"Too bad!!" I nearly spit out my tea, and the silver I was biting made a creaking sound. "Does God think I've been having too much fun lately?!"

The old man was standing by and saw him lose his composure. His face was wrinkled like a bitter gourd. "My silly daughter, now is the time to say this. The Queen Mother has passed away. The government and the public are shocked. I am afraid that our Lin family will have to..."

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of being eaten alive by those old foxes? Don't worry, I, your daughter, am a vegetarian!"

Having said that, I threw away the snacks in the bag, patted the cake crumbs on the bag, stood up and walked out.

"Hey, girl, where are you going? This palace is our home, you can't just barge in!" My dad was stamping his feet anxiously behind me, but I ignored him and ran away without a trace.

Just kidding, the palace secrets of this era are much more exciting than TV dramas. It's so rare to come across one, so I have to go to the scene to eat some melons, right?

I took advantage of the fact that I had become quite familiar with the palace recently, and I eventually found my way to the vicinity of the Queen Mother's Dormitory.

Good guy, before I even went in, I heard loud crying inside. Those who didn't know were wondering whose family was holding a funeral.

I hid behind the crowd and craned my neck to look inside.

I saw the Empress crying like a pear blossom with tears in her eyes. I felt so sorry for her that I hugged the already freezing cold His Royal Highness, and it was so heartbreaking.

"My poor son! Why did you die like this? How could I live like this?"

I rolled my eyes. The Queen was being too dramatic. It was normal for her to feel sad as a mother, but her crying was too fake, wasn't it? You know, she was the one whose son died!

"The Emperor has arrived—"

Following the eunuch's shrill voice, everyone knelt down and saluted.

I blended in with the crowd, kept my head down, and pretended to exist.

"My dear, please stand up." Li Heng's voice sounded a little tired. It was obvious that the death of the emperor had also dealt a heavy blow to him.

I secretly raised my eyes to take a look, and saw that Li Heng's face was as gloomy as water, and the corners of his eyes and eyebrows were filled with concealed sadness and fatigue.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, it seems that this Taibai still has some weight in his heart.

As I was thinking, I suddenly felt a sharp gaze coming towards me.

My heart skipped a beat and I looked up subconsciously.

I saw Li Rui standing in the crowd, staring at me with burning eyes, as if he could see through me.

My heart tightened and I quickly lowered my head, not daring to look at him again.

Damn, when did he come?

I secretly groaned in my heart, if I had known earlier I should have come to join in the fun!

Li Rui's appearance made my originally relaxed mood suddenly become heavy.

In my mind, I kept recalling the look in his eyes when he looked at me just now. In that look, there was inquiry, suspicion, and even a hint of... murderous intent?

I couldn't help but shudder.

Okay, I have to get out of here!

While everyone was not paying attention, I quietly retreated and tried to sneak away.

"Lin Qingya, stop!"

However, my action was still discovered by Li Rui, and he shouted angrily, which almost scared me to death.

I turned around stiffly and forced out a smile that was uglier than crying: "My king, my king..."

Li Rui walked towards me step by step. Every step seemed to step on the tip of my heart, allowing me to catch my breath.

"You, what do you want to talk to me about?" I asked, pretending to be calm, but I was actually very panicked.

Li Rui didn't say anything, but just looked at me coldly. It seemed as if his eyes could see through me.

I felt uneasy at the sight of him, so I took a step back.

"Are you afraid of me?" Li Rui suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse.

My heart skipped a beat and I quickly shook my head in denial: "No, no, why should I be afraid of you?"

"Then why are you hiding from me?" Li Rui pressed closer and closer, forcing me to retreat again and again until my back was against the cold wall, with nowhere to go.

"I, I'm not hiding from you..." I stammered, avoiding his gaze and not daring to look at him.

Li Rui suddenly stretched out his hand, grabbed my wrist and pulled me in front of him. He was very angry and I staggered and almost fell into his arms.

I raised my head in panic and met his eyes as deep as the sea.

"What do you want to do?" I struggled with my body, trying to break free from his grip, but his body was like an iron clamp, restraining me tightly and making it impossible for me to move.

"What do I want to do?" Li Rui suddenly sneered, leaned close to my ear, and said in a low and dangerous voice, "I want..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has summoned you!"

Li Rui frowned slightly, looked at the visitor with satisfaction, and then let go of my grip.

I immediately breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped aside, staying away from him.

Li Rui looked at me deeply, turned and left.

I looked at his back, my heart filled with doubt and anxiety.

What does he want to do?