This glance made Kang Fuhai swallow back the words on the tip of his tongue. He looked at Tang Youyou, who was oblivious, with a wronged expression, and then at the old man still giving him a warning look.
He chose to shut up. Fine, he'd shut up!
Unable to stand still any longer, Kang Fuhai slipped away from the scene when no one was paying attention.
As for Qingyu and Yiran, they didn't recognize the old man's appearance, so they naturally didn't receive his death glare.
Empress Dowager Xuan, who was sitting on the upper seat, said again, "Because of your ambition, I've waited for you for thirty - eight years! Thirty - eight whole years!"
Thirty - eight years!
Tang Youyou looked at the crying Empress Dowager Xuan and then at the haggard old man. She felt a pang of heartache for no reason.
"Elders, please stop talking for now. Both of you calm down first. If there's really something to say, it's not too late to talk when you're ready to accept it."
Hearing this, Empress Dowager Xuan nodded first, and the old man could only reluctantly agree.
He just wanted a place to eat. Who would have thought he'd run straight into the line of fire.
Alas, it was a fateful encounter. The ways of Heaven were unpredictable!
Tang Youyou helped Empress Dowager Xuan into the room. Looking at the sighing empress dowager, she comforted her, "Empress Dowager Xuan, what happened between you two?"
Empress Dowager Xuan shook her head. The tears in her eyes finally turned into droplets and fell to the ground one by one.
"That spring, I was framed and married the late emperor while pregnant. After that, I had nothing to do with the late emperor. After giving birth to a son, I requested to be sent to the cold palace.
"I was waiting, waiting for this heartless man to come back. But this wait lasted for thirty - eight years. I've seen so many springs, summers, autumns, and winters.
"The person I'm most sorry for is my child. Even now, I don't know how he's doing."
Listening to this story, Tang Youyou was sure that the old man deserved those kicks just now. If it were her, she would have beaten him until he coughed up blood.
"Empress Dowager Xuan, don't hold on too tightly to some things."
Tang Youyou just thought that giving everything for someone who didn't love you wasn't love; it was self - indulgence.
"Fate will give you what's yours. Don't force what's not meant to be."
Empress Dowager Xuan left just this one sentence and then walked towards the couch wearily. The way she lay on the bed made Tang Youyou feel sad.
Her empty eyes left Tang Youyou helpless. Love was the most useless thing.
Thinking of the thirty - eight years Empress Dowager Xuan had waited in vain, Tang Youyou felt a multitude of emotions.
So, Tang Youyou returned to the main hall of the shop. Looking at the old man sitting on the chair resting, she said angrily, "Old man, why did you let her down!"
"Empress Dowager Xuan is such a good person. How could you do this!"
Hearing this, the old man shook his head, his eyes full of helplessness. "I had no choice. I have my own family too. I have a child. Now my child has died on the battlefield, and my descendants are missing. What do you think I should do?
"I have ambition but no one to pass it on to. What's the meaning of living?
"It was an impossible and improper thing in this era. What could we do? It would only push both of us into the spotlight.
"Rather than that, it's better to let each other go and live in peace!"
Tang Youyou had only said one sentence, but it had triggered more than a dozen rambling words from the old man.
However, after thinking it over, the old man had actually done the right thing. If they had let things develop recklessly, the future generations would surely have been affected, and their relationship would never have been blessed.
But, "But you've already left. Why are you back now?"
After she finished speaking, the old man looked up into Tang Youyou's beautiful eyes. Her eyes seemed to be filled with stars and were extremely beautiful.
He had come for her.
Tang Youyou was the only person he could recognize!
"For some things, anyway, not for love. I didn't expect to meet her here."
Seeing that the old man was still so unyielding, Tang Youyou got angry. Somehow, there was an embroidered pouch in her hand.
Just as she was about to act, the old man looked into her eyes again and said coldly, "Girl, don't play childish tricks in front of me."
"You..."
Tang Youyou never expected that the old man could see through what she was doing at a glance!
She stood there stunned, not knowing what to say.
By the time she came to her senses, the person in front of her had already left.
However, what she had made was powder made from datura pollen, which few people knew about. She had seen it in an old book and made it into powder.
She didn't expect that this kind of powerful thing hadn't even been fully used before the old man saw through it.
Something was wrong! This old man must have some hidden abilities!
But the old man had already gone into his room. Tang Youyou could only bury her doubts in her heart.
"Your Majesty the Queen, it's noon. You should eat something."
Tang Youyou waved her hand and pointed to one of the rooms inside. "Send the food to the Empress Dowager."
"Empress Dowager?" Qingyu was stunned and stood still.
"Does Your Majesty the Queen mean Empress Dowager Xuan?"
Tang Youyou nodded. This shocked Qingyu even more. Since Tang Youyou had admitted it, the old woman inside was really the empress dowager.
"I bullied and ignored the Empress Dowager a few days ago. Will I..."
"Will I lose my head? Of course not. You just need to do as you did before. The Empress Dowager is generous and won't care about these things."
After getting Tang Youyou's reply, Qingyu let out a sigh of relief. She patted her chest and made a promise.
"I know, Your Majesty. I will definitely take good care of the Empress Dowager as Your Majesty commands. Your Majesty can rest assured."
"Okay, go."
After the girl left, Tang Youyou found a random place to rest. It had been many days since she had had a real rest.
This time, it was like taking a vacation for herself.
However, the good times didn't last long.
Just two hours later, the bully came to the rouge shop again with a group of people. The sound of gongs and drums was deafening. Even Empress Dowager Xuan, who was resting inside, was woken up.
Tang Youyou, who was sleeping on the chair, rubbed her sleepy eyes, stretched, and walked to the door.
She saw more than a dozen people blatantly provoking.
The leader was still the bully from the morning.
"Stinky boy, I'm back. Are you ready to kneel down and crawl under my crotch this time!"
The passing commoners saw this scene and quickened their steps. They rushed back home, carefully opened their doors and windows, and quietly watched Tang Youyou's predicament from across the street.