Chapter 163

Chapter 163

What’s up with the jerk’s tone? Why is it so strange?

Su Yi paused for a moment, then responded with a universal "Mhm." A single "Mhm" to handle everything.

"Mhm?" Kangxi raised an eyebrow, repeating it as if to say, 'You dare to respond?!'

Su Yi stammered, "Ah?" Was there something wrong?

"Ah?!"

"What are you doing? Why are you repeating my interjections?"

Su Yi, catching up a bit late, felt a bit displeased.

What’s with this attitude? Why does the jerk look like he's been cheated on, coming in with such sarcasm?

Am I that kind of person??

Cheating or not, who knows?

"Nothing," Kangxi said through clenched teeth.

"I heard the Consort is ill, so I came to check, and incidentally, your cat."

Kangxi quickly returned to his normal self, then loosened his grip slightly, patting the cat to signal it to go away and find its owner, not to cling to him.

After carrying it for a while, the cat hair had already shed all over him, sticking to his clothes. Kangxi couldn't help but frown at the sight.

Why does it shed so much?

"Meow!" Pot Lid seized the opportunity to escape, leapt gracefully to the ground and bounced back up, its chubby body was surprisingly agile.

In a few jumps, it landed in Su Yi's arms, moving very nimbly, its plump body showing a surprising lightness.

It skillfully used its paws to cling to Su Yi's shoulders, began to meow and complain.

The cat looked utterly wronged.

The main hall was quiet except for Pot Lid’s incessant meowing, whose fur was almost standing on end. Being stuck with that annoying human was truly humiliating for a cat.

Su Yi held the hefty Pot Lid, stroking its fur and softly comforting it.

Kangxi, watching from the side, saw the cat still whining and couldn’t resist a sarcastic comment,

"What a pain, all it does is eat and cause trouble every day, it's gotten so fat, and now it even knows how to complain, what a piece of work."

Pot Lid, still meowing and whining to Su Yi, immediately felt provoked by Kangxi’s voice. A cat wouldn’t take such disrespect.

With Su Yi holding it, Pot Lid suddenly felt like it had backup, its confidence soared, and it boldly started cursing at Kangxi.

It looked quite imposing, head held high as it cursed at Kangxi.

The challenge was unmistakable.

Provoked by a fat cat, could Kangxi hold back his anger?

Oh, no.

"It's getting feisty now, aren't you going to do something about it?"

Kangxi narrowed his eyes, looking at Consort Rong with a hint of danger in his tone.

The cat had been pretty calm and cooperative the whole way here, but as soon as it saw Consort Rong, it seemed to find a backer and immediately got bold, starting to challenge him.

If Consort Rong didn’t control this sassy fat cat, he couldn’t let this slide. Kangxi stared at Consort Rong, clearly signaling her to take a stand and not indulge this fat cat any longer!

"I’m on it, I’m on it!" Su Yi said with an awkward smile, feeling like she had to play peacemaker.

She yanked the cat back as it leaned forward.

Kid, he’s the one giving you fish snacks, so don’t push your luck.

But the cat was in the middle of a full-on tirade and couldn’t stop.

It had been holding it together the whole way, and it didn’t even get food or fish snacks!!! It was practically starving!

The cat: This time, I’ll make that annoying two-legged creature know who’s boss!

It’s just a little furball—it doesn’t need to know its place!

Su Yi tried to clamp its mouth shut, but it was no use. The cat was as stubborn as a mule.

She turned to Xiao Yunzi and asked if he had any fish snacks on him.

Xiao Yunzi actually had some.

The maids who usually looked after the cat had secretly slipped him some.

They said they knew the cat’s feisty attitude all too well and that fish snacks were the only way to calm it down. If the cat acted up on the way, the snacks would save the day—and they always worked like a charm.

Xiao Yunzi had thought it was overkill at first.

After all, the cat had been quiet and cooperative the whole way, so the fish snacks might not be needed. But as it turned out, they were indeed needed.

(That maid: Do you think I survived all those years taking care of the cat for nothing?!)

Well, great, now that it’s seen the Consort, it starts acting up.

Honestly, it’s like it’s possessed.

On the way, it knew the Consort wasn’t around and understood the principle of knowing when to yield. It kept its cool until it saw the Consort, and then all bets were off.

"Right here, Consort, I’ve got them," Xiao Yunzi quickly stepped forward, pulling out the fish snacks he had brought and about to hand them to Consort Rong.

As Su Yi reached for them, her grip on the cat slipped a little, and since she wasn’t holding it down with much force...

The cat, carried by its own momentum, bolted forward, right up to Kangxi.

The cat’s fierce meows instantly died down to a silent squeak.

The cat froze, its face a picture of pure confusion. What just happened? How did it end up here???

Realizing it had stormed straight into the lion’s den, the cat’s bravado instantly deflated.

It ducked its head, ready to bolt back to Su Yi, but before it could, Kangxi snatched it up, lifting it to eye level.

The human and the cat finally faced each other.

Pot Lid's eyes darted around, stubbornly avoiding Kangxi's gaze, his chubby cat face looking utterly innocent—a picture of helplessness and pitifulness, yet still ready to eat.

This was a stark contrast to the fierce and aggressive cat that had been scolding Kangxi just moments ago, as if they were two completely different cats.

"Why have you stopped meowing? Weren't you just yelling at me non-stop? Why are you silent now?"

Kangxi at this moment really seemed like someone who would mistreat a cat, his face as still as water, his tone carrying a somewhat sinister edge.

Not at all fooled by Pot Lid's current weak, pitiful, and helpless appearance, it's said that dogs rely on their master's power, and today he witnessed that cats do too!

Pot Lid, tail tucked: Scared... meow!

Su Yi coughed awkwardly, genuinely embarrassed for Pot Lid.

After all, he was her cat, so Su Yi stepped in to free Pot Lid from Kangxi's hands. "Alright, alright, no more fuss, don't scare him. You're the best; it's just Pot Lid being naughty." She patted his head.

Kangxi shot her a sideways glance, silent.

But Pot Lid wasn't having any of it.

Once freed by Su Yi, Pot Lid felt he could do it again.

Immediately forgetting his previous submissive demeanor, he started scolding again, as if trying to salvage his precarious cat dignity.

Actually, Pot Lid was just putting on a show, yowling a few times to feel like his cat dignity was restored before stopping.

Kangxi looked at Su Yi with a cold face, not speaking, but his eyes were very clear.

Look at him!

Su Yi: ....

Then silently handed Pot Lid back to him.

Just as Pot Lid felt his cat dignity somewhat restored and was about to close his mouth contentedly, he found himself back in the hands of the hated human.

Pot Lid's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

How did he, how did he end up back here, meow?

He looked at Su Yi in disbelief, as if saying, how, how did you not hold onto me, huh??

Su Yi: I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it, kiddo.

Seeing Su Yi wasn't going to rescue him again, the submissive Pot Lid shut his mouth, cowardly trying to curl into a ball.

But alas, his chubby body was already quite round, the belly fat was really making it difficult.

He struggled to flip over like doing a somersault, but couldn't successfully curl himself into a ball.

"Why are you lowering your head, Pot Lid? Look at me, hmm?"

Kangxi lifted his chin with his finger, forcing Pot Lid to raise his buried head, leaving him nowhere to hide—quite domineering.

The unearthed Pot Lid, squinting his eyes almost into slits, his airplane ears out, let out a soft, small meow.

When Su Yi heard this, she inexplicably thought of, "Look at me, you little rascal!!" and felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.

Before Su Yi's lips could even curve upwards, Kangxi's sharp gaze had already swept over.

This made Su Yi suppress her rising smile and put on a nonchalant face, looking elsewhere.

With this, Kangxi no longer had the time to bother with the cat, "Take it away."

He disdainfully handed it over to the maids to hold. This time, the cat was truly subdued, quietly held by the maids without any more fuss, the whole cat now quiet.

At the very end, it let out a stubborn, soft meow, almost like a whimper.

It then turned its head back into the maid's arms, turning its back to Kangxi, clearly showing its anger through its posture.

The cat: Meow, I have my temper too, meow meow!

Kangxi sneered: Hmph.

Kangxi looked towards Consort Rong sitting nearby. The cat was one thing, but Consort Rong better not try to fool around. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Su Yi blink her eyes, looking around, and when her gaze landed behind him, her eyes lit up, and she stood up to walk over.

It turned out to be Consort Tongjia, who had tidied up and hurried over.

Consort Tongjia had been so troubled by her stomach that she felt very weak, barely having the strength to walk, just wanting to lie down and rest.

But after changing clothes, she found out that the Emperor had arrived, so she had to force herself to come over immediately.

However, she was truly weak, and after a few steps, her face turned pale. The Emperor's arrival was usually a good thing, and at other times, Consort Tongjia would have been overjoyed.

But at this moment??

Consort Tongjia couldn't help but think, why now?

Just when she needed to change clothes, should she directly tell the Emperor to wait, or endure it until he left before going to change.

This was really putting her in a tough spot!!

"Quick, sit down; you look like you're about to faint just walking," Su Yi said with concern, reaching out to support Consort Tongjia, offering strong, steady support, making it easier for her.

Consort Tongjia took a moment to catch her breath, feeling a bit better. The maids supporting her didn't seem to provide much strength, but when Consort Rong supported her, she immediately felt much lighter.

This sudden feeling of reliability made Consort Tongjia instinctively look at Consort Rong. This woman, when speaking normally, was quite pleasant, and when showing concern, it wasn't just empty words.

Due to her rare moment of weakness, Consort Tongjia, who usually held herself high and proud, now looked pale and fragile, leaning on Su Yi, showing a bit of vulnerability.

At this moment, she even forgot about the Emperor.

Su Yi looked at her gently, with a seemingly deceptive smile, gently helping her sit down and sitting beside her.

This way, she could subtly shield her.

Consort Tongjia, treated kindly by Consort Rong, sat down feeling dizzy, and when she felt an unmistakable gaze on her, she suddenly realized, oh no, she hadn't greeted the Emperor yet!

She suddenly stood up, "Your servant greets the Emperor..!" But standing up so quickly, she hadn't regained her balance, and a flash of white light seemed to blur her vision. Consort Tongjia swayed, unable to steady herself, and was about to fall backward.

The maids were horrified and rushed to support her.

Su Yi reached out to steady her, her tone gentle but somewhat helpless, "My dear Consort, take it slow, you're still unwell, why are you being so careless?"

Kangxi: What are you saying??

Why does it feel like Consort Rong stole my words? She said it all—what’s left for me to say?

Consort Tongjia narrowly avoided embarrassment thanks to Consort Rong's support, yet she still snapped back stubbornly, "I know my limits."

But in this rare moment of vulnerability, she felt a little fragile, and her words carried a touch of coyness.

From the way they interacted, the two seemed quite harmonious and friendly, their eyes never once straying toward Kangxi, making him feel almost like an outsider.

Watching the interaction between Consort Tongjia and Consort Rong, Kangxi put on a forced smile and said, "Consort, since you’re unwell, skip the formalities. Please, take a seat."

After hearing Kangxi's words, Consort Tongjia said, "This humble servant thanks the Emperor for his consideration," and then sat down.

Seeing Kangxi sitting so calmly, Consort Tongjia remembered that she had almost fallen earlier, and the Emperor had shown no reaction. A pang of resentment welled up inside her.

Even though Consort Rong can be blunt at times, she knew to support her when she was uncomfortable and caught her when she might have fallen. Why is the Emperor being so indifferent now?

Of course, Consort Tongjia did not show that tiny bit of dissatisfaction.

"How is the Consort feeling?" Kangxi asked dryly, his tone perfunctory.

"Your Majesty, this humble servant is much better," Consort Tongjia replied in a standard manner.

Since Kangxi had come to visit the sick, he had to ask the necessary questions face to face.

The two continued their stiff, back-and-forth exchange, which felt increasingly dull and tedious.

Su Yi, listening from the sidelines, was on the verge of dozing off, leaning back and subtly shifting her position, using Consort Tongjia as a shield while she zoned out.

Kangxi could still catch a glimpse of Su Yi out of the corner of his eye, but after a while, her upper body was completely out of sight.

She’s quite the character.

Consort Tongjia was growing increasingly irritated by the tedious exchange. At first, it was the Emperor asking and her answering.

But soon, it became her desperately trying to keep the conversation going to avoid awkward pauses, with the Emperor responding, and her having to rack her brains to keep the conversation going.

*Consort Tongjia: I’m still sick!!*

This illness is really not letting her catch a break.

When Consort Tongjia heard Kangxi say, "It's getting late, Consort should rest early."

*Finally!*

Consort Tongjia had to admit, hearing the Emperor say that, she felt a sense of relief that he was finally leaving.

She really was tired.

Su Yi perked up at the sound. Finally, he’s leaving.

Why visit so late at night? Couldn’t this wait until morning?

Why did it have to be at night, knowing how much time it wastes?

Otherwise, she could have gone back to sleep. Su Yi silently calculated how much sleep time she had lost.

But finally, he's leaving. Hold it in, hold it in.

Outwardly, she had to maintain her composure, careful not to appear too eager.

Consort Tongjia, your poker face needs work.

Su Yi gave her hand a squeeze, hinting she should dial it back – enough already.

Consort Tongjia, catching the hint, realized she might be laying it on too thick, making it look like she couldn't be bothered with the Emperor.

How could that be?!

Consort Tongjia quickly schooled her features.

Seeing these two carrying on right in front of him, all flirty and oblivious, Kangxi felt like he was being made a fool of! He felt a pang of alarm.

Kangxi: What, you think I'm blind or something?!

In the end, it was all about keeping a straight face.

Kangxi walked out, and Consort Tongjia and Su Yi planned to watch him leave, then make a beeline for bed, exhausted from all the drama.

Su Yi stifled a yawn, looking even more worn out than Consort Tongjia, making Consort Tongjia's eye twitch in annoyance.

Consort Rong hadn't said a word the whole time, keeping to herself. Consort Tongjia glanced at her, thinking she ought to chime in instead of just sitting there.

But turns out Consort Rong was off in la-la land – seriously?!

Here she was, holding down the fort all by herself – what a champ!

She was sick and not in good spirits, how come Consort Rong looked even more wiped out than she did??

Consort Tongjia was planning to talk to Consort Rong about how inappropriate her daydreaming was after the Emperor left.

You said you'd look after me, but you're the queen of slacking off.

"Consort Rong, why aren't you leaving?" Kangxi paused, noticing Consort Rong wasn't tagging along, and turned to ask why she was still standing there.

Shooting her a 'why are you still here?' look.

Su Yi was floored: Huh??

No, I was planning to sleep here, why should I leave?

Didn't that jerk notice when he barged in??

When he showed up, wasn't I just groggily waking up from a nap?!

Consort Tongjia, hearing this, shot Consort Rong a look that was a whole mix of emotions.

Su Yi started to explain, "Your Majesty, actually, I was planning to stay over..."

"That's right, Consort Rong, it's late, you should go back, I should also rest, so I won't keep you."

Consort Tongjia cut her off before she could finish, backpedaling fast.

Stay over? Not on her watch – she hadn't signed off on that.

Su Yi was caught off guard, about to protest, but Consort Tongjia nudged her forward, putting on a polite front.

"When I feel better, I'll talk with Consort Rong then, but tonight is really not suitable, go back early."

This is so not the time!!

I was almost enchanted by Consort Rong just now, and for a moment, I forgot about the predicament I was in before the Emperor arrived, all thanks to Consort Rong.

Consort Tongjia had never been in such a tough spot in her life. She wanted to change her clothes, but Consort Rong had a tight grip on her hand, and she just couldn't pull away. She almost lost it!

It was pure torture!

Worrying about whether she might get an upset stomach tonight, and if Consort Rong would doze off and latch onto her hand again, sleeping like a log, impossible to wake.

If she had to wake Consort Rong up, wouldn't that be a nightmare?!

At the thought, Consort Tongjia couldn't help but shiver all over. No way, absolutely not.

She had to seize this chance to get Consort Rong out of there fast, so she wouldn't be stuck dealing with her anymore.

With that thought, Consort Tongjia steeled herself even more.

Let her go off with the Emperor, since she'd already seen through it all.

The Emperor showed up late at night, not really here to check on her. If he really cared, would he have come this late?

Clearly, he had ulterior motives. If he really wanted to check on her, he would have come earlier.

Hmph, and the Emperor didn't even show up as fast as Consort Rong.

Consort Rong, who's usually so lazy, got here faster than the Emperor!

And she came out in the blazing sun, which is pretty unusual for Consort Rong. She didn't say it, but deep down, she was a little touched.

But Consort Rong's sleeping habits are awful, so let the Emperor handle it on his own. She was done with it.

After all, the Emperor had never spent the night before. At first, she was genuinely heartbroken, upset, and furious that the Emperor treated her this way. But over time, she got used to it.

After all, she wasn't the only one.

The other concubines are not as high-ranking as her!

Consort Tongjia felt more at ease holding onto her power.

She remained the high and mighty Consort Tongjia.

Consort Tongjia's feelings towards the Emperor: a bit of love, but not much.

Su Yi watched as Consort Tongjia, who had been soft just moments ago, turned hard-hearted in such a short time, clearly showing her desire for her to leave immediately.

She suddenly felt like she had been played.

Played by the player?

You weren't like this just now.

After seeing off the Emperor and Consort Rong, Consort Tongjia said, "Quick, help me back to rest."

Finally, that woman was sent away.

Her bed was hers alone again.

After all this commotion, Consort Tongjia felt completely drained.

She was truly exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Consort Rong, that woman, hadn’t said a word and just dozed off beside her!! Leaving her alone to desperately think of something to say.

She saw it all out of the corner of her eye!!

If she hadn’t been blocking, the Emperor would’ve noticed ages ago, seriously!

That woman, Consort Rong, still wanted to stay and hog half her bed—no way!

Consort Tongjia clutched her stomach, groaning, "Hurry, help me up!"

Su Yi had returned to Yonghe Palace and still hadn’t gone to bed.

As if it were her choice?

"Are you done eating yet?"

Su Yi sat slumped, her pot-cover hairstyle drooping, as she watched Kangxi leisurely eat his dinner.

No utensils were set out for her.

Since Kangxi hadn’t eaten yet, but she’d already eaten at Jingren Palace, her utensils weren’t set. Still, she had to sit there and watch him eat.

Seriously, how boring can one person be??

Forcing her to sit and watch—who even does that?

"No talking during meals or bedtime," Kangxi said pompously.

Su Yi was dying to roll her eyes at him.

How could someone stay up and keep others from sleeping too?

He even used the cat as an excuse to boss Su Yi around.

Really, enough is enough!