For the next few days, Lin Wanwan lived in a daze.
The wound on the back of her head healed quickly thanks to the various precious medicinal herbs used by the imperial physicians. In less than three days, the large lump had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a faint pain.
However, the "big lump" in her heart grew bigger and bigger, causing her to suffer from pain every night.
The emoji never appeared again.
Not even once.
Whether she was accompanying Xiao Che to review memorials, watching him play with Tuanzi, or dining with him at the same table, that once bustling area was now as quiet as a graveyard.
Lin Wanwan began to become anxious, uneasy, and even somewhat neurotic.
She felt like a modern person who had suddenly lost Wi-Fi—uncomfortable and listless. Scenes that were once commonplace had now become torture for her.
For example, right now, Xiao Che is sternly reprimanding a young eunuch who has made a mistake. In the past, Lin Wanwan could enjoy the internal battle between his inner monologues—"I'm going to teach you a lesson today.jpg" and "If you keep nagging, I'll send you to clean the chamber pot.gif"—while munching on sunflower seeds, and find it incredibly amusing.
But now, all she could see was a handsome face as cold as ice, and hear those emotionless admonitions. She couldn't help but wonder if he was really so angry that he wanted to kill someone?
This uncertainty was driving her crazy.
No, this can't go on!
Lin Wanwan decided to take the initiative.
She could no longer sit idly by and wait for her fate; she had to rediscover that sense of connection she had with him in the past.
So, on a fine afternoon, she made a plate of osmanthus cake, Xiao Che's favorite, and carried it herself to the Imperial Study.
This was something she used to do most often. Whenever Xiao Che was frustrated with handling government affairs, the snacks she brought him would always soothe him precisely. Because she could see the "wanting something sweet.jpg" floating above his head.
Today, she wanted to give it a try. Even if she couldn't see, based on her past experience, she couldn't possibly make a mistake, right?
With this small glimmer of hope, Lin Wanwan arrived outside the Imperial Study.
However, just as she reached the door, before she could even announce her arrival, she heard a thunderous roar from inside, a sound so powerful it almost shook the glazed tiles of the Imperial Study off!
"Useless! They're all useless!"
It's Xiao Che's voice!
Immediately following was a loud crashing sound as things were swept to the ground.
"How could a mere Vice Minister of Revenue have such a deeply entrenched network of relationships! Have you so-called pillars of the state been blind all these years?!"
Lin Wanwan's heart tightened suddenly.
It was the account book brought back from Zhenbeiguan.
It seems that if they followed the ledger, the radish they dug up was bigger than they had imagined, and it brought with it even more mud.
She stood at the doorway, holding the delicate plate of osmanthus cake, feeling somewhat conflicted.
The atmosphere inside had clearly reached freezing point. Would her going in now only add fuel to the fire, or could she, as in the past, become his "timely help"?
She hesitated.
In the past, she wouldn't have needed to hesitate at all. She only needed to look up to tell from the emoji above his head whether he needed someone to come in and distract him, or whether he needed to quietly explode on his own.
But now, she can only guess.
In that instant of hesitation, Xiao Che's icy voice came from inside again: "Get out of here, all of you! Don't come back to see me until you find out the results!"
Soon, several ministers, their faces pale and their official hats askew, rolled out from inside. Upon seeing Lin Wanwan at the door, they merely gave a hasty bow before running away without looking back, as if a fierce tiger were chasing them.
Lin Wanwan watched their disheveled figures, took a deep breath, and decided to go in and take a look.
She cannot become timid and hesitant just because she can't see.
She carried the snacks, adjusted her facial expression, and tried to make her smile look gentle and harmless. Then, she gently pushed open the door to the imperial study.
"Your Majesty, are you still troubled by state affairs..."
She only got halfway through her sentence before it got stuck in her throat.
Because she saw a pair of eyes she had never seen before, eyes that were extremely cold.
Xiao Che stood behind his desk, his chest heaving violently, clearly furious. Memorials were scattered all over the desk, leaving it a mess.
He heard the door open and abruptly looked up.
In that instant, his gaze was no longer the gentle and doting look he usually gave her, nor the sharp and profound look he had when dealing with political affairs. Instead, it was a look of extreme impatience and cold rage, as if his train of thought had been interrupted.
That gaze was like a sharp, icy blade, piercing straight into her.
Lin Wanwan froze completely.
At that moment, scenes from the past uncontrollably surfaced in her mind.
Countless times in the past, she had barged in during moments of his fury. But each time, the expression on his face would instantly change the moment he looked up and saw her.
One second it's "I'm so angry.jpg", the next it's "Wife, save me.gif".
One second he's saying, "This is so annoying! I'll chop anyone who dares to come in!" and the next he's looking pitiful and saying, "This is so annoying! I feel safest here with my wife."
Those subtle and endearing changes were her exclusive privilege, a testament to his unreserved reliance and trust in her beneath his raging imperial mask.
But now... there's nothing.
All she saw was a tyrant whose work had been interrupted, and the undisguised impatience in his eyes that was directed at her.
"Who let you in?"
Xiao Che's voice was as cold as ice shards, each word striking Lin Wanwan's heart like a hammer blow. His mind was already filled with the intricate web of relationships and the incompetence of the court officials; the interruption only fueled the fire of anger within him.
"I am handling state affairs."
He didn't even give her a chance to explain before directly telling her to leave.
"go out."
"..."
Lin Wanwan's hand, holding the plate of osmanthus cake, trembled slightly.
The exquisite carvings on the pastries seemed to be silently mocking her unrequited love.
Her face gradually paled. Her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton; she couldn't utter a single word.
What could she say?
To say, "Your Majesty, I was just worried about you"?
Under that gaze, any explanation seems so pale and inappropriate.
She didn't say anything.
She simply lowered her eyes silently and slowly, and then gave him an impeccable curtsy.
"...Yes, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."
Her voice was calm and undisturbed.
After saying that, she turned around, carrying the plate of cold pastries, and silently retreated step by step, gently closing the door of the Imperial Study for him.
The door closed.
It also separated the two worlds.
Lin Wanwan didn't stop until she had walked quite a distance. She looked down at the plate of osmanthus cake on the tray, which she had almost crushed, and felt a chill run down her spine from her fingertips to her heart.
This was his...first time.
It was the first time I had ever looked at her like that.
The first time I said the word "get out" to her.
The first time... I kicked her out.
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