Chapter 060

Chapter 060

Su Yi's face was flushed with a hint of awkwardness, as if she was too embarrassed to speak.

But!

'Ha ha ha ha!'

She was doing it on purpose! Kangxi stared at Consort Rong without saying a word. Well, it was that Consort Rong again, who wouldn't stay quiet after waking up.

"Are you secretly laughing inside?" Kangxi's tone was firm, though phrased as a question, it was a statement. His sharp gaze bore into her, clearly demanding a proper response.

Su Yi felt a little guilty under such a stare. Fine, she was doing it on purpose. She had actually rinsed her mouth right after waking up, then changed her clothes, and this annoying man showed up.

Seeing Kangxi's expression that clearly said, 'You can't fool me; I already know,' Su Yi had no choice but to admit quietly, "Just a tiny bit."

Kangxi took a deep breath, as if trying to rein in his emotions through this action. She actually confessed.

"Just a tiny bit?" Four 'ha's, definitely more than a little.

Kangxi's face darkened. How could she spoil the mood like this? She needed to realize her mistake and not do it again.

"Well... actually, quite a bit." Su Yi gestured with her hand, watching as Kangxi's face grew darker and his gaze sharper.

She reached out and tugged at the hem of Kangxi's robe, looking obedient and remorseful, her voice sweet and soft, "If I've angered you, I apologize. I'm sorry; I was mistaken."

'But I!'

'Won't change!'

'Next time, I'll do it again!'

'I won't change; I'll drive you crazy, haha~'

At first, Kangxi thought Consort Rong had finally shown a rare moment of humility and offered an apology, believing she had realized her mistake and was cowed into submission. However, as soon as she finished her sugary apology, she immediately thought to herself, 'Next time, I'll do it again?!'

"Consort Rong!" Kangxi raised his voice in anger.

Su Yi looked bewildered, continuing with a sincere tone, "Your Majesty, why are you growing angrier? Didn't I just offer a sincere apology? If I did something wrong, you can tell me."

'Apologies can be made, but I won't change, and I'll do it again next time.'

Kangxi was genuinely amused by Consort Rong's boldness. "Does it matter what I say? You seem quite adept at apologizing." But you just refuse to change?!

Is this how it should be?!

Su Yi looked indulgent, "Then how many times would Your Majesty like me to say it? I can repeat it until your anger subsides."

Kangxi replied with a forced smile, "In that case, say it a hundred times."

Su Yi fell silent.

Then she smiled again and said, "What did I just say?" with a look of confusion, as if she didn't understand.

'A hundred times? You must be dreaming!'

She's getting flustered!

Kangxi thought this was a good opportunity. Letting Consort Rong off so easily would be too lenient. So he said, "Didn't you just say, Consort Rong, that as long as I'm no longer angry, you'd say it as many times as I want? Now you're changing your mind?"

His expression then turned a bit menacing, "Was Consort Rong just buttering me up earlier?"

As soon as the words fell, he saw Su Yi nod without hesitation, "That's right."

What?!

Shouldn't Consort Rong have kept up the act a bit longer? Just saying nice things without meaning them, but this doesn't seem quite right.

"What did you just say?" Kangxi wanted to clear his ears and listen again.

"You're right, I was just playing along earlier, didn't you catch that? How long have your ears been clogged that you can't hear straight?" Su Yi said with a smile, her tone gentle.

Inside, she was starting to get really annoyed.

"Are you saying I can't hear well?!"

"I'm just worried about you, see how you're misunderstanding again, okay, stop making a big deal out of it. I just woke up and don't have the energy to argue, so don't start anything, okay?"

"Who's making a big deal out of this!" Kangxi looked bewildered. Consort Rong actually told him to stop making a scene, is she for real?!

Wasn't it Consort Rong who kicked this off?!

How did she flip so fast?!

One second she was all sweet and nice!

And the next, she's like this?

Kangxi couldn't think of a word to describe Consort Rong at the moment, but if he knew the meaning and usage of the word 'scum' from later generations, he would probably think it very fitting to describe Consort Rong.

What kind of nonsense is she spouting!

"Fine, let's say you didn't, it's my fault, okay? I've already said I'm sorry, what else do you want?"

By now, Su Yi was fed up, just leaning on her hand and speaking in a bored tone.

Su Yi was really channeling some scumbag energy right then.

Being a jerk knows no gender, and neither does getting pissed off by jerk behavior.

"Consort Rong, don't think I won't lose my temper, try saying that to me again!" Kangxi was angered by Consort Rong's scummy remarks. No matter how good his temper was, he couldn't withstand the other party constantly stepping on his patience line, his voice gradually rising.

Liang Jiugong, standing guard outside and waiting for orders, heard the emperor's voice suddenly rise and instinctively shot a complicated look at Yun Hua, who was on standby.

Leaving Yun Hua completely confused.

Liang Jiugong wasn't sure what to make of Consort Rong, but when the emperor came over earlier, he practically ran, keeping a straight face but clearly in a good mood upon hearing Consort Rong had woken up.

Good grief, now they're really causing a scene.

But it's just a spat.

Consort Rong's voice couldn't be heard normally, but the emperor's voice was so loud that he could hear it outside.

Inside the room

After Kangxi threw out that sentence, the air quieted for a moment.

Su Yi glanced at Kangxi and said belatedly,

"Ah, weren't you already angry just now?"

Kangxi retorted, "Is that the point?!"

Su Yi sighed, her expression full of helplessness.

'So, you were just faking anger to get someone to comfort you?'

'Why is this so hard to deal with?'

'How can a man's temper be harder to soothe than a girl's?'

Kangxi suddenly felt a rare pang of grievance. What did it mean that he was hard to comfort? Lady Rong, this heartless woman, had never properly comforted him in the first place!

If she had just comforted him a bit, he wouldn't have gotten so mad so easily.

Kangxi felt that the closer he got to Lady Rong, the more he would get angry before she even did anything. So, Kangxi walked over to the stool by the table where he had poured water earlier and sat down. As he sat, he deliberately placed his hand heavily on the table, making a bit of noise.

"Hmph, how dare We be angry with you? You're so capable," Kangxi said with a cold face, his tone laced with sarcasm. His gaze fell to the side, not looking at Lady Rong, but his peripheral vision was still paying attention to her reaction.

Su Yi glanced at Kangxi, who was sitting at a distance. You're so high and mighty and stubborn, yet you still sit here without budging.

"Yun Hua." Having only had a cup of water since waking up, Su Yi was already hungry. Since the other party didn't seem to want to talk to her, she might as well eat something first.

Yun Hua heard Su Yi calling her, and before she even entered, her voice had already reached, "My Lady, what do you need from me?" As she entered, she first bowed to Kangxi, who was on the side.

Kangxi remained silent, his face cold. Yun Hua tentatively stood up, seeing that Kangxi didn't react, and then cautiously walked over to Su Yi.

The atmosphere was tense due to Kangxi's foul mood. Yun Hua, not knowing what had happened, spoke in a softer voice, "My Lady."

Su Yi, however, acted naturally, touching her stomach and giving Yun Hua a bright, familiar smile. "Hey Yun Hua, I'm kinda hungry. Got anything to eat?"

"There's chicken noodles prepared. Would My Lady like some?" This had been prepared in advance for when she woke up, as it was easy to digest.

"Then let's have that," Su Yi nodded. Although she wanted to gnaw on a big pork knuckle, that was clearly impractical. Chicken noodles it was. Then she added, "Are you going to eat?" She was asking Kangxi, who was sitting far away.

It was just a casual remark. Although she was fine with eating alone, it would be awkward if the other party kept staring at her while she ate. Better to eat together, so no one would have to watch the other.

"We don't... well, maybe just a little," Kangxi started to say no but then changed his mind.

If he had said he wasn't eating, others would surely have urged him a couple of times, saying it would be good to have some.

But given Lady Rong's personality, she definitely wouldn't ask again. Then, if he watched her eating alone with relish, wouldn't that make him look awkward?

Should he just leave?

Wouldn't that be giving Lady Rong what she wanted, letting her eat alone and enjoy it more? Hmph, he wouldn't leave. They would eat together!

Kangxi sat there, while Lady Rong remained on the bed, showing no intention of coming down. Did she really plan to eat on the bed?

The bed was no place to eat. Lady Rong would have to come over eventually. As long as she came over first, it wouldn't be him giving in.

Kangxi was resolute.

Yun Hua quickly brought over the steaming bowl of chicken noodles, accompanied by Liang.

Liang placed the bowl of chicken noodles on the table, and Yun Hua did the same. Then, she walked over to the bed. Lady Rong just sat there calmly, not budging. Kangxi didn't urge her, figuring that if she took her time, it wasn't him who'd go hungry.

Yun Hua took out something like a wooden board from the side of the bed, unfolded it, and placed it on the bed. It instantly transformed from a wooden board into a small, foldable dining table.

Kangxi glanced at the small table and then at Consort Rong, who was already propped up on the table, waiting for her chicken noodle soup. Wait a minute, when did this thing show up in his Qianqing Palace? How come he didn’t know about it?!

Liang Jiugong, who had served Kangxi the longest, noticed Kangxi staring at the small table for a while and immediately understood what he was thinking. He leaned in and whispered to Kangxi, "This was sent over from Yonghe Palace before the palace was sealed off. They said it was something Consort Rong was used to, and she wouldn’t feel right without it."

Kangxi shot a glance at Liang Jiugong, "I didn’t ask you."

Liang Jiugong replied smoothly, "Ah, it was this servant who spoke out of turn."

Yun Hua walked over and took away the bowl of chicken noodle soup, leaving only Kangxi’s bowl on the table. Kangxi looked at the bowl of noodles left alone and remained silent, his face dark.

He took the chopsticks handed to him by Liang Jiugong, picked up a strand of noodles, and took a bite. After chewing for a moment, he began to nitpick, "The noodles aren’t chewy enough." He then scooped up a spoonful of the chicken broth and took a sip, only to continue criticizing, "The broth isn’t fresh either. Who could eat this?" He then put down his chopsticks.

Liang Jiugong stood to the side, his face bitter but not daring to speak. The noodles had been freshly hand-pulled that day, and the broth had been simmering since early morning with a chicken slaughtered that very day. It was always kept ready, and if not used that day, it would never be used the next day. His Majesty’s complaints were truly unjust.

In the background, the sound of Consort Rong slurping her noodles loudly could be heard.

It was as if she was directly contradicting Kangxi’s earlier statement of "Who could eat this?" Well, here was someone eating it with great relish.

"One should not speak while eating or sleeping," Kangxi raised his voice slightly, afraid that Consort Rong might not hear him over the loud slurping. Was she deliberately opposing him?

Su Yi didn’t respond and continued slurping her noodles, truly adhering to the principle of "not speaking while eating."

Kangxi had intended to remind her that eating so loudly was unrefined, but since she didn’t respond, he suddenly realized that Consort Rong was indeed following the rule of "not speaking while eating."

He pursed his lips. She wasn’t usually this obedient, so why was she seizing this opportunity to follow the rules now?

Kangxi had been sitting there all along, waiting for Consort Rong to say something soft or apologetic, but she acted as if she didn’t notice. Why should an emperor subject himself to such indignity? Kangxi felt he couldn’t take this anymore and was about to stand up and leave in a huff.

"If you’re not going to eat that, I’ll have it. I’m done with mine," Su Yi suddenly spoke up, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Kangxi. Her bowl was empty, while Kangxi’s was still full, steaming and fragrant.

Kangxi: Tsk, tsk, tsk, here she goes again, ordering him around.

Kangxi’s face turned cold as he glanced at Consort Rong, snorted, and stood up. Liang Jiugong thought His Majesty was about to leave in a fit of anger, but instead, Kangxi grabbed the bowl of chicken noodle soup, walked over with a stern face, and placed it down with a bit of a clatter.

It was as if he wanted to slam it onto the table but reluctantly set it down gently instead. The sound of the bowl hitting the table was his last bit of defiance.

The chicken noodle soup was still piping hot, and the bowl was scalding. Kangxi had just grabbed it with one hand, and his palm was now burning. He hid his hand behind his back to ease the pain, not wanting Consort Rong to notice and laugh at him in her heart.

Su Yi smiled at him, a sweet and gentle smile, and reached out to pull his hidden hand. She gently shook it and rubbed his palm, as if soothing him, "Thank you, Your Majesty. You’re so kind."

This time, Kangxi didn’t hear any contradictory thoughts in her mind.

Hmph, did she think he would fall for this?

"I’m not falling for your tricks. Don’t think you can get away with this," Kangxi said with a tone of arrogance and disdain, but his body betrayed him.

Even as he spoke, Kangxi, who had been standing, allowed himself to be pulled down by Consort Rong’s gentle tug. He sat down, still keeping a stern face and not looking at her, his gaze fixed elsewhere. His tone was neither good nor bad, "Didn’t you say you wanted to eat the noodles? Why aren’t you eating yet?"

It was as if he was trying to save face.

This was something he had learned from Consort Rong—if he didn’t feel embarrassed, no one could make him feel embarrassed.

Su Yi smiled brightly, "I’ll eat now."

'Isn't this just to make you happy first?'

Su Yi released his hand, picked up her chopsticks again, and began eating with her head down.

Seeing Su Yi eating with her head down, Kangxi's tense expression gradually softened. He sat beside her, watching Consort Rong eat. Noticing how quickly she was eating, he thought, having just woken up, wouldn't two bowls be too much and hard to digest? "Why eat so fast? No one's going to take it from you."

After swallowing, Su Yi quickly added, "Noodles should be eaten while they're hot, otherwise they'll get soggy and won't taste good." Then she continued eating. She had been eating really fast before, but now she was eating at a normal pace.

"If you want more, just have someone prepare it," Kangxi replied from the side.

No big deal.

"Then I want a big pork knuckle too," Su Yi perked up, looking at Kangxi with expectant eyes.

The chicken soup noodles are good, but a big pork knuckle is even more fragrant!

"No," Kangxi quickly refused.

Why the desire for a big pork knuckle, thinking so highly of herself. Even if she wants to eat it, it has to be after a few days. A patient who has just recovered shouldn't eat such greasy and heavy food.

Su Yi murmured "Oh," and fell silent.

'You said if I want to eat, just have someone make it, but now just a big pork knuckle is too much, after all, it was a mistake to trust.'

Su Yi felt that the chicken soup noodles in her mouth were no longer fragrant.

Kangxi, somewhat awkwardly, said from the side, "About the pork knuckle, we'll discuss it in a few days. When you're feeling better, you can eat whatever you want."

Noticing stray hairs falling into her face as she ate, Kangxi gently brushed them aside.

Yun Hua seemed lost, wondering, who am I, where am I?

Liang Jiugong, meanwhile, was feeling quite conflicted.

Since when did His Majesty become like this?

He claimed he wouldn't fall for Consort Rong's charms, but in reality, it was quite the opposite.

Just now, the Emperor was suppressing his anger, ready to leave in a huff—yes, Liang Jiugong had been with Kangxi for too long, sometimes he could guess Kangxi's little actions.

But just as he was about to leave, he turned around.

He, a tall man by His Majesty's side, didn't need to carry a bowl of noodles; the Emperor did it himself. The issue was, he had no experience and grabbed it one-handed, which was scalding hot, causing Liang Jiugong's heart to race, nearly stepping in to take it.

But reason told him that not stepping forward was right, because the Emperor just wanted a reason to sit back down next to Consort Rong.

Liang Jiugong glanced at Yun Hua, who was still confused, and signaled her with his eyes. They needed to leave immediately, as they shouldn't be here now; they should be outside.

At this moment, Liang Jiugong might not know, but future generations would call this complex emotion, how a single dog gets dazzled and stuffed with dog food, to the point of being overfed.

——

When Baocheng woke up, still groggy and not yet clear about the person in front of him, he suddenly became alert and had already pounced into the lap of the seated Su Yi.

"Consort Rong!" he called out in surprise, the little milk dragon somewhat disbelieving. After the surprise, he couldn't help but start to cry, "I missed you so much, Consort Rong, these past few days have been so hard for me, and you didn't come to see me, wuwu"

The tears came pouring out, he had lost so much weight, no longer had his chubby face, and his cheeks weren't soft and white anymore. Would he look ugly? Would Consort Rong dislike him?

Thinking of this, the little milk dragon cried in hiccups, his little head now unable to understand why getting sick would make him ugly!

Every time he asked when Consort Rong would come to see him these past few days, his father, the Emperor, had said that she would come when he was almost better.

But when would he get better? It felt like it had been such a long, long time.

Although Kangxi had instructed the servants not to mention in front of the Crown Prince, Baocheng, that Consort Rong had been ill, during this tense time, keeping quiet was unbearable, so they whispered in hushed tones.

Baocheng overheard them, but at the time, the servants thought he was asleep and had deliberately lowered their voices.

When he heard that Consort Rong might have gotten sick because of him, Baocheng quietly cried under the covers.

He didn’t dare to insist on Consort Rong coming to see him anymore; at most, he would ask if she could visit today, which was his way of checking if she had recovered.

When he woke up, still blurry-eyed, he knew it was Consort Rong who had come!

While crying, Baocheng remembered that if he got too close, he might make Consort Rong sick again, so he tried to pull away from her embrace.

Tears still hung in his eyes, and although he had lost a lot of weight, the little milk dragon was still a cute little bun. Even thinner, his features looked even more delicate, and though his face had some pockmarks, he was still the adorable little milk dragon.

Su Yi wiped his tears with a handkerchief, careful to avoid the pockmarks.

"Didn’t I come to see you? Let me see if you’ve been behaving." After wiping away his tears, she gently checked his hands and other areas to see if there were any scratches or if his condition had improved.

Baocheng pulled his hands back, trying to hide them, "Consort Rong, you can’t get too close, you might get sick." He said softly, speaking sensibly, though his voice trembled with sobs, his eyes almost turning red like a rabbit’s.

Kangxi, watching from the side, thought a man shouldn’t cry so easily, but considering Baocheng was still sick and fragile, he chose not to scold him right then.

"It’s okay, I’m already better, I can hold you now." Su Yi thought it was something else; she always said the little milk dragon was very well-behaved.

"Really?" The little milk dragon asked again to confirm.

Afraid that Consort Rong was just trying to cheer him up, he glanced at his father, the Emperor, and seeing him nod, he immediately believed it, his heart leaping with joy, and he threw himself back into Su Yi’s arms, hugging her waist and nuzzling against her.

"Baocheng has been very good recently." Now he didn’t want to cry anymore; he just wanted to act spoiled with Consort Rong and have her praise him, "It’s really uncomfortable, it’s itchy, but I can’t scratch." It was so hard to endure.

Su Yi patted his little head, "Wow, you’ve been so good." She squeezed the little milk dragon’s soft hand, "It must be really itchy, Baocheng is so amazing, you can resist scratching, you’re so great."

She didn’t hold back her praise, and the little milk dragon immediately felt shy but happy, laughing in her arms, "It’s, it’s not that amazing, not as much as Consort Rong says."

Actually, it was really uncomfortable; he wanted to scratch so many times. Afraid that he might scratch unconsciously, the maids would tie his hands with soft cloth when he slept, so he couldn’t move. It was really hard, but now, with Consort Rong praising him for being so strong, he felt he could endure a bit longer.

Kangxi, who had been watching the interaction between Consort Rong and Baocheng with a softened expression, gradually became expressionless as he noticed that the two seemed to have forgotten his existence. He coldly watched the two, wondering when they would remember that he was still there.