That fair, soft, and obedient girl’s face was thus imprinted deep within Jun Chenyu’s eyes, making the Emperor’s heart beat for her for a moment.
He was dazed for a moment, his large hand—roughened slightly from martial arts training—grasping Wen Yunmian’s slender waist and pulling her before him.
Her delicate body pressed close to his robust, broad chest. Jun Chenyu pinched her chin coldly, “My beloved Concubine is quite cunning. Even Zhen dares to deceive?”
Wen Yunmian looked at him with watery eyes. Only upon closer inspection did he notice her flushed cheeks and the thick haze of drunkenness in her gaze. She wanted to say something, but her mind was muddled, so she began to think foolishly again, “Did I deceive you? What did I deceive you about…”
Jun Chenyu raised an eyebrow, his phoenix eyes sweeping to the shore where he saw a toppled bottle, “You’ve been drinking?”
“Mhm!” Wen Yunmian couldn’t stand steadily, her small face pressing against his chest, “I drank a lot! But I’m not drunk.”
Her height happened to reach just Jun Chenyu’s chest. Looking down, he could see Wen Yunmian’s fine, fair, and beautiful profile, along with her red, delicate nose tip. He chuckled with exasperation, “Not drunk?”
Wen Yunmian lifted her head, still trying to feign sobriety, and glared with glistening lychee-like eyes, “Really not drunk! If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it to you, okay~”
“Alright.” Jun Chenyu was intrigued, his tall frame leaning lazily against the shore, his sharp eyes quietly watching Wen Yunmian.
But he never expected that the soft, delicate woman who claimed she would prove it would immediately throw herself into his arms the next second.
Jun Chenyu truly hadn’t anticipated it. Just as he was about to part his lips to speak, her soft, red lips gently kissed his Adam’s apple.
The tender, warm sensation almost instantly darkened Jun Chenyu’s phoenix eyes.
He narrowed his eyes dangerously, but his quickened breath was unmistakable.
Jun Chenyu’s neck veins bulged as he leaned back coolly, allowing the woman in his arms to let her hands roam over his body, yet his phoenix eyes lowered to watch her.
Until those hands slowly slipped beneath the water and touched something unknown. Jun Chenyu’s cold eyes suddenly darkened.
He grunted, gripping her waist with one hand, turning her around, and pressing her against the shore, forcefully encircling her in his embrace, “Does Yun Guiren know what she’s touching?”
Wen Yunmian lifted her damp eyes, wrapped her arms around Jun Chenyu’s neck, and nuzzled his chin like a little fox, “Your Majesty, this Concubine is timid and dares not approach you, but in dreams, this Concubine still dares…”
“Your Majesty, this Concubine loves you so much~ In dreams, don’t be so fierce, okay?”
Jun Chenyu looked down at her with his phoenix eyes, the coldness in his gaze gradually fading.
She clung to Jun Chenyu, but as if the wine’s effect surged, just as Jun Chenyu’s eyes grew increasingly profound and he was about to proceed to the next step, Wen Yunmian lazily leaned against his chest and fell into a deep sleep.
Before sleeping, she chattered like a little chatterbox, mumbling, “Dreams are so nice, I can hold Your Majesty.”
Jun Chenyu sensed the person in his arms had fallen asleep. After his Adam’s apple bobbed, he let out a helpless, hoarse chuckle.
Yun Yang and Yun Fei were still waiting outside Peony Pavilion when they heard Eunuch Lu’s astonished voice. Everyone looked over and saw Jun Chenyu carrying their mistress back!
Jun Chenyu had already dressed her. As he walked in, he instructed Yun Yang, “Change your mistress’s clothes. Also, tell the small kitchen to prepare a bowl of sobering soup for her.”
Yun Yang nodded nervously, “Yes, this servant will remember.”
Jun Chenyu did not stay the night. After giving a few brief instructions, he left.
The palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly knelt down, “We respectfully bid farewell to His Majesty!”
Once the Emperor had left, Yun Yang and Yun Fei quickly rose to their feet, their eyes filled with excitement.
“Just now, His Majesty carried Her Ladyship back. It seems Her Ladyship holds a place in His Majesty’s heart.”
“I think so too!”
While the two of them were still discussing animatedly, Wen Yunmian on the bed woke up.
Seeing Wen Yunmian awake, Yun Yang hurried over, “Her Ladyship, you’re awake? This servant will immediately instruct the small kitchen to prepare sobering soup.”
“No need.” There was not a trace of drunkenness left in Wen Yunmian’s beautiful eyes. She curled her lips into a smile as she sat up, “I wasn’t drunk.”
Yun Fei widened her eyes, “Not drunk? But just now, this servant saw Her Ladyship so drunk she was completely unconscious.”
Wen Yunmian smiled without explaining.
Thinking of Jun Chenyu’s reaction earlier, she couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Only by repeatedly failing to obtain her would Jun Chenyu remember this feeling. What one cannot have is always the best.
However, this tactic of playing hard to get requires skill in the “capture.”
How to capture is the most important and also the most delicate aspect.
Inside Yanxi Palace.
“Crash!” A teacup shattered into pieces. Imperial Consort Shu’s face was extremely unpleasant, and the eunuch kneeling on the floor reporting trembled in fear.
“You say that after His Majesty left This Consort, he went to Peony Pavilion?”
The eunuch bowed his head, “Yes, but His Majesty, he… he did not stay the night.”
Imperial Consort Shu’s eyes turned bloodshot, “How could His Majesty treat me like this?”
Beside her, Chun Pin and Noble Lady Yu both watched her cautiously.
Chun Pin waved her hand to dismiss the eunuch before saying angrily, “Her Ladyship, in this concubine’s opinion, those two Wen sisters are more seductive than the other. Before that Yun Guiren entered the palace, when had His Majesty ever abandoned Her Ladyship? I fear that in the future, half of Her Ladyship’s favor will be taken by her.”
Imperial Consort Shu’s eyes turned sinister, her well-maintained red nails digging tightly into her palm, “If you don’t know how to speak, then shut up! You’re only adding to This Consort’s troubles.”
Seeing the situation, Noble Lady Yu quickly gave Chun Pin a meaningful look before comforting Imperial Consort Shu, “Her Ladyship, she is merely a Palace Candidate from a fallen Houfu. It would be so unworthy if Your Ladyship were to damage your precious health because of her. In this concubine’s opinion, removing a flower that has not yet fully bloomed is quite simple.”
Imperial Consort Shu paused, “You have a plan?”
Noble Lady Yu leaned in close and whispered her plan to Imperial Consort Shu.
Hearing this, Imperial Consort Shu’s tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed. She chuckled softly, “Good, then I’ll leave this matter to you to handle.”
Due to the Empress’s frail health, the morning and evening greetings of the concubines were exempted. Wen Yunmian did not go out today and specifically sent Yun Yang to Taiyi Yuan to fetch several medicinal herbs.
Because Wen Yunmian was newly favored, the people at Taiyi Yuan did not dare to neglect her. After recording the medicinal herbs used, they provided them in full to Peony Pavilion.
“Why is Her Ladyship brewing medicine for no reason?” Yun Fei looked at her, puzzled.
Before personally going to the kitchen to brew the medicine, Wen Yunmian dismissed all the palace maids, including Shukui and the others, and instructed Yun Fei, “The fact that I have known medicine since my maiden days must not be revealed. If anyone asks, say it’s a prescription I had someone bring from outside the palace.”
“Yes.” Yun Fei nodded in confusion.
Yun Yang added, “You must remember these words. If others fully understand our Her Ladyship, when they try to harm her, they will avoid things our Her Ladyship knows.”
Hearing it was so serious, Yun Fei quickly covered her mouth and said in a muffled voice, “This servant will absolutely not speak carelessly.”
Only then did Yun Yang smile, patting Yun Fei’s little bangs, “Good girl.”
Listening to their conversation, Wen Yunmian couldn’t help but want to laugh.
However, what Wen Yunmian was most worried about at the moment was the Empress’s illness.