Wen Heming opened his lips several times, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to utter a curse.
She couldn't grasp the current situation and didn't want to cause herself any trouble. After a long silence, she finally regained some of the ideas that had been swayed by her.
"Besides this, does Your Majesty have nothing else to say to me?"
Wen Hemian deliberately emphasized the word "other," clearly trying to change the subject.
Xie Lang didn't intend to push her too hard. After all, he had already tasted the bitterness of loss once, and he didn't want to touch it again. He could only suppress his gloomy expression and say, "I have brought people to take your measurements."
Wen Hemian was about to say that she had left her clothes here before, but before she could finish speaking, she belatedly realized that Xie Lang must have meant women's clothing.
Before she left, she was still identified as a man.
Seeing that Wen Hemian did not object, Xie Lang clapped his hands, and the palace servants waiting outside filed in.
Wen Hemian didn't want to talk to him for the time being, so she got up and went behind the screen to have someone take her measurements.
One of the palace maids, probably young, glanced at Wen Hemian curiously a couple of times, and nearly bumped into her while moving her hand, which startled her.
Wen Hemian smiled and shook her head: "It's alright, just be careful."
The young palace maid was immediately filled with gratitude.
Wen Hemian lowered his gaze, seemingly lost in thought.
She could clearly sense that Xie Lang was more fearsome to those around him than before she left. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it could easily lead to problems in the long run.
The palace servants moved swiftly, and Wen Hemian quickly measured her while she was thinking. The group of people all looked trembling with fear and hurriedly took their leave.
Xie Lang seemed impatient. As soon as Wen Hemian lifted his foot, he went around to the back of the screen, leaving everyone speechless.
Wen Hemian sighed, "I can't escape, so Your Majesty doesn't need to keep such a close watch on me."
Xie Lang pursed his lips: "I just wanted to see you."
A night had passed since Wen Heming returned, but Xie Lang still felt a strong sense of unreality. He desperately needed to confirm that what he had seen was real, and not just a vague illusion.
In the morning, he knew he had angered Wen Hemian, but he didn't dare go too far. He could only listen secretly from outside to feel a little more at ease.
His Majesty the Emperor had his eyes lowered and his expression was gentle and innocent. It was hard to associate him with the crazy look he had shown that morning. Wen Hemian had just softened a little when she immediately remembered what this man had done to her and gave a light hum.
"His Majesty has already threatened me with hostages, so even if I leave, I must still be concerned about their safety."
Xie Lang keenly sensed the barbedness in her words, pursed his lips, but was not angry: "They do not know that the Grand Tutor has returned to the capital."
Wen Hemian was extremely thorough in his work.
He didn't even tell his closest friends and family about it back then, and many people were heartbroken because of it. Xie Lang interrogated everyone who needed to be interrogated, but he couldn't find any clues.
That's why Xie Lang said she was heartless.
Wen Hemian looked at him intently: "Why did you suddenly bring this up?"
Xie Lang wouldn't bring up something useless without a reason. Since he brought it up, it meant that his men had probably figured out her whereabouts in the capital over the past few days.
The preferential treatment provided by the system can only help her reduce her presence in the crowd; if someone really wants to investigate, they can still find out.
"I do not intend to tell them for the time being."
Xie Lang looked at her with a smile: "If they come knocking on my door, I won't be able to handle it."
Xie Lang never underestimated the loyalty of Wen Hemian's subordinates to her. As far as he knew, many of them had not given up searching for Wen Hemian over the years.
Not to mention the guards in the Prince's mansion; if they really knew the news, wouldn't they sneak off to the palace?
Wen Hemian choked for a moment, then had to admit that Xie Lang was right.
She then realized something was wrong—wasn't she the one imprisoned in the palace? Why should she try to put herself in someone else's shoes?
After three years apart, Xie Lang's perception of Wen Hemian's emotions remained unchanged, and he smiled with some pleasure: "Hanshuang also thinks what I said makes sense, right?"
Just like Xie Lang three years ago, he was still stubborn at heart. But the difference was that he was now much more mature, walking with a more leisurely and unhurried pace, quietly approaching the prey he had his eye on.
Moreover, from the change in how he addressed them, Wen Hemian could vaguely sense that he was intentionally separating them from their previous relationship.
He didn't want to continue the teacher-student relationship, but instead...
"what's on your mind?"
Her thoughts were interrupted by the other party's forceful approach, and Wen Hemian suddenly came back to her senses: "N-nothing."
He seemed a little guilty, which made Xie Lang somewhat displeased, but he really didn't want to upset Wen Heming, so he quietly suppressed his displeasure and asked instead, "Want to go out and take a look?"
Wen Hemian wasn't the type to sit still, but being forced to stay in this palace all morning, she was indeed eager to go outside and see what was going on. She nodded and said, "Yes."
Once outside, I was surprised to find that the guards outside had also been removed; no wonder it was so quiet.
Wen Hemian remained silent for a moment: "Does Your Majesty intend to prevent outsiders from seeing me?"
Wen Hemian, though not claiming to be well-read, had at least lived a life in modern times and seen things up close. He had heard of this type of novel from his friends and felt that his current situation was somewhat dangerous.
"What did Han Shuang say? Of course not."
Xie Lang quickly dismissed her statement, then smiled and said, "It's just that I need to make some preparations."
He had once considered keeping Wen Hemian privately for himself, but he understood even more that Wen Hemian should be like the moon hanging high in the sky, and he couldn't force her, otherwise it would only backfire.
A person who has lost something once cannot afford to lose it a second time.
Wen Hemian stopped talking in time, following her heart, and did not ask him what preparations were needed.
Sure enough, a moment later I saw a look of disappointment on the other person's face.
Wen Hemian: "..."
She stopped talking and began to admire the scenery outside.
There weren't many changes, except that more flowers and plants had been planted in the Imperial Garden. In the early spring chill, the flower buds trembled in the wind, and one could imagine how lively it would be here in the summer.
Wen Hemian's gaze swept across the area, finally settling on a certain brick. The color there was darker, and it didn't look like soil; it looked more like dried blood. Her expression darkened, but Xie Lang, who reacted quickly, covered her eyes and turned her head away.
"It's dirty there, Hanshuang, you'd better not look."
Xie Lang's eyes turned cold. He had just mentally noted down the name of the palace maid who was cleaning when Wen Hemian slapped his hand down without any mercy.
With a "snap," he froze, and Wen Hemian also paused.
Wen Hemian was the first to regain his senses and coughed, "What's done is done, why would I be afraid to see it? If His Majesty's hands are stained with blood, so are mine. As long as it's not about killing innocent people indiscriminately, I won't say anything."
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