The Imperial Kitchen was responsible for all meals in the palace, and it was always bustling during mealtimes.
However, compared to previous years, the absence of imperial consorts in the rear palace made their workload somewhat lighter.
At this hour, around 3–5 p.m., things weren’t as hectic, and they could chat during their leisure time, barely finding some amusement within the palace walls.
Several eunuchs sighed with frustration: “His Majesty has grown increasingly cruel lately. Another person was skinned alive—just thinking about that scene makes my legs go weak. I definitely won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Someone else added with lingering fear: “Count yourself lucky. At least it wasn’t us who got skinned. Who would dare offend His Majesty like that? I heard from inside sources that those people tried to slip someone into the Emperor’s bedchamber.”
“Hiss—”
Everyone gasped in unison.
How could those people be so bold? Slipping someone into His Majesty’s bed was practically asking for death!
The head chef, Zhu Fugui, was a kind and honest man who usually let them slack off a bit. But hearing them discuss such matters today, he couldn’t help but intervene: “Is your work done? If so, go wash the vegetables and clean up. His Majesty’s daily meals must never be taken lightly.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” they quickly agreed and hurried to get to work.
Just then, a soft voice came from the doorway: “Um, is there anything I can help with?”
Everyone was taken aback. Only a few palace maids ever came to fetch meals, and this was a new face.
The girl was around sixteen, young and beautiful, dressed not like an ordinary palace maid but more like an imperial consort?
Moreover, she was exceptionally pretty, exuding a clean and refreshing aura. With a smile on her face, her almond-shaped eyes beneath willow-like eyebrows were bright and clear, and the way she looked at them seemed… like a cat eyeing a treat??
When no one responded for a while, Wen Qitian lifted her skirt and dashed inside. Bai Zhi and the other maid tried to stop her from behind, but alas, the greedy little cat slipped right in.
Politely, she asked again, “Is there anything I can help with?”
Everyone: “…”
Zhu Fugui couldn’t think of anything she could help with, but having spent over fifty years in the palace, he rarely encountered such an “innocent-hearted” young girl. Though he didn’t know her identity, he felt a sense of goodwill. Instead of asking for help, he said, “No, but are you hungry, miss?”
Wen Qitian practically had the words “greedy cat” written all over her face.
He turned to fetch a few pastries and was about to hand them to her when a young eunuch nearby reminded him disapprovingly: “Head Chef, this… the Imperial Kitchen is a restricted area in the palace. This young lady’s origins are unknown. It might be…”
In the palace, Nanli Palace, Junlin Palace, Civil and Military Hall, Taiyiyuan, and the Imperial Kitchen were all restricted areas. No one of unknown identity was allowed to wander in. If this girl harbored ill intentions and tried to poison His Majesty’s meals, none of them in the Imperial Kitchen would live to see tomorrow.
Wen Qitian understood the implication in his words and secretly pouted. That dog Emperor was a murderous villain—plenty of people wanted him dead. She couldn’t be bothered to kill him herself.
Still, she didn’t want to cause trouble for them, so she obediently said, “I’ll just take a little and leave.”
Zhu Fugui had been hesitating, but upon hearing this, he wrapped the pastries in oiled paper and handed them to her.
“Thank you!”
The dog emperor wouldn’t let her eat, so she took matters into her own hands. After thanking them, Wen Qitian didn’t linger and left directly. Along the way, Bai Zhi and the other maid tried their best to persuade her.
“Miss, since His Majesty forbade you from eating, please don’t make things difficult for us, alright?”
“That’s right. His Majesty’s word is law—no one dares to disobey him. If you’re caught by His Majesty, you might be in danger.”
Wen Qitian: “Don’t worry, I’ll wipe my mouth clean.”
However, Wen Qitian never expected that as soon as she returned to her room, the man who should have been reviewing memorials was sitting like a ghost at the desk in her room, sipping hot tea with a face as dark as a domestic abuser’s.
Eunuch Zhang stood to the side, eyes downcast and mind racing, especially as the fragrance wafting into his nose told him that something big was about to happen.
He sighed. Perhaps he’d have to go to Anle Palace again later. Skinning people all day long was too much for his old bones to handle—he’d even been having trouble sleeping lately.
How could such a lovely-looking girl be so reckless?
Wasn’t this just disregarding His Majesty entirely?
Perhaps because Eunuch Zhang’s resentment was too strong, Wen Qitian sneezed, tucked the things in her arms tighter, and feigned surprise: “Your Majesty, you’re here?”
Her demeanor was quite like a cat that had stolen something, covering its ears while stealing a bell.
Nan Leli laughed in anger: “If I hadn’t come, how would I know you dared to sneak food behind my back?”
Bai Zhi and the other maid were terrified, kneeling nearby and tugging at Wen Qitian’s skirt.
Cold sweat poured down their backs, and they felt as if a knife were pressed against their necks. Miss, hurry up and kneel to admit your mistake!
The thought that they had failed in their duty made their vision darken and their hearts race, as if their hearts might leap out of their throats at any moment.
However, the person in question didn’t seem to pick up on their signals to kneel and apologize.
Instead, Wen Qitian instantly changed her expression. True to her name, a sweet smile bloomed on her face as she ignored the tyrant’s aura of looking for trouble, moved closer, and plopped down beside him. She extended a small hand, offering a peach-scented pastry…
“Here, I knew Your Majesty would come, so I specially went to the Imperial Kitchen to get this peach pastry for you. Doesn’t it smell wonderful?”
Everyone: “…”
She unwrapped the oiled paper, and whether intentionally or not, the peach pastry nearly ended up right in Nan Leli’s face.
He subtly leaned back, his hawk-like eyes falling on her small hand. Though small, her hand was slender and fair, with neatly trimmed nails showing a faint pink hue, looking even more tempting than the similarly pale pink peach pastry.
The man’s Adam’s apple unconsciously bobbed, and his thin lips parted slightly before he could speak, when a voice suddenly erupted from behind:
“Miss, please put that down! His Majesty never eats such sweet foods, and besides, how could His Majesty dine so carelessly?”
Nan Leli: “…”
He silently closed his mouth and shot a chilly sidelong glance at the dog servant beside him.
Eunuch Zhang immediately felt a chill run through his body, but he was currently in the grip of professional habit and automatically ignored Nan Leli’s “friendly” gaze. He proceeded to lecture Wen Qitian on all of Nan Leli’s dining rules.
First, test for poison with a silver needle, then have the maids and eunuchs personally taste the food, followed by using silver chopsticks to serve the dishes—a whole mess of complicated procedures that nearly made Wen Qitian’s face darken. Fortunately, she steadied herself in time and obediently withdrew the peach pastry.
[Darkening value decreasing… huh?]
Wen Qitian quickly stuffed it into her own mouth, mumbling: “In that case, we can’t waste food. I’ll eat a few pieces first.”
As she ate, she asked in her heart: System, what’s wrong?
System: […]
It said uncertainly: [Just now, the villain’s Darkening value dropped, but after falling halfway, it got suppressed again.]
This thing can even be suppressed?
Wen Qitian was greatly shocked. While nibbling on a piece of peach cake like a squirrel, she looked at Nan Leli in disbelief.
But she saw the man’s face darken as he forced out a sentence through gritted teeth: “Zhang Defu, Wei Chang is not yet healed. You don’t need to follow me for now. You are responsible for Anle Palace.”
Eunuch Zhang: “…”
Nan Leli ignored his horrified expression and then spoke to Wen Qitian: “I don’t like sweets, but considering your sincerity, I’ll accept this.”
He promptly snatched Wen Qitian’s peach cake, smiling ambiguously: “However, I think what you make would taste better.”
Wen Qitian, who had been eating with great enthusiasm: “…”
“My harem does not support idle people. If you want to continue living, find something to do. Starting tomorrow, go to the Imperial Kitchen to prepare meals. Otherwise, you are not allowed to eat.”
Wen Qitian: “…”
She really thanked him for making her start tomorrow instead of tonight.
She gloomily pulled a long face, while His Majesty the Emperor walked away with his head held high and chest puffed out, as if he had won a great victory—utterly arrogant.
That night, Wen Qitian dreamed of that man’s punchable face all night long.
She stayed in the side hall of Nanli Palace, separated from that emperor by just a wall. The dilong burned fiercely, and in her dream, she returned to modern times…
In the morning, her father went to work, her mother went for a beauty treatment, and her brother took her out to play, saying: “Tiantian, our company recently discussed a new project. The other party is an excellent partner. Today, they invited everyone to relax in Zone C. They have shooting games there, so I can teach you how to shoot.”
Her family always worried that she would be bullied outside. Besides learning traditional Chinese painting from her grandfather, her brother and father tried every means to teach her skills to strengthen her body.
Wen Qitian agreed without a second thought.
At that moment, she forgot where she was, only feeling a pang of sadness upon seeing her brother again.
Her brother drove her to Zone C.
Zone C was an entertainment venue open only to the wealthy, with swimming pools, billiards, shooting sports, and everything one could imagine…
This wasn’t Wen Qitian’s first time there, but this time, a crowd surrounded the shooting range. Their behavior was solemn and proper, and they seemed to be flattering someone.
Wen Qitian was curious and followed behind her brother to look. One man was tall, with a strong build, and an aura that commanded respect. With a bang, the bullet embedded itself in the bullseye, and the surrounding crowd erupted in praise again: “President Nan is truly amazing, worthy of being the most outstanding successor of the Nan family.””
“Yes, yes, it’s truly an honor to cooperate with him.”
“The future development will have to rely on these young people.”
Their mouths never stopped. The man holding the sniper rifle frowned slightly.
Even though they were far apart, Wen Qitian noticed this small detail and inexplicably felt that he was irritated.
Moreover, why did this face look so familiar when frowning?
The other party seemed to sense her gaze and glanced sideways. A devastatingly handsome face that looked like it belonged to a domestic abuser was reflected in Wen Qitian’s clear eyes. Wen Qitian’s breath caught, and then the scene suddenly changed—his short hair grew long, his modern clothes transformed into luxurious ancient attire, and the gun turned into a bow and arrow.
The man drew the bowstring like a full moon, a bloodthirsty smile curling at the corner of his mouth as he aimed at her…
“Ah~”
Wen Qitian broke out in a cold sweat, jolting awake from her nightmare. She pressed a hand to her forehead, breathing heavily, her mind still filled with the final images from the dream.
For a moment, the only sound in the dark, silent hall was the heavy rhythm of her breathing.
Wait!
That’s not right!
Why were there two sets of breathing in the room in the middle of the night?
After a few seconds of sheer terror, Wen Qitian stiffly turned her head. By the faint moonlight, she could make out a figure by the bed—one hand gripping the bedpost, the other, like hers, pressed against their head, unable to suppress a pained groan.
She: “…”
A chill ran down her spine, and she instinctively slapped out with the back of her hand.
System: [Darkening value decreased by 2%…]
“Tsk~”
Nan Leli was left in an awkward half-kneel by the bed, clutching the spot where he’d been struck near his waist. The headache had eased somewhat, but…
It… it went soft.
Damn woman, where did she even aim?