Xie Jingrun walked in with a dark expression.
Without asking, it's clear why Emperor Zhaojing came here.
"Why has Father come here?" he asked, knowing full well the reason.
"I went for a walk in the Imperial Garden and happened to pass by Yuxian Palace. I thought I smelled the aroma of food, so I went in to take a look. I didn't expect the Empress to be so hospitable and insist that I stay for dinner before going back," Emperor Zhaojing said with a hint of helplessness.
Rong Qingqing, who had just brought out a dish, twitched at the corner of her mouth upon hearing this, and sure enough, she saw Xie Jingrun's displeased gaze drift over.
She immediately felt extremely innocent.
She did not invite the Emperor Emeritus to dine with her; he was the one who stayed and refused to leave.
"Xingxiu's wife, what delicious food have you made?" Emperor Zhaojing ignored Xie Jingrun and focused his gaze directly on the plate in Rong Qingqing's hand.
Rong Qingqing replied, "The dishes I made tonight were rather light, including steamed fish, braised chicken wings, stir-fried asparagus with shrimp, poached chicken, and a pork rib soup."
Xie Jingrun doesn't eat spicy food, so the dishes for dinner were all light and mild.
Unexpectedly, after hearing the list of dishes she mentioned, Emperor Zhaojing swallowed hard and said, "These are all my favorite dishes."
Rong Qingqing: "..."
Xie Jingrun: "..."
Don't you usually prefer strong flavors? How come you find such bland dishes appealing?
Emperor Zhaojing ignored the two and sat down at the table. "Now that Xingxiu is back, let's eat."
Rong Qingqing snapped out of her daze, glanced at Xie Jingrun, coughed lightly, and turned to instruct the palace servants, "Serve rice to the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor."
Of all the people who enjoyed the meal the most, Emperor Zhaojing was the one who was most happy and satisfied.
After eating a bowl of rice and drinking two bowls of soup, he finally put down his bowl and looked at Rong Qingqing with a smile. "Tomorrow, I will come over and dine with you all again." As he spoke, he said with a touch of emotion, "Eating alone is really no fun. It's better to eat with you all to have a good appetite."
Rong Qingqing: "..." Now that things have come to this point, how could she say no?
Xie Jingrun's face had turned completely dark. So tonight was just the beginning?
The thought of having to see him every day starting tomorrow completely ruined his good mood. He couldn't understand why his father insisted on having meals with them.
He was happy, but what about him?
"Father, you don't need to come tomorrow. I won't cook."
Emperor Zhaojing waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's alright. It was made by the Imperial Kitchen and is barely edible. I just wanted to dine with you all."
Xie Jingrun: "..."
"Alright, I need to go back and rest." Emperor Zhaojing stood up and said, "No need to see me off, you should all get some rest too." With that, he walked towards the door, muttering to himself, "If I could have given birth to a prince sooner, I wouldn't be so lonely and isolated..."
His muttering was rather loud, and Rong Qingqing and Xie Jingrun both heard it clearly.
After watching him leave, Xie Jingrun's gaze fell on Rong Qingqing's stomach.
For the first time, he realized that having a child might not be so bad. At least his father wouldn't be so bored as to disturb his and Qingqing's time together.
Rong Qingqing noticed his intense gaze fixed on her stomach and immediately had a bad feeling.
Could this guy have suffered some kind of shock?
Sure enough, after the two washed up and lay down on the couch, Xie Jingrun pulled her into his arms and said in a consultative tone, "Qingqing, how about we have a child?"
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