Chapter 113:

Emperor Jing could be considered meticulous; he excused himself, claiming he had more official duties to attend to and needed to return to Xuanning Palace.

Inside the room, only Layue and Yue Feng remained.

In fact, Layue had deceived Emperor Jing. She didn’t learn about Yue Feng’s secret at that moment; she had truly known about it in her previous life, back when the Yue family was imprisoned due to the Shen family’s misfortunes.

When imprisoned, a body inspection was naturally conducted, and it was only then that they discovered the truth—her cousin wasn’t really her cousin.

Indeed, it was true that if Yue Feng changed back into women’s clothing, she bore a striking resemblance to Layue’s mother.

“I caused you trouble today.”

Yue Feng was still dressed in male attire and smiled slightly, “If it’s really trouble, it’s not something you caused. It’s been three years since we last met, hasn’t it?”

Layue nodded.

Actually, it hadn’t been three years—it had been many, many uncountable years.

Since Layue’s rebirth, she hadn’t seen Yue Feng. Previously, Yue Feng had gone to transport goods outside the border, and upon Layue’s return, she had already entered the palace.

“Yulan is gone. Originally, I thought she was just somewhat scheming and ambitious, but I never expected her to become like this. Truly, everything has changed.”

“Sometimes it’s better to reflect on oneself than to blame others.” Layue wasn’t fond of mentioning Chen Yulan.

Yue Feng looked at Layue in surprise. In the past, he had also criticized Yulan for being spoiled and overly ambitious, but back then, his cousin Layue had always made excuses for her. Yet now, even upon hearing of her death, she remained as usual, showing not the slightest sadness.

How many times must Yulan have hurt Layue’s heart during these past two years in the palace to transform that once-supportive little girl into this composed version of herself?

“You’ve changed a bit, Cousin.”

Layue smiled innocently, “Cousin, no, Cousin Sister. Actually, everyone hopes to be as pure, happy, and joyful as they were in childhood, satisfied by even the smallest things. But how can people remain unchanged? As we grow older, our desires increase. How many people can preserve their original childlike innocence?”

Yue Feng looked at Layue and lowered her eyes, “Indeed, the palace is a great dyeing vat. If you, my cousin, can think this way, I will feel much more at ease.”

Layue nodded, “I can take care of myself. But you, Cousin, now that your secret has been exposed, what will you do?”

Unexpectedly, Yue Feng smiled at Layue, “What difference does it make whether I’m male or female? I’m still the eldest son of the Yue family. I will continue wearing men’s clothing every day and managing the Yue family business.”

When Layue heard this, she was momentarily stunned.

But soon, she looked at Yue Feng with a hint of envy, “It must be the greatest fortune for a person to live as freely as you do, Cousin Sister.”

Seeing the sparkling look in Layue’s eyes, Yue Feng couldn’t help but laugh and ruffled her hair affectionately.

“You must be careful everywhere in the palace, understand? This place is full of vicious man-eating flowers. If anyone is worrying, it’s you who should be the most concerning. I’ve seen it—don’t even mention that seemingly gentle Qi Concubine who’s actually been pressing against you relentlessly. Even the other concubines who remain silent and unremarkable are secretly hoping for your demise. Now that you’re pregnant, you must be especially careful.”

Layue naturally understood this and smiled faintly, “I know.”

Although Yue Feng was still dressed as a man, her hair had always been let down.

The two chatted for a while, after which Yue Feng naturally took her leave.

Layue called Xing’er to help Yue Feng tie her hair into a topknot.

Looking at Yue Feng sitting before the dressing table, Layue suddenly thought of something.

But the thought was too fleeting to grasp, vanishing in an instant.

After Yue Feng left, Layue remained deep in thought.

“Madam, I never expected that our young master was actually a young lady,” Jin Xin, who had been present all along, never imagined that Chen Yulan could be so malicious.

Layue didn’t speak.

After a pause, she turned to Jin Xin, “What time is it now?”

“Reporting to Madam, it’s already the hour of Hai.” This was usually the time when Layue would rest.

Layue felt that with such an event happening today, Emperor Jing would definitely stay here. She instructed Jin Xin.

“Tidy up a bit; the Emperor will probably come here shortly.”

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Emperor Jing arrived at Tingyu Pavilion.

Seeing Layue sitting there with a beaming smile waiting for him.

The emperor raised an eyebrow, “You knew for sure that I would rest here tonight?”

Shaking her head, “I didn’t know. But I just wanted to wait for you a little while.”

Emperor Jing smiled and took off his outer robe.

Layue raised her eyebrows in surprise; this was truly the first time the emperor had undressed himself. It was quite unusual.

Seeing her wide-eyed expression, Emperor Jing revealed a slight smile.

“You must be very tired after standing for so long today?”

Layue honestly nodded, “Very tired. My body is tired, and my heart is tired. But since you trust me, I feel much better.”

What a clever girl she was.

Before long, the two snuggled together and lay in bed.

There had been too many events in these past two days; even Emperor Jing felt somewhat exhausted, let alone Layue.

Seeing her leaning softly against him, he suddenly couldn’t help but feel a surge of desire.

Thinking this, his hands became restless. Just as they slid to her chest, Layue let out a soft moan.

“No… we can’t…”

Emperor Jing sighed, knowing in his heart that the pregnancy had been unstable recently; he couldn’t act on impulse.

He turned over and lay on his back in a spread-eagle position.

He breathed heavily, “You little girl, how can you tease a person like this? What am I supposed to do with you?”

Layue dared not get too close, seeing his state. She couldn’t risk her child’s safety.

“Actually… I want to too. But we can’t be reckless. Think about it—we have a baby in my belly.”

Her words were incoherent.

Indeed, since becoming pregnant, she had always felt she had become more sensual. With less intimacy, she found herself craving it more. Whenever she thought about it, she would cover her face with her hands, feeling deeply embarrassed.

Seeing her like this, Emperor Jing was momentarily stunned. The frequency of being stimulated these past few days had indeed been quite high.

Looking at her again, he smiled.

“My little girl is truly pitiable. So you’ve been thinking about it too, huh?” Emperor Jing smiled and moved his hand to her lower body, letting his hand roam freely.

Before long, the two were panting.

Although they couldn’t do it directly, the couple always found other ways to relieve their desires.

And apparently, those methods worked quite well.

After a passionate session, both lay on their backs on the bed.

“Do you like Tingyu Pavilion, Yue’er?” Emperor Jing suddenly asked this out of nowhere, and Layue looked at him in confusion.

Seeing her completely puzzled expression, Emperor Jing felt as if his heart was being gently tickled by a feather.

“The palace feels a bit stuffy, and now that you’re pregnant, you might find it uncomfortable. I’ve thought about it. Qing’an Palace next to Xuanning Palace is currently unoccupied. I’ll have it prepared; you can move there.”

Emperor Jing casually informed Layue, who continued to stare blankly at him.

Qing’an Palace was considered one of the best palaces in the palace, second only to Xuanning Palace, Huici Palace, and Fengqi Palace. Fengqi Palace was, of course, the Empress’s residence. Just by its name, Layue knew she could never live there, even if she remained the emperor’s favorite. Qing’an Palace had always been empty, mainly because the emperor disliked having concubines living too close to him. Now, he was moving her there, and Layue couldn’t quite figure out the emperor’s intentions.

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace.”

She said this softly while lying down, so what authority could she possibly have left?

Emperor Jing smiled and patted her head.

“I already gave the order before coming here. Before I leave the palace, you will definitely be able to move in.”

Emperor Jing had originally planned to depart the day after tomorrow, but due to the poisoning incident, he postponed it by two days.

“Okay, once I give birth, this Tingyu Pavilion will definitely not be big enough.”

After the child is born, there will be more palace maids, eunuchs, and wet nurses, so of course, it won’t be enough space!

Emperor Jing replied, “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Besides, if you live closer to me, it will be more convenient for me to visit the child.”

Layue laughed and poked Emperor Jing’s chest with her finger, “You’re lying, lying, lying, lying.”

Seeing her like this, Emperor Jing held her hand and brought it to his mouth, gently biting it, “When have I ever lied to you?”

“You said you would often visit the baby—that’s a lie. Just look at how often you visit the eldest and second princes. That excuse is just a joke.”

“You little girl, you’re so suspicious. Why would I lie? If you keep talking nonsense, just see if I don’t bite you.”

He bit her again, but Layue didn’t feel pain—only ticklishness—and she giggled, curling into a ball.

Seeing her like this, Emperor Jing also laughed.

Being with her always made him so happy.

“Don’t let today’s messy affairs bother you. The most important thing is this child, understand? When I leave the palace in a few days, you mustn’t worry. No one will dare to scheme against my child.”

Hearing Emperor Jing say this, Layue was somewhat surprised; this didn’t sound like his usual style.

She softly said “Okay,” to show that she had heard.

Emperor Jing pulled the covers up, “Good girl, go to sleep.”

His nightmare problem hadn’t really improved—well, at least not when he was with others. He couldn’t sleep peacefully with anyone else, but when he was with Layue, he slept soundly.

He poked her soft cheek.

Layue slightly curved her lips, and Emperor Jing placed a kiss on her.

“Take good care of our child.”

Layue smiled, “Okay, okay, are you going to let me sleep or not? I’m going to be naughty!”

Seeing her acting like this, Emperor Jing couldn’t help but chuckle.

“If you’re naughty, we can do something else. So? Are you going to behave?”

His smile was mischievous.

Layue covered her face, pretending to be shy, “How can you be like this? I’m going to sleep, I’m going to sleep!”

Emperor Jing loved seeing her in this girlish manner. Seeing her so adorable, he pulled her into his arms and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

“My big princess, go to sleep nicely.”

Who knows exactly which “big princess” he was referring to.