Realizing that Sister was feeling shy, Luo Wushuang reigned in her impulse to keep teasing her.
She was already beyond happy that Sister had come to pick her up… This was the first time anyone had ever come for her, and the feeling was truly wonderful.
The Empress spent the journey in high spirits, a stark contrast to the palace attendants carrying her sedan. They had traveled back and forth several times that morning, but any lingering resentment vanished at the thought of Her Majesty’s generous rewards.
The thirty-two-bearer Dragon Sedan moved quickly and steadily. Sitting beside Luo Wushuang, Shangguan Liqian initially maintained a prim and proper posture. However, before they were halfway there, her aching waist began to protest.
With a mere flicker of her eyes, Luo Wushuang took the hint and leaned closer.
Seeing the girl beside her being so perceptive, Shangguan Liqian’s resentment softened. She leaned into Luo Wushuang, using her strength to maintain a semblance of a dignified seat.
Seeing how difficult it was for her to sit, Luo Wushuang suggested, “Why don’t you lie down on my lap?”
Shangguan Liqian shot her a sharp look, her eyes darting toward the hazy gauze curtains surrounding the Dragon Sedan. The meaning was clear: In your dreams.
Luo Wushuang was tempted to say that no one would dare spy on the sovereign’s carriage, but knowing Sister was thin-skinned, she bit her tongue.
Fine, I’ll let Sister lean on me for a bit. It’s my fault for being too excited last night—and maybe a little bit vengeful. I really wore her out.
Once we’re back at the bedchamber, I’ll let her rest properly.
Shangguan Liqian let out a quiet sigh of relief when she saw that the girl wasn’t going to push the issue.
Leaning on Luo Wushuang’s shoulder was one thing; even if someone accidentally caught a glimpse through the gauze, they would only think they were sitting a bit close. But if she lay on her lap? Who knew what kind of rumors would spread?
The moment the Dragon Sedan came to a halt and Shangguan Liqian stepped down, she caught a faint, familiar scent of medicine in the air.
Upon entering the Bedchamber, she found exactly what she expected: a bowl of the tonic she had been drinking for the past few days was already laid out on the table.
Her brow furrowed instinctively. The mere sight of the soup made a bitter taste bloom in her mouth.
Noticing that Sister’s mood had soured, the smile on Luo Wushuang’s lips faded slightly. She dismissed the attendants serving in the hall and began coaxing the exhausted woman to drink her medicine.
Catching the eager, pleading look in Luo Wushuang’s eyes, Shangguan Liqian turned her head away. Thinking of how “wicked” the girl had been last night, she suddenly didn’t want to humor her.
Her expression remained cold, her voice flat. “Leave the medicine there. Go finish your memorials first.”
Luo Wushuang murmured an acknowledgement but didn’t budge.
Feeling helpless, Shangguan Liqian sighed and said testily, “I’m not a child. I don’t need you to coax me. I’ll drink it once it cools down.”
Luo Wushuang peeked at her expression and whispered cautiously, “If it gets cold, the efficacy will—”
Shangguan Liqian locked eyes with her, cutting her off.
Did she not know the efficacy would decrease? Did Wushuang not see that she simply didn’t want to drink it right now?
Watching Sister suddenly turn willful, Luo Wushuang smiled helplessly. “Then Sister must not forget to drink it, okay?”
“Mm.”
Only after Shangguan Liqian agreed did Luo Wushuang feel at ease enough to head to the low table to go through her memorials.
Shangguan Liqian was left alone at the main table, staring blankly at the tonic.
In her past life, Wushuang had kept her confined for many years. Aside from her time in bed, she’d had almost no form of exercise, which had left her body exceptionally frail compared to others. In this life, she had only been confined for a year or so; there should still be a chance to mend her health.
She didn’t want to end up like her past self—breathless after just a few steps.
Since Wushuang no longer intended to keep her locked away, perhaps she should go for a walk after finishing the medicine?
Thinking of the clusters of puffball flowers that had been in bloom in the Imperial Garden recently, Shangguan Liqian felt a spark of interest. She finished the tonic in one go and walked toward the Inner Hall.
Although Wushuang had already instructed everyone not to restrict her movement, she felt it was better to give her a heads-up. It was better than Wushuang hearing from someone else that she was in the garden and letting her imagination run wild.
Sure enough, when she heard Liqian was going to the Imperial Garden, Luo Wushuang was reluctant, but she forced herself to agree.
However, her gaze as she watched Shangguan Liqian’s back was full of resentment…
She had specifically ordered the memorials to be moved from the Imperial Study to the Bedchamber just so she could spend more time with Sister. And now, Sister was heartlessly leaving her alone to go look at flowers.
On a scale of one to ten, her unhappiness was at a hundred!
But knowing she couldn’t accompany her right now, she could only let her go.
Sensing the burning gaze behind her as she reached the door, Shangguan Liqian turned around. As expected, she met Luo Wushuang’s mournful eyes before the girl could look away.
Shangguan Liqian arched an eyebrow and let out a light chuckle.
This girl… can she really not bear to be apart for even a moment?
Fortunately, Luo Wushuang didn’t know what she was thinking, otherwise she would have told her: I can’t. Not even for a second!
Shangguan Liqian only glanced back once before stepping out of the door. However, her soft voice drifted into the hall on the warm early summer breeze, reaching Luo Wushuang’s ears.
“I won’t be out for long. I’ll bring you a beautiful flower when I return.”
With that single sentence, the Empress’s resentment and dissatisfaction vanished instantly.
Ling Yun glanced at her master’s expression and gave a subtle signal to Ling Feng, who was standing outside the hall.
Ling Feng understood immediately, vanishing into the shadows to follow secretly.
The personal guards knew better than anyone that if anything happened to Miss Shangguan, their master would truly go insane. They followed from the shadows for two reasons: one, to protect her; and two… to stay alert just in case Miss Shangguan had a change of heart and tried to flee the palace again.
Fortunately, their worries were misplaced. Shangguan Liqian had already abandoned the idea of running away.
Accompanied by a grand procession of attendants, she wandered through the Imperial Garden for a while. Seeing that the puffball flowers she had admired recently had already withered and fallen, she felt a pang of regret.
Thankfully, the Imperial Garden never lacked variety.
After admiring the golden winter jasmine, vibrant azaleas, and colorful tulips, Shangguan Liqian strolled toward the center of the garden with feigned nonchalance. She walked toward the peonies, which exuded an air of noble elegance.
Her hand paused, then shifted toward the roses nearby.
The pink roses were delicate and lovely, looking very much like a certain someone when she was pouting.
Recalling a specific memory, the corners of Shangguan Liqian’s lips curled upward. Her slender, fair fingers reached for the stem and applied a slight pressure…
