CH 223

Villainous Emperor (23)

After reading these words in the notebook, Song Xu Yi once again firmly believed that Jiang Ruoyu liked rebellious girls, which was why she had thoughts of treating herself differently. She was determined to make Jiang Ruoyu more obedient and fawning in their future interactions.

Before, when Song Xu Yi stayed in the inn with those girls chosen by the Hidden Moon Sect, she heard the most discussions about Jiang Ruoyu:

It was said that Jiang Ruoyu liked cleanliness and disliked noisy surroundings. She was very picky and didn’t enjoy eating much, especially oily food. She also despised flattery. There was once an official who liked to curry favor with her and wanted to become her follower, but she directly threw him out of the palace. The follower thought he could act on behalf of Jiang Ruoyu and was so angry that he cried and cursed loudly at her door. Little did he know that later, Jiang Ruoyu personally came out, had her people tie him up and gag him…

This version of Jiang Ruoyu, as described by these people, was different from the Jiang Ruoyu Song Xu Yi had interacted with before. However, hearing it from more than one girl, Song Xu Yi found herself somewhat believing their words.

To make Jiang Ruoyu detest her, Song Xu Yi decided to take an opposite approach: the more Jiang Ruoyu disliked something, the more Song Xu Yi would do it!

Therefore, after Jiang Ruoyu finished writing the imperial decree, Song Xu Yi took a deep breath and squeezed Jiang Ruoyu’s shoulder. She forced out a sweet and coquettish voice, suppressing her disgust as she began to flatter, “Your Majesty, thank you for helping me repay Miss Lin Zhu’s past favor. Your benevolence towards your subjects, this servant is extremely grateful and, being penniless, wishes to express gratitude by cooking for you…”

Listening to Song Xu Yi’s sweet and coquettish voice, Jiang Ruoyu’s ears instantly turned red. She cleared her throat, and her speech inexplicably became stuttered–

“You, you can be happy… that’s good.” Jiang Ruoyu couldn’t look at Song Xu Yi directly, but Song Xu Yi felt that she must be very happy because the corners of her lips kept curving upwards, as if she wanted to reject Song Xu Yi’s cooking proposal against her will. She said, “As for cooking…” but in the end, she still followed her heart, avoiding eye contact and continued, “You can casually prepare two small dishes, don’t overexert yourself.”

Watching Jiang Ruoyu trying to suppress her happiness, Song Xu Yi inexplicably found this version of Jiang Ruoyu somewhat adorable. Happiness seemed to be contagious as Song Xu Yi’s face involuntarily turned red as well.

Although Jiang Ruoyu said that, Song Xu Yi had no intention of making just two small dishes.

Since Jiang Ruoyu didn’t like oily food, Song Xu Yi had already planned to prove from all aspects that she and Jiang Ruoyu were not suitable for each other. Naturally, the dishes she prepared were as oily as possible!

Song Xu Yi made a dish of braised pork, fried some meatballs, roasted a chicken, stewed a pot of pig’s trotters, and deliberately delayed the time, so that by the time she finished, it was already midnight.

Song Xu Yi was a bit afraid of facing a potentially angry Jiang Ruoyu, so she first served the dishes, then lingered in the kitchen for a while before finally coming out.

After such a long delay and preparing dishes that Jiang Ruoyu disliked, Song Xu Yi felt that no matter what, Jiang Ruoyu would be displeased. However, when Song Xu Yi came out, she found Jiang Ruoyu still waiting by the table, using her divine power to keep the dishes warm, but she hadn’t taken a single bite.

“Why did you make so many dishes?” Seeing Song Xu Yi come out, Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze was still incredibly bright. She softened her tone and complained slightly, but her eyes were full of joy. “I can’t finish so many dishes alone, so sit down and eat with me!”

Although the deities within didn’t require food and drink, during this period, Song Xu Yi had been pretending to eat three meals a day like an ordinary mortal. At this moment, after a busy day, she indeed felt hungry. However, eating at the same table with Jiang Ruoyu felt ambiguous no matter how she thought about it. Subconsciously, Song Xu Yi wanted to refuse.

But on second thought, if she refused, it would surely stand out, and perhaps Jiang Ruoyu would think she was “refreshing and unlike other girls,” which might make her even more fond of Song Xu Yi… With this thought, Song Xu Yi forced herself to sit down.

Since she had already sat down, Song Xu Yi naturally wouldn’t miss the opportunity to flatter. She piled the dishes into Jiang Ruoyu’s bowl and deliberately acted like a chef, advising, “Your Majesty, you look too thin. It would be even more beautiful if you gained some weight…”

“I’m too thin now?” Jiang Ruoyu frowned, rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair and slender arms. Initially, Song Xu Yi was just talking nonsense to flatter, but now she could actually see the bones almost protruding from Jiang Ruoyu’s arms, and she truly felt the urge to advise, “Your Majesty, you are indeed very thin. You are much taller than me, but you might even weigh less than me. Although you look beautiful now, if you were a little plumper, you would probably look even better…”

To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, Jiang Ruoyu lowered her head thoughtfully, seemingly recalling something. Her earlobes turned red, and for a moment, Song Xu Yi felt like she was the one possessed by an evil deity. It seemed that whenever Jiang Ruoyu blushed, she couldn’t help but blush as well.

In truth, Jiang Ruoyu’s figure in a certain area already appeared quite plump…

“I can’t gain weight,” Jiang Ruoyu lowered her head and ate the pig’s trotter that Song Xu Yi had handed to her, taking small bites. “When I was young, I went through a difficult period. The goddess… there was a very kind sister, and she used to worry about me a lot. She would advise me to eat various kinds of supplements, and I did eat a lot at that time, but still couldn’t put on weight…”

“But that sister said, although I’m thin, I’m not bony.”

“You, just like that sister, care about me in the same way.” After saying this, Jiang Ruoyu’s face seemed even redder. She glanced at Song Xu Yi’s expression, trying to cover up her feelings, and added, “But you’re just a little girl, you’re not that sister…”

“Yes! How could I become Your Majesty’s sister…” Song Xu Yi forced a smile, hastily denying it, but the guilt in her heart deepened because she remembered that it was she who had said those words.

When Jiang Ruoyu was little, Song Xu Yi tried to help her supplement nutrition by making her eat a large amount of food every day and instilling the idea that it would be better to gain some weight to look more beautiful. Jiang Ruoyu was very obedient at that time and silently finished all the food Song Xu Yi gave her…

But indeed, Jiang Ruoyu couldn’t gain weight. She seemed to feel sorry for herself for not being able to put on weight and felt extremely uncomfortable. Song Xu Yi had to comfort her, pinching her little cheeks and telling her, “You may be thin, but you are not bony; you are just right.”

Perhaps from that time on, Jiang Ruoyu began to accommodate herself: she never said a word to Song Xu Yi about not liking the food she offered.

And now, it seems that Jiang Ruoyu is accommodating herself once again.

In a way, Jiang Ruoyu is like a vigilant little cat. Maybe to outsiders, she raises her prickles all over, but once she acknowledges someone, she will completely relax and expose her vulnerable side…

Song Xu Yi also couldn’t understand how things had come to this point. The guilt in her heart deepened. For a moment, she even thought about revealing her true identity to Jiang Ruoyu, but doing so would likely mean they could no longer maintain their previous relationship as both master and friend. Song Xu Yi realized she couldn’t bear to become a stranger to Jiang Ruoyu.

Let’s stick to the original plan!

In the end, Song Xu Yi made up her mind to follow the original plan, to make Jiang Ruoyu detest this body called ‘Liu Yi,’ and then return to her identity as a goddess. Then their relationship would go back to being that of a pure master and disciple.

Jiang Ruoyu was unaware of the emotional turmoil inside Song Xu Yi. She finished eating all the dishes Song Xu Yi had piled in her bowl, and in return, she also picked some dishes for Song Xu Yi. After eating a few bites, Song Xu Yi felt a bit full, so she put down her chopsticks, using fatigue as an excuse for not finishing the food. Jiang Ruoyu didn’t mind and took Song Xu Yi to the courtyard to enjoy the moon and digest their meal.

The moonlight was cool and gentle, enveloping Jiang Ruoyu in a silvery halo, making her face even more beautiful. Trying to achieve her goal of flattery, Song Xu Yi recalled the rumors she heard about Jiang Ruoyu blinding a dandy who coveted her beauty. Gathering courage, she began to flatter superficially, “Your Majesty, you truly are exceptionally beautiful. You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen! Having such a beautiful monarch in our Jiang Kingdom makes me feel so delighted…”

She thought Jiang Ruoyu would offer some guidance or at least mention that praising a monarch shouldn’t focus solely on appearance but also on governance and strategies. However, to her surprise, Jiang Ruoyu accepted Song Xu Yi’s compliments without any reservations, and even looked back at her with sparkling eyes, saying, “Yiyi is also very beautiful.”

That calling her by that nickname, “Yiyi”, made Song Xu Yi’s heart skip a beat again.

Under the gaze of Jiang Ruoyu’s beautiful eyes that outshone the moonlight, Song Xu Yi’s cheeks involuntarily blushed once more. Her heart pounded like a startled deer, joyfully beating in a “thump thump” rhythm. In a daze, Song Xu Yi strangely felt as if she were in some inexplicable situation – it seemed like she was falling in love with Jiang Ruoyu!

Jiang Ruoyu was truly too charming…

Realizing what she was thinking, Song Xu Yi scolded herself internally, feeling ashamed for daring to think such audacious thoughts about robbing the cradle. Unable to face Jiang Ruoyu’s bewitching beauty any longer, she excused herself, claiming to be too tired, and returned to her sleeping quarters.

After finishing her evening routine, Song Xu Yi lay on the bed with no sleepiness at all. Her tossing and turning gave her an idea, and subconsciously, she started making deliberate noises, intending to have Jiang Ruoyu settle her in another place. However, Jiang Ruoyu insisted on letting Song Xu Yi stay in her sleeping quarters and didn’t agree to have her move out.

Finally, Jiang Ruoyu pursed her lips and said, “Okay then! Let me tell you a story. If you still can’t fall asleep after hearing the story, I’ll let you move out…”

Naturally, Song Xu Yi readily agreed.

Originally, Song Xu Yi thought Jiang Ruoyu would tell her a series of stories about forceful usurpations and plundering. She was prepared to challenge and rectify Jiang Ruoyu’s values. However, she didn’t expect Jiang Ruoyu to start telling a story about their own relationship.

“I never thought about what tomorrow would be like when I was young, let alone becoming an Emperor one day. I have everything I have now because of the sister I mentioned to you…”

Jiang Ruoyu didn’t reveal Song Xu Yi’s identity but recounted the stories of what had truly happened between them, mixing in some fictional elements. Song Xu Yi, in a daze, realized that Jiang Ruoyu seemed to view her through a strong filter, seeing everything she did as correct.

The more Song Xu Yi listened, the more she felt unusual. She had never imagined that she would be seen as such a perfect figure in Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes! Moreover, as she heard the events from Jiang Ruoyu’s perspective, Song Xu Yi found it fascinating and energizing, not feeling tired at all.

As Jiang Ruoyu’s story approached her fourteenth birthday, Song Xu Yi didn’t expect that at that moment, a barely detectable subtle airflow entered her body through her back. Song Xu Yi’s heart trembled, but she couldn’t resist the overwhelming drowsiness. In the end, she fell asleep.

Song Xu Yi had never imagined that Jiang Ruoyu would use her divine power to make her fall asleep!

The author has something to say:

After being together for some time, one day, because of a certain matter that Jiang Ruoyu got angry about, it left Song Xu Yi feeling like she was losing her mind. The next morning, with a sore waist, Song Xu Yi decided to unilaterally separate for three days.

However, that night, Jiang Ruoyu slipped into Song Xu Yi’s bed and said, “I’m afraid my sister will dislike me if I become thin again.” Jiang Ruoyu’s face was on the verge of tears, her eyes filled with earnestness as she grabbed Song Xu Yi’s hand and placed it on a plump area, saying, “Sister, can you check if it’s alright?”

Song Xu Yi: “…”