Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 216

Jun Ying accepted and cherished everything she had liked in the past. Otherwise, why would she have built the Taiping Pavilion, which she had once given to Zi Yingfeng, in the palace of the Moon Kingdom? It was because every blade of grass, every tree, every brick, and every tile of the Taiping Pavilion was designed by her own hand, and because she had personally placed all the furnishings inside.

Even though she knew perfectly well that Taiping Pavilion did not belong to her, and even though she would never even glance at it, she still built it within her palace, torturing herself in agony.

Aren't people really stupid? Really, really stupid, aren't they?

Jun Lin rushed out of Chaofeng Palace, and as soon as he looked up, he saw the person standing at the palace gate. The panic and fear in his eyes instantly subsided. He reached out and pulled Zi Jin into his arms: "Where did you go? Where did you go? They couldn't find you, they didn't know where you went. Why did you run around alone? Why didn't you let anyone follow you? Do you know how worried I was?"

Zi Jin's body stiffened for a moment, then softened. She reached out and gently stroked Jun Lin's back, saying softly, "You're the ruler of a country, why are you still so reckless? I just wandered around and forgot the time. It was my fault for making you worry. I won't do it again next time."

Jun Lin slowly released the person in his arms, looked at the face in front of him with some disbelief, and asked softly, "Are you... talking to me?"

Zi Jin chuckled, her gaze softening: "Is there anyone else here?"

Jun Ying's hands trembled slightly as he gazed at Zi Jin's face, flattered and surprised. After a long while, he picked Zi Jin up and spun her around, laughing loudly.

Zi Jin exclaimed, "Slow down, be careful..."

Jun Lin stopped smiling, his phoenix eyes rippling with happiness. He gazed into Zi Jin's eyes and said softly, "Don't worry, even if I hurt myself, I won't hurt you and the child."

Zi Jin turned her face away somewhat awkwardly: "I'm hungry."

Jun Lin picked up Zi Jin and walked into Chaofeng Palace, saying softly, "What would you like to eat? How about propolis sweet cakes? The imperial physician said propolis is the best tonic and you should eat more of it every day. No... propolis is too sweet, and you're having morning sickness... What if you can't eat it? How about ginseng chicken soup? That's tasteless. Have the cooks add some goji berries to make it lighter... Or, how about some of the fish soup you had last time? Granny Lu said you've been craving fish soup lately. Why don't you have them bring some of it and have a few bites of each, okay?"

Zi Jin slowly turned her face away, concealing her slightly reddened eyes.

"But you're not feeling well?...Quick, summon the imperial physician!" Jun Lin gently placed Zi Jin on the bed and turned to call out to Xiao Wu behind him.

Zi Jin reached out and took Jun Lin's hand, carefully straightening his disheveled clothes. Her eyes were slightly red as she said, "I'm not feeling unwell, it's just that the smell of alcohol on you is making me uncomfortable... Look at you, all disheveled, you don't look like a king at all."

"Alright, alright, then I won't drink anymore, okay? I didn't know you didn't like the smell of alcohol... I remember you used to drink a lot. Well, now that you're pregnant, you can't stand these smells. I'll go take a bath and change into these clothes." After Jun Lin finished speaking, he quickly stood up.

Zi Jin grabbed his hand and laughed, "Never mind, have something to eat with me later. I said some hurtful things the other day, and when I went to find you later, I was turned away. I didn't mean to upset you, but drinking too much is bad for your health, so don't drink anymore."

Jun Lin's eyes were filled with joy, and he hurriedly shook his head and said, "I won't drink, I won't drink anymore... At that time, I thought, I thought you were going to argue with me, so I had them stop you. I'm not afraid of you making me angry, I'm afraid that you'll get angry yourself when you make me angry. The imperial physician said you can't get angry, so don't be angry or upset. As long as you and the child are alright, I'll do whatever you want, okay?"

Zi Jin glanced sideways at the outer room, then turned back to Jun Lin and said, "It seems dinner is ready. I'm hungry."

Jun Lin quickly picked up Zi Jin and carried her to the outer room, as if she were the most precious porcelain. He placed Zi Jin on the chair in front of the table with utmost care and gentleness.

Zi Jin shook her head with amusement: "I'm not that delicate. I can walk on my own."

Granny Lu placed a bowl of soup in front of Zi Jin: "Your Highness didn't eat much at noon, so you must eat more with His Majesty tonight."

Jun Lin frowned: "Why didn't you eat lunch?"

Zi Jin poured the soup from the bowl into a smaller bowl and placed it in front of Jun Lin: "You've been drinking for so many days without eating properly, and now you're asking me about it."

Jun Lin paused for a moment, then laughed loudly, "Alright, I'll eat it, but you have to eat as much as I eat."

Zi Jin picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in Jun Lin's bowl, then lowered her eyes and said, "Look at your face, it's deathly pale, no color at all. No wonder you're getting worse and worse."

Jun Lin unconsciously touched his face, turned his head to the side and frowned, asking the old nanny Lu beside him, "Is it really that ugly?"

Granny Lu covered her mouth and laughed: "Yes, His Majesty hasn't been eating properly these days. The other day he even drank so much that he vomited blood. How can his complexion be good?"

Jun Lin gave Granny Lu meaningful glances for a while before she finally shut up. He then stole a glance at Zi Jin and said in a somewhat ingratiating tone, "Actually, it wasn't vomiting blood... it's just that my chest felt a little uncomfortable, so I drank a few more sips..."

Zi Jin said coldly, "Hmm? I also feel a bit tight in my chest... Granny Lu, go and get some Northwest Red."

"No! ... I won't drink anymore, I won't drink anymore, I won't drink anymore, okay? You can't be this angry... this angry... That Northwest Red wine is so strong, you, you, you don't drink it, okay?" Jun Lin's voice became softer and softer, and finally it was full of pleading.

Zi Jin, who had been keeping a straight face for a long time, finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Since that's the case, you should cherish yourself from now on. Although you have been willful since you were young, at least you had Jun Ying to discipline you... But now you are the most important person in the Yue Kingdom. If you don't discipline yourself and respect yourself, who will dare to ask you a question... If you don't cherish your body like this, how can you live up to the earnest expectations of the ministers and the people?"

Jun Lin frowned as he looked at Zi Jin, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes. He said softly, "Don't I still have you? As long as you talk to me properly, I've never disobeyed you. Are you saying you don't want to care about me anymore and don't want to ask me anything?"

Zi Jin slowly lowered her eyes: "I can ask about personal matters, but I don't understand national affairs... You know I'm very lazy..."

Jun Lin's phoenix eyes gradually softened, and he chuckled softly: "Don't worry, as long as you stay with me, I'll listen to whatever you say."

Zi Jin's eyes were filled with complex emotions, her brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and she stopped speaking, only lowering her eyes to eat.

Jun Lin gazed at Zi Jin's profile with a fascination, a deep joy and satisfaction welling up in his phoenix eyes. A dreamy smile appeared on his lips, and the food in his mouth tasted even more delicious.

For several days in a row, after the morning court session, Jun Lin went straight to Chaofeng Palace, and even when reviewing memorials, he had to see Zi Jin at all times.

Zi Jin felt helpless but didn't know how to deal with it. Out of guilt, she had readily agreed to Madam Yu's request to treat Jun Lin better in his final days without careful consideration. However, Zi Jin gradually realized that this wasn't actually good for Jun Lin. She was going to leave eventually anyway. If she and Jun Lin continued their cold war, she could simply leave quietly. But now, she had given Jun Lin hope only to abandon him—wouldn't that cause even greater harm?

Seeing Jun Lin's increasingly bright smile, Zi Jin sensed something was amiss, a very serious one, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Logically, since Madam Yu cared so much about Jun Lin, she should have wanted to minimize any harm she might cause him. Didn't she consider the consequences when she asked her to do this that day?

Zi Jin looked through the window into the study, where the palace lanterns were already lit, only to find that the person who had been sitting under the lamp was nowhere to be seen. These past few days, Jun Lin had practically been glued to her side; what was wrong with him today?

A sense of unease flashed through Zi Jin's heart, and she glanced sideways at Granny Lu beside her: "Where is His Majesty?"

Granny Lu couldn't hide her smile: "You've only been gone a short while, and you already miss His Majesty? Just now, Guard Qi came over in a hurry, and His Majesty went with him. The coronation ceremony for the Empress is in two days, and His Majesty will naturally have many things to attend to. Your Highness, rest assured, His Majesty will definitely not miss the time to have dinner with Your Highness."

Zi Jin responded thoughtfully. Suddenly, a glimmer of light flashed from the bushes. A hint of joy flashed in Zi Jin's eyes, and she said again, "I'm a little thirsty. Granny, please make some herbal tea. It must be made by yourself; I don't like it when others make it."

Granny Lu smiled and said, "Alright, Your Highness, please wait here. This old servant will be right back."

Zi Jin nodded slightly. Seeing that Granny Lu had left, she got up and walked out of Chaofeng Palace, quickly heading towards the bushes where the light had flashed.

Qiu Baifeng leaped down from the tree, her face beaming with undisguised joy: "Girl! Let's go!"

"Now?!" Zi Jin asked in surprise.

Qiu Baifeng said urgently, "Of course it's now. Ever since I rescued your master, the security around you has become even tighter. I come to observe every evening when they change shifts. Today, I don't know what happened, but a large number of palace guards have been sent to somewhere, and there's not even anyone left by your side."

With barely suppressed joy in her eyes, Zi Jin hurriedly said to Qiu Baifeng, "Wait for me here, Master's wife. I'll go and retrieve the white jade zither that Master gave me and the golden whip that Master's wife gave me, and then we'll leave."