Chapter 282: Chapter 282: The Emperor’s Meeting Gift
Her tightly shut eyelashes trembled slightly.
Like a butterfly fluttering in the darkness, it seemed to be a mix of fear of the unknown and anticipation for an uncontrollable adventure.
But the fingers on the back of her neck and the warmth on her forehead quickly retreated.
Jiang Qingli slowly opened her eyes, a hint of confusion in them.
After a few seconds, she lowered her head in a slight panic as she realized what had just happened—
Xie Youchen must have noticed her face was a little red, so he’d pressed his forehead against hers to check her temperature.
It was a trick Jiang Qingli had taught him.
It was how they always did it in the TV shows she watched as a child, so once when Xie Youchen was sick, she had done the same to him.
They didn’t know each other well back then, so a nervous Jiang Qingli hadn’t controlled her strength, and their foreheads had bumped together with a loud THUD.
As she whispered an apology, the young Xie Youchen had curved his lips into his first smile for her and raised a hand to rub her forehead.
Thinking of the amusing memory, the corners of Jiang Qingli’s eyes crinkled with a hint of a smile.
Xie Youchen couldn’t see her expression, only her silence.
The young man’s brows furrowed slightly. He wanted to press his forehead against hers again to feel her temperature, but he hesitated and used his fingers instead.
Still very hot.
Xie Youchen slowly pulled his fingers back. "If you’re not feeling well today, I can reschedule your appointment with His Majesty the Emperor for another time. She won’t mind."
"I’m fine." Jiang Qingli took a deep breath and looked up, her tone particularly calm and certain. "It’s not a cold. It’s just too hot."
Afraid she was just putting on a brave face, Xie Youchen still wasn’t convinced. "Are you really okay?"
His words only made Jiang Qingli feel even hotter, and she started to wonder if she really was coming down with a fever.
But she had a strong constitution and had rarely ever gotten sick growing up.
Annoyed by his stare, Jiang Qingli raised her voice. "Really! I’m fine!"
The girl’s cheeks were flushed pink, her eyes clear and bright.
Startled, Xie Youchen broke their gaze.
His Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably as he subtly changed the subject.
"That dress suits you. His Majesty the Emperor likes blue." Xie Youchen asked, his tone deliberately casual, "Did the Seventh Prince pick it out?"
"No, he let me choose what I liked."
Yesterday, Qin Muye hadn’t made any decisions for her. He had just said, "Just pick what you like."
Afraid she might misunderstand, he had specifically added, "First, all of these outfits look good on you, so I don’t know which one to pick. Second, it’s just an outfit for a meeting. All of these are fine. The Emperor won’t dislike you because of the color or style of your dress. She’s not that petty."
"That last sentence was not a compliment to her."
Jiang Qingli could almost picture the little puppy frowning, looking all serious as he typed out those messages.
And he had really improved a lot, even knowing to list out his reasons one by one.
Jiang Qingli’s lips curved into a smile.
Xie Youchen asked, "Why did you choose this one?"
He had been about to praise her for her good taste and for doing her homework in advance, but to his surprise, Jiang Qingli gave a reason he never would have expected: "Qin Muye’s eyes are blue."
Xie Youchen: "..."
The young man fell silent for two seconds before stiffly changing the subject again. "Are you free tonight? I’ll take you somewhere."
"Where are we going?" Her expectations piqued once more, Jiang Qingli asked, her eyes sparkling.
"A place you’ve wanted to go," Xie Youchen said, glancing at his watch. "Let’s go. We’ll head out together."
As Jiang Qingli walked inside side-by-side with him, she finally remembered to ask, "By the way, what are you doing here at the Imperial Palace?"
"Qin Shu needed to see me about something," Xie Youchen said, then added, "It’s official business."
What would have been a normal statement was made a little strange by the three words he added at the end.
It was as if he were afraid she’d misunderstand and think they had some kind of private relationship, so he was reporting to her just in case.
The heat began to rise in Jiang Qingli’s face, which had just calmed down. "Oh... Well, what a coincidence that you were on the way."
Xie Youchen grunted in agreement.
’In truth, Qin Shu had asked to meet me tomorrow. But I was worried about her first private meeting with the Emperor today. I thought some obnoxious person might try to tail her, and even though I’d already given the media a heads-up, I still wasn’t at ease.’
’So I just changed the time and came along.’
’Doing some business on the way wouldn’t seem too deliberate.’
The two of them walked out of the garage and strolled side-by-side down a small path for a while until they reached a fork.
Before leaving with the handmaid, Jiang Qingli glanced back at Xie Youchen.
"Don’t be nervous." Xie Youchen chuckled. "After you’re done, I’ll be—" He froze for a second, then corrected himself, "I’ll wait for you here."
His long, slender fingers lightly stroked the girl’s soft hair, careful not to mess it up, conveying a sense of reassurance.
It was just like when she won her first gold medal in a competition as a child and had to go on stage to receive the award.
-
It was strange. She had been a little nervous before arriving, but once she actually met the Emperor in person, Jiang Qingli wasn’t nervous at all.
She had never been the type to get stage fright.
Besides, the meeting was much more pleasant than she had imagined.
When Jiang Qingli first sat down, the Emperor only asked with concern if her Superpower had been stable recently and if she’d felt any discomfort after her last mission. After that, she had her try some desserts made by the Imperial Chef, acting just like a kind elder.
Furthermore, the Emperor herself looked very similar to Qin Muye, especially her profile. The curve of her high-bridged nose and those gray-blue eyes were features Jiang Qingli found very endearing.
Thinking of Qin Muye, Jiang Qingli found herself staring at the Emperor for a few extra seconds when she started talking about the academy’s curriculum.
After Qin Shiyi finished speaking, she noticed the girl’s gaze lingering around her eyes. Though it was very restrained and polite, the Emperor keenly sensed that she was being compared to someone. A small smile touched her lips. "What is it? You keep looking at me."
"My apologies, my apologies..."
Jiang Qingli hurriedly apologized, chiding herself for her impoliteness, and quickly explained, "I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I suddenly realized that your eyes are very similar to Qin Muye’s. I’m surprised I never noticed it before, so I couldn’t help but stare for a moment. Please forgive my rudeness."
After she said this, she saw the Emperor freeze slightly.
’Oh, heavens, did I say the wrong thing? Did I just step on the Emperor’s landmine?’
Jiang Qingli was about to add something when the Emperor laughed. "It’s alright. I didn’t mean to blame you. You weren’t being rude. It’s just that you reminded me of some things from the past."
She didn’t say what those things were, and Jiang Qingli, of course, wasn’t tactless enough to press the issue. She simply nodded.
"But speaking of which, this is perfect timing." The Emperor set down her teacup and looked at the handmaid beside her. "Bring them over."
As soon as she spoke, the handmaid stepped forward, holding two gift boxes.
Qin Shiyi handed them to Jiang Qingli and gestured for her to open them.
Both gift boxes contained jewelry.
One held a ruby necklace, and the other a sapphire brooch.
The craftsmanship was exquisite, and the rare gems shimmered iridescently in the sunlight.
"A first-meeting gift from your mother-in-law." Qin Shiyi smiled and asked, "Which one do you like more?"
Jiang Qingli looked from one to the other, her indecisiveness flaring up, so she could only say honestly, "I like them both."
But the Emperor suddenly became a bit insistent, forcing her to make a choice. "Then take a guess. Which one did I prepare?"
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