The Empress Dowager wanted Shen Yunxi to sit with Jun Xuan, but since today was the Imperial Concubine's birthday, which was also Lu Wanqing's domain, she didn't bring it up.

Seeing this, Lu Wanqing began to move, her goal being to sit next to Junxuan. She wouldn't let such a good opportunity go to waste.

Shen Yunxi nodded and prepared to sit down. She didn't intend to sit next to Jun Xuan, but rather next to the Empress Dowager. She wanted to stay away from him and her as much as possible.

However, Junxuan suddenly glanced at Shen Yunxi, his thin lips moving slightly.

"Miss Shen, please sit here."

After she finished speaking, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence. Several imperial concubines looked at Shen Yunxi with surprise and interest in their eyes, as if they were watching a show.

Shen Yunxi froze. She hadn't expected Junxuan to do this after talking things out with her. She didn't believe Junxuan had taken a liking to her.

If he really liked her, he would have liked her in his past life, and wouldn't have waited until now.

Therefore, it is very likely that Junxuan did this on purpose, making her a target so that Lu Wanqing could deal with her, since it would be difficult for him, as the emperor, to deal with a woman.

For a moment, Shen Yunxi felt she had figured it out, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot and she couldn't move.

The Empress Dowager smiled, surprised that Junxuan was so cooperative. She was overjoyed and quickly urged Shen Yunxi, "Yunxi, go and sit down."

With the arrow already on the bowstring, Shen Yunxi had no choice but to walk towards Jun Xuan's side. Although she was very resistant, she knew that she had no room to resist. To disrespect Jun Xuan in front of so many people would be asking for trouble.

Lu Wanqing's smile froze completely. She thought she could sit next to Junxuan and originally wanted to get closer to him.

Who would have thought that the Emperor would actually ask Shen Yunxi to sit next to him!

But the Emperor has never had any good feelings towards Shen Yunxi and has never cared about her. Why is he being so proactive now?

No one understood why, but Junxuan never compromised himself. Compared to Lu Wanqing, he preferred Shen Yunxi to sit beside him.

After Shen Yunxi sat down, Lu Wanqing sat down next to her, looking at Jun Xuan with a resentful expression across Shen Yunxi.

Shen Yunxi's eyes were calm, though he regretted not being able to stay away from Jun. But if he thought he would compromise so easily, he would be sorely mistaken.

"Miss Lu, do you think I'm blocking your view of the Emperor? If so, how about we switch seats?" Shen Yunxi said directly.

Upon hearing this, everyone present looked even more surprised, and they all curiously turned their gazes back and forth between Jun Xuan and Shen Yunxi.

No, it was always Shen Yunxi who was pestering Jun Xuan, but Jun Xuan didn't react to her at all and always looked impatient.

But today the situation seems to have changed. Shen Yunxi doesn't seem to want to be close to Jun Xuan, but Jun Xuan is the one who takes the initiative.

Lu Wanqing was embarrassed. It wasn't that she didn't want to sit next to Jun Xuan, but Jun Xuan had asked Shen Yunxi to come over. The Emperor's word was law, so she could only look to the side of her to see Jun Xuan. It was all Shen Yunxi's fault. She shouldn't have come today!

Junxuan glanced at Shen Yunxi with a cold expression, gaining a new understanding of her rudeness.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yunxi is now unwilling to even pretend, and is afraid of getting close to him. Does he want to eat people?

A hint of something deeper flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes, but she quickly concealed it and smiled to smooth things over, "Yunxi is joking. It's just a meal; it doesn't matter how you sit."

“That’s right, it’s just a meal, let’s start the feast as soon as possible,” Junxuan replied directly.

After he said that, Shen Yunxi couldn't bring herself to suggest that Lu Wanqing switch places with her, so she could only silently pick up her chopsticks.

Sitting so close to Junxuan while dining made Shen Yunxi very uncomfortable, and she subconsciously leaned closer to Lu Wanqing.

The Empress Dowager suppressed her helplessness. She knew that Shen Yunxi needed to think things through carefully during this time, but she did not expect her to react so strongly.

What if she stops liking Junxuan in the future?

Now it seems that Junxuan doesn't have no feelings for Shen Yunxi at all, otherwise he wouldn't have taken the initiative to let her go.

That's it. She can only act as a matchmaker in matters of the heart; she can't do it for them. Ultimately, only they can solve their own problems.

The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet was a family banquet, so men and women were not seated separately. Moreover, Junxuan was the only man present, and he was among a group of women.

Shen Yunxi didn't make any big movements, and when she reached out, she tried her best to keep it to the three dishes in front of her, for fear that she might bump into Jun Xuan if she made a big movement.

Shen Yunxi had already deliberately ignored the presence of the people around her, but the faint scent of ambergris kept wafting into her nose, making it difficult for her to ignore it.

Shen Yunxi felt that ever since her rebirth, this meal had made her feel extremely uncomfortable and unwell.

What's even more frustrating is that Lu Wanqing would serve food to Junxuan, always bypassing Shen Yunxi, which made Shen Yunxi want to get angry.

Junxuan appeared to accept all offers, but he didn't touch any of the dishes Lu Wanqing served him with serving chopsticks; they just remained in his bowl.

Seeing this, a hint of hurt flashed in Lu Wanqing's eyes, and she finally stopped picking up food.

Before Shen Yunxi could even breathe a sigh of relief, a piece of fish suddenly appeared in her bowl.

Without a doubt, the person who served her food was definitely not Lu Wanqing. She was probably annoyed with her so much that she couldn't wait for her to leave.

So, only one person remained, and that was Jun-hyun.

Shen Yunxi looked up, her gaze cold as she looked at Jun Xuan, her eyes questioning him, not understanding what he was up to.

They spent more than two years together in their previous life and even ate together, but Junxuan never once served her any food.

Tsk, she's really flattered today!

"Eat some fish." Jun Xuan said when he saw Shen Yunxi's gaze fall on him.

Those present had become numb to Junxuan's actions. They realized that Junxuan was very different today, and his behavior towards Shen Yunxi was indeed somewhat unusual.

Could it be that he's no longer delaying Shen Yunxi, but instead enjoys getting closer to her?

If that's the case, then won't Shen Yunxi's good days be coming? Will she really become Jun Xuan's first concubine?

Shen Yunxi sneered inwardly, but her face remained gentle. "Thank you, Your Majesty, but I don't like to eat fish."

Junxuan chuckled, not feeling much anger, because he had already guessed Shen Yunxi's thoughts.

Just now, he clearly saw Shen Yunxi glance at his braised sea bass with a subtle look, and not just once, obviously she wanted to eat it.

However, upon discovering the plate of fish in front of him, and not wanting to make any significant moves, he had no choice but to give up.

Junxuan used his own chopsticks, not the serving chopsticks, and brazenly picked up a piece of fish for Shen Yunxi to see if she would eat it or not.

As he had guessed, Shen Yunxi's reaction was exactly what he expected; she did not accept it.