Not long after the Empress Dowager left, a palace lady suddenly came to report that A wu was missing.
Emperor Jingxi hurried to Langhua Hall, and as soon as he entered, he found the interior dim and gloomy.
He searched everywhere, and the palace ladies searched as well, but she was nowhere to be found.
Emperor Jingxi: “Quickly investigate! How could she just disappear all of a sudden?”
All the eunuchs outside Langhua Hall were mobilized, and everyone was shocked—no one had seen anyone leave, so how could she simply vanish without a trace?
Standing in the middle of the hall, Emperor Jingxi’s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings before suddenly fixating on a certain spot.
He strode forward and pulled back the hanging curtains, revealing A wu curled up inside.
She hugged her knees, resting her chin between her legs, her eyes wide with fear as she looked at him.
Seeing A wu like this, Emperor Jingxi froze for a moment, and a scene flashed through his mind.
That day when he left Nanqiongzi, A wu had been sitting just like this on the couch.
But he had been ruthless; he left without looking back, not even sparing her a glance.
His body stiffened and paused for a long moment before he finally knelt down slowly before her.
On one knee, he silently met A wu’s gaze.
Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
Emperor Jingxi pressed his lips together and spoke as gently as he could: “A wu, what’s wrong?”
A wu remained silent, her lips trembling with grievance.
He reached out cautiously, voice hoarse: “A wu, Zelang will never leave you again.”
A wu cried out, “But you’re not Zelang, you’re not my Zelang.”
Emperor Jingxi held his breath: “Then who is? Who is A wu’s Zelang?”
She shook her head: “A wu doesn’t have a Zelang. Zelang belongs to someone else, not me.”
Hearing this, Emperor Jingxi silently maintained a gentle calm.
After a long pause, he knelt on one knee before her again, cupping her face with both hands: “A wu, it’s that person who’s bad, that person’s wicked. What he said isn’t right. Are you angry with him? Should we punish him?”
Saying this, he covered her hand with his large palm and placed it against his face: “A wu, hit me once, okay?”
A wu looked at the stern man before her, his eyes red as if he were deeply saddened.
She hesitated, then shook her head: “I don’t want to.”
Emperor Jingxi didn’t let go of her hand, staring into her tear-filled eyes: “Then how can A wu forgive him? Tell me, please.”
But A wu said nothing, only looking at him with innocent eyes.
Emperor Jingxi gazed into her somewhat childlike eyes for a long time before burying his face in her hair: “A wu, Yongtian Zelang is already kneeling before you. You still won’t forgive him, is that right?”
A wu looked at him with confusion and gently stroked his hair, her fingers smoothing the strands.
Such closeness was precious to Emperor Jingxi at this moment.
He looked at A wu tenderly: “A wu is so good. Shall you stroke Zelang some more?”
Tentatively, A wu reached out her hand and lightly touched his cheek.
The girl’s slender, delicate fingers brushed over the stern and resolute face—this was the emperor’s visage on the Court, so majestic and solemn that few officials dared meet his gaze directly.
***
Unexpectedly, the next day A wu fell ill.
In her sickness, A wu’s expression was fearful; she trembled as she curled into his embrace, whispering, “Don’t, don’t…”
Emperor Jingxi: “Don’t what?”
Tears nearly falling, A wu said, “Brother Ye Han, I don’t want Brother Ye Han to die. I don’t want him to die. Don’t kill Brother Ye Han.”
Emperor Jingxi’s eyes hardened, but his voice was tender and lingering: “Why? Tell Zelang, why can’t Ye Han die?”
A wu lifted her slender neck, pleading timidly: “Brother Ye Han wants to take A wu home. A wu wants to go home. A wu doesn’t want to marry, doesn’t want to stay here. A wu wants to go home…”
Emperor Jingxi slowly lowered his gaze, resting it on the small woman in his arms.
She was stunningly beautiful, yet innocent and childish, eyes full of tears as she called another man “Brother.”
His long fingers landed on her chin, gently pinching that delicate, pitiful little face as he scrutinized her closely.
Tears streamed down from the corners of A wu’s eyes, sliding over her clear, jade-like cheeks.
He softly coaxed her: “Once you’re well, I’ll take you to Nanqiongzi. There, there’s water.”
But A wu showed no trace of happiness at his words.
Emperor Jingxi bent down, lips brushing her mouth’s corner in a tender, delicate kiss, only to taste the salty bitterness of her tears.
She cried a long while, burying her head in his embrace, sobbing until he finally coaxed her to sleep.
In the days that followed, Emperor Jingxi moved his official memorials to Langhua Hall, handling state affairs while personally tending to A wu.
Under his careful care, A wu gradually recovered, though she remained weak, lying on her sickbed, too frail even to acknowledge him, only drooping her head.
At night, he held her and soothed her to sleep, but she pushed him away.
He drew back the brocade curtain, borrowing some light, and carefully cupped her face to examine her.
Her eyes were tightly shut, eyelashes trembling with the force of her refusal.
Emperor Jingxi gently rubbed her cheeks, keeping his gaze fixed on her eyes as he softly coaxed, “A wu, aren’t you sleepy?”
She coldly turned her gaze away.
Emperor Jingxi said, “Sleep then.”
Lately, A wu had been like this—restless before sleep, needing him to hold and rock her continuously.
After holding her for a long time this time, he finally succeeded in lulling her to sleep.
He rose from the couch, standing silently in the shadows as he watched her peaceful slumber.
After a long while, he left the bedchamber.
Only after he left did the once-soundly sleeping A wu’s eyelashes flutter, and she opened her eyes.
She turned her head, looking toward the brocade curtain where the nursemaids and palace ladies stood, trembling as they kept vigil throughout the night.
Her hand hidden beneath the quilt slowly clenched into a fist.
***
One day, for a change of scenery, Emperor Jingxi took A wu to Nanqiongzi.
Before setting off, he ordered two children to be brought over.
By then, the two children were half a year old, plump and soft, sleeping soundly.
A wu’s eyes briefly passed over them without lingering.
Emperor Jingxi observed quietly from the side.
He deliberately asked, “Aren’t these two children adorable?”
A wu still didn’t look at them: “How would I know if they’re adorable or not?”
Emperor Jingxi: “I’ll accompany you to Nanqiongzi to play, bringing them along too?”
A wu immediately pouted, rejecting: “They’re so little. They can’t walk or talk yet. They’re not fun at all!”
Emperor Jingxi saw her deep reluctance and fell silent for a moment before saying, “Fine, no children. Just you and me.”
He tried all sorts of coaxing, but once they were in the carriage, A wu remained unhappy and even started pounding on him with her fists.
Emperor Jingxi took her fists in his hands, indulgently: “Where did Zelang offend A wu this time?”
A wu puffed out her cheeks, shouting, “A wu wants to go home, wants to go home!”
Emperor Jingxi took her hand, pulling her into his embrace: “A wu has no home anymore. Zelang’s home is your home.”
Hearing this, A wu instantly flared up, swinging her fists to hit him.
Emperor Jingxi held her tightly; she bared her small teeth and bit his arm.
For such a tempestuous A wu, Emperor Jingxi silently tolerated her.
After she bit him and saw the mark left behind, her expression faltered.
Then she looked up, puzzled, at Emperor Jingxi: “Doesn’t it hurt?”
Emperor Jingxi shook his head.
A wu: “Why not?”
Emperor Jingxi: “A wu’s spirit is strong. If you can bite, and bite hard, I like that.”
A wu was stunned, confusion flashing in her eyes, then she gazed blankly into the distance.
By then, they had arrived at Nanqiongzi.
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