Chapter 102 You've fallen for it, wait until you realize how good it is...
However, as an entrepreneur, it is not appropriate for Fu Yun to stay in the palace. He has to go in and out of the palace every day, which is very inconvenient. If Zhi Lan gives him special privileges, it will probably cause gossip.
He has many things to do next, so the more convenient the better.
Thinking of this, Fu Yun said frankly, "I have many business plans ahead of me. Living in the palace would probably be inconvenient and I wouldn't be able to fully implement them."
A hint of sadness flashed across Zhilan's eyes, as if she were somewhat disappointed, but she quickly composed herself. Su Fuyun's decision was actually within her expectations.
Given his personality, it would be unlike him to actually agree to stay in the palace.
Although he was delicate and frail, he always gave people the feeling of a galloping horse across the plains.
Few men can be so clear-headed and resilient, knowing exactly what they want, setting clear goals, and then working hard to achieve them step by step.
Even when carrying heavy burdens, he remained calm and elegant, as if he were born to conquer adversity, radiating wisdom and magnanimity.
It's hard not to be drawn to a man who is so unique.
Zhilan sighed inwardly, knowing that Su Fuyun's mind was not on romance at the moment, and given the current situation, she naturally wouldn't force him.
"In that case, once you have recovered from your injuries, I will send you out of the palace!"
Fu Jun should have breathed a sigh of relief when Zhilan agreed to his request so readily, but for some reason, a strange sense of loneliness welled up in his heart.
It seemed that deep down, he actually hoped that Zhilan could give him another reason to stay in the palace a little longer.
Fu Yun felt that there was probably something wrong with her. Why had she become so strange and indecisive? This was not normal at all.
It's really strange. This time, the injury was clearly to the back of the shoulder, not the brain, so why did my thinking become contradictory?
Mr. Fu, you've fallen for him.
Fu Jun countered, "What have you fallen into?"
What else could it be? You've fallen in love.
Xiao Ba spoke with such schadenfreude, as if he were delighted to see it.
Fu Yun rolled her eyes, refusing to admit it even if she were beaten to death: "What nonsense are you talking about! She is Empress Ji Shun, a decisive and ruthless emperor who would not indulge in romantic feelings. How could I possibly have any wicked thoughts about an ancient emperor? It must be that after being seriously injured, she became a little lonely and sensitive and wanted to find someone on the same wavelength to talk to and relieve her worries, which is why she became so strange."
[Keep being stubborn! It's all self-deception anyway. I'm waiting for the day you'll admit it and be proven wrong.]
Fu Yun's tone softened imperceptibly: "Don't wait anymore, that day will never come."
"Heh~" Little Ba chuckled.
Fu Yun didn't want to talk to Xiao Ba anymore, so he chose to continue talking to Zhi Lan: "How's the excavation going?"
Zhilan paused slightly, seemingly surprised that Fu Yun had suddenly changed the subject. But she was in a good mood as soon as he mentioned it, and her beautiful eyes lit up with a happy smile: "After I took you away from Futou Village, Xing Fei arranged for the stonemasons to continue digging deeper. They found the vein you mentioned in less than an hour. So far, the digging is going smoothly and there have been no unexpected problems. Once this vein is finished, I will send someone to deliver your share to you."
"It's alright." Fu Yun trusted Zhi Lan's character and wasn't worried that she might do something underhanded behind her back.
"My part isn't urgent; we'll talk about it when we're mining other veins later."
Zhilan said without room for doubt, "You deserve a lot of credit for this. I have always been fair in my rewards and punishments, and you should be rewarded when you deserve it."
Fu Yun gently shook her head: "I only played a small role in pointing the way. The hard work is done by the stonemasons who put in the labor. If possible, we should give them more of their hard-earned wages."
Before Zhilan could reply, he quickly asked another question: "What about those people who were secretly following us? Have they been caught?"
Zhilan reassured them, "Don't worry. Just before Yelan and Qingling met up with us that day, they discovered two unknown forces following us. They simply turned the tables on them and captured them all."
Fu Yun breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
Zhilan's eyes flashed with a hint of anger: "It's a pity they don't cooperate. Just like the suspicious people we arrested recently, they didn't utter a single word to us, even under severe interrogation."
Fu Yun remained silent for a moment, then guessed, "These people were probably threatened, for example, they have something more important than their own lives, which the person behind the scenes is using as leverage against them."
Zhilan agreed: "That's the same speculation I made, and I've already sent people from the Censorate to investigate."
"Hmm." Fu Yun asked again, "What about that madman Mu Xin?"
Zhilan glanced at Fu Jun, then replied in a deep voice, "Liu Lan has already led people to search for her whereabouts."
As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and gently rubbed Fu Jun's forehead, as if coaxing a child, and said in a gentle voice, "Don't be afraid. From now on, I will protect you for the rest of my life and will not let anyone hurt you."
Fu Yun was dumbfounded and looked up at Zhi Lan's forearm, which was gently swaying.
Because he had been pampered since childhood, everyone knew that the young master had a personality that disliked close contact with people.
Although he was young, he had a calm and wise demeanor like an elder, so few people dared to touch his head easily, not even his own mother.
Her only close encounters were during kindergarten and elementary school, when she hugged him in the atmosphere of parent-child activities organized by the school.
Throughout his life, apart from once when he had a fever during elementary school that caused him to underperform on a test, and his father rubbed his forehead to comfort him, no one has ever dared to touch his head.
Zhilan was the first person to pat his head, and also the only person of the opposite sex to pat his head.
This was a feeling that Fu Yun couldn't describe. He could only stare at Zhi Lan, the warmth from her palm making him feel a shameful awkwardness, along with a strange palpitation.
Seeing Fu Yun's stunned expression, Zhi Lan felt a surge of tenderness in her heart and solemnly promised, "If anyone can hurt you under my protection, there is only one possibility: I am no longer alive."
At this moment, Fu Yun was stunned. His heart began to pound wildly without warning, as if a fish that was swimming in a lake had been suddenly injected with a stream of hot water, which gradually became scalding hot. His heart felt warm and swollen, and in the end, it was so hot that he was at a loss.
What merit or ability did he possess to earn such a weighty promise from an emperor?
Fu Yun suddenly felt an urge to ask Zhi Lan, "What exactly are your feelings for me?"
He thought this, and he did it: "Can I ask you a question?"
Before Zhilan could respond, he quickly added, "If you feel offended, you can choose not to answer."
He couldn't explain why he was so insistent on asking this question, or what answer he really wanted.
Perhaps only by hearing Zhilan's answer can one understand what truly matters to them.
Zhilan raised her eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised: "There's no need for such formalities between us. Just ask if you want to."
Fu Yun took a deep breath, about to ask her question, when a respectful call suddenly came from outside the bedchamber: "Your Majesty~"
Fu Yun snapped out of her daze and had to put the matter aside for the time being. She looked up at the person outside and saw that Xiao Jingzi had returned.
Zhilan frowned slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes, and her voice dropped several decibels: "What is it?"
"Your Majesty, the imperial kitchen has prepared all the meals. May we serve the dishes now?"
Zhilan's voice was cold and sharp: "Come in and wait to the side."
"promise!"
Kyoko, her back hunched, cautiously shuffled in with tiny steps.
He was followed by about twenty people, lined up on both sides, each carrying a classically elegant food box.
They bowed and greeted the Emperor in unison: "Greetings, Your Majesty; greetings, Your Highness."
Zhilan waved her hand: "No need for formalities." Her tone was indifferent: "Place the food on the table."
"promise!"
After all twenty-odd dishes were placed down, Zhilan coldly ordered, "Xiao Jingzi, stay here. Everyone else, leave."
"promise!"
Zhilan's gaze returned to Fu Yun, and her previously cold and displeased expression instantly softened: "You haven't eaten for several days, you must be starving. Why don't you have a meal first, and we can discuss what we need to say afterward?"
Fu Yun sighed inwardly. Sure enough, even God thought the question was unnecessary and didn't give him a chance to ask it.
With Xiao Jingzi by his side to take care of him during his recovery, he couldn't possibly ask this emperor such a fussy question in front of him, like how he really felt about him.
This makes it seem like a naive, inexperienced young man is recklessly courting a mature, sophisticated woman.
Thinking of this, Fu Yun could no longer harbor any romantic thoughts and could only suppress them for the time being: "Well, let's talk about it when we have the chance!"
Zhilan originally wanted to feed Fu Yun herself, but Fu Yun was too embarrassed to let someone else feed her. She refused to be a useless person who could be waited on hand and foot. Using her uninjured arm, she forced herself to extend her half-undamaged forearm and ate two bowls of nourishing porridge with some difficulty.
As for the carefully prepared delicacies and side dishes, he couldn't eat any of them.
Fu Yun then spent five days recuperating in the palace, and his injuries were basically healed.
Actually, living in the palace was quite comfortable. I ate well, slept well, and felt great.
Aside from the palace being too quiet and making one feel lonely, everything else is quite nice; the tranquil environment is very suitable for careful recuperation.
However, it is true that the palace is not a suitable place to live for a long time. You can neither chat with close friends nor discuss the future with business partners.
How terrible it would be to be unable to freely navigate the business world and work hand in hand with business partners; at least half of the joy in life would be lost.
Although he felt very comfortable with Zhilan and was a little reluctant to part with her, he wanted to return to his own territory and make a big splash.
Fu Yun chose to say goodbye to Zhi Lan on the sixth day. Zhi Lan did not try to stop him, but gazed at him calmly for a long time before gently saying goodbye: "Take care, see you next time. I hope you will change your mind."
Fu Jun asked instinctively, "What decision?"
Zhilan's lips curved slightly, her eyes deep and unfathomable: "The decision to stay in the palace."
Fu Yun: "..." Don't tempt me anymore. People are usually easily misled by the comfort in front of them.
He absolutely cannot let temporary comfort cause him to forget about more important matters.
The matriarchal society was far from peaceful as it appears today; there was always a sense of impending doom.
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