278 She Was Really Cute
Next, Yu Niaoniao began to prepare the durian thousand-layer cake.
Chun Feng and Ye Yu helped.
They held their breaths the entire time. When they really couldn’t hold it in anymore, they ran to the door and took a few deep breaths of fresh air.
They really couldn’t stand the strange smell of durians.
When Xiao Juan returned, he couldn’t help but ask when he saw the yellow cake in front of him.
“What is this?”
Yu Niaoniao cut a piece of durian thousand-layer cake and handed it to him. She introduced eagerly, “I specially prepared dessert for you. You definitely haven’t eaten this before. Try it.”
Chun Feng and Ye Yu held their breaths together, feeling extremely nervous.
They wanted to remind Duke Lang that this cake was made of durian and smelled bad.
However, Princess Consort was standing at the side. They did not dare to say anything and could only pray in their hearts that Duke Lang would not hit anyone after eating the cake.
Xiao Juan took the plate and sniffed it. He realized that this cake smelled a little strange.
He couldn’t help but look at Yu Niaoniao again.
If it were anyone else, he would definitely not accept such a strange thing.
However, Yu Niaoniao was different. The food she made was never bad.
Most of all, he trusted her.
She would never harm him.
With his trust in her, Xiao Juan dug out a piece of cake with a silver spoon and placed it in his mouth.
After taking a bite, his expression froze.
Yu Niaoniao looked at him expectantly.
“How is it? Is it delicious?”
Xiao Juan swallowed the cake with difficulty, picked up the teacup beside him, and gulped down the tea.
When the remaining durian taste in his mouth was suppressed, he spoke in a low voice.
“It tastes unique.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “That’s how durian tastes. It was a little strange when you first ate it, but after taking two more bites, you’ll realize that it’s actually very delicious.”
Xiao Juan did not want to touch the cake in front of him again.
“It’s almost dinnertime. You can’t eat too much dessert. Otherwise, you won’t be able to eat later.”
With that, he got someone to rush into the kitchen and quickly serve dinner.
In the past, he would skip dinner whenever possible, but it was different now. Compared to the strange-tasting cake in front of him, dinner looked much more pleasing to the eye!
Yu Niaoniao was very depressed. “I specially prepared this durian thousand-layer cake for you. I wanted to make you happy, but I didn’t expect you to not like it.”
Xiao Juan comforted her. “I appreciate your kindness. I’m in a good mood now. I don’t need to be coaxed.”
Yu Niaoniao lowered her head and said unhappily.
“I’ve already heard about the morning court assembly today. You’ve clearly done so many good deeds, but no one cares about you. How can you not be disappointed?”
Xiao Juan reached out and rubbed her little head.
“I already expected this outcome before I decided to do those things. I had never thought that anyone would praise me. Since there’s no hope, why would I be disappointed?”
The more he said, the worse Yu Niaoniao felt.
She felt sorry for Xiao Juan.
Yu Niaoniao asked softly, “If you already knew that this would be the outcome, why did you do those things? Isn’t it thankless?”
Xiao Juan said, “Didn’t you say that? You have to stick to your principles and not care about what others think. It’s fine as long as we know that we did the right thing.”
Yu Niaoniao looked up at him in a daze.
She thought that she had just said a few poisonous words, but he took them seriously.
What did it feel like?
Anyway, her heart felt a little poignant.
She complained softly, “How can there be such an innocent and gullible person like you in the world?”
Xiao Juan had mixed feelings. “You’re the first person to say that I’m innocent.”
Everyone thought that he was evil, fierce, and cruel.
This word had nothing to do with him.
Yu Niaoniao said seriously, “That’s because there’s something wrong with their eyes. They only know how to follow the crowd. I think that you are not only innocent, but also upright and brave. You’re a very, very good person!”
The more she interacted with Xiao Juan, the better she felt about him.
It was like tasting wine. When it entered the throat, it was very spicy and uncomfortable, but after a long time, one would realize the rich taste contained in it.
As Xiao Juan looked at her sparkling eyes, his own eyes were filled with gentleness.
When he was thwarted, she would carefully make delicious food to comfort him. When he was not understood, she would guard him and cheer him on over and over again.
She was really cute.
She was so cute that he couldn’t help but want to hide her from others.
… .
In the palace, the old emperor did not flip the sign tonight. He was old and his health had been deteriorating for the past two years. He no longer had the energy to deal with the concubines in the harem.
During this period of time, he had mostly stayed in his bedroom, and today was no exception.
He had just finished his dinner and was about to wash up and sleep when he was informed that Noble Consort Shu was here.
The old emperor said, “Let her in.”
As soon as Noble Consort Shu entered, she knelt in front of the old emperor.
She cried pitifully.
“Your Majesty, I beg you to retract your order and not deport Lu Yaoguang to Cangnan.”
Lu Yaoguang’s wife, Madam Shu, and Noble Consort Shu were cousins. Before the two of them married, they were very close. Even after they separated, they often communicated.
Now that Lu Yaoguang had been demoted to Cang Nan, Madam Shu would definitely follow.
A place like Cang Nan was not a place for humans at all. If Madam Shu went there, it was unknown if she would be able to return alive.
Noble Consort Shu did not want her cousin to suffer, so she came to plead with the emperor.
The old emperor asked someone to help her up.
“I know that you have a deep relationship with Lu Yaoguang, but the country has its laws. I can’t ignore my personal feelings. Otherwise, how can I answer to the people of the world?”
Noble Consort Shu sobbed. “Can’t you be magnanimous and spare Lu Yaoguang this once on account of me serving you for so many years?”
At this, the old emperor looked at her steadily. Noble Consort Shu felt a chill down her spine and stopped her tears.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
The old emperor said, “You’ve been in the palace for many years. You should know the rule that concubines are not allowed to intervene in matters of government, right?”
Noble Consort Shu’s face turned pale.
“I wouldn’t dare. I don’t have any intention of doing politics. I just feel sorry for Cousin and don’t want her to suffer in Cangnan with Lu Yaoguang.”
The old emperor said, “I don’t want to say the same thing a second time. Go back. Don’t come here again if there’s nothing important.”
Noble Consort Shu was chased out of the bedroom.
That night, this news spread throughout the entire palace.
Usually, Noble Consort Shu relied on her status as a noble consort to bully the other concubines. Now that they knew that she had been chased out of the emperor’s bedroom, they naturally would not let go of this great opportunity to mock her.
Noble Consort Shu felt embarrassed and didn’t go out much these few days. She held her breath. She couldn’t eat well or sleep well.
The eldest palace maid, Liu Zhi, advised her to let it go but Noble Consort Shu gritted her teeth.
“It’s all Duke Lang’s fault. If he hadn’t insisted on meddling in Liaodong County’s matters, Lu Yaoguang wouldn’t have been demoted to Cangnan and I wouldn’t have been so humiliated!”