Chapter 60 Something is slowly taking root

Under the watchful eyes of the attendants at the Palace of Eternal Longevity, Ye Wanwan lowered her gaze, let out a long sigh, and assumed a desolate expression. "Since Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is currently in a fit of rage, this concubine should not go and vex her further. Let us return!"

She put on an exhausted and distressed air, walking back with slow steps as if deeply worried for the Empress Dowager, though in truth, her mood was exceptionally bright.

Upon returning to the entrance of the Palace of Guanju, she saw Jiang Feixue dressed in charming powder-pink attire, exquisitely and delicately adorned, stepping out with a light and breezy pace.

She had been in high spirits, but never expected to run directly into Ye Wanwan. In an instant, her expression shifted, and her smile froze. "Cousin, weren't you going to see Aunt? Why have you returned?"

Why did she look so terribly guilty?

A thought flickered through Ye Wanwan's mind, but she chose not to make things difficult for her. "The Empress Dowager is in a bad mood, so I did not dare to disturb her. But you look to be in fine color; it seems you have fully recovered."

"Heh, is that so?" Jiang Feixue touched her ear awkwardly, her eyes darting away. "Well... I've been feeling quite stifled in my chambers these past few days and was just planning to go out for a stroll. I won't delay Cousin any longer, I must be going."

With that, she hurried off, her pace as swift as if she feared someone might give chase.

Qingisha asked in bewilderment, "What is Noble Lady Jiang up to? She's in such a rush, and not even taking a single attendant with her."

Ye Wanwan had her suspicions, and a cool, faint smile played at the corner of her lips. "We will know soon enough."

Ye Wanwan returned to her chambers to partake in the evening meal, and just as she was about to retire after washing up, the news arrived: the Emperor had kept Jiang Feixue to attend him for the night.

Look, wasn't that the answer?

As a concubine, Jiang Feixue was truly qualified. Resorting to any means and scheming meticulously to vie for imperial favor—this was what a real concubine ought to do. Thinking of this, was she herself being far too unmotivated now?

Heh, in her past life, she too had been so infatuated and unyielding, only to reap a bloody lesson and understand one undeniable truth: the women who threw themselves most desperately at Zhao Yi were bound to meet the most miserable ends.

It wasn't that she was cursing Jiang Feixue; she could only wish her good fortune.

The autumn wind rose, and the night air grew chill. Ye Wanwan was in a rare mood and had someone warm a pot of wine.

She arranged a recliner in the courtyard, spread a soft cushion over it, and prepared a pot of wine along with several small dishes of snacks to savor leisurely.

Her alcohol tolerance was ordinary, and before she knew it, the entire pot of wine was gone, leaving her feeling rather dizzy.

The wine was of the finest, purest brew, possessing a potent kick yet doing no harm to the body. Drinking it only brought a pleasant lightheadedness without any headache, creating a thoroughly comfortable sensation.

Already intoxicated, she was hardly conscious of her actions, feeling only a warm, hazy languor throughout her limbs. Lacking the strength to move, she adopted a comfortable posture, draped softly across the recliner, holding the wine pot in both hands against her chest, her feet curled up like a drunken cat that had sneaked a taste of wine.

The autumn evening breeze was already quite chilly, and coupled with the open-air setting, Ye Wanwan's frail constitution made her extremely susceptible to catching a chill.

Qingisha instructed someone to clear away the things on the table and went inside to fetch a blanket.

At that very moment, Ye Wanwan, curled up on the chair, let her head droop forward, appearing on the verge of rolling right off the recliner.

Just as Ye Wanwan was about to tumble completely, a figure standing quietly in the corner swiftly stepped forward. Before anyone could track his movements, he had already steadily caught the falling Ye Wanwan.

In truth, a fall from that height would not have caused serious injury, though Ye Wanwan's delicate skin would undoubtedly have suffered a little.

Even after being caught, Ye Wanwan remained dazed, completely unaware of what had just transpired.

Yan Chen caught her in his arms, instantly filled with a delicate fragrance and a soft sweetness he had never known before. Yet he felt no stirrings of improper emotion; he simply lifted her, intending to place her gently back onto the chair.

He lowered her feet first, and then slowly laid out her upper body. Because he was leaning over, the two of them were pressed exceedingly close, and he could clearly catch the subtle fragrance of her breath—a scent that seemed even more intoxicating than the rich aroma of wine.

Her disheveled hair hung down, her eyes were hazy, her red lips were alluring, and the lapel of her robe was pressed into creases, as if she had just been thoroughly bullied. The drunken allure of the undisputed foremost noble lady of the capital was something no man could witness and easily maintain his composure.

At that moment, Ye Wanwan half-opened her hazy eyes and turned her head slightly, her gaze vacant, completely unaware that the corner of her lips had brushed against something.

Yan Chen's body stiffened. He slowly laid Ye Wanwan down and stood up as if nothing had happened. Qingisha returned and gasped in shock upon seeing that Ye Wanwan had tumbled, though seeing that Yan Chen had caught her, she hurriedly stepped forward with a blanket to cover her.

Yan Chen said nothing at all. He silently retreated back into the shadows as though nothing had occurred, the burning heat of his jaw and the faint flush on the tips of his ears completely concealed by the night.

Those ink-blue eyes stared through the darkness at the intoxicated Imperial Noble Consort, and in a place where no one else knew, something began slowly to take root.

Long afterward, when Yan Chen had risen to become a formidable and treacherous chancellor, he pressed his body down upon the couch.

"Imperial Noble Consort, it was you who first seduced this servant back then, and even kissed me."

Ye Wanwan: "??? Did such a thing happen?"