Awu didn’t answer.
She tossed the grasshopper into the grass,
“We had a grudge in a past life.”
Not in a past life in this one.
Her hometown had first suffered a flood, followed by a plague of locusts.
As she fled north, she saw fields devastated by the insects.
Desperate and starving, people caught and roasted locusts.
The insects did have a bit of meat, and Awu found them quite delicious.
But she didn’t want to share these details.
The man before her was sharp, and she didn’t dare reveal too much.
Emperor Jingxi asked,
“Would you like to try some mushrooms?”
“Mushrooms?” Awu asked.
The emperor pointed,
“There are some over there. Come, I’ll show you.”
Awu peered in the direction he indicated, skeptical,
“Really? Are there any?”
Emperor Jingxi smiled, “Let’s go see.”
Awu nodded, “Alright!”
The emperor lifted his long robe and tucked the hem into his jade belt.
Awu, seeing this, tried to do the same.
But her skirt was too cumbersome, and after tucking it in, it fell back down.
Emperor Jingxi watched her clumsy attempts and stepped forward to help, tucking her skirt in properly and even retying her sash.
As he did this, Awu was surprised.
She had assumed he was too dignified and commanding to perform such tasks.
But now, as he bent down to help her, she felt a strange sense of being tenderly cared for.
The emperor’s fingers were long and steady as he tied a neat knot for her.
When he looked up, he found Awu staring at him curiously.
Her soft eyelids were slightly lowered, and the sunlight reflected in her clear, bright eyes.
The cool mountain breeze carried the sweet scent of persimmons, and amidst the rustling leaves, the young woman’s thick lashes fluttered.
Emperor Jingxi smiled softly,
“What are you thinking about?”
Awu pursed her lips, feeling a bit shy,
“I suddenly thought of my father.”
The emperor’s fingers paused for a moment, “Oh?”
But A wu didn’t want to elaborate and instead asked,
“Third Brother, you must have children, right? How old are they?”
The emperor’s hand left A wu’s slender waist as he stood up and casually brushed his robe,
“I have a son and a daughter. My daughter is about to come of age.”
Awu was surprised and looked at him in astonishment,
“You married quite young.”
She had thought he was only in his early thirties, at the prime of his life.
But his daughter was already reaching adulthood!
Suddenly, he seemed older than she had imagined.
Emperor Jingxi’s voice was calm,
“It couldn’t be helped. With a large family and strict traditions, I had to marry early.”
Awu was even more surprised but understood that pressing him further would be futile.
He wasn’t Nie Third Brother, nor the crown prince.
He was more cunning than Lu Yunjian and far more guarded.
She had no control over him.
In his eyes, she was merely an amusing plaything.
She cautiously approached the safest topic, subtly asking,
“Your daughter is about to come of age… She must be lovely. You must dote on her greatly.”
Emperor Jingxi did not wish to continue the previous topic and turned to Awu, saying,
“Don’t you like fresh things? Look, there are mushrooms here.”
Jealousy had already made Awu disinterested in picking mushrooms, but she reluctantly glanced over.
Puffing her cheeks, she said unhappily,
“There aren’t any! Where are the mushrooms?”
Emperor Jingxi pointed under the tree ahead, “Look here.”
Awu looked but saw nothing, and snorted, “Where?”
Her temper flared suddenly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Emperor Jingxi’s tea-brown eyes silently observed Awu.
Awu felt his cold, detached scrutiny.
This gaze was like the eyes of the world, the eyes of passersby, like a mirror showing her the jealous self she had become.
She suddenly deflated.
She knew she was being unreasonable; she shouldn’t act this way towards a stranger.
She had her father, her brother.
She believed they were not dead; one day they would return from overseas by ship, bringing pearls, jewels, and fine silks to her.
Their family would become wealthy overnight, and she would become a wealthy young lady!
She would be cherished and spoiled by them!
But now, the future wealthy young lady, destined to be pampered by her father and brother, was far from her homeland, in a foreign land, in front of a man who had taken her body but was wary of her, clutching her skirt, biting her lip, and saying,
“I just don’t see it… where, where?”
Pretending to search.
Emperor Jingxi withdrew his gaze from A wu’s face and pointed to a spot in the grass,
“Here.”
Awu finally saw it; there were indeed mushrooms, fresh wild mushrooms, moist and tender.
She hurried over and found many mushrooms here!
She was overjoyed!
Emperor Jingxi produced a grass basket from somewhere, and Awu began placing her newly picked mushrooms inside.
As she picked, she thought of her earlier words and glanced at him cautiously.
He was squatting in the grass, picking mushrooms.
In the shadow of the plants, his profile was deep, handsome, and majestic, with a high-bridged nose and thin lips that gave him a cold, aloof appearance.
This was a proud and noble man.
Awu initially thought he might be under thirty, but now she realized she must have been wrong; he was older than she thought, as his daughter was already coming of age, and his son-how old was he?
The man did not look up, but it was as if he had an extra eye on top of his head, and he said without emotion,
“What are you looking at?”
Awu said ingratiatingly,
“Third Brother, how did you know there were mushrooms here?”
She clumsily praised, “Third Brother is so knowledgeable!”
Emperor Jingxi said,
“To pick wild mushrooms, you need to know how to find the shoots.”
Awu, “Shoots?”
Emperor Jingxi,
“Yes, where the plants are lush, the underground mycelium is buried, and mushrooms are likely to grow, and once they grow one year, they will grow again the next.”
Awu, “So that’s how it is, Third Brother is truly knowledgeable!”
Emperor Jingxi’s reaction was indifferent.
He had heard so many praises, each more sincere and eloquent than hers, so her dry compliment was not worthy in front of him.
How could she have the nerve to say it?
So he just said, “Let’s go back.”
Awu glanced at him cautiously, “Okay.”
It seemed he was unhappy.
But she had no intention of comforting him.
She thought men who were prone to anger couldn’t be comforted, or it wouldn’t work, so let him be angry if he wanted.
So the two of them walked back, and as they approached the villa, they saw a young, strong man standing silently, waiting there.
Awu was curious and instinctively wanted to look.
But Emperor Jingxi raised his hand, grasped her wrist, and said softly, “Cold?”
Awu, “I’m not cold.”
Emperor Jingxi pulled Awu into his arms, subtly wrapping her in his cloak.
Awu wanted to peek, but he pressed her head down.
Awu protested with a whine.
Through the fluffy fox fur collar of the cloak, Emperor Jingxi whispered in her ear,
“If you’re cold, I’ll hold you.”
His voice was low and warm, his breath lightly brushing A wu’s cheek, sending tingles through her.
Awu tilted her head, avoiding the overly intimate warmth, and snorted disdainfully, poking the embroidery on his chest with her finger.
The embroidery was made of gold thread, very delicate.
She said unhappily,
“Why are you holding me? I want to see!”
Emperor Jingxi gently held Awu’s hand and chuckled.
He looked up at the approaching person, his smile fading, and said calmly, “Speak.”
The person was Fang Yue.
Emperor Jingxi didn’t want A wu to see Fang Yue, partly because he disliked the way A wu had looked at Fang Yue earlier, and partly because Fang Yue’s robe was embroidered with a white pheasant and clouds, which might reveal the emperor’s identity to those familiar with such garments.
Emperor Jingxi still wanted to play, like a game of house, and if it was revealed too soon, it would lose its fun.
Fang Yue was shocked to see the emperor holding a young lady so intimately, and he instinctively looked around, realizing that the attendants were not present, recalling that during this southern journey for the prince’s blessings, the emperor was staying here alone, without his attendants.
No wonder…
He naturally did not dare to look up, kneeling on one knee, and said respectfully,
“Lu Country—”
Emperor Jingxi’s gaze swept over him.
Fang Yue was stunned, the word “uncle” stuck in his throat.
Emperor Jingxi,
“You were saying, Lu Country, what about Lu Country?”
Fang Yue was quick-witted and immediately understood the emperor’s meaning.
He found it absurd and unbelievable, but he had no choice but to continue,
“Mr. Lu has sent a calling card and is waiting outside.”
Emperor Jingxi, “Tell him to wait a moment.”
Fang Yue, “Yes.”
Emperor Jingxi dismissed Fang Yue, then released Awu.
A wu took the opportunity to snuggle in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck,
“Third Brother, why didn’t you let me look earlier?”
Emperor Jingxi gently tapped her smooth forehead with his finger,
“What were those eyes looking at earlier? Always towards men.”
He naturally had some dark thoughts he didn’t want to admit, such as noticing that the young lady before him was young, at the age of sixteen, delicate as if she could be squeezed like a freshly bloomed flower branch, perhaps the same age as his own children.
He didn’t like her looking at young men.
Moreover, the imperial guards were all selected for their good looks and stature, and he didn’t want her to see too much of them.
Awu, hearing this, was unhappy; Lu Yunjian had once said something similar!
She wrinkled her nose and snorted at him,
“Fine, I won’t look!”
Emperor Jingxi smiled gently,
“Wait here, a guest has arrived, I need to go and meet him.”
Awu complained softly, “Didn’t you say you would play with me?”
Emperor Jingxi,
“I’ll come back and play with you later, it’s not an important guest, I’ll just say a few words and dismiss him.”
Awu reluctantly agreed, “Okay…”
Emperor Jingxi looked at the young lady’s puffed cheeks, so full of dissatisfaction, and couldn’t help but smile.
Her temper was quite large.
Awu watched as Third Brother left, and she felt somewhat bored, so she wandered around the villa, looking at the scenery, picking flowers, and chasing butterflies.
As she played, she also thought about her own concerns.
The Temple of Extended Blessings must have already noticed her disappearance and would report it up, perhaps the prince already knew, and she wondered what kind of commotion it had caused.
This Third Brother before her seemed to have some power and said there was nothing he couldn’t handle, but could he really hide her?
Actually, today he suggested that she simply stay in the villa and not meet outsiders, which was a good temporary solution.
Just hide for now, and think of another plan later.
As she thought this, she heard Futai say,
“Fifth Lady, please wait.”
Awu looked over in surprise, “What is it?”
Futai smiled apologetically,
“If Fifth Lady wishes to enjoy the scenery, the view here is not the best, please “
He stopped mid-sentence,
“Please do not disturb the guests, Third Master is meeting with a guest ahead.”
Meeting with a guest?
Awu remembered this and became interested,
“Meeting with a guest? Did the Third Brother say I couldn’t look? Did he say he would control me?”
Futai, “No”
Awu, “Then why are you stopping me? If you insist on stopping me, I’ll complain to Third Brother later.”
He looked at the young lady in disbelief.
She was so lively and charming, pure and lovely, as beautiful as could be, but her temper was so sharp!
He had served by the emperor’s side, even the empress showed him some respect, and he had never been threatened like this before!
But he understood in his heart that the emperor currently doted on and indulged this young lady, and if she complained about him, he would be in trouble.
He couldn’t afford to offend her!
Moreover, the way the young lady acted on her temper was really endearing, even he found it cute!
What else could he do?
Dote on her and respect her!
He smiled apologetically,
“Fifth Lady, if you want to look, it’s fine “
But in his heart, he was desperately thinking, I must quickly inform the emperor, your hidden beauty wants to look at other men!
This will surely make him jealous to death!
A wu, seeing Futai stop her, became even more curious, thinking it must be something worth seeing, and she was determined to look.
She walked forward, and no one could stop her.
As she reached the pavilion, she saw two people, one sitting and one standing; the one sitting was her newly acquainted Third Brother, and the one standing was A wu’s curiosity instantly cooled, and a cold fear spread from the gaps in her spine, enveloping her instantly.
Her fingers began to tremble, and the trembling spread, her legs weak, almost unable to stand.
Who did she see?
She saw Lu Yunjian.
Lu Yunjian!!!!
Awu felt something explode in her head, leaving her mind blank.