Ganling Palace.
This was the third time Zhou Changling had been reminded; if he stayed any longer, he might miss the morning court session.
Looking at Bai Lingxi's delicate and peaceful sleeping face, Zhou Changling sighed softly and finally got up and left. Li Lin was about to follow when Zhou Changling stopped him: "You stay here. If the Empress needs anything, report to me."
Zhou Changling didn't trust anyone else, so he only felt a little more at ease when Li Lin personally guarded him.
Li Lin respectfully accepted, and then watched Zhou Changling's entourage walk away.
Not long after Zhou Changling left, Li Lin sent people to check on Bai Lingxi's bedside four times, fearing that something unexpected might have happened.
At this moment, the voices of guards came from outside the hall, as if they were exchanging pleasantries with someone. Li Lin guessed the identity of the person who came and realized that apart from Eunuch Li Mu, probably no one would dare to come to Ganling Palace at this time.
As expected, Li Mu had already brought Xiao Yuanzi over. Since Li Mu was ordered by the late emperor to guard the empress and the young prince, Li Lin still had to give Li Mu, the former chief steward, some face.
So Li Lin went out to greet them first: "Oh, what brings you here?"
Li Mu maintained a stern expression, revealing no emotion whatsoever: "I've come to visit the young prince, and while I'm at it, I'll also stop by to inquire about Consort Rong's health."
Li Lin was somewhat undecided. After all, the Emperor valued Consort Rong highly these days. Just yesterday, the Consort had a brush with death. Given the Emperor's high regard for the Consort, if he were to secretly let Li Mu in, the Emperor would likely be furious and punish him in the end.
However, Li Mu's identity allowed him to visit Consort Rong, and he also knew that Li Mu had a secret guard that appeared and disappeared unpredictably, which might be a backup plan left by the late emperor for the young prince.
Li Lin hesitated: "This...?"
Li Mu, however, didn't give him a chance to play coy: "I was supposed to be watching over the young prince and the empress, but considering the turmoil in the palace, I was delayed for a while. It's not too late now, is it?"
Li Lin was still undecided when, just then, a young palace maid rushed in with a beaming smile and reported, "Chief Eunuch Li, Her Highness has awakened!"
Now, Li Lin had no excuse to refuse Li Mu. After all, Li Mu was right; he was only there to pay his respects to the Empress. If he wasn't even allowed to take a look, who knows what kind of trouble it might cause.
So Li Lin had no choice but to agree to their request to see Bai Lingxi: "Now that Her Highness is awake, Li Cui, go and inform her whether she would be interested in seeing Lord Li Mu?"
Li Cui was a young girl who was not yet fifteen years old. She was not very clever and did not understand Li Lin's intentions at all. Instead, she excitedly reported the truth to Bai Lingxi.
Li Lin sighed inwardly: "He really is stupid. Oh well, let the Empress meet him. Anyway, with me keeping an eye on things, nothing serious will happen."
A short while later, the young palace maid Li Cui returned with a report: "Eunuch, the Empress summons you."
——————
The moment Zhou Jin saw Bai Lingxi, time seemed to stand still. It felt like an eternity in that single glance, and his heart was churning with emotion.
Bai Lingxi's face was as pale as snow, and her jet-black hair was draped down, making her small face look even more delicate. She was as slender as a willow in the wind, and she looked so graceful that one wanted to hold her in one's arms and cherish her.
Li Lin was someone Zhou Changling had deliberately kept behind. Seeing that the usually well-mannered Xiao Yuanzi was staring at the Empress without blinking, he thought it was a bit too inappropriate.
Although Li Lin would give Li Mu some face, if Zhou Changling knew about this situation, he would probably skin him alive. So he spoke up to remind him, "Ahem, ahem!"
Perhaps it had been too long since he had seen Bai Lingxi, because Zhou Jin noticed his eyes were moist, but he still couldn't bear to look away. He really missed her so much.
Seeing that Zhou Jin was slow to pay his respects to Bai Lingxi, Li Mu was the first to react. He quickly pulled Zhou Jin back and apologized to Bai Lingxi, "Your Majesty, Xiao Yuanzi has received Your Majesty's favor before, and it has been too long since I have seen Your Majesty. I was impolite for a moment, please forgive me."
Zhou Jin came to his senses and knelt down with Li Mu. He did not feel humiliated, but after being an emperor for decades, he had not been able to be so humble for a long time, so he was inevitably a little uncomfortable.
For some reason, Bai Lingxi, who hadn't been feeling well before, felt inexplicably calmer after seeing Xiao Yuanzi, and even her spirits improved considerably.
Bai Lingxi nodded good-naturedly, indicating that she understood, and tried to sound serious in her sweet voice: "It's alright, you don't need to kneel anymore, get up."
Zhou Jin knew she shouldn't be looking so infatuated at this moment, but she couldn't take her eyes off her, staring at her intently without blinking.
Being stared at with such intense gazes, Bai Lingxi should have felt a bit angry at being offended, but for some reason, she sensed a hint of sadness in them.
Thinking about what Li Mu had said, Bai Lingxi asked curiously, "You just said that I had done you a favor?"
Bai Lingxi's eyes were clear as water, and when she looked at Zhou Jin, they were lively and natural, as if she hadn't said anything, but it seemed like she had said everything.
Zhou Jin clenched his fists slightly. After a shock to his heart, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness swept over him. All that remained in his mind was this thought: So, she really has forgotten everything!
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