Qinghe casually glanced up at the man upstairs and felt a chill run down her spine. Fortunately, she hadn't said anything inappropriate or done anything improper.

Fortunately, the man only glanced at the two of them before continuing on his way. Bai Nuo and Qing He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked over.

Hu Mingmei led the man directly into the private room on the second floor. Bai Nuo and Qinghe followed. Once the door closed, all sound and sight were cut off. Hu Mingmei was about to bow to the man, "Greetings..." Bai Nuo and Qinghe were about to follow, but Hu Mingmei only managed to say two words before the man said, "Alright, alright, we've come all this way, let's not stand on ceremony. No need for formalities, that's fine!"

Hu Mingmei then stood up.

The emperor's gaze shifted behind Hu Mingmei and landed on Bai Nuo. Seeing that Bai Nuo was fair-skinned and pretty, with a charming look in her eyes, he felt a growing displeasure. Hu Mingmei, sensing his displeasure, pulled Bai Nuo over and said, "Your Majesty, this is my wife."

"Hmm..." The emperor saw that Bai Nuo curtsied to him properly, and his manners were quite proper. He gave a light "hmm." The eunuch beside the emperor, seeing that the emperor seemed unhappy, said with a smile, "Your Majesty must be tired. Sit down and rest!"

The emperor followed his subordinates, and Hu Mingmei followed to the emperor's side to make him tea. Bai Nuo said, "Your Majesty, this humble woman will go and prepare the ingredients for you."

Bai Nuo led Qinghe out, bowing as they spoke. After they reached the door and closed it, the two breathed a sigh of relief, but still dared not speak. It wasn't until they reached the kitchen door that Qinghe let out a long sigh of relief, "That scared me to death, it was so oppressive in there!"

Bai Nuo wholeheartedly agreed. Although the emperor was not talkative and seemed very easygoing, Bai Nuo felt extremely oppressed when he was in front of him and just wanted to get out as soon as possible.

Inside the private room, only Hu Mingmei, the Emperor, and one of the Emperor's attendants remained—just three people in total. The Emperor said calmly, "Your wife is too delicate; it's not good!" Ever since Hu Mingmei was born, the Empress Dowager had been constantly nagging him, saying she wanted to find him a magnanimous woman as his wife. Although the Emperor hadn't actually found a wife for Hu Mingmei, he still believed that only a magnanimous woman was worthy of him, and that someone as petite as Bai Nuo wouldn't do.

Hu Mingmei smiled and said, "She is very good. She can share my worries and manage the household affairs. She is very good at everything here, and the multi-treasure pavilion was also her idea."

"My little princess has always loved you very much!" the emperor said. Although Hu Mingmei was a commoner, his youngest princess was his most beloved daughter. He didn't need to use her to win over ministers or arrange marriages. He just wanted her to live a good life. Although Hu Mingmei's status wasn't very good, her family background was decent. With his protection, his daughter could live a good life.

"Your Majesty," Hu Mingmei stood up. The emperor looked up at him and said, "This humble subject must disappoint the princess's kindness. This humble subject already has a wife at home, and her heart belongs only to her. I really cannot respond to the princess."

After Hu Mingmei finished speaking, he remained standing, and the emperor did not offer him a seat. A somber atmosphere permeated the space between the two of them.

The sound of the door creaking open broke the tension between the two. The emperor looked up and saw Bai Nuo leading people to bring in the dishes and stove one by one. Only then did the emperor speak, "Alright, you can go out now. Just leave your wife here!"

Hu Mingmei hesitated, her feet not moving. The emperor said impatiently, "Don't worry, I won't do anything to her. You can all leave, just leave her alone!"

Bai Nuo had just entered with her belongings and people when she heard these words, which made her even more uneasy. However, she didn't dare to say anything. After putting everything away, she quietly waved to Qinghe, signaling him to leave quickly.

Qinghe glanced at her with concern.

Hu Mingmei waited until all the employees had left before saying to the emperor, "This humble subject takes his leave."

For a moment, only Bai Nuo and the Emperor remained in the room.

Bai Nuo mentally prepared herself, telling herself to withstand the pressure, before walking to the emperor's side. "Your Majesty, shall I serve you some food?"

The emperor glanced at the cold, lifeless stove. Bai Nuo, understanding the situation, went and lit the fire. The emperor asked, "What are these red and white things? Why are they different?"

"This is a hot pot with two broths. I didn't know what flavor you preferred, so I brought over two different broths!" Bai Nuo said softly.

Although it was the first time the emperor had ever heard of such a thing, he was not foolish enough to believe that there were mandarin ducks inside.

But... looking at the table full of lettuce, Bai Nuo was stumped again. Did the emperor want people to taste the food first? If she rashly served him the food, would she be seen as having ulterior motives?

Hesitating for a moment, Bai Nuo said softly, "This humble woman will go and invite my father-in-law in!" Let's follow the emperor's usual practice!

"No need to go!" the emperor said calmly. "Even if I leave you alone, you wouldn't dare to poison me. If I don't live, your whole family won't live either."

Bai Nuo forced a slightly embarrassed smile.

"This is my will, no one will make things difficult for you!" The emperor saw Bai Nuo's predicament and asked calmly, "When can we eat?"

"We can eat it once the pot boils!" Bai Nuo said.

"Hu Mingmei said this multi-treasure pavilion was your idea?" The emperor's gaze swept across the table. "Is this how you usually eat?"

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