Chapter 5

I held the hot tea with my hand and sipped it slowly, “Master will ask you one last time, Si Ran…..Who is he?”

Xin Xing contemplated for a long time, before he said, “Master, Xiao Xing also doesn’t know who master is talking about.”

I raised my eyebrows, “You won’t say it?”

Xin Xing became silent. They won’t tell me who Si Ran is.

“Good, good!”

I was so angry that I smashed the teacup into pieces, letting the shards plunge into my palm to calm my raging heart.

No one is willing to tell me who Si Ran is, the old servant won’t, and so is Xin Xing!

After a while, I glanced at Xin Xing with a tightened face due to the sting, I stroked my temples with my good hand and waved at him, “You can go, your master is tired.”

Xin Xing looked at my bloody hand and stammered, “But master…master’s hand…”

I frowned, pulled out the shards of the teacup stuck on my palm, “It’s okay, you can leave.”

Xin Xing looked at me, and then looked at the wound on my hand. He was lost for a long time before leaving. I rested my head on my uninjured arm, and fell asleep after a while. Even when Xin Xing came back to bandage my wound, I hadn’t known.

The dream was still the same dream. I ran as fast as I could, delusionally trying to break free from the invisible shackles on my body.

A little bit, a little bit more.

“Don’t go!” When I caught up to it, I was a little happy. The man slowly turned his head. I finally saw his incredible face, but at the same time, I was flabbergasted on the spot. This eyebrow, this elegant smile, this face, all this, wasn’t this Feng Yin!?

” Ziqing, I won’t go.” The gentle voice sounded deep in the ear, with a faint low smile.

I awoke with a start, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Feng Yin. I released his sleeve that I unconciously grabbed in my sleep, and fell to the ground with sincerity and fear, ” This subordinate has offended His Majesty.  This subordinate asked for His Majesty’s forgiveness!”

“Uncle, if there is no one else, why should you care about such tedious etiquette.” The smile on the corner of his lips was no longer seen, and there was a slight anger between his words.

“This…as His Majesty says,” Since the emperor has spoken, then I won’t be polite. How can I, a mere subordinate, not listen? I poured a cup of tea and handed it to Feng Yin, “When did His Majesty come to the mansion? I had not known of His Majesty’s arrival.”

Feng Yin seemed to be satisfied with my performance, and with a faint smile, grabbed the tea cup with his hand, removed the tea lid, poked the floating leaves, and took a sip. “Mao Shi  (5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.).”  Feng Yin put down the tea cup, raised his eyebrows, ” Ziqing, how come your hand appeared like this?”

I glanced out the window and looked at the sun. I was afraid that it was somewhere between 7am to 9 am right now and Feng Yin had been here for a full hour.

“I accidentally scratched it last night.” I said, avoiding Feng Yin’s worried and questioning eyes.

“Scratched? Why are you so careless, have you been prescribed medicine?”

“I have, it’s fine.” I pulled the corner of my mouth and smiled.

“I was thinking of inviting Ziqing to go hunting after two days, but I wonder if Ziqing’s hand will be healed by then?” Although Feng Yin said so, his wishes are not to be disobeyed, otherwise the Emperor’s face will be dissatisfied. That’s not good.

I remembered before, the favored concubine just had a little hesitation about Feng Yin’s statement, which caused Feng Yin’s extreme dissatisfaction. How can the end not be tragic?

Feng Yin, who can even get rid of his beloved concubine, as a half-knowing uncle like me, what can’t he do?

“Hunting?” I still have some doubts. Whose proposal was this?

“Well, what does Ziqing think of Brother Yi’s proposal?” Picking up the teacup, Feng Yin took a sip of the tea to moisten his throat.

“It happens that I’m bored and suffocated inside the house. It’s best to hunt with His Majesty.” I said.

“Is that so?” he asked, slightly raising his lips and smiling elegantly. “Ziqing will come to the palace to hunt with this Emperor in two days, right?”

“How dare I disobey His Majesty’s order?” I laughed, and so did he.

When I felt that my mouth was about to twitch from laughter, Feng Yin coughed softly. Then he said again, “Imperial Uncle, was it that the waiter didn’t serve well last night? How can he let Imperial Uncle go back to the house to wash in cold water?”

Looking back on that night, I wiped the sweat on my forehead and became mute.

“Actually, Uncle, you don’t like men, do you?” 

With a ‘clack’, the teacup lightly knocked on the table, and his fingers tapped the surface.  Without the usual smile on the Emperor’s face, there was no trace of emotion that could be seen. 

My back felt a chill, I glanced to the side with a guilty conscience, and after a while, I murmured, “Your Majesty… Actually, this subordinate already has someone he likes. It’s this subordinate who deceived the Emperor.” I knelt to the ground with a sincere expression, “It’s up to His Majesty to execute this subordinate.”

The sound of a finger tapping the desk stopped, as if thinking.

“In Ziqing’s eyes, is this Emperor such a cruel man?” With a sigh, “get up. this Emperor doesn’t know who Imperial Uncle likes?”

In this empty world, I couldn’t help but recall the light shadow. I was obsessed with it and uttered the word – “Si Ran.”

As soon as these two words came out, my mind changed greatly, and I suddenly became a lot more enlightened.

Yes, the person I like is Si Ran, whether he existed or not.

After saying that, Feng Yin’s figure was shaken, Feng Yin’s eyes were filled with confusion, and his pale pink lips moved, “Si Ran… You still can’t forget him.”

He took a sip of tea in a panic, “This Emperor just remembered that there is something in the palace, so this Emperor will go, and will come back to disturb Uncle in the future.”

I recovered from my obsession with the person in my dream, and suddenly felt out of tune. I coughed dryly, “I’ll see His Majesty out.”

“Uncle, please remember, the hunting in two days, at the gate of the palace, see you there.” Looking back, he gave me a smile that can be said to be dumping all sentient beings, which made my heart skip a beat. I was greatly terrified. 

When it comes to hunting, it’s definitely my forte. Xiao Yi’s proposal is exactly what I was looking for.

Glancing at the dark shadow next to the door, I couldn’t help holding my forehead. It was full of the meaning of hating iron for not becoming steel.

“Come out, look at your sneaky appearance, why are you hiding there? Will this master eat you?”

“Master…Master,” Xin Xing peeked from the door, full of guilt and grievances. I ,on the other hand, had a headache, “Xiao Xing… Can Xiao Xing go with master?”

I raised my eyebrows and said, “did this master ever say he wouldn’t take you with him?”

Xin Xing cheered at the end of my speech.

……

Two days later, looking outside the window, it can be said that the birds are singing, the flowers are fragrant and the sun is shining. I sat on the bed pressing my temple, and was little drowsy. Feng Yin and the others must have been waiting for a long time, or they may have already left.

Translator’s Note

hating iron for not becoming steel= to feel resentful towards somebody for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvements.