Chapter 153 Apology
Jiang Huan struggled violently, trying to break free from his grip.
Huo Lin was caught off guard by her sudden and fierce resistance. He subconsciously tightened his grip, but then suddenly released her as if he had been branded with a hot iron.
"hiss……"
Jiang Huan staggered back a step, looked down at the red marks on her wrist, and when she looked up again, her eyes were filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
What am I doing?!
[I hurt her. She's so afraid of pain; her wrist is all red. I deserve to die, I really deserve to die!]
He hurriedly reached out his hand, but froze in mid-air, afraid of further displeasing her.
“Jiang Huan,” he opened his mouth, his eyes filled with helplessness, “I…I am not…I…”
He spoke incoherently, and the cold sweat on his forehead made the usually composed emperor appear somewhat disheveled.
"I was wrong, please don't hate me..."
I remember everything I promised.
I made her sad; it's all my fault.
[Waaaaah, seeing her cry makes me want to cry too.]
Jiang Huan's nose stung terribly, and she could no longer suppress the urge she had been holding back.
It wasn't because of the pain in his wrist, nor because of the grievances he suffered during the talent show, but because he was finally back.
Huo Lin, who would secretly praise her in his heart, who would be overjoyed at the mention of "husband," and who would awkwardly yet stubbornly protect her, has truly returned.
The immense joy of regaining what she had lost completely broke her defenses.
This also made Jiang Huan realize that Huo Lin had become so important to her.
"Do you know..." Jiang Huan's voice was filled with sobs, and tears finally broke free, rolling down her cheeks in large drops.
"Do you know how scared I've been these past few days?"
She choked up, her words of accusation broken and intermittent, each one laced with lingering fear.
“You don’t remember anything, and you look at me like I’m a stranger. I want to help you remember, but you… you’re like a stone that can’t be warmed…”
"You still agreed to the talent show, and you even asked me to... to watch you pick people..."
"I thought you would never remember."
The last sentence was filled with deep fear.
Huo Lin was heartbroken beyond measure. He grabbed Jiang Huan and pulled her into a tight embrace, so strong that it seemed he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Huo Lin repeated over and over, his arms clenched tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"It's all my fault. How could I forget you? How could I let you suffer like this?"
Jiang Huan was held tightly by Huo Lin, his scent lingering around her nose, bringing her peace of mind. All her grievances and anxieties vanished in that moment.
She hugged Huo Lin tightly, burying her face in his neck and unrestrainedly venting her emotions.
"Waaaaah, Huo Lin, you bastard, you big bastard, you scared me to death! I really thought I'd never find you again." Her fist pounded weakly on his back.
"If you ever dare to forget me again, I'll... I'll..."
She choked up, unable to think of anything harsh to say, and finally said through a sob, "I'll quit cooking and never cook for you again!"
Hearing her childish threat, Huo Lin felt a pang of sadness and a surge of emotion. He tightened his arms and held her even closer.
"No, I will never forget you again, nor will I give you the chance to leave me."
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation was oppressive.
The Empress Dowager's face was ashen, her fingers gripping the armrests so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
The emperor stormed off in front of everyone, leaving behind this mess and a group of stunningly beautiful women, completely disregarding her.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," Wang Degui said, bowing slightly as he carefully tried to appease her.
"Calm down?" The Empress Dowager sneered. "The Emperor has been bewitched by that vixen and has disregarded the decorum of the court. The selection of consorts is a matter of great importance to the nation; how can he be allowed to treat it so lightly!"
Her sharp gaze swept over the three girls standing below with their heads bowed.
Liu Shuyao remained calm, but her face was even paler, her eyelashes drooping, lost in thought.
Wen Yilin looked resentful, and even her carefully applied makeup couldn't hide her twisted expression.
He Ling lowered her head, seemingly respectful, but her body trembled slightly.
These three were among the first to be chosen to meet the emperor, and they were all top-notch in terms of family background, talent, appearance, and temperament.
She had originally planned that today she could at least get the emperor to take a liking to one or two of them and keep them by his side, or even keep all three of them at once, but who knew that such a mishap would occur.
However, things have come to this point, and the talent show has already begun; there's no reason for it to end so easily.
The harem had been empty for many years, and the emperor had long favored Jiang Huan alone, neglecting the other concubines. This was not a long-term solution.
Today, no matter what, she must keep these good seedlings.
Given enough time, the emperor will gradually develop feelings for her, and old affections will eventually fade, with new women always catching his eye.
Having made up her mind, the Empress Dowager looked at the three of them and slowly said, "His Majesty is currently unwell and has made a momentary lapse in decorum. The selection of concubines will be temporarily postponed. However, since you have already entered the palace to participate in the selection, you are now registered members of the royal family. I hereby grant you permission to remain in the palace for the time being and to be housed in the side hall of the Chuxiu Palace."
"Wang Degui, take them downstairs and make sure they are settled in properly."
"Yes." Wang Degui inwardly groaned, but could only bow and accept the order.
The Empress Dowager has forcibly detained the person. Who knows what kind of uproar will be caused when the Emperor recovers.
Wang Degui led the three out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. As they walked along the road, He Ling's mind was in complete turmoil.
She spoke to the system in her mind, "System, what exactly is going on?"
"Didn't you say you used the halo of love at first sight? Why didn't Huo Lin even look at me? Instead, he ran away with a headache like he'd seen a ghost, and even canceled the talent show?"
The system was unusually silent for a few seconds before a cold, electronic voice sounded.
"Based on the detection and analysis, it was found that when the halo took effect, the target Huo Lin's mental core erupted with a defensive barrier of unknown strength, which produced a violent repulsive reaction to the halo's energy. The strength of this barrier far exceeded the records in the database, causing the halo to fail and possibly triggering the target's mental trauma, resulting in severe headaches and memory regression."
"An unknown barrier? Violent repulsion?" He Ling was practically going crazy. "What about my mission? He didn't even see me clearly."
"Preliminary inferences suggest that the target may be in a state of high alert due to psychological trauma, and thus unable to clearly receive the host's charm information."
The system's voice carried a hint of forced consolation: "Host, don't be discouraged. Staying in the palace is an opportunity. Once her condition stabilizes, you can try to contact her again. This system will recalculate the best strategy to ensure that the target falls for you."
Listening to the system's words and looking at the unfamiliar palace walls before her, He Ling felt that the road ahead would be difficult.
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