Upon seeing the meme "Wife, save me! .jpg", Lin Wanwan could no longer hold back and let out a suppressed chuckle.
Xiao Che, who was walking ahead, paused, turned his head, raised an eyebrow at her, and asked with a hint of confusion in his voice, "What are you laughing at?"
His face still wore a cold, aloof expression that said, "I know nothing."
Lin Wanwan quickly suppressed her smile and met his gaze, but her eyes still sparkled with a mischievous glint. She shook her head and said in a serious tone, "It's nothing. I just feel that the sun is shining brightly today, and my mood has become more cheerful as a result."
Xiao Che gave her a deep look, but didn't expose her little scheme. He only slightly raised the corners of his mouth, then returned to his usual calm expression, pulling her along as he continued walking, urging her, "Hurry up, the egg tarts are getting cold."
That possessive manner of his food completely obscured any semblance of imperial majesty.
The two left hand in hand, their figures quickly disappearing into the depths of the flowers and trees, leaving only a faint chuckle echoing in the air above the Imperial Garden.
Behind them, in the picturesque pavilion in the middle of the lake, the atmosphere had turned to freezing.
Once the Emperor and Empress left, the palace servants who had been immersed in the "divine love" and "delicious temptations" all snapped out of their daze. They looked at each other, each one a shrewd individual, and could easily see through the deception.
This isn't some chance encounter between a talented man and a beautiful woman; it's clearly a war without gunfire!
The outcome of the war was obvious.
The refined and elegant dishes that Consort Xian had meticulously prepared were ultimately defeated by the Empress's steaming plate of popular and vulgar food.
The gazes of the crowd, involuntarily and subtly, tinged with a mixture of sympathy, schadenfreude, and fear, quietly fell upon Su Jinxiu, who was still standing alone in the pavilion.
Su Jinxiu stood there alone, still maintaining her perfect posture.
She looked at everything she had carefully prepared—the priceless guqin, the spotless set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, and the "spectators" who had been drawn here by her music and were supposed to be witnesses to her talent.
Finally, her gaze fell on the direction in which the emperor and empress, their figures inseparable as they walked away hand in hand, disappeared.
A surge of anger and humiliation, like lava, churned and burned within her chest, almost burning away her internal organs!
She lost.
A crushing defeat, a complete loss of face!
Her pride in her talent, her meticulously planned encounter, and her flawless performance were shattered in the face of Lin Wanwan, that vulgar woman, and a plate of unpalatable snacks!
That woman didn't even have to personally compete with her; she simply served up a plate of food and effortlessly captured the emperor's attention, turning all her efforts into a complete joke!
Her fingernails had already dug deeply into the tender flesh of her palms, and the sharp pain was nothing compared to even a fraction of what she felt in her heart.
She hated it! She hated Lin Wanwan's cunning, and even more so Xiao Che's ruthlessness!
How could he? How could he ignore everything she had meticulously prepared, yet praise such vulgar things? Couldn't he see which was more elegant, which was more befitting of his imperial status?!
However, despite the turmoil in her heart, Su Jinxiu still maintained a proper and perfect smile on her face.
She even slowly turned around, facing the palace servants who were watching the spectacle, and softly said in a nonchalant tone, as if nothing had happened:
"Your Majesty and the Empress are a loving couple, their affection is truly wonderful. I am happy for them as well."
Her voice was gentle and moving, and her smile was flawless, as if she were genuinely pleased by the Emperor and Empress's affection. Her demeanor and refinement made the surrounding palace servants secretly praise her, saying, "Truly worthy of being called the Virtuous Consort," while at the same time feeling sorry for her.
Looking at the complicated expressions on everyone's faces, Su Jinxiu's smile grew even gentler, but her heart was filled with a cold and sinister aura.
She knew that today's events would soon spread throughout the entire palace. She, Su Jinxiu, would become the object of everyone's secret ridicule.
Lin Wanwan...
We'll see!
...
On the way back to Kunning Palace, Xiao Che was clearly in an extremely good mood.
Having escaped the "film set" that made him feel so uncomfortable, he completely relaxed. The unpleasantness of being forced to "work" earlier had long been replaced by the delicious egg tarts and the pleasure of watching the show.
He finished the egg tart in a few bites, and even licked his fingers with lingering satisfaction, completely abandoning his composure in front of others.
After finishing his meal, he turned his head and looked at Lin Wanwan with expectant eyes, asking succinctly, "Is there anything else?"
Those deep eyes were sparkling now, like a child begging for candy.
Lin Wanwan was amused by his appearance, but she still put on a serious face and deliberately teased him: "Didn't Your Majesty say that this thing is too sweet and has a rough texture? Why do you still want to eat it?"
Xiao Che's expression froze instantly, and his ears turned a faint red at a visible speed.
He coughed lightly, his eyes somewhat unfocused, and said stubbornly, "I...I feel that although this item has flaws, the Empress's good intentions should not be wasted. I am helping you to appraise it, find its shortcomings, and improve it in the future."
The excuse he came up with made him feel guilty.
Lin Wanwan looked at the cartoon figure above his head, who was nervously fidgeting with his fingers and sweating profusely, and finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Alright, alright, I know Your Majesty is doing this for my own good." She smiled and took out another egg tart from the food box, holding it to his lips. "Then I'll trouble Your Majesty to 'taste' it for me again."
Xiao Che took a bite from her hand and mumbled an indistinct "hmm" in agreement. His satisfied expression didn't seem like he was "appreciating" anything; he was clearly enjoying himself.
The two walked along the sun-drenched palace path, bickering back and forth, creating a relaxed and sweet atmosphere.
Neither of them mentioned Su Jinxiu again, but they both knew that they had joined forces once again and won a silent victory.
This unspoken understanding, this thrill of fighting side by side, is far more effective at bringing people closer than any sweet words.
Back in Kunning Palace, after dismissing everyone around him, Xiao Che finally let loose and devoured the remaining four egg tarts on his plate in a flash, leaving not even a crumb.
After finishing his meal, he leaned back contentedly on the soft couch, sipping the fruit tea that Lin Wanwan had brewed for him, and closed his eyes comfortably.
Lin Wanwan sat to the side, watching his lazy appearance, like a cat that had eaten and drunk its fill, and her heart softened.
She thought, perhaps, this kind of life isn't so bad.
Just then, Xiao Che, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of languid contentment:
"She won't give up so easily."
Lin Wanwan knew that the "she" he was referring to was Su Jinxiu.
"I know." Lin Wanwan's eyes gradually calmed down. "Today's public humiliation will only drive her more insane, given her pride and arrogance."
"Hmm." Xiao Che responded, slowly opening his eyes. His lazy eyes were now clear and sharp. "Today's talent display is nothing more than a young lady's little trick to win favor. If this path doesn't work, she will find another way."
He sat up straight, looked at Lin Wanwan, and his expression became serious: "Lin Wanwan, you must remember, behind Su Jinxiu stands the Su family and the Empress Dowager. What they want is never just my favor."
Lin Wanwan's heart skipped a beat, and she nodded solemnly.
She understood what Xiao Che meant.
Today's "talent show," though seemingly a power struggle among the concubines in the harem, is in essence a power struggle within the court. If Su Jinxiu succeeds today, it means the Empress Dowager's faction will regain its power in the harem, something Xiao Che absolutely does not want to see.
Her victory today, seemingly a triumph of culinary arts over artistic talent, is in reality another successful suppression of the Empress Dowager's power by the Empress, who was personally chosen by the Emperor.
Su Jinxiu realized that mere talent and gentleness were no longer enough to move the emperor.
So, what will she do next?
When the gentle facade is torn away, and the display of talent becomes a laughing stock, what kind of venomous fangs will this beautiful viper bare in order to achieve its goal?
Lin Wanwan looked out the window at the gradually darkening twilight, her eyes becoming deep and unfathomable.
It seems she'll have to resort to some... more unusual methods.
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