Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 93

The weather was calm and sunny, with a vast expanse of clear blue.

Xiao Yu finished handling governmental affairs during the period of shen (3-5 PM). He then headed to Jingren Palace. Entering the inner hall, he couldn’t find her presence.

Zhu Lan bowed respectfully. “Your Majesty, peace be upon you.”

Xiao Yu inquired, “Where is your master?”

Zhu Lan replied softly, “My lady slept in Wenxi Garden yesterday and hasn’t woken up yet.” Wenxi Garden lay north of Jingren Palace, shaded by trees layer upon layer, where sunlight struggled to reach, creating a serene and cool atmosphere. She had moved there upon returning from Mount Li.

Upon hearing she hadn’t risen yet, Xiao Yu furrowed his brow involuntarily. Had she been sleeping after returning from Mount Qingyu?

He left all the attendants outside and pushed open the gate of Wenxi Garden alone. He approached the bed directly, lifting the canopy veil. What met his gaze were curved feet like a crescent moon, fair and slender legs, and a delicate waist graspable with one arm. She’d always disliked the heat and was wearing only a thin layer of plain gauze.

As she turned over, the bedcovers were kicked off onto the floor. One leg was raised, curled up, while the other extended straight, with one hand resting near her ear. She occupied most of the bed.

After sharing the same bed with her for so many years, her current posture was indeed quite rare…

He sat at the edge of the bed, leaning against the frame, gazing at her.

The naturally stern man now held a faint smile, his eyes displaying genuine tenderness. He looked at her like that for a long time. As he watched, he suddenly recalled the year she had just arrived at Prince Jin’s residence, at seventeen, a flowery age, graceful and delicate. When he first laid eyes on her, he had been content.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed without a second thought when his advisors mentioned the option of marrying the eldest daughter of the Su family.

Looking back now, he couldn’t fathom why they had quarreled so fiercely back then. A few misplaced words, and she wanted to return to her family’s home. She’d try every means to demand a divorce from him. And he, in retaliation, engaged in silent treatment, cold shoulders, spending nights away from home while rumors of his dalliances spread across the capital.

He remembered one morning when he returned home from handling a case and passed by her door, hearing the room resonating with laughter and conversation, yet the sweet sound of her voice was absent amidst the birdsong.

It made him uneasy.

On another day, after visiting a brothel and carrying the scent of rouge, he deliberately entered her room, intentionally skewing his waistband, deliberately getting unusually close to her. She blushed bright red with his presence. 

At that time, he felt not an ounce of guilt, only reveling in his satisfaction. She stopped laughing but returned to her parents’ home. Furious, he kicked over a stool at home. Yet, within a few days, he brought her back from her family’s residence.

That year, they truly exhibited the full extent of their youthful competitiveness.

As he reminisced, Qin Ling happened to turn over, her lake-blue undergarment askew, revealing a striking sight. Separated by the fabric, he nonchalantly pinched her.

With that pinch, she groggily opened her eyes, looking at him with confusion. “Your Majesty?”

The man leaned closer, teasing her softly, “You’re still sleeping? Can you guess what time it is now?”

Qin Ling blinked, taking a while to wake up fully. The room was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. She glanced at the bloodstains on his neck, realizing his wound had reopened and he hadn’t tended to it yet.

Qin Ling hurriedly propped herself up, slipped on her shoes, and said, “Your Majesty, please wait. I’ll go get the medicine.”

“No rush,” Xiao Yu said, tilting his chin toward her chest.

Seeing the suggestive smile in the man’s eyes, Qin Ling couldn’t help but lower her head. She hastily adjusted her loosely hanging attire and turned away to fetch a white cloth and the medicine jar.

He remarked toward her back, “Is there any part of you I haven’t seen?” His tone was light, serious, and quite infuriating.

Supposedly in her twenties, her cheeks still betrayed a slight blush despite herself.

After she finished changing his bandages, she asked, “Still hurting?”

Xiao Yu frowned, “Not hurting, just a bit itchy.”

“Newly forming skin tends to itch,” Qin Ling said as she gently blew on the wound. “Better now?”

“I’m feeling better.”

Qin Ling gently tapped his stiff left arm. “How’s your arm? Can you raise it?”

“I can manage,” Xiao Yu attempted to lift it. “It’s just not very flexible.”

“If it’s difficult, don’t force it. Try to rest and recover as much as possible in the coming days,” Qin Ling advised, helping to massage his arm for a while.

Just as her wrist began to ache, an attendant interrupted, “Your Majesties, dinner is ready. Shall I bring it in or place it in the side chamber?”

Qin Ling turned around, saying, “Place it in the side chamber, please.”

The attendant acknowledged and respectfully withdrew.

With Xiao Yu’s injured arm, Qin Ling had been assisting him during meals lately. Xiao Yun, watching his mother help his father with the food, fidgeted around the table. In the midst of his antics, he accidentally knocked over a bowl, sending it plummeting toward the floor—

In a flash, Xiao Yu swiftly caught the falling bowl. Quick and accurate.

Xiao Yu and Qin Ling’s gazes fell upon the hand that caught the bowl. He froze for a moment…

The little prince’s mouth slightly agape, his eyes widened twice their size. He set down his golden chopsticks, clapping his hands, sincerely admiring, “Father has excellent skills.”

Qin Ling looked at him, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, seeming to ask, “Is this what you call not very flexible?”

Unfazed, Xiao Yu placed the bowl before his son, calmly stating, “Silent at meals, silent at rest. Have you forgotten your lessons?”

If Xiao Yun had a tail, surely it’d have curled up in fear. He bit his lip, “This son remembers.”

Qin Ling set down the utensils in front of the emperor and turned back to sit beside Xiao Yun.

The mother and son remained silent throughout the meal…

***

After dinner, Xiao Yu stayed in Jingren Palace to review reports while Qin Ling went to the cleansing chamber for almost an hour.

When she returned to the hall, the sky had darkened.

She used a towel to dry her hair, her neck graceful, her shoulders slender. The elusive whiteness seemed to draw the remaining light. Xiao Yu’s throat moved, and he set down the reports in his hand. His injured arm couldn’t take it anymore, and neither could he.

He approached her from behind and, without a word, took her towel. “Let me help you dry your hair.”

His trembling fingers kept tangling in her hair. She endured it several times, but somehow his grip only tightened each time. She even felt some strands being pulled out.

She turned to look at him and instinctively said, “Give it to me, I’ll do it myself.”

The usual formalities of “Your Majesty and this concubine…” had slipped, replaced with an informal “you and I”.

Her slip of the tongue startled Qin Ling for a moment.

Xiao Yu’s eyes held a triumphant gleam. He lifted her slightly and placed her on the bed, embracing her. There was no scent of the sachet on her anymore.

He held her wrist, affectionately kissing it. Light pecks, then deeper kisses.

Breathless and weakened, Qin Ling slowly found herself enveloped in his embrace.

In a dizzying haze, shadows danced within the sheer curtains.

Afterward, Xiao Yu supported her waist with his palm. They had earnestly desired to have a child before, so naturally, they understood the implications of such gestures.

She didn’t evade or rush to the cleansing chamber. Xiao Yu’s urge surged, and he couldn’t resist nibbling on her again. His preferences remained unchanged over the years. Every time they finished, Qin Ling felt like he might shatter her collarbone with his bites.

The night was deep and quiet, and the bright moon hung high. Qin Ling lay on her side, her breathing occasionally light and shallow. Xiao Yu gently caressed her dark hair with his hand. “Can’t sleep?”

Qin Ling turned to look at him, responding with a soft “hmm.”

Xiao Yu traced circles on her waist, softly asking, “What’s on your mind?”

Their previous actions had been a bit excessive. Qin Ling’s voice was hoarse, and she coughed as soon as she spoke. He handed her water, saying, “Drink slowly and speak.”

She took a sip, hesitating for a while before saying, “When I went to offer incense, an old Taoist said something about the cycle of life and death, the transience of existence, and the inevitable laws and consequences.”

Hearing her mention this, Xiao Yu subconsciously pressed his thumb against the white jade ring on his finger and casually asked, “What are you trying to achieve with these thoughts?”

“I just want to know… what kind of cause and effect could lead to resurrection…” Qin Ling whispered, “Since it defies common sense, it should logically…”

“Logically what? Ah Ling, what’s been on your mind?” Xiao Yu leaned in to peck at the corner of her lips. “In this quiet night, you want to discuss Buddhist scriptures with me? Hmm?”

Qin Ling didn’t intend to joke with him. Each word came out earnestly, “I genuinely want to know.”

Xiao Yu looked at her with an indulgent expression, still playful in tone, “Your inquisitive nature hasn’t changed a bit, Ah Ling. Do you truly believe those old monks and Taoists know everything?”

Seeing his dismissive gaze, Qin Ling felt it was better to say less. Directly, she continued, “Your Majesty, do you remember Chuanyin Temple?”

Chuanyin Temple—Xiao Yu naturally remembered. The protective amulets at his hidden residence were all obtained through her prayers at Chuanyin Temple.

“I remember.”

“I want to pay a visit there.”

Xiao Yu rubbed his brow lightly and said softly, “Ah Ling, Chuanyin Temple is not in the capital. Even with fast horses, it would take three days’ journey. You can’t leave the palace for that long.”

As a consort in the palace, Qin Ling knew she shouldn’t wander outside too often. Three days indeed seemed a bit long. She thought momentarily and suggested, “How about a nearby place… the Lingyun Taoist Temple?”

Xiao Yu patted her hand and said, “Let’s talk about this later, alright?”

Seeing the weariness in his eyes, Qin Ling understood he had many responsibilities lately. She didn’t push further. “I understand.”

Sensing her disappointment in her tone, Xiao Yu sighed softly. “As the empress of Great Zhou, you are blessed and naturally will encounter opportunities. Don’t dwell too much on it.”