After the controversy surrounding the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet subsided, Kunning Palace enjoyed a rare period of tranquility.
The Empress Dowager secluded herself in seclusion, and even the once arrogant Consort Shu closed her doors to visitors. The turmoil within the palace walls seemed to have subsided overnight, leaving only the warm autumn sunlight and the rustling of falling leaves.
For Empress Lin Wanwan, these days were truly peaceful and idyllic.
The only one to break this tranquility was the current emperor, her husband—Xiao Che.
His Majesty the Emperor has been visiting Kunning Palace more frequently lately than at all, to the point that the palace servants have become accustomed to it. He always manages to find a plausible excuse for each of his visits.
For example, the day before yesterday was to "examine the palace accounts," yesterday was to "discuss autumn flowers," and today, the reason he gave himself was to "inspect the Empress's studies and examine her calligraphy progress."
At this moment, the air in the study of Kunning Palace is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.
Lin Wanwan stood before her desk, a calligraphy brush in hand, intently copying a piece of calligraphy by a master from a previous dynasty. Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, casting dappled golden light onto her plain palace dress, making her focused expression all the more captivating.
A high-pitched eunuch's voice rang out from outside the hall: "His Majesty has arrived!"
Lin Wanwan's wrist paused almost imperceptibly, and a drop of thick ink "splattered" onto the rice paper, quickly spreading into an unsightly blot and ruining the artistic conception of the entire piece of calligraphy.
She put down her pen, calmly turned around and bowed: "Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome you."
Xiao Che, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, strode in, carrying a refreshing scent of ambergris. His handsome face remained as aloof and indifferent as ever. He casually waved his hand, gesturing for Lin Wanwan to rise, but his gaze precisely bypassed her, landing on the ink-stained Xuan paper.
He strolled to the desk, picked up the paper with his long, slender fingers, held it up to his eyes, and slowly furrowed his brow. His expression was like that of a strict master examining a flawed piece of work.
Lin Wanwan stood to the side with her hands at her sides, her posture respectful and docile, but a faint smile played on her lips.
Xiao Che's cold voice rang out in the quiet study, carrying an undisguised disdain: "The brushstrokes are weak, the structure is loose, and there is no spirit whatsoever."
He paused, his sharp gaze shifting from the characters to Lin Wanwan, and continued his critique: "Lin Wanwan, I remember the last time I saw you practicing calligraphy was half a month ago. Now it seems that not only have you not improved, but you've become even more sluggish. Your handwriting is still so ugly."
These words were spoken without any mercy. Coupled with the majesty between his brows and the disappointment in his eyes, anyone who saw them would have thought that the empress had offended the emperor because of her poor calligraphy skills.
However, Lin Wanwan's gaze secretly passed over the Xuan paper in his hand and looked at the void above his head that only she could see.
There, floating above was an emoji that was the complete opposite of his current expression.
A cute, pixelated character with a chibi art style, wearing the same headdress as him, two adorable rosy cheeks, and big eyes full of pink hearts. Next to him is a line of sparkling artistic lettering—
[My wife's handwriting is so cute.jpg]
Lin Wanwan almost burst out laughing, quickly lowering her head and using a light cough to cover up her barely concealed expression. This Emperor's skill in saying one thing and meaning another has truly improved day by day, reaching a state of perfection.
A mischievous glint rose in her heart, and she decided to play along with her husband, who was an award-winning actor.
She slowly raised her eyes, and a thin layer of moisture quickly welled up in her clear almond-shaped eyes, making them look wet and innocent. She bit her lower lip slightly, revealing a look of being deeply hurt and on the verge of tears, and her voice carried a slight tremor and grievance.
"Your Majesty...you are right." She curtsied and replied in a low voice, "It was my foolishness that caused me to fail Your Majesty's expectations."
After speaking, she even sniffed perfectly, vividly portraying the image of a "studious queen who was heartbroken and remorseful after being criticized by a strict teacher."
Xiao Che's fingers holding the Xuan paper stiffened almost imperceptibly. His originally cold and hard gaze instantly became somewhat unfocused, as if he dared not meet her eyes, which were filled with "grievance".
There was a moment of stillness in the air.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, then he coughed lightly and awkwardly placed the piece of Xuan paper, which he had criticized as worthless, back on the desk.
"That's enough." He said, his voice softening slightly and becoming slightly unnatural. "Considering that you've been working hard managing the harem lately, I won't hold it against you."
The way he found the steps, though awkward and unnatural, precisely revealed his true inner thoughts.
And the view above his head was absolutely spectacular.
The heart-eyed emoji with the caption "My wife's handwriting is so cute.jpg" has disappeared, replaced by a brand new animated emoji. The image shows a pixelated figure frantically scratching its head, sweating profusely, and waving its hands frantically, accompanied by a line of anxious text—
[Oops, did I say that too harshly? Honey, don't go! .gif]
Lin Wanwan suppressed her laughter and continued to maintain her "pitiful" persona, giving a soft "hmm" in a nasal voice that sounded both submissive and pathetic.
That soft "hmm" seemed to possess a certain magic, leaving Xiao Che momentarily at a loss for words. He put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in front of his desk, as if trying his best to think of a more natural way to salvage the situation.
Finally, he stopped, his gaze falling on the soft couch by the window where he usually sat, and he abruptly changed the subject again: "I still have some memorials to review today, so I'll deal with them here. It'll save me the trouble of going back and forth."
After speaking, without waiting for Lin Wanwan's response, he walked straight to the soft couch, lifted his robe, and sat down. The attending eunuch Li Dequan was very perceptive and immediately bowed and withdrew. A short while later, he returned carrying a stack of memorials and writing implements, which he carefully arranged on the small table next to the soft couch.
Lin Wanwan straightened up and watched his smooth and effortless movements, understanding dawning on her.
After going through all this trouble, from complaining about her ugly handwriting to testing her studies, all she really wanted was an excuse to stay in her Kunning Palace.
I don't know if they're here to check up on things or to "crash" the office space.
She mentally grumbled as she picked up her pen again. But this time, instead of copying from a calligraphy model, she spread out a new sheet of paper, dipped it in ink, and began writing her own things.
Xiao Che sat not far away, seemingly focused on reviewing memorials, the vermilion pen making a soft rustling sound on the paper. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on him, softening the hard lines of his profile and adding a touch of warmth to the scene.
The entire study was quiet and peaceful, giving one the illusion of an ordinary couple living their lives peacefully together.
Lin Wanwan wrote for a while, then felt a soreness in her neck, so she put down her pen and gently rubbed it.
The moment she looked up, she met Xiao Che's gaze. He seemed surprised to be caught red-handed; a fleeting panic flashed in his deep eyes, but he quickly regained his usual composure and calm, nonchalantly turning his gaze back to the memorial in his hands.
But how could his little schemes escape Lin Wanwan's notice?
The instant he turned his head, a fleeting emoji appeared clearly in her eyes—
[Does your neck hurt? I want to give her a massage.jpg]
Lin Wanwan looked at his feigned composure, but the tips of his ears were slightly red. The smile in her heart was like a lake where a pebble had been thrown in, rippling outwards in circles, warm and sweet.
This arrogant emperor, though stubborn in his words, is most honest in his expressions.
The days spent with him are becoming more and more interesting.
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