Almost the instant Liu Lingxi stepped into the East Warm Pavilion, she felt an incredibly intense gaze upon her.
She followed that gaze and, unsurprisingly, saw the man she feared most—Sheng Jin.
Sheng Jin stared at the white figure with almost greedy eyes. A snow fox fur cloak wrapped the woman tightly, revealing only her beautiful face.
Her beauty was so captivating that it could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky; she was so beautiful that it took one's breath away.
In an instant, Sheng Jin's heart pounded like a drum, and she couldn't come to her senses for a long time.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
After a long while, Sheng Jin finally came to her senses after being reminded by Xiao Yezi, but the lingering feeling of excitement still remained in her heart.
"Please sit down, don't be shy."
After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, Sheng Jin allowed them to sit down.
As soon as he sat down, Sheng Jin's gaze unconsciously drifted to the woman he had been longing for.
It's great to finally see her again.
Sheng Jin gazed greedily at the woman with a snow-white pom-pom in her hair and snow-white fur trim on her clothes, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
Each strike was strong and powerful.
She looks like a little fox, so cute.
His gaze was both restrained and fiery, carrying a burning intensity that made people afraid to meet his eyes.
"How is the Crown Princess doing in the West Warm Pavilion? Is there anything she is not used to? She can tell me."
"Your Majesty, I am doing well. Everything here is excellent, and I am quite used to it."
Liu Lingxi only glanced up and caught a glimpse of the Emperor's expression by chance, and was instantly terrified, lowering her head to avoid the man's gaze.
Little did she know that when she lowered her head, revealing that incredibly white neck, Sheng Jin's gaze became even more intense.
Such smooth skin, like snow-white satin, I really want to touch it and kiss it...
"Your Majesty, I want to express my special gratitude to you for protecting me and the Crown Princess under your protection. The Crown Princess is much better now, so I would like to offer you a toast."
As the Crown Prince spoke, he picked up the empty wine cup beside him, and without waiting for the servants to pour him more wine, he took the plum juice in front of the Crown Princess and poured himself a full cup.
As if knowing the Emperor would be displeased, the Crown Prince offered a smiling explanation.
"Father knows that I am not a good drinker. Now that the Crown Princess is in her late pregnancy, she needs someone by her side."
"I'm also afraid that if I get drunk, I might offend the Crown Princess with my smell, and it would cause her headaches and morning sickness."
After the prince finished speaking, he drank the plum juice in his cup in one gulp, displaying a bold and unrestrained manner that made it impossible to tell that he was unhappy at all.
It seemed more like a genuine expression of gratitude to his father, the emperor who had raised him for many years but then turned around and coveted his crown princess.
All I can say is, a man who's three-tenths drunk can make you heartbroken.
The Crown Prince, that seemingly innocent but actually cunning fellow, is the same; he's clearly not drunk, yet his acting is better than if he were.
But does Sheng Jin care about any of this?
Of course I don't care.
He doesn't need everyone's heartfelt submission; he only needs to suppress them and prevent them from rebelling.
It can be said that a sober Sheng Jin is terrifyingly indifferent.
He could easily read a person's mind and coldly watch that person walk step by step into a dead end.
Even if that person was the child he raised with his own hands, the crown prince who was extremely close to him!
"The Crown Prince is becoming more and more considerate these days, which pleases me greatly."
As Sheng Jin said this, his face visibly turned cold, and the atmosphere in the East Warm Pavilion dropped to freezing point.
The crown prince did not apologize, but a faint smile played on his lips.
Although it wasn't a mocking laugh, who knows what he was really thinking?
"Father, Your Highness, the mutton in the hot pot looks ready. Why don't we try some?"
Lamb in winter is delicious, lean yet tender, and perfectly nourishing and warming – truly a wonderful dish.
After hearing Liu Lingxi's words, the eunuchs around them very tactfully picked out a piece of mutton for them.
After hearing this, Sheng Jin's expression softened considerably, and she then used her jade chopsticks to put the mutton into her mouth.
"It is indeed very good. Your Highness is very thoughtful. Please try it with me."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I have been craving this lamb for a long time."
The Crown Prince didn't say anything inappropriate this time. He understood what his Crown Princess meant, which was to tell him not to anger the Emperor.
He was unwilling to accept this and didn't want to endure the Emperor's gaze on Xi'er, but he could only give up and could no longer provoke him.
The situation returned to calm.
No one spoke.
Liu Lingxi quite liked the dining atmosphere; wherever her gaze lingered, Ye Zhi would serve her that dish.
Little Yezi was clever; he would almost always grab whatever dish Ye Zhi took, earning the Emperor's approving glance.
Encouraged, he began to observe the Crown Princess and her maids even more closely.
This time, although Sheng Jin's gaze wasn't glued to the Crown Princess all the time, he never truly looked away.
However, he always pretended to see it by accident or to watch the woman's every move out of the corner of his eye.
When Sheng Jin saw the Crown Princess eating mutton that was too hot, she would furrow her brows, cover her mouth with a handkerchief, and quickly take a sip of plum juice.
Of course, the sour plum juice would also make the Crown Princess squint her eyes, like a dozing cat, which was really cute.
Throughout the entire meal, Sheng Jin didn't miss any of the Crown Princess's expressions or behavior.
The Crown Prince appeared to know nothing and acted as if nothing was amiss, but in reality, he had already seen through Emperor Sheng Jin's subtle actions.
Anger kept rising in his heart, but Coco's reason repeatedly dissuaded him.
Because Crown Prince Sheng Changfeng knew that whatever he did now would be futile.
It seems that only Liu Lingxi was truly enjoying her meal; the other two were completely distracted from it...
After finishing their meal, the Crown Prince and his wife took their leave.
No matter how reluctant Sheng Jin was, there was no way to stop her.
Because he knew that he had already reached his limit in keeping her around for this long.
"Take it easy on the road, Your Highness. Make sure to take good care of Xi—the Crown Princess. Don't let anything happen to her."
"Yes, Father."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince nodded solemnly, his face still bearing a calm and composed smile, revealing not a trace of his dissatisfaction.
Liu Lingxi blushed slightly, her small face looking quite adorable beneath her white fox fur cloak.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern. Your Highness treats me very well."
After this lunch, Liu Lingxi completely let her guard down.
Because she didn't feel any unusual stares from others throughout the entire process.
Most men are fickle and easily bored; perhaps the emperor has found some new and interesting pastime.
As Liu Lingxi thought this, her expression calmed down considerably, and a sweet smile even appeared on her face.
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