"Yes, I am Liu Feiyue."
Dugu Jing and the Emperor were playing chess there.
I got bored, so I started looking at the paintings on the wall.
One painting in particular held my gaze for a long time; it was a picture of a stream and a small bridge. It looked quite charming, especially the line of small characters inscribed beside it.
Flowers are blooming along the path; you may slowly return home.
"What? Is Yue'er particularly fond of this painting?"
I was startled and turned around. "Your Majesty startled me..."
Looking at the Emperor laughing heartily, I felt strange. Why did the Emperor seem so unusually friendly towards me?
"Give this painting to Yueya," she said, instructing the eunuch to take it down.
Holding the painting in my hand, I felt uneasy.
"Yue girl, come here and talk to me."
Looking at Dugu Jing, she asked, "Why are you still here? Aren't you going back to your palace?"
Dugu Jing: "There's nothing urgent in the palace, so I'll stay and keep Father company."
I felt a little relieved.
The Emperor asked me about my hobbies, and after thinking for a moment, I mentioned a few. Then he asked what I had learned. I could only shake my head and say, "Your Majesty, I know nothing."
"You silly girl," Dugu Mo said, "tomorrow you will learn properly from Princess Qianxi in the palace."
"But this class?"
"Let's take a month off and learn something first."
I felt uneasy looking at him.
Walking with Dugu Jing on the palace road.
I asked worriedly, "Fourth Prince, do you think the Emperor has taken a liking to me?"
Dugu Jing glanced at me but remained silent.
I became increasingly worried. "I've become your mother, oh my god..."
Dugu Jing's lips twitched a few times.
When I saw a hot woman walking over, my worries vanished instantly.
"It's the Fourth Prince."
"Consort Hua".
I glanced at the woman in front of me, her shoulders exposed and her chest revealing a large expanse. My worries started again; maybe the Emperor had taken a liking to my innocent, youthful appearance.
"Why hasn't the Fourth Prince visited my palace lately?" she asked. "I've prepared your favorite tea for you."
Remembering that concubine I had just left, I asked, "Fourth Prince, was she trying to seduce you?"
She continued, "This mother still wants to have an affair with her son. The palace is too chaotic; I'm afraid I'm really not suited to stay here..."
Suddenly a face came close, and I hiccuped nervously.
"What are you doing, Fourth Prince?"
Dugu Jing's deep face became increasingly unreadable. "Let's see how many heads you have."
I choked, and was so startled that I covered my mouth.
He glanced up at the expressionless Dugu Jing. He thought to himself, "Based on what I just said, ten heads wouldn't be enough to chop off."
When I got to the palace gate, I saw my third brother.
"Third Brother..."
Liu Chengxian said respectfully, "Thank you, Fourth Prince."
I hid behind my third brother. There was no need to thank him; he'd even tried to chop off my head...
Once I got into the sedan chair, I realized that Lu Yiheng was also sitting inside.
What are you doing here?
Lu Yiheng raised an eyebrow, "It seems the little girl doesn't want to see me."
Me: "It's alright, the girls at Baihualou are waiting for you!"
Lu Yiheng's smile immediately vanished. "Brother Liu, you're being too mean to me."
Yoo Sung-hyun smiled and said, "I didn't say that."
"It wasn't my third brother who told me; I could tell from my own eyes."
Lu Yiheng's lips twitched. "You little brat!"
He moved a little closer to me.
I moved aside too, saying, "I hate the smell of rouge."
Lu Yiheng lowered his head and sniffed, "No..." He turned to Liu Chengxian and said, "Brother Liu, can you smell it?"
Liu Chengxian neither confirmed nor denied it.
Lu Yiheng laughed and said, "Little girl, marry me. I'm your third brother's best buddy."
"So what?"
“I can trust you,” Lu Yiheng continued. “I guarantee that if you marry me, I will cherish you every day, give you a good life, and ensure you are never bullied…”
I looked at him and asked, "You won't suffer even the slightest grievance?"
He paused for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.
I continued, "You won't marry anyone but me?"
Lu Yiheng smiled, "How could that be? Every household in this family has concubines, I..."
"You can't escape the common practice either, can you?" I looked at him calmly. "You said before that you wouldn't let me suffer any grievances, but then you told me you would take a concubine. Isn't that a contradiction?"
The car suddenly stopped.
I got off the bus.
Lu Yiheng looked at Liu Chengxian, "Brother Liu..."
He gave a helpless smile.
“Miss…” Ping’er walked over at the door.
Looking at her rosy cheeks, he said, "You silly girl, it's so cold, why are you standing at the door?"
Ping'er rubbed her hands together. "I've been worried about Miss. With Miss's personality, and this being her first time entering the palace, I was afraid something might happen."
Me: "Silly girl."
Liu Chengxian laughed and said, "Fourth Sister is so lucky to have such a caring and loving maid."
I laughed and said, "Yeah, Third Brother, aren't you envious?"
"Envious, envious..."
Ping'er kept asking, "Miss, did anything happen in the palace?"
"No, it's not bad. I even met the Emperor today; he's a kind and gentle man."
Ping'er asked in surprise, "Really? Miss isn't saying anything silly, is she?"
"Of course not." She smiled outwardly, but inwardly she was uneasy about what Dugu Jing had said.
The next morning.
"Miss, Madam Lan has arrived."
I quickly stood up. "Why is she here?"
"They must be here to curry favor with Miss." Ping'er combed my hair. "They heard that Miss went to the palace and met the Emperor, so they came here eagerly..."
"Ouch... Ping'er, your combing hurts!"
"I'm so sorry, miss."
I've finally finished combing my hair.
“Moon,” Madam Lan said as she entered the room.