“Don't take it to heart. I just think you're more pleasing to the eye than before. You still need to work harder,” Si Junlin added calmly. Then, suppressing the smile in his heart, he lowered his head and continued to review the memorials.
Su Wan'er could only grind her teeth angrily.
After Si Junlin finished reviewing another memorial in his hand, he looked up at Su Wan'er. After thinking for a while, he continued to say to her, “By the way, regarding the matter you're worried about, swapping back our bodies, all we can do now is wait. When the national teacher Tian Jizi comes back, I'll ask him. He can communicate with the heavens and should be able to find a way to help us swap back.”
“Eunuch Fang Xi, is the emperor still reviewing memorials?” This coquettish voice made it clear that Concubine Mei was coming.
The two looked at each other and immediately swapped positions. Su Wan'er sat behind the imperial desk, while Si Junlin sat beside her. He picked up a grape and held it to Su Wan'er's lips. “Your Majesty, this is the newly tribute - offered grape. Have a taste?”
Su Wan'er turned to look at Si Junlin in surprise, seemingly shocked that he knew such things.
Si Junlin looked at Su Wan'er as usual. While other concubines fed with extreme gentleness, his eyes were full of coercion, as if saying, “Dare you not eat?”
She didn't dare! She didn't dare!
Su Wan'er quickly opened her mouth and ate the grape under Si Junlin's coercion.
At this moment, she couldn't feel whether this newly tribute - offered grape was delicious or not. She just lowered her head and pretended to review the memorials.
Concubine Xi finally walked in at this time. When she saw the affectionate scene between the two in the room, she felt like she was about to explode.
“Your Majesty,” she quickly lowered her head, took a few deep breaths. When she looked up again, she had a dignified and elegant look on her face.
Su Wan'er pretended to be surprised and asked, “Concubine Xi, why aren't you resting well in your room?” It was already midnight. If it weren't for the need to be able to switch identities in time when someone visited, Su Wan'er would have gone to rest long ago.
Concubine Xi showed a worried look on her face. She reached out and took a steaming jade bowl from the maid behind her and presented it on the table in front of Su Wan'er. “Your Majesty, isn't this because I'm concerned about your health? This is the chicken soup I asked the imperial kitchen to prepare. Please take good care of your body.”
She completely ignored the queen beside her. The main reason she came here today was that earlier, when she went to the Empress Dowager's place to gain favor, the Empress Dowager told her to care more about the emperor's health. If the emperor noticed her kindness and changed his impression of her, she would have a chance to become the queen.
Unfortunately, she showed her affection in the wrong way. Su Wan'er turned to look at the person beside her, signaling him to see what kind of people he had favored before.
Si Junlin glared at her fiercely. Of course, he knew what kind of people he had favored before, although he had only known it in the past few days.
It was just a simple eye - to - eye conversation between them, but to outsiders, it seemed like a loving look.
“I didn't know the queen sister was here too. Just now, I was so concerned about the emperor's health that I ignored you, sister. I'm really sorry,” Concubine Xi decided to let the queen see clearly who the emperor liked the most.
Su Wan'er almost couldn't help laughing, but finally managed to hold it back.
Si Junlin gave Su Wan'er a sideways look, then turned to look at Concubine Xi. By this time, he had no good impression of her anymore. Every move of hers made him recall the way she treated him in the cold palace.
“Concubine Xi, you're so unrestrained in front of me. Do you need to invite the imperial doctor to check? In case there's any hidden trouble,” Lu Lian said, turning to Concubine Xi. But he always felt that there was a mocking look on the back of his head, as if mocking his ignorance.
Concubine Xi certainly wouldn't show her overbearing side in front of the “emperor”. After being scolded by Si Junlin a few times, she looked at Su Wan'er aggrievedly. “Your Majesty, look at the queen. How could she talk to me like this? I really didn't see her just now because I was concerned about your health. Your Majesty, you must stand up for me.”
She still thought that the person sitting behind the imperial desk was the emperor she knew.
Su Wan'er said calmly, “It's so late. Concubine Xi, you should go back and rest. I know your kindness. I'll surely visit your palace when I'm free some other day. Go back first.”
Hearing Su Wan'er's promise, a look of disappointment flashed in Concubine Xi's eyes. But she couldn't disobey Su Wan'er's order, so she had to turn around and leave.
After Concubine Xi left, Su Wan'er put the soup on the table in front of Si Junlin. “The soup Concubine Xi cooked for you. Drink it.”
Si Junlin shook his head and put the soup bowl back in front of Su Wan'er. “She cooked it for the emperor. You're the emperor now, so you should drink it.”
Su Wan'er looked at Si Junlin helplessly. “Your Majesty, when did you become so polite?”
... Yes, when did he become so polite to this woman? Si Junlin also fell into deep thought.
Seeing his thoughtful look, Su Wan'er quickly forced a smile and said, “Haha, Your Majesty, you don't need to think so seriously. I was just joking.”
Si Junlin looked at the woman in front of him, who was smiling playfully, with a hint of perfunctory and a bit of cuteness. A touch of tenderness flashed in his eyes.
“Forget it. I'm magnanimous. I won't argue with you,” Si Junlin said. Then he got up again and swapped positions with Su Wan'er.
Then the two chatted about some random things. Si Junlin watched the woman who was chatting with him intermittently but was dozing off sleepily. He shook his head helplessly and told her to go and rest first.
Su Wan'er didn't insist on staying with Si Junlin. She had to attend the morning court the next day.
Si Junlin quickly finished dealing with the memorials in his hand.
He could have gone back through the secret passage behind the bookshelf in the imperial study. He had always done so in the past. But for some reason, when he passed by Su Wan'er's bedside and saw her peaceful and charming sleeping face, although it was his own face, it now had a different charm.
He admired it for a while. Then, instead of going back to rest, he took off his outer clothes, leaving only his undergarment, and hugged Su Wan'er to sleep.