When Xiao Che's hoarse words, filled with endless heartache, gently fell into Lin Wanwan's ears, she was completely stunned.
My heart... it aches?
She froze in his arms, motionless, her mind even forgetting how to think.
The script... doesn't seem to be going this way?
Logically speaking, if an emperor who controls the world discovers that his closest bedmate not only has an unknown identity and origin but also possesses a "cheat code" that can see into all his inner thoughts, shouldn't his first reaction be to be furious, suspicious, and then eliminate this potential huge threat?
How could it be...heartache?
Could it be... that she cried so hard just now that she overwhelmed him? Or is this the calm before the storm?
Just as Lin Wanwan was lost in thought and feeling uneasy, Xiao Che, who was holding her, made a new move.
Instead of letting go of her, he hugged her even tighter.
He spoke in a muffled voice, filled with extreme frustration and gritted teeth, above her head:
"I am angry..."
Lin Wanwan's heart jumped into her throat again!
Look! Here it comes! He's really angry! All that feigned concern earlier was just an act! That damn emperor, he's a tactician!
Her muscles tensed up again, preparing to face the impending wrath.
However, Xiao Che's next words once again led her thoughts into an unexpected dead end.
"...I'm angry at myself for being so stupid!"
Lin Wanwan: "...Huh?"
She subconsciously uttered a short, bewildered monosyllable.
Xiao Che seemed not to hear him, and continued speaking in an almost self-critical tone.
“I thought you were being unreasonable…” His voice was filled with deep self-reproach, “but it turns out you were afraid.”
Fear.
This word was like a precise key, instantly unlocking the heaviest and most secret lock in Lin Wanwan's heart.
yes.
She was just scared.
She was afraid of losing him, afraid of losing this hard-won relationship, afraid... that without her "cheat code," she would revert to being an ordinary, even somewhat pathetic, office worker, no longer worthy of him, the radiant emperor.
All her suspicions, all her anxieties, all her "acting out," ultimately stemmed from this one word.
Xiao Che sighed softly.
He loosened his grip on her shoulders slightly, but his hands remained firmly on her shoulders, forcing her to raise her head and face him.
He looked at her eyes, red and swollen from crying, like a rabbit's, and at the tear stains still clinging to her face. His gaze was more serious and focused than ever before.
“Lin Wanwan,” he called her name solemnly, “listen to me.”
His voice no longer carried its usual arrogance or imperial majesty; it was now filled with a pure and unquestionable solemnity.
Lin Wanwan was at a loss because of his serious expression. She could only stare at him blankly, forgetting even to cry.
He spoke clearly, word by word, the confession that was long overdue but also the most sincere.
“I admit that at first, I noticed you because you were ‘special’,” he frankly admitted. “You always knew what I was thinking, and you always… saw things that even I didn’t want to admit.”
He paused, a hint of... what seemed like "shame" flashing in his eyes.
“But!” he suddenly changed his tone, his voice becoming incredibly firm, “what made me fall in love with you was never that damned ‘emoji’!”
"What I love is..."
His gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, returning to those thrilling years of the past.
"...It's you who, during the royal hunt, despite being terrified, still screamed and rushed over to shield me from a poisoned arrow with your own back!"
Lin Wanwan's heart skipped a beat.
That was the second volume, the virtuous concubine's conspiracy, the first time she risked everything for him.
Xiao Che's gaze grew even deeper.
"What I love is... the one who, when natural disasters strike and I am helpless, stays up all night and uses unbelievable wisdom to offer me 'Three Disaster Relief Strategies,' and even uses the pretext of 'a goddess appearing in a dream' to attribute all the credit to me!"
Lin Wanwan's nose tingled uncontrollably.
That was in the third volume, when they joined forces to fight against natural disasters, and for the first time, he showed her complete trust.
Xiao Che's voice gradually took on a hint of pride and gentleness.
"What I love is... the one who, during the shocking upheaval at the birthday banquet and the siege of the palace by rebels, did not hide away and weep, but calmly directed the female officials to transform Kunning Palace into an impregnable fortress, fighting alongside me to quell the rebellion!"
Lin Wanwan's eyes welled up with tears again.
That was the fourth volume, the night of the palace coup, a baptism of blood and fire, where they became each other's strongest support.
Xiao Che looked at her, at the tears welling up in her eyes again. This time, he didn't panic. Instead, he gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his thumb.
His voice was so gentle, it seemed to drip with tenderness.
"Lin Wanwan, it is you, your courage, your wisdom, your kindness, your resilience... it is everything about you that made me fall in love with you."
He looked deeply into her eyes and uttered the final declaration that shattered all her anxieties and self-doubt.
"This has absolutely nothing to do with whether you can see those damn 'expressions'!"
Absolutely not related!
These four words were like a warm torrent, instantly breaking down the last dam in Lin Wan-wan's heart called "inferiority complex".
So that's how it is... I see.
It turns out that in his heart, she was never a cheat code that could only "read pictures and describe them".
It turns out that everything she thought she accomplished by "using cheat codes" was, in his eyes, her own shining moments.
He loved her for who she was.
It's Lin Wanwan, the one who, even without any special abilities, would still do everything in her power for him and for this country.
At this moment, all misunderstandings, all suspicions, and all anxieties vanished.
What remains is only endless emotion and a profound sense of happiness... of being fully affirmed and cherished.
Lin Wanwan could no longer hold back.
The pent-up grievances of ten days, the pain of being misunderstood, the fear of losing the "cheat code," and... the immense joy of being enveloped in intense love at this moment...
At this moment, all emotions found an outlet.
With a loud "waaaah," like a child who had suffered a great injustice and finally found her parents, she suddenly threw herself into Xiao Che's arms and burst into tears.
This time, the cries no longer carried despair or repression.
Rather, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and complete release.
She buried her face in his chest and cried so loudly and unceremoniously that she smeared her tears and snot all over his expensive bright yellow dragon robe.
Xiao Che simply held her quietly.
He let her cry like a little kitten in his arms, but on his face, he showed the first genuine, gentle smile he had seen in days.
He gently patted her back, one pat at a time, as if comforting a most precious treasure that had been lost and found again.
very nice.
The empress who used to cry and make a fuss has finally returned.
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