The Kunning Palace.
Qin Lan had been investigating outside the palace for a whole day and night and finally got a clue. Her two dark circles were incredibly black, and she looked extremely haggard. All she wanted was to go back to her room and have a good sleep.
However, as soon as she entered the main gate of the Kunning Palace, she saw Xu Xian standing aside, grinning at her.
Qin Lan perked up and forced herself to ask, "Eunuch Xu? Has the Emperor come?"
Xu Xian replied with a beaming smile, "Yes, he's inside the room, accompanying your mistress!"
Ah?
Qin Lan's first reaction was that Sikong Ting had come to cause trouble again.
She ignored Xu Xian and rushed towards the door to eavesdrop on what was going on inside. But on the way, she was stopped by Ziyun.
"Sister Qin, come here quickly!" Ziyun had just put away the teacups and was standing behind a pillar, waving to Qin Lan.
Seeing this, Qin Lan quickly ran over and asked, "Ziyun, why has the Emperor come?"
Ziyun nodded and said, "Yes. After you left yesterday, the mistress had a competition with that Loulan warrior, and she actually won. Now the Emperor likes the mistress very much!"
The words "likes the mistress very much" made Qin Lan's mind go blank. She grabbed Ziyun and asked, "Really? Where did the Emperor stay last night?"
"He stayed here." Ziyun smiled. "I wonder when the mistress will get pregnant. I'm so looking forward to it!"
Qin Lan: "..."
Ziyun looked at Qin Lan and asked in confusion, "Sister Qin, what's wrong with you?"
Qin Lan supported her forehead and sighed. "What was the mistress doing when you went in to tidy up just now?"
Ziyun thought for a while and said, "The mistress was nestled in the Emperor's arms, reading a book."
Qin Lan's scalp went numb, and she asked again, "What was the mistress's expression?"
Ziyun was stunned. "What expression?"
"Just the expression." Qin Lan scratched her hair. "Was she willing or..." Qin Lan didn't finish her sentence clearly, but Ziyun immediately understood. After all, Qin Huaiqiu had scolded Sikong Ting in front of them more than once. However, they were husband and wife, and in Ziyun's view, it was just a way for Qin Huaiqiu and Sikong Ting to flirt.
So, she smiled, patted Qin Lan on the shoulder, and comforted her, "Don't worry, Sister Qin. The mistress was willing. I just sent in the breakfast, and the Emperor fed the mistress bite by bite."
Qin Lan was directly stunned.
Master, what on earth are you doing?
"Hey, if the mistress has a baby, our Kunning Palace will be even more lively, right?" Ziyun was a little happy because she had always liked children.
Qin Lan twitched the corner of her mouth, not knowing what expression to put on at all.
Seeing her abnormal appearance, Ziyun thought that Qin Lan didn't believe what she had just said. So she said, "Well, Sister Qin, just now the Emperor said he would let me go in to collect the dinner plates. Later, I won't go. I'll let you go in to tidy up. Then you can see it with your own eyes."
"I'm not going." Qin Lan's face darkened immediately.
What could she do when her own master was courting death in the Emperor's arms? She was so sleepy now. All she could do was pray that Qin Huaiqiu had made the decision to "read a book in the Emperor's arms" after careful consideration. After all, she really didn't have the energy to help him out. She was almost floating when walking. She had been following some secret guards of the Qin family to investigate everywhere for a day and night. Her eyes were almost going blind from looking through the archives. Now all she wanted was to go to sleep quickly.
Qin Lan yawned and said, "You go to tidy up. I'm going to sleep. I'm so sleepy." After saying that, Qin Lan entered the room. She didn't even bother to change her clothes and just went to bed and fell asleep.
Ziyun pouted and didn't think much. She walked away happily.
At noon, Qin Huaiqiu, who had been cuddled with Sikong Ting in bed for a whole morning, finally couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Your Majesty, state affairs should be your top priority. Please go to the imperial study to attend to them. Your servant won't disturb you anymore."
Sikong Ting hugged him tightly and refused to let go. "You won't disturb me. I'll have the memorials sent here for me to review."
Qin Huaiqiu twitched the corner of his mouth. "This palace is not a place to review memorials."
"I want to review them here."
"No way." Qin Huaiqiu rolled his eyes. How come he didn't realize before that Sikong Ting could be so clingy?
"Humph." Sikong Ting pouted and put his chin on Qin Huaiqiu's shoulder, muttering, "Don't you want me to accompany you here?"
Qin Huaiqiu said, "Your Majesty should focus on state affairs."
"You didn't refuse." Sikong Ting smiled and hit the nail on the head. "If you didn't want me to accompany you, it would be more in line with your character to refuse directly, but you didn't."
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned. Sikong Ting's words made his heart skip a beat. He felt like his secret had been exposed all of a sudden, and his face blushed again.
Hey... No way?
Could it be that I... also... have feelings for him?
Qin Huaiqiu froze.
With a blushing face, for some reason, a feeling of sweetness and relief suddenly welled up in his heart, which scared him so much that he became completely at a loss.
Seeing that he suddenly stopped talking, Sikong Ting whispered in his ear, "Are you shy again, my love?"
"? " Qin Huaiqiu's face turned almost completely red with shame. He suddenly pushed Sikong Ting away, stood up from the bed, and scolded, "You... Go back to your imperial study quickly!"
"Okay, okay, okay." Sikong Ting let go of him and replied. After all, this little hedgehog was full of thorns. Judging from his current appearance, if he continued to tease him, he would probably bite. Sikong Ting laughed a few times and then decided to stop while he was ahead. "Then I'll go to the imperial study to review the memorials this afternoon and come back to accompany you tonight, okay?"
Qin Huaiqiu got angry. "Don't come! Did you hear me?"
"Guess if I'll listen?" Sikong Ting smiled.
Qin Huaiqiu: "..." Damn it, why is he so sure of me?
Sikong Ting also stood up, walked up to him, rubbed his head, kissed him, and then, for no reason, said another sentence, "I like you."
"!" Qin Huaiqiu was stunned and suddenly lowered his head.
This man! This man! Why does he always say such things!
Sikong Ting kissed his hair again and said, "I just want you to know that I like you."
Sikong Ting lowered his head and looked at him quietly, with deep affection in his eyes, showing no sign of concealment. He could only use this way to indirectly tell Qin Huaiqiu that he liked him, not anyone else, and it had nothing to do with his identity or name. Since Qin Huaiqiu was still unwilling to confess his identity to him, Sikong Ting naturally wouldn't force him. He just hoped that Qin Huaiqiu could understand what he meant from his words.
"I hope you can understand..." Sikong Ting reluctantly hugged him. After feeling the accelerating heartbeat of the person in his arms, he let go of him satisfactorily and said, "Then I'll leave. Be a good boy."
Qin Huaiqiu pouted and scolded, "Hurry up and leave..."
"Hahaha..." Sikong Ting was amused by him and burst out laughing. Then he left contentedly.
After the door was slowly closed by Sikong Ting, Qin Huaiqiu remained standing in the same place. He slowly raised his trembling hands and tentatively touched his face.
It was so hot.
He was stunned for a moment. The next second, he rushed to the dressing table.
In the bronze mirror on the dressing table, a handsome young man with a face so red that it seemed to drip blood was reflected.
He was startled. He immediately covered his cheeks with both hands, his face wrinkled into a ball, and he plopped down on the stool beside him.
"Damn it!" For no reason, his nose felt sour, and some liquid welled up in his eyes.
"Damn it..." Qin Huaiqiu slowly lowered his head, and the tears slid down his cheeks and onto his lips.
He had thought the bitter tears would be just that, but unexpectedly, they were a bit sweet.