Chongfei Manual - Chapter 168.3

At this time, Wei Luo’s eyelashes were lowered. She wasn’t experienced with putting on the swaddling clothes and little watermelon was acting naughty. One moment he was kicking, the next moment he was stretching his arm. His playing around caused Wei Luo to not be able to put on his swaddling clothes for a long time. Fortunately, there was a heater in the room, so he wasn’t in danger of catching a cold.

Surprisingly, Wei Luo wasn’t annoyed. She helplessly touched Zhao Xi’s little nose and said, “Stop moving. If you keep moving around, mother will be angry.”

Zhao Xi’s long eyelashes fluttered as he blinked. When he looked at Wei Luo, it seemed as if he could understand her words.

Wei Luo quickly finished wrapping Zhao Xi in the swaddling clothes. She lowered her head, kissed Zhao Xi’s forehead, and praised him, “So obedient.”

On the side, Zhao Jie sneered as he watched them.

As soon as Wei Luo raised her head, she saw Zhao Jie’s long face and couldn’t feeling surprised. She asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Jie said, “Imperial mother also likes him a lot. How about giving him to her and letting her raise him instead?”

Wei Luo’s eyes immediately widen. She instinctively said, “No.” He was her child. She felt that she didn’t even have enough time to spend with him and spoil him. How could she bear to give him to someone else?

Zhao Jie silently looked at her. His expression was very ugly.

Wei Luo finally realized there was something wrong. She left Zhao Xi on the arhat bed and sat down across from Zhao Jie. “Are you upset?”

Zhao Jie lowered his eyes and looked at her in askance. A while later, he said, “You tell me. How many days have you given me the cold shoulder?”

Uhhh. Wei Luo awkwardly fidgeted with her fingers. She finally understood why his expression had looked so bad. But, she hadn’t treated him coldly. She had just slightly liked little watermelon too much… What mother wouldn’t love her son? Wei Luo felt as if she was being unjustly treated, but it wouldn’t be good for her express this feeling. After all, Zhao Jie needed to be comforted more than her.

Thus, she said, “I didn’t give you the cold shoulder. You’re so much older than little watermelon. You can take care of yourself, but little watermelon can’t, so I have to care of him. Besides, you were the one that said, ‘I don’t like children. I only like this child because of you.’ Do you not like little watermelon anymore? Are you really going to be jealous over him?”

The words, “I’m jealous”, was clearly written on Zhao Jie’s normally expressionless face.

It was only now that Wei Luo realized how petty men could be. She wrapped her arms around Zhao Jie’s arm and raised her head to look at him. “Then, what do I have to do so that you won’t give him to imperial mother? Little watermelon is my son. I want to raise him myself.”

Zhao Jie’s black eyes turned and landed on Wei Luo’s body.

His prolonged stare made Wei Luo feel goosebumps rising on her body. She almost called out, “big brother” to beg him to stop.

He finally moved. He raised his hand and tapped his own cheek. His beautiful, deep voice said, “Kiss me.”

So, he had minded when she had recently kissed Zhao Xi’s forehead. Wei Luo pursed her lips. It wasn’t like she hadn’t kissed him before, so she held onto his neck and sincerely kissed his cheek with her small mouth. In order to curry favor with him, after she kissed his cheek, she slowly moved her lips to his mouth as she fluttered her eyelashes. She licked his lips and teeth to open them.

Wei Luo raised her eyes to secretly look at him and saw Zhao Jie’s lowered eyes looking at her. His pupils were pitch-black and he wasn’t showing any reaction.

Wei Luo closed her eyes to temper herself and rushed into his mouth. Because she had the intention of pleasing him, it was a very lingering kiss.

A moment later, Zhao Jie turned himself over to press her down, seized control, and besieged her mouth.

…

A long time later, Zhao Jie finally let go Wei Luo’s mouth, but he stayed in the same position with his face touching hers. They were very close as he hoarsely said, “In the future, you’re not allowed to only show affection towards little watermelon.”

Wei Luo’s tongue had become numb from his sucking. Her eyes were watery and she was quietly gasping.

Zhao Jie bit her ear and added, “You have to show that you love me too.”

Wei Luo’s cheeks turned red and she slowly nodded.

—

A month later, Wei Luo and Zhao Jie moved out of Zhao Yang Hall and brought little watermelon with them as they returned home.

After the three of them left, Zhao Yang Hall instantly became a lonelier and colder place.

Empress Chen moved back to Zhao Yang Hall after Emperor Chong Zhen lost his reason to keep her in his hall.

During this past month, although they didn’t exchanged many words while they lived under the same roof, Emperor Chong Zhen felt that it was still better than living in his hall by himself. Seeing Empress Chen leaving him without any hesitation, he felt that Yang Xin Hall was too spacious and empty. He actually felt somewhat not used to living here alone now.

A few days later, Empress Chen came to the imperial study of her own initiative to look for him and he felt quite overwhelmed by her favor.

Zhao Zhi Qing had become injured in order to save the empress. Most of the injuries had been healed after the past month of care and he didn’t bring this topic up. Empress Chen had also kept silent. The two of them had a tacit understanding to not mention this matter as if this fire had never occurred. Zhao Zhi Qing clearly knew that he was lying to himself, but he didn’t want to say the truth. He was scared that if he said anything, then even the shallow peace between them couldn’t be kept.

Empress Chen stood in front of the red sandalwood table with curved edges and looked at the emperor, who was wearing a golden robe embroidered with dragons and auspicious clouds and sitting on his throne. She opened her mouth to say, “This consort has a request for His Majesty.”

Emperor Chong Zhen looked at her and had a bad feeling. A while later, he said, “Please say it.”

Empress Chen had probably already made up her mind. Neither fast nor slow, she said, “This consort wants to move to Shan An Temple to study and practice Buddhism. Your Majesty, please agree.”

Emperor Chong Zhen tightened his grip on the report he was holding and stared at her.

Shan An Temple was a temple that had been renovated by the imperial family. It was outside the palace, but it wasn’t far away. It would only take about fifteen minutes to go there. It was only during the New Year that the palace would organize for imperial concubines to go there to burn incense and worship Buddha. Now, Empress Chen was offering to move there of her own initiative to study and practice Buddhism. Emperor Chong didn’t return to his senses for a long time.

Empress Chen silently stood there as she waited for him to agree.

For a long time, Emperor Chong Zhen went back and forth between tightening and loosening his grip on the report he was holding. His voice was hoarse and sounded powerless as he asked, “Wan Wan, does this emperor really not have any chance left?”