Chapter 28: Tonight, Everyone's Tasting Honey

When Fang Xu realized that Qin Suwen was genuinely jealous, he couldn’t help but find it both amusing and exasperating. In his mind, he truly only saw Xiaoya as a little sister. After all, how old was Xiaoya this year? Even if he had forgotten all about the nine years of compulsory education, there was no way he’d ever cross that line with her—he wasn’t some kind of beast, was he?

Fang Xu thought Qin Suwen’s jealousy was utterly inexplicable. Did she really see him as such a contemptible person? The thought left him feeling as if his tender soul had suffered a grievous wound.

Yet Fang Xu had no inkling of what was truly going through Qin Suwen’s mind. To her, the age gap between herself and Xiaoya was negligible; she was only a year or two older at most. And given Fang Xu’s earlier improprieties toward her, Qin Suwen had already concluded he was nothing short of a scoundrel!

What Qin Suwen failed to notice was how her own emotions had grown strange—even unrecognizable compared to her former self. Why was this so? Previously, she’d only felt annoyance and contempt for Fang Xu, her heart filled with endless disdain. Yet at the sudden appearance of Xiaoya, a thread of anxiety took root within her, compelling her to compare herself to the girl outside.

Qin Suwen herself was at a loss for her own feelings. All she knew was that when Xiaoya nestled into Fang Xu’s arms, her little jar of jealousy nearly exploded. Had it not been for her concern over her own status, she might have rushed out at that very moment. In truth, a girl’s heart is simple, especially one like Qin Suwen, who had never truly interacted with men before.

Don’t be misled by her status as the current emperor; Qin Suwen was, at her core, still a young woman in the bloom of youth. Though she insisted, both aloud and in her heart, that she loathed Fang Xu, there’s truth in the saying: hate is born of love. If she truly despised him, why didn’t she stop his wandering hands? Was she really incapable of ending him if she wished?

All these reasons were, of course, merely excuses Qin Suwen made for her proud self. Unbeknownst to her, Fang Xu’s place in her heart had begun to rise steadily.

Fang Xu seemed to sense this as well—after all, a girl wouldn’t get jealous over a stranger. Anyone with half a mind could see it was impossible. Yet the notion that Qin Suwen might care for him left Fang Xu momentarily stunned, though the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn upward.

Perhaps even Fang Xu didn’t know why he couldn’t suppress his smile; he could only say that a few things had crossed his mind.

“My lady, it’s getting chilly outside—how about letting your husband come in?” Now that he was sure he held a place in Qin Suwen’s heart, Fang Xu couldn’t help but press his advantage.

But no matter how many times Fang Xu called out, Qin Suwen inside the room acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing. In the end, Fang Xu was forced to abandon the idea of entering the main hall.

He wrapped himself in a thin blanket, lying on the cold ground and gazing up at the starry sky above. It was the first time since arriving in this era that Fang Xu had seen such a sight. In his previous life, he’d never glimpsed such a splendid sky; he’d been so focused on making money that he’d long forgotten what he was living for.

With a sigh, Fang Xu closed his eyes.

What Fang Xu didn’t know was that, as his eyes slid shut, a small, adorable head appeared at the window. Who else could it be but Qin Suwen?

She had initially planned to let Fang Xu in after he called a few more times. Yet, to her surprise, Fang Xu simply lay down and fell asleep on the floor, snoring away. Qin Suwen couldn’t help but stamp her foot, casting a look filled with reproach at the sleeping figure.

“This scoundrel! Who knows how many girls have fallen for his honeyed words,” she muttered, recalling the earlier sweet nothings that had sent a shiver down her spine. Had she been her old self, she might have dismissed such talk as crude, but now those words had sunk deep into her heart, impossible to shake.

Clenching her pearly teeth, Qin Suwen seemed to make a decision.

A trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes as she prepared to act. But just then, she glimpsed several maids approaching with lanterns in hand. Instantly, she ducked back inside.

“Hmph! If he likes sleeping on the floor so much, let him sleep there as long as he wants!” she huffed, returning to her warm bed. Yet, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t fall asleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, images of Xiaoya and Fang Xu replayed in her mind, filling her with frustration until she clenched her blanket tight in her fists. The poor blanket bore the brunt of an anger meant for Fang Xu—if only it could speak, it would surely pour out its grievances.

But after a while, the blanket covering her mouth couldn’t conceal the faint smile tugging at her lips.

All the dissatisfaction and jealousy from earlier, along with the scene between Fang Xu and Xiaoya, were utterly erased by the words Fang Xu had spoken outside her door. Qin Suwen’s delicate face was now tinged with a rosy hue—whether from the warmth beneath the covers or something else, even she could feel the flush in her cheeks. She cupped her face in her hands, mumbling to herself in a way that made it clear her heart was as sweet as honey.

Nor was she the only one basking in such happiness. After being led back to her room by the maids, Xiaoya’s cheeks were completely flushed, as if she were drunk. In truth, she was no different than someone tipsy. Though it was only a few steps from the door to her bed, Xiaoya stumbled as if intoxicated before finally sitting down at the edge.

She stared down at her small hands, which still seemed to retain Fang Xu’s warmth, then reached up to smooth her tousled hair. Lowering her head, it was plain to see that she, too, was filled with a secret sweetness.