"Ah??!"
Consort Wan hurried forward, carrying a food box in her hand.
Meng Qingluan frowned and decided to step back a little, lest Consort Wan try to frame her again.
When Shen Yan saw her, the tenderness on his face froze, instantly replaced by cold indifference.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness, the Noble Consort."
Chen Yan led Meng Qingluan back two steps, creating distance between them, and gave her a perfunctory bow.
Consort Wan was stunned by his cold and distant address, and the warm smile on her face faded considerably.
Shen Yan was reminding her of how inappropriate it was for her to use such an intimate term of address with him, given her current status.
Consort Wan stopped and stood on the opposite side not far from the two, forcing a smile.
"Lord Shen, there's no need for such formalities. Between us..."
"Your Majesty and I are of vastly different statuses, and there is a clear hierarchy between us. How can you speak of excessive courtesy?"
"Ah...?" Consort Wan's voice trembled, sounding so thin and weak in the bleak cold wind, "Are you still blaming me for what happened yesterday?"
What happened yesterday?
Shen Yan raised his head, his eyes deep and dark, a warning glint in them.
Consort Wan shut her mouth, abruptly ending the conversation.
"I must have misremembered, Lord Shen, please forgive me."
"..."
Consort Wan held up the food box in her hand and handed it to Shen Yan.
"This is the osmanthus cake I made for you last night. It was your favorite when you were little. It's not the season for osmanthus to bloom these days, and I haven't cooked for years, so I'm a bit rusty. Please don't be too critical of it after you try it."
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Consort Wan revealed her hand, which was covered in white blisters from the burns.
When she speaks, the loving gaze in her eyes is like a tidal wave, and if you're not careful, you'll fall into her gentle vortex.
These sweet-talking words were quite a contrast to her fierce and foolish demeanor when she threatened her yesterday.
Meng Qingluan subconsciously looked at the reaction of the person beside her.
Shen Yan's expression remained the same as before, but his pupils twitched when he saw the scars on her bare hands.
Meng Qingluan sighed softly.
Is Shen Yan going to soften her heart? Has Consort Wan successfully played the family card?
To everyone's surprise, Chen Yan glanced at her lightly. When he met her loving gaze again, her eyes remained as calm and still as a lake in the depths of winter, yet they revealed a chilling coldness.
"Your Majesty, times have changed, and things are no longer the same. If you can no longer do something, then don't pretend to do it anymore."
"No..."
"Revisiting a familiar place is like trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat; trying to imitate your former self is just like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi, which will only backfire."
Shen Yan's voice was neither loud nor soft; his words came out gently and disappeared without a trace, like a wisp of winter mist.
"No, Ah?? It's just because I remember you like to eat it, so I wanted to make it for you. I didn't mean anything by it."
Consort Wan was extremely nervous and hurriedly offered an explanation.
Meng Qingluan, who was standing to the side, suddenly asked a question.
"Is this osmanthus cake cold?"
Consort Wan didn't look at her and didn't want to answer her, but because Shen Yan was still there, she could only let out a soft "hmm" through her nose.
Meng Qingluan stood smiling in front of Shen Yan.
"Your Highness, please take it back. He doesn't eat cold food."
Consort Wan glanced at her. "Are you sure? When he was little, he loved eating cold osmanthus cake the most, but he wouldn't touch a single hot one. Madam Shen, as his bedmate, you can't possibly not even know this little bit about his preferences, can you?"
Meng Qingluan was not angry at her sarcastic remarks, and still had a standard and proper smile on her face.
He patiently explained, "Ah, he has a sensitive stomach. Eating too much cold food will make him feel unwell and have stomach pain."
Consort Wan's smile froze, but her hand holding the food box remained still as she stared intently at Shen Yan.
"What is given to me is mine?" Shen Yan suddenly spoke up.
"What kind of question is that, child? What I gave you is naturally yours. Don't worry, no one will take it from you."
Consort Wan didn't understand the meaning behind Shen Yan's words. She only thought he wanted to confirm whether she was sincere or not, so she immediately answered and glanced at Meng Qingluan with great provocation.
Receiving her blatantly provocative gaze, Meng Qingluan's smile deepened.
Chen Yan took the food box, opened it, and took out the plate filled with osmanthus cake.
Meng Qingluan glanced at it out of the corner of her eye and noticed that the osmanthus cake looked quite good.
With a flick of his wrist, Chen Yan sent the porcelain plate shattering into pieces on the ground, along with the sticky, golden-yellow osmanthus cake.
"Ah??!"
Consort Wan stared wide-eyed, her eyes reddening, at the golden patch on the ground.
Shen Yan clapped her hands, afraid that her hands would get even a little bit of her stuff on them, and turned to give instructions to the servant behind her.
"After cleaning these things up, we'll add some incense money as an apology."
"yes."
Shen Yan grasped Meng Qingluan's hand, but before they could take two steps, Consort Wan blocked their way.
Meng Qingluan raised an eyebrow.
She vowed that if it weren't for the vast difference in their social status, she would have taught Consort Wan a lesson.
Consort Wan did not fly into a rage as expected; instead, she looked remorseful and spoke with a sorrowful expression.
"It was my oversight today that upset you. I will definitely correct it next time."
Meng Qingluan sighed inwardly.
What did she say about Chen Yan? She's so good at playing the victim; it turns out she's a true master.
She could clearly see Shen Yan's jaw tighten, his jaw trembling slightly.
"No need."
"..."
Consort Wan did not persist in pressing the matter, but stepped aside to let them pass, only gazing at their departing figures.
"Your Majesty, it's almost Shen Shi (3-5 PM)." A palace maid stepped forward to remind you.
"Um."
Consort Wan withdrew her gaze, the sorrow in her eyes faded, and she frowned as she reached out her hand.
The palace maid immediately took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her fingers. The terrifying red marks disappeared, leaving only a few small blisters.
Consort Wan was helped into the carriage, rubbing her brow wearily.
Her son is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.
Yesterday, she gritted her teeth and pressed her hand against the stove, burning it and creating a blister, hoping that this would arouse his sympathy and soften his heart.
Unexpectedly, everything was prepared, but the fact that he couldn't eat cold food was overlooked.
Consort Wan waved her hand irritably. The letter on the table was crumpled and limp from her caresses.
Zhan Qi, aren't you being a little too hasty...?
…
Inside the carriage.
"The osmanthus cake made by Consort Wan looks pretty good."
Meng Qingluan lay on Shen Yan's lap, enjoying the gentle massage of his fingers on her temples, and commented.
"You believe she did it?"
"Didn't she say she made it herself? Maybe she's trying to win you back."
"She has never been good at making osmanthus cakes before; every time she tried, it would burn. Now that she lives a life of luxury, with everything done for her, how could she possibly make them?"
Chen Yan sneered.
"Oh, that's so insincere, but that osmanthus cake looks really delicious."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com