"In that case, Consort Mi Hui, go ahead. I believe you should know what to say and what not to say."
The Empress Dowager's lifeless gaze, as still as a dried-up pool, fell on Mi Shan's face, her tone tinged with vicissitudes.
Mi Shan raised her hand and touched her bruised lips. Her eyes were indifferent and expressionless, as if nothing could stir her emotions.
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I understand."
The Empress Dowager coldly withdrew her gaze, took Ping Mama's hand, and said, "Help me return to the palace."
After she left, Li Changyu grabbed her arm and frowned: "How could you let her beat you like this? Where is your usual ruthlessness?"
His dark eyes were deep and his tone was cold. His fingers involuntarily rose and touched the trace on her lips.
Mi Shan was startled, as if she had been electrocuted, and brushed his hand away, her eyes darting away.
Li Changyu seemed to realize how outrageous his actions were. As the crown prince, such behavior with the emperor's concubine would undoubtedly be seen as "adultery" by others.
Mi Shan's eyes darted nervously around her.
Fortunately, apart from Xun'er and Achan, two trusted maids, there was no one else around.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your Highness is joking. That is the Empress Dowager, the most honored woman in the entire harem. I have no desire to die."
“If you want, you can become her too,” Li Changyu said calmly, his gaze fixed on her with a cold intensity.
"Me? For a concubine's daughter like me to become a concubine is already a blessing that others would only dream of. I wouldn't even dare to dream of such a high position." Mi Shan gave a self-deprecating laugh and looked at him sarcastically, "Crown Prince, are you preparing another pie in the sky, trying to draw me a picture?"
"You've probably drawn so many similar pie pictures that you can't even remember them all."
Li Changyu paused, then burst into laughter.
Yes.
He shouldn't have said those things to her in the first place.
Although--
Becoming an empress dowager is not a difficult thing.
If she can become empress, and then he kills the scoundrel emperor and ascends the throne, wouldn't she naturally become empress dowager?
However, Li Changyu could not say such things in this setting.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xun'er walking over with a piece of ointment in her hand, her eyes full of heartache.
"Your Majesty, please apply some medicine first."
"It's alright. I still need to go with the Crown Prince to meet the Emperor. Please bring me a veil so I can cover myself for now."
"Give me."
Li Changyu took the ointment from Xun'er's hand, his brows furrowed and his face cold. "You may all leave."
Xun'er and Achan exchanged a silent glance, both looking surprised.
When did the Empress and the Crown Prince become so close?
Mi Shan was also very puzzled and looked at him with a questioning gaze: "Didn't you say you were going to see the emperor? Why are you taking such a long time?"
Before she could finish speaking, Li Changyu grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the bedchamber.
He closed the door, pressed her down onto the chaise longue, stood in front of her, opened the ointment, scooped out a small piece, and spread it evenly on his fingertips.
It was applied to her face.
A breeze blew through the window, causing the willow branches to sway, visible through the thin, hazy white gauze.
The atmosphere was subtle and quiet.
All that remained was the sensation of the man's fingertips gently pressing.
Mi Shan looked up in surprise, her eyes reflecting his indifferent face.
The distance is very close.
They were so close they could count the number of eyelashes on his eyelids; his skin was so pale and flawless.
He was as indifferent as ever, but his expression was unusually focused, and his movements were very gentle, as if he were afraid of hurting her.
If it weren't clear, Li Changyu and she had only ever had a transactional relationship.
Mi Shan almost mistakenly thought that he was treating her with the tenderness one would show to a lover.
Such a ridiculous thought vanished in an instant.
Mi Shan quickly lowered her eyes, her gaze revealing avoidance, and her cheeks unconsciously flushed pink.
Li Changyu seemed to realize that this was inappropriate, and his dark eyes flickered.
He paused for a moment, then placed the ointment back into her hand.
"Take it and apply it yourself."
"You still haven't answered my question." Mi Shan felt this was normal. Holding the ointment, her tense mood relaxed a lot. She applied it to herself in front of the mirror while asking, "Didn't you say the Emperor was looking for me?"
“He didn’t say, I made it up,” Li Changyu said coldly.
"Why?"
“If I hadn’t come, you would have been slapped in the face. Even if you don’t care and are oblivious, I do.”
Li Changyu glanced at her with cold eyes, his gaze chilling her.
"So it was to help me." Mi Shan pursed her lips. "Thank you."
How could she not feel anything?
It's just that they had no choice but to bow down in the face of power.
"No need. If it weren't for the Gu worm binding our senses together, I wouldn't bother with you."
"I know."
"The antidote, has it been developed yet?" Li Changyu asked coldly.
Mi Shan lowered her eyes and silently clutched her skirt: "Not yet, time is too tight."
For some reason, a bittersweet feeling welled up in my heart.
Is she feeling lost?
Indeed, if it weren't for the Gu worm, Li Changyu would not have wanted to get involved with her in that way. The only person he cared about from beginning to end was Bai Lingyu.
She also needs to remain vigilant at all times and not have any unfounded expectations.
Perhaps this is the effect of the Love Potion, making people who have no feelings for each other slowly start to care about each other.
Mi Shan made these speculations, unaware that they were merely making excuses for each other.
Human emotions always originate from the heart; the Gu worm can only affect their physical body.
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