Chapter 48 Never Liked

Seeing this, Zhou Huai'an was stunned for a moment, looking at Xie Qingran in disbelief. He never expected that such a little girl would dare to talk to him like that.

But for some reason, seeing Xie Qingran's reckless attitude, Zhou Huai'an suddenly felt a little envious of Xiao Jue. Although he was a cripple, there were still people who thought of him, missed him, and remembered everything about him!

"How dare you, Qingran! Get out of here!"

"How could you speak to the Seventh Prince like that?"

Wang strode forward, pulled Xie Qingran aside, and looked at her with displeasure!

"Is what she said wrong?"

The Empress slammed her hand on the table, looking at Lady Wang with displeasure.

Ever since this man walked in with a long face, the Empress had been enduring it all, but now she had finally reached her breaking point.

Perhaps it is because the Imperial Concubine has become increasingly favored in recent years, which has made the Empress less and less noticeable. That's why such a lowly official's wife dares to be so presumptuous!

Wang was completely taken aback by the Empress's sudden outburst of anger. She hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. That's not what I meant. I was just disciplining my daughter."

"Your Majesty, I take my leave!"

Xiao Jue bowed and turned to leave.

Hongshan gave Zhou Huai'an a deep look before pushing Xiao Jue out.

"A-Jue, don't go."

“We used to play around together all the time when we were kids. Seventh Prince’s mouth has always been a bit tactless, so please don’t take it to heart.”

"You've finally made it to the palace, shall we have a meal together?"

Zhou Huaiyuan hurriedly stepped forward, stopped Xiao Jue, and snatched control of the wheelchair from Hongshan's hands. He pushed the man back and gave Zhou Huai'an a displeased look, saying irritably, "Seventh Imperial Brother, I know you are a straightforward person, but you should be more discreet in the future!"

After saying that, Zhou Huaiyuan didn't forget to smile at Xie Qingran.

Xie Qingran simply bowed respectfully and sat down silently next to Wang Shi. The atmosphere in the room was originally quite awkward and tense, but thanks to the Fifth Prince's intervention, it eased considerably.

Zhou Huai'an bowed respectfully to Xiao Jue and said, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have talked such nonsense. Please, Young Master Xiao, don't hold it against me."

Xiao Jue naturally wouldn't hold it against him, because Xiao Jue wouldn't even give him a glance!

Soon, the emperor and Xie Yankang returned together, and everyone sat down to eat as if nothing had happened.

This was Xie Qingran's first time dining in the palace in both her previous and current lives. Although she had learned the etiquette countless times, she was still a little nervous sitting here in person.

Suddenly, a piece of pork rib appeared on the plate. She looked up and met Xiao Jue's eyes. She was stunned for a moment: "Young Master?"

"You're too thin."

Xiao Jue looked at Xie Qingran with some disdain.

Although young women in the capital all strive for a slender figure, Xie Qingran is clearly excessively slender, almost like a bean sprout. One wonders if the Xie family can't afford to raise their daughter and is going hungry.

Xie Qingran blushed slightly with embarrassment and nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will definitely eat more meat."

"Haha, Jue'er has really grown up; she's even starting to care about people now!"

The emperor was truly gratified to see this scene. Over the years, they had witnessed Xiao Jue's sinister nature and decline, and they had forgotten how long it had been since they had seen him in such a living state.

It seems he is truly satisfied with this Miss Xie.

Xiao Jue kept his head down and didn't say anything, just kept eating the food on his plate. He ate very little, after all, it was inconvenient for him to do anything in the palace in his condition.

Xie Qingran obediently ate a few more bites, while the Empress frowned: "You're still not eating enough, child. Look how thin you've become!"

"I eat very well at home, it's just that I'm naturally not good at gaining weight." Xie Qingran smiled gently, which saved face for the Xie family.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yankang felt a burning sensation on his face. After all, Xie Qingran's clothes hadn't fit properly before, and now she was as thin as a bean sprout, which was truly pitiful.

As the father, he felt ashamed and glared at Wang Shi, but he couldn't lash out on the spot.

Fortunately, Xie Qingran is sensible and knows how to save face for her family; otherwise, she would have been utterly humiliated!

The meal was eaten with great anxiety. After the meal, the Empress said she wanted to have a private talk with Xie Qingran, and dismissed everyone else, not even Xiao Jue, who wanted to stay.

This was Xie Qingran's first time facing the Empress alone, and she felt a little nervous, even thinking she shouldn't have looked up at her.

"You were so brave and invincible when you faced the Seventh Prince, so why are you afraid of me now?"

"Could it be that in your eyes I am more terrifying than the Seventh Prince?"

Xie Qingran immediately stood up, bowed, and gave the Empress a forced smile: "Your Majesty is too kind. This humble woman... just doesn't know what to say."

"I watched Jue'er grow up. He was mature beyond his years even as a child, but because he spoke so rudely, all the girls in the capital disliked him. He was even beaten a lot when he was young because of his sharp tongue. But he was stubborn and still did things his own way. Now that he is injured, he is even less talkative. I even miss the old days when he used to chatter around me."

As the empress spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, and her face was full of sorrow.

When Xiao Jue was a child, he was very irritating with his words, so the Empress wished that the brat would never speak again. Now that Xiao Jue has become very sparing with his words, the Empress is actually very sad.

Xie Qingran knew very well how amazing Xiao Jue had been before; his reputation was legendary. It was truly pitiful and lamentable that the heroic young man had become like this.

However, Xie Qingran still smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, the young master is determined. He is only temporarily depressed and will get better in the future."

"Yes, seeing you is like seeing hope for me. I know you can definitely help him."

"This child rarely shows kindness to anyone, but he's different with you. I suppose he likes you too."

The Empress wiped away her tears, took Xie Qingran's hand, and smiled gently.

Upon hearing this, Xie Qingran felt a surge of sarcasm. How could Xiao Jue possibly like her? Their relationship was merely one of cooperation, each getting what they needed.

But she didn't say it aloud; she just blushed shyly and said, "Your Highness has never said that you like me."