Lin Qiao thought she was hallucinating. When she turned around, she saw Luo Nanchen standing right behind her.
"You...weren't you just there..."
She remembered clearly that Luo Nanchen had just been in the center of the encirclement around the white deer, looking valiant and heroic.
How could he have reached the viewing platform in an instant?
Did he teleport?
Luo Nanchen gave a soft snort and turned his head away, ignoring Lin Qiao.
This snort would probably go unnoticed by Meng Erliu. Otherwise, Luo Nanchen's domineering CEO persona would collapse.
Meng Erliu was in a panic, stuttering, "Your servant pays respects to the Emperor."
Humph, now that he saw Luo Nanchen, he started to kneel. What a hypocritical villain.
Lin Qiao secretly rolled her eyes.
Damn, she rolled her eyes so hard that they started to twitch...
Luo Nanchen looked serious and solemn. Every word he said seemed to be laced with ice, "General Meng had better stay away from the Empress Dowager to avoid any trouble. If anything should happen to the Empress Dowager, General Meng would not be able to bear the consequences."
Just now, Meng Erliu seemed ready to inform Luo Nanchen and end up in a showdown with Lin Qiao. But as soon as Luo Nanchen arrived, he became a complete coward.
Realizing the situation was unfavorable, Meng Erliu immediately agreed, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Your servant will take his leave now."
Luo Nanchen said expressionlessly, "Roll out of here."
Lin Qiao almost burst out laughing.
Meng Erliu was just about to get up when he heard Luo Nanchen's words. He immediately bent his legs, fell on his back, and rolled on the ground. Then he got up and rolled again.
Although the sight was quite comical and Lin Qiao felt greatly relieved, his speed was extremely slow.
Luo Nanchen's anger grew. He kicked Meng Erliu in the calf.
Meng Erliu rolled down the steps.
Lin Qiao watched the show and asked, "He won't get hurt from rolling, will he?"
"Does the Empress Dowager care about him?" Luo Nanchen became angrier the more he thought about it. He sat down angrily and said, "The Empress Dowager is really popular. As soon as I'm out of sight, there are always people around the Empress Dowager."
Lin Qiao didn't know how to respond. She just smiled and tried to brush it off.
Unexpectedly, Luo Nanchen seemed really angry this time. He said sarcastically and pointedly, "I will exile Meng Erliu to the border. It will be difficult for the Empress Dowager to see him in the future. Maybe the Empress Dowager should call him back for a few more looks."
How childish did that sound?
Lin Qiao found it funny. "What are you doing? Throwing a tantrum like a child?"
Luo Nanchen didn't say a word. He just turned his head away and ignored Lin Qiao.
Lin Qiao tilted her head to look at Luo Nanchen's expression. Luo Nanchen deliberately avoided showing his face. He turned his head even more, and Lin Qiao could only see the back of his head.
Although it was inappropriate, she had to admit that the male protagonist of a cool - story novel was perfect, even the back of his head.
Thinking about her own body in the 21st century, the back of her head was almost flat. Ugh, it was quite a sorry state.
Fortunately, this current body was impeccable, from her looks to her figure.
Lin Qiao moved to the other side. Seeing Luo Nanchen's aggrieved expression, with gritted teeth and cold eyes, as if he was holding a grudge, she couldn't help laughing. "What are you doing? I didn't bully you."
Luo Nanchen didn't expect Lin Qiao to run to the other side of the seat just to see his expression. He was momentarily stunned. Then, when he came to his senses, he quickly turned his head in the opposite direction.
Lin Qiao stood there with her arms folded. "That's enough."
Luo Nanchen said sullenly, "Half a stick of incense."
Lin Qiao nodded. "Okay, I'll wait for you for half a stick of incense."
But before half a stick of incense had burned, just as Lin Qiao had just sat down, Luo Nanchen, seemingly lost in thought, looked gloomily at Lin Qiao and asked, "Are you really my mother?"
This conversation seemed a bit familiar.
Lin Qiao nodded. "Yes."
She wanted to see what tricks Luo Nanchen would come up with next.
But unexpectedly, unlike last time, Luo Nanchen didn't seem to be thinking about something strange. His eyes were slightly red at the corners, and his voice was low. "I feel uncomfortable. Please comfort me, Mother."
At least he didn't make those excessive requests like before.
The young man in front of her had a strong and handsome appearance and a tall and straight figure. But with his drooping eyes, he looked so aggrieved, like a puppy abandoned by its owner.
Lin Qiao felt a sudden softening in her heart.
She suddenly remembered that the day after tomorrow was Luo Nanchen's 18th birthday.
On his birthday, Luo Nanchen would get injured and then meet Li Yingmeng in a cave.
And then they would fall in love.
That meant that in just one more day, the female protagonist would appear, and Luo Nanchen would surely get over his Oedipus complex and stop being so clingy to her.
So, it didn't seem like a big deal to comfort him now.
Although Lin Qiao had no idea what had made Luo Nanchen so moody.
Lin Qiao stroked Luo Nanchen's head. "Alright, alright. No matter what it is, don't hold a grudge against me, okay?"
This perfunctory comfort actually made Luo Nanchen look up slightly. He seemed rather aggrieved. "You care about me?"
"Who else should I care about if not you?"
After all, Lin Qiao's role as the evil step - mother completely depended on the male protagonist.
Luo Nanchen couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, and then he tried hard to suppress the smile. "Fine, I forgive you."
Forgive my ass.
She didn't even know what she had done wrong.
Luo Nanchen's mood immediately improved a lot. He ordered Mo Xiujie, "Bring the white deer here."
His voice didn't sound so gloomy anymore.
Lin Qiao found it strange. Was Luo Nanchen on his period?
Otherwise, why was he so prone to getting angry?
And his anger came and went so quickly.
Sure enough, serving the emperor was like being with a tiger. She had truly seen it now.
Mo Xiujie went down to give the order to lead the white deer over. Lin Qiao, feeling bored, turned to Luo Nanchen and asked, "Weren't you just with the white deer? How did you get here all of a sudden? Do you have the ability to teleport?"
Luo Nanchen said expressionlessly as he peeled a peach, "If I hadn't come, what would the Empress Dowager have done?"
Well, he wasn't calling her "Mother" again.
Lin Qiao said, "What else? I would have just sent him away."
Luo Nanchen raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Lin Qiao was about to say, "How can you not trust me?" But then she thought it didn't fit her persona, so she swallowed the words. "Believe it or not."
The white deer was led over. It was snow - white all over, with a tall and majestic figure. Every move it made seemed to be surrounded by an ethereal aura.
Pei Liyu, a civil official who knew neither martial arts nor magic, had been sitting below the viewing platform with very little presence. But now, seeing the white deer coming, he became quite excited. "The white deer is a divine omen from heaven. It is the Emperor's benevolence and filial piety that have touched heaven, and heaven has bestowed blessings on Yunjin!"
But Luo Nanchen was probably used to such flattery and ignored it. He handed the peeled peach to Lin Qiao and said, "The day after tomorrow is my birthday. The Empress Dowager hasn't forgotten, has she?"
Lin Qiao was a bit stunned. How did Luo Nanchen know that she wanted to eat the peach but didn't want to peel it?
She took it hesitantly. "...Yes. What does the Emperor want to say?"
"I will wait for the Empress Dowager's birthday gift at the Qian Shen Temple in the back mountain. I'll wait always."