Chapter 100: Drawing Eyebrows

Chapter 100: Drawing Eyebrows

Today, His Majesty's interaction with her was devoid of any hint of desire.

Su Jiaojiao's willow-like brows furrowed slightly as she said, "Is Concubine Lian truly so domineering? Though she has always been haughty and dismissive of others in the palace, I’ve never heard of her directly causing trouble before."

"She’s the epitome of arrogance, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Dingguo, the jewel of her family. Though His Majesty rarely summons her, he has always been lenient with her. Asking for two more maids is a simple matter; a word to the Grand Eunuch at Lingbo Songshuang would have sufficed. Why did she have to snatch two people from you?"

She spoke slowly, "Such brazen actions seem rather suspicious."

Shu Jieyu thought for a moment but still felt displeased, saying, "I don’t know much about Concubine Lian, only that she’s His Majesty’s cousin and has always been indulged by him in the palace. In terms of clothing, food, lodging, and travel, aside from you, hers is the most extravagant. Whenever I saw her paying respects to the Empress, she always seemed aloof, unwilling to engage with others. Who would have thought her maids would pull such a stunt today?"

"If it were just any maid, it’d be one thing, but even her personal maid, Lvwan, showed up. Doesn’t that imply it was her mistress’s doing? Otherwise, who would dare to act like this?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Yu Ying brought in a large bowl of chilled plum soup from outside and served a bowl to each of them.

Shu Jieyu gulped down two or three bowls before the cool, refreshing plum soup soothed her anger.

Su Jiaojiao sipped half a bowl leisurely, deliberately trying to lift Shu Jieyu’s spirits, and said with a light smile, "If you like it, you can come here every day to enjoy it. Why drink so hastily? Just now you said Yu Ye loves it, but now I see you’re no different."

After saying this, she sighed lightly and said, "Concubine Lian and I have never gotten along, and she’s long held a grudge against me. She might have taken it out on you because of me. After all, you and Concubine Lian have no grievances. Today’s incident is ultimately my fault."

Shu Jieyu, seeing her being so formal, said discontentedly, "Why are you being so formal with me? Talking about fault is so tedious."

"Yes, yes, you’ve always been so direct," Su Jiaojiao personally peeled a grape and handed it to Shu Jieyu's mouth, "But you suffered unfairly for me, and this matter must be addressed. When I see His Majesty, I’ll have to put in a good word for 'Concubine Lian.'"

As the two sat talking, a eunuch came in from the door and said, "Reporting to Your Ladyship, the Grand Eunuch has arrived."

Su Jiaojiao glanced at Shu Jieyu and smiled knowingly, saying, "What did I just say?"

"Please invite him in."

Cai Shan walked in from outside, seeing them, he performed a proper salute and said with a smile, "This servant pays respects to Noble Consort Zhen and Shu Jieyu."

After he stood up, he continued, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty requests your presence at Lingbo Songshuang."

Seeing this, Shu Jieyu put down what she was holding and said with a smile, "Since His Majesty has summoned you, you should go. I will come again another day."

Su Jiaojiao nodded, and Yu Ying and Ling Xiao helped her tidy up her appearance before she left with Cai Shan.

The sun was scorching, and the ground was glaringly bright.

Yu Ying, fearing that Her Ladyship would be sunburned, held a parasol beside her.

The summer resort was much cooler than Chang'an, with unique scenery, artificial mountains, and flowing water everywhere, lush greenery in sight, much more beautiful than the red walls and tiles of the palace.

Su Jiaojiao walked on the gravel path and asked gently, "We just arrived at the summer resort today. Has His Majesty rested well? Why did he summon me so quickly?"

Cai Shan smiled and said, "His Majesty cherishes Your Ladyship. After arriving at Lingbo Songshuang, he took a short nap and woke up asking this servant to invite you over. It’s almost time for dinner; His Majesty probably wants to dine with you."

"It is my fortune that His Majesty remembers me. Thank you, Grand Eunuch, for informing me."

Cai Shan bowed and said, "Your Ladyship is too kind."

Lingbo Songshuang was not far from Yingzhou Yuyu, and they arrived after a short walk.

When Su Jiaojiao entered, she saw His Majesty sitting at the desk, painting something, vaguely resembling the outline of a woman.

"Jiaojiao greets Your Majesty."

She curtsied, her sweet voice rousing Shen Huai from his painting.

Without putting down his brush, he casually said, "Come and take a look."

Su Jiaojiao stood up and moved closer, and saw that the painting before the Emperor was still her portrait. Over the past month, the Emperor had completed most of it, with only a few details left unfinished.

She was somewhat surprised, "Despite the exhaustion from the journey, Your Majesty still brought this painting along."

Shen Huai encircled her waist and chuckled softly, "It's unfinished, so I often think about it. I want to capture the image of you I saw that night perfectly, then frame it and keep it by my side."

As the Emperor spoke, his expression was calm and natural, without any pretense, which stirred an unusual feeling in Su Jiaojiao's heart.

"Jiaojiao is right here by Your Majesty's side, why would you need a painting to keep you company? If you miss me, I can always come to accompany you."

Shen Huai gently pinched her slender waist with the hand that was holding her, smiling, "As the ruler of a nation, how can I always keep you by my side? Besides, a painting and the real person always feel different."

"You are vibrant and alive, while the painting is merely to help me capture the beautiful moment I saw you that day, how can they compare?"

He looked down at the painting and said softly, "But I've been pondering for a long time, still unsure of how to paint your face. It always feels stiff, no matter how I try, it's hard to capture the charm you exuded that day."

Su Jiaojiao laughed, "Jiaojiao has never excelled at anything, let alone painting. Your Majesty is asking the wrong person, perhaps you should ask the accompanying painters."

Shen Huai put down the brush, glanced slightly at Su Jiaojiao, and raised an eyebrow casually, "Usually you are so sweet-talking, why are you not as sharp today?"

He hooked Su Jiaojiao's waist and pulled her onto his lap, reaching up to caress her brow bone, lazily chuckling, "Human features are the hardest to paint. If I can't paint well, it's not because of lack of skill, but because your image hasn't been etched deeply enough into my memory."

"If I can't see your every smile and frown with my eyes closed, how can I paint you effortlessly? My portrait of my moonlit beauty needs to be perfect to match my Jiaojiao."

The Emperor's palm was warm, but his fingertips always carried a slight coolness.

As they lightly brushed over her eyebrows, the touch was almost imperceptible, as if using his fingers as a brush to outline her features and face.

For the first time, Su Jiaojiao saw such a focused expression in the Emperor's eyes.

Although their posture was intimate, appearing filled with desire, Su Jiaojiao knew that today was not about lust. The Emperor was truly looking at her seriously, wanting to remember every inch of her brows and face in his heart.