Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 58 Part 2

The rain lasted all night and didn’t clear until the evening of the next day. Footsteps could be heard both inside and outside Jingren Palace.

Xiao Yun put down the Thousand Character Classic in his hands, and his gaze followed the sound of footsteps outside the window. He leaned closer to the window as if trying to make out what was being said outside.

Qin Ling pinched his ear gently, signaling him to continue reciting.

Xiao Yun obediently straightened up and let out a very light sigh.

Qin Ling looked at him and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. He really inherited his father’s knack for sighing.

Xiao Yun raised his face and said, “Mum.”

Qin Ling responded with a hum. “What is it?”

Xiao Yun said earnestly, “I need to use the bathroom.”

Another bathroom break. Qin Ling restrained herself from twitching her lips and replied, “Go ahead.”

Xiao Yun turned his buttocks, his short legs touched the ground, and he followed Momo Yuan out with a pitter-patter. Qin Ling watched his cheerful figure and couldn’t help but bend her eyes. Ultimately, he was still a child who hadn’t turned four, and his playfulness was inherent.

Qin Ling had been the same before. She would get tired of all the formalities of the women and even look up when a bird chirped outside the window. She could only pay attention to what was happening around her when Su Huai’an took her to play ball, pound weights, or spear-throwing.

Xiao Yun was already obedient enough compared to her.

Qin Ling thought reciting for an entire afternoon was difficult, so she called for Zhu Xin and said, “Ask the Imperial Kitchen to send a bowl of shaved ice over.” She remembered that the shaved ice from the Imperial Kitchen was excellent.

Zhu Xin bowed in response.

As Xiao Yun returned from the bathroom, he picked up the book and continued reciting, “…be sincere at the beginning, be cautious at the end. Establishing a foundation for honor and achievement. To excel in entering the government service, to excel in entering the government service… to hold official positions and participate in politics. Cherishing the sweet memories of the past, extolling them further as time goes on, joy transcends rank and status…”

As he recited, Xiao Yun yawned, and his dark pupils glistened with tears. He blinked at Qin Ling as if he had forgotten what came next.

Qin Ling said, “Differentiate between respect and inferiority.”

Xiao Yun emphasized, “Differentiate between respect and inferiority.”

While he was reciting, Zhu Lan pushed open the door and slowly approached with a food box in hand. Qin Ling raised her hand and flicked his nose, saying, “You’ve recited enough, come and have something to eat.”

Xiao Yun followed Qin Ling like a little shadow as they approached the food.

Qin Ling opened the food box and took out a bowl of shaved ice. She scooped a spoonful, tested the temperature against her lips, and then brought it to Xiao Yun’s mouth. “It’s a bit cold, eat slowly.”

The prince’s meals were all arranged by the Imperial Kitchen, so this was his first time tasting shaved ice. Xiao Yun drank it in one gulp, and the fragrance of lotus seeds spread through his mouth. There was a slight icy sensation between his lips and teeth, and his eyes instantly lit up, dispelling his drowsiness.

“Is it delicious?”

Xiao Yun nodded.

Qin Ling smiled and said, “Then you can have more.”

Since the weather hadn’t turned hot, eating too much shaved ice could make one feel chilly. Qin Ling only fed him a few mouthfuls before placing the bowl aside and using a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

Xiao Yun whispered, “Mum.”

Qin Ling leaned down, and Xiao Yun’s lips touched her ear. The interesting thing he said and the warm breath of a child made her ear itch. Qin Ling suppressed the urge to move away and let out a laugh.

Just as they were having a joyous moment, a familiar deep voice suddenly sounded at the door, “What are you talking about?”

Qin Ling’s heart skipped a beat. Both mother and son simultaneously suppressed their laughter and straightened up.

Qin Ling kneeled and said, “I greet Your Majesty.”

Xiao Yun folded his hands and bowed, saying, “Father, may you be well.”

Xiao Yu wore a white middle robe with golden thread depicting sun and moon patterns. He had a black round dragon robe on top, his hair tied up with a jade crown, and a plain belt around his waist. His fair and clean jawline revealed a hint of dark shadow, indicating that he had just shaved. He looked exceptionally refined and elegant.

The man walked over and helped Qin Ling, then rubbed Xiao Yun’s head.

Xiao Yun looked up and saw the reflection of his most respected father, the emperor, in his eyes.

Xiao Yu lowered his gaze to meet Xiao Yun’s and asked, “What were you talking about just now?”

“Shaved ice!” The little prince pointed to the bowl on the table. “Consort Mother and I were eating shaved ice.”

Upon following the direction of Xiao Yun’s finger, Xiao Yu suddenly realized that Qin Ling had always loved eating such things.

He subconsciously interrupted and said to Qin Ling, “The weather is still cool, and you have always been sensitive to the cold. Eat less…” Before he could finish his sentence, the air seemed to freeze. The condition of Empress Su seemed to have little relevance to the person in front of him.

As Xiao Yu regretted repeating the wrong words, the little prince brought over the remaining bowl of shaved ice and cautiously said, “Father, would you like to try it?”

Beside them, Zhu Xin immediately furrowed her brows. Oh, how could the emperor possibly eat leftovers?

Zhu Xin was about to step forward to take away the shaved ice when she saw the emperor accepting it and actually eating it.

Xiao Yun was startled and murmured, “Consort Mother said it’s not okay to have more…” Having said that, he looked back at Qin Ling.

Qin Ling replied, “His Majesty can have more without any problem.”

Xiao Yun asked, “Why?”

Qin Ling thought about saying it was because he was the emperor, but that didn’t seem appropriate. So the words changed as they reached her lips, “Because you are young.”

The three-and-a-half-year-old little prince understood the meaning behind these words, but the emperor, who was twenty-seven, could also grasp it.

Xiao Yu cleared his throat and changed the topic, shifting his focus to inquire about Xiao Yun’s studies.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Xiao Yun stood obediently before the emperor, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. When he became overly nervous, he would occasionally stutter. The more he tried to impress his father, the more he stumbled over his words, making his ears red.

Although Qin Ling watched with a stern expression, intimidating the child, it was indeed her responsibility to oversee his studies when the emperor asked.

She let out a silent sigh.

However, with just this faint sigh, Xiao Yu’s temple twitched. He had forgotten how this child had come into the world.

Xiao Yu pinched his little shoulder and softened his tone slightly. “It’s alright, you have made progress.”

Xiao Yun’s small face instantly flushed, expressing his joy. Was the emperor…praising him?

The night fell, and lamps illuminated the palace. Momo Yuan took the little prince to a warm pavilion, leaving only the two in the hall.

Before yesterday, Qin Ling could still smile and please him, playing the role of a submissive consort. But now, that disguise had been torn apart, and everything felt awkward. No matter how they interacted, there was resistance in the air. The dynamics between the two were always intricate as if the atmosphere was speaking. One person created distance and resistance, and the other surely felt it. This was particularly true for the once-intimate couple.

Seeing the resistance in her expression, Xiao Yu reached out and took her hand, gently caressing it twice.

They both spoke at the same time—

Qin Ling said, “Does Your Majesty have any business tonight?”

Xiao Yu said, “You seem to have lost weight.”

“There is no business tonight.” He also wanted to spend time with the person before him, lowering his gaze and lightly pecking her cheek, then brushing along her hair bun. There was a hint of pleasing intent as the warm breath from his nose gently sprayed on her neck, creating a scalding sensation. Qin Ling didn’t dodge but showed no significant response, as if she meant to say, “You can strike me endlessly, but I will remain unmoved.”

They had exchanged sharp words and passionate intimacy. From supporting each other to suspecting each other, from life and death separations, it seemed they had experienced all the passionate emotions that could exist between them. From their first meeting until now, nearly seven years had passed, and he was well aware that there was no longer him in her eyes. 

But so what? So what?

Xiao Yu held her hand and said, “Ah Ling, you are not carrying a child in your womb, and the Qin family has no remarkable achievements. What do you think if I promote you to the position of Zhaoyi first before appointing you as the empress?”

Empress, he really dared to think of it.

Qin Ling looked at him and said, “Your Majesty, my father is merely a fifth-rank grand scribe, and my eldest brother has just entered officialdom. As for me, I have been in the palace for several months, with no merits to my name. Being your wife does not warrant me the virtue to become empress.”

She spoke sincerely. In her previous life as Su Ling and this life as well.

Upon hearing her words, Xiao Yu furrowed his brows. His temper had never been good, and she knew that.

Xiao Yu clenched his jaw and said word by word, “In this lifetime, I will only be husband and wife with you.”

His grip on her hand tightened, causing Qin Ling some pain. To be honest, she wanted to provoke his anger.

Qin Ling took a slight breath, stepped back, and softly said, “It’s too early for that. Let me attend to Your Majesty’s change of clothes.” Qin Ling hooked her arms around him and helped him untie the belt, skillfully assisting him in changing his attire. Xiao Yu nodded as he watched her actions, lost in a daze as if he was witnessing countless past days and nights.

Qin Ling neatly folded the clothes and placed them on a low table. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up to remove his jade crown.

But even with such an ordinary gaze, Xiao Yu’s eyes inexplicably turned red. He lowered his head slightly, softly exclaiming, his voice tightening, “I’ll do it myself.”

Qin Ling’s wrist froze.

After bathing and preparing for bed, Xiao Yu still left a lamp for her.

The candlelight flickered. Before closing his eyes, Xiao Yu whispered, “In a few days, I will take you to meet someone.”