CH 221

Villainous Emperor (21)

Song Xu Yi felt extremely uneasy for a moment and even had the impulse to directly push away Jiang Ruoyu, who was lying on her lap, and run away in panic.

If she didn’t guess wrong, the “little palace maid” in Jiang Ruoyu’s words referred to herself.

All of this was just too unbelievable, and Song Xu Yi almost felt like Jiang Ruoyu was playing a prank on her, thinking she had woken up after so many days, but this was the first time Jiang Ruoyu had prayed to her, and she never expected the content to be so shocking!

Song Xu Yi couldn’t believe that Jiang Ruoyu, her devout follower, would have such thoughts. She even felt that Jiang Ruoyu might be deceiving her. What could she possibly need to pray about with her? Clearly, Jiang Ruoyu was already more powerful than her at this point…

However, while her emotions refused to believe it, another voice in her heart reasoned with her: But if she wasn’t a devout follower, you wouldn’t have heard Jiang Ruoyu’s inner thoughts at all.

And Jiang Ruoyu’s voice continued–

“Divine Goddess, the little palace maid is incredibly captivating. Every time I see her, I can’t help but feel joyous and delighted in my heart. However, she is still very afraid of me, and I have no idea how to make her fall for me…”

“Divine Goddess, will you bless me?”

……

As Song Xu Yi listened to Jian Ruoyo’s voice in her mind , her face grew increasingly red, feeling a deep sense of embarrassment. She couldn’t help but lower her head and glance at Jiang Ruoyu, who had her eyes tightly closed, appearing peaceful and serene, as if she were peacefully asleep.

Little did anyone know that her mind was actually in turmoil, filled with all sorts of chaotic and even marriage-related thoughts.

Feeling a bit impatient and tempted to pinch Jiang Ruoyu for a moment, Song Xu Yi managed to control her impulses as she heard Jiang Ruoyu’s voice once again.

“I won’t bother you anymore,” Jiang Ruoyu’s voice sounded calm, even with a hint of amusement. However, Song Xu Yi noticed a tear rolling down from Jiang Ruoyu’s eye, sliding along her dark hair. “The Divine Attractor told me that she is an existence not accepted by the Three Realms. Back then, when she made you faint and sent you into the past, you must have hated her deeply. She told me you would wake up within five years, but during these years, you never gave me any response. I’ve thought it over, and now that I’ve become the Divine Attractor, I suppose that’s the reason you’ve been avoiding replying to me. If we get too entangled, it would only bring trouble to you…”

“I will live a good life with the little palace maid from now on.”

“Whether you are willing to come and see me or not, I will continue to serve you as my elder and benefactor.”

Jiang Ruoyu forced herself to say these words. Her heart felt as if something was squeezing and hurting inside, and she wasn’t sure if the Divine Goddess could hear her—most likely she couldn’t. However, Jiang Ruoyu had to say these words, as she wanted to hear them herself.

The Divine Goddess was a lofty deity, and the disparity between them was like an insurmountable chasm. After realizing that her feelings towards the Divine Goddess were not pure, Jiang Ruoyu had been trying hard to suppress them. Yet, she found that these improper thoughts not only didn’t diminish over time but grew stronger.

She was afraid of giving birth to a devil in her heart, one that might make her commit actions that could harm the Divine Goddess. Even more so, she feared that the Divine Goddess would come to detest her. After all, if they became close, the Divine Goddess would be against the entire Three Realms.

Fortunately, that was when the little palace maid appeared.

The little palace maid made her once lifeless heart come alive again…

This was probably the Creator’s mercy upon her once more.

There were very few people in this world who could stir her emotions. The appearance of the little palace maid provided her with a chance to rein in her impulsive actions when she was on the verge of doing something wrong.

She couldn’t restrain the impulse to get closer to the little palace maid.

The changes in herself over the past two days had already proven her feelings of being moved.

Therefore, she couldn’t keep thinking about Divine Goddess while pursuing the little palace maid. It would be a blasphemy against Divine Goddess and a form of disrespect to the little palace maid.

Before starting to pursue the little palace maid, it was time to return everything to its original place. From now on, Divine Goddess would be seen as a senior, a relative, but no longer an object of her desires.

This unspoken admiration remained a one-sided play in her heart, known only to herself.

Though she understood it was a necessary process, tears still streamed down Jiang Ruoyu’s face. It truly… hurt so much!

This pain, compared to the torment of being possessed by the Divine Attractor, and the slight tug of war with their intentions, felt a hundred times more agonizing.

In this lifetime, she never wanted to experience such pain again.

Jiang Ruoyu’s heart was overwhelmed with pain as she couldn’t help but embrace the little palace maid, burying her face in the girl’s clothes. Listening to the sound of flipping pages above, she thought the little maid was still engrossed in reading the book. Silently, she wiped her tears onto the maid’s hem. But no matter what, the tears wouldn’t stop, so she tightly closed her eyes. Unaware of the astonished gaze from above, which belonged to Song Xu Yi…

Why did she suddenly burst into tears?

Despite being a powerful Divine Attractor, Jiang Ruoyu now exuded a distinct sense of vulnerability, as if reverting to her childhood, that helpless little girl who could only watch the withering of the ephemeral flowers.

When she had heard the little girl analyze her feelings, Song Xu Yi instinctively wanted to escape. However, at this moment, seeing Jiang Ruoyu silently shedding tears, even though she knew it was wrong, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but start feeling compassion for her…

Isn’t liking someone supposed to be a joyful thing? Then why is Jiang Ruoyu crying?

Is it because her Divine Goddess still hasn’t acknowledged her?

If Jiang Ruoyu liked someone else, Song Xu Yi felt that she might try to find ways to dream and convey her blessings to Jiang Ruoyu. But now, it was evident that Jiang Ruoyu’s affection was directed towards her…

Just thinking about it made Song Xu Yi feel uneasy. Let alone sending blessings, even the idea of it seemed unbelievable.

What exactly does Jiang Ruoyu see in her?

Song Xu Yi was puzzled, and she didn’t want the system to know about Jiang Ruoyu’s affection for her. So, she could only speculate in her mind. After eliminating all possibilities, she came up with one potential reason – it might be because Jiang Ruoyu had seen very few girls before!

Due to her limited exposure to other girls, she mistook Song Xu Yi for something special. Song Xu Yi thought that once Jiang Ruoyu saw the eighty-one girls carefully selected by Fu Sheng for her birthday in a few days, she would realize what truly beautiful and talented girls looked like!

Currently, it was still before Jiang Ruoyu’s birthday, and Fu Sheng was training those girls to learn how to chant and perform rituals, so she hadn’t met them yet.

Those girls were meticulously selected by experienced maids, all of them were prettier than Song Xu Yi, and most of them had a crush on Jiang Ruoyu.

As long as they got through these few days, Jiang Ruoyu would surely find her true love.

With such thoughts in her heart, Song Xu Yi became more convinced that Jiang Ruoyu’s feelings for her were just a passing fancy and wouldn’t last long. She believed that Jiang Ruoyu’s emotions would fade away soon, and if she ever fell for someone else in the future, Song Xu Yi would sincerely wish them well.

After suppressing her guilt, Song Xu Yi dared not look at Jiang Ruoyu shedding tears. Instead, she pretended to read the book while secretly glancing at Jiang Ruoyu’s expression. Fortunately, after a short while, Jiang Ruoyu’s tears gradually subsided, and Song Xu Yi felt relieved.

However, with the burden lifted, when she thought about how Jiang Ruoyu was hugging her and considered her heartfelt confession, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Since she had no intention of accepting Jiang Ruoyu’s feelings, she couldn’t let Jiang Ruoyu get closer to her.

“Your Majesty,” Song Xu Yi stole a glance at Jiang Ruoyu and saw that the tears had stopped. Believing that Jiang Ruoyu had probably composed herself, she couldn’t help but nudge Jiang Ruoyu’s shoulder and whispered, “I need to go to the restroom.”

Jiang Ruoyu didn’t cause any trouble and simply made a soft sound before rolling onto the pillow, releasing her hold on Song Xu Yi’s waist.

Song Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and went outside to use the restroom. She deliberately took a little longer and when she returned, she saw Jiang Ruoyu with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Song Xu Yi felt at ease.

Jiang Ruoyu must have been tired from crying, as she slept soundly. Song Xu Yi didn’t want to disturb her and noticed that the brocade quilt covering Jiang Ruoyu had slipped to the floor. She couldn’t help but tuck Jiang Ruoyu in, intending to leave the area and wait outside. However, her gaze couldn’t help but fall on Jiang Ruoyu’s face.

Jiang Ruoyu’s face appeared tranquil and serene, with no traces of having cried. She had always been beautiful, with a splendid appearance that made her look more like a divine goddess than Song Xu Yi, the actual Divine Goddess. When Jiang Ruoyu was awake and possessed by the Divine Attractor, she exuded a dangerous and alluring charm. But now, as she slept, she looked peaceful, resembling a cluster of quiet and beautiful flowers.

Seeing this face, it seemed like the world had become more beautiful.

Until now, Song Xu Yi couldn’t understand why someone as stunning as Jiang Ruoyu would be interested in her.

Song Xu Yi sighed in her heart, took a few quiet steps toward the door, and was about to leave when she suddenly felt a familiar pull at her waist. Her eyes widened as she was forcibly pulled backward and fell into Jiang Ruoyu’s embrace.

As she lifted her head, Song Xu Yi found herself face-to-face with Jiang Ruoyu.

Jiang Ruoyu had opened her eyes at some point, or perhaps she had never been asleep. Her gaze was clear and even held a glimmer of amusement.

“Why are you staring at me?” Jiang Ruoyu’s voice was slightly hoarse, and she looked at Song Xu Yi with earnestness.

If she hadn’t heard Jiang Ruoyu’s inner thoughts earlier, Song Xu Yi would have thought that Jiang Ruoyu was testing her and might have spoken the truth. But now, looking at Jiang Ruoyu’s blushing ears, it was evident that she was pleased because Song Xu Yi was staring at her, seeking affirmation of her looks. To make Jiang Ruoyu lose interest in her, Song Xu Yi naturally wouldn’t tell the truth.

“I just wanted to see if Your Majesty was asleep,” Song Xu Yi sighed, not used to the close intimacy, trying to escape from Jiang Ruoyu’s embrace. “I am a mere commoner, and I upset Your Majesty last night, making me anxious and unable to sleep all night. I am very tired now, so if Your Majesty is asleep, I’d like to take a short rest nearby.”

Song Xu Yi pondered for a moment, gently expressing the difference in their social status. She originally wanted Jiang Ruoyu to let go of her, but unexpectedly, Jiang Ruoyu furrowed her brows and held Song Xu Yi even tighter.

“You can rest here!” Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze wandered, seeming a bit hesitant to meet Song Xu Yi’s eyes. “I’m not displeased with you,” she added, “On the contrary, I…”

?!

Song Xu Yi widened her eyes, extremely afraid that Jiang Ruoyu would take this opportunity to confess her feelings. If that happened, she would have no way out and be completely trapped. However, she couldn’t find an excuse to change the subject at the moment, so she could only pray in her heart that Jiang Ruoyu wouldn’t make it explicit. Luckily, it seemed that Jiang Ruoyu also felt it was awkward. After a brief pause, she pursed her lips and covered Song Xu Yi’s eyes, shifting the topic.

“Anyway, I don’t dislike you. Just go to sleep—”

If this had happened earlier, Song Xu Yi might have been swayed by Jiang Ruoyu’s gestures and carelessly fallen asleep in her arms. But now, Song Xu Yi was determined to draw a clear boundary between herself and Jiang Ruoyu. How could she dare to sleep in Jiang Ruoyu’s embrace?

Even though she knew it might anger Jiang Ruoyu, Song Xu Yi still spoke up, “But I’m afraid of Your Majesty. With you here, I can’t fall asleep at all…”

For a moment, there was silence, and Song Xu Yi felt Jiang Ruoyu’s body stiffen.

In that instant, Song Xu Yi thought Jiang Ruoyu might be angry. She could even imagine Jiang Ruoyu speaking coldly afterward. But to her surprise, Jiang Ruoyu just pursed her lips—

“I was just trying to tease you…”

“I will change in the future.” Jiang Ruoyu’s voice unexpectedly softened as she earnestly looked at Song Xu Yi. “Don’t be afraid of me.”

She seemed genuinely frustrated and a little afraid to look at Song Xu Yi. With a wave of her hand, the whole room dimmed, and after saying, “Rest well,” Jiang Ruoyu actually turned and left the room.

Song Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the small bed.

Although she said she was going to sleep, with so many things happening today, Song Xu Yi couldn’t find any sleepiness in her.

“She sat on the rooftop, practicing how to smile. She’s acting foolishly too. After being possessed by the Divine Attractor, her entire demeanor has changed. How could she still smile as innocently as she did when she was a child, the way you liked?” The system just couldn’t stop bringing up the topic, and in Song Xu Yi’s mind, it continued, “Tsk tsk, this little Emperor seems to care a lot about you…”

The system seemed like it wanted to say more, but Song Xu Yi didn’t want to hear any more of it. She promptly blocked it and pursed her lips.