In the end, Lin Wanwan "accepted" the string of pearls from the East China Sea.

Under Xiao Che's increasingly puzzled gaze, she numbly slipped the brocade box into her sleeve.

She didn't know how she got out of the imperial study; she only felt that every step she took was like walking on cotton, light and airy, without any sense of reality.

Back in Kunning Palace, she tossed the brocade box onto the dressing table and didn't even glance at it again.

That priceless string of pearls, in her eyes, had become a offering on the grave of her love.

no!

We can't just let this go!

After the initial panic and setbacks, a stubborn unwillingness rose from the bottom of Lin Wanwan's heart.

She couldn't just give herself a "death sentence" without any clear explanation.

What if... what if she's overthinking it?

Although the possibility of this "what if" seemed extremely slim to her, she still decided to make one last struggle, one last... test!

She wanted to find out for herself whether he still loved her!

This thought acted like a shot of adrenaline, rekindling her previously scattered spirit.

She decided to take the initiative tonight!

...

As evening fell, Xiao Che arrived at Kunning Palace for his usual meal.

His mood was clearly much better today than yesterday. Although the case at the Ministry of Revenue was still a mess, he considered his actions today in "making amends" for the Empress to be very successful.

Although the Queen's expression was a little strange when she received the gift, well... women's minds are always a bit hard to fathom. Anyway, the gift was given, and the sentiment was conveyed. Hopefully, the atmosphere will ease up tonight.

With this optimistic attitude, he walked into the dining room.

He was stunned for a moment as soon as he went in.

Tonight's dinner was excessively lavish. The table was full of his favorite dishes.

Lin Wanwan was already sitting at the table, looking at him with a smile.

"Your Majesty is back," she said, her voice gentler than the previous two days. "Please sit down, Your Majesty. I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Xiao Che's heart was instantly filled with joy.

See? It really worked! The gift offensive was amazing!

He sat down in high spirits, and as soon as he picked up his chopsticks, Lin Wanwan immediately made a move.

She actually stood up, personally served him a bowl of soup, and then used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of his favorite steamed sea bass and gently placed it in his bowl.

"Your Majesty is very busy with state affairs, you must be tired. Please eat more." Her voice was so gentle it could melt your heart.

This is the first step of her most effective "coquettish" mode, which she imitated before: gentleness, consideration, and concern.

Xiao Che was somewhat lightheaded by this sudden tenderness, and felt much of his fatigue dissipate. He smiled and nodded, "Your Majesty is very kind."

However, as soon as he took a bite of the fish, Lin Wanwan's "attack" escalated.

She actually...didn't go back to her seat.

Instead, she picked up her own bowl and chopsticks and sat down next to him very naturally!

The distance between them instantly shrank to an extremely intimate level. Her sweet fragrance, mixed with the aroma of food, wafted into his nose.

What... what kind of operation is this?

Xiao Che's chopsticks paused slightly.

Before he could react, Lin Wanwan had already made another move.

She leaned closer in an extremely intimate manner, almost pressing half of her body against his arm.

"Sticking!"

This is the second and most powerful form of her coquettish mode—initiating intimacy and physical contact!

In the past, whenever she used this trick, no matter what Xiao Che was troubled about, the emoji above his head would immediately change to "My wife is so comfortable to be snuggled up to.jpg", and then he would completely soften up.

Lin Wan-wan's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

Success or failure hinges on this!

She went all out, clinging to him like a kitten seeking shelter, even gently resting her head on his shoulder.

However……

The response she expected did not materialize.

The man beside her even stiffened slightly.

He didn't pull her into his arms as usual; nor did he turn around and affectionately rub her hair.

He didn't even put down his chopsticks.

He simply let her stay close to him, and then... continued eating his meal with a blank expression.

Lin Wan leaned on his shoulder and could clearly feel that his muscles were taut.

Her heart sank little by little.

Little did she know that at that moment, Xiao Che was not thinking about romantic love at all.

On his way to Kunning Palace, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review intercepted him and gave an urgent report on the latest developments in the case of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue—they had found half of a defense map related to the defense of the capital in the home of one of the Vice Minister's mistresses!

This discovery instantly upgraded the nature of the entire case from "corruption" to "treason"!

Therefore, Xiao Che's mind was filled with the defense map of the capital, the invisible, all-encompassing network behind the Vice Minister of Revenue, and the list of his cronies...

He was in a highly tense working state the whole time.

Lin Wanwan's sudden intimacy did surprise him, but his mind was occupied by more important things, and he had no time to savor or respond to it.

He just instinctively felt that the Empress was... unusually clingy today.

And so, an extremely bizarre scene unfolded in the dining room.

The empress clung to the emperor like a koala.

The emperor, however, frowned and absentmindedly shoveled food into his mouth, as if he were completing a task.

Lin Wanwan's warm face was firmly pressed against Xiao Che's cold backside, which had become icy due to "national affairs".

She leaned on his shoulder, feeling his stiff, unresponsive body, and looked at his furrowed brow as if he were pondering some enormous problem. The last glimmer of hope in her heart gradually faded away.

Despair, like a tidal wave, overwhelmed her completely.

She lost.

They lost badly, utterly and completely.

He really didn't love her anymore.

She's gone to such lengths, and he still remains unmoved! What is he thinking?! Is it that talented woman from Jiangnan?!

A surge of immense sorrow and resentment welled up within her, instantly bringing tears to her eyes.

She sniffed, her voice trembling with an undeniable sob.

"Your Majesty..." She used all her strength to make her voice sound less trembling, "Are you...won't something on your mind?"

This question, choked with sobs, finally acted like a key, unlocking Xiao Che's ears that had been shut off by "work."

He hummed in response, as if he had just been pulled back from another world. Somewhat bewildered, he turned to look at Lin Wanwan, who was leaning on his shoulder.

"What?"

"I said... is something on your mind?" Lin Wanwan looked at his blank eyes, and her heart ached even more.

"Oh... um." Xiao Che finally came to his senses. Looking at Lin Wanwan's reddened eyes, he belatedly realized that he seemed to have... neglected her again.

He shifted uncomfortably and explained, "Yes, I've been very busy with official duties."

After saying that, he felt that this posture was really inconvenient for him to think about the "defense map" problem, so he gently "pushed" Lin Wanwan off his shoulder.

Then he stood up.

"I will stay in the Imperial Study tonight."

He left behind these cold words, as if stating a perfectly ordinary decision, and then walked away without looking back.