Chapter Forty-Seven: Not a Dream

"Your Majesty, how dare I mock your countenance..." A hint of panic flashed in Consort Jia's eyes, followed by tears welling up in her eyes.

"Aren't you afraid?"

Huo Lin released her, turned around and walked towards the guard. His eyes turned cold, and he drew a sword from the waist of a subordinate beside him.

A flash of cold light, and a sudden gust of bloody wind swept by.

The guard's head rolled off with a thud, and blood spurted out, splashing all over Consort Jia's magnificent skirt.

Consort Jia's face turned pale instantly. She opened her mouth, and after a long while, she finally found her voice and screamed in alarm.

"ah!"

Huo Lin snorted coldly and casually threw the blood-stained knife on the ground. The sound of metal clashing was particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.

"I don't care who's behind this," he said, staring at the pale-faced Consort Jia, enunciating each word clearly, "If there's a next time, they'll all come back with their heads!"

Consort Jia collapsed to the ground, forgetting even to bow.

Huo Lin didn't look at her again, turned around and strode away, his black robes fluttering in the night wind.

His hands, hidden in his sleeves, were clenched into fists, the veins of his hands clearly visible.

If it weren't for the complex political situation at court and the fact that Consort Jia's family held important positions, it wouldn't have been time for a complete purge.

Those who die today will not be insignificant pawns.

Thinking of Jiang Huan, who was still unconscious, Huo Lin felt a strange tightness in his chest.

I haven't been able to give her an explanation, and this matter won't be left like this.

The next day, Jiang Huan was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.

She slowly opened her eyes, feeling a splitting headache, and fragments of last night's memories flashed through her mind.

Hot springs, sweltering heat, and... the Emperor?

Jiang Huan frowned slightly, and before she could fully recall, a voice suddenly came from the side.

"My lady, you're finally awake!" Xiao Zhao rushed to the bedside with red eyes. "You scared me to death!"

Jiang Huan propped herself up, her throat sore from dryness.

What's wrong with me?

Seeing that Jiang Huan was in pain, Xiao Zhao brought her some water, but she couldn't stop trembling.

Thinking back on what happened last night, Xiao Zhao felt a wave of fear, and was also filled with the shock of surviving a disaster.

Fortunately, the Emperor trusted her mistress and arrived just in time.

“You were drugged last night, and the Emperor himself carried you back. You didn’t see how pale Consort Jia’s face was at the time.”

As her thoughts slowly returned, Jiang Huan's fingertips trembled, and a few drops of water spilled from the teacup.

Isn't this plot development a classic trope in novels?

It's the kind of keyword that will be subject to a complete internet keyword cleanup!

It's over.

She vaguely remembered that she seemed to have done something terrible...

Jiang Huan's voice was weak: "I...I didn't do anything last night, did I?"

Thinking of the scene of Jiang Huan and Huo Lin kissing so passionately, Xiao Zhao's cheeks flushed red.

"He didn't do anything special, he was just very proactive, he grabbed the Emperor and wouldn't let go, and...and..."

After struggling for a while, Xiao Zhao blushed and still couldn't say anything, so she simply pointed to her mouth with an indescribable expression.

"This servant has never seen His Majesty care for anyone so much, which shows that His Majesty has the young mistress in his heart."

With a "clatter," the teacup in Jiang Huan's hand fell to the ground.

Her face was ashen; what else could it be but that she had spent the whole night cuddling with the Emperor?

Haha, is she still alive?

Jiang Huan pinched her face blankly.

"hiss."

Do corpses feel pain?

Jiang Huan's eyes suddenly widened, and she exclaimed, "Oh my god!"

The person she forcibly kissed was none other than Huo Lin, that detestable concubine who would kill at the slightest provocation!

"What...what was His Majesty's reaction?" Jiang Huan's voice trembled.

Xiao Zhao replied excitedly, "Of course the Emperor responded to you, Your Highness! You were so enthusiastic back then, the scene was truly magnificent..."

As Xiao Zhao recounted her story, Jiang Huan's memories became clearer and clearer.

She suddenly covered her face, her ear tips turning bright red.

It's better not to remember at all!

It's normal for people to lack self-control when they're not in their right mind, but you can't be this lecherous!

She's a pervert, fine, but she even dragged that abstinent guy into a groping session!?

Oh no, the Emperor must think he's not clean anymore.

Without doing anything to make amends, Jiang Huan always felt like her head was floating on her neck.

She rolled over, quickly washed up, and rushed outside.

"My lady, where are you going?" Xiao Zhao asked hurriedly as she followed.

"Go and repent." Jiang Huan said without turning her head.

Whether it was Huo Lin's special instruction or not, Jiang Huan's residence in the palace had a simple small kitchen.

At that moment, she swept into the small kitchen like a gust of wind, rolled up her sleeves, and got to work.

Even if Huo Lin were to order a dish of braised mooncakes, she would try to shoot them down like Hou Yi.

Jiang Huan's mind raced, and her hands moved faster and faster.

The ingredients on the cutting board seemed to have become memories of last night. The sound of mincing meat echoed throughout the small kitchen, as if this could drive those embarrassing images out of her mind.

"My lord, please take it easy..."

Xiao Zhao watched as Jiang Huan's hands moved so fast they left afterimages, and felt somewhat worried.

Jiang Huan buried herself in her work, pretending she remembered nothing.

Yes, that's it.

The Emperor is so busy with state affairs that he may have already forgotten about this.

As long as she doesn't mention it, the Emperor won't think of it.

But just as Jiang Huan lowered her head to start kneading the dough, a soft touch traveled from her fingers to her lips, and the ambiguous memories returned.

Ahhh! I can't think about it anymore!

Jiang Huan shook her head violently, the dough in her hands being kneaded into bizarre shapes, resembling a battle-damaged meal.

Not far away, Huo Lin let out a low sneer.

His gaze fell on the deformed dough, his expression unusually gentle.

A palace servant came to report early in the morning that Consort Zhuang had woken up.

He lost interest in reviewing the memorials in his hands and immediately set off, now standing outside the small kitchen.

Huo Lin squinted slightly through the half-open window.

He looks very energetic.

Last night she was so weak she could barely stand, but today she's holed up in the kitchen and won't come out.

Once the effects of the medicine wear off, your cravings will surely be exposed.

Huo Lin watched quietly, but suddenly noticed Jiang Huan's reddened ear tips, and his eyes darkened slightly.

Is she... remembering what happened last night?

This thought inexplicably pleased Huo Lin.

He wanted to go in, but when he saw Jiang Huan's expression, as if she wanted to disappear into the ground, he found it amusing and stopped in his tracks.

In contrast, Jiang Huan was completely unaware that her every move was being watched.

She had no idea when Huo Lin had left; she was just busy chopping filling, kneading dough, and making dumplings in the house.

Dumplings are easy to make, and with Xiao Zhao's help, a plate of dumplings was cooked in no time.

She mechanically scooped up dumplings with a spoon, her thoughts drifting far away.

Why do I feel like this plate of dumplings is made somewhat improperly?

A thank-you gift? An apology?

Regardless of the type of gift, isn't it all a reminder of what happened last night to Huo Lin?

But the emperor saved her, and she didn't say anything. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?

Jiang Huan's left and right brains fought a battle, and in the end, her brain was completely destroyed.

The plate of dumplings sat on the table, gradually cooling down.

Xiao Zhao hesitated several times before speaking, but seeing her mistress's absent-minded appearance, she ultimately dared not say anything more.

Throughout the day, aside from fiddling around in the small kitchen, Jiang Huan remained in her room, agonizing over her thoughts.

Night fell in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Huan had counted countless beads on the beaded curtain in the room when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.

Wang Degui's voice rang out from outside the door: "Consort Zhuang, by imperial decree, you will serve the Emperor tonight."