Her legs had gone completely limp, her whole body exhausted and drained.

She deeply regretted it!!

“My Lady, you must be hungry. Let me bring you some pastries to tide you over.” Qiuci pushed open the bedchamber door with a smile, carrying two golden-baked pastries with flower petals pressed into their flaky crusts.

Yan Yunning was indeed very hungry. She lazily raised her arm and picked up a piece, eating it slowly.

“Have another one.” Seeing that Yan Yunning had finished the first piece, Qiuci smiled and nudged the tray closer toward her.

Yan Yunning nodded with an “Mn,” intending to rest in bed after finishing both pastries.

“My Lady, have some water.” Xiao Wan handed her a cup of cooled water.

Yan Yunning swallowed the last bite of pastry, drank a large cup of water, and then, belatedly, asked, “Where is Xuan Yanyu?”

Her voice came out hoarse and cracked. Yan Yunning cleared her throat in discomfort.

Xiao Wan silently handed her another cup of water.

“His Majesty bathed with you early this morning, then left for some business — we are not sure what. Just a moment ago, he handed the pastries to this servant and asked us to bring them so you could have something to eat, and then he headed back toward Zhaozheng Hall.” Qiuci reported honestly.

“……” Yan Yunning pressed a hand to her forehead and pointed at the now-empty pastry tray. “He sent these to you himself?”

Qiuci could not help but ask, “Yes, My Lady. Is something wrong with the pastries?”

“Is something wrong? Very wrong!!” Yan Yunning stared wordlessly at the crumbs scattered across the tray and grumbled, “All that effort for nothing, and I ended up this exhausted.”

What was he thinking??

Every bit of his scheming had been aimed at her.

“What?” Qiuci asked in confusion.

Yan Yunning took a sip of water, pinching up a crumb between her fingertips, and said with an exasperated laugh, “I’ll give you a hint — pastries and contraceptive decoction.”

Qiuci’s eyes went wide, her lips pressing together slightly. “He put the contraceptive decoction in the pastries? But why? His Majesty loves you so much — why would he do something like that?”

Xiao Wan was also a little stunned. She had a feeling that Lady Xuan had misunderstood.

Very likely misunderstood.

Yan Yunning murmured vaguely, “He’s afraid that if we have a child, I’ll neglect him.”

“Is that really it? His Majesty wouldn’t be so petty.” Xiao Wan frowned slightly. “My Lady, this servant feels there must be another reason. Perhaps you should talk it over with His Majesty.”

“Understood. You two go out for now — I want to sleep a while longer.” Yan Yunning pounded her trembling, jelly-like legs. Once she had rested, she would settle accounts with Xuan Yanyu!!

“Yes.” The two little maids curtsied and withdrew from the bedchamber.

Creak.

Yan Yunning had just lain down when the chamber door was pushed open again. She did not turn her head, not yet seeing who had entered, and drowsily mumbled, “Get out.”

“Where does Your Majesty command me to go?” The brocade covers were lifted, and a familiar, pleasant fragrance drifted to her nose. A slender waist was encircled by a man’s arm.

Yan Yunning turned over and nestled against him, then gave his arm a fierce pinch.

“Hiss…” The man let out a muffled grunt of pain.

“Serves you right,” Yan Yunning said without sympathy.

“That hurt,” he said, aggrieved.

“Serves you right.”

Just thinking about all that wasted effort made Yan Yunning furious.

“Yan Yunning, you secretly slipped medicine into my soup — medicine you obtained from the imperial physician — and I haven’t even said a word about it, yet here you are giving me a cold shoulder.” Xuan Yanyu flicked the long lashes of her closed eyes with his finger.

Yan Yunning could not be bothered to say a single word.

“Do you know that secretly administering medicine to the Emperor is punishable by exterminating the nine clans?” The man laughed idly.

Yan Yunning opened her eyes, her voice sweet: “Your Majesty, are you also among my nine clans?”

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

“It seems you are.” Yan Yunning shook her head with a look of astonishment. “Xuan Yanyu, would you be the first Prince Xuan to be implicated in the extermination of his own nine clans?”

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

Yan Yunning gave a faint smile. “Those pastries tasted awful. Don’t bother sending them to me again.”

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

“Did you hear me?” Yan Yunning grabbed his cheek and pinched it. “Can’t you use your head a little and try trusting me for once?”

“What?” After a long silence, a suspicious voice came from above her head.

Yan Yunning pouted, then moved closer, draping her arm over his waist, and said lazily, “Rest.”

Xuan Yanyu stroked her hair and chuckled softly. “Alright.”

——

When Yan Yunning opened her eyes again, the bedchamber was pitch dark. She shot upright. “Oh no, oh no!!”

“What’s wrong?” Xuan Yanyu stretched out a long arm and pulled her back into his embrace.

“The soup, the soup.” Yan Yunning pushed aside the bed curtain, stumbled over the man, and put on her embroidered shoes.

Xuan Yanyu’s eyelid twitched. “What soup?”

Seeing Xuan Yanyu’s expression turn wary, Yan Yunning rolled her eyes. “It’s not aimed at you!!”

The man narrowed his eyes, watching her with a dangerous look. “Then who is it aimed at? Who else are you plotting against?”

“Not telling.” Yan Yunning bit back the pain and ran out of the bedchamber.

“Yan Yunning, stop right there!!” Xuan Yanyu shouted after her in exasperation.

Taiyi Palace.

Yan Yunning arrived fashionably late. Xuan Yanyu followed close on her heels. Qiuci opened the food box she was carrying and took out a bowl of soup, setting it before Xuan Yuncheng.

“Imperial Mother, I’ve almost finished on my own.” The little one puffed out his cheeks, clearly unhappy.

Yan Yunning came to the little one’s side, smiling warmly as she ladled half a bowl of soup. “I’m sorry — next time, Imperial Mother absolutely will not oversleep again.”

The little one fidgeted with his small fingers, and said in a soft, milky voice, “I’ll reluctantly forgive you then.”

“Xiaoxiao, you are Imperial Mother’s dearest treasure.” Yan Yunning hugged the little one, beaming brightly. She scooped up a spoonful and held it to his lips. “I promise it tastes better than what I made for your Imperial Father.”

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Indeed — it is thanks to that medicine that I was ever lucky enough to have soup brewed by Lady Xuan herself.”

As if a soup with medicine in it could taste good.

“Glad you know,” Yan Yunning said with a smile.

“…Give me some.” Xuan Yanyu walked over and sat down in the sandalwood chair, pushing his porcelain bowl toward Yan Yunning.

“It doesn’t taste good. You don’t need to drink it.” Yan Yunning pushed the bowl back.

“Yan Yunning?”

“Here,” Yan Yunning said, blowing on a spoonful of soup before feeding it to the little one.

Xuan Yuncheng tilted his head and glanced at his Imperial Father, who was leaning back in his chair, turning his jade thumb ring, wearing the expression of someone who did not want to be bothered with anyone — clearly sulking.

“Imperial Mother, is Father less magnanimous than me?” The little one raised his small chin.

Yan Yunning glanced back at Xuan Yanyu. The man gave his porcelain bowl another push and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Fill it for me.”

“Can’t you fill it yourself?” Yan Yunning shot him a look.

“Your Majesty, this servant will do it.” A maidservant behind him perceptively moved to pick up Xuan Yanyu’s porcelain bowl.

“No need. All of you, leave.” The man waved her off, then looked toward Ye Chen and added, “Take the Crown Prince out as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The maidservant curtsied and withdrew from Taiyi Palace in an orderly manner.

“Yes.” Ye Chen answered as well, moving respectfully to Xuan Yuncheng’s side.