Chapter 157 Forgiveness
Those present were all concubines from the imperial harem, and soon they began chatting amongst themselves, each with their own schemes.
People often mention Jiang Huan, but Jiang Huan keeps her eyes down and pretends not to hear, too lazy to get involved.
Her gaze swept over the several plates of exquisite pastries newly served by the palace maids on the table, and her mind was immediately captivated.
Wow, the imperial kitchen is really going all out today.
This chestnut cake looks really good, with so many layers, it must be so crumbly it'll crumble.
Is that a newly developed osmanthus pastry on the plate next to me? It's golden in color and smells delicious.
It's such a pity that such delicious snacks have to be eaten in this kind of setting; it's like chewing wax.
Jiang Huan ate her snacks with an air of dignified composure.
The Empress Dowager took in all these undercurrents. Let them argue and fight; the more they do this, the more likely she is to bring Jiang Huan down.
She slowly picked up her teacup, about to offer some advice, when a voice rang out.
"His Majesty has arrived!" came the high-pitched announcement from outside the hall.
The heavy palace doors were pushed open, and Huo Lin strode in.
His cold, sharp gaze swept over everyone in the hall, finally landing precisely on Jiang Huan.
[That explains why we couldn't find him; it turns out he'd been dragged here by the Empress Dowager to be punished again.]
[The whole room is filled with smoke and fumes, making me feel irritated everywhere. Can this harem be disbanded on the spot?]
"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Huo Lin nodded slightly to the Empress Dowager, his manners impeccable, but his tone lacked warmth.
"Why has the Emperor come?" The Empress Dowager asked with a smile.
"I have some matters to discuss with Consort Zhuang."
The Empress Dowager's smile faded slightly; though unwilling, she could only nod.
Otherwise, given the Emperor's temperament, he would definitely take Jiang Huan away by force, and she would be the one who loses face.
"Since His Majesty has important business to attend to, Consort Zhuang may proceed."
Jiang Huan curtsied to the Empress Dowager and left with Huo Lin.
But leaving doesn't mean you've gotten over your anger.
She muttered to herself, deliberately keeping a half-step distance from Huo Lin, still savoring the pastry she had barely touched earlier.
Damn it, I should have just taken it with me.
Just as Jiang Huan was lost in thought, Huo Lin, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
Jiang Huan almost bumped into it.
Huo Lin turned around, his gaze indifferent, yet concealing a hint of a smile.
I knew she wasn't being lewd when she looked at that plate of pastries.
It's time to unleash our trump card!
"I'm a little hungry," Huo Lin suddenly said. "Come with me to the Imperial Kitchen."
Jiang Huan had a big question mark on her head.
Huo Lin volunteered to go to the imperial kitchen?
Go to that place that broke his heart and left him starving?
Could it be that the production team has changed, and the current imperial kitchen is now staffed by Huo Lin?
The more I thought about it, the more curious I became.
But Jiang Huan hadn't forgotten that she was still sulking with him, so she coughed lightly and nodded faintly.
"Oh, I understand."
Huo Lin's lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly.
When they arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Kitchen, the atmosphere was somewhat strange.
It should have been the busiest time of day, but it was eerily quiet, with not even the little eunuchs guarding the gate.
Huo Lin waved Wang Degui away, then stepped forward and opened the door.
The scene inside the door startled Jiang Huan; the spacious imperial kitchen was clearly empty.
"Your Majesty?" Jiang Huan was even more puzzled. What kind of operation was this?
Does the northwest wind from the imperial kitchen taste better?
Huo Lin didn't explain. He walked a few steps to a table covered with a clean white cloth and lifted the cloth as if presenting a treasure.
On the counter, several plates of pastries were neatly arranged.
But the presentation...
The plate of pastries was crooked in shape, some collapsed and some cracked, and the colors varied in shade.
The other dish was probably osmanthus pastries, which were all uniform in size, but the surface was burnt black.
There was another dish... well, you could barely make out that it was glutinous rice balls, but they were all soft and stuck to the plate.
Looking at the several plates of pastries on the table that were nothing short of a disaster, and then at Huo Lin beside her who looked on with a tense and expectant expression, an absurd guess came to mind.
Could he have done this?
"Well, I was thinking that if I just apologize verbally after I made you angry yesterday, it wouldn't be sincere enough."
He pointed to the plates of pastries, his tone sincere, yet tinged with a hint of awkward flattery.
"I know you like sweets, so I made some myself, even though they don't look very appetizing..."
His voice trailed off, and his head drooped in frustration.
[It's more than just ugly; I simply can't find any words of praise for it.]
[She's a master chef, what kind of food hasn't she seen? No, wait, she probably hasn't seen anything this ugly before.]
[Oh no, did I do something wrong? Does she not like these things?]
Seeing his appearance, Jiang Huan finally felt the last bit of resentment that had been building up in her heart dissipate.
A warm, sour feeling welled up in her heart, making her nose tingle.
This foolish emperor, who is usually so busy and has such an image to maintain, actually came here to bake pastries just to make her happy.
She could picture the tall, imposing emperor, flustered and looking troubled over a few pots.
Jiang Huan suppressed a smile, picked up the silver chopsticks beside her, and put a pastry into her mouth.
An indescribable, complex taste exploded in my mouth; one could only say that Huo Lin was also a master at developing poisons.
But she willingly swallowed the poison.
Jiang Huan put down her chopsticks, looked up at Huo Lin who was still stunned, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with a bright smile.
"Whoever says they're ugly, whoever dares to say they're ugly, I'll fight them."
[She ate it, and then defended my ugly dessert!]
"So... does this mean you've forgiven me?"
Huo Lin reacted for a moment, then was so excited he almost jumped up on the spot.
He barely maintained the last shred of imperial dignity, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light. He stepped forward and tightly grasped Jiang Huan's hand.
"I must have been out of my mind to say those outrageous things and do those outrageous things. I swear, such a thing will never happen again."
He gazed into Jiang Huan's eyes, speaking each word clearly and firmly.
"My heart has only ever moved for you, from beginning to end, and it always has."
This sudden, passionate confession, like the hottest lava, instantly overwhelmed Jiang Huan.
Looking at the man before her, who had shed all his imperial aura and whose heart and eyes were filled with her, a warm feeling washed over her.
Those scenes of them spending time together, those childish thoughts, that figure who risked everything to save her.
Actually, she probably forgave him much earlier than she thought.
Her eyes were gentle, her lips curved into a slight smile, and she finally responded softly.
"Yes, I believe you."
To Huo Lin, this response was like heavenly music.
She agreed! She agreed to my request!
My spring has arrived! No, my spring has always been here; it's just that the sun shines brightly now.
Huo Lin could no longer restrain himself and pulled the person in front of him into a tight embrace.
His chin lingered on Jiang Huan's head, and he sighed contentedly.
He cast aside all imperial majesty and court politics; all he wanted was to hold Jiang Huan until the end of time.
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