SSEWC Chapter 28

Wen Liangyu woke up in his own bed. It had been a long time since he had slept so comfortably. In the midst of half-dream and half-wakefulness, he struggled to blink his eyelashes. Groggily, he opened his eyes and, upon seeing the thin veil of bed curtains, the soft sensation beneath him made him abruptly realize that something was wrong.

Why was he in bed?

He was just in a carriage a moment ago.

In that instant, Wen Liangyu half-sat up on the bed, and his hazy thoughts gradually began to return.

First, there was the sudden memory loss of He Heng. He rushed into the carriage, holding him inexplicably and shouting “Wife”. Then, he allowed the other to hold him like that, and the two grown men squeezed into a small compartment, traveling all the way back.

Ultimately, his consciousness froze at the moment he fell asleep against He Heng’s chest. The warmth of the other’s body and the firm and powerful feeling of his chest remained vivid in his mind.

Stop thinking! Stop thinking!

Wen Liangyu quickly halted the continuous images flooding his mind, but his ears, due to heightened tension, turned burning hot. If he were a tea kettle, he’d probably be steaming by now.

Oh Wen Liangyu, Wen Liangyu,

You’re truly something, huh? How could you sleep through all of that?

With this thought, the young emperor fiercely grabbed a handful of the bedding beneath him, furrowing his brow at his own unbecoming behavior.

And when Liu Fuyuan entered in the evening to prepare the meal, this was the scene that met his eyes:

The young emperor sat motionless at the bedside, tightly furrowing his brows. His eyes carried a dark and unclear expression, long strands of black hair cascading down, draping over his shoulders. There was a rosy tint on his cheeks, as if he had just woken up, and his complexion looked much better than it did some time ago.

Just by observing the emperor’s expression, he could probably guess what was on the emperor’s mind.

Regardless, it was definitely related to the regent.

The next moment,

“How long have I been asleep?”

Wen Liangyu lifted his gaze and stared straight at Liu Fuyuan.

Liu Fuyuan bowed and said, “It’s been about an hour, Your Majesty. It’s now time for the evening meal. Would you like to dine now? I’ll have someone bring the prepared meal over.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Liangyu subconsciously nodded, not even bothering to look in Liu Fuyuan’s direction, clearly displaying a distracted demeanor.

Then, Liu Fuyuan heard him muttering to himself as he leaned against the bedside, “A whole hour, what happened?”

Wen Liangyu couldn’t believe he had managed to sleep for an hour in the jostling of the carriage, to the point where he didn’t even notice the change of location.

As he pondered, his brows furrowed even tighter, and his expression grew more displeased, causing the air pressure in the room to drop.

Observing the emperor’s increasingly irritable demeanor, Liu Fuyuan became even more reluctant to mention that it was He Heng who had carried him all the way from the carriage to the palace.

If the young emperor found out, wouldn’t there be an explosion?

So, he resolutely chose to play dumb, pretending that nothing had happened, and focused on preparing the emperor’s evening meal.

In the evening, as the eunuch serving Wen Liangyu laid out the meal, it was evident that the emperor’s mind was not focused on dining but rather on incessantly questioning Liu Fuyuan. Moreover, all the inquiries were related to the regent.

For instance, at this moment,

“Tell me again, what did he do after returning to the Prince Jing’s residence?”

“Your Majesty,” Liu Fuyuan leaned in closer to Wen Liangyu, lowering his voice, “After the Regent returned, he handled some state affairs.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Liangyu pursed his lips, giving a meaningful smile.

“Oh, you mean despite his ‘amnesia’, he managed to handle state affairs quite actively?”

This made him doubt the authenticity of He Heng’s memory loss. If it were anyone else, Wen Liangyu would probably believe it was 20% true and 80% false. However, this person was He Heng, the Regent who wielded power in the court, a man who rarely smiled and certainly wouldn’t engage in absurd behavior in broad daylight, let alone calling him “Wife.”

Moreover, He Heng now had full control over political affairs. If he were pretending to lose his memory, Wen Liangyu couldn’t fathom the motive. What purpose would it serve, besides making others puzzled by his actions after the supposed “memory loss”?

Could it be…

At this thought, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Could it be that he’s trying to lower my guard, and then gain something from me?

And just at that moment, a loud “thud!”

A sudden noise from outside the door startled the birds in the courtyard, causing them to flutter away.

Hearing the commotion, Liu Fuyuan immediately furrowed his brows in alertness.

“Your Majesty, I’ll go and see what’s happening outside,” he said.

As an old servant who had served three generations of emperors, he was particularly sensitive when it came to handling such matters, always prioritizing the safety of his master.

After gaining Wen Liangyu’s approval, Liu Fuyuan led a few attendants out to investigate.

As he cautiously pushed open the palace gates, he noticed someone leaning against the door panel, sitting on the ground. The moment he opened the door, that person, seemingly losing support, unexpectedly fell to the ground.

“Who goes there?”

Liu Fuyuan was just about to unleash a torrent of scolding, ready to berate the impudent servant who dared to sleep so disrespectfully in front of the emperor’s quarters. However, upon closer inspection, he discovered it was none other than the Regent, He Heng.

He Heng was clad in a white inner garment, his long hair scattered on the ground. One hand rested behind his head. Even though he was lying on the ground, he maintained an exceptionally elegant posture, as if he were lounging there to enjoy the scenery. He even flashed a smile at Liu Fuyuan.

Liu Fuyuan was nearly scared out of his wits, and the words he was about to utter took an unexpected turn near the corners of his mouth.

“Oh my, Lord He! The ground here is quite chilly. You should get up quickly, be mindful of your health!”

The moment Liu Fuyuan’s eyes met He Heng’s, his face almost contorted into a bitter melon. He quickly bent down to assist He Heng.

“It’s so late,” he said, casting a glance at He Heng’s disheveled appearance, forcibly swallowing the words, “Why did you come out without wearing proper clothes?”

“Why are you dressed so lightly? How come you didn’t inform your servants before coming out?”

“No need to worry,” He Heng casually waved his hand, pushing aside Liu Fuyuan’s attempt to support him. He effortlessly crossed the threshold, saying, “I’ve come to see my wife. No need for announcements.”

“…”

Staring at the man’s graceful departure, Liu Fuyuan felt like his head was about to split open. He quickly rushed after him, fearing that He Heng might say something astonishing to the emperor.

However, how could just anyone keep up with He Heng’s long legs?

He moved as if he had wheels on his feet, swiftly entering the emperor’s quarters. His speed left Liu Fuyuan in the dust, unable to catch up.

By the time he caught up, it was too late.

Liu Fuyuan, panting, arrived at the entrance of the emperor’s sleeping quarters only to witness the scene unfolding before him:

The young emperor held the large pillow he typically used for sleeping, and with a sudden force, he hurled it toward He Heng’s face. The expression on his face was a mix of anger and annoyance.

“Why are you here?”

With a swift motion, just as the pillow was about to hit He Heng’s face, he deftly caught it. However, in that moment, his expression changed dramatically, akin to the quick changes in a traditional Chinese opera face-changing performance.

His face transformed, becoming both affectionate and sorrowful, resembling the tragic protagonists in literary works. If there were a backdrop of heavy rain at this moment, it would have been perfect.

The next moment,

Liu Fuyuan witnessed He Heng’s thin lips slightly pursed, a forlorn expression appearing on his handsome face. It resembled the sorrow of a woman abandoned in a secluded chamber or the pitiful gaze of a large stray dog left wandering the streets—something that would evoke empathy in onlookers.

He Heng lowered his eyes, carefully cultivating his emotions for a while, perhaps a bit too long. When he finally spoke, his voice had a husky quality, and the tone had shifted.

He furrowed his elegant brows, trying hard to make himself appear more despondent. Then, he gazed affectionately at the young emperor and uttered with a deep emotion,

“You don’t want me anymore.”

His hoarse voice added a touch of theatricality to the performance, elevating the emotional intensity to its peak.

Even the astute Liu Fuyuan couldn’t help but furrow his brows, almost ready to intercede on behalf of He Heng: “Your Majesty, when it comes to matters of the heart, you should think carefully.”

As for Wen Liangyu, he was utterly bewildered. His mind was blank at this moment.

Perhaps due to He Heng’s incredibly convincing acting, he found it difficult to meet the other’s eyes now. It felt as if He Heng’s gaze was a blatant condemnation of his “scoundrel behavior”.

So, he turned his head slightly, blurting out incoherently, “Me? Not want you? When did I ever not want you?”

However, the moment these words escaped his lips, he sensed that something was subtly amiss.

Darn it!

How did he also get entangled in He Heng’s scheme?

This indeed hit He Heng’s mark. In a place where Wen Liangyu couldn’t see, He Heng subtly curled the corner of his mouth. In the moment he raised his gaze, he immediately assumed the role.

With his hands behind his back, He Heng took measured steps towards the young emperor, every word resolute, every tone laden with heart-wrenching emotion.

“When we were together back then…”

The moment he spoke, it dropped the jaws of everyone present.

The eunuchs and palace maids had never witnessed such a scene before. One by one, they huddled together, not daring to make a sound.

On the other side, He Heng continued his emotional outpouring.

“When we were together, every night by my side, you promised to take me away. Why… why did you leave me alone in the end?”

For a moment, all eyes turned toward the young emperor who was on the verge of making an escape.

“I, I…”

At this moment, Wen Liangyu finally understood the meaning of “silence is golden”. Veins on his forehead faintly throbbed, and he stuttered, “I, I…”

The young emperor, infuriated and unable to outwit He Heng, was about to charge forward for a confrontation when He Heng interrupted.

“You don’t need to say anything.”

He Heng suddenly extended a hand, cutting off his words.

Then, he walked up to Wen Liangyu, closing the distance between them until they were extremely close, their noses almost touching. He lowered his head and gazed at Wen Liangyu with a touch of sadness.

“I know it’s because of your mother.”

At this, Wen Liangyu’s mouth twitched. “What does my mother have to do with this?”

The next moment, He Heng pointed to his own abdomen.

“Your mother…”

As everyone strained to hear, he continued, “Your mother said I can’t bear children.”

 

 

 

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Author’s Note:

Wen Liangyu: Why do I feel like you’re insulting me?