Yan Xiu glanced at the fan in his hand, then at Li Yuyu, who was addicted to pretending to cry, and silently began to shake his arm.
Forget it.
Since there’s a misunderstanding, let’s continue with the misunderstanding.
"Beloved concubine, since you’re so moved, how do you plan to repay my hard work?" Yan Xiu asked in a deep voice.
Li Yuyu: ...
Repay again?
Could Yan Xiu be eyeing those silver notes her brother gave her again!
Pincing herself once more, Li Yuyu’s crying seemed much more real this time: "Emperor, I am foolish and incompetent, not good at cooking or serving others. Only the Emperor doesn’t mind raising such a foolish and incompetent person like me. How about I return the items the Emperor bestowed upon me as repayment?"
Yan Xiu: ...
How could there be a reason to take back the things he bestowed?
Even if returned, wouldn’t they still be my possessions?
The little concubine is becoming more astute.
"Help me grind the ink." Yan Xiu deliberately put on a stern face, tapped the armrest of the recliner with the fan, set down the fan, and walked towards the imperial desk with hands behind his back.
Just grinding ink.
Should have said it earlier.
Li Yuyu let out a sigh of relief and rubbed her thigh.
Ouch, she had pinched too hard earlier, now it still hurts, such a loss.
These days, Li Yuyu had become increasingly skilled at grinding ink. She stood by Yan Xiu’s side, helping him grind ink, knowing precisely how much water to add and when it was needed, mastering it well.
However, after a while, Li Yuyu felt her hands aching, as well as her waist and legs.
She glanced at the man engrossed in reviewing memorials, moved a chair beside Yan Xiu, and sat beside him.
Yan Xiu raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
After sitting and grinding ink for a while, Li Yuyu found it unbearable, switching hands back and forth, both hands increasingly sore. Eventually, she stopped altogether.
"Emperor, my hands are sore; can you massage my wrists?" Li Yuyu leaned against Yan Xiu as if boneless.
Afraid the ink might drip onto Li Yuyu’s dress, Yan Xiu moved the brush aside: "What does this look like? Sit properly."
Although his words had a scolding tone, the smile in Yan Xiu’s eyes betrayed his true emotions.
Li Yuyu naturally noticed Yan Xiu’s contradiction, so she simply took the brush from Yan Xiu’s hand and placed it on the inkstone, tugged at Yan Xiu’s sleeve, and acted coy: "Emperor, my hands really hurt. I don’t want to grind ink anymore."
Boring and tiring, she’d rather go pick lotus for eating.
Last time picking lotuses, she was disrupted by Yan Zixuan, and the two of them even had a fight there, leading her to avoid Lotus Reflection Pavilion now for fear of triggering another "battle."
"Then what does my beloved concubine want to do?" Yan Xiu asked accordingly.
"Eat lotus, go boating." Li Yuyu blurted out without thinking.
Yan Xiu’s sword-like eyebrows gradually furrowed; eating lotus is no big deal, but boating...
"Shen Quan."
Upon hearing Yan Xiu’s call, Shen Quan cheerfully came in and bowed: "Your servant is here, what are your orders, Emperor?"
"Is there a good place nearby for boating?"
"What?" Shen Quan raised his head in surprise, doubting his ears.
Yan Xiu looked at him expressionlessly.
Li Yuyu was holding onto Yan Xiu’s sleeve, tilting her head, staring at him with shiny bright black eyes.
Shen Quan: ...
Understood, Lady Li is restless again.