Yu Jingchen laid out the cushions. The Empress Dowager and Nan Zhiyun watched his actions without saying a word. In fact, Nan Zhiyun had already gotten used to it, but the Empress Dowager was different. When she saw Yu Jingchen's actions, a hint of disbelief flashed in her eyes.
"Don't sit for too long," Yu Jingchen thoughtfully advised, then naturally helped Nan Zhiyun sit down beside him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun was still a little flustered.
Yu Jingchen reached out and patted her head: "You and the Empress Dowager can be alone for a while. I'll come back to pick you up later, okay?" Yu Jingchen knew that if he was here, the two of them would definitely feel uncomfortable, so he offered to leave first, leaving the space for the two of them.
"Hmm..." Nan Zhiyun didn't think much of it, but the Empress Dowager glanced at Yu Jingchen a couple more times.
"I'll be going now, I'll come back later." Yu Jingchen said this to the Empress Dowager, his eyes conveying the message that she should keep a close eye on Nan Zhiyun.
"Hmm," the Empress Dowager said, her tone flat and even.
Yu Jingchen glanced at the two of them and said, "Be good, if you need anything, just have someone come find me." Yu Jingchen said this to Nan Zhiyun before leaving on his own.
The two watched Yu Jingchen leave. The Empress Dowager's eyes flashed with deep thought as she sat down next to Nan Zhiyun.
"Yun'er, how has His Majesty treated you lately?" the Empress Dowager asked.
“…It’s fine.” Nan Zhiyun thought for a moment and said these three words.
The Empress Dowager looked at Nan Zhiyun, then took her hand: "How is it considered settled?"
"...His Majesty has stopped losing his temper with me...and he no longer blames me for anything I did wrong. He seems to have become more considerate, and...more gentle and patient. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..." Nan Zhiyun looked at the Empress Dowager.
"Hmm?" The Empress Dowager responded.
“His Majesty seems to have become a completely different person, unlike himself at all,” Nan Zhiyun said, expressing her thoughts.
"Does Yun'er like the changes in His Majesty now?" The Empress Dowager did not answer directly, but asked a question in return.
“…” Nan Zhiyun did not answer immediately.
"Yun'er is also hesitating, isn't she? You... like His Majesty the way he is now." The Empress Dowager spoke as if she were quite certain.
"I don't know... Your Majesty, I'm scared." Nan Zhiyun looked at the Empress Dowager with teary eyes.
The Empress Dowager gently stroked her hair: "Yun'er, follow your heart." She neither agreed nor disagreed.
But Nan Zhiyun shook her head: "I dare not... Your Majesty, His Majesty was not like this before, I'm afraid..." She was afraid that all of this was fake, afraid that it was just a dream.
And also… she was afraid of Yu Jingchen. Those past memories kept resurfacing in her mind, unintentionally. So she was afraid that every time she was in the same space as Yu Jingchen, these memories would automatically appear before her eyes. She was afraid…
"Then let's wait, it's alright. After some time, Yun'er can ask herself some more questions and truly feel her own heart. Then we can answer her, okay?" The Empress Dowager was very gentle; she had always been devoted to Nan Zhiyun.
Nan Zhiyun didn't continue speaking; her hand slowly moved to her abdomen. The Empress Dowager noticed this movement, smiled, and then placed her hand on top of it.
"Yun'er is going to be a mother to the emperor now." The Empress Dowager's eyes were full of tenderness. She... had never experienced anything like this in her entire life. Pregnancy and childbirth? How could that be? She didn't have that right, nor could she enjoy the process of nurturing life.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..." Nan Zhiyun seemed to sense the Empress Dowager's emotions, but she couldn't express them.
"It's nothing, I just suddenly felt a pang of emotion. Yun'er is already a mother." The Empress Dowager hid the sorrow in her eyes, and Nan Zhiyun pursed her lips and remained silent.
The Empress Dowager knew that she was afraid and worried about the child.
"Yun'er, don't worry. Now that the child is here, we'll take good care of ourselves. Don't overthink things. Focusing on getting better is the most important thing, okay? I'll take care of everything else," the Empress Dowager tried to comfort her.
“But…this child has the blood of the Nan family…and is just as unpopular as I am…” The Nan family was the one Yu Jingchen feared and loathed the most.
"How could that be? Yun'er is overthinking again." The Empress Dowager knew that Nan Zhiyun, born into the Nan family, had always carried many shackles. They had done their best to give Nan Zhiyun everything she could in the end, spoiling her from a young age and raising her to be innocent and naive. But... since entering the palace, Yun'er had grown up.
It has to be said that the inner workings of these low palace walls are the easiest place for people to grow... The more hardship, suffering, and hurt one experiences, the more one grows up, no matter how innocent one was originally...
"Yun'er, His Majesty would never put on such an act," the Empress Dowager suddenly said.
Nan Zhiyun looked at the Empress Dowager, who smiled at her and then pulled her into her arms, holding her gently, just like when she was a child.
"His Majesty seems to have truly taken a liking to you now. I don't know what has happened, but I know that His Majesty is not faking it. He cares about you a lot now, so the most important thing now is for you, Yun'er. You need to think carefully about what you really want." The Empress Dowager said this thoughtfully.
Nan Zhiyun remained silent. What did she want? It seemed that even she herself couldn't answer that question for the time being.
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