When Xiao Che roared out what could be described as "the most cowardly emperor's statement in history," "Where do I put my face?", the entire Imperial Garden fell into an eerie silence.
The palace maids and eunuchs around them, pretending to trim the flowers and plants, all wished they could turn themselves into real plants.
Oh my god!
What did they all hear?!
Their majestic, domineering, and absolute emperor actually...actually became enraged because he was afraid of being persuaded by the Empress?!
Is this... is this still the same His Majesty they know?!
Lin Wanwan was also stunned.
Looking at the man before her, at his face flushed with anxiety, at the panic in his phoenix eyes that seemed to say, "I was wrong, please forgive me," the immense grievance and disappointment in her heart instantly deflated like a punctured balloon.
Instead, there was a kind of... bittersweet, warm feeling.
That... idiot emperor!
It turns out, he wasn't ignoring her opinions.
He just... couldn't bring himself to lower his precious dragon face!
Once she understood this, the tears in her eyes quickly faded, replaced by an irrepressible smile.
The "argument" that day ended with His Majesty the Emperor's "powerless" roar and with him "shamelessly" taking back the Ministry of Personnel's appointment document for Wang Jingzhi and having a late-night discussion with the Empress in Kunning Palace.
After this incident, a new, unspoken "rule" began to circulate throughout the government and the public—
Once His Majesty and His Majesty have discussed and decided on a national policy, it is set in stone and there is absolutely no possibility of change.
But if His Majesty makes a decision alone in the Imperial Study... well... that's still up for debate.
His Majesty the Emperor expressed strong... tacit approval of this.
The relationship between the emperor and empress also entered a new and highly refined stage after this minor incident.
...
Several months later, late at night, in the sleeping quarters of Kunning Palace.
Bright yellow gauze curtains hung low, and the hall was brightly lit by candlelight, warm and tranquil.
On the large dragon bed, two people sat leaning against the headboard in an extremely harmonious posture.
On the left is His Majesty the Emperor, dressed in a bright yellow nightgown, holding a thick memorial in his hands, reading it intently.
On the right is the Empress, dressed in a light purple nightgown, holding a book in her hands... a storybook with a gaudy cover, which she seems to have found in some private bookstore, and she is reading it with great interest.
After several months of adjustment, the two have fully adapted to this "new mode" without any special advantages.
Everything seemed so natural and spontaneous.
Lin Wanwan turned another page of the storybook, and when she got to the exciting part, a maternal smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
However, as she was laughing, a thought suddenly struck her.
A "little game" that had become a bedtime habit for her quietly went online.
She slowly closed the storybook in her hand, turned her head, and looked at the man beside her who was still diligently "working".
His profile, illuminated by the candlelight, was strikingly handsome, with clearly defined features. His long eyelashes cast a small, beautiful shadow beneath his eyelids.
He was so focused on reading it, as if every word in the memorial contained the infinite mysteries of the nation's fate.
A sly smile appeared on Lin Wanwan's lips.
She suddenly spoke, her voice lazy, like a cat taking a nap.
"His Majesty."
No one around him reacted.
"Xiao Che?"
She changed how she addressed him, and her voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
Xiao Che then seemed to have just come back to his senses from the world of memorials.
He grunted "Hmm?" but didn't even lift his head.
Lin Wanwan wasn't angry. She simply crossed her arms and casually threw out the same question she asked every night as a routine "spot check."
"what's on your mind?"
Upon hearing this question, Xiao Che paused slightly as he reviewed the memorials with his vermilion brush.
A few months ago, faced with this kind of "surprise inspection," he would have been flustered and then, with a flushed face, began his stammering, "recited" answers.
But now...
He didn't raise his head.
He paused briefly with the vermilion brush in his hand before continuing to smoothly annotate the memorial.
However, his thin lips had already, with remarkable skill, activated the automatic reporting mode of the "artificial voice package".
His voice was steady and deep, as if he were stating a very ordinary matter of state.
"I was thinking, the national treasury is full again."
"Hmm?" Lin Wan-wan raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.
"I am thinking that this year the weather has been favorable, and the grain transport in Jiangnan has increased by 30% compared to last year."
"I was thinking that the Grand Tutor praised 'Tuanzi' to me again today, saying that his studies have improved rapidly and he already has the demeanor of a crown prince."
He reported three points in one go.
Each point is logically clear and detailed.
That look was exactly like that of an excellent class representative who was used to being checked and could handle it skillfully...
Lin Wanwan listened, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
Hmm, not bad.
This "artificial voice pack," after her "careful training," has now been upgraded to version 2.0.
Not only can they answer every question, but they can also apply what they've learned to other situations and provide extended reports.
This child is teachable!
She nodded in satisfaction, feeling that tonight's "pre-bedtime spot check" could be successfully concluded.
She yawned and prepared to lie down and go to sleep.
However, just as she was preparing to take action—
"Smack!"
A soft sound.
Xiao Che, who was beside her, actually closed the memorial in his hand and casually placed it aside.
Lin Wanwan was taken aback.
Before she could react, everything went dark.
The next second, she was flipped over and pinned down by a powerful force.
"Hmm!"
Caught off guard, she could only let out a short gasp.
Xiao Che, without anyone noticing, had already rolled over and pinned her down.
He braced himself on either side of her, completely trapping her between himself and the bed.
Inside the bedchamber, bright candlelight shone from behind him, casting a deep shadow on his handsome face.
His dark, phoenix-shaped eyes stared down at her intently, unblinkingly.
Those eyes were so deep, like a bottomless vortex that could suck you in.
Inside, leaped flames—flames she knew all too well, flames that were aggressive and dangerous.
Lin Wanwan's heart skipped a beat.
Then, like a drumbeat, it began to pound wildly.
What... what's going on here?!
"Voice packs"... There's this feature too?!
Looking into his deep, dark eyes and feeling the burning heat emanating from him, she was so nervous that she subconsciously held her breath.
She licked her slightly dry lips and asked in a trembling, almost breathy voice:
"...What are you thinking about now?"
Xiao Che looked at her cheeks, slightly flushed with nervousness, and at her eyes, glistening like those of a startled fawn…
A slow, smug, triumphant smile crept onto his lips.
He slowly lowered his head, his thin lips almost touching hers.
His voice was so hoarse it was almost unbelievable, like a fine feather gently scratching her eardrums.
"I'm thinking..."
He paused deliberately, his warm breath spraying all over her face, carrying a deadly allure.
"...'Tuanzi,' playing alone..."
"I'm so lonely."
The moment the words left his mouth, a kiss filled with intense possessiveness landed heavily on his lips.
Hmm...
Lin Wanwan's mind went completely blank for a moment.
Only one thought remained, frantically scrolling through the screen.
Who needs those pixelated emojis anymore?
This set of emojis, featuring "real-life, voice, and haptic feedback" elements, and even a "surprise attack" function, is something she could play with for a lifetime!
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