The snowflakes outside kept falling heavily. Guan Zhiyue sat on the bed, wrapped the quilt around herself, like a roly-poly toy, staring blankly at the window, where the cold wind howled.
"Bilian, let's have hot pot tonight! It's so cold today."
Bilian looked up from the table beside her at Guan Zhiyue, then at the closed door, and listened to the howling sound outside. She nodded in agreement.
"good."
"Then shall I go and prepare it now?"
Guan Zhiyue nodded, and added as she left, "A hot pot with two broths, and also have the palace servants make their own hot pot, otherwise it's too cold today."
"Yes, I understand."
Guan Zhiyue looked at the snowflakes that whistled in as soon as she opened the door, and somewhat displeased, she wrapped herself even tighter in the blanket.
Guan Zhiyue: Ugh, this weather is absolutely unbearable! How am I supposed to survive without air conditioning or underfloor heating...?
While Guan Zhiyue was still muttering to herself, Li Qiji led Hua Quan and Ji Wu to the gate of the Cold Palace.
The knocking woke up the eunuch guarding the door. When the eunuch opened the door, he couldn't understand who would come on such a cold day.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be well!"
"Where is the Empress?"
The young eunuch guarding the gate trembled as he said, "Her Majesty is inside."
Li Qiji led the two past the kneeling eunuch, who looked at the departing figure with a slightly Barbie-like expression.
Seeing the eunuch still kneeling at the door, Li Qiji coldly said, "Get up!"
The eunuch, as if granted a pardon, bowed, got up from the ground, quickly closed the door, and went back inside.
Li Qiji really did arrive at the perfect time, not early. He just happened to run into Bilian carrying a charcoal stove and walking towards Guan Zhiyue's room.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be well!"
"Um!"
"Get up, what are you doing?"
Bilian put the stove she was carrying aside and said softly, "Her Majesty said it's rather cold today, so she's preparing hot pot."
"Um!"
Bilian quickly carried the stove and pushed open Guan Zhiyue's door. Guan Zhiyue was already wrapped in a quilt and lying on the bed. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she continued to lie on the bed without turning her head.
"Bilian, you finished so quickly?"
Bilian coughed awkwardly, wanting to remind her mistress that the Emperor had arrived, but seeing that the Emperor was glaring at her, she had no choice but to change her words and reply, "Yes, this servant will bring the stove over first, and will bring the pot over right away."
"Okay, then hurry up!"
"Yes, I understand."
Guan Zhiyue was still lying on her side in bed, her back to the door, unaware that there was anyone else in the room, lost in her own thoughts.
"Is Your Majesty very cold?"
Li Qiji's icy voice rang out beside Guan Zhiyue's bed. Guan Zhiyue's eyes widened upon hearing it, and she mechanically turned to look at Li Qiji, who was looking down at her.
Startled, she immediately rolled off the bed and knelt before Li Qiji, bowing with a mixture of disbelief and nervousness.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, what brings you here?"
Li Qiji plopped down next to Guan Zhiyue. Seeing that she was dressed in thick clothes, he didn't say anything, but then coldly said, "What? Shouldn't I have come?"
Guan Zhiyue blinked, unsure of what to say, but remembering the principle that flattery never fails, she still shamelessly moved her body slightly, her face full of fawning smiles.
"How could that be? This palace, this entire world, belongs to Your Majesty. Of course you can go wherever you want."
Guan Zhiyue: Just don't come here.
Li Qiji watched Guan Zhiyue move, but he wasn't annoyed. He moved a few more steps closer to Guan Zhiyue and placed one hand on the back of her hand. Guan Zhiyue turned her head to look at Li Qiji.
A few snowflakes still clung to Li Qiji's head, slowly melting.
Guan Zhiyue slowly withdrew her fingers from Li Qiji's hand, a smile that was both awkward and polite on her face.
"Your Majesty, there are snowflakes on your head."
"Why don't you ask Eunuch Hua to dust it off for you?"
Li Qiji turned his head to look at her, then suddenly pulled Guan Zhiyue into his arms, holding her tightly in front of him, and looked at her with deep affection.
This startled Guan Zhiyue. She instinctively placed her hands on Li Qiji's shoulders and looked up at this unparalleled man. She saw that his handsome, long eyelashes were damp with moisture as he stared at her intently.
Guan Zhiyue looked at the man so close to her, and somewhat spinelessly swallowed. Who could resist such a handsome, aloof man?
"The Empress is my wife, yet she doesn't take care of things for me. Why is she pushing the task onto a servant?" A cold, deep, provocative, and chilling voice rang out in front of Guan Zhiyue.
Upon hearing this, Guan Zhiyue's already cold body grew even colder; this was absolutely maddening.
"Heh, heh... Your Majesty, I'll dust it off right away..."
Li Qiji seemed to like Guan Zhiyue's words very much. The coldness and sternness around him seemed to have subsided a lot, and his whole demeanor began to soften. The way he held Guan Zhiyue also became lighter.
Guan Zhiyue felt the hand that was gripping her waist loosen considerably, and the tension in her heart eased slightly. Was she being too cowardly?
"Your Majesty, the Empress's hot pot is ready, you can dine now." Bilian awkwardly broke the silence.
Guan Zhiyue breathed a deep sigh of relief upon hearing Bilian's words. She quickly reached out and patted Li Qiji's head, then bent down to pick up her shoes and began to put them on.
However, due to his weight of 162 pounds, it was still a bit difficult for him to bend over and put on his shoes. He tried several times but failed, and waited somewhat frustratedly for Bilian to come and put his shoes on for him.
Li Qiji stood aside, amused, watching Guan Zhiyue struggle to put on the shoes despite her efforts. Then, noticing Guan Zhiyue's unusually sweaty forehead, he squatted down beside her bed and gently picked up the pair of tall boots from the floor.
Guan Zhiyue was so frightened that she quickly pulled her foot back. She looked at Li Qiji, who was squatting by her bedside, with some fear. She swallowed hard and said nervously, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, Bilian will be here soon. There's no need for you to trouble yourself. You are the Emperor, how can you put shoes on me?"
"You are my wife."
These words kept echoing in Guan Zhiyue's mind. She was so shocked that she was like a puppet on a string, letting Li Qiji put her shoes on and then lead her to the table in the main room where the hot pot was placed.
It all felt like a dream, leaving everyone bewildered. What was wrong with the Emperor today...?
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