You Rong was ordered to enter the palace and came to the Imperial Garden. In the dim candlelight, Lin Qinghe was drinking alone. Her eyes were downcast, as if lost in thought, her slender back exuding a hint of loneliness.
You Rong paused for a moment before continuing to walk to Lin Qinghe. He cupped his hands in a salute, "This humble subject greets Your Majesty."
Lin Qinghe raised her eyes. Her clear and charming eyes were now tinged with a hazy intoxication. Seeing You Rong, she grinned and said, "Prime Minister You, you're here... Sit down, I'll pour you some wine!"
You Rong sat down. The smell of wine wafted towards him, causing him to frown slightly. Lin Qinghe poured a cup of wine and placed it in front of him. He pursed his thin lips and did not pick it up, instead asking in a low voice, "Why did Your Majesty summon this humble subject to the palace so urgently?"
Lin Qinghe's smile faltered. Her eyes drooped, her long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly. She whispered, "Why must Your Majesty summon you to the palace necessarily mean there's something important? Can't I see you when there's nothing else?"
Sensing the obvious disappointment in Lin Qinghe's words, You Rong tightened his lips and did not reply. He picked up the wine cup and took a small sip.
A flicker of light appeared in Lin Qinghe's eyes. You Rong not leaving immediately was a good start.
She was determined to feign drunkenness today and reveal her true feelings again, to see how You Rong would react.
Lin Qinghe picked up the wine pot and poured more wine for You Rong, muttering, "I'm so lonely in this palace. I have no family, not even a person to talk to. That's why I thought of you, wanting you to come to the palace to drink and talk with me... I absolutely have no other intentions!"
As the last sentence left her lips, Lin Qinghe pretended to look nervous, gazing at You Rong as if afraid he would misunderstand her summoning him to the palace as having ulterior motives.
As expected, just as Lin Qinghe had predicted, the moment she finished speaking, You Rong said, "This humble subject does not suspect Your Majesty."
Hearing this, Lin Qinghe's eyes curved into a smile. "That's good, that's good. Given how I was before, I was so afraid you would..." Lin Qinghe paused tactically, then continued with a smile, "Let's continue drinking."
Lin Qinghe downed two more cups without noticing You Rong's subtle frown again.
They chattered aimlessly, making small talk, and when the time felt right, Lin Qinghe began to act drunk.
Lin Qinghe's cheeks flushed, her eyes becoming hazy with intoxication. She giggled at You Rong, "You Rong... May I tell you a secret?"
You Rong put down his wine cup. "Your Majesty, you are drunk. This humble subject will call for a palace attendant to escort you back to your chambers to rest."
"No! I'm not drunk! I can still drink!" Lin Qinghe deliberately put on a stern face and pointed at You Rong. "You... Do you know how much I like you? I like you so much that I can't sleep at night. I think of you day and night. I really want to see you, but I don't dare to say it, nor do I dare to see you, because you don't like me, you detest me..."
After saying this, Lin Qinghe let out a hiccup. She looked completely convincing, with no sign of pretending to be drunk.
She squinted her eyes to observe You Rong, but found his expression unchanged, unmoved. Gritting her teeth, she decided to play the victim. She pinched her thigh hard, tears immediately welling up in her eyes, making her look pitiful.
"You Rong... I truly know I was wrong. I shouldn't have treated you that way before. What must I do for you to like me? Tell me... As long as you say it, I will do it! How?"
Looking at the person clutching her sleeve, so different from the aloof empress of the past, she now looked at him with a face full of pleading and expectation. You Rong's heart stirred slightly.
"Your Majesty... You are truly drunk. This humble subject will order someone to help you back to rest."
Seeing You Rong rise to leave, Lin Qinghe's expression was one of surprise.
She had acted to such an extent, and the progress hadn't budged at all. Did You Rong have no feelings for her? Or was something wrong? It shouldn't be!
Just as Lin Qinghe was about to grab You Rong, a figure appeared. It was Fu Qingyu, his face filled with nervousness. He said softly, "Your servant has seen Your Majesty, and Prime Minister You..."
Fu Qingyu's appearance startled both Lin Qinghe and You Rong. Seeing this, Fu Qingyu quickly explained, "Your servant did not come here intentionally, I was passing by... and accidentally overheard Prime Minister You's words. Your Majesty is drunk, and there are no other palace attendants nearby. Your servant... Your servant will help Your Majesty back to her chambers."
Fu Qingyu's words were stammering with nervousness. He knew he shouldn't have come forward, but remembering Lin Qinghe's kindness in bestowing medicine last time, he mustered the courage to do so.
Just as Lin Qinghe was about to wave Fu Qingyu away, and before she could speak, You Rong, who had just stood up to leave, suddenly turned around and, catching her off guard, swept her into his arms.
Lin Qinghe was stunned. Her hands instinctively wrapped around You Rong's neck, her eyes looking at him blankly.
What was You Rong doing?
You Rong did not look at Lin Qinghe. He cast a casual glance at Fu Qingyu and said in a deep voice, "No need. I will escort Your Majesty back to her chambers to rest."
After speaking, You Rong strode past Fu Qingyu with Lin Qinghe in his arms, heading towards Changning Palace.
Fu Qingyu stood rooted to the spot, his sleeves clenched tightly in nervousness.
For some reason, the Prime Minister You, who was rumored to be as gentle as jade, had seemed quite frightening just now!
Leaning in You Rong's arms, Lin Qinghe felt the effects of the wine she had drunk. Her head felt a little fuzzy, making her reactions a beat slower. It wasn't until You Rong carried her back to Changning Palace and placed her on the bed, about to leave, that she finally came to her senses and grabbed You Rong's hand.
Did You Rong... perhaps feel jealous just now? Otherwise, why would he carry her back to her chambers?!
You Rong paused, lost in thought, and did not immediately pull his hand away.
Lin Qinghe swallowed and seized the opportunity to ask, "You Rong... Do you like me? Even a little bit... Do you?"
You Rong was silent for a long while. He gently removed Lin Qinghe's hand, pulled the quilt over her, and said calmly, "Your Majesty, you are drunk. Please rest early. This humble subject shall take his leave!"
You Rong turned and left.
Watching You Rong's retreating back, Lin Qinghe frowned deeply. She opened the progress bar and stared at it for a long time, only to find that it hadn't increased at all.
Lin Qinghe closed her eyes in disappointment, a sense of frustration washing over her.
She was so annoyed that she wanted to just grab You Rong by the collar and ask him what he thought of her!
The drunkenness surged. Lin Qinghe wanted to grab You Rong by the collar and question him now, but she couldn't resist the heavy eyelids that felt like a mountain and slowly closed her eyes, falling asleep.
The night passed quietly. Lin Qinghe woke up, her eyes closed, rubbing her slightly aching forehead. She thought about what had happened last night and felt agitated. However, when she inadvertently clicked on the progress bar to check, she was stunned.
The progress bar had increased by two percent!
Lin Qinghe confirmed multiple times that she wasn't mistaken. The total progress was thirty-two percent. It had indeed increased by two percent last night!
But why had this two percent increased? Yesterday, she had confessed her feelings through drinking, played the pitiable card, and even with Fu Qingyu's sudden appearance, she had thought You Rong might feel jealous... None of these had caused the progress bar to increase. Why had it suddenly increased by two percent now?
Lin Qinghe was utterly perplexed. She sat up and was about to call Wang Jiang to send for an暗卫 (dark guard) when the voice of an暗卫 came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, your subordinate has an urgent matter to report. Important news has come from an informant at You Manor!"
Lin Qinghe's heart fluttered. She hastily put on an outer robe and replied, "Come in and speak!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
【I'll start making up for missed updates tomorrow! I can't wait to see You Rong chasing his wife in this world!!】