Standoff.
A deadly standoff.
Time seemed to be stretched into a taut string, emitting a buzzing tremor within the oppressive bedchamber.
Lin Wanwan forced herself to stay calm, focusing all her composure into her eyes that stared directly at the emperor. Her back was already soaked with cold sweat, and her undergarments clung to her skin, feeling cold and sticky, yet she dared not move an inch.
She's gambling.
She was betting that the pixelated figure she saw truly represented the man's inner world.
I bet all his ferocity and menacing aura are just a fragile, self-protective shell.
Xiao Che clearly hadn't expected her to react this way.
For the first time, a trace of genuine emotion was revealed in his unfathomable phoenix eyes—not murderous intent, not annoyance, but a pure, astonished... bewilderment.
It was as if a ferocious beast, accustomed to scaring everyone away with its roar, had suddenly encountered a strange person who not only didn't run away but also dared to come up and touch its nose.
His hand holding the sword froze in mid-air, the tip of the sword just a hair's breadth away from Lin Wanwan's throat.
The frozen expression on his face, a result of shock, perfectly confirmed Lin Wanwan's guess.
【(·_·)】
That blank little expression, like a computer that overheated and crashed, floated there motionless, forming a perfect synchronization with the subtle stiffness on his face at that moment.
When Lin Wanwan saw this scene, her heart, which was almost leaping out of her chest, finally calmed down a little.
You made the right bet!
She really made the right bet!
This legendary tyrant, who was said to be a ruthless killer, turned out to be nothing but a paper tiger! At least, when facing her, the "bride brought to bring him good luck," all his ferocity was just a facade!
This realization acted like a shot of adrenaline, slightly easing Lin Wanwan's tense nerves. However, she dared not show it. The crisis was far from over; the gleaming sword was still at her neck, and if he regained his senses, he could easily end her in his rage.
She must continue to maintain this aloof persona of "I'm not afraid of anything, do as you please".
The atmosphere remained tense.
Xiao Che remained silent, and Lin Wanwan dared not move.
The only sound in the bedchamber was the faint breathing of the few unconscious palace servants.
Just as this string called "standoff" was about to snap, a savior descended from the sky.
"His Majesty……"
An aged yet respectful voice broke the suffocating silence.
An elderly eunuch dressed in a dark blue chief eunuch's robe appeared at the palace gate. He carried a black lacquered tray with gold trim, on which sat a bowl of dark, steaming medicinal soup.
He seemed completely oblivious to the tense and volatile scene unfolding in the hall, or perhaps he did see it, but as an old man in the palace, he had long since developed the ability to remain calm even in the face of imminent danger.
He lowered his head and walked forward with small, timid steps, stopping five steps away from Xiao Che. He raised the tray above his head, his voice completely calm.
"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."
This seemingly ordinary sentence acted like a switch, instantly diverting Xiao Che's attention.
His sharp gaze shifted from Lin Wanwan's face, and he impatiently glanced at the old eunuch, his brows instantly furrowing tightly.
It was an obvious, undisguised irritability and resistance.
With a clang.
He swiftly sheathed his longsword, and the murderous intent that had almost solidified into a tangible form dissipated.
Lin Wanwan felt a sudden sense of relief wash over her, as if she had been pulled out of the water, and she almost collapsed. She secretly grabbed the edge of the bed to steady herself, and breathed in the hard-won air in large, silent gasps.
She survived!
Just as she was relieved to have escaped a disaster, she caught a glimpse of the changing emoji above Xiao Che's head out of the corner of her eye.
The blank, expressionless little figure disappeared, replaced by a completely new and more vivid expression.
It was a pitiful little creature with a furrowed brow, a pouting little mouth, and round eyes brimming with two glistening tears. Its entire face was contorted in pain, accompanied by a classic internet slang phrase—
[The medicine tastes so bitter qAq.jpg]
Lin Wanwan: "..."
If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, she would have actually laughed out loud.
What a contrast! This huge, adorable contrast!
Who would have thought that the cold-faced tyrant who was wielding a sword to kill people just a second ago would be crying inside like this the next second because of a bowl of medicine?
But then, a brilliant opportunity flashed through her mind like lightning.
Crisis! Crisis! But within crisis lies opportunity!
She survived just now entirely thanks to her courage and surprise attack. But this tactic can only be used once. To truly turn the tide and lower his guard, she must... appeal to his interests!
And now, isn't his greatest "good" thing to solve the problem of this "bitter" medicine in front of him?
Lin Wanwan's mind raced.
She remembered, clearly remembered, that in the original owner's memories, among the dowry prepared for her by the Minister's mansion, besides gold and silver jewelry, there was one other thing—a small packet of candied fruit, supposedly made by the original owner's mother herself, contained in a brocade pouch.
Because she missed her mother, the original owner secretly hid this brocade pouch in the large sleeve of her wedding dress when she entered the palace.
This is it!
The will to survive once again triumphed over everything. Lin Wanwan could no longer pretend to be aloof; her body acted faster than her mind.
She lowered her eyes, adopting a slightly timid and nervous demeanor, and then, with an almost trembling, slow movement, reached her hand into her sleeve pocket.
This action immediately alerted Xiao Che.
His gaze, which had just become irritated by the medicine, instantly sharpened again, staring coldly at her hands as if she were hiding some deadly weapon in her sleeve.
Lin Wanwan could feel that gaze almost piercing through her hand. Her palms were sweating with nervousness, but she could only grit her teeth and continue.
She fumbled around, and finally, her fingertips touched the small, silky brocade pouch.
She carefully took it out, and then, in front of Xiao Che, somewhat clumsily untied the ribbon and took out a crystal-clear plum covered in frosting.
Having done all this, she seemed to have mustered all her courage, and holding the small candied fruit, she tentatively and tremblingly offered it to him.
She didn't dare to look up, but kept her eyes lowered, her long eyelashes concealing all the emotions in her eyes, and her voice was slightly hoarse due to nervousness.
"Your Majesty...this...is sweet."
She didn't say anything like "eat a piece of candy to ease the bitterness," she simply stated a fact.
The rest is up to him to choose.
Silence fell once again in the bedchamber.
Lin Wanwan's hands, holding the candied fruit, began to tremble slightly from being suspended in the air for so long and from the tension. She could feel Xiao Che's complex, scrutinizing gaze shifting back and forth between her hands and her face.
She had no idea what he was thinking, because his expression was still that of someone with a bitter and resentful look: "The medicine is so bitter qAq.jpg".
Time passed second by second, each second feeling like an eternity.
Just as Lin Wanwan's arms were about to give way from soreness, Xiao Che finally moved.
He ignored Lin Wanwan.
Instead, she turned around and took the bowl of dark medicine from the old eunuch who had been holding the tray and seemed to have turned into a statue.
He didn't even glance at the medicine. He tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing, and drank the entire bowl of medicine in one gulp without even frowning, as if he were drinking plain water, not bitter medicine.
After finishing his medicine, he placed the empty bowl heavily back on the tray, making a crisp sound.
The old eunuch bowed and quietly withdrew.
Inside the bedchamber, only the two of them remained, along with a pile of unconscious "backdrops."
Lin Wanwan's heart sank as the old eunuch left.
Did it fail?
He completely disdained her advances.
Just as she was about to quietly withdraw her hand and pretend nothing had happened, a hand reached out.
It was a hand with distinct joints and long, slender fingers. Its skin, like the man's, was almost transparently white, and you could even see the pale blue veins beneath the skin.
That hand precisely picked up the small candied fruit from her palm.
Then, under Lin Wanwan's astonished gaze, he expressionlessly put the candied fruit into his mouth.
He chewed slowly and elegantly, his face still bearing that cold, aloof expression.
Lin Wanwan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Anyway, he ate it.
This is a good start, isn't it? It means that her second big gamble today was successful again! He may not say it, but his actions speak louder than words!
She finally felt completely relieved, and even had the leisure to secretly glance up to see if the emoji above his head would change to something like "It smells so good." or "Delicious."
However, when her gaze refocused on that magical area, the sight she saw drained all the color from her face in an instant!
The meme above Xiao Che's head that read "The medicine is so bitter qAq.jpg" disappeared the moment the candied fruit entered his mouth.
But instead of the happy expression Lin Wanwan had expected, she received none of it.
Instead, it was a black dialog box that kept flashing a glaring red light!
In the center of the dialog box is a menacing, sharply defined white skull logo!
Below the skull were four shocking, blood-red characters—
[WARNING! Toxic!]
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