"I never knew you liked eating this much," Zheng Liang said, catching the pillow with amusement in his eyes.
Yang Ning was startled to find Zheng Liang standing at the entrance, holding the pillow against his chest, his lips curling into a knowing smirk.
She immediately closed her mouth and blinked her eyes, wondering, 'Did he hear everything I said earlier?'
She gulped nervously, fretting that he might have overheard her stressed-out ramblings and would uncover her secret, one she had not shared with anyone yet.
"You...when did you come back?" she asked, hesitantly and stuttering.
Zheng Liang walked towards her, stuffing the pillow into her hands, and leaned closer, surprising her with their sudden proximity. "I arrived when you were wishing for a long life and savoring delicious food. I never knew you loved food so much that you pray for it when you're alone," he teased.
"Other than living longer and eating delicious food, were you praying for something else as well?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yang Ning bit her lower lip, relief blossoming into a smile on her face. Thankfully, he hadn't heard her entire babble.
That's good.
She cleared her throat, pushing him slightly away, and declared, "Of course. I prayed to become the richest and most powerful woman in the entire world."
"And what do you plan to do after becoming one?" he asked, surprised by her response.
"I will..." She thought carefully before saying, "I will buy more delicious food and show off to those pretty noble ladies who mocked me at your birthday banquet before our wedding." She spoke casually, unable to think of anything more profound.
"Confess? What is it?" he asked, his playful demeanor replaced by genuine concern as he noticed the seriousness on her face.
Upon hearing Zheng Liang's words, Yang Ning's eyes wavered with hesitation, but she knew that the longer she delayed, the more complicated the situation might become.
More importantly, she didn't want to continue lying to him or keep him in the dark.
He had disliked Yang Ning in the past because she had always lied to his face and never revealed that she was acting on Yang Luoyang's instigation. Had she come clean to him then, the situation might have been different.
"I didn't meet Hou Wei in Xinling City when you were inspecting the shops. I lied earlier," she finally confessed, her voice filled with a mix of relief and trepidation.
Zheng Liang was surprised that she would suddenly bring up this matter, but he didn't interrupt her, allowing her to finish her thoughts.
Seeing Zheng Liang's silence, she panicked and hurriedly explained, "Actually, on our first day in Xinling City when you were dealing with other matters and I was at the residence, I wasn't sleeping the whole day. Instead, I sneaked out from the royal residence secretly in the afternoon without telling anyone. I was touring the local market and the beach."
She lowered her head, feeling guilty for lying to him until now, and didn't dare to meet his eyes. She feared she might see disappointment in them.
"I met Hou Wei at that time. She was arguing with a man who was leaving without paying at a shop and treating the elderly shop owner disrespectfully. Seeing no one helping Hou Wei, who stood up to protect the woman, I couldn't stand idly by and helped her out. That's how we met."
"Earlier, that is probably why she reacted so shocked. Because that day I was wearing Xiaowei's clothes, and she must not have expected to see me here."
After finishing her words, a long, uncomfortable silence filled the chamber. Yang Ning clenched her fists in hesitation and looked up cautiously. "I'm sorry for sneaking out of the royal residence secretly and lying to you. This lie has been making me feel uncomfortable for the past few days, and lying to you didn't feel right. So I had to—"
Before she could complete her words, a pair of soft lips suddenly met hers, silencing her with a passionate kiss.