her own heartbeat. Even though she had already received the answer she wanted, she still needed confirmation. “Has… anyone else seen these before?”
“No,” Su Mingxiu replied firmly. “She hasn’t seen or tasted them, these are all for you—”
“Didn’t you tell me to treat you better?”
Xiao Miyun’s heart fluttered, the porridge suddenly tasting even sweeter. She couldn’t suppress the smile on her lips, but she still replied stubbornly: “Zhen never said that.”
Su Mingxiu sat beside her, one hand supporting her head, watching her with a playful smile, not wanting to expose her.
The little emperor dismissed the palace maids, taking a bite of food, then glancing at Su Mingxiu. After a while, she mumbled: “Just this one meal?”
“Not enough?”
Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, looking at the remaining pastries on the table, slightly confused.
Just then, Xiao Miyun grabbed her hand and used her fingertip to wipe away a crumb from Su Mingxiu’s lips. Then, she guided Su Mingxiu’s hand along her lips, her jawline, her neck, leaning closer with each movement.
Even though there were two armrests between them, their bodies were now pressed together.
Xiao Miyun’s lips brushed against Su Mingxiu’s ear, her warm breath against Su Mingxiu’s cool skin. Her voice was soft, her tone serious. “Just feeding this… isn’t enough.”
The warmth spread from Su Mingxiu’s ear down her neck, making half of her body tingle.
She heard the little emperor ask, her words carefully chosen: “Zhen has other places that are… hungrier, will Wangye feed them?”
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