The slightly upturned corners of the Empress’s lips subtly faded the moment she heard the title “Imperial Consort Chen.”
As expected, a subtle glint flashed through Xie Changsu’s eyes, and he immediately said to her:
“Empress, I don’t need anyone to attend to me here; these tasks can be left to the servants. Your health is fragile, so return to your palace early to rest.”
The Empress responded softly, suppressing the sorrow in her heart, and withdrew with an unperturbed expression. Upon stepping out, she happened to run straight into Xiao Mingyue, who was walking in.
Xiao Mingyue froze for a second, then properly curtsied to pay her respects.
Seeing Xiao Mingyue dressed in such attire, the Empress couldn’t help but look back in Xie Changsu’s direction.
He had once said he despised women with heavy makeup, claiming the overwhelming scent of cosmetics was suffocating and pungent. Because of this, most concubines in the palace wore only light makeup.
Love has no set standard, because the one you love is the standard.
Only today did she finally understand the meaning behind her brother Zhao Hanshan’s words.
“Little Sister, there is no need for such formality. Properly attending to His Majesty is what matters most.” After saying this, she walked away on her own, though her steps were somewhat unsteady, saved only by her maid supporting her.
Xiao Mingyue cast a puzzled glance after her, but without overthinking it, she slowly walked inside.
Xie Changsu sat upright behind the red sandalwood desk, his posture as straight as a pine, clad in a plain white loose robe that heightened his elegant refinement. His eyes were slightly cast down, long eyelashes casting faint shadows over his handsome face, his slender fingers holding a vermilion brush.
Xiao Mingyue walked over with a coquettish smile. Seeing the memorials piled like mountains before him while he displayed not a single trace of impatience—his brush strokes calm and unhurried, his annotations clear, sharp, and concise—she couldn’t help but feel admiration in her heart.
How did Xiaowei’s saying go again? Ah, right—”Indeed, a focused man is the most handsome.”
Occasionally, Xie Changsu would pause in deep thought, raising his eyes to look out at the warm sunlight outside the window, his gaze as clear as cold river water.
“Why have you come?” he asked, without intending to look up at her.
Pouting her red lips, Xiao Mingyue placed her fair, delicate hands on Xie Changsu’s shoulders from behind, then slowly leaned closer to him.
Exhaling an orchid-like fragrance, she spoke to Xie Changsu in a seductive voice, “I missed you, that’s all. Am I not allowed to come see you?”
The moment she drew close, an alluring fragrance filled his nose.
Only then did Xie Changsu turn his head to look at her, a barely perceptible trace of doting hidden within his smile:
“You said you were tired last night, so why aren’t you resting right now?”
At these words, Xiao Mingyue’s face instantly flushed crimson, so red that even her makeup couldn’t hide it. She stammered, “Uh… well, actually, this concubine has already rested. Fearing Your Majesty might be tired, I thought I’d come grind some ink for you.”
Xiao Mingyue’s eyes were sincere. Looking at her expression, Xie Changsu couldn’t help but soft-chuckle, “Is that so?”
“Of course! This concubine loves Your Majesty so much, so naturally I care for you.”
“Then what if I weren’t the Emperor, but merely a hard-laboring farmer? Would you still care for me then?”
“Of course I would! I care for you not because you are the Emperor, but because you are my husband~ Isn’t that right?” Xiao Mingyue’s voice was sweet and cloying, and as luck would have it, Xie Changsu ate up this exact act.
Reaching out, he pulled Xiao Mingyue into his arms, letting her sit straddled across his lap in an intimately close and ambiguous posture.
“You certainly know what to say!” Xie Changsu dotingly tapped her delicate nose, but as her long eyelashes accidentally brushed against him, he couldn’t help but marvel internally: How could someone be so exquisitely made—so exquisite that she didn’t seem real, like an enchantress?
“It’s true, though.”
“What’s wrong, My Beloved Consort?” Xie Changsu’s breathing began to grow heavy, and only then did Xiao Mingyue realize with a start that she seemed to have played with fire.
“Oh my, I’ve always been one to talk nonsense, please don’t mind me, Your Majesty,” Xiao Mingyue offered a sheepish smile.
“Naturally, I don’t mind—unless everything My Beloved Consort said was false, meant only to coax and deceive Me.”
“That’s certainly not it! Everything I said came straight from the heart.”
“Since My Beloved Consort cares so much for Me, why not help Me out?” Xie Changsu suddenly said.
Xiao Mingyue thought she was being released and was about to climb down, but Xie Changsu supported her waist and lifted her to sit right onto the desk.
“Ah?” Xiao Mingyue gasped. What was he trying to do?
In broad daylight, under the bright sky, inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity—and even right in the study…?
“Y-Your Majesty… th-this, this won’t do!” Xiao Mingyue was so startled she couldn’t speak properly.
With his arms braced on either side of her, Xie Changsu held her firmly within his embrace. Their faces were extremely close, their breathing mingling and falling out of rhythm as they spoke.
“Why not?” Xie Changsu stared at her like a predator watching its prey, yet he deliberately put on a hurt expression, “Could it be that everything you said about caring for Me was false?”
“No, I… I actually came to discuss something important with you.”
“You can go ahead and speak; the two don’t interfere with each other.”
“Really?”
“…Mm.”
Xiaowei’s voice echoed in high spirits, praising Xiao Mingyue:
【It seems the Host has long memorized the two sacred texts, Manual for Cultivating a Seductive Consort and How to Capture the Emperor’s Heart, by heart! You’ve coaxed your conquest target until he’s as compliant as an embryo in an instant!】
【Wait, this machine measuring the conquest target’s favorability score seems to be broken again. How did it jump to 99.9% again? Could it be…】
【How about you two just quickly unite right now, so Xiaowei can see if it can reach 100%?】