A large table was laid out with dishes, all of which were A wu’s favorite foods from before.
A wu ate them with great relish.
Emperor Jingxi watched from the side, his interest clearly piqued.
However, he did not dare let her eat too much.
The Imperial Physician had warned that her stomach and intestines were weak, and overindulgence might not be good for her.
After the meal, the nursemaids brushed and styled A wu’s hair.
Emperor Jingxi’s gaze lingered on her face.
She had obviously never seen such lavish jewels and ornaments before, and she curiously touched and examined them all around.
Emperor Jingxi asked, “Do you like them?”
A wu nodded, “Mm.”
She asked with curiosity, “Are all these yours?”
Emperor Jingxi replied, “They’re yours.”
A wu looked into the bronze mirror and once again touched the pearl strands that hung beside her temples, clearly very fond of them.
She blinked her bright eyes and sighed with satisfaction, “So I’m really this beautiful!”
Emperor Jingxi smiled at her words.
The way she said it reminded him very much of the A wu he once knew.
He smiled and reached out, linking his arm with hers.
“Come on, I’ll take you to see the flowers outside.”
A wu blinked in surprise, “Outside? Are we going shopping?”
Emperor Jingxi shook his head, “You can’t just roam around the streets, but when I have some free time in a few days, I’ll take you to the private garden. There’s water, grass, flowers, and all kinds of delicious treats there. You can play as you like.”
On the way back, A wu looked somewhat longing.
But then, suddenly remembering, she blurted out, “When will you send me home? I want to go back.”
Emperor Jingxi’s expression flickered.
She always suddenly remembered wanting to go home, shouting about it stubbornly.
Once she got that idea, she would fuss and argue, forcing him to spend a lot of effort coaxing her.
Now, he could only soothe her gently, “A wu, you’re already my wife now. When a woman marries, she follows her husband—”
But A wu immediately protested, “No way!”
Emperor Jingxi stopped and looked at her.
A wu tilted her head stubbornly, “Anyway, I don’t remember any of that. I don’t accept it!”
Emperor Jingxi insisted, “But you are.”
A wu snapped back, “You’re so old, I don’t want someone old. I want someone young, I want—”
She stopped halfway, not daring to finish, because the man beside her was watching her.
His pale brown eyes seemed to be covered by a thin layer of ice.
A wu shivered, suddenly fearful and guilty.
Emperor Jingxi softened his voice, coaxing her, “A wu, go on. Who do you want?”
A wu hesitated for a moment, then said, “You promised me, you promised to give me Brother Ye Han. Where’s my Brother Ye Han?”
Emperor Jingxi replied, “I promised you, but I didn’t say I would give him to you now.”
He looked at her curiously and asked, “Is Ye Han very important to you?”
A wu nodded, “Ye Han is my fiancé. We’re betrothed. I’m going to marry him and perform the wedding rites.”
Emperor Jingxi studied her shy expression and asked, “You really like him?”
A wu said, “Brother Ye Han is the best to me.”
Emperor Jingxi smiled wryly, “Oh? How is he good? Does he feed you fish?”
A wu nodded, “Also shrimp.”
Emperor Jingxi asked, “So you kiss him?”
A wu was confused for a moment, then asked, “Kiss? Kiss what?”
Emperor Jingxi saw her puzzled look and his heart twisted with complicated feelings.
He reached out his long, neat fingers and lightly pressed them on her lips.
“Of course you kiss here. Otherwise, where else?”
A wu looked wronged and confused, “Why do you ask me that?”
Emperor Jingxi silently watched her.
A wu pushed his hand away and said, “I don’t!”
Emperor Jingxi asked, “Your Brother Ye Han hasn’t kissed you?”
A wu furrowed her delicate brows and thought for a moment before shaking her head.
“No, he hasn’t!”
Emperor Jingxi frowned, scrutinizing A wu.
It was easy to tell that the current A wu was telling the truth.
She had no reason to lie.
So the old A wu had spoken very few true words…
At this moment, A wu bit her lip, her misty eyes full of grievance.
“You must be fake. You’re not my husband.”
Emperor Jingxi asked, “Why?”
A wu said, “Because you bully me!”
Emperor Jingxi asked, “Did I bully you?”
A wu said firmly, “Yes, you bullied me.”
Then she glanced at him and said, “Why do you insist on saying you’re my husband? How could I marry you? My Brother Ye Han is so good. You’re nowhere near him!”
Her childish voice was stubborn and defiant, as if she was challenging him.
Emperor Jingxi said, “Am I really that much worse than him?”
A wu replied, “Of course!”
Emperor Jingxi asked, “In what way?”
He frowned slightly, confused, “Is it because I didn’t feed you fish or shrimp? When have I not fed you full?”
A wu said, “I don’t know, but you’re just bad. You’re nowhere near Brother Ye Han in any way. A hundred of you still can’t compare to one Brother Ye Han!”
Emperor Jingxi inhaled sharply.
He felt as if she were stabbing his heart with a sharp blade.
Such a cruel child.
But all he could do was tolerate it, endure it.
He couldn’t even clarify or explain his feelings to her.
She had forgotten everything.
He couldn’t pull her into the depths of memory.
He pressed his lips tightly together, numb and silent, thinking that perhaps she was doing it on purpose.
Beneath her innocent childishness was a sharp knife.
The old A wu had fled and hidden away, but now she faced him with this face.
A wu naturally noticed his change and examined him.
“What’s wrong?”
Emperor Jingxi said, “Worried about me?”
A wu bit her lip, silent.
Emperor Jingxi said without much hope, “You do know you’re worried about me?”
A wu wasn’t sure if she was worried, but after seeing him just now, she did feel a little sad.
He looked like a tree in autumn, his leaves all about to fall.
She lowered her head and softly shifted her small feet.
Emperor Jingxi looked at her feet, clad in white brocade socks, stepping on the soft carpet.
She liked to deliberately press down and lift up, finding it fun.
This childish little action eased much of the pain in Emperor Jingxi’s heart.
He couldn’t quarrel with her, never could.
She had once been the wife he held in his heart.
Now, with her regression and amnesia, she was like a little daughter who didn’t understand the world.
This time, he could spoil her as if she were his daughter.
Whatever she wanted, she could have it.
No matter how willful she was, he wouldn’t be angry.
He would be much more tolerant than when dealing with his own daughters.
So he stepped forward, took her hand, and helped her sit on a low stool, then brought new soft socks to change for her.
He was already very practiced at this.
A wu felt a little awkward.
She knew she had upset him and said things that made him sad, but he didn’t get angry.
Instead, he changed her socks with care.
She told herself not to make him angry next time, but for some reason, a voice inside her head told her she wanted to—wanted to—make him mad.
Seeing him sad made her feel better.
She looked at the man almost kneeling before her.
He had double eyelids with thin folds, now lowered, and a tall, narrow nose.
She had to admit, he was very handsome, very noble, completely unlike any man she had known before.
Besides, he was now gently changing her socks and holding her feet, treasuring them.
Thinking this, her heart fluttered a little…
But then she finally asked, “How old are you anyway?”
In her mind, she thought that if he was too old, it still wouldn’t work.
Emperor Jingxi had just changed one sock and was about to put on the other when he heard this and looked at her, surprised.
A wu thought this man was deep and hard to understand.
She couldn’t help but ask, “You wouldn’t really be more than ten years older than me, would you?”
Emperor Jingxi tested her, “If I were more than ten years older, what would you do?”
A wu was confused, “You said I married you?”
Emperor Jingxi mumbled, “Mm.”
A wu frowned and counted on her fingers, “You’re already thirty years old. Marrying this late, you must not be a good person.”
As she thought this, she suddenly remembered something and looked at him with suspicion and caution.
Emperor Jingxi asked, “What’s wrong?”
A wu said, “You haven’t had another wife before, have you?”
Emperor Jingxi’s expression tightened slightly.
A wu stared at him, “Don’t lie to me!”
Emperor Jingxi was frank, “I did, but she was divorced and is dead now.”
A wu was surprised, “Dead? You didn’t kill her with anger, did you?”
Emperor Jingxi hesitated.
He wanted to say ‘you killed her,’ but such words would only scare her.
Seeing him hesitate, A wu said, “I already know. You don’t have to hide it from me.”
Emperor Jingxi was a little startled.
A wu lifted her foot and deliberately tapped the tip against Emperor Jingxi’s palm.
“She was definitely killed by your anger! You’re so fierce. Who would dare be your wife? She must have been upset every day and eventually died of it!”
Emperor Jingxi raised his eyes and looked at her self-evident expression, speechless.
He admitted, “Well, let’s just say that’s true.”
Actually, it wasn’t much different.