Gan Lin had drunk some wine, and his face was rosy. He looked normal and healthy. Because he was wearing a lot of clothes today, he stood in front of Gan Qiongying and indeed looked like an emperor who could protect her from the wind and rain.
However, all this superficial glamour could not fool Gan Qiongying's eyes.
She was Duanrong, the one who had raised this child from infancy to adulthood. Naturally, she knew he was putting on a brave face, and she could see through his well-groomed eyes to his heart, revealing the unwavering resolve within him.
Behind the Empress Dowager was the entire vast Kou family, the Regent's powerful network of influence. Their carefully calculated schemes were shattered in front of everyone by Gan Lin, and they would never let it go.
At least this time, Gan Qiongying will not listen to Gan Lin again, abandoning him and leaving him to bear all the consequences.
She is the older sister.
She wanted to protect her younger brother.
No matter what happens, she will never back down.
However, Gan Lin mentioned that Li Hua had been staring at Gan Qiong Ying, and Gan Qiong Ying naturally noticed it as well. She had also been looking at Li Hua, but after all, Gan Qiong Ying and Gan Lin had thoroughly offended the old witch and the little demon king.
Gan Qiongying dared not call Li Hua to her side again, lest Li Hua be implicated by them.
So Gan Qiongying pretended not to see it. In fact, she drank two large bowls of old duck soup because she was embarrassed that Li Hua kept looking at her.
Gan Qiongying smiled slightly: "Ahem... the prince consort is a bit clingy."
But Gan Qiongying liked this clinginess. She even liked it when Lihua cried, but she definitely couldn't tell anyone about it, not even her younger brother.
The siblings stood in the side courtyard of Danxi Courtyard. Gan Qiongying saw Li Hua standing by the door waiting for her, looking in her direction from afar. She reached out and scratched her nose.
He turned to Gan Lin and said, "Give me a moment, I'll go and say a few words to him."
Gan Qiongying looked at Gan Lin and said, "I have someone send the prince consort out of the palace. My brother and I haven't seen each other for a long time, nor have we played chess or played pitch-pot and fish together. Anyway, there's nothing to do when I go back, so I'll stay in the palace for a few days."
Upon hearing this, Gan Lin's expression changed drastically, and he immediately said, "No way!"
His voice was already low and hoarse, and he deliberately suppressed it as he roared out, making it sound like a mountain collapsing above Gan Qiongying's head.
Gan Qiongying remained unfazed, her smile still present, but her gaze towards Gan Lin was as sharp as two knives.
"If you dare utter another word, don't call me 'elder sister' from now on!"
Gan Qiongying grabbed Gan Lin's hand and said, "Do you still want to repeat the last time you drove me out of the palace? And then spend months alone on my sickbed?"
"Or do you want this Mid-Autumn Festival reunion dinner to be the day we siblings are separated forever?"
“Gan Lin,” Gan Qiongying said, grabbing Gan Lin, “no matter what, I am your elder sister.”
She looked at Gan Lin stubbornly, just like when she was very young, no matter what she did or when she took a risk, she would say, "I am the elder sister."
Gan Lin's eyes were red-rimmed, and she kept shaking her head, trying to negotiate: "Sister..."
Gan Lin whispered, "I won't die, they still need me..."
“You won’t,” Gan Qiongying said, “but I will.”
“I will die of heartbreak today because I left you in the palace and went back to my ‘comfort nest’ alone.”
Gan Lin's eyelids twitched violently, and he lowered his head, no longer speaking.
Gan Qiongying then squeezed his hand again and said, "Chang Sheng Nu, wait for your elder sister to come back."
Gan Qiongying walked behind Gan Lin and asked Eunuch Li for two maids to take with her.
Gan Lin didn't say a word or look up. When Gan Qiongying turned and walked towards Li Hua at the door, his tears slid down his cheeks and landed on the dragon robe, quickly disappearing into the fabric without leaving a trace.
At this moment, Eunuch Li, who had been standing not far away from him, quickly stepped forward and handed Gan Lin a handkerchief.
Gan Lin reached out and took it, then looked up in the direction where Gan Qiongying and Li Hua were standing.
Gan Qiongying pulled Li Hua directly to a side courtyard of Danxi Palace, found a secluded garden, and asked the two palace servants she had asked Eunuch Li for to keep watch for her.
The shadows of the trees swayed gently. This place was not far from Danxi Palace, and the bright lights from there could still reach us, but it was like a dark place under a lampshade, and no one would find this place.
Gan Qiongying immediately threw herself into Li Hua's arms, hugging him tightly, and muttered a complaint: "Why did you keep staring at me during the banquet? It made my butt feel like it was nailed down. I kept wanting to talk to you, and I couldn't help but look at you!"
These words were clearly a complaint, but the tone was full of sweetness.
Li Hua could also tell that something was wrong at the banquet. He was in a hurry to take Gan Qiongying home, and he had a bad feeling, just like when he was locked in that closet and the house was on fire.
This intuition made Li Hua particularly anxious.
However, holding Gan Qiongying in his arms slightly eased Li Hua's anxiety.
Gan Qiongying hugged Li Hua tightly, her breath filled with his scent, and only then did she feel a little more at ease.
“Let’s go home,” Li Hua said. “Does my wife remember that I told you I had something to tell you tonight? I can’t wait until tomorrow, so let’s go now.”
Gan Qiongying released Li Hua, and in the hazy darkness, she tilted her head back, stood on tiptoe, and gave Li Hua a random kiss on the face.
The loud kiss completely stunned Li Hua.
Gan Qiongying cupped Li Hua's face in her hands, caressed his cheeks, hooked her arms around his neck to make him lower his head, and then turned her head to kiss his lips.
Both of them drank a little wine at the palace banquet, which featured several kinds of wine, ranging from the strongest to the weakest.
Both of them had a slightly sweet pear blossom scent on their breath, clearly indicating that they had chosen pear blossom wine, a very light kind.
Gan Qiongying embraced Li Hua and kissed him passionately. Li Hua had never experienced such enthusiasm from her before. After a moment of stunned silence, he began to respond fervently.
The two stumbled and staggered all the way to a moon gate. Gan Qiongying was pressed against the gate by Li Hua and kissed deeply for a while before they finally separated, panting.
Gan Qiongying suddenly said, "When I return from the palace, we should consummate our marriage, shouldn't we?"
Gan Qiongying suddenly touched Li Hua, who immediately shuddered violently and grabbed Gan Qiongying's hand. His tongue seemed to be tied in knots, his mind completely tangled. In the dark environment, his ears were not visible, but the heat on his body could not hide his shock at this moment.
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