Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Su Nuan was shocked, but she did not express it on her face.

She carefully hid the surprise in her eyes and asked softly, “Big Brother Emperor, are you done sleeping?”

She shifted her gaze away from his eyes without any panic and started to tuck him in.

Feng Junyi raised his eyebrows slightly and pretended not to notice. “I’m done sleeping,” he replied in a deep voice.

He rolled over and got up. Su Nuan immediately reached forward to help him up.

Her slender fingers were so close to him that he had the urge to pinch it.

But it was only for a moment. He immediately looked away.

“Big Brother Emperor, let me pour you a cup of tea.”

Su Nuan was eagerly attentive and was about to pour some water when she was stopped.

“Just let Wang Ze pour the tea.”

She is a young lady, and her skin is so tender. What if she scalds herself while pouring tea?

Wang Ze hurriedly poured some tea and handed it to Feng Junyi respectfully.

The little fellow in Su Nuan’s sleeve was still moving around, and she remembered what she wanted to do. She sneaked up next to Feng Junyi while he was drinking tea.

“Big Brother Emperor, I have something to show you.”

There was a mysterious look on her face. There were no outsiders around them, and she changed the way she referred to herself1. Wang Ze didn’t remind her because he had long noticed that the young Empress didn’t use the right words. Since the Emperor didn’t mind, he just turned a blind eye.

“Is that so? What is it?”

“Look! It’s a hamster! Isn’t it cute?”

Su Nuan took out the hamster from her sleeve and brought it to Feng Junyi. Wang Ze felt his heart catch in his throat.

Does the Empress want to die?

The Emperor wasn’t afraid of anything except for furry little creatures.

Wang Ze hurriedly prostrated on the ground in fear. Then, he saw the Emperor’s face turn pale for a moment before remarking calmly, “It’s too ugly.”

???

The Emperor didn’t draw his sword?

Wang Ze was already drenched in sweat. Su Nuan, standing in front of Feng Junyi, also noticed this slight change in his demeanor.

So the Emperor can kill people, but he is afraid of a little hamster?

Even though she noticed this, she did not expose him.

Men were all prideful. Other than Wang Ze, her palace maids were also here at this moment. Of course, she had to be cooperative.

Just as she was about to put the hamster away, Feng Junyi raised his hand slowly. Then, he paused and hovered his fingers on top of the hamster’s head before touching it.

The soft, furry little creature, coupled with its ridiculous nose and tail, was too ugly for him.

“What’s so good about raising this ugly thing?”

He got up, his mind still lingering on the girl’s pink fingertips on the hamster. “That thing will crawl everywhere. If the Empress likes it, it’s better to keep it in a cage,” he finally said.

Su Nuan thought that she wouldn’t be able to raise it because the Emperor didn’t like hamsters. She didn’t think he’d let her keep it in a cage.

She was thrilled and exclaimed happily, “Thank you, Big Brother Emperor!”

In order to keep the hamster away from Feng Junyi’s sight, she secretly placed it back into her sleeve.

Feng Junyi had no intention of leaving. He looked at Su Nuan rummaging through the drawers. “What are you looking for?” he asked.

“I’m checking if there are any rare treasures in my dowry. The Empress Dowager gave me a lot of hairpins the last time I saw her. It’s impolite if I don’t reciprocate, so I’m thinking of giving her something when I go to Changshou Palace in the afternoon,” she explained while gesturing for Zhen Zhu to bring out her dowry.

She had just told him her honest thoughts when she remembered the relationship between the Empress Dowager and Feng Junyi. She hurriedly added, “You have to reciprocate favors from others. That way, both parties can be even.”

She was hinting to Feng Junyi that she didn’t want to owe the Empress Dowager. She was also afraid that her hint was too obvious, but that was all she could do.

Feng Junyi could not help but laugh.

She’s so timid. Why was she willing to be sent here?

She’s obviously afraid. She wants to return the favor after Mother rewarded her so that she doesn’t have to owe the her anything.

“Wang Ze, go to the storeroom and bring a few luminous pearls for the Empress to play with.”

The luminous pearls!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Su Nuan’s heart was beating wildly.

In the past, she had heard that there were luminous pearls in ancient times. There were many legends surrounding these pearls, but she had never seen a real one. There were even rumors that luminous pearls were fake.

She had seen them before at the Empress Dowager’s chambers. Luminous pearls the size of ping pong balls were placed on the table, brilliantly glowing brighter than candles.

As expected, Wang Ze quickly responded and soon returned with a box. He presented the box to her respectfully.

“Your Majesty, these are the luminous pearls that I retrieved from the storeroom. Please choose one that you fancy.”

Wang Ze opened the box, revealing five or six luminous pearls the size of ping pong balls.

Su Nuan was stunned.

The luminous pearls illuminated the girl’s face even brighter. Her large eyes were filled with surprise, and she stared unblinkingly at the pearls in front of her.

She was completely different from the people around Feng Junyi. She was an open book—her happiness, anger, sorrow, and even her little thoughts were all written all over her eyes.

“There’s no need to pick. Take them all.”

“Are you really going to give them all to me? That would be great! Thank you, Big Brother Emperor. You’re so nice.”

Su Nuan gave Feng Junyi another big hug. His body stiffened, and his eyes darkened. He pushed her away quietly.

“Wang Ze, let’s return to the study.”

When she saw Feng Junyi leave coldly, Su Nuan became confused. Did I offend the little tyrant again? Or is he shy?

Anyhow, it is quite fun to have all these luminous pearls.

“Zhen Zhu, go and find the most luxurious and beautiful box. The Empress Dowager’s chamber is filled with luminous pearls. She must really like it. I’ll bring these over for her to pick some when we head over in the afternoon.”

Even though she was reciprocating the Empress Dowager’s favor with something from the little tyrant, she felt that it was acceptable.

Besides, Feng Junyi knew that she would return the favor, and he still gave her the luminous pearls. That meant that he had tacitly allowed her to give it to the Empress Dowager.

“Your Majesty, Commandery Princess Shuanghua has come to visit you.”

A palace maid came forward to report the news and withdrew obediently. However, the Commandery Princess entered on her own.

Commandery Princess Shuanghua was as haughty as ever. She raised her chin slightly and asked, “I heard that you have been staying indoors for quite some time, Empress. Are you perhaps ill?”

Su Nuan looked at her innocently with her big eyes. “So the Commandery Princess is here to visit me?”

She circled Commandery Princess Shuanghua and questioned, “Shouldn’t you prepare a gift when visiting someone? Commandery Princess Shuanghua, did you visit me without a gift? If word got out, you’d be a laughing stock. Everyone would mock you for not knowing the rules for visiting your royal cousin-in-law.”