The eunuchs delivering meals from the Imperial Kitchen filed in one after another.
Shen Quan also got up from the recliner, stretched lazily, and ordered people to tidy up the area, then prepared to push the door and enter the room.
"Shen... Mr. Shen," Zhang Jian croaked.
Shen Quan turned around with a smile and asked, "Eunuch Zhang, is there something you need?"
"The Emperor..."
"The Emperor has awakened and wants to eat. That’s why the meals were ordered. Eunuch Zhang, please wait a moment. I will enter the room and help you ask." As Shen Quan spoke, he pushed the door open and went inside.
Zhang Jian looked up at the hot sun and wiped his face with his sleeve.
Both sleeves were soaked, sticky from wiping sweat, leaving an unpleasant odor.
...
The inner chamber.
Li Yuyu slept sweetly, hugging the thin quilt in her arms, unable to be pulled away.
Hua Yin was a bit anxious.
The dishes were already on the table, but the Concubine was still sleeping, surely they couldn’t keep the Emperor waiting?
Feng Yin hesitated for a moment, about to gently try to wake Li Yuyu when she saw Yan Xiu and quickly knelt down.
Yan Xiu waved his hand, signaling them both to leave.
Hua Yin and Feng Yin lowered their heads and quickly left.
Yan Xiu waited until there were no outsiders in the room, and then approached Li Yuyu slowly.
Earlier when she was just asleep, her sleeping position was quite visible, but now...
Yan Xiu’s phoenix eyes contained a trace of amusement as he simply raised his robe and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning closely to observe this sleeping young woman.
Her plain face was serene, her eyelashes were long and slightly curled, her nose bridge was elegant and petite, her cherry lips naturally red, and her lips were slightly parted due to her steady breathing, as if showing him her playful little tongue teasingly.
Yan Xiu’s mind involuntarily drifted to that day at the Lotus Reflection Pavilion, recalling the softness and sweetness on his lips.
The breath so close to him was the same as the sensation he remembered.
Yan Xiu’s phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, and when he realized what he had done, his breathing became chaotic for a moment.
On the bed, Li Yuyu drowsily opened her eyes and met Yan Xiu’s charming and deep phoenix eyes, catching a hint of unease and panic.
"Cool and soft, is it jelly?" Li Yuyu murmured indistinctly, tapping her muddled brain.
As Li Yuyu spoke, Yan Xiu quickly straightened his body.
Jelly?
What is that?
Could the cool and soft thing be referring to...?
Yan Xiu slowly raised his hand to touch his lips. Indeed, it was slightly cool.
Realizing his action was too unusual, Yan Xiu quickly put his hand down, maintaining a straight face and sitting upright.
"Emperor, what time is it now?" Li Yuyu gradually became clearer, lifting the bed curtain to look outside.
"1:00 PM."
Li Yuyu reconsidered and realized, oh, no wonder she was still tired.
"I slept for such a long time, why didn’t the Emperor wake me up?" Li Yuyu gathered her energy and spoke charmingly.
This Emperor is truly considerate, waking up by himself without needing her to serve him.
"Not long, just one hour. I only woke up fifteen minutes earlier than Lady Li." Yan Xiu replied indifferently.
Li Yuyu: ...
There’s no need to act charming, the atmosphere just became awkward.
"Emperor, I need to get up now." So, you’d better return to wherever you came from.
Detecting Li Yuyu’s slight mood in her words, Yan Xiu’s lips tugged into a very shallow smile and he called outside, "Someone, assist Lady Li to get up."
Hua Yin and Feng Yin had prepared everything early and rushed in upon hearing the summons.
Li Yuyu sat on the bed holding the thin quilt, looking at Yan Xiu, who hadn’t avoided but merely changed his sitting position: ???