If gazes had weight, then at this moment, Xiao Che's gaze was as heavy as a thousand pounds, fixed firmly on the plate of golden, crispy egg tarts, unable to look away even a fraction.
His expression underwent a dramatic reversal in an instant, going from "forced to work" to "overjoyed".
Just moments before, he was a cold and aloof emperor forced to watch a lengthy artistic performance, radiating an aura of "I'm exhausted." But now, he was alive and well, his deep eyes sparkling with a dazzling brilliance, as if a handful of diamonds had been thrown into them. That brilliance was pure, undisguised longing and joy.
He was like a jade statue that had been instantly brought to life, exuding an aura of "coming alive" from the inside out.
He was as if he had been granted a pardon!
It was like a drowning person finally grasping at a straw.
Under Su Jinxiu's astonished, almost fiery gaze, Xiao Che acted immediately and without hesitation.
He darted forward almost instantly, gracefully yet swiftly taking the still-warm egg tarts from Lin Wanwan's hands, his movements so practiced it seemed he had rehearsed them a thousand times.
"Your Majesty is very kind." His deep voice carried a hint of urgency that even he himself did not realize.
Lin Wanwan suppressed a laugh and considerately handed him a small silver fork, gently reminding him, "Your Majesty, be careful, it's hot."
Xiao Che couldn't wait to use the silver fork.
He stretched out his long, slender fingers and picked up an egg tart. The perfect warmth reached his fingertips, and the flaky crust made a soft "crack," indicating its unparalleled crispness.
He couldn't wait and took a big bite.
"Hmm!"
In that instant, an exquisite and wonderful taste exploded in my mouth!
The layers of flaky pastry, thin as cicada wings, crackled between your teeth with a delightful sound, instantly filling your nostrils with a rich, buttery aroma. Next came the warm, smooth, bouncy custard filling, its rich milky and eggy flavors perfectly blended, sweet but not cloying, melting in your mouth and gently enveloping your taste buds. And within that ultimate sweetness, there was a subtle, slightly bitter aftertaste characteristic of caramel, perfectly balancing the sweetness and creating an incredibly complex and layered texture.
It's so delicious!
This is a delicacy only gods could enjoy!
Xiao Che's eyes widened instantly, and he paused in his chewing, seemingly stunned by the exquisite taste.
The palace servants around the emperor were all stunned by his expression. They had never seen this emperor, who was usually so composed, show such a vivid expression over a mere dessert.
Meanwhile, Su Jinxiu's face, which had initially been stiff, had turned ashen.
Looking at Xiao Che's blissful expression, as if he wanted to swallow his tongue, and then at the easel beside her that exuded an elegant fragrance of ink, she felt a surge of blood rushing to her head, as if a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat, unable to go up or down.
The poetic and picturesque artistic atmosphere she had meticulously created was shattered beyond recognition by a small, greasy egg tart.
This is an absolute disgrace!
However, what made her even more ashamed and indignant was yet to come.
Xiao Che devoured an egg tart in just a few bites, even licking his lips with lingering satisfaction. Then, he looked up and, in an almost aria-like, incredibly exaggerated tone, lavishly praised Lin Wanwan:
"Your Majesty! Your skills have truly improved!"
His voice was loud and clear, filled with genuine emotion and excitement, a stark contrast to his earlier bland and perfunctory remark to Su Jinxiu that her "playing the zither was superb."
He seemed to think that wasn't enough, so he cleared his throat, shook his head, and, in a manner reciting an ancient masterpiece, exclaimed loudly:
"This thing should only exist in heaven; it is rarely heard of in the mortal world!"
The moment this praise was uttered, the entire room fell silent.
All the palace servants stared in disbelief at their emperor.
Your Majesty…did you pick up the wrong script? Is such outrageous praise meant to describe a dessert? You weren’t this excited when you praised Consort Xian’s exquisite zither playing!
At this moment, Su Jinxiu's face turned from green to white, then from white to red, and finally became a kaleidoscope of colors. The fingernails of her fingers, which were holding the food box, were almost digging into the tender flesh of her palms.
She felt her face burning from Xiao Che's words, as if he had slapped her repeatedly.
What is contrast? This is contrast!
What is harm? This is harm!
All her talent and meticulous planning were rendered a ridiculous joke by this plate of coarse, down-to-earth snacks!
Lin Wanwan suppressed her laughter, but still put on a flattered expression, and said modestly, "Your Majesty is too kind. These are just ordinary dishes, hardly worthy of being served in a refined setting. If Your Majesty likes them, I will make them for you every day from now on."
"I love it! I love it so much!" Xiao Che said decisively, as if afraid she might change her mind.
After saying that, he seemed to suddenly remember something, looked around at the pavilion in the middle of the lake, frowned, and showed obvious dissatisfaction on his face.
He grabbed Lin Wanwan's hand, his voice full of regret:
"Such exquisite delicacies, paired with this beautiful lake and mountain scenery, are a perfect match. It's just a pity... it's a pity the wind is a bit too strong. If it gets cold, it will lose its essence of being crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. No, no! It's such a waste to eat it here!"
When he spoke, his eyes didn't even glance at Su Jinxiu and her expensive art supplies for a single second.
He seemed to have completely forgotten about the fact that "someone wanted to paint his portrait".
He took Lin Wanwan's hand and said in an unquestionable tone, "Let's go! Back to Kunning Palace! Such delicious food must be paired with your homemade chilled fruit tea, and we must sit on the soft couch and savor it slowly, so as not to waste it!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already picked up the plate of precious egg tarts, grabbed Lin Wanwan's hand, and turned to leave.
His steps were quick and hurried, his movements crisp and clean, without the slightest hesitation, as if some ferocious beast was chasing him from behind.
The whole process was smooth and swift.
From getting up, praising, to deciding to leave, it was all done in one smooth motion.
Su Jinxiu in the pavilion, and the complete set of writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone beside her, were completely and utterly ignored by him.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
Watching his resolute departure, Su Jinxiu subconsciously spoke, wanting to stop him.
However, Xiao Che didn't even turn his head. He just grabbed Lin Wanwan's hand and walked even faster.
In the blink of an eye, the Emperor and Empress disappeared at the end of the winding corridor, leaving only a pavilion of palace servants and a flawless, disheveled Consort Xian.
The overpowering, cloying aroma of egg tarts still seemed to linger in the air, as if silently mocking this disastrous "talent show."
Lin Wanwan was practically dragged away by Xiao Che.
She could feel his hand gripping hers; his palm was burning hot and his grip was incredibly strong. His eagerness made her laugh so hard she almost fell over.
This emperor, in order to escape that "film set," has almost abandoned all imperial demeanor.
Just before leaving the corridor and with her view blocked by the artificial hill, Lin Wanwan couldn't help but look back one last time.
She could clearly see that Su Jinxiu was still standing stiffly in place, and the perfect, gentle mask on her face finally cracked, her beautiful eyes filled with shock, humiliation and raging anger.
Lin Wanwan happily withdrew her gaze.
Great, that's the effect I wanted.
In a cheerful mood, she secretly glanced up at the top of Xiao Che's head, who was leading her on her "victorious escape."
Upon seeing this, she stumbled and almost fell.
Above Xiao Che's head, in the "bullet screen" area, a deeply moving scene was unfolding.
A cartoon character, with arms outstretched, short legs, and two wide, tear-streaked face, is rushing towards her in a breathtakingly dramatic manner.
The scene was filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster and the gratitude of finding a savior.
Beside it, a large line of text, gleaming with holy light, perfectly encapsulates the core idea of this image—
【Wife, save me! .jpg】!
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