Gan Qiongying was in a state of panic.

The hurried footsteps clearly came from the emperor. As they drew closer, her neck tensed more and more, and images of emperors causing millions to die in a fit of rage, as seen in TV dramas, flashed through her mind.

I just pray that the emperor doesn't have a terrible temper, doesn't hit people, doesn't hit people... she can't take a beating.

Soon, the footsteps stopped abruptly in front of her. The heavy robe stirred up a gust of wind, which swept across Gan Qiongying's bare neck and back. In an instant, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Gan Qiongying kept her head down. She was so nervous that she even held back when she swallowed. Just as she was wondering how to react, a hoarse voice suddenly rang out above her. The voice was only half a meter away from her. She suddenly stopped and stood there motionless for a long time before calling out softly, "Sister."

Gan Qiongying paused. She never expected the emperor to call her "elder sister" and refer to himself as "I." And the tone of his voice made Gan Qiongying shudder. Why did it carry such an undeniable air of sorrow and grievance?

Gan Qiongying was momentarily lost.

The current regent still holds power in the court, while the emperor is a puppet in name only. Logically speaking, he should not be very old, and should be a few years younger than me. But why does his voice sound hoarse and heavy like that of a middle-aged man?

Before she arrived, she had made many guesses about the relationship between the emperor and the emperor, but she never expected it to be like this.

She still didn't dare to raise her head or get up. For a moment, she didn't know how to react, so she could only continue to kneel silently, her back becoming more and more stiff and tense, not daring to breathe.

What she didn't know was that the emperor wasn't looking down at her from his high position, but rather standing still, reaching out his hand and bending down to help her up.

It was clear that she insisted on performing the full ceremony while prostrate on the ground, so we could only sigh helplessly.

The emperor withdrew his hand and let it hang at his side, saying, "Sister... rise."

Gan Qiongying didn't look up immediately. Hearing that helpless voice, her heart clenched for a moment, and she couldn't help but frown.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Gan Qiongying slowly withdrew her hands from the ground.

Unsure of the situation, she was extra cautious and dared not slacken her vigilance. Eunuch Li immediately jogged over to help her, and Gan Qiongying's field of vision gradually expanded.

A pair of deep purple court boots came into view, with auspicious cloud patterns outlined by coral beads on the side. A question flashed through Gan Qiongying's mind: Could it be that the emperor was waiting for her here after the morning court session?

The color scheme of the boots usually follows that of the dragon robe. Sure enough, as she slowly rose, she saw the sea and cliff patterns embroidered in gold thread on the bottom of the robe.

Further up were two lifelike dragons, one on the left and one on the right. The luster of the cloud-like fabric was indeed remarkable. Her gaze gradually moved upward and she saw a familiar jade ring.

It was crystal clear and without any impurities. Perhaps because most jade rings are made from similar molds, Gan Qiongying even thought it was somewhat similar to the one she had gotten back from Zhongli Zhengzhen last time.

She had already half-straightened up, and now she had to slowly raise her head.

The first thing that catches the eye is an overly thin chin, as if the jaw is covered by only a thin layer of skin and flesh. The lips are pressed into a straight line, the nose is high and straight, and there are a pair of narrow phoenix eyes. The eyebrows are slanted and the features are resolute.

It's easy to see that those eyes are almost identical to Gan Qiongying's. Only the emperor's eyes are clearly sharper, carrying an imposing aura.

Only now did Gan Qiongying truly see what the emperor looked like. Before the tension had subsided, a dull pain suddenly struck her chest, causing Gan Qiongying to furrow her brow.

Her face, which she had deliberately painted white in the morning, had lost some of its color. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand up straight, but her hands, tucked into her sleeves, trembled slightly uncontrollably.

Then, turning to the emperor, she blurted out involuntarily, "Your Majesty, why have you lost weight?"

After Gan Qiongying said those words, she was stunned for a moment, and then she felt a shock that she couldn't describe. How could she say such a thing?

Along with the shock came an unbearable heartache. She couldn't help but clutch her chest, the ever-increasing pain preventing her from even thinking about why she had suddenly blurted out those words.

She bent over, almost falling to the ground. Just as Eunuch Li was about to step forward to help her up, the Emperor took the first step and caught her.

"Sister! What's wrong?"

Before Gan Qiongying collapsed, the emperor caught her with both hands, his eyes filled with concern and anxiety. Eunuch Li was also standing by, looking flustered as he observed Gan Qiongying's condition.

"Quickly, summon the imperial physician!" The emperor exclaimed anxiously. He saw that Gan Qiongying's face was pale and felt her body trembling slightly. At this moment, she looked like a helpless child, completely devoid of imperial majesty.

The young eunuch who had been waiting was ordered to go immediately, and Eunuch Li quickly added, "It must be Physician Xiao!"

He then helped Gan Qiongying into the side hall with the emperor and helped her to the bed.

Gan Qiongying gasped in pain, her legs went weak, and she felt utterly powerless. Her mind raced, wondering if she had missed some important plot point, which was why her heart was aching so much.

She hadn't come up with an answer, and lay down, clutching her chest, but it seemed less intense than before.

Gan Qiongying noticed that when the emperor touched her, her heartache seemed to be relieved a lot, and she couldn't help but look at the emperor.

At this moment, the emperor anxiously got up to check if the imperial physician had arrived. Gan Qiongying's heart began to ache violently again the moment the emperor got up.

She was in so much pain that she couldn't help but bend over. She heard the emperor say something to the maid at the door, but she couldn't hear it at all.

Fortunately, the emperor returned soon.

Gan Qiongying disregarded everything and boldly grabbed the emperor's hand.

The emperor indeed stopped pacing around. His body stiffened noticeably, and his fingers curled up, but he did not dodge.

"Sister, the imperial physician will be here soon."

His voice was hoarse, as if he too was tormented by heartache. He forced himself to slowly open his fingers, letting Gan Qiongying's five fingers interlock with his, and sat down beside her.

But he was clearly becoming increasingly uneasy, and his words were somewhat stiff. "My sister summoned the imperial physician twice last night. Is it because she is feeling unwell?"

At this point, he lowered his head and said, "I didn't know my sister was unwell. I shouldn't have asked her to come today."

Gan Qiongying grasped the emperor's hand, and her heartache eased considerably. She became even more certain that the emperor was inextricably linked to her heartache, but she couldn't even think about why this absurd effect was possible.

She heard the emperor ask her about summoning the imperial physician last night... Didn't he know that he summoned the imperial physician for General Qu and his son-in-law?

How could that be? Aren't the eighteen surveillance cameras supposed to report her movements in the palace to the emperor at all times?

Gan Qiongying was overwhelmed with thoughts and couldn't figure out the reason.

She said, "It wasn't because of me that I summoned the imperial physician."

Gan Qiongying briefly recounted what happened yesterday, without hiding anything, since she couldn't tell whether the emperor's question was out of concern or a test.

Upon hearing this, the emperor raised his head and saw that Gan Qiongying seemed somewhat relieved, but the worry in her eyes had not diminished at all.

"Why did my sister suddenly experience chest pain?"

Gan Qiongying thought to herself, "How would I know!"

She didn't even know why grabbing the emperor could relieve her pain.

Gan Qiongying still held his hand, their fingers intertwined, and her fingers involuntarily caressed the emperor's fingers.

The fingers on the palm are long and slender, but as hard as bamboo joints, without a single bit of flesh.

Gan Qiongying stared at him and realized that the emperor was extremely thin. Looking up from the hand she was holding, his wrist, which revealed the sleeve of his robe, was only half the thickness of Li Hua's. His body was even somewhat unable to support the wide dragon robe.

His face was now dark and bluish-black, and he looked sickly. How could he resemble a grown man in his prime, let alone an emperor?

The emperor's youth and frailty were unexpected by Gan Qiongying. What surprised her even more was that she did not see the coldness and disgust she had expected in the emperor's eyes.

On the contrary, when her heartache flared up, she saw clearly the emperor's heartfelt panic and anxiety.

At this moment, the emperor learned that she had recovered considerably, and an overwhelming sense of affection welled up in his eyes.

It's about attachment.

Like a fledgling to an adult bird, like a cub to a lion. Fearful, awe-inspiring, cautious, and attached.

Gan Qiongying was unaware of her burning gaze. She gripped the emperor's hand tighter and tighter, even leaning forward until she was almost touching his nose.

She found herself drawn to the emperor, even unconsciously, developing an uncontrollable fondness for him and naturally wanting to get closer to him.

The emperor, however, turned his face slightly away from Gan Qiongying's gaze as the two were so close that their noses were about to touch.

His face showed some unease, his hand, which was being tightly gripped, was damp and sweaty, and his whole body was unusually stiff.

He said softly, "Sister, please take care of yourself."

He said he used some force to pull his finger out.

When her hand suddenly felt empty, Gan Qiongying seemed to wake from a dream.

She then realized that the emperor was avoiding her, his eyes darting away, his posture on the edge of the bed stiff and unsteady, while she...

What was she doing just now?!

She almost kissed the emperor!

Holy crap!

Am I crazy?!