Chapter 81 Fu Huaiqing didn't do anything, only...
Upon hearing this, Fu Huaiqing's lips twitched slightly, feeling both amused and exasperated.
However, he also knew that if Biezhi could say it, she could do it without him having to think about it. Just thinking about the scene she described made him feel uneasy.
Fu Huaiqing put his arm around her back and pulled her into his embrace. He rested his chin on the girl's shoulder and glanced at her side slightly: "No."
Biezhi lowered her eyes and stared at him, pursed her lips, and remained silent.
She saw how busy he was, his mind mostly occupied with government affairs, and he would often work until late at night when there were unexpected situations. Even a body of iron couldn't withstand such hardship, but Biezhi couldn't say he was wrong. She could only remind him to take care of his health.
"Fu Huaiqing." Bie Zhi's fingertips brushed around the strands of hair that had fallen onto her fingertips. Her slightly parted lips swallowed back when she saw the redness in his eyes, turning into a sigh.
After a long silence, Fu Huaiqing suddenly spoke: "No, that won't happen."
Unable to discern the other branch, she raised her eyes to look at him.
Fu Huaiqing straightened up, holding her palm tightly without letting go, "I will always walk with you, and I will not leave halfway."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi's eyelashes trembled, and she nodded in agreement.
At night, she stayed in Chengtian Hall. While Fu Huaiqing reviewed memorials, she flipped through the novels that Fu Shuning had found some time ago.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the girl's slightly lowered eyes, intently flipping through the storybook in her hands. Her thick, dark hair fell slowly with the curve of her head, making her look incredibly serene. Fu Huaiqing's lips curled up slightly.
Biezhi hadn't turned more than a few pages of her storybook when gazes fell upon her repeatedly, each time spaced about half a cup of tea's time apart. This happened several times. When she noticed his gaze again, Biezhi lifted her eyelids and met the man's deep, unfathomable eyes. The dappled candlelight reflected on his eyes, making it impossible to discern the meaning hidden within.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Fu Huaiqing put down his pen and stared intently at her.
Biezhi glanced subconsciously at the mountain of memorials, then paused, stunned: "Is it over?"
Fu Huaiqing shook his head slightly: "No."
Biezhi thought about it and realized that it made sense. Usually, he would finish reviewing the memorials close to midnight. How could he have finished so quickly today? But if he hadn't finished reviewing the memorials, why did he stop writing?
She hesitated for a moment, put down the book in her hand, stood up and walked to the imperial desk. "What's bothering you now?"
Fu Huaiqing remained silent, encircling her wrist with his palm and pulling her towards him. Caught off guard, Biezhi fell into his arms with his movement, instinctively raising her hands to wrap around his neck.
The girl's unique scent wafted on the breeze, carrying a hint of sweetness. Fu Huaiqing's eyes deepened as he gazed at her silently.
The emotions in his eyes were like a surging tide. Without a word, Biezhi understood the deep meaning. His burning gaze seemed to scald her, startling her so much that she raised her hand to cover his eyes, blocking their gazes from each other.
Fu Huaiqing didn't do anything; he just held her.
The palace was completely silent. Jiang Yue, who had entered with a teacup in hand, saw this scene, paused for a moment, and then retreated.
On the eve of the coronation ceremony, the vast palace was brightly lit, and the guards patrolling the area were more vigilant than usual. The palace servants hurried about, their feet barely touching the ground.
The only two people who were truly free in the entire palace were Fu Shuning and Biezhi. If there were more, you could also count Fu Mingzhan, who had already left the palace to live elsewhere.
Fu Mingzhan had already been brought to the palace by Cheng Jin early this morning to avoid him having to get up at dawn and rush to the palace tomorrow. Since he had nothing else to do, he came to Fu Shuning's palace.
As night fell, the branches and leaves inside the palace swayed in the gentle breeze.
The three people sat quietly under the treetops, holding warm teacups, watching the guards who occasionally passed by the palace gates. Leaning against a branch, they glanced sideways at Fu Mingzhan, who was silent beside them. The young man's eyes were clear, and his whole body exuded a relaxation that they hadn't felt when they first met, as if there was even a hint of relief in his expression.
As night deepened, Fu Mingzhan found it inconvenient to stay in Fu Shuning's palace, so he soon left with his personal eunuch.
Watching his departing figure, Biezhi's eyes trembled slightly. They weren't exactly close, so she naturally couldn't figure out what Fu Mingzhan was thinking. However, she had roughly learned about his thoughts from Fu Huaiqing.
"As long as I am in this position, there will be people who want to cause trouble in my name. Firstly, I don't want to be used by others, and secondly, why should the country, which has been stabilized with great difficulty, be disturbed again?"
"It has not been easy for my brother to get to where he is now. He treats me like a younger brother, and I do not want to be a burden to him."
“I asked him if he hated me,” Fu Shuning interrupted her thoughts.
Biezhi snapped out of her daze and glanced at the slightly bewildered girl. She had heard Fu Shuning mention this matter before, so she knew the answer.
Fu Mingzhan did not hate.
He hated those relatives who used him, still an infant, and his unarmed mother as political bargaining chips to oppose the late emperor. He hated their wolfish ambitions and their desire to impose their ambitions on him and his mother, slaughtering people in the name of doing what was best for them.
Fu Shuning had watched Fu Mingzhan grow up. There had never been many complicated things between the two siblings. She didn't want to test him like a thief, so she asked him directly, "To be honest, in the first year after you took over the government, I really felt disgusted with Zhan'er."
During those six months, every time she saw Fu Mingzhan, she would think of those treacherous officials. Because of them, her brother had been taking risks for many years, and if he was not careful, he would fall into the abyss.
“But he’s too young.” Fu Shuning recalled Fu Mingzhan cautiously tugging at her sleeve, looking up at her timidly, just wanting to know if she would come again next time.
For a long time, she couldn't get over that mental hurdle.
"Later, it was my brother who found me." Fu Shuning took a sip of tea. "At that time, I was still living in the Prince Su's mansion. My brother asked me if I was free, and after I got a reply, he took me to the temporary palace for a short stay. Zhan'er was there too."
Fu Huaiqing didn't stay at the palace for long, leaving after only half a day, leaving the two of them staring at each other. Over time, the two of them gradually became familiar with each other.
Listening to her words, Biezhi seemed to be able to imagine the scene and guess why Fu Huaiqing would act this way. "He is innocent too."
Fu Shuning crossed her arms over her knees, rested her chin on her knees, and hummed in agreement.
Suddenly, solemn bell tolls echoed above the palace, lingering for a long time.
The coronation ceremony was only eight hours away.
That night, Biezhi did not stay overnight in Fu Shuning's palace. Around 11:45 PM, she got up and went to Chengtian Hall.
Tomorrow is the coronation ceremony, and Fu Huaiqing is still reviewing memorials. Cheng Jin, who is on duty at night, saw her figure and knocked on the door from afar to report to her.
Just as Biezhi stepped into the palace, Fu Huaiqing finished writing his last imperial edict of the day.
When she saw him get up, put down his pen, and walk over to her, Biezhi felt a little strange, especially after realizing that he had finished all his official duties.
Her eyes, filled with surprise, stared at him without blinking. Fu Huaiqing smiled slightly, stepped forward, took her wrist, and led her outside, explaining, "There are important matters to attend to tomorrow, so there are far fewer memorials than usual."
Biezhi hadn't expected the coronation ceremony to have such a miraculous effect, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "It's clear that the few memorials they usually submit are unnecessary."
Upon hearing this, Fu Huaiqing turned his head and couldn't help but look at her with a smile.
After a moment, he said, "What you said is not wrong."
Footsteps, sometimes light and sometimes heavy, echoed through the quiet, boundless palace street. Cheng Jin, following far behind the two, watched the girl who would occasionally stop and glance at his prince. Sometimes she was coquettish, sometimes she was a little angry. The master stared at her with a half-smile. It seemed that he had been holding back for a long time. Finally, he couldn't help but reach out and pinch the girl's cheek, then lowered his head and kissed her.
In an instant, the guards on duty turned to face the high wall, their eyes fixed straight ahead.
For some reason, Biezhi felt that she was even more nervous than Fu Huaiqing, and she had difficulty falling asleep for a long time after resting at night.
Noticing that Fu Huaiqing's breathing had become steady, she opened her clear eyes and looked at him by the candlelight that shone through the curtains. Her thoughts drifted back to the events of the past two years, and she found him increasingly strange.
Upon closer reflection, it seems that everything hinges on a single thought.
If she hadn't been thinking about finding food when she returned to the capital, but instead had gone back to her courtyard to rest as usual, she wouldn't have encountered Fu Huaiqing disguised as Ji Ran, and none of what followed would have happened.
Perhaps she would never have any further contact with him until she had saved enough money to leave Xianyun Tower.
Or, if I hadn't agreed to become my master's apprentice back then, I don't know where I would be now, struggling to make a living, with no time for anything else.
As she pondered, the moment her palm was grasped by a warm, large hand, she snapped back to reality and met the man's deep, dark eyes.
Fu Huaiqing tightened his grip on her waist with the other hand, pulling her completely into his embrace. "Can't sleep?"
"Hmm." Biezhi moved closer, her cheek pressed against his chest. "I was thinking that if I hadn't turned around and gone to Wuweipu that day, or if I had never entered Xianyunlou in the first place, we might never have met."
"No, not." Fu Huaiqing lowered his eyes, brushed aside the stray hairs that had fallen on her face. Without anything else blocking his view, his gaze fell more clearly on her face. Seeing the slight confusion in her eyes, he said, "You will get to know her."
“I will get to know you too.” Fu Huaiqing interrupted her before she could finish speaking, answering confidently, “I definitely will.”
He spoke with such certainty that Biezhi was stunned for a long time, "How could that be?"
Seeing the bewildered look on the girl in his arms, Fu Huaiqing chuckled, and after a moment of her intense gaze, said, "It's a secret."
Biezhi: "..."
Stingy and unresponsive.
Biezhi elbowed him and turned her back to him.
The series of movements were very smooth, without the slightest hesitation. Her puffed-up cheeks, illuminated by the dappled candlelight, would sometimes bulge and sometimes deflate, making her incredibly cute. Fu Huaiqing burst out laughing.
Hearing his laughter, Biezhi just wanted to elbow him again. She had finally managed to express her feelings here, but he still had a secret he was hiding from her. He was really not cute at all.
Fu Huaiqing pressed his fist against the corner of his mouth, trying to hide the smile that he couldn't help but reveal.
He turned her over, lowered his gaze to her eyes, which were brightening with a hint of anger, and said, "You forgot, how can you turn the tables on me?"
In an instant, Biezhi was plunged into endless confusion.
What else has she forgotten?
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Author's note: There will still be an update tomorrow night.
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