An unprecedented cold war, arguably the most intense in the history of the relationship between the emperor and empress, has begun.
Three whole days.
Seventy-two hours.
For the vast imperial palace, it was but a fleeting moment. But for the two people in the Kunning Palace and the Imperial Study, it felt like an eternity.
Lin Wanwan returned to Kunning Palace.
She didn't cry, she didn't make a scene, and she didn't even lock herself in her bedchamber like she had done in the previous days.
She has returned to "normal".
She began to handle the daily affairs of Kunning Palace like the most perfect empress.
She met with the female officials of the Bureau of Imperial Works and arranged the palace's expenses in an orderly manner.
She tested the young prince's studies, a gentle and standard smile on her face.
She even went to the Imperial Garden and personally pruned the peonies that were in full bloom.
She looked poised, dignified, and impeccable.
However, all the palace servants in Kunning Palace keenly sensed that the Empress... had changed.
Her smile no longer reached her eyes.
Her voice was always so gentle, yet it carried a kind of aloofness that made people unable to get close to her.
The entire Kunning Palace was shrouded in a depressing, cold, and oppressive atmosphere.
Only when she is alone in the quiet of the night does Lin Wanwan's perfect queen mask crack.
She would sit in front of the bronze mirror, staring blankly at the unfamiliar reflection of herself.
She went over the argument from that day in her mind again and again.
She knew that there was a problem between her and Xiao Che.
There's a big problem.
She knew the root of the problem better than anyone else.
It's because...that thing is gone.
Without that "cheat code" that allowed her to see through everything, she became a pathetic, insecure, and suspicious person.
She would overthink things because of a single, unintentional frown from him.
He could send chills down my spine with just one unintentional remark from him.
He could be condemned to the hell of "traitor" because of one careless action.
She realized that if this continued, the endless suspicion between them would only erode all their affection, eventually leading them to become true strangers.
She couldn't accept this outcome.
So, what should she do?
She was faced with only two paths.
The first path: Carry this enormous misunderstanding and continue this "respectful" relationship. Use the mask of a "perfect queen" to cover up the countless wounds in your heart. Until one day, all the love between them is worn away, and you completely lose him.
The second option: Be honest.
Tell him everything.
Tell him that she is not from this world.
Tell him that she can see the emoji above his head.
Tell him that the thing is gone now, which is why she's acting so irrationally.
This thought, like a bolt of lightning, instantly illuminated her dark heart, but it also filled her with an unprecedented fear.
frank?
How can she be honest with him?
"Your Majesty, I am actually a time traveler, and I used to see cartoon figures popping up above your head, but I can't see them now, so I think you're cheating on me."
...
Will he believe it?
He won't.
He would only think that his empress had gone mad.
What will happen to a mad queen?
He was deposed, banished to the cold palace, and never to rise again.
She will not only lose him, but also Tuanzi, and everything she has now.
This is an ending even more tragic than the first path.
"Confess" or "lose"?
One option is to gamble everything, which could lead to utter ruin.
The other is like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, watching helplessly as you are slowly boiled to death.
Lin Wan-wan is facing the most painful and difficult final decision she has ever made since her transmigration.
Xiao Che wasn't much better off.
That day, he stormed out of the Imperial Study in a huff, but ultimately had nowhere to go and slunk back to the Imperial Study.
He also started "normal" work.
He devoted all his energy to the case of the Vice Minister of Revenue.
He displayed the most ruthless and efficient side of an emperor.
Within three days, he swiftly and decisively uprooted that intricate network of relationships!
Dozens of high-ranking officials were imprisoned in the imperial jail.
The officialdom in the capital was shaken.
He won the court.
Everyone was in awe of his decisive and efficient methods.
However, whenever he sat alone in the empty imperial study late at night, a huge, empty sense of failure would engulf him.
He won the world, but lost the empress.
He hadn't slept a wink for the past three days.
In his mind, the argument from that day was being replayed over and over again.
At first, he was filled with resentment and anger.
He felt that he had done everything he could and that she was being unreasonable.
However, as his initial anger gradually cooled down, his brain, which had been dominated by "straight male thinking," finally began to show signs of loosening.
He began to think about a question he had never considered before.
Why is she crying?
It wasn't because of anger, nor because of feeling wronged, but rather, that kind of... almost desperate, heart-wrenching cry.
He recalled her hysterical outburst that day.
Do you think I can only "describe pictures"?
"Do you think that without 'that' thing, I'm nothing?"
"Don't you believe me anymore?!"
He didn't understand what they were saying at first.
But when he connected these words with what he had said that day, "You don't understand"...
He, the most intelligent man in the Great Li Dynasty, finally realized something, albeit belatedly.
He... seems... really... said the wrong thing.
His statement "You don't understand" meant that she didn't understand his feelings "at that time".
However, to her, it sounded like he was completely rejecting her as "a person".
He denied her abilities, her achievements, and her contributions.
That's why she cried.
She cried not because his "new policies" were too harsh.
She cried because she felt... he no longer "trusted" her.
This realization, like a belated, rusty, dull knife, pierced deeply into Xiao Che's heart.
pain.
The pain was so intense that his heart was clenched in agony.
He finally realized that all his previous attempts to "please" her—whether it was sending flowers or drawing eyebrows—had all gone astray.
He thought she lacked "security".
But in reality, she was accusing him of "distrust"!
What a self-righteous idiot!
Frustrated, Xiao Che slammed his fist on the imperial desk.
He had to go and explain things to her!
He couldn't let this terrible misunderstanding continue any longer!
...
The third day, night.
A full moon hung high in the sky, its cool light bathing the entire palace.
Inside the Imperial Study, Xiao Che finished processing the last file concerning the Ministry of Revenue case.
He stood up, looked at the bright moon outside the window, and could no longer hold back.
He had to go see her.
He needed to know what she meant by "describe the picture".
He must know the "truth" about all her anxieties and pain!
He could no longer bear this cold, torturous silence.
He pushed the door open and strode out of the Imperial Study.
He had only one goal—
Kunkun Ning Palace!
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